The need to reduce fuel consumption and emissions in automobiles and other vehicles is well known. Therefore, vehicles are being developed that reduce or completely eliminate reliance on an internal combustion engine. Electrified vehicles are one type of vehicle currently being developed for this purpose. In general, electrified vehicles differ from conventional motor vehicles in that they are selectively driven by one or more battery powered electric machines. Conventional motor vehicles, by contrast, rely exclusively on the internal combustion engine to drive the vehicle.
Electrified vehicle batteries are typically constructed of one or more battery arrays that include a plurality of battery cells. It may be necessary to thermally manage the battery cells. For example, the battery cells may need to be cooled during some conditions or heated during other conditions.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds