JP3491491B2 - Battery temperature controller - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for cooling / warming up a battery mounted on an electric vehicle such as an electric vehicle, that is, a battery temperature adjusting device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As one of methods for extending or securing the life of a battery mounted on an electric vehicle, it is said that the temperature of the battery is adjusted by cooling / warming and the temperature is controlled so that it is always within a predetermined range. There is a way. For example, JP-A-8-4008
In the electric vehicle described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 8, a branch is provided in the middle of a duct for introducing air outside the vehicle into the vehicle interior air conditioner, and a duct for introducing air into the battery is connected to this branch point. There is.

[0003]

The applicant of the present invention introduces the air used for air conditioning in the passenger compartment to the battery side and utilizes the waste heat or the residual heat in order to realize a device superior in energy efficiency. Has proposed a device configuration that efficiently cools / warms the battery (Japanese Patent Application No. 9-60602). In this proposal, as one of the embodiments, an apparatus configuration in which either the vehicle interior or the luggage is selected as an air supply source to the battery is shown. The applicant of the present application has examined further improvement of the future proposal.

One of the objects of the present invention is to select any one of a plurality of air supply sources and use it for cooling / warming up a battery, as in the device proposed by the applicant of the present application. By realizing air supply source selection control according to the battery status in the device, it is possible to continue using the battery in the activated state and release gas from the battery due to overcharge, overdischarge, etc. Can be prevented more reliably,
In addition, it is to reduce the load on the vehicle interior air conditioner.

[0005]

In order to achieve such an object, all the battery temperature adjusting devices according to the present invention can supply air to the battery and have air of different temperatures.
A temperature information input means for a plurality of temperature of air temperature and the battery in the air supply source respectively for detecting or estimating that, on the basis of the temperature change with respect to time of the battery, automatically selecting one from among a plurality of air supply source Air intake source selection determining means, from the selected air supply source to the battery,
Selective air introduction means for introducing air for the cooling or warming up. Battery temperature adjustment
In the conditioning device, the battery temperature adjusting device is not installed in the vehicle.
A plurality of air sources having air of different temperatures
Is at least the air source inside and outside the vehicle.
Is preferably included. The above-mentioned battery temperature controller
The air intake source selection determining means is
Based on temperature difference between multiple air sources with air
It is preferable to automatically select the air supply source. Above battery temperature
Temperature adjustment device, the battery temperature adjustment device is installed in the vehicle.
A plurality of air supplies having air of different temperatures
The source is an air supply source inside the vehicle and an air supply source outside the vehicle and a luggage
Including the air supply source inside the
The steps are the air supply source inside the vehicle, the air supply outside the vehicle, and the luggage
It is preferable to automatically select one of the air supply sources in
It

The present invention can be applied to, for example, a device capable of selectively introducing air inside the vehicle and air outside the vehicle. In this example, when the temperature of the battery is relatively high, or when the temperature is relatively low at present but is increasing relatively quickly, the air that can supply lower temperature air inside the vehicle or outside the vehicle Is selected, and the air from the selected air supply source is introduced to the battery side. More specifically, by adjusting the temperature of the battery to a relatively high level so that the battery is activated by introducing a relatively high temperature air from outside the vehicle even in the season when the vehicle interior is cooled. In addition, when the temperature rises, which is likely to cause gas discharge from the battery due to overcharging / overdischarging, etc., the temperature of the battery can be lowered by introducing air from the air-conditioned compartment. .
Further, unlike the configuration in which the air is always supplied to the battery via the vehicle interior, the air outside the vehicle can be used for cooling / warming up the battery, so that the ventilation load of the air conditioner for air conditioning the vehicle interior can be reduced.

It should be noted that the present invention refers to a vehicle interior and a vehicle exterior.
Assuming that there is a difference in the temperature of the air that can be supplied, two types of air supply sources for other combinations and combinations of three or more types of air supply sources Applicable. The present invention can be applied to vehicles other than electric vehicles. The present invention can also be expressed as a “battery temperature adjusting method” or the like.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 10, for example, an electric vehicle, in which a device according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted. In the luggage 12 of the vehicle 10 shown in this figure,
Battery assembly 1 containing a plurality of batteries
4 is installed. The battery assembly 14 is housed in a battery case 16 that has two air inlets 18 and 20 and an air outlet 22 and is fixed to the vehicle body. The air intake port 18 is an intake port for taking in air from the outside of the vehicle, and the air intake port 20 is an intake port for taking in air used for air conditioning in the vehicle interior. Air inlet 18
A fan 26 is provided on the downstream side of 20 and 20, that is, on the side of the battery assembly 14, and by this fan 26,
Air is forcibly introduced into the battery case 16 from the outside of the vehicle or the inside of the vehicle. In the figure, reference numeral 24 is a valve for switching whether the air is introduced from outside the vehicle or from the vehicle interior. Although not shown, the air exhaust port 22 is open to the outside of the vehicle at the rear or side of the luggage 12.

Further, in this embodiment, in order to monitor and manage the state of each battery constituting the battery assembly 14,
A battery ECU (electronic control unit) 28 is provided. For convenience of illustration, the battery ECU 28 is drawn on the lower side of the battery case 16, but in reality, it is preferably housed inside the battery case 16, for example. The battery ECU 28 monitors the charging / discharging current and the state of charge (SOC) of the battery using a current sensor (not shown), and reports the result to, for example, another ECU that controls the traveling motor. ECU that received the report
Controls the supply of electric power from the battery to the traveling motor and thus the charging / discharging operation of the battery so that the SOC is maintained within a predetermined range. As a result, the battery ECU 28 contributes to prevention of gas generation from the battery due to overcharge, overdischarge, and the like.
Further, the battery ECU 28 inputs the temperature information T0 to T2 from the temperature sensors 30a to 30c provided in each part. For example, the temperature sensor 30a provided at the air intake port 18 provides temperature T0 of the air outside the vehicle, the temperature sensor 30b provided at the air intake port 20 provides temperature T1 of the vehicle interior air, and the battery assembly 14 is attached. The temperature sensor 30c detects the temperature T2 of the battery.
input. Each of the temperature sensors 30a to 30c can be realized by a thermistor or the like.

This embodiment is characterized by the first
In addition, the valve 24 provides cooling / cooling to the battery assembly 14.
It is possible to selectively switch the air supply source for warming up to either outside or inside the vehicle. Second
In addition, the battery ECU 28 controls the valve 24 based on the temperature information T0 to T1.
The temperature of the battery is maintained high so that each of the batteries constituting the battery is always in an activated state, and the temperature of the battery is lowered as necessary to prevent gas emission from the battery. Especially.

FIG. 2 shows the battery ECU in this embodiment.
Of the operations of 28, the procedure relating to the valve 24 based on the temperature information T0 to T2 will be shown. The procedure shown in this figure is executed by the battery ECU 28 at a predetermined frequency.

In the procedure shown in this figure, the battery ECU 28 first receives the temperature information T0 to T2 from the temperature sensors 30a to 30c.
Is input (100). Subsequently, the battery ECU 28 calculates the temperature difference ΔT = T1−T0 between the air inside the vehicle and the air outside the vehicle (102), and further calculates the temperature gradient dT2 / dt of the battery (104). When the procedure shown in this figure is executed at predetermined intervals, the temperature gradient dT2 / dt can be obtained by calculating the difference between the temperature T2 input at the previous execution and the temperature T2 input at this time. .

The battery ECU 28 determines the air supply source to the battery assembly 14 based on the information thus obtained, particularly T2, dT2 / dt and ΔT (106),
The valve 24 is controlled so that the air from the determined supply source is introduced into the battery assembly 14 (108). here,
The table 200 shown in FIG. 2 is used when determining the air supply source to be used. This table 200 associates the combination of the battery temperature T2 and its gradient dT2 / dt with the air to be introduced into the battery assembly 14.
In the figure, the air represented by Airh is relatively high temperature air, and the air represented by Air is relatively low temperature air. For example, if the temperature difference ΔT is positive, Air
h is air inside the vehicle, and Air is air outside the vehicle. Conversely, if ΔT is negative, Airh is outside air,
Air is air inside the vehicle.

As described above, the temperature information T0 to T2 or ΔT and dT2 / d, which are information derived from these, are obtained.
Based on t, the air supply source for cooling / warming up the battery assembly 14 is selected and determined, and the valve 24 is controlled according to the result. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the vehicle interior is cooled. Even in the open season, the temperature of the battery can be maintained at a high level by introducing air from the outside of the vehicle, and its activation, that is, the state in which efficient charge and discharge can be performed, can be achieved. Further, when the battery temperature T2 is relatively high, or when it shows a relatively rapid increase,
Since it is possible to introduce air from the air-conditioned compartment, the battery temperature T2 can be lowered or suppressed / prevented from increasing, and the gas discharge from the battery due to overcharge / overdischarge can be more reliably prevented. It will be possible. Further, compared to a configuration in which the air is constantly cooled / warmed up in the vehicle interior air, it is possible to suppress the ventilation load of the vehicle interior air conditioner particularly in summer.

Further, the present invention can be implemented in a form other than the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. For example,
In FIG. 1, a temperature sensor 3 for detecting the battery temperature T2
Although only one 0c is drawn, in reality, there is a temperature difference between the batteries constituting the battery assembly 14, and there is a temperature distribution in the internal space of the battery case 16, so a plurality of temperature sensors 30c are provided. It is preferably provided. For example, the temperature sensor 30c may be provided for each battery, or several batteries may be grouped and the temperature sensor 30c may be provided for each group. In this case, between steps 102 and 104 shown in FIG.
Step 110 is provided as shown in FIG. In this step 110, the temperature T2 used in steps 104 and 106 is (arithmetically) averaged of the temperature information obtained from the plurality of temperature sensors 30c, or a representative value is selected.
I have decided.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, two kinds of air supply sources, that is, the vehicle interior and the vehicle exterior are assumed.
However, the present invention may be applied to devices that can use other air supply sources. For example, in Japanese Patent Application No. 9-60602 according to the applicant's previous proposal, it is possible to introduce air from the luggage 12 into the battery case 16. In such a device, the luggage 12 is also one of the air supply sources. You can choose as one. Further, a vehicle provided with a branch immediately after a fan (not shown) for taking in air from the outside of the vehicle to the vehicle interior air-conditioning system, and air can be introduced into the battery case 16 from this branching point The present invention can be applied to any combination of the three types of air supply sources, that is, indoor / branch point.

Further, in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, the table 200 has a linear characteristic, but the characteristic of the table can be determined experimentally or empirically. Furthermore, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, simple switching between the two types of air supply sources is described, but between the state where the air supply source is outside the vehicle and the state where the air supply source is inside the vehicle, An intermediate state point, for example, a state in which the air supply source is alternately switched (duty control) may be provided. Furthermore, FIG. 1 and FIG.
In the embodiment of the present invention, the temperature information T0 to T2 is used as the temperature sensor 30.
Although obtained by direct detection by a to 30c, this can be replaced by indirect detection or estimation. For example, instead of detecting the battery temperature T2, the temperature information T2 may be obtained based on the charging / discharging current or the state of charge (SOC) of each battery included in the battery assembly 14. In addition, the temperature information T from the operating state of the vehicle interior air conditioner
1 or the temperature difference ΔT may be obtained by estimation.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention,
One of multiple air supply sources is automatically selected based on the temperature of the battery and its tendency to change over time, so it is possible to adjust the battery temperature so that the battery is in an activated state, It is possible to adjust the temperature of the battery so that gas release from the battery due to over-discharging or the like is less likely to occur and to reduce the ventilation load of the air conditioner for air conditioning the vehicle interior.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a flow of operations of a battery ECU in this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a modification of the procedure shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 vehicle, 12 luggage, 14 battery assembly,
16 battery case, 18, 20 air inlet, 22 air outlet, 24 valve, 26 fan, 28 battery EC
U, 30a-30c Temperature sensor.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01M 10/50 B60L 1/00-15/42 B60K 1/00-15/10

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. Any one of which is capable of supplying air to the battery,
Temperature information input means for detecting or estimating the temperature of the air and the temperature of the battery in each of the plurality of air supply sources having air of different temperature, and one of the plurality of air supply sources based on the temperature change with time of the battery. An air intake source selection determining means for automatically selecting whether or not, and a selective air introduction means for introducing air for cooling or warming up the battery from the selected air supply source to the battery. Battery temperature control device. 2. The battery temperature adjusting device according to claim 1.
Therefore, the battery temperature adjusting device is provided in a vehicle, and a plurality of air supply sources having air at different temperatures are
At least includes air supply sources inside and outside the vehicle
A battery temperature adjusting device characterized by the above. 3. The battery temperature adjustment according to claim 1 or 2.
In the device, the air intake source selection determining means is configured to operate the air at different temperatures.
Based on the temperature difference between multiple air sources with
Battery temperature adjustment characterized by automatically selecting the supply source
apparatus. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
A battery temperature adjusting device, wherein the battery temperature adjusting device is provided in a vehicle, and a plurality of air supply sources having different temperatures are installed in a vehicle interior.
Air supply source, air supply source outside the vehicle, and air supply inside the luggage
The air intake source selection determining means, the air supply source in the vehicle interior,
Either the air source outside the vehicle or the air source inside the luggage
A battery temperature adjusting device characterized by automatically selecting.