Battery Pack Internal Heating for Cold-Temperature Charging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery packs struggle to charge in cold weather due to temperature limitations, leading to potential damage and reduced functionality, as existing solutions either prevent charging below a certain temperature threshold or require lengthy external heating methods.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a heating element and temperature sensing device within the battery pack, controlled by an electronic processor to maintain the battery cell temperature above the threshold for charging, allowing for efficient charging even in cold conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If external heating methods are used to warm the battery pack, then the battery pack can be charged in cold temperatures, but the charging time increases significantly and the heating process is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is integrated within the battery pack housing, combining the heating function with the battery cell structure. This internal integration allows direct thermal coupling between the heating element and battery cells, eliminating the need for separate external heating devices and reducing the time required to warm the battery cells to the charging threshold temperature.
Solution Approach 2:
A thermal coupling member is introduced as an intermediary between the heating element and the battery cells. This mediator efficiently transfers thermal energy from the heating element to the battery cells, ensuring rapid and uniform heating while maintaining electrical isolation. The thermal coupling member resolves the contradiction by enabling fast heating without requiring excessive time or energy.
2Reliability
If the battery pack prevents charging below the temperature threshold, then the battery cells are protected from damage, but the battery pack cannot be charged in cold weather
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is activated before the charging process begins, pre-warming the battery cells to the required threshold temperature. This preliminary heating action ensures that when charging starts, the battery cells are already at a safe temperature, thus protecting them from damage while enabling charging in cold weather conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
A temperature sensing device continuously monitors the battery cell temperature and provides feedback to the control circuitry. The control circuitry uses this feedback to regulate the heating element, ensuring the battery cells reach and maintain the safe charging temperature threshold. This closed-loop control system simultaneously protects the battery cells from overheating and enables charging in cold environments.
3Speed
If heating elements are integrated within the battery pack, then rapid heating of battery cells is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element serves multiple functions: it heats the battery cells during cold weather charging, acts as a thermal management component, and can potentially serve as part of the structural assembly. By making the heating element multi-functional, the patent reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining rapid heating capability.
4Reliability
If low charging current is used in cold temperatures, then the battery pack can be charged, but the charging time increases up to three times
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the battery cells by introducing active heating, thereby altering the operating conditions for charging. By raising the battery cell temperature to the optimal range through internal heating, the charging process can proceed at higher currents without risking damage, thus maintaining high productivity while ensuring reliability in cold temperature conditions.
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
Enables battery packs to charge effectively in cold temperatures by rapidly heating the cells to the required threshold, reducing charging time and preventing damage, while also monitoring for failure conditions and implementing discharge mechanisms to prevent battery failure.
Implementation Method 1
one or more heating elements supported in the housing and operable to heat the battery cell
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack, a method of heating a battery cell and an electrical combination. The battery pack may include a housing; a battery cell; a heating element operable to provide heat to the battery cell; a temperature sensing device operable to sense a temperature of an interior of the battery pack; a heating switch operable to control whether power is provided to the heating element; and an electronic processor configured to receive a signal from the temperature sensing device, the signal indicating the temperature of the interior of the battery pack, determine that the temperature of the interior of the battery pack is less than a predetermined temperature threshold, and in response to determining that the temperature of the interior of the battery pack is less than the predetermined temperature threshold, close the heating switch to provide power to the heating element.