Vehicle thermal management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11433738-B2
Application number	US-202016890146-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2020
Priority date	Jun 2, 2020
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

A thermal management method and system in a vehicle include a chiller to cause heat transfer between a coolant loop that defines a path in which a coolant circulates and a refrigerant loop that defines a path in which a refrigerant circulates. The system includes an electronic expansion valve (EXV) in the refrigerant loop to control a flow of the refrigerant into a first part of the chiller, and a coolant pump in the coolant loop to control a flow of the coolant into a second part of the chiller. A controller controls the EXV and the coolant pump based on a target amount for the heat transfer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermal management system in a vehicle comprising:
a chiller configured to cause heat transfer between a coolant loop that defines a path in which a coolant circulates and a refrigerant loop that defines a path in which a refrigerant circulates;
an electronic expansion valve (EXV) in the refrigerant loop configured to control a flow of the refrigerant into a first part of the chiller;
a coolant pump in the coolant loop configured to control a flow of the coolant into a second part of the chiller; and
a controller configured to control the EXV and the coolant pump based on a target amount for the heat transfer, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether a current amount of heat transfer in the chiller is less than the target amount and, based on the controller determining that the current amount of heat transfer in the chiller is less than the target amount, the controller is configured to control the EXV to bring a superheat value within a predefined range, the superheat value being a temperature increase of the refrigerant in a vapor phase.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the target amount is based on an input to a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in the refrigerant loop from an occupant of the vehicle and on an ambient temperature outside the vehicle.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein, based on the controller determining that the current amount of heat transfer in the chiller is not less than the target amount, the controller is configured to determine if the coolant pump is configured to maximize the flow of the coolant into the second part of the chiller and if the superheat value is less than a maximum superheat value, the maximum superheat value being a predefined value.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein, based on determining that the current amount of heat transfer in the chiller is greater than the target amount and the superheat value is less than the maximum superheat value, the controller is configured to control the EXV to reduce the flow of the refrigerant into the first part of the chiller.

5. The system according to claim 3 , wherein, based on determining that the current amount of heat transfer in the chiller is not greater than the target amount or the superheat value is not less than the maximum superheat value, the controller is configured to control the coolant pump to reduce the flow of the coolant into the second part of the chiller and to control the EXV to bring the superheat value within a predefined range, a maximum value of the predefined range being less than the maximum superheat value.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine if the target amount for the heat transfer is less than a maximum potential heat transfer amount, the maximum potential heat transfer amount being a maximum potential amount of waste heat in the coolant loop that transfers heat to the coolant.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein, based on determining that the target amount for the heat transfer is less than the maximum potential heat transfer amount, the controller is configured to control the coolant pump to increase the flow of coolant into the second part of the chiller and to then bring the superheat value within the predefined range.

8. The system according to claim 6 , wherein, based on determining that the target amount for the heat transfer is not less than the maximum potential heat transfer amount, the controller is configured to control an electric heat source to transfer heat to the coolant.

9. A method of performing thermal management in a vehicle, the method comprising:
obtaining, using a processor, a passenger cabin temperature setting;
determining, using the processor, a target output for a chiller based on the temperature setting, wherein the target output is a target thermal energy transfer amount in a chiller from a coolant that circulates in a coolant loop to a refrigerant that circulates in a refrigerant loop;
controlling, using the processor, an electronic expansion valve (EXV) in the refrigerant loop configured to control a flow of the refrigerant into a first part of the chiller and a coolant pump in the coolant loop configured to control a flow of the coolant into a second part of the chiller based on the target output;
determining whether a current amount of heat transfer in the chiller is less than the target output; and
based on the controller determining that the current amount of heat transfer in the chiller is less than the target output, controlling the EXV to bring a superheat value within a predefined range, the superheat value being a temperature increase of the refrigerant in a vapor phase.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the determining the target output is based on an input to a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in the refrigerant loop from an occupant of the vehicle and on an ambient temperature outside the vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising, based on the determining that the current amount of heat transfer in the chiller is not less than the target output, determining if the coolant pump is configured to maximize the flow of the coolant into the second part of the chiller and if the superheat value is less than a maximum superheat value, wherein the maximum superheat value is a predefined value.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising, based on determining that the current amount of heat transfer in the chiller is greater than the target output and the superheat value is less than the maximum superheat value, controlling the EXV to reduce the flow of the refrigerant into the first part of the chiller.

13. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising, based on determining that the current amount of heat transfer in the chiller is not greater than the target output or the superheat value is not less than the maximum superheat value, controlling the coolant pump to reduce the flow of the coolant into the second part of the chiller and to control the EXV to bring the superheat value within a predefined range, wherein a maximum value of the predefined range is less than the maximum superheat value.

14. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising determining if the target output is less than a maximum potential heat transfer amount, the maximum potential heat transfer amount being a maximum potential amount of waste heat in the coolant loop that transfers heat to the coolant.

15. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising, based on determining that the target output is less than the maximum potential heat transfer amount, controlling the coolant pump to increase the flow of coolant into the second part of the chiller and bringing the superheat value within the predefined range.

16. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising, based on determining that the target output is not less than the maximum potential heat transfer amount, controlling an electric heat source to transfer heat to the coolant.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Groen Benjamin C
• Smith Cameron P
• Holihan Kyle
• Carlson Michael H
• English Nathan J
• Ziehr Lawrence P

Classifications

• B60H2001/3242

  of a refrigerant · CPC title

• B60H1/3211 Primary

  for increasing the efficiency of a vehicle refrigeration cycle · CPC title

• B60H2001/3285

  related to an expansion unit · CPC title

• B60H2001/3288

  Additional heat source · CPC title

• B60H1/00885 Primary

  Controlling the flow of heating or cooling liquid, e.g. valves or pumps (B60H1/00899 takes precedence; constructions of valves B60H1/00485) · CPC title