TW201939807A - Electronic device with adaptive temperature management and related method - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic device with adaptive temperature management includes a battery pack, a fan, a thermal conduit, a solenoid valve switch, and an embedded controller. The battery pack includes one or multiple batteries, an air pipe, and a gas gauge. The fan is configured to provide cool air for heat dissipation. The thermal conduit is configured to provide hot air by conducting heat generated during the operation of the electronic device. The solenoid valve includes a magnetic core and an electromagnetic coil, wherein the magnetic core includes a heat dissipation hole and a heating hole. The embedded controller is configured to control the speed of the fan and the status of the solenoid valve switch according to the temperature information provided by the gas gauge.

Description

Electronic device and method for adaptive battery temperature management

The present invention relates to an electronic device and related temperature management method for providing battery temperature management, and more particularly, to an electronic device and related self-adaptive battery temperature management method capable of performing adaptive battery temperature management according to the operating temperature of a battery pack.

Lithium batteries have the advantages of high energy density, high operating voltage, wide operating temperature range, no memory effect, long life, and high charge and discharge times. They have been widely used to provide power, such as used in mobile phones, notebook computers or digital Portable electronics such as cameras.

In the application of competitive laptops, the transformer of the notebook computer is mostly plugged in for a long time, and many users are also accustomed to operating the phone while plugging the phone into an AC power source. In this way, the lithium battery is prone to be at a full high voltage for a long time, and the long time will cause the electrolyte in the lithium battery to volatilize into a gas, so that the lithium battery will swell. When the ambient temperature is higher than 35 ° C, the lithium battery capacity is more prone to swell. On the other hand, when operating in a low temperature environment, in addition to the risk of freezing the electrolyte in the lithium battery, the battery performance will also decrease.

Therefore, there is a need for an electronic device with adaptive battery temperature management to reduce the occurrence of high-temperature expansion of the lithium battery or freezing of the low-temperature electrolyte.

The invention provides an electronic device for adaptive battery temperature management, which includes a battery pack, a fan, a heat pipe, a solenoid valve switch, and a system embedded controller. The battery pack includes one or more batteries, a vent tube, and a battery power measuring element, which are used to detect an operating temperature of one of the battery packs and report corresponding temperature information. This fan is used to provide cooling air for heat dissipation. The heat pipe is used to guide the thermal energy generated during the operation of the electronic device to provide heating air. The solenoid valve switch includes a magnetic column and an electromagnetic coil, wherein the magnetic column includes a heat dissipation hole and a heating hole. The embedded controller of the system is used to control the rotation speed of the fan and the energized state of the solenoid valve switch according to the temperature information provided by the battery power measuring element.

The invention further provides a method for self-adaptive battery temperature management in an electronic device. The electronic device includes a battery pack, a fan, a heat pipe, a solenoid valve switch, and a system embedded controller. The method includes detecting an operating temperature of one of the battery packs to report corresponding temperature information; the heat pipe guides the thermal energy generated when the electronic device operates to provide a heating wind; when the system embedded controller is based on the temperature When the information judges that the operating temperature of the battery pack exceeds a maximum rated temperature, the fan is turned on to provide a cooling air, and the cooling air is introduced into a ventilation pipe in the battery pack through the solenoid valve switch and the heating air is blocked from entering The ventilation pipe; when the system embedded controller judges that the operating temperature of the battery pack is lower than a minimum rated temperature according to the temperature information, turn off the fan, and introduce the heating air into the ventilation pipe through the solenoid valve switch .

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an electronic device 100 for adaptive battery temperature management according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device 100 includes a battery pack 10, a system embedded controller (EC) 20, a fan 30, a heat pipe 40, and a solenoid valve switch 50.

The battery pack 10 includes one or more batteries BT ₁ to BT _M (M is a positive integer), a vent tube 14, and a battery gas gauge 16 with a built-in microcontroller. The battery power measurement element 16 can monitor the status of the battery pack 10, and then provide the remaining power, remaining power supply time, battery voltage, operating temperature, and average current measurement values to the system embedded controller 20.

To ensure that the electronic device 100 does not crash due to overheating, the fan 30 may provide cooling air for heat dissipation. The heat pipe 40 can guide the thermal energy generated during the operation of the electronic device 100 to provide heating air. In one embodiment, the system heat source guided by the heat pipe 40 may come from a central processing unit (CPU) of the electronic device 100. In other embodiments, the system heat source guided by the heat pipe 40 may come from other high computing elements (not shown) in the electronic device 100, such as from a graphics processing unit (GPU). However, the manner in which the heat pipe 40 guides the heat source of the system does not limit the scope of the present invention.

2 and 3 are schematic diagrams of the structure and operation of the solenoid valve switch 50 in the embodiment of the present invention. The solenoid valve switch 50 is a valve driven by an electromagnetic coil, and is disposed on one side of the battery pack 10 to control a path for cooling air and heating air to enter the ventilation pipe 14. In an embodiment, the solenoid valve switch 50 includes a magnetic post 52 and an electromagnetic coil 54, wherein the magnetic post 52 includes a heat dissipation hole 56 and a heating hole 58. When the electromagnetic coil 54 is in the non-energized state, the magnetic column 52 is in the initial position. At this time, the distance between the heat dissipation hole 56 and the electromagnetic coil 54 is A1, and the distance between the heating hole 58 and the electromagnetic coil 54 is B1. As shown in Figure 2. When the electromagnetic coil 54 is in the energized state, the generated magnetic force will push the magnetic column 52 (the direction is indicated by the arrow). At this time, the distance between the heat dissipation hole 56 and the electromagnetic coil 54 is A2 (A2> A1), and the heating The distance between the hole 58 and the electromagnetic coil 54 is B2 (B2> B1), as shown in FIG. 3.

The present invention determines the value of A1 according to the actual position of each component in the electronic device 100, so that when the solenoid valve switch 50 is not energized, the heat dissipation hole 56 on the magnetic column 52 will be aligned with the 30 air outlet path of the fan for cooling The wind enters the air duct 14. The present invention determines the value of B2 according to the actual setting positions of the various components in the electronic device 100, so that when the solenoid valve switch 50 is in the energized state, the heating hole 58 on the magnetic column 52 will be aligned with the air path of the heat pipe 40 to allow the heating wind Into the air duct 14. However, the type or structure of the solenoid valve switch 50 does not limit the scope of the present invention.

4 to 6 are schematic diagrams of various operating states of the electronic device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the present invention, the system embedded controller 20 can control the rotation speed of the fan 30 and the power-on state of the solenoid valve switch 50 according to the temperature information provided by the battery power measurement element 16. When the operating temperature of the battery pack 10 is between a minimum rated temperature T _MIN and a maximum rated temperature T _MAX , the battery pack 10 can operate at an ideal temperature to provide the best performance. When the operating temperature of the battery pack 10 exceeds the maximum rated temperature T _MAX , the electrolyte of the battery pack 10 is liable to volatilize into gas when operating in an overheated state at this time, resulting in expansion. When the operating temperature of the battery pack 10 is lower than the minimum rated temperature T _MIN , its electrolyte may cause permanent injury due to freezing when it is operating at a low temperature.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the electronic device 100 operating in an ideal temperature state according to an embodiment of the present invention. When the temperature information provided by the battery power measurement element 16 indicates that the operating temperature of the battery pack 10 is between the minimum rated temperature T _MIN and the maximum rated temperature T _MAX , the battery power measurement element 16 reports the normal temperature state to the embedded The controller further controls the electromagnetic coil 54 in a non-energized state through software, and keeps the fan 30 in an off state. At this time, the heat dissipation hole 56 that does not extend out of the magnetic column 52 will be aligned with the air path of the fan 30, and The heating air provided by the heat pipe 40 is blocked by the magnetic column 52 and cannot enter the ventilation pipe 14 of the battery pack 10. In other words, since the battery pack 10 operates at an ideal temperature state, no heating air or cooling air is introduced into the ventilation pipe 14 of the battery pack 10 at this time.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the electronic device 100 operating in a high temperature state according to an embodiment of the present invention. When the temperature information provided by the battery power measurement element 16 shows that the operating temperature of the battery pack 10 exceeds the maximum rated temperature T _MAX , the battery power measurement element 16 reports the abnormal temperature state to the system embedded controller 20, and then uses software To control the electromagnetic coil 54 to remain in a non-energized state and to turn on the fan 30. At this time, the heat dissipation hole 56 on the magnetic column 52 that is not extended will align the air path of the fan 30 to provide a cooling channel for the battery pack 10, that is, the fan The cooling air provided by 30 is introduced into the air duct 14 of the battery pack 10 to reduce the temperature of each battery 12, and the heating air provided by the heat pipe 40 is blocked by the magnetic column 52 and cannot enter the air duct 14 of the battery pack 10. In other words, since the battery pack 10 operates in a high temperature state, cooling air is introduced into the ventilation pipe 14 of the battery pack 10 at this time to achieve the purpose of heat dissipation. The higher the operating temperature of the battery pack 10, the more the system embedded controller 20 will increase the speed of the fan 30 so that the battery pack 10 can return to the ideal temperature operation.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the electronic device 100 operating in a low temperature state according to an embodiment of the present invention. When the temperature information provided by the battery power measurement element 16 indicates that the operating temperature of the battery pack 10 is lower than the minimum rated temperature T _MIN , the battery power measurement element 16 reports an abnormal temperature state to the system embedded controller 20, and then uses software to The magnetic coil 54 is controlled to enter the energized state, and the fan 30 is maintained in an off state. At this time, the magnetic column 52 is extended to align the heating hole 58 with the air path of the heat pipe 40 to provide a heating path for the battery pack 10. In other words, since the battery packs 10 are operated at a low temperature, the heating air provided by the heat pipe 40 is introduced into the ventilation pipe 14 of the battery packs 10 to raise the temperature of each battery 12.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the battery pack 10 includes a thin and thin battery BT ₁ disposed on one side of the casing 12, and the vent tube 14 is disposed on the other side of the casing 12 adjacent to the battery BT _1. Surface space. The ventilation pipe 14 can not only allow the cooling air introduced by the heat dissipation holes 56 or the heating wind introduced by the heating holes 58 to flow to the entire battery BT ₁ , but also enhance the structural strength of the battery pack 10.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a battery pack 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the battery pack 10 includes a plurality of cylindrical batteries BT ₁ to BT ₈ (the battery BT ₈ is located below the battery BT ₅ and behind the battery BT ₄ ), and is respectively disposed in a casing. 12 inside each corner, and the ventilation pipe 14 is disposed in a cross-shaped space in the center of the casing 12. The ventilation pipe 14 can not only allow the cooling air introduced by the heat dissipation holes 56 or the heating wind introduced by the heating holes 58 to flow to the batteries BT ₁ to BT ₈ as a whole, but also enhance the structural strength of the battery pack 10.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the ventilation pipe 14 may be made of any material (such as copper) having a high thermal conductivity, so as to improve the high heat dissipation or heating efficiency. However, the material of the vent tube 14 does not limit the scope of the present invention.

In summary, the electronic device 100 of the present invention can use the battery power measurement element 16 to monitor the operating temperature of the battery pack 10, and then the system embedded controller 20 controls the fan 30 according to the temperature information provided by the battery power measurement element 16. And the energized state of the solenoid valve switch 50. When it is determined that the electronic device 100 is operating in a high temperature state, the cooling air provided by the fan 30 is introduced into the ventilation pipe 14 of the battery pack 10 at this time to achieve the purpose of heat dissipation. When it is determined that the electronic device 100 is operating in a low temperature state, the heating wind provided by the heat pipe 40 is introduced into the ventilation pipe 14 of the battery pack 10 to raise the temperature of each battery 12. Therefore, the electronic device 100 of the present invention can provide self-adaptive battery temperature management to ensure that the battery pack 10 can quickly return to the ideal temperature state to avoid high-temperature expansion or low-temperature electrolyte freezing of the battery pack. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and all equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the scope of patent application of the present invention shall fall within the scope of the present invention.

10‧‧‧ battery pack

12‧‧‧shell

14‧‧‧ Snorkel

16‧‧‧Battery power measuring element

20‧‧‧System Embedded Controller

30‧‧‧fan

40‧‧‧ heat pipe

50‧‧‧Solenoid valve switch

52‧‧‧ Magnetic Post

54‧‧‧Solenoid coil

56‧‧‧Ventilation holes

58‧‧‧heating hole

100‧‧‧ electronic device

BT ₁ ~ BT _M ‧‧‧ Battery

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an electronic device for adaptive battery temperature management according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 and 3 are schematic diagrams of the structure and operation of the solenoid valve switch in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device operating under an ideal temperature state according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device operating under a high temperature state according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device operating in a low temperature state according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (11)

An electronic device for adaptive battery temperature management includes: a battery pack including: one or more batteries; a snorkel; and a battery power gauge (gas gauge) for detecting one of the battery packs Operating temperature to report corresponding temperature information; a fan to provide cooling air for heat dissipation; a heat pipe to guide the thermal energy generated by the electronic device to provide heating air; a solenoid valve The switch includes a magnetic column and an electromagnetic coil, wherein the magnetic column includes a heat dissipation hole and a heating hole; and a system embedded controller (EC) for measuring the power provided by the battery power measurement element. The temperature information controls the rotation speed of the fan and the energized state of the solenoid valve switch. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the operating temperature of the battery pack exceeds a maximum rated temperature according to the temperature information, the system embedded controller is further used to turn on the fan and maintain the electromagnetic coil. In a non-energized state, the heat dissipation holes on the magnetic column are aligned with the air outlet path of the fan, and then the cooling air provided by the fan is introduced into the air duct. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein when it is judged that the operating temperature of the battery pack is lower than a minimum rated temperature according to the temperature information, the system embedded controller is further used to turn off the fan and let the electromagnetic coil Maintaining an energized state so that the heating hole on the magnetic column is aligned with the air outlet path of the heat pipe, and then the heating air provided by the heat pipe is introduced into the air pipe. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein when the operating temperature of the battery pack is determined to be between a minimum rated temperature and a maximum rated temperature according to the temperature information, the system embedded controller is further configured to turn off the The fan maintains the electromagnetic coil in a non-energized state to block an air path from the heat pipe to the air pipe. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: the one or more batteries include a flat thin battery, which is disposed on a first side in a casing; and the ventilation pipe is disposed on a second side and adjacent to the casing. Space on the surface of the flat thin battery. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: the one or more batteries include a plurality of cylindrical batteries, which are respectively disposed at each corner or side of a casing; and the ventilation pipe is disposed at one of the center of the casing Inside the cruciform space. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the heat pipe guides heat generated during operation of a central processing unit to provide the heating air. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the ventilation pipe comprises a material having a high thermal conductivity. A method for self-adaptive battery temperature management in an electronic device. The electronic device includes a battery pack, a fan, a heat pipe, a solenoid valve switch, and a system embedded controller. The method includes: detecting the battery One of the groups operates the temperature to report the corresponding temperature information; the heat pipe guides the thermal energy generated by the electronic device to provide a heating air; when the system embedded controller judges the battery pack based on the temperature information When the operating temperature exceeds a maximum rated temperature, the fan is turned on to provide a cooling air, and the cooling air is introduced into an air duct of the battery pack through the solenoid valve switch and the heating air is blocked from entering the air duct; when the system When the embedded controller judges that the operating temperature of the battery pack is lower than a minimum rated temperature according to the temperature information, the fan is turned off, and the heating air is introduced into the ventilation pipe through the solenoid valve switch. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: when the system embedded controller judges that the operating temperature of the battery pack is between the minimum rated temperature and the maximum rated temperature according to the temperature information, turning off the fan And through the solenoid valve switch to block the heating wind from entering the ventilation pipe. The method according to claim 9, wherein the heat pipe guides heat generated during operation of a central processing unit to provide the heating air.