Battery charging module for a vehicle
AssigneeNissan North America, Inc.
InventorsNelson PHAN, Randall JOHNSON, Bhargav SURA
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A battery charging assembly for a vehicle includes a vehicle battery and a charging module electrically connected to the vehicle battery and configured to supply electrical energy to the battery. An energy harvesting module is electrically connected to the charging module. The energy harvesting module is configured to harvest energy, to convert the harvested energy to electrical energy and to supply the electrical energy to the charging module. A cooling circuit supplies a cooling fluid to the energy harvesting module to cool the energy harvesting module.
Claims20
A battery charging assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
- a battery;
- a charging module electrically connected to the battery and configured to supply electrical energy to the battery;
- an energy harvesting module electrically connected to the charging module, the energy harvesting module being configured to harvest energy, to convert the harvested energy to electrical energy and to supply the electrical energy to the charging module;
- and
- a cooling circuit supplying a cooling fluid to the energy harvesting module to cool the energy harvesting module.
A battery charging assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
- a battery;
- a charging module electrically connected to the battery and configured to supply electrical energy to the battery;
- and
- an energy harvesting module disposed in an engine compartment of a vehicle and electrically connected to the charging module, the energy harvesting module being configured to harvest energy, to convert the harvested energy to electrical energy and to supply the electrical energy to the charging module, the energy harvesting module including
- a thermoelectric device having opposite first and second sides;
- a thermal pad configured to be connected to a vehicle component;
- a heat sink connected between the thermal insulation pad and the first side of the thermoelectric device;
- and
- a cooling block connected to a second side of the thermoelectric device;
- and
- a cooling circuit supplying a cooling fluid to the cooling block of the energy harvesting module to cool the energy harvesting module.
A method of charging a vehicle battery, comprising the steps of
- capturing heat energy with an energy harvesting module;
- supplying a cooling fluid to the energy harvesting module to increase a temperature difference at a thermoelectric device of the energy harvesting module;
- converting the captured heat energy to electrical energy with the energy harvesting module;
- storing the converted electrical energy;
- and
- supplying the stored electrical energy to the battery when the battery is less than fully charged.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.