Cooling system and method for auxiliary brake device of hydrogen fuel cell truck

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11536339-B2
Application number	US-202117167023-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2021
Priority date	Sep 11, 2020
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A cooling system and method for an auxiliary braking device of a hydrogen fuel cell truck, are provided in consideration that auxiliary braking force generated by the regenerative braking of the motor may be unnecessary and the brake resistor may be unnecessary when a sufficient amount of auxiliary braking force is generated alone by the operation of a retarder. A portion of thermal energy generated by the retarder is distributed to a stack cooling system so that the portion of thermal energy is removed by the stack cooling system. Accordingly, due to sufficient cooling of the retarder, a sufficient amount of auxiliary braking force is provided, and the brake resistor that has consumed surplus electrical energy generated by regenerative braking is removed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooling system for an auxiliary braking device of a vehicle, the cooling system comprising:
a retarder radiator configured for cooling thermal energy generated during an operation of a retarder of the vehicle;
a first cooling fluid supply line connected to an outlet side of the retarder and an inlet side of the retarder radiator;
a first cooling fluid discharge line connected to an outlet side of the retarder radiator and the inlet side of the retarder;
a retarder cooling fluid temperature sensor mounted on the first cooling fluid discharge line;
a three-way valve mounted on the first cooling fluid discharge line, between the retarder cooling fluid temperature sensor and the retarder;
a heat exchanger enabling cooling fluid to circulate from a stack cooling system;
a first cooling fluid branch line connected to the three-way valve and an inlet of the heat exchanger; and
a first cooling fluid return line connected to an outlet of the heat exchanger and a portion of the first cooling fluid discharge line between the three-way valve and the retarder.

2. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the stack cooling system includes:
a stack radiator and an electric fan configured for cooling stack cooling fluid to cool a fuel cell stack of the vehicle;
a third cooling fluid supply line connected to an outlet side of the fuel cell stack and an inlet side of the stack radiator;
an electric pump mounted on the third cooling fluid supply line;
a third cooling fluid discharge line connected to an outlet side of the stack radiator and to an inlet side of the fuel cell stack;
a second cooling fluid branch line branched from the third cooling fluid discharge line and connected to the heat exchanger; and
a second cooling fluid return line connected to the heat exchanger and the third cooling fluid supply line.

3. The cooling system of claim 2 , wherein conductive lines configured for allowing surplus electrical energy generated by regenerative braking of a motor of the vehicle to be consumed are connected to the electric fan and the electric pump.

4. The cooling system of claim 1 , further including a retarder cooling controller configured for controlling the three-way valve to be opened toward the first cooling fluid branch line upon determining that the retarder is operating and a temperature of the cooling fluid detected by the retarder cooling fluid temperature sensor is higher than a predetermined temperature.

5. The cooling system of claim 4 , wherein, upon determining that the retarder is operating and the temperature of the cooling fluid detected by the retarder cooling fluid temperature sensor is higher than the predetermined temperature, the retarder cooling controller is configured to perform a control operation of applying an up-shift signal to an electric fan of the stack cooling system to increase an air volume.

6. The cooling system of claim 5 , wherein the electric fan is driven by consuming surplus electrical energy generated by regenerative braking of a motor of the vehicle, so that auxiliary braking force is additionally generated in a response to the regenerative braking of the motor.

7. The cooling system of claim 1 , further including a stack cooling controller configured to perform a control operation of applying an up-shift signal to an electric pump of the stack cooling system to increase a flow rate, in a response to a cooperative control signal of a retarder cooling controller, upon determining that the retarder is operating and a temperature of the cooling fluid detected by the retarder cooling fluid temperature sensor is higher than a predetermined temperature.

8. The cooling system of claim 7 , wherein the electric pump is driven by consuming surplus electrical energy generated by regenerative braking of a motor, so that auxiliary braking force is additionally generated in a response to the regenerative braking of the motor.

9. A cooling method of controlling a cooling system for an auxiliary braking device of a vehicle, the cooling method comprising:
determining, by a retarder cooling controller, whether a retarder of the vehicle is operating and comparing, by the retarder cooling controller, a temperature of retarder cooling fluid with a predetermined temperature;
upon determining that the retarder is operating and the temperature of the retarder cooling fluid detected by a retarder cooling fluid temperature sensor mounted on a first cooling fluid discharge line connected to the retarder and a retarder radiator is higher than a predetermined torque value, supplying the retarder cooling fluid that has been flowing from the retarder radiator to the retarder, to a heat exchanger in which cooling fluid from a stack cooling system is flowing, cooling the retarder cooling fluid through heat exchange therebetween; and
supplying the retarder cooling fluid cooled in the heat exchanger to the retarder to cool the retarder.

10. The cooling method of claim 9 , wherein, upon determining that the retarder is operating and the temperature of the retarder cooling fluid detected by the retarder cooling fluid temperature sensor is higher than the predetermined torque value, a three-way valve is controlled by the retarder cooling controller to be opened toward a first cooling fluid branch line branched from the first cooling fluid discharge line, so that the retarder cooling fluid that has been flowing from the retarder radiator to the retarder is supplied to the heat exchanger through the first cooling fluid branch line.

11. The cooling method of claim 9 , further including, upon determining that the retarder is operating and the temperature of the retarder cooling fluid detected by the retarder cooling fluid temperature sensor is higher than the predetermined torque value, applying, by the retarder cooling controller, an up-shift signal to an electric fan of the stack cooling system to increase an air volume.

12. The cooling method of claim 11 , wherein the electric fan is driven by consuming surplus electrical energy generated by regenerative braking of a motor of the vehicle, so that auxiliary braking force is additionally generated in a response to the regenerative braking of the motor.

13. The cooling method of claim 9 , further including applying, by a stack cooling controller, an up-shift signal to an electric pump of the stack cooling system to increase a flow rate, in a response to a cooperative control signal of the retarder cooling controller, upon determining that the retarder is operating and the temperature of retarder cooling fluid detected by the retarder cooling fluid temperature sensor is higher than the predetermined temperature.

14. The cooling method of claim 13 , wherein the electric pump is driven by consuming surplus electrical energy generated by regenerative braking of a motor, so that auxiliary braking force is additionally generated in a response to the regenerative braking of the motor.

15. The cooling method of claim 9 , wherein the cooling system includes:
the retarder radiator configured for cooling thermal energy generated during an operation of the retarder of the vehicle;
a first cooling fluid supply line connected to an outlet side of the retarder and an inlet side of the retarder radiator;
the first cooling fluid discharge line connected to an outlet side of the retarder radiator and the inlet side of the retarder;
the retarder cooling fluid temperature sensor mounted on the first cooling fluid discharge line;
a three-way valve mounted on the first cooling fluid discharge line, between the retarder cooling fluid temperature sensor and the retard

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Moon Hyeon Chae

Classifications

• B60K2001/005

  the electric storage means · CPC title

• F16D57/00

  Liquid-resistance brakes; {Brakes using the internal friction of fluids or fluid-like media, e.g. powders (for braking drums, barrels or ropes of cranes, lift hoists or winches B66D5/026)} · CPC title

• B60L2240/423

  Torque · CPC title

• H01M8/04067

  Heat exchange or temperature measuring elements, thermal insulation, e.g. heat pipes, heat pumps, fins · CPC title

• B60L7/18

  Controlling the braking effect (B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence) · CPC title