# US 10,118,503 B2 · Supercooling of components during extreme conditions > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,503 B2 - Document ID: US10118503B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/479,008 - Filed: 2017-04-04 - Published: 2018-10-04 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-04-04 - Assignees: NIO USA, Inc. - Applicants: NIO USA, Inc. - Inventors: Austin L. Newman; Alexander J. Smith; Adam H. Ing; Rick Rajaie - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118503B2 ## CPC - B60L 58/26: by cooling - B60H 1/00278: {for the battery} - B60L 58/21: having the same nominal voltage - H01M 10/486: {for measuring temperature} - H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold - H01M 10/625: Vehicles - H01M 10/633: characterised by algorithms, flow charts, software details or the like - H01M 10/6554: Rods or plates - H01M 10/6568: characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings - B60H 1/00392: {for electric vehicles having only electric drive means} - B60H 2001/00307: {Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow} - B60H 2001/3255: {related to temperature} - B60L 2240/545: Temperature - H01M 10/6569: Fluids undergoing a liquid-gas phase change or transition, e.g. evaporation or condensation (heat pipes H01M10/6552) - H01M 50/202: Casings or frames around the primary casing of a single cell or a single battery - H01M 50/204: Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells - H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - B60H: ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to providing temporary, additional cooling to one or more elements of the vehicle on an as needed basis, e.g., under extreme conditions, when additional cooling is required or predicted to be needed, etc. According to one embodiment, the RC can be “overclocked” or “supercharged” to provide short-term, high output cooling performance under such conditions. For example, if the cooling system is a 10 kW system, it is increased to 15 kW for a short time period by increasing the electrical current and/or frequency to increase the torque and/or speed of the motor driving the RC. According to one embodiment, the cooling system can also be adapted to more effectively utilize the available cooling capacity, either the standard capacity to temporarily increased capacity, by directing the air or liquid coolant to one or more components in need of extra cooling. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle comprising: a plurality of components; and a cooling system adapted to cool each of the plurality of components, the cooling system comprising: a refrigerant compressor; a network of coolant flow tubing coupled with the refrigerant compressor and each of the plurality of components, wherein the refrigerant compressor circulates coolant through the coolant flow tubing to each of the plurality of components; and a cooling system controller electrically connected with the refrigerant compressor, wherein the cooling system controller operates the refrigerant cooler at a first output level during operation of the vehicle and, upon detection of a predetermined condition, operates the refrigerant cooler at a second output level, wherein the second output level of the refrigerant compressor provides a greater cooling capacity to the cooling system than the first output level of the refrigerant compressor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of system level valves within the network of coolant flow tubing, each system level valve electrically connected with and operable by the cooling controller to control coolant flow to each of the plurality of components. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle of claim 2, wherein, upon detection of the predetermined condition, the cooling controller further operates one or more of the system level valves to direct coolant based on the detected predetermined condition. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vehicle of claim 3, wherein directing coolant based on the detected predetermined condition comprises restricting coolant flow to a first component of the plurality of components and increasing coolant flow to a second component of the plurality of components. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the predetermined condition comprises a temperature of one or more of the components of the plurality of components exceeding a predetermined limit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the predetermined condition comprises a condition predicted to create heat in one or more of the components of the plurality of components. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the vehicle comprises an electric vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the plurality of components comprises two or more of a cabin cooling system, one or more battery packs, a battery charger, one or more motors, or one or more motor controllers. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vehicle of claim 8, wherein each battery pack of the one or more battery packs comprises a plurality of battery modules, each of the battery modules comprising: a battery cell; a cooling plate disposed adjacent to the battery cell; and one or more component level valves connecting the cooling plate with the network of coolant tubing, wherein coolant from the network of coolant tubing flows through the component level valves to the cooling plate and cools the battery cell. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the component level valves of each battery module are electrically connected with and operable by the cooling controller to control coolant flow to the cooling plate of each of the battery modules. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The vehicle of claim 10, wherein, upon detection of the predetermined condition, the cooling controller further operates one or more of the component level valves to direct coolant based on the detected predetermined condition. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The vehicle of claim 11, wherein directing coolant based on the detected predetermined condition comprises restricting coolant flow to the cooling plate of a first battery module of the plurality of battery modules and increasing coolant flow to a second battery module of the plurality of battery modules. ### Claim 13 A cooling system for an electric vehicle, the cooling system comprising: a cooling system adapted to cool each of the plurality of components, the cooling system comprising: a refrigerant compressor; a network of coolant flow tubing coupled with the refrigerant compressor and each of the plurality of components, wherein the refrigerant compressor circulates coolant through the coolant flow tubing to each of the plurality of components; and a cooling system controller electrically connected with the refrigerant compressor, wherein the cooling system controller operates the refrigerant cooler at a first output level during operation of the vehicle and, upon detection of a predetermined condition, operates the refrigerant cooler at a second output level, wherein the second output level of the refrigerant compressor provides a greater cooling capacity to the cooling system than the first output level of the refrigerant compressor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The cooling system of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of system level valves within the network of coolant flow tubing, each system level valve electrically connected with and operable by the cooling controller to control coolant flow to each of the plurality of components. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The cooling system of claim 14, wherein, upon detection of the predetermined condition, the cooling controller further operates one or more of the system level valves to direct coolant based on the detected predetermined condition. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The cooling system of claim 15, wherein the predetermined condition comprises a temperature of one or more of the components of the plurality of components exceeding a predetermined limit or a condition predicted to create heat in one or more of the components of the plurality of components. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The cooling system of claim 16, wherein directing coolant based on the detected predetermined condition comprises restricting coolant flow to a first component of the plurality of components and increasing coolant flow to a second component of the plurality of components. ### Claim 18 A battery pack for an electric vehicle comprising a plurality of battery modules, each of the battery modules comprising: a battery cell; a cooling plate disposed adjacent to the battery cell; and one or more component level valves connecting the cooling plate with a network of coolant tubing of a cooling system of a vehicle, wherein coolant from the network of coolant tubing flows through the component level valves to the cooling plate and cools the battery cell and wherein the component level valves of each battery module are operable by a cooling controller to control coolant flow to the cooling plate of each of the battery modules. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The battery pack of claim 18, wherein, upon detection of the predetermined condition, the one or more of the component level valves are operable by the cooling controller to direct coolant based on the detected predetermined condition. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The battery pack of claim 19, wherein directing coolant based on the detected predetermined condition comprises restricting coolant flow to the cooling plate of a first battery module of the plurality of battery modules and increasing coolant flow to a second battery module of the plurality of battery modules.