METHOD AND REGULATING APPARATUS FOR REGULATING A TEMPERATURE OF AN ENERGY ACCUMULATOR UNIT

• US 20120078437A1
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BEHR GmbH & Company KG (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BEHR GmbH & Company KG (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Inventors: STRIPF, Matthias, WEHOWSKI, Manuel
• Application Number:
  US13/245,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20120078437A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/300
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/633 characterised by algorithms, flow charts, software details or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6568 characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6569 Fluids undergoing a liquid-gas phase change or transition, e.g. evaporation or condensation heat pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/663 the system being an air-conditioner or an engine
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5038 Heating or cooling of cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0432 Temperature; Ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04358 of the coolant
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04701 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04746 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A method for regulating a temperature of an energy accumulator unit is provided, which is in thermal contact with at least one cooling unit. The method has a step of determining a temperature difference between a temperature at a primary measuring site of the energy accumulator unit and a temperature at a secondary measuring site of the energy accumulator unit or cooling unit. The method has a step of selecting a control variable using the determined temperature difference and a predefined characteristic curve, the predefined characteristic curve representing a correlation between a control variable and a temperature difference or a variable dependent thereon. An actuator is actuated via a regulating unit using the selected control variable for regulating a flow of the cooling and/or refrigerating agent through the cooling unit in order to bring about the regulation of the temperature of the energy accumulator unit.

Claims

1. A method for regulating a temperature of an energy accumulator unit, wherein the energy accumulator unit is in thermal contact with at least one cooling unit through which a cooling and/or refrigerating agent flows, the method comprising:

determining a temperature difference between a temperature at a primary measuring site of the energy accumulator unit and a temperature at a secondary measuring site of the energy accumulator unit or the cooling unit;

selecting a control variable using the determined temperature difference and a predefined characteristic curve or mathematical function, the predefined characteristic curve representing a correlation between a control variable and a temperature difference or a variable that is dependent thereon; and

actuating a control element via a regulator unit using the selected control variable, in order to regulate the flow of cooling and/or refrigerating agent through the cooling unit and thereby regulating the temperature of the energy accumulator unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the selection step, the control variable is also selected on the basis of the temperature at the primary measuring site.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the selection step, a duty factor of a pulse width modulated signal is selected in the regulating unit as a control variable, and wherein in the actuation step, the control element is actuated using the pulse width modulated signal as the control variable.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein, in the selection step, the duty factor is selected as the control variable within a temperature interval using the characteristic curve, wherein, in the selection step, a duty factor of zero is selected when the temperature at the primary measuring site is lower than a lower threshold temperature of the temperature interval, and wherein, in the selection step, a duty factor of one is selected when the temperature at the primary measuring site is greater than an upper threshold temperature of the temperature interval.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, in the selection step, a duty factor is selected which is greater, the higher the temperature is at the primary measuring site within the temperature interval.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the selection step is embodied such that predetermined duty factors within the temperature interval in the range of a maximum and a minimum duty factor cannot be selected.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein, in the selection step, with an increasing or decreasing temperature at the primary measuring site, predefined duty factors are skipped, or a duty factor that does not exceed a maximum duty factor is selected.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the selection step, using the determined temperature difference, a characteristic curve is selected from a family of predefined characteristic curves, and wherein the control variable is selected using the selected characteristic curve.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, in the selection step, for a small temperature difference, a characteristic curve from the family of predefined characteristic curves is selected, which, at a predefined temperature at the primary measuring site, results in a large control variable, and wherein, in the selection step for a large temperature difference, a characteristic curve (from the family of predefined characteristic curves is selected, which at the predefined temperature at the primary measuring site results in a small control variable.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the selection step, a period of a pulse width modulated signal is selected as the control variable, and wherein in the actuation step, the control element is actuated with the pulse width modulated signal as the control variable.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, in the selection step, the period is selected as the control variable on the basis of the change over time in the temperature difference, wherein the period is selected such that an increase in the amount of change over time causes a decrease in the period, and a decrease in the amount of change over time causes an increase in the period.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein, in the selection step, before determining the change over time in the temperature difference, a low pass filtering of the temperature difference is conducted.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the selection step, a switch-on temperature is determined as the control variable on the basis of the temperature difference, wherein in the actuation step, the regulating unit causes cooling and/or refrigerating agent to flow through the cooling unit when the temperature at the primary measuring site lies above the switch-on temperature and/or wherein in the selection step, a switch-off temperature is determined as the control variable on the basis of the temperature difference, wherein in the actuation step, the control element is actuated such that cooling and/or refrigerating agent is prevented from flowing through the cooling unit when the temperature at the primary measuring site is lower than the switch-off temperature.

14. A regulating device, which is embodied for carrying out and/or actuating the steps of the method according to claim 1.

15. A computer program having a program code for carrying out and/or actuating the steps of the method according to claim 1, when the computer program is executed in a control device or a data processing system.