Battery temperature regulation system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsLijun Gao, Camron Ravell Call, Shengyi Liu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for heating and cooling a battery. The system includes a thermoelectric device configured to attach to the battery and operate in a heating mode to elevate the operating temperature of the battery and in a cooling mode to reduce the operating temperature of the battery. Control circuitry is configured to: determine a temperature of the battery; supply an input voltage and a polarity of the thermoelectric device; and adjust the input voltage and the polarity based on a temperature of the battery.
Claims20
A system to heat and cool a battery for the battery to operate within a temperature range, the system comprising:
- a thermoelectric device configured to attach to the battery and operate in a heating mode to elevate an operating temperature of the battery and in a cooling mode to reduce the operating temperature of the battery;
- control circuitry comprising:
- a power conditioner that regulates an input voltage supplied to the thermoelectric device and regulates a polarity of the input voltage to control an operational mode of the thermoelectric device, the power conditioner comprising:
- a converter that regulates an output voltage per duty cycle;
- switches to change an operational mode of the thermoelectric device;
- a system controller configured to:
- receive a user input of a temperature setting point;
- determine when the battery is in one of the following modes:
- a capacity control mode to maximize charging capacity;
- a rate control mode for high speed charging;
- and
- an auto mode that switches between the capacity control mode and the rate control mode based on a load on the battery;
- a local controller that receives the temperature setting point for the thermoelectric device from the system controller, the local controller comprising:
- a mode selector that outputs signals to operate the switches to change the operational mode of the thermoelectric device;
- and
- a modulation generator that controls the power conditioner to regulate the output voltage per duty ratio;
- wherein one or both of the power conditioner and the local controller are powered by the battery.
A system to heat and cool a battery for the battery to operate within a temperature range, the system comprising:
- a thermoelectric device that heats the battery when operated in a first polarity and that cools the battery when operated in a second polarity;
- a system controller configured to receive a temperature setting point from a user through a user input, the system controller further configured to:
- determine when the battery is in one of the following:
- a capacity control mode to maximize charging capacity;
- a rate control mode for high speed charging;
- and
- an auto mode that switches between the capacity control mode and the rate control mode based on a load on the battery;
- a control unit comprising control circuitry configured to:
- monitor a temperature of the battery;
- receive the temperature setting point for the battery;
- control operation of the thermoelectric device between the first polarity and the second polarity and adjust a voltage supplied to the thermoelectric device to maintain the battery operating within a temperature tolerance;
- wherein the control unit operates the thermoelectric device in a heating mode when the temperature is less than a difference between the temperature setting point and the temperature tolerance;
- and
- wherein the control unit operates the thermoelectric device in a cooling mode when the temperature is greater than a sum of the temperature setting point and the temperature tolerance;
- and
- wherein the temperature tolerance is calculated by one or both of the system controller and the local controller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.