US 11,990,598 B1
Heat activated multiphase fluid-operated pump for battery temperature control
Mudasir Ahmad, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Hamfop Technologies LLC
Filed by HAMFOP Technologies LLC, Sacramento, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 10, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/471,636.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/076,546, filed on Sep. 10, 2020.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01M 10/6569 (2014.01); H01M 10/613 (2014.01); H01M 10/625 (2014.01); H01M 10/6557 (2014.01); H02K 9/14 (2006.01); H02K 9/19 (2006.01)
CPC H01M 10/6569 (2015.04) [H01M 10/613 (2015.04); H01M 10/625 (2015.04); H01M 10/6557 (2015.04); H02K 9/14 (2013.01); H02K 9/19 (2013.01); H01M 2220/20 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A heat-activated pump for temperature regulation of a battery, comprising:
an evaporator having one or more fluid passageways passing adjacent to individual cells of a battery, the passageways containing a working fluid and receptive of applied heat to convert the working fluid into vapor;
a pressure-control valve coupled to an exit port of the fluid passageways of the evaporator and maintaining the working fluid in the evaporator at a set target pressure and allowing vaporized working fluid to escape through the exit port whenever the target pressure is exceeded;
a liquid-piston chamber coupled to the pressure-control valve to receive vaporized working fluid from the evaporator at the target pressure, the vaporized working fluid expanding adiabatically and displacing liquid within the liquid-piston chamber, expelling it therefrom in a pumping stage of a thermodynamic cycle;
a unidirectional pump-exit check valve coupled to an exit port of the liquid-piston chamber to allow the displaced liquid to exit the liquid-piston chamber;
a unidirectional liquid suction-entry check valve coupled to a return port of the liquid-piston chamber;
a condenser coupled to the pump-exit and suction-entry check valves to receive displaced liquid and allow it to return to the liquid-piston chamber in a suction stage of the thermodynamic cycle; and
a unidirectional vapor-injector return check valve coupled to both an exit port of the liquid-piston chamber and to an input port of the fluid passageways of the evaporator, wherein periodic pressure pulses from the liquid-piston chamber that temporarily exceed the pressure in the evaporator facilitate jets of condensed fluid to return in successive brief spurts.