Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
  • H01M10/00—Secondary cells; Manufacture thereof
  • H01M10/42—Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells
  • H01M10/48—Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte
  • H01M10/486—Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte for measuring temperature
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60H—ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
  • B60H1/00—Heating, cooling or ventilating [HVAC] devices
  • B60H1/00642—Control systems or circuits; Control members or indication devices for heating, cooling or ventilating devices
  • B60H1/00814—Control systems or circuits characterised by their output, for controlling particular components of the heating, cooling or ventilating installation
  • B60H1/00878—Control systems or circuits characterised by their output, for controlling particular components of the heating, cooling or ventilating installation the components being temperature regulating devices
  • B60H1/00885—Controlling the flow of heating or cooling liquid, e.g. valves or pumps
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
  • H01M10/00—Secondary cells; Manufacture thereof
  • H01M10/60—Heating or cooling; Temperature control
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60H—ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
  • B60H1/00—Heating, cooling or ventilating [HVAC] devices
  • B60H1/00271—HVAC devices specially adapted for particular vehicle parts or components and being connected to the vehicle HVAC unit
  • B60H1/00278—HVAC devices specially adapted for particular vehicle parts or components and being connected to the vehicle HVAC unit for the battery
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
  • B60K11/00—Arrangement in connection with cooling of propulsion units
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
  • F01P—COOLING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; COOLING OF INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES
  • F01P5/00—Pumping cooling-air or liquid coolants
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
  • G05D—SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
  • G05D23/00—Control of temperature
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
  • H01M10/00—Secondary cells; Manufacture thereof
  • H01M10/60—Heating or cooling; Temperature control
  • H01M10/61—Types of temperature control
  • H01M10/613—Cooling or keeping cold
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
  • H01M10/00—Secondary cells; Manufacture thereof
  • H01M10/60—Heating or cooling; Temperature control
  • H01M10/61—Types of temperature control
  • H01M10/615—Heating or keeping warm
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
  • H01M10/00—Secondary cells; Manufacture thereof
  • H01M10/60—Heating or cooling; Temperature control
  • H01M10/65—Means for temperature control structurally associated with the cells
  • H01M10/655—Solid structures for heat exchange or heat conduction
  • H01M10/6552—Closed pipes transferring heat by thermal conductivity or phase transition, e.g. heat pipes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60H—ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
  • B60H1/00—Heating, cooling or ventilating [HVAC] devices
  • B60H1/00271—HVAC devices specially adapted for particular vehicle parts or components and being connected to the vehicle HVAC unit
  • B60H2001/00307—Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
  • B60W2510/00—Input parameters relating to a particular sub-units
  • B60W2510/24—Energy storage means
  • B60W2510/242—Energy storage means for electrical energy
  • B60W2510/244—Charge state
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
  • B60W2510/00—Input parameters relating to a particular sub-units
  • B60W2510/24—Energy storage means
  • B60W2510/242—Energy storage means for electrical energy
  • B60W2510/246—Temperature
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
  • Y02E60/10—Energy storage using batteries

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a cooling and warmthing system according to the preamble of the independent claim.
• Cooling involves using, for example, a waterborne system with a radiator or an AC evaporator, and Warming involves using, for example, an electric water heater.
• Altering the route of the cooling medium may be by means of an electrically controlled valve which chooses loops in the cooling system.
• electrically controlled valves entails extra control outputs from a suitable control unit, increasing the cost and complexity of the cooling and warming system, the electrical system and the control unit.
• US 5,215,834 refers to a control system for effecting cooling or warming of a battery according to the battery's temperature and charge status.
• the battery is cooled by air supplied to it by a reversible fan capable of providing air flow in two directions.
• US 2004/0061480 refers to a battery with a system for cooling and warming the battery according to temperature by using a medium, e.g. air, which a fan causes to pass through and past the battery. Valve devices are used to control the air flow, and the direction of flow may likewise be altered by reversing the fan.
• WO 2009/046269 refers to a temperature management system for an energy source, e.g.
• a fuel cell or a battery comprising inter alia a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the energy source, and a pump which pumps a medium past, in order to warm or cool, the energy source.
• a valve may be set to cause warming or cooling by controlling the flow past the energy source from a cooling unit or a warming unit.
• Cooling and warming systems according to the state of the art require in certain cases active control to effect cooling and warming. This entails a more complex system which is more expensive and often more complicated to make.
• the object of the present invention is to propose a cooling and warming system which is robust, of less complexity than present-day systems, and simple and therefore inexpensive to make.
• the invention thus relates to a cooling and warming system for a device, e.g. a battery, which system comprises a cooling unit, a warming unit, a temperature sensor adapted to detecting the temperature of the device and to delivering to a control unit a temperature signal based on temperatures detected, and a pipe system arranged to convey a medium for cooling and warming so that the device is respectively cooled and warmed.
• the system further comprises a reversible pump situated close to the pipe system and adapted to moving the medium in the pipe system in a first direction or in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction, depending on control signals from the control unit.
• a number of one-way valves are situated close to the respective cooling unit and warming unit in such a way that the flow through the one-way valves passes either the cooling unit or the warming unit, depending on the respective pump direction.
• the control unit is adapted to delivering to the pump, on the basis of the temperature signal, control signals to pump the medium in a first direction if the device is to be cooled and in a second direction if the device is to be warmed.
• the invention achieves the same functionality as in a system which comprises an electrically controlled three-way valve.
• a system which comprises an electrically controlled three-way valve.
• two one-way valves are provided, one of them close to the cooling unit, the other close to the warming unit.
• the valves are so arranged that the flow is allowed in opposite directions in the respective cooling and warming circuits. Choice of circuit is then by reversing the direction of flow through the battery, i.e. by reversing the direction of the pump.
• valves there is no need for active control of valves.
• a complex and expensive component is replaced by two simpler and less expensive components.
• One or both of the one-way valves may be preferably be integrated in other components, further reducing the complexity of the system.
• the pressure drop becomes the lowest possible during operation in that no active component hinders the flow.
• Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the present invention.
• Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the present invention during cooling of a device.
• Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the present invention during warming of a device.
• Figure 4 is a graph of various temperature ranges to illustrate the present invention.
• Figure I is a schematic block diagram of a cooling and warmthing system for a device, which system comprises a cooling unit, a warming unit, a temperature sensor adapted to detecting the temperature of the device and to delivering to a control unit a temperature signal on the basis of temperatures detected.
• the device, the cooling unit and the warming unit are connected together by a pipe system which is arranged to convey to the device a medium for cooling and warming so that the device is respectively cooled and warmed.
• the pipe system is represented in the drawings by bold lines.
• the device to be warmed or cooled is, according to an embodiment, a battery or a number of batteries, situated for example in a hybrid vehicle, e.g. a bus, truck or passenger car.
• the cooling and warming system according to the present invention may also be used to cool and warm other devices, e.g. DC/DC converters, other power electronics converters, electric motors etc., i.e. the cooling and warming system may be used to cool and warm any device which has a temperature range for optimum function.
• the cooling unit may for example take the form of an evaporator or a heat exchanger which is cooled by the draught caused by the vehicle being in motion.
• the warming unit may take for example the form of an electric heater, a heat exchanger connected to a vehicle's exhaust system in order to utilise the heat therefrom, or connected to a vehicle's cooling system which is intended to cool the vehicle's engine.
• the temperature sensor may for example be a resistive temperature pickup in the form of a component which changes resistance with temperature.
• the system further comprises a reversible pump situated close to the pipe system and adapted to moving the medium in the pipe system in a first direction or in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction, depending on control signals from the control unit.
• a number of one-way valves are situated close to the respective cooling unit and warming unit in such a way that the flow through the one-way valves passes either the cooling unit or the warming unit depending on the respective pump direction.
• one of the one-way valves is situated close to the cooling unit, and the other close to the warming unit.
• the control unit is adapted to delivering to the pump, on the basis of the temperature signal, control signals to pump the medium in a first direction if the device is to be cooled and in a second direction if the device is to be warmed.
• This is illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, and the arrows in Figure 2 indicate the direction of flow when the device is to be cooled and the medium can pass the cooling unit but is prevented, by the respective one-way valve, from passing the warming unit.
• Figure 3 shows the system adapted to warming the device in that the direction of flow indicated by the arrows is such that the medium can pass the warming unit but is prevented, by the respective one-way valve, from passing the cooling unit.
• the control unit comprises a comparison unit (not depicted in the drawings) adapted to comparing the temperature indicated by the temperature signal with a settable first temperature level, and if the temperature signal exceeds the first temperature level a first control signal is delivered to the pump to pump in the direction causing the one-way valve of the cooling unit to let medium through, while the one-way valve of the warming unit prevents medium from passing, with the result that the device is cooled.
• a comparison unit (not depicted in the drawings) adapted to comparing the temperature indicated by the temperature signal with a settable first temperature level, and if the temperature signal exceeds the first temperature level a first control signal is delivered to the pump to pump in the direction causing the one-way valve of the cooling unit to let medium through, while the one-way valve of the warming unit prevents medium from passing, with the result that the device is cooled.
• a comparison unit not depicted in the drawings
• the comparison unit is further adapted to comparing the temperature indicated by the temperature signal with a settable second temperature level which is lower than or equal to the first temperature level, and if the temperature is below the settable second temperature level, a second control signal is delivered to the pump to pump in the second direction, causing the one-way valve of the warming unit to let medium through, while the one-way valve of the cooling unit prevents medium from passing, with the result that the device is warmed.
• Figure 3 is a graph illustrating a temperature range between - 10 and 60°C.
• the first and second temperature levels are marked Tl and T2 respectively.
• a third temperature level T3 is also marked, as too are four temperature ranges A, B, C and D, A comprising temperatures lower than T2, B the range between T2 and T3, C the range between T3 and Tl , and D temperatures higher than Tl .
• the device is a battery in a hybrid vehicle, with an optimum working temperature in the range 10-50 degrees.
• control unit At temperatures lower than T2, the control unit will cause the pump to pump in the direction indicated in Figure 3, i.e. the direction, causing warming of the battery. If the temperature exceeds Tl, the control unit will instead cause the pump to pump in the direction indicated in Figure 2, i.e. the direction, causing cooling of the battery.
• a third temperature level T3 may be inserted between T2 and T 1.
• the object of T3 may be to place it at the most optimum working temperature for the battery and to insert differentiated warming and cooling respectively in ranges B and C. This means that in range B the pump runs slower, resulting in less warming effect than in range A.
• the temperature levels may also be used to completely disconnect the battery, i.e. to prevent energy offtake, if the temperature is outside an acceptable range. If for example the temperature is below T2, the system will warm the battery, but the battery will not be connected until the temperature exceeds T2. In range B, the warming may continue with full power, with less power or none at all, depending on what is chosen by the operator or is determined by a chosen regulating strategy.
• the pump may instead begin to pump in the opposite direction in order to provide cooling. It may do so with full power or with less power. If the temperature exceeds Tl, the battery is disconnected in whole or in part, and only cooling with full power takes place until the temperature is again in range C.
• the first temperature level Tl is in the range 30-60°C, e.g. 50°C, as illustrated in Figure 4
• the second temperature level T2 is in the range 0- 30°C, e.g. 10°C, as also illustrated in Figure 4.
• the third temperature level T3 in the example in Figure 4 is placed at about 25°C.
• the one-way valves used are preferably simple mechanical valves, comprising for example a ball which rests in a seat, is held therein by a spring, allows liquid to move in one direction, against the force of the spring, and prevents liquid movement in the other ⁇
• Another alternative is a simple spring-loaded pivotable damper which can be pivoted in a direction against the spring force and which seals in the other direction.
• the one-way valves may be separate units or be integrated in the respective cooling and warming units.
• the present invention also comprises a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle which is provided with a cooling and warming system as described above.
• the present invention is not confined to the preferred embodiments described above.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Electrochemistry (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electric Propulsion And Braking For Vehicles (AREA)
• Hybrid Electric Vehicles (AREA)
• Air-Conditioning For Vehicles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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Citations (5)

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• 2010
  • 2010-04-30 SE SE1050432A patent/SE534769C2/sv unknown
• 2011
  • 2011-04-27 WO PCT/SE2011/050504 patent/WO2011149404A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2011-04-27 EP EP11786981.8A patent/EP2564463A4/de not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (5)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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