# US 10,369,898 B2 · Rechargeable vehicle thermal management charging system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,898 B2 - Document ID: US10369898B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/408,079 - Filed: 2017-01-17 - Published: 2018-07-19 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-01-17 - Assignees: NIO USA, Inc. - Applicants: NIO USA, Inc. - Inventors: Austin L. Newman; Thomas P. Jensen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369898B2 ## CPC - B60L 58/26: by cooling - B60L 53/126: Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver - B60L 53/14: Conductive energy transfer - H02J 7/35: with light sensitive cells - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - 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 - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract Systems of an electrical vehicle and the operations thereof are provided that control an operating temperature of an on board battery pack using an external thermal management system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A charging system, comprising: a rechargeable electric vehicle comprising an interior and exterior, the interior comprising a rechargeable energy storage unit in electrical communication with one or more electric motors to propel the electric vehicle and a receptacle to receive electrical energy to recharge the energy storage unit, and a first thermal management unit to control an operating temperature of the energy storage unit; an external power source in electrical communication, by the receptacle, with the energy storage unit; a second thermal management unit located outside the rechargeable electric vehicle exterior and in fluid communication with the energy storage unit; and a microprocessor programmed, based on an energy storage unit-related parameter, to control an operating temperature of the energy storage unit by passing, via the second thermal management unit, a thermal management fluid through at least part of the first thermal management unit or a thermal management fluid recycle loop in fluid communication with the first thermal management unit, wherein the microprocessor is programmed to isolate the first thermal management unit from flow of the thermal management fluid by closing one or more valves in fluid communication with the recycle loop, and wherein, in a first operating mode, the thermal management fluid is cooled by the first but not the second thermal management unit and, in a different second operating mode, the thermal management fluid is cooled by the second but not the first thermal management unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The charging system of claim 1, wherein the thermal management fluid is a gas or liquid, wherein the second thermal management unit decreases the operating temperature of the energy storage unit during charging by the external power source, wherein the energy storage unit is a battery pack, wherein the energy storage unit-related parameter is one or more of C- and E-rates for the battery pack, stored energy capacity or nominal capacity, energy or nominal energy (Wh for a specific C-rate), cycle life (number for a specific DOD), specific energy, specific power, energy density, power density, maximum continuous discharge current, maximum 30-second discharge pulse current, charge voltage, float voltage, (recommended) charge current, internal resistance, terminal voltage, winding temperature, battery pack voltage level, output electrical current, leakage current, internal battery pack temperature, depth-of-charge, state-of-charge, or state-of-health, and state-of-function, and wherein the thermal management fluid passes through a heat exchanger of the first thermal management unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The charging system of claim 1, wherein the second thermal management unit lowers, by heat transfer to the thermal management fluid, the operating temperature of the energy storage unit during charging, wherein the second thermal management unit comprises one or more of a direct, indirect, or multi-stage evaporative cooler, vapor-compression cycle refrigeration cycle device acoustic cooling device, magnetic cooling device, pulse type cooling device, Sterling cycle cooling device, thermoelectric cooling or thermionic cooling device, vortex tube cooling device, and water cycle cooling device, and wherein a heat exchange medium removes heat from the thermal management fluid via a heat exchanger. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The charging system of claim 1, wherein the thermal management fluid is a gas or liquid, wherein the second thermal management unit decreases the operating temperature of the energy storage unit during charging by the external power source, wherein the energy storage unit is a battery pack, wherein the energy storage unit-related parameter is one or more of C- and E-rates for the battery pack, stored energy capacity or nominal capacity, energy or nominal energy (Wh for a specific C-rate), cycle life (number for a specific DOD), specific energy, specific power, energy density, power density, maximum continuous discharge current, maximum 30-second discharge pulse current, charge voltage, float voltage, (recommended) charge current, internal resistance, terminal voltage, winding temperature, battery pack voltage level, output electrical current, leakage current, internal battery pack temperature, depth-of-charge, state-of-charge, or state-of-health, and state-of-function, and wherein the thermal management fluid passes through the recycle loop. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The charging system of claim 4, wherein the thermal management fluid is a liquid, the liquid comprising ethylene glycol. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The charging system of claim 4, wherein the thermal management fluid removes thermal energy from the energy storage unit and wherein the heated thermal management fluid has a first portion of the removed thermal energy removed by the second thermal management unit, and a second portion of the removed thermal energy removed by the first thermal management unit followed by recycle of the cooled thermal management fluid to the energy storage unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The charging system of claim 1, wherein the second thermal management unit removably attaches to and detaches from the at least part of the first thermal management unit or a thermal management fluid recycle loop and wherein the first or second thermal management unit comprises a mechanism to remove gas bubbles from the thermal management fluid introduced by attachment of the second thermal energy unit. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: electrically connecting an external power source to a rechargeable electric vehicle comprising an interior and exterior, the interior comprising a rechargeable energy storage unit in electrical communication with one or more electric motors to propel the electric vehicle and a receptacle to receive electrical energy to recharge the energy storage unit, and a first thermal management unit to control an operating temperature of the energy storage unit, wherein the external power source, after electrical connection, is in electrical communication, by the receptacle, with the energy storage unit; and during charging of the energy storage unit by the external power source, passing, by a second thermal management unit located outside the rechargeable electric vehicle exterior and in fluid communication with the energy storage unit, a thermal management fluid through at least part of the energy storage unit to control the energy storage unit temperature, wherein the thermal management fluid passes through at least part of the first thermal management unit or a thermal management fluid recycle loop in fluid communication with the first thermal management unit; wherein a microprocessor isolates the first thermal management unit from flow of the thermal management fluid by closing one or more valves in fluid communication with the recycle loop, and wherein, in a first operating mode, the thermal management fluid is cooled by the first but not the second thermal management unit and, in a different second operating mode, the thermal management fluid is cooled by the second but not the first thermal management unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the thermal management fluid is a gas or liquid, wherein the second thermal management unit decreases the operating temperature of the energy storage unit during charging by the external power source, wherein the energy storage unit is a battery pack, wherein the energy storage unit-related parameter is one or more of C- and E-rates for the battery pack, stored energy capacity or nominal capacity, energy or nominal energy (Wh for a specific C-rate), cycle life (number for a specific DOD), specific energy, specific power, energy density, power density, maximum continuous discharge current, maximum 30-second discharge pulse current, charge voltage, float voltage, (recommended) charge current, internal resistance, terminal voltage, winding temperature, battery pack voltage level, output electrical current, leakage current, internal battery pack temperature, depth-of-charge, state-of-charge, or state-of-health, and state-of-function, and wherein the thermal management fluid passes through a heat exchanger of the first thermal management unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the second thermal management unit lowers, by heat transfer to the thermal management fluid, the operating temperature of the energy storage unit during charging, wherein the second thermal management unit comprises one or more of a direct, indirect, or multi-stage evaporative cooler, vapor-compression cycle refrigeration cycle device acoustic cooling device, magnetic cooling device, pulse type cooling device, Sterling cycle cooling device, thermoelectric cooling or thermionic cooling device, vortex tube cooling device, and water cycle cooling device, and wherein a heat exchange medium removes heat from the thermal management fluid via a heat exchanger. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the thermal management fluid is a gas or liquid, wherein the second thermal management unit decreases the operating temperature of the energy storage unit during charging by the external power source, wherein the energy storage unit is a battery pack, wherein the energy storage unit-related parameter is one or more of C- and E-rates for the battery pack, stored energy capacity or nominal capacity, energy or nominal energy (Wh for a specific C-rate), cycle life (number for a specific DOD), specific energy, specific power, energy density, power density, maximum continuous discharge current, maximum 30-second discharge pulse current, charge voltage, float voltage, (recommended) charge current, internal resistance, terminal voltage, winding temperature, battery pack voltage level, output electrical current, leakage current, internal battery pack temperature, depth-of-charge, state-of-charge, or state-of-health, and state-of-function, and wherein the thermal management fluid passes through the recycle loop. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the thermal management fluid is a liquid, the liquid comprising ethylene glycol. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the thermal management fluid removes thermal energy from the energy storage unit and wherein the heated thermal management fluid has a first portion of the removed thermal energy removed by the second thermal management unit, and a second portion of the removed thermal energy removed by the first thermal management unit followed by recycle of the cooled thermal management fluid to the energy storage unit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the second thermal management unit removably attaches to and detaches from the at least part of the first thermal management unit or a thermal management fluid recycle loop and wherein the first or second thermal management unit comprises a mechanism to remove gas bubbles from the thermal management fluid introduced by attachment of the second thermal energy unit.