Temperature controlling apparatus for battery, vehicle apparatus using the same, and controlling method therefor

• US 7,947,387 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Keihin Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.), Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Murakami, Hiroshi, Maeda, Tomohiko, Kayano, Morio, Saito, Mitsunobu, Ota, Kazushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Cynthia
• Application Number:
  US12/793,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20100239894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 429/62
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/56 Temperature prediction, e.g. for pre-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/617 for achieving uniformity or desired distribution of 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 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/667 the system being an electronic component, e.g. a CPU, an inverter or a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• 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

Abstract

In an ECU, a coolant fan performs cooling operation such that a control DUTY value is limited by a control DUTY value according to tolerable noise level of the cooling fan based on a vehicle speed in a case in which the temperature in the high-voltage battery is lower than a predetermined limitation for highest temperature. In a case in which the temperature in the high-voltage battery is higher than the predetermined limitation for highest temperature, the cooling fan performs the cooling operation by using an energy storage device cooling operation requirement value and an IPU cooling operation requirement value such that performance in the high-voltage battery is not affected. By doing this, a temperature controlling apparatus for batteries in which it is possible to cool the battery and solve temperature difference among a plurality of batteries can be provided.

Claims

1. A temperature controlling apparatus for batteries of a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of batteries connected to each other;

a cooling fan for sending cooling air to the plurality of batteries;

a plurality of temperature measuring means for measuring a temperature of each of the plurality of batteries;

a temperature difference calculating means for calculating a temperature difference among the plurality of batteries;

a controlling means for setting and controlling an electric current supplied to the cooling fan according to the temperature difference among the plurality of batteries,

an current limiting device configured to limit the electric current to the cooling fan according to the driving speed of the vehicle,

a speed measuring means for measuring driving speed of the vehicle, and

a limitation cancelling device configured to cancel the limitation of the electric current to said cooling fan made by the current limiting device when the driving speed of the vehicle cannot be obtained from the speed measuring means for a predetermined period of time during which electricity is charged to or discharged from the plurality of batteries,

wherein the plurality of batteries are configured to supply electric power to a motor for driving the vehicle or are configured to support an output of an engine of the vehicle and store energy which is regenerated by the motor during deceleration of the vehicle.

2. The temperature controlling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a limitation clearing device configured to cancel the limitation of the electric current to said cooling fan made by the current limiting device when the temperature of the plurality of batteries rises higher than a predetermined limit for highest temperature.

3. A method for controlling a temperature controlling apparatus, comprising:

measuring a temperature of each of a plurality of batteries which are connected to each other;

calculating temperature differences among said plurality of batteries;

measuring a driving speed of the vehicle;

setting and controlling a first current value sent to a cooling fan for sending cooling air to said plurality of batteries according to the temperature differences among said plurality of batteries, said first current value being set such that if the detected temperature of the battery having the highest temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature value or if the estimated heat generation of the battery having the highest temperature exceeds a predetermined heat generation value, then the first value is set as a function of the detected temperature of the battery having the highest temperature and the estimated heat generation of the battery having the highest temperature in a three-dimensional map;

setting and controlling a second current value sent to the cooling fan according to the temperature difference between the highest temperature and lowest temperature among said plurality of batteries;

choosing the larger current value between the first current value and the second current value;

limiting the current according to the driving speed of the vehicle; and

controlling said cooling fan according to the current value chosen in said choosing step,

wherein the plurality of batteries are configured to supply electric power to a motor for driving a vehicle, or are configured to support an output of an engine of the vehicle and store energy which is regenerated by the motor during the deceleration of the vehicle,

wherein as the temperature of the plurality of batteries becomes higher, the amount of electric current being supplied to the cooling fan is increased, and

wherein as the temperature difference among the plurality of batteries becomes larger, the amount of electric current being supplied to the cooling fan is increased.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising canceling the limitation of the electric current to said cooling fan made in the current limiting step if the temperature of the batteries rises higher than a predetermined limitation for highest temperature.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising canceling the limitation of the electric current to said cooling fan made by the current limiting device when the driving speed of the vehicle cannot be obtained in the measuring step for a predetermined period of time during which current is charged to or discharged from the plurality of batteries.