Thermal management system and method

• US 8,720,344 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2011
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kumar, Ajith Kuttannair, Butine, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ebner, Katy M
• Assistant Examiner(s): FOLLMAN, BRODIE J
• Application Number:
  US13/219,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20110308765A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.1, 180/68.2, 180/65.1, 180/54.245, 180/65.31, 180/65.27, 180/68.5, 105/48.3, 105/49, 105/50, 105/27, 105/26.05, 105/59, 454/2, 454/57, 454/58, 454/69, 454/159, 454/244, 454/251, 454/258, 454/272, 165/104.28
• US Class Current: 105/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/04 Arrangement or disposition of driving cabins, footplates or engine rooms; Ventilation thereof driving cabins and accessories B61D
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 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 10/6565 with recirculation or U-turn in the flow path, i.e. back and forth
• 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 10/663 the system being an air-conditioner or an engine
• 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 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance

Abstract

A system includes an interior duct, a blower, a vent coupling, and a secondary duct. The interior duct is fluidly coupled with the inlet and with an energy storage device disposed in a vehicle. The blower draws cooling fluid received through the inlet and through the interior duct to cause a first portion of the cooling fluid to flow over and/or through the energy storage device. The vent coupling directs the first portion of the cooling fluid that flowed over and/or through the energy storage device into a vented area. The secondary duct directs a second portion of the cooling fluid from the interior duct into the vent coupling to mix with the first portion of the cooling fluid after the first portion of the cooling fluid flows over and/or through the energy storage device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an interior duct configured to be fluidly coupled with an inlet that receives a cooling fluid into a vehicle and with an energy storage device disposed in the vehicle;

a blower configured to be fluidly coupled with the interior duct to draw the cooling fluid through the interior duct and to cause a first portion of the cooling fluid to flow into contact with at least a portion of the energy storage device;

a vent coupling configured to be fluidly coupled with the energy storage device and a vented area of the vehicle, the vent coupling configured to direct the first portion of the cooling fluid that flowed at least one of over or through the energy storage device into the vented area; and

a secondary duct configured to be fluidly coupled with the vent coupling and with the interior duct, the secondary duct configured to direct a second portion of the cooling fluid from the interior duct into the vent coupling to mix with the first portion of the cooling fluid after the first portion of the cooling fluid has flowed in contact with at least a portion of the energy storage device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary duct is configured to direct the second portion of the cooling fluid to bypass the energy storage device and flow into the vented area of the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary duct is configured to mix the first portion of the cooling fluid with the second portion of the cooling fluid before the first portion and the second portion flow into the vented area of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is at least one of a rail vehicle, a marine vessel, mining equipment, an automobile, or a bus.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the cooling fluid includes air and the blower is configured to draw the air through the interior duct and at least one of over or through the energy storage device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the cooling fluid includes air and the blower is configured to draw the air from outside of the vehicle into the interior duct through the inlet.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a filtering medium configured to be fluidly coupled with the inlet and the interior duct, the filtering medium configured to remove at least one contaminant from the cooling fluid prior to the cooling fluid flowing at least one of over or through the energy storage device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the vented area comprises an engine compartment of the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a damper configured to selectively open or close to allow or prevent flow of the cooling fluid at least one of over or through the energy storage device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the damper is configured to be disposed between the energy storage device and the blower.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the damper is configured to be disposed between the inlet and the blower.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to monitor a temperature of the energy storage device, wherein the controller controls the blower based on the temperature of the energy storage device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to activate the blower when the temperature of the energy storage device rises above an upper temperature threshold.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to deactivate the blower when the temperature of the energy storage device falls below a lower temperature threshold.

15. A method comprising:

fluidly connecting an interior duct with an inlet and an energy storage device disposed in a vehicle, the inlet configured to receive a cooling fluid into the vehicle;

fluidly connecting a blower with the interior duct so that the blower is positioned to draw the cooling fluid through the interior duct and to cause a first portion of the cooling fluid to flow at least one of over or through the energy storage device;

fluidly connecting a vent coupling with the energy storage device and a vented area of the vehicle, the vent coupling configured to direct the first portion of the cooling fluid that flowed at least one of over or through the energy storage device into the vented area; and

fluidly connecting a secondary duct with the vent coupling and with the interior duct, the secondary duct configured to direct a second portion of the cooling fluid from the interior duct into the vent coupling to mix with the first portion of the cooling fluid after the first portion of the cooling fluid has flowed in contact with at least a portion of the energy storage device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein fluidly connecting the secondary duct includes positioning the secondary duct so that the second portion of the cooling fluid bypasses the energy storage device and flows into the vented area of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein fluidly connecting the secondary duct includes coupling the secondary duct so that the first portion of the cooling fluid is mixed with the second portion of the cooling fluid before the first portion and the second portion flow into the vented area of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the cooling fluid is air and fluidly connecting the interior duct includes coupling the interior duct with the inlet that is positioned to draw the air front outside of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising fluidly connecting a filtering medium with the inlet and the interior duct, the filtering medium configured to remove at least one contaminant from the cooling fluid prior to the cooling fluid flowing at least one of over or through the energy storage device.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing a damper that is configured to selectively open or close to allow or prevent flow of the cooling fluid at least one of over or through the energy storage device.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing a controller that is configured to monitor a temperature of the energy storage device and to control the blower based on the temperature of the energy storage device.