Method for thermal management of a battery in an outdoor equipment cabinet

• US 6,533,031 B1
• Filed: 05/09/2000
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Emerson Network Power Energy Systems North America Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Marconi Communications, Inc. (Marconi Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Cosley, Michael R., Garcia, Marvin P.
• Primary Examiner(s): CIRIC, LJILJANA V
• Application Number:
  US09/567,528
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 165/263, 165/264, 165/47, 165/48.1, 165/53, 165/54, 165/55, 165/56, 165/57, 165/58, 165/59, 62/32, 62/36, 62/60, 622/592, 622/36
• US Class Current: 165/263
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/627 Stationary installations, e.g. power plant buffering or backup power supplies
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6554 Rods or plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6556 Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange closed pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6566 Means within the gas flow to guide the flow around one or more cells, e.g. manifolds, baffles or other barriers H01M10/6565 takes precedence
• 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 10/658 by thermal insulation or shielding
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A method which extends the useful life of a lead-acid type battery by applying conductive cooling or heating directly to the bottom surface of the battery to maintain the battery at a constant temperature of about 25° C. regardless of the ambient temperature surrounding the battery. The method for thermally managing the battery comprises the steps of providing an equipment cabinet having an equipment chamber, providing the cabinet with a battery compartment exposed to ambient temperature changes, providing the battery, placing the battery in the battery compartment, providing a cold plate having a surface substantially coextensive with the surface of the battery, placing the surface of the cold plate in direct contact with the surface of the battery, providing a heating pad, placing the heating pad in direct contact with the cold plate, providing an insulation pad, and placing the insulation pad between the heating pad and a mounting for the cabinet.

Claims

1. A method for thermally managing a lead acid battery comprising the steps of:

providing an equipment cabinet having an equipment chamber;

providing said cabinet with a battery compartment exposed to ambient temperature changes;

providing a battery;

placing said battery in said battery compartment;

providing a heat conducting plate having a surface substantially coextensive with a surface of said battery, said plate having a fluid conduit formed therein and said conduit being connected to a compressor;

placing said surface of said heat conducting plate in direct contact with said surface of said battery;

providing a heating pad;

placing said heating pad in direct contact with said heat conducting plate;

providing an insulation pad;

placing said insulation pad next to said heating pad; and

selectively cooling or heating said battery to maintain said battery at a generally constant temperature.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said generally constant temperature is about 25°

C. regardlesss of the ambient temperature surrounding said battery.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 including the step of:

cooling and heating said battery by conduction through said surface of said battery.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 including the steps of:

providing an ambient air opening to said battery compartment;

providing a heat exchanger in said cabinet; and

moving ambient air past said battery into said heat exchanger.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 including the step of:

cooling and heating said battery by conduction through said surface of said battery.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 including the steps of:

providing an ambient air opening to said battery compartment;

providing a heat exchanger in said cabinet; and

moving ambient air past said heat exchanger.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the steps of providing a heat conducting plate and a heating pad are performed as part of a retrofit.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 including the step of:

placing said heat conducting plate, said heating pad and said insulation pad beneath said battery in said cabinet.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said heat conducting plate is generally flat.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein:

said heat conducting plate is comprised of thermally conductive material.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein:

said heat conducting plate includes a serpentine groove and said fluid conduit is a metal tube in said groove.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said heat conducting plate is comprised of thermally conductive material.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said heat conducting plate includes a serpentine groove and said fluid conduit is a metal tube in said groove.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the steps of providing a heat conducting plate and a heating pad are performed as part of a retrofit.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 including the step of:

placing said heat conducting plate, said heating pad and said insulation pad beneath said battery in said cabinet.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said insulation pad is formed of high temperature plastic.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said compressor is part of a refrigeration system, and including the steps of:

providing a refrigeration system; and

cooling said heat conducting plate with said refrigeration system.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein:

said battery is maintained at a temperature of about 25°

C. regardless of the ambient temperature surrounding said battery.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 including the step of:

cooling and heating said battery by conduction through said surface of said battery.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19 including the steps of:

providing an ambient air opening to said battery compartment;

providing a heat exchanger in said cabinet; and

moving ambient air past said battery into said heat exchanger.