VEHICLE BATTERY PROTECTION DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR THERMAL MANAGEMENT OF SAME

A vehicle battery protection device for preserving the charge of the vehicle battery is electrically connectable between a vehicle battery and a vehicle electrical system. The device includes a solid-state switch commandable between an on state and an off state. A thermal safety algorithm executable by the device may include a switch derating process, a thermal analysis calibration, a vehicle profile function, and a data reconciliation function. The device employs hardware and software solutions to reduce the risk of thermal runaways and component failures in the device, while maximizing its useful operating envelope. The software solutions may include predicting future thermal loads for the device based on vehicle usage patterns specific to the vehicle within which the device is installed. Those predictions may be used to generate risk datasets which influence whether and to what extent thermal mitigation measures will be employed by the device at any point in time.