Auxiliary Battery Preconditioning for Electric Vehicle Traction Batteries
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicles face reduced range and potential depletion of their traction batteries when attempting to precondition the battery using diesel or gas-powered units, and existing electric-powered preconditioning methods struggle to ensure adequate temperature regulation without depleting the traction battery, leading to inefficient energy use and environmental emissions.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing an auxiliary battery to predict and allocate charge for traction battery preconditioning, leveraging route and weather information, and machine learning algorithms to efficiently manage power consumption between the traction battery and auxiliary systems, allowing the auxiliary battery to power preconditioning units and other systems like cabin heaters, thereby reducing the load on the traction battery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a diesel or gas-powered preconditioning unit is used to regulate the traction battery temperature, then the battery temperature control is improved, but the vehicle consumes fossil fuel and generates harmful emissions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical combustion-based heating system (diesel/gas engine) with an electric heating system powered by the traction battery itself. This substitution eliminates fossil fuel consumption and harmful emissions while maintaining the temperature regulation function, directly resolving the contradiction between effective preconditioning and environmental harm.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the traction battery powers the preconditioning unit directly, then no fossil fuel is consumed, but the vehicle range is reduced and the battery may deplete itself
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary charging of the traction battery using external power sources (grid charging, regenerative braking, or solar panels) before the preconditioning operation. This advance energy accumulation ensures that sufficient energy is available for both preconditioning and subsequent vehicle operation, preventing range reduction and battery depletion while maintaining zero fossil fuel consumption.
3Reliability
If the traction battery charge is too low during preconditioning, then the battery cannot guarantee adequate preconditioning, but increasing charge requirements further reduces vehicle range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic energy management that continuously monitors battery charge levels and adjusts the preconditioning strategy in real-time. When charge levels are low, the system dynamically scales back preconditioning intensity or extends the preconditioning duration until sufficient charge is available, optimizing the balance between reliable temperature regulation and preserving enough energy for vehicle operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces energy buffer mechanisms (such as thermal mass of the battery pack, insulation layers, or intermediate heating elements) that allow preconditioning to proceed reliably even when available charge is limited. These intermediaries store or retain thermal energy, enabling the system to maintain temperature control reliability without requiring excessive immediate energy input that would compromise vehicle range.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach ensures reliable and efficient preconditioning of the traction battery while extending the vehicle's range, improving battery lifetime, and reducing the need for frequent recharging and fossil fuel consumption, thereby minimizing environmental emissions.
Implementation Method 1
charging an auxiliary battery from at least one power source
Implementation Method 2
preconditioning unit configured to regulate the temperature of the traction battery
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method (1) for controlling the preconditioning of at least one traction battery (201) of an electric vehicle (200), the method (1) comprising: charging (101) an auxiliary battery (202) from at least one power source (203); estimating (102) the amount of auxiliary battery charge required to precondition the traction battery (201); obtaining (103) charge rate information indicative of at least one charge rate affecting property of said at least one power source (203), wherein said at least one charge rate affecting property includes weather forecasts, driving schedule of the vehicle, time of day, day of week, week of year, historical charge rate data, and/or said at least one power source's (203) output voltage, output current, and/or output power; estimating (104) a charge rate of the auxiliary battery (202) based on said charge rate information; comparing (105) the estimated amount of charge required to precondition the traction battery (201) with the estimated charge rate of the auxiliary battery (202) and allocating (106) an overcapacity thereof to the powering of at least one auxiliary system (204) of the vehicle (200).