# US 2019/0245170 A1 · Insulating system for a battery system and method for controlling such an insulating system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0245170 A1 - Document ID: US20190245170A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/259,203 - Filed: 2019-01-28 - Published: 2019-08-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-02 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Bernd BRINKMANN; Thomas NITSCHE; Julian TIETZE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190245170A1 ## CPC - B60L 3/0046: {relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors} - H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold - B60L 50/64: Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles - B60L 50/66: {Arrangements of batteries} - H01M 10/625: Vehicles - H01M 10/63: Control systems (charging or discharging in response to temperature H01M10/44 {, H01M10/443}; measurement of temperature H01M10/48 {, H01M10/486}) - H01M 10/653: characterised by electrically insulating or thermally conductive materials - H01M 10/6567: Liquids - H01M 50/204: Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells - H01M 50/24: adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion (thermal insulation H01M10/658) - H01M 50/249: specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains (constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64) - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - 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 - 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 vehicle battery insulating system includes an inner wall and outer wall forming an insulating cavity filled with a microporous material such as microporous silica. A vacuum pump is coupled to a first connection of the cavity and a valve is coupled to a second connection of the cavity. A controller operates the vacuum pump and the valve to lower/raise pressure within the cavity to decrease/increase thermal conductivity, respectively, of the insulating layer to influence temperature of a vehicle battery. A battery housing may include inlet and outlet ports coupled to a pump to circulate a heat exchanging fluid. The controller may monitor temperatures from sensors and/or receive wireless information relative to traffic, ambient temperature, weather forecasts, and similar information for use in controlling the insulating system in an attempt to keep the vehicle battery within a desired operating temperature range. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle battery system, comprising: a housing configured to receive a plurality of battery cells, the housing having an insulating system including an inner wall and an outer wall forming an insulating cavity containing a microporous material, the insulating cavity fluidly coupled to first and second connections, the housing including a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port extending through the insulating cavity and configured to deliver a heat exchanging fluid to the plurality of battery cells; a vacuum pump coupled to the first connection of the insulating cavity; a valve coupled to the second connection of the insulating cavity; and a controller coupled to the vacuum pump and the valve, the controller configured to control operation of the valve and the vacuum pump to change thermal conductivity of the insulating cavity in response to temperature of the plurality of battery cells. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle battery system of claim 1 further comprising a pump coupled to the fluid inlet port and the fluid outlet port and configured to circulate the heat exchanging fluid. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle battery system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to operate the vacuum pump to reduce pressure within the insulating cavity in response to a difference between a current temperature of the plurality of battery cells and a desired temperature of the plurality of battery cells. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle battery system of claim 1 wherein the insulating system encompasses the plurality of battery cells. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle battery system of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises at least one pocket configured to receive the insulating system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle battery system of claim 1 wherein the microporous material comprises microporous silica. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicle battery system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to receive ambient temperature information, and to control the vacuum pump and the valve in response to the ambient temperature information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vehicle battery system of claim 7 wherein the controller wirelessly receives the ambient temperature information. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vehicle battery system of claim 8 wherein the controller is configured to detect a vehicle parking event in response to vehicle speed being below a threshold. ### Claim 10 A method for controlling a vehicle battery insulating system having at least one insulating plate containing a microporous material within a cavity at least partially surrounding a vehicle battery, the method comprising, by a controller: controlling pressure within the cavity to modify thermal conductivity of the insulating plate in response to a difference between temperature of the vehicle battery and ambient temperature. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the insulating system further comprises a valve connected to a first port of the cavity and a vacuum pump coupled to a second port of the cavity, wherein controlling pressure comprises controlling the vacuum pump and the valve to control the pressure within the cavity. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 further comprising controlling a coolant pump to circulate heat exchanging fluid through inlet and outlet ports passing through the at least one insulating plate to circulate between cells of the vehicle battery in response to the difference. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 further comprising controlling the vacuum pump and the valve to lower the pressure within the cavity responsive to the ambient temperature exceeding the temperature of the vehicle battery. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the microporous material comprises microporous silica. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the controller controls the pressure within the cavity in response to detecting a vehicle parking event. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising wirelessly receiving weather information and controlling pressure within the cavity based on the weather information. ### Claim 17 A vehicle comprising: a traction battery having a plurality of battery cells disposed within a housing; a battery insulation system disposed between the plurality of battery cells and the housing and including inner and outer walls defining a cavity containing microporous silica; a vacuum pump coupled to a first port of the cavity; a valve coupled to a second port of the cavity; a coolant pump coupled to inlet and outlet ports of the housing, the inlet and outlet ports extending through the cavity to route heat exchanging fluid around the plurality of battery cells; and a controller communicating with the vacuum pump and the valve, the controller programmed to control the vacuum pump and the valve to lower pressure within the cavity responsive to a temperature difference between ambient temperature and temperature of the traction battery exceeding a threshold to decrease thermal conductivity of the insulation system, and to control the valve to increase pressure within the cavity responsive to the temperature difference not exceeding the threshold. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The vehicle of claim 17 wherein the controller is configured to control the vacuum pump and the valve in response to detecting a vehicle parking event. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The vehicle of claim 18 wherein the controller detects a parking event based on vehicle steering and vehicle speed. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The vehicle of claim 18 wherein the controller wirelessly receives ambient temperature information.