# US 2014/0154537 A1 · Safety device for a vehicle and method for controlling the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0154537 A1 - Document ID: US20140154537A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/085,990 - Filed: 2013-11-21 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: MAGNA STEYR Battery Systems GmbH & Co OG - Applicants: MAGNA STEYR Battery Systems GmbH & Co OG - Inventors: Peter DÄMON; Thomas TRATHNIGG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154537A1 ## CPC - H01M 10/625: Vehicles - B60L 3/0046: {relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors} - B60L 3/0069: {relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current} - B60L 3/04: Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions (protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H) - B60L 50/66: {Arrangements of batteries} - B60L 58/21: having the same nominal voltage - B60L 58/26: by cooling - B60L 58/27: by heating - H01M 10/63: Control systems (charging or discharging in response to temperature H01M10/44 {, H01M10/443}; measurement of temperature H01M10/48 {, H01M10/486}) - H01M 10/6568: characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings - B60L 2200/26: Rail vehicles - B60L 2240/547: Voltage - H01M 2200/00: Safety devices for primary or secondary batteries - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - 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 - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A safety device for a vehicle having a battery system with a plurality of battery cells, a method for controlling the safety device, and a system that includes the safety device and the battery system. The safety device includes an electronic unit; a first device configured to detect an insulation resistance between components of the battery system and a reference potential, which components are connected in an electrically conductive manner to at least one battery cell; a second device configured to supply and/or discharge heat to and/or from the battery cells via a heat transfer medium which circulates in at least one circular flow pattern; and at least a first cut-off valve configured to interrupt the circular flow path of the heat transfer medium and which is actuated by the electronic unit from an open position into a closed position when the detected insulation resistance is below a predetermined limit value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A safety device for a vehicle having a battery system with a plurality of battery cells, the safety device comprising: an electronic unit; a first device configured to detect an insulation resistance between components of the battery system and a reference potential, which components are connected in an electrically conductive manner to at least one battery cell; a second device configured to supply and/or discharge heat to and/or from the battery cells via a heat transfer medium which circulates in at least one circular flow pattern; and at least a first cut-off valve configured to interrupt the circular flow path of the heat transfer medium and which is actuated by the electronic unit from an open position into a closed position when the detected insulation resistance is below a predetermined limit value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The safety device of claim 1, wherein the circular flow is an open circular flow having a feed flow connection and a return flow connection. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The safety device of claim 2, further comprising a second cut-off valve, wherein the first cut-off valve and the second cut-off valve are arranged between the feed flow connection and the return flow connection of the circular flow pattern. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The safety device of claim 3, wherein the first cut-off valve and/or the second cut-off valve is arranged inside a section of the circular flow, which section is allocated to the battery system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The safety device of claim 3, wherein the second device comprises a cooling body having a heat transfer medium inlet and a heat transfer medium outlet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The safety device of claim 5, wherein the first cut-off valve is arranged in the region of the heat transfer medium inlet and the second cut-off valve is arranged in the region of the heat transfer medium outlet. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The safety device of claim 3, wherein the first cut-off valve and the second cut-off valve comprise an actuating device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The safety device of claim 3, wherein the first cut-off valve is arranged in the region of the feed flow connection and the second cut-off valve is arranged in the region of the return flow connection. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The safety device of claim 3, wherein the first cut-off valve and/or the second cut-off valve is arranged outside a section of the outer housing. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The safety device of claim 3, wherein the first cut-off valve and/or the second cut-off valve comprises an electromagnetic actuating device configured to automatically assume a closed position upon a mean magnitude of the current flowing through the electromagnetic actuating device is below a predetermined limit value. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The safety device of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a component of the electronic unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The safety device of claim 1, wherein the liquid heat transfer medium comprises a liquid heat transfer medium. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The safety device of claim 12, wherein the heat transfer medium comprises a water-glycol mixture. ### Claim 14 A method for controlling a safety device of a vehicle having a battery system with a plurality of battery cells, the method comprising: at least intermittently detecting an electrical insulation resistance between components of the battery system and a reference potential, which components are connected in an electrically conductive manner to at least one cell; supplying and/or discharging heat to and/or from battery cells of the battery system via a heat transfer medium; evaluating the detected electrical insulation resistance; and then controlling, using the results of the evaluation, a cut-off valve configured to interrupt a flow path of the heat transfer medium. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein controlling the cut-off valve comprises moving the control valve into a closed position in the event the evaluation of the insulation resistance establishes that the insulation resistance is below a predetermined limit value. ### Claim 16 A system, comprising: a battery system including a plurality of battery cells; and a safety device for the battery system, the safety device including: an electronic unit; a first device configured to detect an insulation resistance between components of the battery system and a reference potential, which components are connected in an electrically conductive manner to at least one battery cell; a second device configured to supply and/or discharge heat to and/or from the battery cells via a heat transfer medium which circulates in at least one circular flow pattern; and at least a first cut-off valve configured to interrupt the circular flow path of the heat transfer medium and which is actuated by the electronic unit from an open position into a closed position when the detected insulation resistance is below a predetermined limit value. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, further comprising a second cut-off valve, wherein the first cut-off valve and the second cut-off valve are arranged between a feed flow connection and a return flow connection of the circular flow pattern. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the second device comprises a cooling body having a heat transfer medium inlet and a heat transfer medium outlet. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the first cut-off valve and/or the second cut-off valve comprises an electromagnetic actuating device configured to automatically assume a closed position upon a mean magnitude of the current flowing through the electromagnetic actuating device is below a predetermined limit value. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the first device comprises a component of the electronic unit.