Battery Cooling Fan Breakdown Detection via Temperature Difference
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for detecting cooling fan breakdowns in battery systems of environment-friendly vehicles are inaccurate, often leading to incorrect determinations and increased costs due to the failure to consider the current battery temperature, resulting in unnecessary replacements.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that compulsorily drive the cooling fan and measure the battery temperature before and after driving, determining the breakdown of the cooling fan or battery management system based on a temperature difference, with an alarm unit to inform the driver of any failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the cooling fan breakdown is detected by measuring voltage without considering battery temperature, then the detection method is simple, but the determination accuracy is low leading to incorrect replacements
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by compulsorily driving the cooling fan and measuring battery temperature before and after operation. This preliminary temperature measurement action enables accurate determination of fan breakdown without complex diagnostic equipment, resolving the contradiction between detection accuracy and method complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from battery temperature measurements to determine cooling fan status. By measuring temperature before and after compulsory fan operation and comparing the difference against threshold values, the system achieves accurate breakdown detection through a simple feedback mechanism rather than complex voltage analysis
2Measurement precision
If the cooling fan is compulsorily driven and battery temperature is measured before and after, then the breakdown determination accuracy is improved, but the detection time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic action by setting a predetermined time interval for compulsory cooling fan operation. The fan is driven for a specific duration (e.g., several seconds to minutes) followed by temperature measurement, creating a periodic detection cycle that balances accuracy with time efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes parameters by using temperature difference as the detection criterion instead of absolute temperature or voltage values. By measuring temperature before and after fan operation and comparing the difference against threshold values, the system achieves accurate detection while minimizing the required observation time
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 allows for more accurate determination of cooling fan or battery management system failures, reducing incorrect replacements and improving repair efficiency by considering the temperature difference before and after compulsory cooling fan operation.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling fan motor (hereinafter, referred to as a cooling fan) that radiates heat generated by a battery
Implementation Method 2
measuring a voltage across the cooling fan motor after a predetermined time period elapses; and determining that the cooling fan motor is in a normal state when the voltage across the cooling fan motor is greater than a threshold value
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and a method for monitoring a breakdown of a battery system component are provided to more accurately determine whether a cooling fan for cooling a battery of an environment-friendly vehicle or a part related to the cooling fan fails. The method for monitoring a breakdown of a battery system component compulsorily driving, by a controller, the cooling fan and measuring the current temperature of the battery when the battery management system fails to receive a pulse width modulation PWM signal that represents an operation state of the cooling fan and a feedback signal (PFM) of the cooling fan from a cooling fan controller.