Battery heating system

• US 5,948,298 A
• Filed: 04/26/1996
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ijaz, Mujeeb Ismael
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIK, SANG YEOP
• Application Number:
  US08/638,083
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 219/200, 219/202, 219/209, 219/483, 219/486, 429/97, 429/99, 429/100, 429/120, 429/123, 180/68.5
• US Class Current: 219/209
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/08 Methods and devices for control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/637 characterised by the use of reversible temperature-sensitive devices, e.g. NTC, PTC or bimetal devices; characterised by control of the internal current flowing through the cells, e.g. by switching means for preventing undesired use or discharge H01M50/572
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6554 Rods or plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6571 Resistive heaters arrangements for heating the battery by its resistance to the internal current H01M10/637
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A battery heating system for the batteries of an electrical vehicle includes a plurality of electrical heaters. The electrical heaters are apportioned into a plurality of groups, the groups coupled to independently-switchable voltage sources. One or more of the electrical heaters may have a parallel/series design for their resistive heater elements, to improve the reliability of those heaters.

Claims

1. A heating system for a plurality of vehicle batteries, said system comprising:

a series-connected plurality of vehicle batteries;

a plurality of electric heaters apportioned into at least a first group containing at least one electric heater and a second group containing at least one electric heater, each electric heater of said plurality of electric heaters in thermal communication with at least one of said vehicle batteries;

a voltage downconverter having an input coupled across series-connected plurality of vehicle batteries and having an output;

the first group of electric heaters coupled to receive electric power at the series voltage of said series-connected plurality of vehicle batteries;

the second group of electric heaters coupled to receive electric power from said output of said voltage downconverter.

2. A heating system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

each heater in said first group is coupled to a side of one or more of said vehicle batteries;

each heater in said second group is located below more than one of said plurality of series-connected vehicle batteries.

3. A heating system as recited in claim 2, wherein:

said plurality of series-connected vehicle batteries are arranged in a plurality of tiers having at least a first tier and a second tier, said second tier located beneath said first tier;

said heaters in said first group are coupled to batteries in said first tier; and

said heaters in said second group are located beneath batteries in said second tier.

4. A heating system as recited in claim 3, wherein said heaters in said first group are independently controllable from said heaters in said second group.