# US 2021/0242518 A1 · Opportunistic system and method for battery cooling while charging on-plug

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- Number: US 2021/0242518 A1
- Document ID: US20210242518A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/777,483
- Filed: 2020-01-30
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2020-01-30
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: Rohan Shrivastava; Joseph George; Jordan Mazaira; Alexandria Schardt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210242518A1

## CPC

- H01M 10/663: the system being an air-conditioner or an engine
- H01M 10/625: Vehicles
- H01M 10/6561: Gases
- H02J 7/445: {in response to measured battery parameters, e.g. voltage, current or temperature profile}
- B60H 1/00278: {for the battery}
- B60H 1/143: {the heat being derived from cooling an electric component, e.g. electric motors, electric circuits, fuel cells or batteries}
- B60H 1/2221: {arrangements of electric heaters for heating an intermediate liquid (B60H1/034 takes precedence)}
- B60K 2001/005: {the electric storage means}
- B60L 1/04: fed by the power supply line
- B60L 53/11: {DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4}
- B60L 58/26: by cooling
- B60L 2240/34: Cabin temperature
- B60L 2240/545: Temperature
- B60L 2240/662: Temperature
- H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold
- H01M 10/63: Control systems (charging or discharging in response to temperature H01M10/44 {, H01M10/443}; measurement of temperature H01M10/48 {, H01M10/486})
- 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 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility
- Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles
- Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- B60H: ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN 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
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A control assembly for a thermal management system for a high voltage battery of a plug-in electric vehicle may include a control valve and a control module. The control valve may be operable to control a flow of battery coolant to the high voltage battery from a refrigerant cooling circuit and from a cabin heater core cooling circuit. The control module may be configured to selectively operate the control valve to select a cooling mode, including a refrigerant only mode, a core mode, and a combined mode in which both the refrigerant cooling circuit and the cabin heater core cooling circuit provide cooling to the high voltage battery.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A thermal management system for a plug-in electric vehicle, the thermal management system comprising:
a high voltage battery configured to power the vehicle;
a refrigerant cooling circuit configured to be selectively operably coupled to the high voltage battery to cool the high voltage battery during charging of the vehicle;
a cabin heater core cooling circuit configured to be selectively operably coupled to the high voltage battery to cool the high voltage battery during charging of the vehicle;
a control valve operable to control a flow of battery coolant to the high voltage battery from the refrigerant cooling circuit and the cabin heater core cooling circuit; and
a control module configured to selectively operate the control valve to select a mode of cooling the high voltage battery,
wherein at least one mode of cooling selectable by the control module is a combined mode in which both the refrigerant cooling circuit and the cabin heater core cooling circuit provide cooling to the high voltage battery.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the control valve is positionable to proportionally control an amount of the battery coolant that comes from respective ones of the refrigerant cooling circuit and the cabin heater core cooling circuit in the combined mode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The thermal management system of claim 2, wherein the control valve is positionable by the control module based on minimizing an amount of the battery coolant from the refrigerant cooling circuit and increasing the amount of the battery coolant from the refrigerant cooling circuit as needed to maintain a temperature of the high voltage battery within a predefined range.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein another mode of cooling selectable by the control module includes isolating the cabin heater core cooling circuit and using only the refrigerant cooling circuit to cool the high voltage battery.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The thermal management system of claim 4, wherein a heater core isolation valve is operated under control of the control module to isolate the cabin heater core cooling circuit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein another mode of cooling selectable by the control module includes utilizing only the cabin heater core cooling circuit to cool the high voltage battery.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The thermal management system of claim 6, wherein the control module wakes a climate head of a cabin climate system and requests air flow over a heater core of the cabin heater core cooling circuit to dissipate heat from the high voltage battery into a cabin of the vehicle.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the control module receives an indication of ambient temperature, an indication of battery temperature, and an indication of whether cabin climate control is requested, and
wherein the control module is configured to select the mode of mode of cooling the high voltage battery based on the indication of ambient temperature, the indication of battery temperature, and the indication of whether cabin climate control is requested.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The thermal management system of claim 8, wherein a first mode of cooling comprises utilizing only the cabin heater core cooling circuit to cool the high voltage battery,
wherein the combined mode comprises a second mode of cooling,
wherein a third mode of cooling comprises using only the refrigerant cooling circuit to cool the high voltage battery, and
wherein the first mode of cooling is prioritized by the control module to be a most preferred mode and the third mode of cooling is least preferred mode.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The thermal management system of claim 8, wherein a first mode of cooling comprises utilizing only the cabin heater core cooling circuit to cool the high voltage battery,
wherein the combined mode comprises a second mode of cooling,
wherein a third mode of cooling comprises using only the refrigerant cooling circuit to cool the high voltage battery,
wherein the first mode of cooling is selected in response to no request for cabin climate control when ambient temperature is below an ambient temperature threshold,
wherein the second mode of cooling is selected from the first mode of cooling in response to the indication of battery temperature exceeding a battery temperature threshold, and
wherein the third mode of cooling is selected when the cabin climate control is requested or when the ambient temperature is above the ambient temperature threshold.

### Claim 11

A control assembly for a thermal management system for a high voltage battery of a plug-in electric vehicle, comprising:
a control valve operable to control a flow of battery coolant to the high voltage battery from a refrigerant cooling circuit and from a cabin heater core cooling circuit, and
a control module configured to selectively operate the control valve to select a cooling mode, including a refrigerant only mode, a core mode, and a combined mode in which both the refrigerant cooling circuit and the cabin heater core cooling circuit provide cooling to the high voltage battery.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The control assembly of claim 11, wherein the control valve is positionable to proportionally control an amount of the battery coolant that comes from respective ones of the refrigerant cooling circuit and the cabin heater core cooling circuit in the combined mode.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The control assembly of claim 12, wherein the control valve is positionable by the control module based on minimizing an amount of the battery coolant from the refrigerant cooling circuit and increasing the amount of the battery coolant from the refrigerant cooling circuit as needed to maintain a temperature of the high voltage battery within a predefined range.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The control assembly of claim 11, wherein another mode of cooling selectable by the control module includes isolating the cabin heater core cooling circuit and using only the refrigerant cooling circuit to cool the high voltage battery.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The control assembly of claim 14, wherein a heater core isolation valve is operated under control of the control module to isolate the cabin heater core cooling circuit.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The control assembly of claim 11, wherein another mode of cooling selectable by the control module includes utilizing only the cabin heater core cooling circuit to cool the high voltage battery.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The control assembly of claim 16, wherein the control module wakes a climate head of a cabin climate system and requests air flow over a heater core of the cabin heater core cooling circuit to dissipate heat from the high voltage battery into a cabin of the vehicle.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The control assembly of claim 11, wherein the control module receives an indication of ambient temperature, an indication of battery temperature, and an indication of whether cabin climate control is requested, and
wherein the control module is configured to select the mode of mode of cooling the high voltage battery based on the indication of ambient temperature, the indication of battery temperature, and the indication of whether cabin climate control is requested.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The control assembly of claim 18, wherein a first mode of cooling comprises utilizing only the cabin heater core cooling circuit to cool the high voltage battery,
wherein the combined mode comprises a second mode of cooling,
wherein a third mode of cooling comprises using only the refrigerant cooling circuit to cool the high voltage battery, and
wherein the first mode of cooling is prioritized by the cooling module to be a most preferred mode and the third mode of cooling is a least preferred mode.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The control assembly of claim 18, wherein a first mode of cooling comprises utilizing only the cabin heater core cooling circuit to cool the high voltage battery,
wherein the combined mode comprises a second mode of cooling,
wherein a third mode of cooling comprises using only the refrigerant cooling circuit to cool the high voltage battery,
wherein the first mode of cooling is selected in response to no request for cabin climate control when ambient temperature is below an ambient temperature threshold,
wherein the second mode of cooling is selected from the first mode of cooling in response to the indication of battery temperature exceeding a battery temperature threshold, and
wherein the third mode of cooling is selected when the cabin climate control is requested or when the ambient temperature is above the ambient temperature threshold.