# US 11,305,659 B2 · Electric vehicle and cooling method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,305,659 B2 - Document ID: US11305659B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/685,421 - Filed: 2019-11-15 - Published: 2020-10-08 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-04-03 - Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Cornoration - Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation - Inventors: Kyung Su Kim; Hyeon Jun Kim; Yong Hyun Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305659B2 ## CPC - B60L 53/302: Cooling of charging equipment - B60H 1/00278: {for the battery} - B60L 53/62: in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge - B60L 58/26: by cooling - H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold - B60L 2260/56: Temperature prediction, e.g. for pre-cooling - H01M 10/625: Vehicles - H01M 10/6568: characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings - 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 - 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 - 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 A cooling method can be used with an electric vehicle that comprises a vehicle charging connection unit connected to an external cable connected to a charger located outside the electric vehicle, a battery configured to be charged through the vehicle charging connection unit, and a pump configured to circulate cooling water to cool the vehicle charging connection unit. The cooling method includes determining whether an amount of cooling water is insufficient and, upon determining that the amount of cooling water is insufficient, restricting a charging rate of charging power supplied through the vehicle charging connection unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electric vehicle, comprising: a vehicle charging connection unit configured to be connected to an external cable connected to a charger located outside the electric vehicle, the vehicle charging connection unit being disposed in a flow path through which cooling water circulates so as to be cooled by the cooling water; a battery configured to be charged through the vehicle charging connection unit; a pump disposed in the flow path to circulate the cooling water; and a charging control unit configured to determine whether an amount of cooling water is insufficient and to restrict a charging rate of charging power supplied through the vehicle charging connection unit in response to a determination that the amount of cooling water is insufficient. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the charging control unit comprises: a cooling water determination unit configured to determine whether the amount of cooling water is insufficient and to output a determination result as a determination signal; and a charging rate determination unit configured to restrict the charging rate of the charging power supplied through the vehicle charging connection unit in response to the determination signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the cooling water determination unit comprises: a speed measurement unit configured to measure an actual driving speed of the pump; and a first comparison unit configured to compare the measured actual driving speed with a target driving speed of the pump and to output a comparison result as the determination signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the charging control unit further comprises a second comparison unit configured to compare predicted heat generation of the vehicle charging connection unit corresponding to the charging power with protective heat generation of the vehicle charging connection unit in response to the determination signal; wherein the protective heat generation is heat generation of the vehicle charging connection unit that is to be cooled by an insufficient amount of the cooling water; and wherein the charging rate determination unit is configured to determine the charging rate in response to a comparison result from the second comparison unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the charging control unit further comprises a power determination unit configured to determine whether the charging power is high power having a level of 50 kW or more; and wherein the cooling water determination unit is configured to operate in response to a determination result from the power determination unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle further comprises a cooling water circulation path through which the cooling water circulates to cool a power electronic part, the battery, and the vehicle charging connection unit, and wherein the cooling water circulation path comprises a plurality of circulation paths that are separated from each other or integrated with each other using a valve. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The electric vehicle according to claim 6, further comprising a cooling water control unit configured to control the valve such that, if the battery and the vehicle charging connection unit are placed in different circulation paths when the vehicle charging connection unit is cooled, the battery and the vehicle charging connection unit are placed in a same circulation path. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The electric vehicle according to claim 6, further comprising a cooling water control unit configured to control the valve such that, when the vehicle charging connection unit is cooled, a circulation path, other than a circulation path in which the vehicle charging connection unit is placed, is integrated with the circulation path in which the vehicle charging connection unit is placed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the charging control unit is configured to track a change in temperature of the vehicle charging connection unit that is determined in advance in accordance with charging conditions under which the battery is to be charged, and to restrict the charging rate with reference to the tracking result so that the battery is charged within a shortest period of time under a condition in which the temperature of the vehicle charging connection unit becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, and wherein the charging conditions comprise a charging voltage, a charging current, a charging time, or a time point at which the charging rate is restricted. ### Claim 10 A cooling method of an electric vehicle that comprises a vehicle charging connection unit connected to an external cable connected to a charger located outside the electric vehicle, a battery configured to be charged through the vehicle charging connection unit, and a pump configured to circulate cooling water to cool the vehicle charging connection unit, the cooling method comprising: determining whether an amount of cooling water is insufficient; and upon determining that the amount of cooling water is insufficient, restricting a charging rate of charging power supplied through the vehicle charging connection unit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The cooling method according to claim 10, wherein the determining comprises: measuring an actual driving speed of the pump; comparing the measured actual driving speed with a target driving speed of the pump; and upon determining that the actual driving speed is higher than the target driving speed, determining that the amount of cooling water is insufficient. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The cooling method according to claim 11, wherein the target driving speed is determined in advance according to the amount of cooling water that is set in accordance with charging conditions under which the battery is to be charged; and wherein the charging conditions comprise a charging voltage, a charging current, a charging time, or a time point at which the charging rate is restricted. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The cooling method according to claim 12, further comprising, upon determining that the amount of cooling water is insufficient, comparing predicted heat generation of the vehicle charging connection unit corresponding to the charging power with protective heat generation of the vehicle charging connection unit; wherein the protective heat generation is heat generation of the vehicle charging connection unit that is to be cooled by an insufficient amount of the cooling water; and wherein the restricting is performed when the predicted heat generation is greater than the protective heat generation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The cooling method according to claim 13, wherein the predicted heat generation is determined in advance in accordance with the charging conditions under which the battery is to be charged. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The cooling method according to claim 14, wherein the predicted heat generation is determined in accordance with the charging voltage as follows: Te=(A×Tc)×(B×Ic2+C×Ic+D) where Te represents the predicted heat generation, Tc represents the charging time, Ic represents the charging current, and A, B, C, and D represent parameters that are experimentally obtained. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The cooling method according to claim 14, wherein the restricting comprises: tracking a change in temperature of the vehicle charging connection unit that is determined in advance in accordance with the charging conditions under which the battery is to be charged; and restricting the charging rate with reference to the tracking result so that the battery is charged within a shortest period of time under a condition in which the temperature of the vehicle charging connection unit becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The cooling method according to claim 10, further comprising determining whether the charging power is high power having a level of 50 kW or more, wherein the determining is performed when the charging power is high power. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The cooling method according to claim 10, wherein the cooling method is performed before supply of power from the charger to the battery via the vehicle charging connection unit is started. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The cooling method according to claim 10, wherein the cooling method is performed after supply of power from the charger to the battery via the vehicle charging connection unit is started.