Battery system and method for cooling the battery system

• US 9,379,420 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Ketkar, Satish, Laurain, Paul, McCormick, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Norman, Marc
• Assistant Examiner(s): TEITELBAUM, DAVID J
• Application Number:
  US14/330,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20140322563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 622/281
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/0253 with variable speed
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2117 of an evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/025 Motor control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 19/00 Arrangement or mounting of refrigeration units with respect to devices or objects to be refrigerated, e.g. infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0028 for cooling heat generating elements, e.g. for cooling electronic components or electric devices for cooling semiconductors H01L23/34, for cooling electric apparatus H05K7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6551 Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
• 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: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery system having a cooling plate with a conduit therein is provided. The system further includes a battery module having first and second battery cells. The system further includes a compressor, and a condenser coupled between the compressor and the conduit of the cooling plate. The system further includes a microprocessor that determines a maximum temperature level of the first and second battery cells, and determines a target temperature level for the cooling plate based on the maximum temperature level. The microprocessor determines a temperature error value based on a difference between a temperature level and the target temperature level of the cooling plate, and determines a desired RPM value for the compressor based on the temperature error value.

Claims

1. A battery system, comprising:

a cooling plate having a conduit therein;

a battery module having a housing, first and second battery cells, and a solid cooling fin;

the housing configured to hold the first and second battery cells therein, the solid cooling fin having first and second panel portions, the first panel portion being disposed against the first battery cell, the second panel portion extending through the housing and being disposed on the cooling plate, the solid cooling fin being configured to conduct heat energy from the first battery cell to the cooling plate;

a compressor fluidly coupled to the conduit of the cooling plate;

a condenser fluidly coupled between both the compressor and the conduit of the cooling plate;

a first temperature sensor adapted to generate a first temperature signal indicative of a first temperature level of the first battery cell;

a second temperature sensor adapted to generate a second temperature signal indicative of a second temperature level of the second battery cell;

a third temperature sensor adapted to generate a third temperature signal indicative of a third temperature level of the cooling plate;

a microprocessor operably coupled to the compressor and the first, second, and third temperature sensors;

the microprocessor being programmed to determine a maximum temperature level of the first and second temperature levels of the first and second battery cells based on the first and second temperature signals;

the microprocessor being further programmed to determine a target temperature level for the cooling plate based on the maximum temperature level associated with the first and second battery cells.

the microprocessor being further programmed to determine a temperature error value based on a difference between the third temperature level of the cooling plate and the target temperature level of the cooling plate;

the microprocessor being further programmed to determine a desired RPM value for the compressor based on the temperature error value; and

the microprocessor being further programmed to generate a control signal to induce the compressor to operate at an RPM corresponding to the desired RPM value, such that the compressor pumps a refrigerant through the condenser and the conduit of the cooling plate to cool the first and second battery cells.

2. The battery system of claim 1, wherein:

the microprocessor being further programmed to determine whether an absolute value of the temperature error value is less than a threshold error value; and

if the absolute value of the temperature error value is less than the threshold error value then;

the microprocessor being further programmed to adjust a cooling plate integral sum value based on the temperature error value; and

the microprocessor being further programmed to adjust the desired RPM value for the compressor based on the cooling plate integral sum value.

3. The battery system of claim 2, wherein the microprocessor being programmed to adjust the cooling plate integral sum value based on the temperature error value, comprises:

the microprocessor being further programmed to decrease the cooling plate integral sum value if the temperature error value is a negative value; and

the microprocessor being further programmed to increase the cooling plate integral sum value if the temperature error value is a positive value.

4. The battery system of claim 1, wherein:

the microprocessor being further programmed to determine if the desired RPM value is greater than a maximum threshold RPM value; and

if the desired RPM value is greater than the maximum threshold RPM value then;

the microprocessor being further programmed to set the desired RPM value equal to the maximum threshold RPM value.

5. The battery system of claim 4, wherein:

the microprocessor being further programmed to determine if the desired RPM value is less than a minimum threshold RPM value; and

if the desired RPM value is less than the minimum threshold RPM value then;

the microprocessor being further programmed to set the desired RPM value equal to the minimum threshold RPM value.

6. The battery system of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor being further programmed to stop generating the control signal, to turn off the compressor, if the maximum temperature value is less than a threshold temperature value.

7. The battery system of claim 1, wherein the third temperature sensor generates the third temperature signal indicative of a temperature level of the cooling plate at a first location on the cooling plate;

the system further comprising;

a fourth temperature sensor adapted to generate a fourth temperature signal indicative of a temperature level of the cooling plate at a second location on the cooling plate; and

the microprocessor further programmed to determine the third temperature level of the cooling plate based on the third and fourth temperature signals.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining if the desired RPM value is greater than a maximum threshold RPM value, utilizing the microprocessor; and

if the desired RPM value is greater than the maximum threshold RPM value then;

setting the desired RPM value equal to the maximum threshold RPM value, utilizing the microprocessor.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining if the desired RPM value is less than a minimum threshold RPM value, utilizing the microprocessor; and

if the desired RPM value is less than the minimum threshold RPM value then;

setting the desired RPM value equal to the minimum threshold RPM value, utilizing the microprocessor.

8. A method for cooling a battery system, the battery system having a cooling plate, a battery module, a compressor, a condenser, first, second, and third temperature sensors, and a microprocessor;

the cooling plate having a conduit therein;

the battery module having a housing, first and second battery cells, and a solid cooling fin;

the housing configured to hold the first and second battery cells therein, the solid cooling fin having first and second panel portions, the first panel portion being disposed against the first battery cell, the second panel portion extending through the housing and being disposed on the cooling plate, the solid cooling fin being configured to conduct heat energy from the first battery cell to the cooling plate;

the compressor fluidly coupled to the conduit of the cooling plate;

the condenser fluidly coupled between both the compressor and the conduit of the cooling plate;

generating a first temperature signal indicative of a first temperature level of the first battery cell, utilizing the first temperature sensor;

generating a second temperature signal indicative of a second temperature level of the second battery cell, utilizing the second temperature sensor;

generating a third temperature signal indicative of a third temperature level of the cooling plate, utilizing the third temperature sensor;

determining a maximum temperature level of the first and second temperature levels of the first and second battery cells based on the first and second temperature signals, utilizing the microprocessor;

determining a target temperature level for the cooling plate based on the maximum temperature level associated with the first and second battery cells, utilizing the microprocessor;

determining a temperature error value based on a difference between the third temperature level of the cooling plate and the target temperature level of the cooling plate, utilizing the microprocessor;

determining a desired RPM value for the compressor based on the temperature error value, utilizing the microprocessor;

determining whether an absolute value of the temperature error value is less than a threshold error value, utilizing the microprocessor; and

if the absolute value of the temperature error value is less than the threshold error value then;

adjusting a cooling plate integral sum value based on the temperature error value, utilizing the microprocessor;

adjusting the desired RPM value for the compressor based on the cooling plate integral sum value, utilizing the microprocessor; and

generating a control signal to induce the compressor to operate at an RPM corresponding to the desired RPM value to cool the first and second battery cells, utilizing the microprocessor, such that the compressor pumps a refrigerant through the condenser and the conduit of the cooling plate to cool the first and second battery cells.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting the cooling plate integral sum value based on temperature error value, comprises:

decreasing the cooling plate integral sum value if the temperature error value is a negative value, utilizing the microprocessor; and

increasing the cooling plate integral sum value if the temperature error value is a positive value, utilizing the microprocessor.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising stopping the generating of the control signal, to turn off the compressor, if the maximum temperature value is less than a threshold temperature value, utilizing the microprocessor.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the third temperature sensor generates the third temperature signal indicative of a temperature level of the cooling plate at a first location on the cooling plate;

the method further comprising;

generating a fourth temperature signal indicative of a temperature level of the cooling plate at a second location on the cooling plate, utilizing a fourth temperature sensor; and

determining the third temperature level of the cooling plate based on the third and fourth temperature signals, utilizing the microprocessor.