Battery thermal system and diagnostic method
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a battery pack having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a plurality of battery cells;
a flow device that circulates heat transfer fluid through the battery pack;
a conduit loop that conducts the heat transfer fluid from the flow device to the fluid inlet of the battery pack, and from the fluid outlet of the battery pack to the flow device, to thereby heat or cool the battery pack;
an inlet thermocouple that is positioned proximate to the fluid inlet of the battery pack;
at least one internal thermocouple positioned within the battery pack that is connected to and configured to measure a temperature of a respective one of the battery cells; and
a controller having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded a thermal model of the battery pack and instructions for diagnosing performance of the flow device;
wherein the controller, via the processor, periodically executes the instructions to receive and process inlet temperature and battery cell temperature signals from the inlet thermocouple and the at least one internal thermocouple, respectively, using the thermal model, including estimating a temperature of the heat transfer fluid between the battery cells as a function of the measured temperatures of the respective battery cells, a geometry and physical composition of the battery pack, and a mass flow rate of the heat transfer fluid, to thereby diagnose the performance of the flow device, and wherein diagnosing the performance of the flow device includes recording, in memory of the controller, a diagnostic code having a passing or failing status.
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Abstract
A system includes a battery pack having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and battery cells. The system also includes a thermal system having heat transfer fluid, a flow device, an inlet thermocouple, one or more internal thermocouples connected to a respective one of the battery cells, and a controller. The controller receives and processes temperature signals from the thermocouples using a thermal model to diagnose performance of the flow device. The system may estimate values when an outlet thermocouple is not used. A method includes circulating the fluid through the battery pack, positioning an inlet thermocouple proximate to the fluid inlet, and connecting one or more internal thermocouples to respective battery cells. A controller receives and processes temperature signals from the inlet thermocouple and the internal thermocouple(s) to diagnose performance of the flow device using the thermal model.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a battery pack having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a plurality of battery cells; a flow device that circulates heat transfer fluid through the battery pack; a conduit loop that conducts the heat transfer fluid from the flow device to the fluid inlet of the battery pack, and from the fluid outlet of the battery pack to the flow device, to thereby heat or cool the battery pack; an inlet thermocouple that is positioned proximate to the fluid inlet of the battery pack; at least one internal thermocouple positioned within the battery pack that is connected to and configured to measure a temperature of a respective one of the battery cells; and a controller having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded a thermal model of the battery pack and instructions for diagnosing performance of the flow device; wherein the controller, via the processor, periodically executes the instructions to receive and process inlet temperature and battery cell temperature signals from the inlet thermocouple and the at least one internal thermocouple, respectively, using the thermal model, including estimating a temperature of the heat transfer fluid between the battery cells as a function of the measured temperatures of the respective battery cells, a geometry and physical composition of the battery pack, and a mass flow rate of the heat transfer fluid, to thereby diagnose the performance of the flow device, and wherein diagnosing the performance of the flow device includes recording, in memory of the controller, a diagnostic code having a passing or failing status. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method comprising:
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circulating heat transfer fluid, via a flow device, through a battery pack having a plurality of battery cells; positioning an inlet thermocouple proximate to a fluid inlet of the battery pack; connecting at least one internal thermocouple within the battery pack to a respective battery cell; and receiving and processing, via a controller, temperature signals from the inlet thermocouple and the at least one internal thermocouple to thereby diagnose performance of the flow device, including using a recorded thermal model of the battery pack to estimate a temperature of the heat transfer fluid between the battery cells as a function of the measured temperatures of the respective battery cells, a geometry and physical composition of the battery pack, and a mass flow rate of the heat transfer fluid, wherein diagnosing the performance of the flow device includes recording, in memory of the controller, a diagnostic code having a passing or failing status. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification