Patent ID: 9236639
Filing Date: 2016-01-12
CPC Classification: H01M,Y02E

Claim Text:
1. A method of controlling a temperature of a battery, comprising: providing a thermoelectric device that is part of a thermoelectric module; providing a thermal spreader that is part of said thermoelectric module and that is in direct contact conductive heat transfer with said battery, said thermal spreader being parallel spaced from a first surface of said thermoelectric device such that the first surface of said thermoelectric device is thermally coupled with a portion of a surface of said battery via said thermal spreader; providing a first air duct that is between said thermoelectric device and said thermal spreader in said thermoelectric module, said first air duct thermally coupling said first surface of said thermoelectric device in convective heat transfer with said battery via an airflow path; providing a second air duct that is between said thermoelectric device and an outer wall of said thermoelectric module, said second air duct thermally coupling a second surface of said thermoelectric device to the ambient atmosphere through said second air duct; measuring an actual temperature of said battery; comparing said actual temperature to a reference temperature for said battery; heating said battery by operation of said thermoelectric device through said conductive heat transfer and convective heat transfer when said actual temperature is less than said reference temperature; and cooling said battery by operation of said thermoelectric device through said conductive heat transfer and convective heat transfer when said actual temperature exceeds said reference temperature.