Thermal management system for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11130385-B2
Application number	US-201916435109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2019
Priority date	Jun 8, 2018
Publication date	Sep 28, 2021
Grant date	Sep 28, 2021

Abstract

A thermal management system for a vehicle may include a refrigerant circuit in which a refrigerant circulates, as well as a heating circuit, a first coolant circuit configured for a temperature control of a drive device of the vehicle, and a second coolant circuit configured for a temperature control of an electrical store of the vehicle in which a coolant circulates. The system may further include a chiller incorporated in the refrigerant circuit and a chiller guide fluidically separate from the refrigerant circuit. The chiller guide may have a chiller path configured to conduct the coolant and which extends through the chiller, and may have a bypass path configured to conduct the coolant and which circumvents the chiller. The system may additionally include a chiller valve device configured to selectively fluidically connect the first coolant circuit and the second coolant circuit to the chiller path and the bypass path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermal management system for a vehicle having an electric drive device and an electrical store for providing a supply to the drive device, the thermal management system comprising:
a refrigerant circuit in which a refrigerant circulates during operation and in which a refrigerant compressor configured to compress the refrigerant, a condenser configured to condense the refrigerant, and an evaporator configured to evaporate the refrigerant and cool air for feeding to a vehicle interior compartment of the vehicle are incorporated;
a heating circuit fluidically separate from the refrigerant circuit in which a coolant circulates during operation and in which a heating circuit pump configured to convey the coolant and a radiator configured to heat air for feeding to the vehicle interior compartment are incorporated;
a first coolant circuit fluidically separate from the refrigerant circuit configured for a temperature control of the drive device, in which the coolant circulates during operation, and in which a first coolant pump configured to convey the coolant is incorporated, the first coolant circuit connectable to the drive device in heat-transferring fashion;
a second coolant circuit fluidically separate from the refrigerant circuit configured for a temperature control of the electrical store, in which the coolant circulates during operation, and in which a second coolant pump configured to convey the coolant is incorporated, the second coolant circuit connectable to the electrical store in heat-transferring fashion;
a heat exchanger structured and arranged to exchange heat with a surrounding of the thermal management system and including a heat exchanger valve device configured to fluidically connect the heat exchanger selectively to the heating circuit and to the first coolant circuit;
the condenser of the refrigerant circuit incorporated in the heating circuit for a heat transfer to the coolant circulating through the heating circuit;
a chiller incorporated in the refrigerant circuit for heat transfer to the refrigerant;
a chiller guide fluidically separate from the refrigerant circuit, the chiller guide having a chiller path configured to conduct the coolant and which extends through the chiller, and a bypass path configured to conduct the coolant and which circumvents the chiller;
a chiller valve device configured to, upstream of the chiller, selectively fluidically connect one of i) the first coolant circuit to the chiller path and the second coolant circuit to the bypass path, and ii) the first coolant circuit to the bypass path and the second coolant circuit to the chiller path; and
a control device configured to operate the thermal management system.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the chiller valve device is further configured to, downstream of the chiller, selectively connect one of i) the chiller path to the first coolant circuit and the bypass path to the second coolant circuit and ii) the chiller path to the second coolant circuit and the bypass path to the first coolant circuit.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant circuit has a chiller branch in which the chiller is incorporated, and an evaporator branch in which the evaporator is incorporated.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the heating circuit has a heating circuit main branch extending through the heat exchanger, and a heating circuit bypass branch which circumvents the heat exchanger and in which the radiator is incorporated; and
the heat exchanger valve device is further configured to conduct the coolant circulating in the heating circuit selectively through at least one of the heating circuit main branch and the heating circuit bypass branch.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein:
the first coolant circuit has a coolant circuit main branch extending through the heat exchanger, and a coolant circuit bypass branch which circumvents the heat exchanger;
the heat exchanger valve device is further configured to conduct the coolant circulating in the first coolant circuit selectively through at least one of the coolant circuit main branch and the coolant circuit bypass branch; and
the heating circuit main branch and the coolant circuit main branch extend fluidically jointly through the heat exchanger.

6. The system according to claim 4 , wherein:
the first coolant circuit has a coolant circuit main branch extending through the heat exchanger, and a coolant circuit bypass branch which circumvents the heat exchanger;
the heat exchanger valve device is further configured to conduct the coolant circulating in the first coolant circuit selectively through at least one of the coolant circuit main branch and the coolant circuit bypass branch;
the heat exchanger valve device includes a heating circuit valve arranged in the heating circuit for dividing a flow of the coolant in the heating circuit between the heating circuit main branch and the heating circuit bypass branch; and
the heat exchanger valve device includes a first cooling circuit valve arranged in the first coolant circuit for dividing a flow of the coolant in the first coolant circuit between the coolant circuit main branch and the coolant circuit bypass branch.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first coolant circuit has a coolant circuit main branch extending through the heat exchanger, and a coolant circuit bypass branch which circumvents the heat exchanger; and
the heat exchanger valve device is further configured to conduct the coolant circulating in the first coolant circuit selectively through at least one of the coolant circuit main branch and the coolant circuit bypass branch.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the second coolant circuit has a coolant circuit main arm extending through the chiller guide, and a coolant circuit bypass arm which circumvents the chiller guide; and
the second coolant circuit includes a coolant valve configured to conduct the coolant circulating in the second coolant circuit selectively through at least one of the coolant circuit main arm and the coolant circuit bypass arm.

9. The system according to claim 8 , further comprising an electric heating device configured to heat coolant, wherein the electric heating device is incorporated in a heating circuit heating branch of the heating circuit upstream of the radiator, and wherein the coolant circuit bypass arm extends through the electric heating device.

10. The system according to claim 9 , further comprising a coolant circuit bypass arm valve device configured to conduct the coolant downstream of the electric heating device through at least one of the second coolant circuit and the heating circuit.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the chiller valve device includes, upstream of the chiller, a first four-way valve adjustable between a first position in which the first four-way valve fluidically connects the first coolant circuit to the chiller path and the second coolant circuit to the bypass path, and a second position in which the first four-way valve fluidically connects the second coolant circuit to the chiller path and the first coolant circuit to the bypass path.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the chiller valve device includes, downstream of the chiller, a second four-way valve adjustable between a first position in which the second four-way valve fluidically connects the chiller path to the first coolant circuit and the bypass path to the second coolant circuit, and a second position in which the second four-way valve fluidically connects the chiller path to the second coolant circuit and the bypass path to

Assignees

• Mahle Int Gmbh

Inventors

• Boger Markus
• Lindauer Sascha
• Strauss Thomas

Classifications

• B60H1/3204

  using compression (B60H1/3233 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60H2001/00164

  with more than one by-pass · CPC title

• F01P1/00

  Air cooling · CPC title

• H01M10/625

  Vehicles · CPC title

• B60H2001/00957

  comprising locations with heat exchange within the refrigerant circuit itself, e.g. cross-, counter-, or parallel heat exchange · CPC title