COOLING CONTROL TECHNOLOGY OF A HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY FOR A VEHICLE AND CORRESPONDING COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM

Abstract

High-voltage battery cooling control technology for a vehicle, comprising: Determine, by means of a control system, whether the vehicle's interior air temperature, vehicle speed, and high-voltage battery temperature meet a predetermined interior air switching requirement condition. Switching to an interior air mode via a control unit occurs when the interior air temperature, vehicle speed, and high-voltage battery temperature meet the predetermined interior air switching requirement condition. Determining a defrost mode state of the vehicle after the control unit determines that the interior air switching request state is met; and Implement the interior air mode only when the vehicle's defrost mode is off. where, if the interior air temperature is greater than the high-voltage battery temperature, the vehicle speed is 0 km / h, and the high-voltage battery temperature is greater than a predetermined high-voltage battery reference temperature range within which the high-voltage battery can operate normally, the predetermined interior air switching requirement condition is met.

Description

BACKGROUND(a) Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling control technology for a high-voltage battery for a vehicle. In particular, the present invention relates to a technology that suppresses or prevents the temperature of a high-voltage battery from rising excessively while a vehicle is idling during the day in an area with direct sunlight. (b) State of the art

[0002] An environmentally friendly vehicle with a high-voltage battery, such as a hybrid vehicle, includes a cooling system to properly cool the battery. This cooling system should employ a suitable control method to regulate battery cooling and prevent overheating.

[0003] In the prior art, such methods for cooling the high-voltage battery typically use air cooling. For example, air is drawn into a vehicle and flows over the high-voltage battery, thus cooling it. However, a disadvantage of this prior art method is that the temperature of the air inside the vehicle can vary considerably, reducing its efficiency in cooling the high-voltage battery. For example, the air temperature inside the vehicle varies due to a variety of factors such as the operation of an air conditioner or heater, the outside air temperature, and the like. In some cases, the air temperature is too high to adequately cool the high-voltage battery, which can make sufficient cooling impossible.If the high-voltage battery cannot be cooled sufficiently, it may become impossible for the vehicle to drive due to the generation of excessive temperature in the high-voltage battery.

[0004] For example, if the outside air temperature is high and the vehicle is idling in an area with direct sunlight (e.g., an area without shade), the vehicle's interior air temperature can become quite high. In this case, the high-voltage battery is exposed to an overheating condition. Unfortunately, the prior art does not provide a suitable countermeasure to address the situation where the vehicle's interior air temperature is too high to adequately cool the high-voltage battery.

[0005] For further information on the state of the art, reference can be made to DE 10 2007 059 447 A1, DE 10 2011 002 999 A1, JP 2008 - 132 855 A, US 2011 / 0 020 676 A1, US 7 735 331 B2 and US 2010 / 0 090 527 A1.

[0006] The information disclosed above in this background section is intended solely to improve the understanding of the background of the invention. SUMMARY OF THE REVELATION

[0007] The present invention was developed with the aim of providing a cooling control technology for a high-voltage battery in a vehicle, in which the operational stability of the high-voltage battery is improved by significantly reducing the probability of the high-voltage battery overheating due to, for example, an increase in the vehicle's interior air temperature. Consequently, the cooling control technologies of the present invention increase the safety of a vehicle containing the high-voltage battery.

[0008] The present invention provides a cooling control technology for a high-voltage battery for a vehicle. The invention is defined by independent claims 1 and 9. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The above and further features of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to certain exemplary embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, which below serve only for illustration and are therefore not limiting to the present invention, wherein: Fig. 1 and Fig. Figure 2 shows diagrams illustrating a cooling control technology for a high-voltage battery for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily to scale and represent a somewhat simplified depiction of various illustrative features of the principles of the invention. The specific design features of the present invention, as disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, installation locations, and shapes, are partly determined by the application specifically provided for this purpose and the working environment.

[0011] In the figures, the reference numerals refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the individual figures of the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The various embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. Although the invention is described in connection with exemplary embodiments, it should be noted that this description is not intended to limit the invention to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments but also a wide variety of alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and further embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

[0013] It should be noted that the term "vehicle" or "vehicle-" or other equivalent terms as used herein include motor vehicles in general, such as passenger cars including sports utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, trucks, various utility vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft and the like, and include hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other vehicles powered by alternative fuels (for example, fuel derived from sources other than petroleum). As referenced herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that has two or more sources of propulsion, such as both gasoline-powered and electric-powered vehicles.

[0014] Unless expressly stated otherwise or evident from the context, the term "approximately" as used herein is understood to mean that the value lies within a range of standard tolerances in the prior art, for example, within two standard deviations of the mean values. "Approximately" may be understood to mean that the value lies within 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05%, or 0.01% of the stated value. Unless otherwise indicated by the context, all numerical values ​​provided herein are modified by the term "approximately".

[0015] The areas defined herein are to be understood as representing an abbreviation for all values ​​within the area. For example, a range from 1 to 50 is to be understood as including any number, combination of numbers, or subranges of the group consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 212, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, or 50, as well as all intermediate decimal values ​​between the aforementioned integers, such as... 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8 and 1.9.

[0016] With reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 comprises a cooling control technology for a high-voltage battery for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, a determination (S100) by a control whether the interior air temperature used to cool a high-voltage battery, a vehicle speed and a high-voltage battery temperature meet a predetermined interior air switching requirement state; and a switching (S300) of a cooling mode of the vehicle to an interior air mode when the interior air temperature, the vehicle speed and the high-voltage battery temperature meet the predetermined interior air switching requirement state.

[0017] For example, if a predetermined interior air switching requirement condition is met, indicating that the high-voltage battery may overheat due to an excessively high interior air temperature, the vehicle's cooling mode switches to an interior air mode to prevent interior air from circulating to the high-voltage battery. In other words, it prevents interior air from flowing into or over the high-voltage battery to ensure that the interior air does not unnecessarily raise its temperature.

[0018] For example, if the internal air temperature is too high, it can cause the high-voltage battery to overheat. The invention considers that such overheating can be prevented by stopping a fan that draws internal air towards the high-voltage battery. However, since the temperature of the air drawn in to cool the high-voltage battery is generally measured by a suction temperature sensor installed in the battery, the temperature of the air used to cool the battery is only known once the air is already flowing over it. Consequently, it is difficult to stop the fan that draws air to the high-voltage battery.

[0019] If the interior air temperature drawn in from the interior of the vehicle is higher than the temperature of the high-voltage battery (S101), the vehicle speed is 0 km / h (S102), and the temperature of the high-voltage battery is higher than a predetermined reference temperature range within which the high-voltage battery can operate normally (S103), the predetermined interior air switching requirement condition is met.

[0020] For example, if the interior air temperature is higher than the temperature of the high-voltage battery, there is an increased likelihood that the high-voltage battery temperature will rise. Such a situation can occur, for instance, when the vehicle is idling. In this situation, the cooling system determines whether the vehicle speed is 0 km / h, and if the high-voltage battery temperature is equal to or lower than the predetermined reference temperature range, the high-voltage battery can be used normally. Consequently, the vehicle's mode does not necessarily have to switch to interior air mode without considering the driver's input. For example, the predetermined reference temperature range in which the high-voltage battery can operate normally is preferably set to a range of approximately 40°C to approximately 50°C (i.e., 45 ± 5°C).

[0021] The predetermined interior air switching request state is preferably met when the vehicle speed is maintained for a predetermined reference time (time det ) 0. The predetermined reference time can be a range, such as approximately 5 minutes to approximately 15 minutes (i.e., 10 ± 5 minutes). For example, if the driver leaves the vehicle for a relatively long time (such as time det If the vehicle leaves (approximately 5 minutes to approximately 15 minutes), the indoor air switching request state is applied (S102).

[0022] When the control system determines (S100) that the predetermined interior air switching request state is met, an instantaneous defrost mode setting state is checked, and only if the vehicle is not in defrost mode (S201) can the forced interior air switching step (S300) be executed.

[0023] For example, if the vehicle is in defrost mode, this generally indicates that the vehicle is being operated during the winter season, and an external cooling mode can be maintained because the probability of the high-voltage battery overheating is low. Therefore, although the predetermined interior air switching request state can be met, the forced interior air switching step (S300) is only executed if the vehicle is not in defrost mode.

[0024] As another example, if the controller determines (S100) that the predetermined interior air switching request condition is met, the forced interior air switching step (S300) can only be executed if the vehicle's interior air temperature is higher than a predetermined interior air reference temperature range. cabinis (S202). The predetermined interior air reference temperature range, compared with the interior air temperature of the vehicle, will preferably be approximately 45°C to approximately 55°C (i.e., 50 ± 5°C).

[0025] Even if the cabin air switching request condition is met, the probability of the battery temperature rising is low if the cabin air temperature is low. Consequently, the forced cabin air switching step (S300) is executed by re-determining the vehicle's cabin air temperature.

[0026] Since both the defrost mode and the interior air temperature can be determined, both states are displayed in the Fig. The embodiment shown in Figure 2 is taken into account. It should be noted that these parameters, together, separately, or in combination with a variety of other external or internal parameters known to a person skilled in the art, could be used to be considered when a predetermined interior air switching requirement is met (such as the operation of a seat heater, operation of a rear window heater, and the like).

[0027] As a reference in Fig. 1. When a controller determines that the predetermined indoor air switching request state is met, an indoor air switching request bit is transmitted, and the transmitted indoor air switching request bit is processed as described in Fig. 2 shown, received and a control determines whether the vehicle is in a defrost mode and / or what the interior air temperature is, before finally the forced interior air switching step (S300) is executed.

[0028] It is being considered that the process of Fig. 1 and the process of Fig. 2 can be carried out by separate controllers. For example, a controller provided in a vehicle's battery management system (BMS) carries out the process of Fig. 1 and a fully automatic temperature control (FATC) system executes the process of Fig. 2 out.

[0029] Consequently, if the interior air temperature becomes high and there is a risk that the high-voltage battery temperature could rise to a point where it could overheat, the vehicle's cooling mode is automatically switched to interior air mode. This prevents high-temperature interior air from being drawn into the high-voltage battery, thus reducing the likelihood of its temperature increasing. As a result, stable operation of the high-voltage battery is further improved, thereby enhancing the vehicle's safety and performance.

[0030] Furthermore, the control logic of the present invention can be implemented as computer-readable media on a computer-readable medium comprising executable program instructions that are executed by a processor, a control device, or the like. Examples of computer-readable storage media include, without limitation, ROM, RAM, compact disc (CD)-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, and optical data storage devices. The computer-readable recording medium can also be arranged decentrally in networked computer systems, so that the computer-readable medium is stored and executed in a distributed manner.

[0031] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the operational stability of a high-voltage battery is improved by maximally suppressing the increase in the battery's temperature through suitable control of the battery's cooling mode. The invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments. However, it is understandable to those skilled in the art that modifications can be made to these embodiments.

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