System and method for battery preheating

• US 7,741,816 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Berdichevsky, Eugene Michael, Hermann, Weston Arthur, Kelty, Kurt Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAMADAN, RAMY O
• Application Number:
  US12/058,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20090243538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 320/153, 429/62
• US Class Current: 320/153
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6567 Liquids
• 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 10/64 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

Some embodiments include a system, that includes an electric motor coupled to propel an electrical vehicle, a battery coupled to power the motor, a preheating system coupled to preheat the battery, a battery temperature comparator to compare a temperature of the battery to a target preheated temperature and to provide a battery below temperature signal when the battery temperature is below a specified temperature, a control circuit to determine the time remaining prior to a scheduled drive start time and to provide a preheating enable signal during a target time interval prior to the scheduled drive start time and a further control circuit to operate the preheating system in response to the battery below temperature signal and the preheating enable signal.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an electric motor coupled to propel an electrical vehicle;

a battery coupled to power the motor;

a temperature control system coupled to control temperature of the battery;

a battery temperature comparator to compare a temperature of the battery to a specified target storage temperature and to a specified target preheated temperature that is higher than the specified target storage temperature, and to provide a battery below storage temperature signal when the battery temperature is below the specified target storage temperature, and to provide a battery below preheated temperature signal when the battery temperature is below the specified target preheated temperature;

a control circuit to determine a time remaining prior to a scheduled drive start time and to provide a preheating enable signal during a target time interval prior to the scheduled drive start time; and

a further control circuit to operate the temperature control system to control the temperature of the battery in response to the battery below storage temperature signal to maintain the battery temperature at the specified target storage temperature, and alternately to preheat the battery in response to the battery below preheated temperature signal and the preheating enable signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the further control circuit is to deactivate a battery cooling system in response to the battery below temperature signal and the preheating enable signal.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface coupled to deactivate the preheating system in response to a user input.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the user interface is to modify the specified target preheated temperature based on a user input.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the user interface is to modify the specified target preheated temperature to a modified target preheated temperature associated with a specified minimum impedance of the battery associated with a specified maximum discharge rate.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the user interface is to modify the specified target preheated temperature to correspond to a modified target preheated temperature associated with a specified maximum discharge capacity.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the user interface is to modify the target preheated temperature to correspond to a modified target preheated temperature associated with a specified maximum cycle life.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cost estimating circuit coupled to the control circuit to monitor an energy cost factor for operating the preheating system and to compare the energy cost factor to a specified energy cost factor, wherein the control circuit provides the preheating enable signal only while the energy cost factor is below the specified energy cost factor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the cost estimating circuit is to record a plurality of actual energy cost factors to calculate the specified energy cost factor based on the recorded actual energy cost factors.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the battery temperature comparator is to monitor ambient temperature, and to provide the battery below storage temperature signal when the specified target storage temperature is below ambient temperature.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the further control circuit is to deactivate a battery cooling system when an ambient temperature is above the specified target storage temperature.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the battery temperature comparator is to monitor ambient temperature, and to provide the battery below preheated temperature signal when the specified target preheated temperature is below ambient temperature.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the further control circuit is to deactivate a battery cooling system when ambient temperature is above the specified target preheated temperature.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is to record a plurality of historical drive start times and to calculate the scheduled drive start time based on the plurality of historical drive start times.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature control system includes a fluid circuit coupled to a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system of the vehicle and the battery to transfer heat between the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system and the battery.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the battery temperature comparator is to provide the battery below preheated temperature signal in a first mode of operation, and in a second mode of operation other than the first mode, the further control circuit is to control the temperature control system to cycle battery temperature through a specified range of operating temperatures to determine a minimum battery impedance measured over the specified range at minimum impedance temperature, and the battery temperature comparator s to compare the temperature of the battery to a specified target minimum impedance temperature and to provide the battery below preheated temperature signal with the battery temperature is below the specified target minimum impedance temperature.

17. The system of claim 16, further including a display, wherein the battery temperature comparator is to display the specified target minimum impedance temperature to the display while operating in the second mode of operation.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the display is part of a user interface to select between the first mode and the second mode.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cost estimating circuit coupled to the control circuit to monitor an energy cost factor for operating the preheating system and to compare the energy cost factor to a specified energy cost factor, wherein the control circuit provides the preheating enable signal while the energy cost factor is below the specified energy cost factor unless the time remaining until the scheduled drive start time is within a specified battery preheating time interval prior to the scheduled drive start time, in which case the control circuit provides the preheating enable signal independent of comparison of the energy cost factor to the specified energy cost factor.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the specified target preheated temperature is associated with a maximum battery lifetime temperature.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the specified target preheated temperature is associated with a maximum cycle life temperature.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the specified target preheated temperature is associated with a maximum driving range temperature.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the specified target preheated temperature on a maximum performance temperature.