Optimized Charging and Discharging Protocols to Prevent Thermal Runaway

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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Adaptive battery management for extending the life of high-voltage battery packs in electric vehicles by automatically adjusting charging and discharging limits based on cell condition data. The method involves measuring cell voltage, current, and temperature, processing the data through calibrated relationships to determine cell degradation values, and then modifying charge/discharge limits and thermal limits based on those values. This allows operating the battery at lower limits when cells are degrading to delay failure and extend overall pack life.

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A vehicle battery system that can prevent damage from overcharging and cell failures. The system has an overcharge limit device that individually disconnects cells with high pressure. When a cell is disconnected, the controller stops controlling that cell and continues operating the rest. This prevents further overcharging. If multiple cells are disconnected, it stops all cells. This prevents overcharging of remaining cells. It also excludes disconnected cells from balancing and lowers the overall battery output limit.

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Electrified vehicle with a battery that can be power limited based on the thermal exchange capacity of the coolant fluid circulated by the thermal management system. The power limit is gradually reduced at higher battery temperatures to prevent sudden power interruptions. The limit lines increasing in steepness in correlation with thermal exchange capacity allow higher charge/discharge rates when the coolant temperature is lower. This balances battery performance and temperature management without unnecessary power limits.

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A retractable cord reel system for battery charging stations that prevents excessive heating of the charging cords and ensures safe operation. The system uses sensors to detect cord temperature and length. When the cord is partially retracted, it limits the charging current to prevent overheating. As more cord is unreeled, it increases the current. This prevents overheating due to trapped heat when fully coiled. The system also has venting and chimney effects to dissipate heat.

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Fast charging of rechargeable batteries like lithium-ion cells without degradation or safety issues at low temperatures by preheating the battery internally using a heat spreader. The spreader is inserted partially or fully inside the battery cell and conducts heat from an external source to warm the cell before charging. This avoids the dangers of high current densities and lithium plating at cold temperatures. The spreader can contact the electrode terminals or be inside the cell housing. It enables rapid charging at temperatures like room temperature, which reduces time compared to waiting for internal heating during charging at low temperatures.

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Controlling thermal runaway propagation in battery packs with multiple modules by selectively discharging modules to prevent runaway spread. When a thermal runaway is detected in one module, the controller checks if current is flowing through that module. If not, it decouples the module to isolate the runaway. If current is flowing, it connects the other modules to an external load to discharge them, preventing runaway propagation. This controlled discharge can mitigate thermal runaway chain reactions in battery packs.

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Thermal protection system for electric vehicle charging that uses inline thermal switches to prevent overheating during charging. The thermal switches are placed in the electrical circuit between the charge source and receiver. They open above a threshold temperature to block transmission of the electrical signal. This stops the charging process when overheating is detected, mitigating safety hazards like fires and component damage. The inline placement ensures robust protection by stopping the charging operation when opened, versus out-of-line systems that may still allow charging with inactive signals.

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Protecting electric vehicle charging connectors from excessive heat that can lead to connector failure and battery fires. The protection involves monitoring internal connector temperatures using thermostats. If temperatures exceed thresholds, steps like reducing voltage between pilot lines, switching off power, or activating alarms are taken to mitigate heating issues and avoid catastrophic connector failure.

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Electrical energy storage device with improved thermal management between adjacent cells to prevent overheating and aging issues. The device has compressible, flexible, heat-conducting layers sandwiched between cell interfaces. These layers abut the cell interfaces under pressure. Heat-conducting devices in the layers transfer thermal energy from charging/discharging cells to dissipate heat from the cell interfaces. This prevents hotspots and uniformly manages cell temperatures.

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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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Optimizing battery charging and discharging to improve performance and longevity by regulating battery temperature based on charging location and anticipated charge/discharge conditions. The method involves identifying the charging location, determining if excess charge is available, and cooling the battery pack using that excess charge instead of charging at full rate. It also sets target temperatures based on charging location to prevent overheating in hot environments and overcooling in cold environments.

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Battery thermal management system for electric vehicles that uses a selectively activated thermoelectric device to augment cooling of the battery pack during high thermal load events like DC fast charging. The thermoelectric device is positioned in the coolant circuit and powered separately from the battery during charging to draw heat from the coolant and further cool the battery. This prevents overheating during intense charging when the battery demands more power. The thermoelectric cooling is also activated if ambient temperatures exceed a threshold.

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Safe charging of electric vehicles (EVs) using a thermal monitoring and circuit management feature in the charging connector itself. The connector has embedded thermal sensors that can detect overheating. If a predetermined threshold temperature is exceeded, the connector disrupts the charging control signal to the EV. This stops charging until the temperature drops. The connector can also reverse the charging polarity to allow the EVSE to detect thermal faults. The onboard thermal management prevents overheating issues without requiring additional wiring back to the EVSE.

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Battery cell design to improve cycle life and safety by controlling temperature inside the cell. The cell has a plate shape with sealing parts around the edges that fuse together. The sealing parts have bent sections that closely contact the cell body. Phase change material (PCM) is coated on the inner bent surfaces. The PCM absorbs/releases heat to maintain stable cell temperature during charging/discharging. This prevents excessive temperature variations and mitigates internal damage. The bent sealing configuration maximizes PCM contact area.

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Optimizing temperature control in electric vehicle batteries during fast charging to prevent degradation and improve lifetime. The method involves simulating battery responses at different charge rates and temperatures to find an optimal input temperature profile that minimizes lithium plating and uniformly heats/cools the battery. This profile is then applied to the temperature management system to optimize charging without uneven heating/cooling. By accurately modeling and optimizing battery temperature profiles, lithium plating can be reduced during fast charging.

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A thermal management system for electric and hybrid-electric vehicles that uses both an internal and external thermal management unit to control the temperature of the vehicle's on-board battery during charging. The internal unit maintains battery temperature during normal operation. The external unit takes over during charging to prevent thermal runaway. It connects to an external power source to charge the battery while actively managing temperature. This allows fast charging without overheating. The internal unit then takes over for normal operation. The external unit can be detached when not charging.

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Adjusting the charging condition of a secondary battery to prevent overheating when cooling is not practical. The method involves predicting the temperature rise of the battery during charging based on its current temperature, current, and external conditions. If the predicted charging voltage is lower than the upper limit, it is lowered to match. This prevents excessive charging currents that raise temperature. By dynamically adjusting the charging limit based on prediction, it prevents overheating even without active cooling.

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Electrode, separator, and battery design for lithium-ion batteries that improve thermal stability and safety. The electrode has a porous coating layer made of heat-absorbing inorganic particles and a binder. The separator can contain heat-absorbing particles as well. These components absorb or consume heat generated inside the battery during charging and discharging, preventing runaway reactions and thermal runaway. The heat-absorbing particles also reduce the risk of ignition and explosion if an internal short circuit occurs. The coating layer and separator designs provide thermal management and short circuit protection without adding mass or thickness.

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A lightweight, high-performance battery with regulated output voltage, cell balancing, and self-monitoring diagnostics to prevent thermal runaway. The battery has separate charging and output connections, allowing higher charging voltages. A microprocessor-controlled MOSFET switching circuit monitors cells, balances voltage, prevents overcharge/discharge, and isolates faulty cells. The output voltage is adjustable. A polling circuit disconnects cells to measure voltage and isolate faulty ones. The battery also has a microprocessor, display, and charging circuitry.

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