Electric vehicle thermal management system with battery heat storage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11127993-B2
Application number	US-201715716333-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2017
Priority date	Sep 27, 2016
Publication date	Sep 21, 2021
Grant date	Sep 21, 2021

Abstract

Systems and methods are described herein for controlling heat flow between systems of an electric automotive vehicle. An automotive electric vehicle system includes a high voltage battery system including an enclosure, an electric powertrain system, a radiator, coolant lines that permit coolant flow between the high voltage battery system, the power train system and the radiator, one or more valves for routing coolant along the coolant lines, and a controller. The controller is configured to control the one or more valves to control the flow of coolant among a plurality of different, selectable coolant flow states involving the high voltage battery system, the powertrain system and the radiator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automotive electric vehicle system, the system comprising:
an electric powertrain system;
a battery system that provides energy to the electric powertrain system for vehicle propulsion;
a radiator;
coolant lines that permit flow of coolant between the battery system, the powertrain system and the radiator;
one or more valves configured to route coolant along the coolant lines;
a controller configured to control the valves to facilitate the flow of coolant among a plurality of different, selectable coolant flow states involving the battery system, the powertrain system, and the radiator, the controller controlling the valves at least partially based on external control inputs and priorities,
wherein the external control inputs are parameters measured, calculated or provided from outside of the vehicle and include at least one input selected from historic information, trending information, predictive information, Location-based information and intended Time of Use Charging information, and wherein the priorities are based on performance factors, and
wherein the priorities include an order of importance for providing a desired cabin environment for the occupant, satisfying a battery system requirement, and satisfying powertrain system requirements; and
a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the HVAC system comprising
an evaporator at the cabin configured to provide cabin cooling using a refrigerant, a first heat exchanger at the cabin arranged in a heat pump configuration to provide cabin heating using the refrigerant, and
a second heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the coolant to extract heat from the battery system to provide cabin heating.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of different, selectable coolant states comprises a coolant flow state in which the battery system has a closed loop coolant configuration and in which the powertrain has a configuration in which powertrain coolant bypasses the radiator.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of different, selectable coolant states comprises a coolant flow state in which the battery system has a closed loop coolant configuration and in which the powertrain has a configuration where powertrain coolant is open to the radiator.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of different, selectable coolant states comprises a coolant flow state in which coolant in the battery system is open to the powertrain and in which powertrain coolant bypasses the radiator.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of different, selectable coolant states comprises a coolant flow state in which coolant for the battery system is open to the powertrain and in which powertrain coolant is open to the radiator.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a first temperature sensor configured to sense cabin temperature;
a second temperature sensor configured to sense an ambient outside temperature;
a third temperature sensor configured to sense powertrain temperature; and
a fourth temperature sensor configured to sense battery system temperature.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to receive signals from the first, second, third and fourth temperature sensors and select one of the coolant flow states based at least in part on said signals from the first, second, third and fourth temperature sensors.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a human-machine interface configured to permit a vehicle occupant to select desired cabin environmental conditions.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to select one of the coolant flow states based at least in part on a signal from the human-machine interface.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more valves include a valve comprising five ports.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the external control inputs include currently sensed information.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the currently sensed information includes at least one of vehicle speed, vehicle load, and electrical load.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the currently sensed information includes at least one of ambient temperature, solar load, rain, and humidity.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the historic information includes historical weather information for a given location, wherein the predictive information includes weather forecasts, wherein the trending information includes commute time windows, wherein the location information includes at least one of route planning information and intended time-of-use charging information.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the priorities include at least one of cabin environment, battery system requirements, powertrain system requirements.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the priorities are set based on arbitrator logic.

17. A heat transfer system for an electric vehicle, the system comprising:
coolant lines that permit flow of coolant between a powertrain system, a battery system that provides energy to the powertrain system for vehicle propulsion, and a radiator;
one or more valves configured to route coolant along the coolant lines;
a controller configured to control the valves to facilitate the flow of coolant among a plurality of different, selectable coolant flow states involving the battery system, the powertrain system, and the radiator, the controller controlling the valves at least partially based on external control inputs and priorities,
wherein the external control inputs are parameters measured, calculated or provided from outside of the vehicle and include at least one input selected from historic information, trending information, predictive information, Location-based information and intended Time of Use Charging information, and
wherein the priorities are based on performance factors and the priorities include an order of importance for providing a desired cabin environment for the occupant, satisfying a battery system requirement, and satisfying powertrain system requirements; and
a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the HVAC system comprising
an evaporator at the cabin configured to provide cabin cooling using a refrigerant,
a first heat exchanger at the cabin arranged in a heat pump configuration to provide cabin heating using the refrigerant, and
a second heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the coolant to extract heat from the battery system to provide cabin heating.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more valves include a valve comprising five ports.

19. A method of controlling heat flow between systems of an electric automotive vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving, by at least one data processor, external data to the electric vehicle and sensor, data from one or more sensors at the electric vehicle, the electric vehicle comprising a powertrain system, a battery system that provides energy to the powertrain system for vehicle propulsion, and a radiator;
identifying, by at least one data processor, a desired coolant flow state from a plurality of different, selectable coolant flow states that permit flow of coolant among the battery system, the powertrain system, and the radiator;
providing, by at least one data processor, output to a controller to facilitate control of the desired coolant flow state; and
controlling a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system to provide a desired cabi

Assignees

• Rivian Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• King Jonathan

Classifications

• B60H1/00499

  Heat or cold storage without phase change including solid bodies, e.g. batteries · CPC title

• B60H1/00278

  for the battery · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title

• B60K2001/003

  with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units · CPC title

• B60K1/04

  of the electric storage means for propulsion · CPC title