Techniques and Apparatus for Measuring EV Battery Temperature Using Sensors

Assembly for thermal management of individual cells in a battery pack that allows precise temperature control of each cell. The assembly has multiple features to address temperature regulation needs: 1. Thermal insulation between cells to prevent heat transfer. 2. Fluid passages for cooling or heating the cells. 3. Valves and flow control to selectively circulate fluids. 4. Temperature sensors and actuators to respond to cell conditions. 5. Fluid supplies for different operating conditions. The assembly enables independent temperature regulation of each cell without mixing fluids between cells. This prevents overheating or cooling of cells while avoiding thermal runaway. The fluid flow control allows customization based on factors like discharge level, charging rate, and ambient temperature.

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Vehicle with battery compartment safety system that automatically opens the compartment covers when battery temperature reaches a critical level to prevent thermal runaway propagation. The system uses thermosensitive devices to detect high battery temperature and pneumatic actuators to instantly open the compartment covers. This allows rapid cooling to contain thermal runaway without needing manual intervention.

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Battery cell design for accurate temperature measurement in high-voltage batteries for electric vehicles. The battery cell has a separate thermally conductive part inside the housing that connects to the temperature sensor. This allows more accurate measurement of the cell interior temperature compared to an external sensor since it eliminates insulation barriers. The conductive part is separate from the electrode to avoid current interference.

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Battery module with a temperature sensor that accurately measures the internal battery temperature to prevent premature power limiting in high load conditions. The sensor is installed in the battery housing rather than on the external connection strap. This allows it to better reflect the internal battery temperature. The sensor is located inside a plugging member that fits into the battery cover. The cover has a temperature collection hole and sink groove for the sensor. This arrangement enables timely and accurate internal battery temperature monitoring to prevent power limiting due to temperature differences between the external connection and internal battery.

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A fault diagnosis method for battery management systems that can detect faults in sensors like temperature sensors inside the system. The method uses uncertain noisy filtering to estimate sensor faults by extending the state constraint of the battery system to the system output vector. This allows detecting faults in sensors with constraints like temperature limits. The method involves constructing an augmented system with expanded fault vectors and state constraints, then using a zonotope Kalman filter to estimate fault intervals. If the estimated fault bounds exceed the normal range, it indicates a sensor fault.

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Remote and isolated temperature sensing of electrical terminals like charging connectors without adding thermal mass or resistance. It involves applying a thin temperature-sensitive material patch to the terminal surface and sensing changes in the patch using an isolated external circuit. This allows detecting terminal temperature without contact or affecting its electrical properties. The patch has low thermal mass compared to the terminal. Techniques like photodetection or magnetic sensing can be used. The patch materials expand or lose eddy currents at higher temperatures, which can be detected remotely to determine safe operating temperatures.

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Detecting thermal events in battery packs of electrified vehicles while accounting for faulty sensors. The method involves flagging temperature readings from sensors as reliable or unreliable based on assessments. If a sensor is flagged reliable, its temperature reading is used to detect thermal events. But if a sensor is flagged unreliable, its temperature reading is ignored. This prevents using inaccurate readings from faulty sensors to falsely trigger thermal event alerts.

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Detecting thermal faults in electric vehicle (EV) charging connectors using temperature sensors. The EV charging connector has a passive cooling device like a heat pipe attached to the contact element. Temperature sensors are placed on the heat pipe, contact element, and fins. By monitoring the temperature readings, a control unit can determine if the thermal conductivity of the connector is degraded. If so, it can stop charging, reduce current, indicate fault, or suggest substitution. This allows proactive maintenance of connector health.

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Embedding optical fibers in a flexible substrate to create a sensing membrane that can be attached to devices like batteries to monitor thermal, mechanical, and radiation properties without directly embedding the fibers in the device. The substrate thickness and material properties are chosen to accurately sense device properties when the membrane is either embedded in the device or attached to its surface. This allows monitoring temperature, strain, vibration, etc. of devices like batteries without complex fiber routing through each component.

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Temperature measuring device for accurately and safely measuring the temperature of high voltage electrical connector terminals in applications like electric vehicles. The device has a printed circuit board with a temperature sensor, a thermally conductive sleeve, and flexible tabs. The sleeve has a recess to receive part of the PCB with the temperature sensor. The sleeve also has a flexible tab that contacts the terminal. This allows measuring the terminal temperature through thermal conduction without needing close proximity to the PCB edge. The sleeve's recess and tab design enables sufficient creepage distance for high voltage applications while still providing thermal contact for accurate temperature measurement.

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A heat control system for batteries in electric vehicles that allows regulating battery temperature without active cooling or heating. The system uses a heat-conducting plate in contact with the battery that can move to either transfer heat to the enclosure wall or insulate the battery from the wall. An actuator moves the plate's section to contact the wall for cooling when battery temp is high, or separates it for insulation when temp is low. This adaptive thermal path allows passive temperature control without external cooling or heating systems.

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Battery pack design and monitoring technique to prevent sudden battery failure and thermal runaway in high-density battery packs used in electric vehicles, drones, and other high-power devices. The technique involves using infrared sensors to monitor temperature changes within the array of battery cells without requiring individual instrumentation on each cell. The infrared sensors are arranged in a string or mesh configuration that is routed through the battery pack. They detect sudden temperature spikes in individual cells before the overall battery temperature rises, allowing early intervention to prevent thermal runaway and isolate failing cells. This provides more reliable and proactive thermal management compared to spaced sensors or relying on overall pack temperature.

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Detecting battery thermal events in electric vehicles with improved accuracy by flagging sensors that provide unreliable temperature readings. The method involves assessing the reliability of temperature sensors in a battery pack based on indicators like voltage drops. If a sensor is flagged as unreliable, its readings are ignored for thermal event detection. This prevents false positives due to faulty sensors. If a sensor is flagged as reliable, its readings are used for thermal event detection. This ensures accurate thermal event detection by ignoring compromised sensors.

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Battery pack with temperature sensors, a fan, and a controller to diagnose and mitigate thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries. The pack has temperature sensors in cells, discharge air, and intake air. If runaway is detected based on sensor readings, the fan rotates at a specific RPM to vent out gases generated during runaway. This prevents pressure buildup and containment failures, allowing safe discharge of runaway gases.

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Battery system for electric vehicles with improved thermal management and cell monitoring. The battery system has battery modules with cells submerged in a fluid for cooling. The fluid flows through an enclosure around the cells. Sensors are submerged in the fluid to monitor both the cells and the fluid temperature and flow. This allows accurate and efficient cooling of the cells while also providing direct sensing of the cell temperatures. The submerged sensors eliminate the need for external connections that heat up and can fuse.

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Charging inlet for electric vehicles that accurately and quickly monitors the temperature of the power contacts during charging to enable higher power transfer rates without risk of damage. The inlet has thermal sensors located close to the power contacts inside fully enclosed pockets. This provides more accurate and faster temperature monitoring compared to sensors further away with intervening structures. The sensors are mounted on movable trays that back up the contacts to secure them in place. This allows the sensors to be brought close to the contacts for better temperature monitoring.

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A battery compartment design for electric vehicles that uses flat metal sheets to create a double-floor structure with integrated thermal management. The compartment has multiple deep-drawn shells that fit together to create a double floor. Inside this double floor, a passive and partly integrated thermal system provides cooling and heating to maintain optimal battery temperatures. The compartment separates the batteries from the cooling/heating system to prevent direct contact. Sensors for monitoring battery status and surrounding conditions can also be integrated into the double floor. The use of deep-drawn metal sheets allows cost-effective mass production compared to complex extrusions or castings.

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Battery module design with improved temperature monitoring for high performance applications. The battery module has a temperature collection assembly with a plugging member that seals a temperature collection hole in the cover plate. The plugging member has an accommodating cavity for a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor inside the plugging member accurately reflects the internal battery temperature since it is located in the battery housing. This prevents over-temperature limiting in high power conditions where the external strap temperature can exceed the battery temperature. The temperature sensor inside the plugging member provides a more accurate and timely indication of battery temperature compared to an external strap sensor.

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Charging inlet for electric vehicles that allows higher charging rates without risk of damaging the charging system due to heat. The charging inlet has a flexible thermal sensor mounted directly on the power terminal that curves along the terminal's outer surface. This allows more accurate and faster temperature monitoring compared to sensors farther away. It prevents overheating by enabling faster response to high temperatures and reducing the power transfer rate if needed. The sensor's flexibility conforms to the terminal shape for better contact.

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Battery system for electric vehicles with improved thermal management and cell monitoring. The battery pack has submerged sensors that collect data on the battery cells and the cooling fluid. The sensors are housed in the battery module and completely immersed in the thermal management fluid. This allows the sensors to accurately measure cell temperatures and fluid temperatures for better monitoring and cooling efficiency compared to external sensors.

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