Vehicle Battery Thermal Event Control During Charging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrified vehicles face challenges in managing battery thermal events during charging sessions, which can lead to safety issues and equipment damage if not properly mitigated.
Innovation Solution
An electrified fire fighting vehicle is equipped with a control system that detects battery thermal events and responds by stopping charge acceptance, reversing electricity flow, activating alerts, autonomously driving away, or using a battery cooling system to deluge the battery housing with fluid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the battery continues to accept charge during a thermal event, then charging efficiency is maintained, but safety risks and potential damage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is configured to detect thermal events during charging and automatically implement countermeasures such as stopping charge acceptance, reversing electricity flow, or activating cooling systems before the thermal event can cause serious damage. This preliminary anti-action prevents the harmful progression of thermal runaway while maintaining charging operations under normal conditions.
2Temperature
If the battery cooling system deluges the battery housing with fluid, then thermal management effectiveness improves, but system complexity and fluid management requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The battery cooling system is designed to automatically activate and manage its own operation when thermal events are detected. The control system monitors battery temperature and autonomously controls the cooling fluid delivery without requiring manual intervention or complex external control mechanisms, thereby managing complexity through automation.
3Reliability
If the vehicle autonomously drives away from the charging station during a thermal event, then safety is improved, but operational control and driver awareness are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is configured to detect thermal events and automatically execute predetermined safety protocols including stopping charge acceptance, activating cooling systems, and if necessary, autonomously driving the vehicle away from the charging station. These preliminary actions are designed to protect safety while minimizing the need for complex real-time driver decisions during emergency situations.
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 system effectively mitigates battery thermal events by preventing further charging, alerting operators, and using cooling mechanisms to manage heat, thereby ensuring vehicle safety and equipment integrity.
Implementation Method 1
The control system is configured to detect an onset of a battery thermal event during a charging session of the energy storage system with an external power supply and, in response to the onset of the battery thermal event being detected, deluge the battery housing with a fluid using the battery cooling system
Data Source
AI summary
An electrified vehicle includes an energy storage system including a battery disposed within a battery housing and a control system. The control system is configured to detect an onset of a battery thermal event during a charging session of the energy storage system with an external power supply, in response to the onset of the battery thermal event being detected, perform a first action, and in response to the battery thermal event continuing to progress following the first action, perform a second action.