Apparatus, system, and method for charging an energy accumulator, and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11511633-B2
Application number	US-201916671624-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2019
Priority date	May 3, 2017
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A charging device for charging the electrochemical energy accumulator has a first circuit which is or can be coupled electrically to the electrochemical energy accumulator. A heating device for heating the electrochemical energy accumulator has a second circuit, separate from the first circuit, having an induction heating element which can be heated inductively by an external magnetic alternating field and which is or can be coupled thermally to the electrochemical energy accumulator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for charging an electrochemical energy store, the device comprising:
a first circuit, electrically coupled to the electrochemical energy store so as to charge the electrochemical energy store via a charging operation; and
a second circuit, separate from the first circuit, the second circuit including:
a heating element configured to generate heat via a heating operation that is independent of the charging operation, wherein the heating operation includes inducing a heating current in the second circuit by an external magnetic alternating field, and wherein the heating element is thermally coupled to the electrochemical energy store so as to conduct the generated heat to the electrochemical energy store.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first circuit includes:
an induction element configured such that a charging current that charges the electrochemical energy store is induced in the induction element by the external magnetic alternating field during the charging operation.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the induction element has a charging coil configured to absorb energy of the external magnetic alternating field at a first harmonic fundamental frequency of the external magnetic alternating field.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the heating element has a high-resistance coil configured to absorb energy of the external magnetic alternating field at a first harmonic fundamental frequency and/or a higher harmonic of the external magnetic alternating field.

5. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the heating element has a high-resistance coil configured to absorb energy of the external magnetic alternating field at a first harmonic fundamental frequency and/or a higher harmonic of the external magnetic alternating field.

6. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a line thermally coupling the heating element to the electrochemical energy store via a thermal medium transported therein.

7. The device according to claim 2 , further comprising: a line thermally coupling the heating element to the electrochemical energy store via a thermal medium transported therein.

8. The device according to claim 3 , further comprising: a line thermally coupling the heating element to the electrochemical energy store via a thermal medium transported therein.

9. The device according to claim 4 , further comprising: a line thermally coupling the heating element to the electrochemical energy store via a thermal medium transported therein.

10. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first switch configured to close/open the first circuit so as to enable/disable the charging operation;
a second switch configured to close/open the second circuit so as to enable/disable the heating operation; and
a control apparatus configured to control the first switch and the second switch, respectively, according to:
a first control mode, such that the heating operation is enabled and the charging operation is disabled,
a second control mode, such that the charging operation is enabled and the heating operation is disabled, and
a third control mode, such that the charging operation and the heating operation are enabled.

11. The device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a first switch configured to close/open the first circuit so as to enable/disable the charging operation;
a second switch configured to close/open the second circuit so as to enable/disable the heating operation; and
a control apparatus configured to control the first switch and the second switch, respectively, according to:
a first control mode, such that the heating operation is enabled and the charging operation is disabled,
a second control mode, such that the charging operation is enabled and the heating operation is disabled, and
a third control mode, such that the charging operation and the heating operation are enabled.

12. The device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a first switch configured to close/open the first circuit so as to enable/disable the charging operation;
a second switch configured to close/open the second circuit so as to enable/disable the heating operation; and
a control apparatus configured to control the first switch and the second switch, respectively, according to:
a first control mode, such that the heating operation is enabled and the charging operation is disabled,
a second control mode, such that the charging operation is enabled and the heating operation is disabled, and
a third control mode, such that the charging operation and the heating operation are enabled.

13. The device according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a temperature sensor unit configured to record a temperature of the electrochemical energy store, wherein the control apparatus is further configured to:
change from the first control mode to the second control mode when the recorded temperature reaches or exceeds a predefined temperature threshold value, and/or
change from the second control mode to the first control mode when the recorded temperature falls below a predefined temperature threshold value.

14. The device according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a temperature sensor unit configured to record a temperature of the electrochemical energy store, wherein the control apparatus is further configured to:
change from the first control mode to the second control mode when the recorded temperature reaches or exceeds a predefined temperature threshold value, and/or

change from the second control mode to the first control mode when the recorded temperature falls below a predefined temperature threshold value.

15. The device according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a temperature sensor unit configured to record a temperature of the electrochemical energy store, wherein the control apparatus is further configured to:
change from the first control mode to the second control mode when the recorded temperature reaches or exceeds a predefined temperature threshold value, and/or

change from the second control mode to the first control mode when the recorded temperature falls below a predefined temperature threshold value.

16. A system for charging an electrochemical energy store, the system comprising:
an electrochemical energy store; and
a device configured to charge the electrochemical energy store, the device comprising:
a first circuit electrically coupled to the electrochemical energy store so as to charge the electrochemical energy store via a charging operation, and
a second circuit separate from the first circuit, wherein the second circuit includes:
a heating element configured to generate heat via a heating operation that is independent of the charging operation, wherein the heating operation includes inducing a heating current in the second circuit by an external magnetic alternating field, and wherein the heating element is thermally coupled to the electrochemical energy store so as to conduct the generated heat to the electrochemical energy store.

17. The system according to claim 16 , further comprising:
an exciter coil apparatus configured to generate the external magnetic alternating field.

18. A method for charging an electrochemical energy store, the method comprising:
generating an external magnetic alternating field;
inducing a heating current in a heating element of a second circuit via the external magnetic alternating field, so as to cause the heating element to generate heat;
transferring the generated heat to the e

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Kaluza Sebastian
• Lund Isaac
• Lux Simon
• Viala Pascal

Classifications

• H01M10/486

  for measuring temperature · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title

• B60L58/24

  for controlling the temperature of batteries · CPC title

• H01M10/657

  by electric or electromagnetic means · CPC title

• H01M10/615

  Heating or keeping warm · CPC title