Heater and method of operation therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10138859-B2
Application number	US-201314378451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2013
Priority date	Feb 13, 2012
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A heater system for preheating a vehicle and method of operating the same, wherein the method of operation is dependent upon the temperature of the coolant fluid in the vehicle coolant system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control system for a heater of a vehicle for preheating vehicle components via fluid in a heat exchanger, the control system comprising a control unit configured, prior to starting of an engine of the vehicle:
to receive a wake signal to commence heating;
to determine, prior to commencing heating of the fluid, a parameter value indicative of a flow capability of the fluid in dependence on data received from one or more sensors;
to select, prior to commencing heating of the fluid, a heating sequence from at least two heating profile sequences in dependence on the determined parameter value indicative of the flow capability of the fluid, the at least two heating profile sequences comprising a first heating profile sequence for use when the parameter value indicates that the flow capability of the fluid is above a predetermined threshold value and a second heating profile sequence for use when the parameter value indicates that the flow capability of the fluid is below a predetermined threshold value; and
to initiate the selected heating profile sequence of the heater to commence heating of the fluid,
wherein the control system is configured so that, in the second heating profile sequence the heater is operated such that heat is transferred to the fluid at a lower average rate for at least an initial period than when the heater is operated according to the first heating profile sequence.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to:
determine the flow capability of the fluid by determining the parameter value after initiating the heating profile sequence, and
change the initiated heating profile sequence to another one of the at least two heating profile sequences when the initiated heating profile sequence is wrong for the determined flow capability.

3. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to receive an error code indicating that the fluid is being overheated or will be overheated.

4. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to:
stop the heating profile sequence;
monitor the parameter value indicative of the flow capability of the fluid;
repeating the monitoring until the parameter value reaches a pre-determined value.

5. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to repeat initiation of the heating profile sequence to restart the heating profile sequence.

6. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to initiate a further heating profile sequence selected from the at least two sequences, the further heating profile sequence being different than the initiated heating profile sequence.

7. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to determine the flow capability of the fluid by measurement of at least one of the following:
the temperature of the fluid;
the temperature of ambient air; and
the viscosity of the fluid.

8. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured so that, in the second heating profile sequence the heater is operated so that heat is transferred to the fluid such that the flow capability of the fluid is increased, without overheating of the fluid.

9. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured so that, when in the second heating profile sequence the heater is operated so that the flow capability of the fluid is increased, during the initial period, such that afterwards the rate of heat transfer may be increased without overheating of the fluid.

10. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured so that, in the second heating profile sequence the heater is operated such that heat is transferred to the fluid at a rate which is sufficiently low to prevent overheating of the fluid, in the region of the heater where heat transfers to the fluid.

11. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured so that, in the second heating profile sequence, the heater generates a lower rate of heat output for a preliminary period, wherein the preliminary period is longer than the initial period.

12. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the heater is a fuel operated heater comprising a fuel pump, and wherein the control system is configured to cause the fuel pump to pump fuel to the fuel operated heater at a lower average flow rate in the second sequence than in the first sequence.

13. A heater system for preheating vehicle components, the heater system comprising:
a heater arranged to heat a fluidic circuit; and
the control system according to claim 1 for controlling the heater.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein the heater comprises a fuel operated heater, and the heater system further comprises a fuel pump in fluidic connection with a fuel tank, the fuel pump being capable of delivering fuel from the fuel tank to the heater at two or more different rates.

15. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the heater system further comprises:
a fluidic circuit coupling the heater to a vehicle component to be heated;
a fluid within the fluidic circuit;
a sensor for measuring the parameter indicative of the flow capability of the fluid.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the component to be heated comprises at least one from an internal combustion engine for a vehicle and a HEVAC system for a vehicle.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor for determining the temperature of the fluid in the fluidic circuit.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the temperature sensor is arranged to send a signal indicating overheating of the fluid.

19. A vehicle comprising the heater system according to claim 13 .

20. A method of operating a heater for preheating components of a vehicle via a fluid in a heat exchanger, the method being operable prior to starting an engine of the vehicle, the method comprising:
a) receiving a wake signal to commence heating;
b) determining, prior to commencing heating of the fluid, a parameter value indicative of a flow capability of the fluid in dependence on data received from one or more sensors;
c) selecting, prior to commencing heating of the fluid, a heating sequence from at least two heating profile sequences in dependence on the determined parameter value indicative of the flow capability of the fluid, the at least two heating profile sequences comprising a first heating profile sequence for use when the parameter value indicates that the flow capability of the fluid is above a predetermined threshold value and a second heating profile sequence for use when the parameter value indicates that the flow capability of the fluid is below a predetermined threshold value;
d) initiating the selected heating profile sequence of the heater to commence heating of the fluid;
wherein in the second heating profile sequence the heater is operated such that heat is transferred to the fluid at a lower average rate for at least an initial period than when the heater is operated according to the first heating profile sequence.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein, in the second heating profile sequence the heater is operated such that heat is transferred to the fluid at a lower average rate for at least an initial period than when the heater is operated according to the first heating profile sequence.

Assignees

• Jaguar Land Rover Ltd

Inventors

• Godsall Colin
• Taylor Dominic

Classifications

• F23N2227/02

  Starting or ignition cycles · CPC title

• F23N2241/14

  Vehicle heating, the heat being derived otherwise than from the propulsion plant · CPC title

• F23N2225/18

  feedwater temperature · CPC title

• F23N2225/13

  outdoor temperature · CPC title

• F23N2225/14

  Ambient temperature around burners · CPC title