Method and apparatus for supplying cooling liquid to a storage battery
First Claim
1. A method of charging an electric storage battery by an actuatable, electrical supply located in or near a charging unit, said battery having a heat responsive characteristic to be controlled in accordance with a time-based temperature relationship at a given area of said battery by circulating a liquid through said battery and at said area and controlling the temperature of said liquid in accordance with said time-based relationship, said battery being mounted on an electric powered motor vehicle for driving said vehicle and having charging terminals, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) connecting said power supply across said charging terminals of said battery;
(b) providing a battery heat exchanger in said battery at said given area, said heat exchanger having an inlet portion for receiving a liquid, an outlet portion for discharging said liquid and an intermediate heat exchanger element for cooling said given area of said battery;
(c) connecting said inlet and outlet portions into a fluid circuit in said charging unit;
(d) pumping liquid through said battery heat exchanger at a known flow rate whereby said discharged liquid is at a temperature higher than the temperature of said liquid flowing into said battery heat exchanger;
(e) dividing said discharged liquid into a first and second portion;
(f) cooling said first portion in said charging unit;
(g) combining said cooled first portion and second portion into said liquid flowing into said battery heat exchanger; and
,(h) adjusting the ratio of the combining flow rates of said first and second portions in accordance with said time-based relationship.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing a cooling liquid to the heat exchanger in a storage battery mounted on a vehicle for driving the vehicle, wherein the liquid is to be supplied to the battery at an inlet temperature which varies in a time-based relationship. The liquid to be cooled is obtained from the battery itself in a recirculative system located generally outside the vehicle. In accordance with this method and apparatus, the liquid returned from the vehicle mounted storage battery is divided into first and second portions, the first of these portions is cooled at a preselected cooling rate, thereafter, the cooled first portion and the uncooled or bypassed second portion are recombined to provide the liquid supplied to the battery heat exchanger. The ratio of the first and second portions is adjusted in accordance with a time-based relationship wherein the temperature within the battery is intentionally changed during a charging cycle.
85 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method of charging an electric storage battery by an actuatable, electrical supply located in or near a charging unit, said battery having a heat responsive characteristic to be controlled in accordance with a time-based temperature relationship at a given area of said battery by circulating a liquid through said battery and at said area and controlling the temperature of said liquid in accordance with said time-based relationship, said battery being mounted on an electric powered motor vehicle for driving said vehicle and having charging terminals, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) connecting said power supply across said charging terminals of said battery; (b) providing a battery heat exchanger in said battery at said given area, said heat exchanger having an inlet portion for receiving a liquid, an outlet portion for discharging said liquid and an intermediate heat exchanger element for cooling said given area of said battery; (c) connecting said inlet and outlet portions into a fluid circuit in said charging unit; (d) pumping liquid through said battery heat exchanger at a known flow rate whereby said discharged liquid is at a temperature higher than the temperature of said liquid flowing into said battery heat exchanger; (e) dividing said discharged liquid into a first and second portion; (f) cooling said first portion in said charging unit; (g) combining said cooled first portion and second portion into said liquid flowing into said battery heat exchanger; and
,(h) adjusting the ratio of the combining flow rates of said first and second portions in accordance with said time-based relationship. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of providing a cooling liquid to the cooling heat exchanger at a given area of a storage battery mounted on a vehicle for driving said vehicle, said liquid being at an inlet temperature which varies in a time-based relationship and being obtained from said battery heat exchanger at a temperature greater than said inlet temperature, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) dividing said obtained liquid into first and second portions; (b) cooling said first portion at a preselected cooling rate; (c) recombining said cooled first portion and second portion of said obtained liquid to create said cooling liquid; and
,(d) adjusting the ratio of the recombining flow rates of said first and second portions in accordance with said time-based relationship. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An apparatus for charging an electric storage battery by an actuatable, electrical power supply located in or near a charging unit, said battery having a heat responsive characteristic to be controlled in accordance with a time-based temperature relationship at a give area of said battery by circulating a liquid through said battery and at said area and controlling the temperature of said liquid in accordance with said time-based relationship, said battery being mounted on an electric powered motor vehicle for driving said vehicle and having charging terminals, said apparatus comprising the following:
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(a) means for connecting said power supply across said charging terminals of said battery; (b) means for providing a battery heat exchanger in said battery at said given area, said heat exchanger having an inlet portion for receiving a liquid, an outlet portion for discharging said liquid and an intermediate heat exchanging element for cooling said given area of said battery;
(c) means for connecting said inlet and outlet portions into a fluid circuit in said charging unit;(d) means for pumping liquid through said battery heat exchanger at a known flow rate whereby said discharged liquid from said heat exchanger is at a temperature higher than the temperature of said liquid flowing into said battery heat exchanger; (e) means for dividing said discharged liquid into a first and second portion; (f) means for cooling said first portion in said charging unit; (g) means for combining said cooled first portion and second portion into said liquid flowing into said battery heat exchanger; and
,(h) means for adjusting the ratio of the combining flow rates of said first and second portions in accordance with said time-based relationship. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. An apparatus for providing a cooling liquid to the cooling heat exchanger at a given area of a storage battery mounted on a vehicle for driving said vehicle, said liquid being at an inlet temperature which varies in a time-based relationship and being obtained from said battery heat exchanger at a temperature greater than said inlet temperature, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) means for dividing said obtained liquid into first and second portions; (b) means for cooling said first portion at a preselected cooling rate; (c) means for recombining said cooled first portion and second portion of said obtained liquid to create said cooling liquid; and
,(d) means for adjusting the ratio of the recombining flow rates of said first and second portions in accordance with said time-based relationship. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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39. A method of charging an electric storage battery by an actuatable, electrical power supply located in a charging unit, said battery having a heat responsive characteristic to be controlled in accordance with a time-based temperature relationship at a given area of said battery by circulating a liquid through said battery and at said area and controlling the temperature of said liquid in accordance with said time-based relationship, said battery being mounted on an electric powered motor vehicle for driving said vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) circulating said liquid through said battery; (b) measuring the temperature in said given area; (c) maintaining said liquid at a selected temperature until said measured temperature reaches a preselected temperature; and
,(d) then increasing said preselected temperature and said selected temperature until said battery is charged.
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Specification