How Electric Cars Pre-Cool Batteries Before Fast Charging

This patent describes an electric vehicle system that automatically cools its main battery to an ideal temperature while driving to a charging station, making charging faster and more efficient.

What it covers

This patent details a system for electric vehicles to prepare their batteries for charging. A controller in the vehicle automatically detects when the car is heading to a charging station, specifically when the battery's charge is below a certain level (Claim 1). As the car drives, the controller activates the battery cooling system. This system uses a special material called a phase change material (PCM) that surrounds part of the battery (Claim 5). Refrigerant coolant circulates to cool this PCM, which in turn cools the battery to a specific target temperature by the time the vehicle arrives at the charging station (Claim 1, 5). For example, if you set your navigation to a fast charger and your battery is low, the car starts cooling the battery on the highway so it's ready for optimal charging when you plug in.

What it doesn't cover

• —Does not cover pre-cooling systems that activate only after the vehicle arrives at the charging station.
• —Does not cover systems that pre-cool the battery when its state of charge is above a predefined threshold (Claim 1).
• —Does not cover battery pre-cooling without the use of a phase change material (PCM) as a cold storage component (Claim 5, 8).
• —Does not cover systems where the cooling rate is not adjusted based on factors like the battery's discharge rate, distance to the station, and the charging station's expected rate (Claim 4, 6).
• —Does not cover pre-cooling methods that do not involve circulating a refrigerant coolant to the phase change material (Claim 5, 8).

The clever bit

The novelty lies in the system's ability to intelligently predict and proactively pre-cool the battery *during* the drive to a charging station, using a phase change material for efficient cold storage, rather than waiting until the vehicle is parked and plugged in.

Why it matters

Electric vehicle batteries perform best and charge fastest within a specific temperature range. If a battery is too hot or too cold, charging can be slower and less efficient, and it can even degrade the battery over time. This technology aims to optimize the charging process by ensuring the battery is at its ideal temperature upon arrival, which is crucial for improving the user experience and extending battery life in modern EVs.

Real-world examples

• 1.Ford F-150 Lightning
• 2.Ford Mustang Mach-E
• 3.Tesla Supercharger preconditioning
• 4.Hyundai Ioniq 5 battery preconditioning
• 5.Kia EV6 battery preconditioning
• 6.Most modern electric vehicles with advanced thermal management