Apparatus and method for cooling a high heat-generating component of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11118731-B2
Application number	US-201916376490-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2019
Priority date	Apr 5, 2019
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for cooling a high heat-generating vehicle component having a coolant loop. The apparatus comprises an air compressor assembly including a heat-sinking portion that can be thermally coupled to the coolant loop to transfer heat energy away from the coolant loop to enhance cooling of the vehicle component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for cooling a high heat-generating vehicle component having a coolant loop, the apparatus comprising:
an air compressor assembly including a heat-sinking portion that can be thermally coupled to the coolant loop to transfer heat energy away from the coolant loop to enhance cooling of the vehicle component, wherein the heat-sinking portion of the air compressor assembly includes (i) an inlet port connectable to a first portion of the coolant loop for receiving hot coolant from the vehicle component, (ii) an outlet port connectable to a second portion of the coolant loop for returning cooled coolant from the heat-sinking portion back to the vehicle component and (iii) an oil reservoir having a heat exchanger which is submerged in oil contained in the oil reservoir and arranged to absorb heat energy from the hot coolant received from the vehicle component.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a hollowed-out body interconnecting the inlet and outlet ports and through which the hot coolant flows to allow heat energy to be transferred from the hot coolant through the body to the oil contained in the oil reservoir.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of hollowed-out fin members interconnecting the inlet and outlet ports and through which the hot coolant flows to allow heat energy to be transferred from the hot coolant through the fin members to the oil contained in the oil reservoir.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a coil-shaped metal conduit interconnecting the inlet and outlet ports and through which the hot coolant flows to allow heat energy to be transferred from the hot coolant through thickness of the metal conduit to the oil contained in the oil reservoir.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the coil-shaped metal conduit comprises a spiral-shaped metal conduit.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the coil-shaped metal conduit comprises an irregular-shaped metal conduit.

7. An apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the oil reservoir includes a body and surface convolutions which are arranged to absorb heat energy from the oil contained in the oil reservoir and transfer the absorbed heat energy to the body of the oil reservoir.

8. An apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the oil reservoir includes a body and dual surface undulations which are arranged to absorb heat energy from the oil contained in the oil reservoir and transfer the absorbed heat energy to the body of the oil reservoir.

9. A heavy electric vehicle comprising the apparatus of claim 1 .

10. A method of operating a heavy electric vehicle using the apparatus of claim 1 .

11. An apparatus for cooling a high heat-generating vehicle component, the apparatus comprising:
an air compressor assembly including:
a reservoir containing a liquid;
a heat exchanger submerged at least in part in the liquid contained in the reservoir;
an inlet port connected to one end of the heat exchanger and for receiving hot coolant from the vehicle component; and

an outlet port connected to an opposite end of the heat exchanger and for returning coolant that has been cooled by the heat exchanger back to the vehicle component.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the reservoir comprises an oil reservoir containing lubricating oil.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the heat exchanger is configured to receive a hot liquid coolant from the vehicle component.

14. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the heat exchanger is configured to receive a hot gaseous coolant from the vehicle component.

15. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a hollowed-out body interconnecting the inlet and outlet ports and through which the hot coolant flows to allow heat energy to be transferred from the hot coolant through the body to the liquid contained in the reservoir.

16. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of hollowed-out fin members interconnecting the inlet and outlet ports and through which the hot coolant flows to allow heat energy to be transferred from the hot coolant through the fin members to the liquid contained in the reservoir.

17. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a coil-shaped metal conduit interconnecting the inlet and outlet ports and through which the hot coolant flows to allow heat energy to be transferred from the hot coolant through thickness of the metal conduit to the liquid contained in the reservoir.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the coil-shaped metal conduit comprises a spiral-shaped metal conduit.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the coil-shaped metal conduit comprises an irregular-shaped metal conduit.

20. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the reservoir includes a body and surface convolutions which are arranged to absorb heat energy from the liquid contained in the reservoir and transfer the absorbed heat energy to the body of the reservoir.

21. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the reservoir includes a body and dual surface undulations which are arranged to absorb heat energy from the liquid contained in the reservoir and transfer the absorbed heat energy to the body of the reservoir.

22. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the air compressor assembly is operative to draw heat energy away from the vehicle component when temperature of the hot coolant received from the vehicle component is in a temperature range between about −30 degrees C. and about +70 degrees C. and environmental conditions are cooler than the temperature of the hot coolant.

23. An apparatus for cooling a high heat-generating vehicle component, the apparatus comprising:
an air compressor assembly; and
means interconnecting the vehicle component and the air compressor assembly and for enabling heat energy to be transferred away from the vehicle component and dissipated within the air compressor assembly, wherein the interconnecting means includes an inlet port connectable to a first fluid conduit associated with the vehicle component and for enabling hot coolant to flow from the vehicle component to the air compressor assembly, an outlet port connectable to a second fluid conduit associated with the vehicle component and for enabling cooled coolant to be returned from the air compressor back to the vehicle component, a heat exchanger connected between the inlet and outlet ports, and a reservoir containing a liquid in which the heat exchanger is submerged.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein the air compressor assembly is operative to draw heat energy away from the vehicle component when temperature of a hot coolant received from the vehicle component is in a temperature range between about −30 degrees C. and about +70 degrees C. and environmental conditions are cooler than the temperature of the hot coolant.

25. An apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein the air compressor assembly is operative to expel heat energy from the air compressor assembly to a low-temperature compressor cooling system when temperature of a hot coolant received from the vehicle component is about +70 degrees C.

26. An apparatus for cooling at least one high heat-generating vehicle componen

Assignees

• Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems Llc

Inventors

• Plow William
• Howe Stephen
• Matko Mark A

Classifications

• F16N2210/16

  Pumps · CPC title

• F01M2005/004

  Oil-cooled engines · CPC title

• F16N2210/04

  Vehicles · CPC title

• F01P3/12

  Arrangements for cooling other engine or machine parts · CPC title

• F01P3/20

  Cooling circuits not specific to a single part of engine or machine (F01P3/22 takes precedence) · CPC title