System and method for cooling a battery

A system for cooling an energy storage system of a hybrid electric vehicle, said energy storage system comprising at least one energy storage device, said at least one energy storage device including a maximum temperature storage device having a maximum temperature and a minimum temperature storage device having a minimum temperature, said system comprising:

• a cooling fluid duct in flow communication with an inlet and said at least one energy storage device;
• a blower positioned within said cooling fluid duct for drawing cooling fluid into said inlet and through said cooling fluid duct for passing said cooling fluid over or through said at least one energy storage device;
• and
• a controller coupled with said at least one energy storage device, said controller being configured to increase the temperature of said at least one energy storage device having a temperature below said maximum temperature reduced by at least a predetermined threshold;
• wherein said cooling fluid duct and blower are coupled to form a common cooling system for said at least one energy storage system;
• wherein said cooling fluid duct is an air duct, said cooling fluid is cooling air and said inlet is an air inlet;
• wherein said controller is configured to increase the temperature of said at least one energy storage device having a temperature below said maximum temperature reduced by at least a predetermined threshold to within a predetermined range of said maximum temperature;
• and
• wherein said controller is configured to activate at least one heat device of said at least one energy storage device with heat energy supplied from a vehicle engine during a motoring mode or idle mode of said hybrid electric vehicle.

A system for cooling an energy storage system of a hybrid electric vehicle, said energy storage system comprising at least one energy storage device, said at least one energy storage device including a maximum temperature storage device having a maximum temperature and a minimum temperature storage device having a minimum temperature, said system comprising:

• a cooling fluid duct in flow communication with an inlet and said at least one energy storage device;
• a blower positioned within said cooling fluid duct for drawing cooling fluid into said inlet and through said cooling fluid duct for passing said cooling fluid over or through said at least one energy storage device;
• and
• a controller coupled with said at least one energy storage device, said controller being configured to increase the temperature of said at least one energy storage device having a temperature below said maximum temperature reduced by at least a predetermined threshold;
• wherein said cooling fluid duct and blower are coupled to form a common cooling system for said at least one energy storage system;
• wherein said hybrid electric vehicle is a hybrid electric locomotive, a hybrid electric off-highway vehicle or a hybrid electric marine vehicle;
• wherein said controller is configured to increase the temperature of at least one energy storage device identified with a previous history of low temperature, from said temperature below said maximum temperature reduced by at least a predetermined threshold to greater than said maximum temperature increased by a predetermined range;
• and
• wherein said controller is configured to increase the temperature of said at least one energy storage device identified with a previous history of low temperature during a dynamic braking mode.

A system for cooling an energy storage system of a hybrid electric vehicle, said energy storage system comprising at least one energy storage device, said at least one energy storage device including a maximum temperature storage device having a maximum temperature and a minimum temperature storage device having a minimum temperature, said system comprising:

• a cooling fluid duct in flow communication with an inlet and said at least one energy storage device;
• a blower positioned within said cooling fluid duct for drawing cooling fluid into said inlet and through said cooling fluid duct for passing said cooling fluid over or through said at least one energy storage device;
• and
• a controller coupled with said at least one energy storage device, said controller being configured to increase the temperature of said at least one energy storage device having a temperature below said maximum temperature reduced by at least a predetermined threshold;
• wherein said cooling fluid duct and blower are coupled to form a common cooling system for said at least one energy storage system;
• wherein said hybrid electric vehicle is a hybrid electric locomotive, a hybrid electric off-highway vehicle or a hybrid electric marine vehicle;
• and
• wherein said controller is configured to preheat the temperature of each energy storage device having a temperature below said maximum temperature reduced by at least a predetermined threshold to within a predetermined range of said maximum temperature, said controller being configured to preheat each energy storage device during a dynamic braking mode and prior to the termination of a dynamic braking mode of said hybrid electric vehicle.

A system for cooling an energy storage system of a hybrid electric vehicle, said energy storage system comprising at least one energy storage device, said at least one energy storage device including a maximum temperature storage device having a maximum temperature and a minimum temperature storage device having a minimum temperature, said system comprising:

• a cooling fluid duct in flow communication with an inlet and said at least one energy storage device;
• a blower positioned within said cooling fluid duct for drawing cooling fluid into said inlet and through said cooling fluid duct for passing said cooling fluid over or through said at least one energy storage device;
• and
• a controller coupled with said at least one energy storage device, said controller being configured to increase the temperature of said at least one energy storage device having a temperature below said maximum temperature reduced by at least a predetermined threshold;
• wherein said cooling fluid duct and blower are coupled to form a common cooling system for said at least one energy storage system;
• wherein said hybrid electric vehicle is a hybrid electric locomotive, a hybrid electric off-highway vehicle or a hybrid electric marine vehicle;
• wherein said controller is configured to preheat the temperature of each energy storage device having a temperature below said maximum temperature reduced by at least a predetermined threshold to within a predetermined range of said maximum temperature, said controller being configured to preheat each energy storage device during a dynamic braking mode and prior to the termination of a dynamic braking mode of said hybrid electric vehicle;
• and
• wherein each energy storage device has a state of charge, said controller is configured to increase the temperature of each energy storage device using heat energy provided from at least one traction motor during a dynamic braking mode when said state of charge is below a predetermined charge threshold, and said controller is configured to increase the temperature of each energy storage device using heat energy provided from a heat device of each energy storage device when said state of charge is above said predetermined charge threshold.

A system for cooling an energy storage system of a hybrid electric vehicle, said energy storage system comprising at least one energy storage device, said at least one energy storage device including a maximum temperature storage device having a maximum temperature and a minimum temperature storage device having a minimum temperature, said system comprising:

• a cooling fluid duct in flow communication with an inlet and said at least one energy storage device;
• a blower positioned within said cooling fluid duct for drawing cooling fluid into said inlet and through said cooling fluid duct for passing said cooling fluid over or through said at least one energy storage device;
• and
• a controller coupled with said at least one energy storage device, said controller being configured to increase the temperature of said at least one energy storage device having a temperature below said maximum temperature reduced by at least a predetermined threshold;
• wherein said cooling fluid duct and blower are coupled to form a common cooling system for said at least one energy storage system;
• wherein said hybrid electric vehicle is a hybrid electric locomotive, a hybrid electric off-highway vehicle or a hybrid electric marine vehicle;
• and
• wherein said controller is configured to precool the temperature of said at least one energy storage device from a temperature above said minimum temperature increased by at least a predetermined threshold to within a predetermined range of said minimum temperature, said controller configured to precool said at least one energy storage device prior to an upcoming anticipated dynamic braking mode.

A system for cooling an energy storage system of a hybrid electric vehicle, said energy storage system comprising at least one energy storage device, said at least one energy storage device including a maximum temperature storage device having a maximum temperature and a minimum temperature storage device having a minimum temperature, said system comprising:

• a cooling fluid duct in flow communication with an inlet and at least one energy storage device;
• a blower positioned within said cooling fluid duct for drawing cooling fluid into said inlet and through said cooling fluid duct for passing said cooling fluid over or through said at least one energy storage device;
• and
• a controller coupled with said at least one energy storage device, said controller configured to disconnect at least one energy storage device from said energy storage system with a temperature above said maximum temperature reduced by a predetermined threshold to increase the temperature of each energy storage device with a temperature below said maximum temperature reduced by at least a predetermined threshold;
• wherein said cooling fluid duct and blower are coupled to form a common cooling system for said at least one energy storage system;
• wherein said hybrid electric vehicle is a hybrid electric locomotive, a hybrid electric off-highway vehicle or a hybrid electric marine vehicle;
• wherein for low power demand on said at least one energy storage device, said controller is configured to disconnect said at least one energy storage device having a temperature within a predetermined threshold of said maximum temperature to increase the temperature of each energy storage device with a temperature below said maximum temperature reduced by at least a predetermined threshold;
• wherein said controller is configured to increase the temperature of at least one energy storage device identified with a previous history of low temperature, said controller being configured to increase said temperature from below said maximum temperature reduced by at least a predetermined threshold to greater than said maximum temperature by a predetermined range;
• and
• wherein said controller is configured to increase the temperature of said at least one energy storage device identified with a previous history of low temperature during a dynamic braking mode.

A system for cooling an energy storage system of a hybrid electric vehicle, said energy storage system comprising at least one energy storage device, said at least one energy storage device including a maximum temperature storage device having a maximum temperature and a minimum temperature storage device having a minimum temperature, said system comprising:

• a cooling fluid duct in flow communication with an inlet and at least one energy storage device;
• a blower positioned within said cooling fluid duct for drawing cooling fluid into said inlet and through said cooling fluid duct for passing said cooling fluid over or through said at least one energy storage device;
• and
• a controller coupled with said at least one energy storage device, said controller configured to disconnect at least one energy storage device from said energy storage system with a temperature above said maximum temperature reduced by a predetermined threshold to increase the temperature of each energy storage device with a temperature below said maximum temperature reduced by at least a predetermined threshold;
• wherein said cooling fluid duct and blower are coupled to form a common cooling system for said at least one energy storage system;
• wherein said hybrid electric vehicle is a hybrid electric locomotive, a hybrid electric off-highway vehicle or a hybrid electric marine vehicle;
• wherein for low power demand on said at least one energy storage device, said controller is configured to disconnect said at least one energy storage device having a temperature within a predetermined threshold of said maximum temperature to increase the temperature of each energy storage device with a temperature below said maximum temperature reduced by at least a predetermined threshold;
• and
• wherein said controller is configured to preheat the temperature of said at least one energy storage device having a temperature below said maximum temperature reduced by at least a predetermined threshold to within a predetermined range of said maximum temperature, said controller being configured to preheat during a dynamic braking mode and prior to the termination of a dynamic braking mode.