Measuring a temperature during contactless transmission of energy

• US 8,992,078 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2011
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Elias, Bjrn, Schmidt, Florian
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): AHMED, NASIR UDDIN
• Application Number:
  US13/809,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20130114640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• US Class Current: 374/100
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0092 with use of redundant elements for safety purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007192 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• 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 10/7072 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

Abstract

During contactless transmission of energy between a receiver (6) for receiving the energy and a transmitter (7) for transmitting the energy for the purpose of charging a battery of a motor vehicle (1), a temperature is measured in a region between the transmitter (7) and the receiver (6).

Claims

1. Apparatus for the contactless transmission of energy for charging a battery of a motor vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting energy;

a receiver receiving energy from the transmitter; and

a measuring device measuring a temperature in a region between the transmitter and the receiver, said measuring device including a plurality of sensors arranged on an underbody of the motor vehicle, two of the sensors being arranged outside an intermediate space which is defined between the receiver and the transmitter during a charging process and exposed to an electromagnetic field, said two of the sensors being arranged at opposite sides of the intermediate space and having measuring directions pointing towards the intermediate space.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the measuring device is constructed to detect when an article in the intermediate space exceeds a temperature limit value.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured as a coil.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiver is arranged on the motor vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the battery is a traction battery.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is controllable in one of two ways, a first way in which the contactless transmission of energy for charging the battery is interrupted when the measuring device detects in the intermediate space the presence of an article that is heated to a temperature which exceeds a temperature limit, a second way in which energy transmitted by the transmitter to the receiver per time unit is reduced when measuring device detects in the intermediate space the presence of an article that is heated to a temperature which exceeds a temperature limit.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said two sensors are arranged at two opposite sides of the intermediate space between the transmitter arranged on the roadway and the receiver arranged on the underbody of the vehicle.

8. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a battery; and

an apparatus for the contactless transmission of energy for charging the battery, said apparatus including a transmitter for transmitting energy, a receiver receiving energy from the transmitter, and a measuring device measuring a temperature in a region between the transmitter and the receiver, said measuring device including a plurality of sensors arranged on an underbody of the motor vehicle, two of the sensors being arranged outside an intermediate space which is defined between the receiver and the transmitter during a charging process and exposed to an electromagnetic field, said two of the sensors being arranged at opposite sides of the intermediate space and having measuring directions pointing towards the intermediate space.

9. The motor vehicle of claim 8, wherein the measuring device is constructed to detect when an article in the intermediate space exceeds a temperature limit value.

10. The motor vehicle of claim 8, wherein the receiver is configured as a coil.

11. The motor vehicle of claim 8, wherein the receiver is arranged on the motor vehicle.

12. The motor vehicle of claim 8, wherein the battery is a traction battery.

13. The motor vehicle of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is controllable in one of two ways, a first way in which the contactless transmission of energy for charging the battery is interrupted when the measuring device detects in the intermediate space the presence of an article that is heated to a temperature which exceeds a temperature limit, a second way in which energy transmitted by the transmitter to the receiver per time unit is reduced when the measuring device detects in the intermediate space the presence of an article that is heated to a temperature which exceeds a temperature limit.

14. The motor vehicle of claim 8, wherein said two sensors are arranged on opposite sides of the intermediate space between the transmitter arranged on the roadway and the receiver arranged on the underbody of the motor vehicle.