US 10,784,546 B2Granted

Thermoelectric-based thermal management system

AssigneeGentherm Incorporated

InventorsAlfred Piggott, Dmitri Kossakovski, Todd Robert Barnhart

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Abstract

Disclosed embodiments include thermoelectric-based thermal management systems and methods configured to heat and/or cool an electrical device. Thermal management systems can include at least one electrical conductor in electrical and thermal communication with a temperature-sensitive region of the electrical device and at least one thermoelectric device in thermal communication with the at least one electrical conductor. Electric power can be directed to the thermoelectric device by the same electrical conductor or an external power supply, causing the thermoelectric device to provide controlled heating and/or cooling to the electrical device via the at least one electrical conductor. The thermoelectric management system can be integrated with the management system of the electrical device on a printed circuit substrate.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method for thermally managing a battery cell, the method comprising:

controlling charging and discharging of a battery cell using a battery management controller attached to a printed circuit substrate;
controlling electric power delivered to a thermoelectric device using a thermoelectric management controller attached to the printed circuit substrate;
and
supplying electric power to the thermoelectric device from a power connection attached to the printed circuit substrate;
wherein the thermoelectric device is configured to transfer thermal energy between a main surface and a waste surface upon application of electric power to the thermoelectric device;
wherein the main surface of the thermoelectric device is in physical contact with a bus bar;
wherein the bus bar is in thermal and electrical communication with an electrode of the battery cell;
wherein the electrode is configured to deliver electric power to or from the battery cell and to serve as a conduit for conducting thermal energy between a temperature-sensitive region of the battery cell and the thermoelectric device;
and
wherein the battery cell is capable of being heated or cooled by adjusting a polarity of electric current delivered to the thermoelectric device.

7 more elements

A method of manufacturing a thermoelectric battery thermal management system, the method comprising:

connecting a printed circuit substrate to a battery management system configured to control charging and discharging of a battery cell and to a thermoelectric management system configured to control electric power delivered to a thermoelectric device, wherein the thermoelectric device is configured to transfer thermal energy between a main surface and a waste surface upon application of electric power to the thermoelectric device;
attaching the main surface of the thermoelectric device to a bus bar;
connecting the bus bar to an electrical conductor that is in thermal and electrical communication with the battery cell, wherein the electrical conductor is configured to deliver electric power to or from the battery cell such that the electrical conductor serves as a conduit for conducting thermal energy between a temperature-sensitive region of the battery cell and the thermoelectric device;
and
connecting a power connection positioned on the printed circuit substrate to the thermoelectric device for supplying electric power to the thermoelectric device.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/388,805Filed 18 Apr 2019 · continuation
Priority: 30 Jan 2013
Published: US 2019/0252745 A115 Aug 2019
Granted: 22 Sep 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

H01M 10/6572
By electric or electromagnetic means: peltier elements or thermoelectric devices
H01M 10/655
Means for temperature control structurally associated with the cells: solid structures for heat exchange or heat conduction
H02J 7/865
Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries: battery or charger load switching, e.g.…
H05K 3/325
Electrically connecting electric components or wires to printed circuits: by abutting or pinching; Mechanical auxiliary parts therefor

Family

Application61/758,637Us provisional application · filed 30 Jan 2013
PCT/US2014/013452Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Jan 2014
US 2019/0252745 A1Pre-grant publication · published 15 Aug 2019
Application14/760,680Parent of this continuation
US 10,270,141 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2015/0357692 A1Published application
US 10,784,546 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.