Description:A THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO COOL A BATTERY PACK IN A VEHICLE

TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present subject matter described herein relates to a thermal management system in vehicles, specifically, electric vehicles. The present invention is particularly related to a thermal management system to cool a battery pack in a vehicle using ambient temperature from the surroundings.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present subject matter.
[0003] A vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle is equipped with a battery for driving a power source such as a motor. Hybrid vehicles usually use two power sources for vehicle propulsion: a combustion engine, such as for example a petrol or diesel engine, and an electric motor that is connected to a high-voltage electrical storage system such as a high-voltage (HV) battery pack.
[0004] However, standard HV batteries, like Li-Ion batteries, have a strong temperature dependence on how well they operate in hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) or fully electric vehicles (EV). The maximum operating temperature of the battery pack is around 50 degrees celsius for most of battery types. The battery cells generate heat during certain conditions, including during charging operations and during discharging operations.
[0005] Therefore, the HV battery typically requires occasional cooling to offset heat losses produced by the battery and maintain the battery within its permissible temperature range in order to achieve the best performance and long lifespan.
[0006] Further if the heat generated by the battery is not released in time, there are chances for the battery to deteriorate or even explode. Therefore, in order for the charging and discharging of the battery module to be efficiently performed, the battery must be maintained in a suitable temperature range.
[0007] Ref. to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, In the existing design, when AC is switched on in an EV while the vehicle is moving, the hot air (102) from the radiator (101) (60-70 degrees C) is passed onto the battery pack (103) and further gradually increases the outer and inner temperature of the battery pack (103) which results in performance degradation of the battery pack (103). Also, the air passing from engine in case of HEV or the motor-generator and power electronic module in case of EV is even hotter. Therefore, it is necessary to do thermal management of the battery pack (103).
[0008] It is therefore desirable to prevent the overheating of a battery and maintain the overall life of the battery.
OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0009] It forms an object of the present disclosure to overcome the aforementioned and other drawbacks/limitations in the existing solutions available in the form of related prior arts.
[0010] It is a primary object of the present disclosure to passively cool a battery pack in a vehicle using ambient air from the surroundings.
[0011] It is another object of the present disclosure to guide the ambient air over and around the battery pack.
[0012] It is another object of the present disclosure to guide the hot air from a radiator, engine, motor-generator unit towards lateral direction of the battery pack.
[0013] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide cost effective way of improving the battery pack life without compromising on its electrical efficiency.
[0014] These and other objects and advantages of the present subject matter will be apparent to a person skilled in the art after consideration of the following detailed description taken into consideration with accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present subject matter are illustrated.

SUMMARY
[0015] A solution to one or more drawbacks of existing technology and additional advantages are provided through the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through the technicalities of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered to be a part of the claimed disclosure.
[0016] The present disclosure provides a solution in the form of a thermal management system to cool a battery pack in a vehicle. The system includes a radiator positioned behind a front grill of a vehicle. The battery pack positioned beneath a passenger compartment floor, wherein the radiator and the battery pack face opposite to each other. An air guide is arranged in front of the battery pack configured to divert hot air from the radiator away from the battery pack. An air channel unit configured to provide ambient air to the battery pack, wherein the air channel unit further includes a first pipe provided with plurality of intake holes on a hood top of a vehicle to receive the ambient air and direct the flow of the ambient air towards a second pipe, the second pipe provided inside the engine compartment to direct the flow of the ambient air towards a third pipe, the third pipe provided in front of the battery pack is adjacent to a side of the air guide that faces the battery pack to direct the ambient air to the battery pack, wherein one end of the second pipe is connected to the first pipe and another end of the second pipe is connected to the third pipe.
[0017] In an aspect, the second pipe is inclined and moves in a downwards direction.
[0018] In an aspect, the third pipe is positioned longitudinally in a vehicle height direction. The third pipe has a plurality of vent holes to distribute the ambient air towards the battery pack.
[0019] In an aspect, the air channel unit having set of pipes can be an integrated single unit i.e. first pipe, second pipe and third pipe can be a single pipe unit.
[0020] In an aspect, the air guide defines a bowl shape.
[0021] In an aspect, a plurality of air intake holes can be placed at number of possible position from where a natural flow of ambient air can be established towards the battery pack.
[0022] In an aspect, the air guide unit and the air channel unit define a single integrated unit formed of a single pipe.
[0023] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
[0024] It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present subject matter and are therefore not to be considered for limiting of its scope, for the present disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments. The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system or methods or structure in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
[0025] Fig. 1A illustrates the location of a radiator and a battery pack according to the prior art;
[0026] Fig. 1B illustrates the flow of hot air from the radiator to the battery pack according to the prior art;
[0027] Fig. 2 illustrates a system to cool a battery pack according to the present disclosure;
[0028] Fig. 3 illustrates air guide in the system according to the present disclosure;
[0029] Fig. 4 illustrates an embodiment in the system according to the present disclosure.
[0030] The figures depict embodiments of the present subject matter for illustration only. A person skilled in the art will easily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
[0031] The detailed description of various exemplary embodiments of the disclosure is described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments are described herein in such details as to communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of details provided herein is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
[0032] It is also to be understood that various arrangements may be devised that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the present disclosure, as well as specific examples, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.
[0033] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions/acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two figures shown in succession may be executed concurrently or may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.
[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which example embodiments belong. It will be further understood that terms, e.g., those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
[0035] In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration of specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.
[0036] Hereinafter, a description of an embodiment with several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. On the contrary, a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0037] The present invention discloses a thermal management system for cooling a battery pack using ambient air/atmospheric air from the surroundings. Further, the system also restricts hot air that comes inside the engine compartment towards the battery via a radiator or an engine.
[0038] Referring to FIG. 2, it shows a thermal management system (200) to cool a battery pack (103) in a vehicle. The vehicle has a front region in which an engine compartment is provided. The engine compartment has a cavity that houses the internal combustion engine (201). The engine compartment has a radiator (101) that is provided behind a front grill of the vehicle.
[0039] The vehicle also comprises one or more high-voltage (HV) battery pack (103), herein also simply referred to as battery, that are located beneath a passenger compartment floor. The radiator (101) is provided in front of the battery pack (103) relative to a forward direction of travel by the vehicle. Therefore, in natural flow the radiator (101) directs a back flow of hot air towards the battery pack (103).
[0040] To divert the hot air flow from the radiator (101) towards the battery pack (103), the present invention includes an air guide (202). The air guide (202) is a barrier that is arranged in front of the battery pack (103) configured to divert hot air flow from the radiator (101) from reaching the battery pack (103). The air guide (202) defines a bowl shape. The bowl shape covers the battery pack (103) from the front.
[0041] Referring to FIG. 3, the bowl shape has a vertical portion (301) that directly faces the hot air (102) from the radiator (101) and stops the hot air from entering in the area in which the battery pack (103) is located. Further, the two ends of the vertical portion (301) have angular portions respectively (302). The angular portions (302) help in diverting and directing the hot air (102) flow towards the lateral direction (303) of the battery pack (103).
[0042] Referring to FIG. 2, the system (200) further has an air channel unit (203) that is configured to provide ambient air to the battery pack (103). The air channel unit (203) forms a single integrated unit comprising of a single pipe. The single pipe is further divided into a first pipe (204), a second pipe (205) and a third pipe (206). The first pipe (204) serves as an inlet and is provided with a plurality of intake holes on a hood top of the vehicle to intake (208) ambient air from the surroundings and furthers directs the ambient air towards the second pipe (205).
[0043] The second pipe (205) is connected to the first pipe (204) from one end and the third pipe (205) from another end, thereby a junction is created between the first pipe (204) and the second pipe (205) and another junction is created between the second pipe (205) and the third pipe (206).
[0044] The second pipe (205) moves downwards in an angular direction toward the vehicle’s bottom panel. The second pipe (205) acts as a junction between the first pipe (204) and the third pipe (206) and guides the air towards the third pipe (206).
[0045] The air enters the third pipe (206) through the second pipe (205). The third pipe (205) is positioned in the vertical direction of the vehicle. Further, the third pipe (206) lays adjacent to the air guide (202) on the side of the air guide (202) that faces the battery pack (103). The third pipe (206) has a plurality of vent holes.
[0046] The vent holes direct (207) the ambient air in direction of the battery pack (103) in a streamlined flow and further cools down the battery pack (103) and manages the thermal condition of the battery pack (103) thereby improving the battery life and reducing the chances that cause thermal and safety hazard.
[0047] Referring to FIG. 4, is an embodiment of the present invention. The plurality of air intake holes that are configured to provide ambient air to the battery pack (103) is provided on either side of the hood. The location of the air channel unit (203) is not limited to a single position or a single location such as the back side of the vehicle hood or sides of the vehicle in order to take ambient air from the surroundings.
[0048] The air channel unit (203) has the first pipe (401), the second pipe (402). The first pipe (401) serves as an inlet to intake ambient air from the surroundings and furthers directs the ambient air towards the second pipe (402).
[0049] The second pipe (402) diverts the ambient air to the battery pack (103). The second pipe (402) has vent holes. The vent holes direct (207) the ambient air in the battery pack (103) direction in a streamline flow towards the battery pack (103) and further cools down the battery pack (103).
[0050] The air channel unit (203) has a primary purpose to intake ambient air and pass it over and around the battery pack for passive external cooling of the battery pack.
[0051] Further, the air guide (202) is arranged in front of the battery pack (103). The air guide (202) defines a bowl shape or bow shape. The bowl shape covers the battery pack (103) from the front. The air guide (202) is configured to divert hot air flow (102) from the radiator (101) from reaching the battery pack (103).
TECHNICAL ADVANTAGES
[0052] With the help of the solution as proposed herein in the context of the present disclosure, the battery is cooled efficiently.
[0053] With the help of the air guide, the hot air from the radiator is redirected in a lateral direction away from the battery pack.
[0054] With the help of this arrangement, a simple setup is used consuming no or very little energy from the battery pack in order to reduce/manage its temperature.
[0055] With this mechanism to intake ambient air and pass it over and around the battery pack for external passive cooling.
[0056] It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation, no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to disclosures containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. Also, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general, such construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances, where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general, such construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”
[0057] It will be further appreciated that functions or structures of a plurality of components or steps may be combined into a single component or step, or the functions or structures of one-step or component may be split among plural steps or components. The present disclosure contemplates all of these combinations. Unless stated otherwise, dimensions and geometries of the various structures depicted herein are not intended to be restrictive of the disclosure, and other dimensions or geometries are possible. Also, while a feature of the present disclosure may have been described in the context of only one of the illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of other embodiments, for any given application. It will also be appreciated from the above that the fabrication of the unique structures herein and the operation thereof also constitute methods in accordance with the present disclosure. The present disclosure also encompasses intermediate and end products resulting from the practice of the methods herein. The use of “comprising” or “including” also contemplates embodiments that “consist essentially of” or “consist of” the recited feature. , Claims:We claim:
1. A thermal management system (200) to cool a battery pack (103) in a vehicle, the thermal management system (200) comprises:
a radiator (101) positioned behind a front grill of a vehicle;
the battery pack (103) positioned beneath a passenger compartment floor, wherein the radiator (101) and the battery pack (103) face opposite to each other,
characterized in that
an air guide (202) arranged in front of the battery pack (103) configured to divert hot air from the radiator (101) away from the battery pack (103);
an air channel unit (203) configured to provide ambient air to the battery pack (103), wherein the air channel unit (203) comprises:
a first pipe (204) with plurality of intake holes are provided on a hood top of the vehicle to receive ambient air and directs the flow of ambient air towards a second pipe (205);
the second pipe (205) provided inside the engine compartment to direct the flow of ambient air towards a third pipe (206); and
the third pipe (206) provided in front of the battery pack (103) is adjacent to a side of the air guide (202) that faces the battery pack (103) to direct the ambient air to the battery pack (103),
wherein one end of the second pipe (205) is connected to the first pipe (204) and another end of the second pipe (205) is connected to the third pipe (206).

2. The thermal management system (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second pipe (205) is inclined and moves in a downwards direction.
3. The thermal management system (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third pipe (206) is positioned longitudinally in a vehicle height direction.
4. The thermal management system (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third pipe (206) has a plurality of vent holes to distribute the ambient air towards the battery pack (103).
5. The thermal management system (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air guide (101) defines a bowl shape.
6. The thermal management system (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air channel unit (203) defines a single integrated unit formed of a single pipe.