Patent Application
20250236210
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
The present invention relates in general to electrified vehicles, and, more specifically, to cooling/ventilation systems which may be operable during parking of a vehicle to cool a battery and/or power supply electronics.
Electrified vehicles or EVs (e.g., battery electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles) typically include a high voltage battery pack that supplies electrical power to one or more traction motors. Even while parked, the battery or battery pack may experience elevated temperatures which may have built up during driving or which may occur as a result of the use of power by auxiliary systems which become active during parking. Heat may also accumulate as a result of current flow while the battery pack is being recharged.
An EV may also include power converters or inverters which convert a high DC voltage of the battery pack (e.g., 800V) to a lower DC or AC voltage (e.g., 12V DC or 120V AC) for use while the vehicle is driven or parked. A power converter or inverter may likewise be utilized to generate an auxiliary power output for powering electrical accessories during a parked state of the vehicle, which may also lead to heat generation within the electrical power supplies (e.g., batteries, converters, or inverters). Consequently, cooling may be needed while the EV is parked.
For cooling of the power supplies, an EV may utilize fans, radiators, thermoelectric devices, or other apparatus to maintain temperature within a desired range. Heat which is removed from the battery or electronics must be dissipated outside the vehicle. Thus, an airflow must typically be maintained between the vehicle and the outside environment.
The need for cooling may be the greatest when the outside temperature is already elevated (e.g., due to bright sunshine). Under these conditions, the likelihood may also be elevated that a user may want to place a cover over the vehicle to shield it from bright sunshine and to insulate the EV from the warm outside environment. A protective cover can also be disposed on a vehicle for extended periods and under variable weather conditions. Such a cover may be waterproof and breathable (i.e., able to release water vapor). However, application of such a cover may interfere with airflow needed to cool the EV while parked, especially since the cover may block the end of an airflow channel or duct where the airflow exits the vehicle body.
In one aspect of the invention, an electric vehicle comprises an electric power supply, a thermal transfer unit coupled to the electric power supply, a cover sensor configured to detect a cover disposed on the electric vehicle while being parked which impedes the thermal transfer unit, and a controller. When the cover is detected, the controller is configured to (A) determine a power supply temperature of the electric power supply, (B) compare the determined power supply temperature to a predetermined temperature threshold to detect an unfavorable condition, and (C) transmit an advisory signal to a user that the cover should be removed when the unfavorable condition is detected.
Electrified vehicles typically utilize blower fans, radiators, and other heat transfer (e.g., cooling) mechanisms when the vehicle is shut off and parked in order to maintain an optimal battery temperature and optimal power converter temperature. This may include times when the battery pack is being charged and/or when a power converter or inverter is operating to support upfitter equipment on work sites.
Vehicles users sometimes want to place covers over their vehicles to protect them from the elements, e.g., for sun protection when overlanding and camping. Such placement of a cover may impede battery cooling due to inadequate airflow resulting in unfavorably elevated temperatures of the electric power supplies. To avoid these elevated temperatures, the invention may use various sensors (e.g., a fan sensor which may already be present for performing diagnostics including fan current or fan speed) to determine if airflow openings (e.g., radiator openings, duct openings, or grille openings) are free of obstructions before activating associated cooling components if the exterior conditions and/or electric power supply temperature necessitate this action.
In some embodiments, when the vehicle is keyed off (i.e., shut down), a determination may be made whether a currently measured power supply (battery or power converter/inverter) temperature or a current or predicted (future) ambient temperature or sunload may potentially drive the power supply temperature over a calibrated threshold in the event that a car cover wase to be used. For example, this determination can be based on a model using empirical data regarding how a battery temperature changes with key off in certain environmental conditions (e.g., based on geographic location and weather forecasts).
The vehicle can also map locations where covers are most likely to be installed based on expected sunload and/or ambient temperature in advance. If the current vehicle location corresponds to one of these locations (as determined by a location service such as GPS), the user can be advised not to install a car cover (or at least not to use a cover which does not provide a certain level of breathability or does not avoid covering a specific region of the vehicle).
Presence of a cover disposed on the vehicle may be detected using an exterior sensor suite which may include exterior or interior cameras. For example, when all cameras show at continuous single-colored region at the vehicle exterior and when all interior cameras show that all the windows are blocked, then a car cover is likely to be installed. Alternatively, a user input (e.g., a spoken command or a button press) can be used to determine if a car cover is installed. When necessary, a user can be informed via an audible tone or announcement and/or text message via an infotainment unit or other human machine interface. A user may be notified using wireless communication, such as a message sent from the vehicle to a mobile smartphone or other device executing a vehicle management app (e.g., Ford Pass® app).
When a car cover has been installed, but no one has responded to an advisory to remove it then the invention may further include the performance of mitigating actions. Mitigating actions may include seeking assistance from nearby people for help via audible requests. performing preventative cooling of the EV battery pack, running blower fans in reverse in an attempt to blow the obstructions out of the way, or autonomously moving the vehicle to a more favorable location (e.g., a shady spot). The mitigating action can include altering operation of the electric power supply to reduce a generation of heat. For example, a DC power converter can be switched to a lower output or fully deactivated (e.g., after notifying the user).
One embodiment of cooling unit 13 is shown in greater detail in
Controller 30 is coupled to a GPS receiver 34 with antenna 35 to obtain geographic coordinates for use in connection with determining weather forecasts or other climate-related information to predict a future temperature of the electric power supply, for example. Controller 30 is further coupled with a wireless link 36 with antenna 37 in order to collect external data including whether forecasts, future temperatures, or expected sunload based on geographic coordinates derived from GPS 34.
Controller 30 is further coupled to a fan circuit 22 in order to receive a measured motor current from a motor current sensor in fan circuit 22. Controller 30 compares measured motor current with a motor current threshold in order to detect when airflow resistance encountered by a blower fan is at a level which indicates that airflow is being impeded by a cover. Controller 30 may include data for a model 38 utilizing various remote and locally determined variables in order to predict future temperatures of the electric power supply and to identify unfavorable temperature conditions which may result from presence of the vehicle cover.
Controller 30 is coupled with an HMI human machine interface HMI 40 which may be configured to obtain inputs from a user to indicate the application of a cover (e.g. via button presses or reception of spoken commands). HMI 40 may further include a display screen and loudspeakers for transmitting advisory signals to the user when the cover should be removed and/or should not installed due to detection of an existing or expected unfavorable condition of the power supply temperature.
DC-DC converter 16 and a battery system can respond to controller 30 for altering their operation in order to reduce generation of heat as another mitigating action. Controller 30 may further include an autonomous powertrain controller function for moving vehicle 11 as a mitigating action. Furthermore, circuit 22 may be responsive to controller 34 operating the fan in a manner that repositions the cover or otherwise clears an impediment to the airflow (e.g. by reversing the direction of fan operation momentarily).
In some embodiments, step 44 may be periodically performed in order to detect later application of a cover. Whenever step 44 determines that a cover has been disposed on the vehicle then a check is performed in step 46 to determine whether an excessive temperature (i.e., an unfavorable condition) has arisen in the electric power supply. If not, then step 46 may be periodically repeated to recheck the electric power supply temperature. If the power supply temperature exceeds the predetermined threshold in step 46, then an advisory message may be transmitted to the user in step 47, wherein the advisory message may suggest that the cover should be removed or inform the user that the operation of the power supply may be reduced in order to limit the amount of heat generated.
A check is performed in step 48 to determine whether the cover has been removed in compliance with an advisory message within a predetermined amount of time. If so, then the method completes at step 49. Otherwise, mitigating actions may be activated in step 50. As described above, the mitigating actions may include relocating the vehicle, initiating a local distress call via an audible signal to enlist a nearby person to remove the cover, operating the fan in reverse, or cooling the electric power supply by either altering its operation or finding an alternate means of cooling.
