Battery pack thermal management

• US 9,440,555 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2014
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Garfinkel, George Albert, Burrows, Neil Robert, Kuo, Chung-hsing, Chorian, Steve F., Vejalla, Dhanunjay
• Primary Examiner(s): VANAMAN, FRANK BENNETT
• Application Number:
  US14/537,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20160129805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/06 with air cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

An exemplary assembly includes a blend structure moveable between a first position and a second position. The blend structure in the first position permits a first flow of air. The blend structure in the second position permits a second flow of air. The first flow includes more air that has moved through an engine compartment of an electrified vehicle than the second flow.

Claims

1. A method of managing thermal energy in a battery pack, comprising:

actuating a blending structure to control selective communication of a first flow or a second flow of air to adjust a thermal energy level of a battery pack of an electrified vehicle, the first flow including more air that has moved through an engine compartment than the second flow, the second flow including at least some air that has not moved through the engine compartment; and

selectively blocking the first flow and the second flow from reaching the battery pack, the blocking at a position downstream from the blending structure relative to a direction that the first flow and the second flow move past the blending structure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first flow comprises exclusively air that has moved through the engine compartment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein air that has moved through the engine compartment is air that has passed through a radiator of the electrified vehicle, wherein the engine compartment holds an internal combustion engine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first flow of air and the second flow of air comprise ram air.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising actuating a blocker door to control the selective blocking.