Energy storage device heating system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016204484-A1
Application number	US-201514593280-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 9, 2015
Priority date	Jan 9, 2015
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An energy storage device heating system includes an energy storage device, a power supply structured to generate a source of harvested energy by harvesting energy from a power source, a heater disposed proximate to the energy storage device and structured to use the harvested energy to generate heat, a charging unit structured to use the harvested energy to charge the energy storage device, a selection circuit structured to selectively electrically connect the source of harvested energy to the charging unit or the heater, and a control unit including a selection control module structured to control the selection circuit to switch between electrically connecting the source of harvested energy to the charging unit and electrically connecting the source of harvested energy to the heater.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An energy storage device heating system comprising:
an energy storage device; a power supply structured to generate a source of harvested energy by harvesting energy from a power source; a heater disposed proximate to the energy storage device and structured to use the harvested energy to generate heat; a charging unit structured to use the harvested energy to charge the energy storage device; a selection circuit structured to selectively electrically connect the source of harvested energy to the charging unit or the heater; and a control unit including a selection control module structured to control the selection circuit to switch between electrically connecting the source of harvested energy to the charging unit and electrically connecting the source of harvested energy to the heater.

2 . The energy storage device heating system of claim 1 , wherein the power source is a line current; and wherein the power supply includes a current transformer to harvest energy from the line current and a rectifier to rectify the harvested energy.

3 . The energy storage device heating system of claim 2 , wherein the rectifier is a bridge rectifier.

4 . The energy storage device heating system of claim 1 , wherein the selection circuit includes a number of electrically controlled switches structured to electrically connect the source of harvested energy to the charging unit or the heater; and wherein a state of the electrically controlled switches is controlled by the control unit.

5 . The energy storage device heating system of claim 4 , wherein the electrically controlled switches are transistors.

6 . The energy storage device heating system of claim 1 , wherein the charging unit is a float charger.

7 . The energy storage device heating system of claim 1 , wherein over a selected period of time, the control unit is structured to control the selection circuit to electrically connect the source of harvested energy to the heater a first percentage of the period of time and to control the selection circuit to electrically connect the source of harvested energy to the charging unit the remainder of the period of time.

8 . The energy storage device heating system of claim 7 , wherein the control unit is structured to select the first percentage based on at least one of a current of the power source, a temperature outside the energy storage device heating system, and a state of charge of the energy storage device.

9 . The energy storage device heating system of claim 1 , wherein the heater includes a resistive load; and wherein providing the harvested energy to the resistive load generates heat.

10 . The energy storage device heating system of claim 1 , wherein the heater includes a plurality of resistive loads; wherein the control unit includes a heater load control module structured to activate a selected one of the resistive loads to provide harvested energy to.

11 . The energy storage device heating system of claim 10 , wherein the selected one of the resistive loads is activated based on a current of the power source.

12 . The energy storage device heating system of claim 10 , wherein the heater includes a first resistive load, a second resistive load, and a third resistive load; wherein the control unit activates the first resistive load when a magnitude of a current of the power source is within a first range; wherein the control unit activates the second resistive load when the magnitude of the current of the power source is within a second range; wherein the control unit activates the third resistive load when the magnitude of the current of the power source is within a third range; wherein magnitudes in the third range are greater than magnitudes in the second range and magnitudes in the second range are greater than magnitudes in the first range; and wherein a resistance of the first resistive load is greater than a resistance of the second resistive load and a resistance of the second resistive load is greater than a resistance of the third resistive load.

13 . The energy storage device heating system of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device is a rechargeable battery.

14 . An energy storage device heating system comprising:
an energy storage device; a power supply structured to generate a source of harvested energy by harvesting energy from a power source; a heater disposed proximate to the energy storage device and structured to use the harvested energy to generate heat; a selection circuit structured to selectively electrically connect the source of harvested energy to the heater or to disconnect the source of harvested energy from the heater; and a control unit including a selection control module structured to control the selection circuit to switch between electrically connected the source of harvested energy to the heater unit and electrically disconnecting the source of harvested energy from the heater.

15 . The energy storage device heating system of claim 14 , wherein over a selected period of time, the control unit is structured to control the selection circuit to electrically connect the source of harvested energy to the heater a first percentage of the period of time and to control the selection circuit to electrically disconnect the harvested energy from the heater the remainder of the period of time.

16 . The energy storage device heating system of claim 15 , wherein the control unit selects the first percentage based on at least one of a current of the power source and a temperature outside the energy storage device heating system.

17 . The energy storage device heating system of claim 14 , wherein the energy storage device is a non-rechargeable battery or a super capacitor.

18 . A method of heating an energy storage device, the method comprising:
creating a source of harvested energy by harvesting energy from a power source; and for a selected period of time, electrically connecting the source of harvested energy a heater to heat the energy storage device for a first percentage of the selected period of time and electrically connecting the source of harvested energy to a charging unit to charge the energy storage device the remainder of the selected period of time.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the first percentage is based on at least one of a current of the power source, an outside temperature, and a state of charge of the energy storage device.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the heater includes a plurality of restive loads; and wherein the method further comprises:
activating a selected one of the resistive loads based on a current of the power source; and electrically connecting the source of the harvested energy to the activated resistive load.

Assignees

• Cooper Technologies Co

Inventors

• Haensgen Gregg James
• Sterjo Denis
• Heiden Kyle
• Lucas Richard William

Classifications

• B60L1/02

  to electric heating circuits · CPC title

• H01M10/6571

  Resistive heaters (arrangements for heating the battery by its resistance to the internal current H01M10/637) · CPC title

• B60L58/27

  by heating · CPC title

• H01M10/635

  based on ambient temperature · CPC title

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title