Vehicle thermal management system and heat exchangers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11207939-B2
Application number	US-201716089641-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2017
Priority date	Sep 2, 2016
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle thermal management system includes selective use of a liquid cooled gas cooler (LCGC) and conductive heat exchangers between heating, cooling, battery, and powertrain thermal management loops to increase temperature control and efficiency of the system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for thermal management of a battery module through use of a battery loop having a battery loop coolant flowing through the battery loop, a heating loop having a heating loop coolant flowing through the heating loop, a cooling loop having a cooling loop coolant flowing through the cooling loop, and a refrigerant loop having a refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant loop, the method comprising:
measuring a temperature of the battery loop coolant;
increasing the temperature of the battery loop coolant flowing to the battery module by directing a flow of the battery loop coolant to one of a heating loop heat exchanger in thermal communication with the heating loop or a liquid cooled gas cooler (LCGC) in thermal communication with the refrigerant loop, wherein the battery loop coolant is not in fluid communication with the heating loop coolant; and
decreasing the temperature of the battery loop coolant flowing to the battery module by directing the flow of the battery loop coolant to one of a cooling loop heat exchanger in thermal communication with the cooling loop or a chiller in thermal communication with the refrigerant loop,
wherein the battery loop coolant is not in fluid communication with the cooling loop coolant,
wherein the step of increasing the temperature of the battery loop coolant with the LCGC includes indirectly transferring heat from the refrigerant to the battery loop coolant by the heating loop coolant, and
wherein the step of decreasing the temperature of the battery loop coolant with the chiller includes indirectly transferring heat from the battery loop coolant to the refrigerant by the cooling loop coolant.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
maintaining the temperature of the battery loop coolant flowing to the battery module by directing the flow of the battery loop coolant to bypass the one of the heating loop heat exchanger or the LCGC and to bypass the one of the cooling loop heat exchanger or the chiller;
comparing the measured battery coolant loop temperature to a predetermined battery coolant temperature target value; and
determining whether an increase in, a decrease in, or maintaining the temperature of the battery loop coolant is needed based on the battery coolant temperature target value,
wherein one of the steps of increasing the temperature of the battery loop coolant, decreasing the temperature of the battery loop coolant, or maintaining the temperature of the battery loop coolant is performed according to the step of determining whether the increase in, the decrease in, or the maintaining of the temperature of the battery loop coolant is needed.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the step of increasing the temperature of the battery loop coolant comprises simultaneously directing a portion of the flow of the battery loop coolant to the one of the heating loop heat exchanger or the LCGC before the battery module and directing another portion of the flow of the battery loop coolant to the battery module without being directed to the one of the heating loop heat exchanger or the LCGC, and
the step of decreasing the temperature of the battery loop coolant comprises simultaneously directing a portion of the flow of the battery loop coolant to the one of the cooling loop heat exchanger or the chiller before the battery module and directing another portion of the flow of the battery loop coolant to the battery module without being directed to the one of the cooling loop heat exchanger or the chiller.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a thermal management system includes the battery loop, the refrigerant loop, the LCGC, and the chiller, and the refrigerant flows through the LCGC and through the chiller.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of increasing the temperature of the battery loop coolant is performed by directing the flow of the battery loop coolant to the LCGC, and the step of decreasing the temperature of the battery loop coolant is performed by directing the flow of the battery loop coolant to the chiller.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the heating loop coolant flows through the LCGC, and the cooling loop coolant flows through the chiller; and
wherein the method further comprises increasing a temperature of the heating loop coolant with the LCGC and decreasing a temperature of the cooling loop coolant with the chiller.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of increasing the temperature of the battery loop coolant and the step of increasing the temperature of the heating loop coolant are performed simultaneously by the LCGC, and the step of decreasing the temperature of the battery loop coolant and the step of decreasing the temperature of the cooling loop coolant are performed simultaneously by the chiller.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of increasing the temperature of the battery loop coolant and the step of increasing the temperature of the heating loop coolant includes transferring heat from the refrigerant to the battery loop coolant and to the heating loop coolant by the LCGC, and the step of decreasing the temperature of the battery loop coolant and the step of decreasing the temperature of the cooling loop coolant includes transferring heat from the battery loop coolant and from the cooling loop coolant to the refrigerant by the chiller.

9. A thermal management system, comprising:
a refrigerant loop having a refrigerant flowing therethrough, a liquid cooled gas cooler (LCGC), and a chiller, the LCGC and the chiller being in fluid communication by the refrigerant;
a heating loop having a heating loop heat exchanger and a heating loop coolant flowing therethrough, the heating loop being in fluid communication with the LCGC by the heating loop coolant;
a cooling loop having a cooling loop heat exchanger and a cooling loop coolant flowing therethrough, the cooling loop being in fluid communication with the chiller by the cooling loop coolant;
a battery loop having a battery loop valve, a battery module, and a battery loop coolant flowing therethrough, the battery loop valve configured to direct the battery loop coolant to:
(a) one of the LCGC or the heating loop heat exchanger that is in fluid communication with the heating loop by the heating loop coolant, the one of the LCGC or the heating loop heat exchanger configured to increase a temperature of the battery loop coolant upstream of the battery module; and
(b) one of the chiller or the cooling loop heat exchanger that is in fluid communication with the cooling loop by the cooling loop coolant, the one of the chiller or the cooling loop heat exchanger configured to decrease the temperature of the battery loop coolant upstream of the battery module,

wherein the heating loop coolant, the cooling loop coolant, and the battery loop coolant are not in fluid communication, and
wherein the increase or decrease in temperature of the battery loop coolant is based on indirect heat transfer from the refrigerant to the battery loop coolant by the heating loop coolant or from the battery loop coolant to the refrigerant by the cooling loop coolant, respectively.

10. The thermal management system of claim 9 , wherein:
the refrigerant loop further comprises a compressor, an accumulator having an internal heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and a sensor in fluid communication with the LCGC and the chiller by the refrigerant,
the refrigerant loop is self-contained, closed loop, and pre-pressurized with the refrigerant prior to installation into the thermal management system, and
the refrigerant loop further comprises a refrigerant radiator in fluid communication with the LCGC and the chiller by the refrigerant.

11. The t

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Johnston Vincent G
• Yuhasz Donald P
• Hoehne Mark R

Classifications

• H01M10/663

  the system being an air-conditioner or an engine · CPC title

• H01M10/625

  Vehicles · CPC title

• H01M10/615

  Heating or keeping warm · CPC title

• B60L58/27

  by heating · CPC title

• B60L58/26

  by cooling · CPC title