Battery Temperature Control Device Sensor Failure Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery temperature control devices fail to effectively prevent battery freezing in cold conditions, especially when temperature sensors malfunction, leading to prolonged restart times and potential battery electrolyte freezing.
Innovation Solution
A battery temperature control device with a warming necessity judging mechanism and a temperature sensor failure set time varying mechanism, which judges the need for heating based on temperature information from multiple sensors and adjusts the restart time to prevent prolonged delays, ensuring the battery is warmed even in the event of sensor failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the heater is controlled based on outside air temperature in the OFF state of the ignition switch, then the battery temperature can be maintained in normal conditions, but the heater will not activate when the temperature sensor fails, causing the battery to freeze
Solution Approach 1:
The control device performs preliminary warming of the battery before the electrolyte freezing point is reached. When the ignition switch is in the OFF state and the outside air temperature drops below a predetermined threshold, the heater is activated in advance to maintain battery temperature above the freezing point, preventing electrolyte freezing before it occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors outside air temperature and battery temperature through temperature sensors, and the control device adjusts heater operation based on this feedback. When the temperature sensor detects that the outside air temperature is below the threshold, the heater is activated; when the temperature rises above the threshold, the heater is deactivated, creating a closed-loop temperature control system.
2Productivity
If the restart time is determined based on temperature information from failed temperature sensors, then the system can continue operating, but the restart time becomes excessively long, causing the battery to freeze
Solution Approach 1:
When a temperature sensor fails, the control device extracts and excludes the abnormal temperature information from the failed sensor from the restart time calculation. The system identifies sensor failure through abnormal readings and removes these unreliable data points, using only valid temperature sensor readings to determine the restart time, thereby preventing excessively long delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device prepares for potential sensor failures by implementing validation logic that checks temperature sensor readings before using them. When abnormal readings are detected, the system switches to using only normal sensor readings or alternative temperature estimation methods, cushioning against the potential harm of using failed sensor data that would cause excessive restart delays.
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
The device ensures the battery is kept from freezing by reliably judging and addressing temperature decreases, even with faulty temperature sensors, thereby preventing battery electrolyte freezing and maintaining vehicle functionality.
Implementation Method 1
a battery temperature control device... controls the temperature by warming the battery by a heater
Data Source
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AI summary
Even when temperature sensors (12, 13) used in a device for warming a battery (1) being not in use by using a battery-driven heater (2) have failed, the battery (1) is prevented from freezing. Based on a battery temperature (Tb) and an outside air temperature (Ta), times (Δt1 to Δt8) during which Tb will decrease down to a warming start temperature (Tb_start) are each set to the next controller startup time (Δt). A controller (9) is started up every Δt, at t2, t3, and t4, and checks whether Tb<Tb_start is satisfied or not. At t4 when Tb<Tb_start is satisfied, a heater (2) is battery-driven to warm the battery (1). After t0 when the outside air temperature sensor (13) fails, the outside air temperature (Ta) is set to a fixed value (Ta_const) and based on this Ta=Ta_const and the battery temperature (Tb), the above control is repeated. Accordingly, it is unlikely that the temperature information (Ta) from the outside air temperature sensor (13) that is at fault causes Δt to become extremely long like ∞, so that it is avoided that the heater (2) cannot be operated because the controller (9) cannot be started up and the battery (1) freezes.