Fast thermal dumping for batteries

Abstract

A cooling system includes a fluid delivery system configured to bring a working liquid (such as water) into thermal contact with a battery where it vaporizes into an exhaust gas, and an exhaust system configured to vent the exhaust gas.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 55 . (canceled) 
     
     
         56 . A system for cooling a battery, comprising:
 means for bringing a working liquid into thermal contact with at least a portion of the battery, wherein the working liquid includes a liquid chosen from water, a chlorofluorocarbon, a hydrofluorocarbon, a hydrofluorochlorocarbon, and a bromochlorofluorocarbon;   means for allowing heat from the battery to vaporize the working liquid; and   means for venting the vaporized working liquid.   
     
     
         57 . (canceled) 
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the working liquid further includes a mixture of liquids chosen from a chlorofluorocarbon, a hydrofluorocarbon, a hydrofluorochlorocarbon, and a bromochlorofluorocarbon. 
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the means for bringing the working liquid into thermal contact with at least a portion of the battery includes means for bringing the working liquid from a storage tank without an existing connection to an external liquid supply. 
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the means for bringing the working liquid into thermal contact with at least a portion of the battery includes means for routing working liquid through the battery interior. 
     
     
         61 . The system of  claim 60 , wherein the means for bringing the working liquid into thermal contact with at least a portion of the battery includes means for routing the working liquid through a plurality of locations within the battery. 
     
     
         62 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the means for bringing the working liquid into thermal contact with at least a portion of the battery includes means for cooling different portions of the battery at different cooling rates. 
     
     
         63 . The system of  claim 62 , wherein the battery includes a plurality of cells, and wherein the means for bringing the working liquid into thermal contact with at least a portion of the battery includes means for separately cooling each cell of the battery. 
     
     
         64 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the means for bringing the working liquid into thermal contact with at least a portion of the battery includes a pump. 
     
     
         65 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the means for bringing the working liquid into thermal contact with at least a portion of the battery includes a valve. 
     
     
         66 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the means for bringing the working liquid into thermal contact with at least a portion of the battery includes a pressurization source. 
     
     
         67 . The system of  claim 66 , wherein the pressurization source includes at least a portion of the exhaust gas. 
     
     
         68 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the means for bringing the working liquid into thermal contact with at least a portion of the battery includes means for activating the cooling system in response to a battery condition. 
     
     
         69 . The system of  claim 68 , wherein the battery condition is temperature. 
     
     
         70 . The system of  claim 68 , wherein the battery condition is current. 
     
     
         71 . The system of  claim 68 , wherein the battery condition is rate of change of temperature. 
     
     
         72 . The system of  claim 68 , wherein the battery condition is acceleration, acceleration history, speed, or speed history of the battery. 
     
     
         73 . The system of  claim 68 , wherein the battery condition is internal pressure of the battery. 
     
     
         74 . The system of  claim 68 , wherein the battery condition is structural integrity of the battery. 
     
     
         75 . The system of  claim 68 , further comprising means for storing a record of the battery condition in a memory. 
     
     
         76 . The system of  claim 68 , further comprising means for storing a record of the cooling system activation in a memory. 
     
     
         77 . The system of  claim 56 , further comprising means for transporting heat from the interior of the battery to an external heat exchanger, wherein the means for bringing the working liquid into thermal contact with at least a portion of the battery includes means for bringing the working liquid into thermal contact with the external heat exchanger. 
     
     
         78 . The system of  claim 77 , wherein the means for transporting heat from the interior of the battery to an external heat exchanger include a heat pipe. 
     
     
         79 . The system of  claim 77 , wherein the means for transporting heat from the interior of the battery to an external heat exchanger include a coolant flow conduit. 
     
     
         80 . The system of  claim 77 , wherein the means for transporting heat from the interior of the battery to an external heat exchanger include a thermal conductor. 
     
     
         81 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the means for bringing the working liquid into thermal contact with at least a portion of the battery includes means for activating the cooling system in response to an external command. 
     
     
         82 . The system of  claim 56 , further comprising means for responding to a battery condition by adjusting a flow rate of working liquid delivered to the battery. 
     
     
         83 . The system of  claim 82 , wherein the means for responding to a battery condition by adjusting a flow rate of working liquid delivered to the battery include means for adjusting the flow rate of working liquid in response to a battery temperature profile. 
     
     
         84 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the battery includes a plurality of cells, and wherein the means for bringing the working liquid into thermal contact with at least a portion of the battery includes means for delivering liquid to individual cells at different rates.