Thermal energy transfer system for a power source utilizing both metal-air and non-metal-air battery packs

• US 8,449,997 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2010
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Hermann, Weston Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Barcena, Carlos
• Application Number:
  US12/951,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20120040210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 920 Days
• Field of Search: 429/9, 429/62, 429/120
• US Class Current: 429/9
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/14 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0061 relating to electrical machines
• 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 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 : having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 : having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/24 : for controlling the temperature of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 : by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 : by heating
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 : Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/30 : Nickel accumulators H01M10/34 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/32 : Silver accumulators H01M10/34 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/345 : Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 : in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 : for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 : Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/633 : characterised by algorithms, flow charts, software details or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6561 : Gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6567 : Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/06 : with one metallic and one gaseous electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/08 : composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/00 : Structural combinations of different types of electrochemical generators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/006 : of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/10 : Temperature sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/20 : Pressure-sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 : Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 : Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/253 : adapted for specific cells, e.g. electrochemical cells operating at high temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/317 : Re-sealable arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/375 : Vent means sensitive to or responsive to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 : with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/14 : for charging batteries from dynamo-electric generators driven at varying speed, e.g. on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 : Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A power source comprised of a metal-air battery pack and a non-metal-air battery pack is provided, wherein thermal energy from the metal-air battery pack is used to heat the non-metal-air battery pack. In one aspect, a thermal energy transfer system is provided that controls the flow of thermal energy from the metal-air battery pack to the non-metal-air battery pack. In another aspect, the flow of thermal energy from the metal-air battery pack to the non-metal-air battery pack is controlled and used to heat the non-metal-air battery pack prior to charging the non-metal-air battery pack.

Claims

1. A power source, comprising:

a first battery pack comprising a plurality of metal-air batteries;

a second battery pack comprising a plurality of non-metal-air batteries; and

a thermal energy transfer system coupled to said first and second battery packs, wherein said thermal energy transfer system is configured to operate in at least a first mode and a second mode, wherein in said first mode said thermal energy transfer system transfers thermal energy generated by said first battery pack to said second battery pack for heating said second battery pack, and wherein in said second mode said thermal energy transfer system reduces the thermal energy transferred from said first battery pack to said second battery pack, said thermal energy transfer system comprising;

a first battery pack subsystem comprised of an air inlet coupled to said first battery pack, an air outlet coupled to said first battery pack, at least one valve for controlling air flow from said air outlet, and an exhaust coupled to said at least one valve for exhausting air from said first battery pack;

a second battery pack cooling system comprised of a coolant within a coolant loop, said coolant loop in thermal communication with said second battery pack; and

a heat exchanger in thermal communication with said coolant loop and in thermal communication with an air duct, said air duct coupled to said air outlet, wherein said at least one valve controls flow from said air outlet to said heat exchanger via said air duct.

2. The power source of claim 1, wherein in said second mode said thermal energy transfer system terminates the transfer of thermal energy from said first battery pack to said second battery pack.

3. The power source of claim 1, wherein said non-metal-air batteries are selected from the group consisting of lithium ion cells, lithium ion polymer cells, nickel metal hydride cells, nickel cadmium cells, nickel hydrogen cells, nickel zinc cells, and silver zinc cells.

4. The power source of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller coupled to said thermal energy transfer system;

at least one temperature sensor corresponding to said first battery pack and monitoring a first battery pack temperature, wherein said at least one temperature sensor corresponding to said first battery pack outputs a signal representative of said first battery pack temperature to said controller;

at least one temperature sensor corresponding to said second battery pack and monitoring a second battery pack temperature, wherein said at least one temperature sensor corresponding to said second battery pack outputs a signal representative of said second battery pack temperature to said controller; and

wherein said controller causes said thermal energy transfer system to operate in said first mode when said second battery pack temperature is less than a first preset temperature and in said second mode when said second battery pack temperature is greater than a second preset temperature.

5. The power source of claim 4, wherein said first and second preset temperatures are the same temperature.

6. The power source of claim 4, wherein said controller causes said thermal energy transfer system to operate in said first mode when said second battery pack temperature is less than said first preset temperature and said first battery pack temperature is greater than a third preset temperature.

7. The power source of claim 4, further comprising a battery pack charging system coupleable to said first and second battery packs and to an external power source, wherein said battery pack charging system charges said first and second battery packs in accordance with battery pack charging commands set by said controller, wherein said battery pack charging commands include initiation of first battery pack charging, wherein said battery pack charging commands include suspension of first battery pack charging, wherein said battery pack charging commands include initiation of second battery pack charging, wherein said battery pack charging commands include suspension of second battery pack charging, and wherein said controller sets said battery pack charging commands based on at least said second battery pack temperature.

8. The power source of claim 7, wherein said controller sets said battery pack charging commands based on at least said first and second battery pack temperatures.

9. The power source of claim 7, wherein said battery pack charging commands set by said controller further include a plurality of charge rates applicable to said first and second battery packs during charging.

10. The power source of claim 9, wherein said controller sets said battery pack charging commands based on at least said first and second battery pack temperatures.

11. The power source of claim 7, further comprising a state-of-charge (SOC) detection system, wherein said SOC detection system monitors SOC for said first and second battery packs, wherein said controller terminates charging of said first battery pack when said SOC for said first battery pack reaches a first target SOC level, and wherein said controller terminates charging of said second battery pack when said SOC for said second battery pack reaches a second target SOC level.

12. The power source of claim 7, wherein in said first mode first battery pack charging is initiated and second battery pack charging is not initiated, and wherein in said second mode second battery pack charging is initiated.

13. The power source of claim 1, further comprising:

a refrigeration subsystem independent of said second battery pack cooling system; and

a second heat exchanger in thermal communication with said refrigeration subsystem and in thermal communication with said second battery pack cooling system via said coolant loop.