Logic-based integrated independent drain valve

Abstract

A vehicle includes a battery pack having a drain assembly. The battery pack is disposed within the housing. The drain assembly includes a conduit extending from a first end within a housing of the battery pack to a second end outside the housing. A valve within the conduit controls flow of the first fluid from the first end to the second end. An external sensor external to the housing detects the presence of a second fluid external to the housing. When the external sensor determines the presence of the second fluid, the processor places the valve in a closed state to prevent the second fluid from flowing into the housing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the maintenance of a battery pack used in a vehicle, and more particularly to an exhaust valve for a battery pack. Background Art

[0002] A battery pack is used in a vehicle to provide electrical power to the vehicle. Fluids in the battery pack may impair the operation of the battery pack and may accelerate thermal runaway events in the battery pack. An exhaust assembly is used to allow any fluids in the battery pack to drain out. However, when the vehicle is in a humid surrounding environment or atmosphere, the exhaust assembly may inadvertently allow fluids to enter the battery pack. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an exhaust assembly that allows fluids inside the battery pack to flow out of the battery pack while preventing fluids outside the battery pack from entering the battery pack. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In one exemplary embodiment, an exhaust assembly for a battery pack of a vehicle is disclosed. The exhaust assembly includes a conduit extending from a first end located inside a housing of the battery pack to a second end outside the housing, a valve within the conduit for controlling the flow of a first fluid from the first end to the second end, an external sensor located outside the housing for detecting the presence of a second fluid outside the housing, and a processor configured to place the valve in a closed state to prevent the second fluid from flowing into the housing when the external sensor determines the presence of the second fluid.

[0004] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the external sensor is disposed near the second end of the conduit.

[0005] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the exhaust assembly further includes an internal sensor for detecting the first fluid inside the housing.

[0006] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the processor is configured to open the valve when the internal sensor indicates the presence of the first fluid in the housing and the external sensor indicates the absence of the second fluid outside the housing.

[0007] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the processor is powered by one of a dedicated battery and the battery pack.

[0008] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the external sensor is disposed along the outer wall of the conduit.

[0009] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the processor is further configured to send a signal to a vehicle diagnostic circuit of the vehicle when the first fluid is detected.

[0010] In another exemplary embodiment, a battery pack for a vehicle is disclosed. The battery pack includes a housing, a conduit extending from a first end located within the housing to a second end outside the housing, a valve within the conduit for controlling the flow of a first fluid from the first end to the second end, an external sensor located outside the housing for detecting the presence of a second fluid outside the housing, and a processor configured to close the valve to prevent the second fluid from flowing into the housing when the external sensor determines the presence of the second fluid outside the housing.

[0011] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the external sensor is disposed near the second end of the conduit.

[0012] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the battery pack further includes an internal sensor for detecting the first fluid within the housing.

[0013] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the processor is configured to open the valve when the internal sensor indicates the presence of the first fluid in the housing and the external sensor indicates the absence of the second fluid outside the housing.

[0014] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the processor is powered by one of a dedicated battery and the battery pack.

[0015] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the external sensor is disposed along the outer wall of the conduit.

[0016] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the processor is further configured to send a signal to a vehicle diagnostic circuit of the vehicle when the first fluid is detected.

[0017] In yet another exemplary embodiment, a vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle includes a battery pack disposed within a housing, a conduit extending from a first end located within the housing to a second end outside the housing, a valve within the conduit for controlling the flow of a first fluid from the first end to the second end, an external sensor located outside the housing for detecting the presence of a second fluid outside the housing, and a processor configured to close the valve to prevent the second fluid from flowing into the housing when the external sensor determines the presence of the second fluid outside the housing.

[0018] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the external sensor is disposed near the second end of the conduit.

[0019] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, the vehicle further includes an internal sensor for detecting the first fluid within the housing, and the processor is configured to open the valve when the internal sensor indicates the presence of the first fluid in the housing and the external sensor indicates the absence of the second fluid outside the housing.

[0020] In addition to one or more features described herein, the processor is powered by one of a dedicated battery and a battery pack.

[0021] In addition to one or more features described herein, an external sensor is disposed along an outer wall of the conduit.

[0022] In addition to one or more features described herein, the processor is further configured to send a signal to a vehicle diagnostic circuit of the vehicle when a first fluid is detected.

[0023] When taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the above and other features and advantages of the present disclosure, as well as other features and advantages, are apparent from the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Other features, advantages, and details appear only by way of example in the following detailed description, which refers to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] Figure 1 An embodiment of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment is shown;

[0026] Figure 2 A side view of an embodiment of the vehicle in an illustrative embodiment is shown; and

[0027] Figure 3 A side view of an emission assembly in an illustrative embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

[0029] According to an exemplary embodiment, Figure 1 An embodiment of a vehicle 10 is shown, the vehicle 10 including a body 12 that at least partially defines an occupant compartment 14. The body 12 also supports various vehicle subsystems, including a propulsion system 16, and other subsystems for supporting the functions of the propulsion system 16 and other vehicle components, such as a braking subsystem, a suspension system, a steering subsystem, and the like.

[0030] Vehicle 10 can be an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid vehicle, or any other vehicle. In an embodiment, vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle that includes multiple motors and / or drive systems. Any number of drive units can be included, such as one or more drive units for applying torque to the front wheels (not shown) and / or the rear wheels (not shown). The drive units are controllable to operate vehicle 10 in various operating modes, such as normal mode, high-performance mode (where additional torque is applied), all-wheel drive (“AWD”), front-wheel drive (“FWD”), rear-wheel drive (“RWD”), etc.

[0031] For example, propulsion system 16 is a multi-drive system that includes a front drive unit 20 for driving the front wheels and a rear drive unit for driving the rear wheels. Front drive unit 20 includes a front electric motor 22 and a front inverter 24 (e.g., a front power inverter module or FPIM), as well as other components such as a cooling system. Left rear drive unit 30L includes a left rear electric motor 32L and a left rear inverter 34L. Right rear drive unit 30R includes a right rear electric motor 32R and a right rear inverter 34R. Front inverter 24, left rear inverter 34L, and right rear inverter 34R (e.g., power inverter units or PIMs) each convert direct current (DC) power from a high-voltage (HV) battery system 40 into polyphase (e.g., two-phase, three-phase, six-phase, etc.) alternating current (AC) power to drive front electric motor 22, left rear electric motor 32L, and right rear electric motor 32R.

[0032] As Figure 1 shown, the drive system is characterized by separate electric motors. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, instead of separate motors, multiple drives can be provided by a single machine having physically independent multiple sets of windings.

[0033] Also as Figure 1 shown, the drive system is configured such that front electric motor 22 drives the front wheels (not shown), and left rear electric motor 32L and right rear electric motor 32R drive the rear wheels (not shown). However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, as any number of drive systems and / or motors can be present at various locations (e.g., motors driving each wheel, dual motors for each axle, etc.). Additionally, the embodiment is not limited to a dual-drive system, as the embodiment can be used with vehicles having any number of motors and / or power inverters.

[0034] In propulsion system 16, front drive unit 20, left rear drive unit 30L, and right rear drive unit 30R are electrically connected to battery system 40. Battery system 40 can also be electrically connected to other electrical components (also referred to as “electrical loads”), such as vehicle electronics (e.g., via an auxiliary power module or APM 42), heaters, cooling systems, etc. Battery system 40 can be configured as a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS).

[0035] In one embodiment, the battery system 40 includes a plurality of individual battery assemblies, where each battery assembly can be charged independently and can be used to independently power one or more drive systems. For example, the battery system 40 includes a first battery assembly, such as a first battery pack 44 connected to the front inverter 24, and a second battery pack 46. The first battery pack 44 includes a plurality of battery modules 48, and the second battery pack 46 includes a plurality of battery modules 50. Each battery module 48, 50 includes a plurality of individual battery cells (not shown). In various embodiments, one or more of the battery packs can include MODACS (Multi-Output Dynamic Adjustable Capacity) batteries.

[0036] Each of the front electric motor 22, the left rear electric motor 32L, and the right rear electric motor 32R is a three-phase electric motor having three-phase electric motor windings. However, the embodiments described herein are not limited thereto. For example, the motor can be any multi-phase machine supplied by a multi-phase inverter, and the drive unit can be implemented using a single machine having independent winding groups.

[0037] The battery system 40 and / or the propulsion system 16 includes a switching system that has various switching devices for controlling the operation of the first battery pack 44 and the second battery pack 46 and selectively connecting the first battery pack 44 and the second battery pack 46 to the front drive unit 20, the left rear drive unit 30L, and the right rear drive unit 30R. The switching devices can also be operated to selectively connect the first battery pack 44 and the second battery pack 46 to a charging system. The charging system can be used to charge the first battery pack 44 and the second battery pack 46 and / or supply power from the first battery pack 44 and / or the second battery pack 46 to charge another energy storage system (e.g., vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and / or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) charging). The charging system includes one or more charging modules. For example, a first on-board charging module (OBCM) 52 is electrically connected to the charging port 54 for charging from and charging to an AC system or device (such as a utility AC power supply). A second OBCM 53 can be included for DC charging (e.g., DC fast charging or DCFC).

[0038] In an embodiment, the switching system includes a first switching device 60 and a second switching device 62. The first switching device 60 selectively connects the first battery pack 44 to the front inverter 24, the left rear inverter 34L, and the right rear inverter 34R. The second switching device 62 selectively connects the second battery pack 46 to the front inverter 24, the left rear inverter 34L, and the right rear inverter 34R. The switching system also includes a third switching device 64 (also referred to as a "battery switching device") for selectively connecting the first battery pack 44 in series with the second battery pack 46.

[0039] Any one of a variety of controllers can be used to control the functions of the battery system 40, the switching system, and the drive unit. The controller includes any suitable processing device or unit, and existing controllers such as a drive system controller, a RESS controller, and / or a controller in the drive system can be used. For example, a controller 65 can be included to control the switching and drive control operations as discussed herein.

[0040] The vehicle 10 also includes a computer system 55 that includes one or more processing devices 56 and a user interface 58. The computer system 55 can communicate with the charging system controller, for example, to provide commands thereto in response to user input. Various processing devices, modules, and units can communicate with each other via a communication device or system such as a controller area network (CAN) or a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) bus.

[0041] As shown herein, the vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle. In alternative embodiments, the vehicle 10 can be an internal combustion engine vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, etc.

[0042] Figure 2 A side view of the battery pack 200 of the vehicle 10 in an illustrative battery pack is shown. The battery pack 200 includes a housing 202 and one or more battery cells 204 within the housing 202 for providing electrical power to the vehicle 10. A discharge assembly 206 is located at a surface 208 of the housing 202 and allows aqueous fluids and gases (such as water, coolant, electrolyte, and any fluid containing waste from the operation of one or more battery cells 204) to be discharged from the housing 202. In various embodiments, the surface 208 can be the bottom surface, the side surface, or the top surface of the housing 202. The discharge assembly 206 includes a first portion 210 disposed inside the housing 202 and a second portion 212 disposed outside the housing 202. The first portion 210 includes one or more inlets 214, and the second portion 212 includes one or more outlets 216. The fluid path within the discharge assembly 206 connects the one or more inlets 214 of the first portion 210 to the one or more outlets 216 of the second portion 212, as Figure 3 shown.

[0043] Figure 3FIG. 300 shows a cross-sectional view of the discharge assembly 206 in an illustrative embodiment. The discharge assembly 206 includes a conduit 302 that extends between a first end 304 disposed within the housing 202 and a second end 306 disposed outside the housing. The conduit 302 includes a fluid path through which fluid can flow. A discharge valve 308 is disposed within the conduit 302. The discharge assembly 206 includes a valve controller 310. The valve controller 310 may include processing circuitry that may include an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or grouped) that executes one or more software or firmware programs, and memory, combinational logic circuitry, and / or other suitable components that provide the described functionality. The valve controller 310 may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when processed by one or more processors of the valve controller 310, implement a method of controlling operation of the discharge assembly 206 in accordance with one or more embodiments detailed herein.

[0044] The valve controller 310 includes an integrated sensing circuit that is coupled to the discharge valve 308 and controls the discharge valve 308 to switch between an open state and a closed state. The valve controller 310 is connected to an internal sensor 312 and an external sensor 314. The internal sensor 312 is located inside the housing 202. The internal sensor 312 may be located near one or more inlets 214 of the discharge assembly 206. The internal sensor 312 detects the presence of a first fluid 320 within the housing 202 and sends a signal to the valve controller 310 to indicate the presence. The external sensor 314 is located outside the housing 202. In various embodiments, the external sensor 314 is located near the second end 306 of the conduit 302. The external sensor 314 may be disposed along the outer wall of the conduit 302. The external sensor 314 detects the presence of a second fluid 322 outside the housing 202, particularly near one or more outlets 216 of the discharge assembly 206 (i.e., any location where the second fluid 322 can travel through the fluid path of the conduit 302 and into the housing 202). When the second fluid 322 is detected, the external sensor 314 sends a signal to the valve controller 310.

[0045] When the first fluid 320 is present within the housing 202 (e.g., at the inner surface 208 of the housing), the processor of the valve controller 310 allows the discharge valve 308 to open. However, if the second fluid 322 is present outside the housing 202, regardless of whether the first fluid 320 is present, the processor places the discharge valve 308 in a closed state by closing the valve if it is in an open state or by keeping the valve in a closed state. Once the second fluid 322 has been removed or is no longer present, the processor can open the valve to allow any first fluid 320 to discharge from the housing 202. The processor thus prevents the second fluid 322 from entering the housing 202 and the battery pack while allowing the first fluid 320 to discharge when the conditions have changed and the second fluid 322 is no longer present.

[0046] In one embodiment, a dedicated battery 316 (such as a cell battery, a +5V battery, etc.) can be used to power the integrated sensing circuit. In another embodiment, the integrated sensing circuit can be powered by a battery pack or another battery pack.

[0047] The integrated sensing circuit communicates with a vehicle diagnostic circuit 318 (such as a display at the instrument panel). The valve controller 310 detects the presence of the first fluid 320 and sends a signal to the vehicle diagnostic circuit 318 to alert others (such as the driver of the vehicle) of the presence of the first fluid 320. This alert can allow the driver to recognize the need for battery pack repair. The vehicle diagnostic circuit 318 can also perform various actions to mitigate the problem, such as reducing the propulsion of the vehicle or eliminating the use of the battery pack.

[0048] The terms "a" and "an" do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item. Unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the term "or" means "and / or". References throughout the specification to "aspect" mean that the particular elements described in connection with that aspect (e.g., features, structures, steps, or characteristics) are included in at least one of the aspects described herein and may or may not be present in other aspects. Additionally, it should be understood that the described elements can be combined in any suitable manner in the various aspects.

[0049] When an element such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being "on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" another element, no intervening elements are present.

[0050] Unless otherwise stated herein, all test standards are the latest standards in effect as of the filing date of this application, or if priority is claimed, the filing date of the earliest priority application in which the test standards appear.

[0051] Unless otherwise defined, technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0052] Although the foregoing disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes may be made and elements may be substituted with equivalents without departing from its scope. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from its basic scope. Therefore, it is intended that this disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that it will include all embodiments falling within its scope.

Claims

1. An exhaust assembly for a battery pack of a vehicle, comprising: a conduit extending from a first end within a housing of the battery pack to a second end external to the housing; a valve within the conduit for controlling the flow of a first fluid from the first end to the second end; an external sensor located outside the housing and configured to detect the presence of a second fluid outside the housing; as well as A processor is configured to place the valve in a closed state to prevent the second fluid from flowing into the housing when the external sensor determines the presence of the second fluid.

2. The exhaust assembly of claim 1, further comprising an internal sensor for detecting a first fluid within the housing.

3. The vent assembly of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to open the valve when the internal sensor indicates the presence of a first fluid in the housing and the external sensor indicates the absence of a second fluid outside the housing.

4. The exhaust assembly of claim 1, wherein the processor is powered by one of: (i) a dedicated battery; and (ii) a battery pack. 5 . The exhaust assembly of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to send a signal to a vehicle diagnostic circuit of the vehicle when the first fluid is detected.

6. A battery pack for a vehicle, comprising: case; a conduit extending from a first end within the housing to a second end outside the housing; a valve within the conduit for controlling the flow of a first fluid from the first end to the second end; an external sensor located outside the housing and configured to detect the presence of a second fluid outside the housing; as well as A processor is configured to close the valve to prevent the second fluid from flowing into the housing when the external sensor determines that the second fluid is present outside the housing.

7. The battery pack of claim 6, further comprising an internal sensor for detecting a first fluid inside the housing.

8. The battery pack of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to open the valve when the internal sensor indicates the presence of a first fluid in the housing and the external sensor indicates the absence of a second fluid outside the housing.

9. The battery pack of claim 6, wherein the processor is powered by one of: (i) a dedicated battery; and (ii) a battery pack.

10. The battery pack of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to send a signal to a vehicle diagnostic circuit of the vehicle when the first fluid is detected.

Images