Battery pack for electric vehicles and method of detecting cooling water leakage in battery pack for electric vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10656043-B2
Application number	US-201715836130-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2017
Priority date	Feb 17, 2017
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A battery pack for electric vehicles and a method of detecting cooling water leakage in the battery pack for electric vehicles are provided. The battery pack includes a moisture collection unit that is disposed in the battery pack and a moisture discharge unit that is disposed in a bottom of the moisture collection unit. A moisture discharge detection unit detects whether moisture is being discharged through the moisture discharge unit and a controller detects and adjusts the amount of moisture discharged through the moisture discharge unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery pack for electric vehicles, comprising:
a moisture collection unit disposed in the battery pack;
a moisture discharge unit disposed in a bottom of the moisture collection unit;
a moisture discharge detection unit configured to detect whether moisture is being discharged through the moisture discharge unit; and
a controller configured to detect and adjust an amount of moisture discharged through the moisture discharge unit,
wherein the moisture discharge unit includes a one-way plug, and
wherein the one-way plug is coated with an electrically conductive material to sense an electrical signal.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein when moisture collected in the moisture collection unit exceeds a predetermined level, the moisture is discharged through the moisture discharge unit.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the moisture collection unit includes a first moisture collection unit and a second moisture collection unit.

4. The battery pack according to claim 3 , wherein the first moisture collection unit includes:
a first plate disposed at a lower portion inside the moisture collection unit, the first plate having a surface oriented horizontally;
a first opening/closing portion mounted in a center of the first plate; and
a first absorbent material disposed on the first opening/closing portion.

5. The battery pack according to claim 4 , wherein the second moisture collection unit includes:
a second plate disposed above the first plate;
a second opening/closing portion mounted in a center of the second plate; and
a second absorbent material disposed on the second opening/closing portion.

6. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the moisture collection unit includes a moisture absorbent sheet disposed on an inner surface and an outer surface thereof.

7. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the battery pack has a lower surface that is slanted downward from an edge of the lower surface to a center of the lower surface.

8. A method of detecting cooling water leakage in the battery pack for electric vehicles according claim 1 , the method comprising:
monitoring, by a controller, a closed state of the one-way plug;
detecting, by the controller, a number of times the one-way plug is opened; and
in response to determining that the one-way plug is open, detecting, by the controller, cooling water leakage in the battery pack for electric vehicles.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein in the detecting of the number of times the one-way plug is opened, when the number of times is 0, the closed state of the one-way plug is monitored.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein in the detecting of the number of times the one-way plug is opened, when the number of times is 1, a time period during which the one-way plug is maintained in an open state is measured.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein in the measuring of the time period during which the one-way plug is maintained in an open state, when the time period is less than a predetermined time period, the closed state of the one-way plug is monitored.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein in the measuring of the time period during which the one-way plug is maintained in an open state, when the time period is equal to or greater than a predetermined time period, the cooling water leakage is detected in the battery pack for electric vehicles.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein in the detecting of the number of times the one-way plug is opened, when the number of times is 2 or more, the cooling water leakage is detected in the battery pack for electric vehicles.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Kim Woo Sung

Classifications

• H01M10/625

  Vehicles · CPC title

• H01M10/42

  Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells (H01M10/60 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• G01M3/16 Primary

  using electric detection means ({G01M3/045,} G01M3/06, G01M3/12, G01M3/20, G01M3/24, G01M3/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M10/613

  Cooling or keeping cold · CPC title