Temperature control system for electric vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11701945-B2
Application number	US-202117500134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2021
Priority date	Oct 16, 2020
Publication date	Jul 18, 2023
Grant date	Jul 18, 2023

Abstract

The invention relates to a thermal control system for an electric vehicle comprising: a high voltage battery; a first heat exchanger adapted to be in contact with the ambient for circulating a heat exchange medium in thermal contact with the ambient; a second heat exchanger in thermal contact with the battery; a heat transport system for transporting the heat exchange medium from the first heat exchanger to an evaporator/condenser assembly that is in thermal contact with the second heat exchanger for transfer of heat to the battery and for transporting the heat exchange medium back to the first heat exchanger. At least one of the first and second heat exchangers is provided with a vibration device, such as an ultrasonic transducer, for releasing of ice formed on the at least one heat exchanger.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermal control system for an electric vehicle comprising:
a high voltage battery;
a first heat exchanger adapted to be in contact with ambient air for circulating a heat exchange medium in thermal contact with the ambient air;
a second heat exchanger in thermal contact with the high voltage battery;
a heat transport system for transporting the heat exchange medium from the first heat exchanger to an evaporator/condenser assembly that is in thermal contact with the second heat exchanger for transfer of heat to the high voltage battery and for transporting the heat exchange medium back to the first heat exchanger; and
at least one of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger being provided with a vibration device for releasing of ice formed on the at least one of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger, the vibration device comprising an ultrasonic transducer that is placed on the at least one of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger and that is adapted to generate sonic waves along an outer surface of the at least one of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger, the outer surface forming an interface with an ice layer, for melting ice at the interface.

2. The thermal control system according to claim 1 , the ultrasonic transducer operating at a frequency between 20 kilohertz (kHz) and 5 megahertz (MHz).

3. The thermal control system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a control unit connected to a temperature sensor for measuring an ambient temperature, the control unit switching on the ultrasonic transducer when the temperature sensor measures the ambient temperature below a defined threshold value.

4. The thermal control system according to claim 3 , the control unit being adapted to:
switch on the ultrasonic transducer continuously when the temperature sensor measures a first ambient temperature below a lower threshold value;
switch the ultrasonic transducer on and off with a first on period and a first off period of substantially similar duration when the temperature sensor measures a second ambient temperature below an upper threshold value and above the lower threshold value; and
switching the ultrasonic transducer on and off with a second on period which is smaller than half a second off period when the temperature sensor measures a third ambient temperature above the upper threshold value.

5. The thermal control system according to claim 4 , the first on period and the first off period being between 300 seconds and 600 seconds; and the second on period being between 50 seconds and 150 seconds and the second off period being between 5 and 10 times the second on period.

6. The thermal control system according to claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic transducer is coupled to the of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger via a connector body that conducts ultrasonic vibrations to the of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger at frequencies between 20 kilohertz (KHz) and 100 kHz.

7. The thermal control system according to claim 6 , wherein the ultrasonic transducer is coupled to the of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger via the connector body that conducts ultrasonic vibrations to the of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger at frequencies between 30 and 50 kHz.

8. An electric vehicle comprising a thermal control system, the thermal control system comprising:
a high voltage battery;
a first heat exchanger adapted to be in contact with ambient air for circulating a heat exchange medium in thermal contact with the ambient air;
a second heat exchanger in thermal contact with the high voltage battery;
a heat transport system for transporting the heat exchange medium from the first heat exchanger to an evaporator/condenser assembly that is in thermal contact with the second heat exchanger for transfer of heat to the high voltage battery and for transporting the heat exchange medium back to the first heat exchanger; and
at least one of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger being provided with a vibration device for releasing of ice formed on the at least one of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger, the vibration device comprising an ultrasonic transducer that is placed on the at least one of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger and that is adapted to generate sonic waves along an outer surface of the at least one of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger, the outer surface forming an interface with an ice layer, for melting ice at the interface.

9. The electric vehicle according to claim 8 , the ultrasonic transducer operating at a frequency between 20 kilohertz (kHz) and 5 megahertz (MHz).

10. The electric vehicle according to claim 8 , the thermal control system further comprising:
a control unit connected to a temperature sensor for measuring an ambient temperature, the control unit switching on the ultrasonic transducer when the temperature sensor measures the ambient temperature below a defined threshold value.

11. The electric vehicle according to claim 10 , the control unit being adapted to:
switch on the ultrasonic transducer continuously when the temperature sensor measures a first ambient temperature below a lower threshold value;
switch the ultrasonic transducer on and off with a first on period and a first off period of substantially similar duration when the temperature sensor measures a second ambient temperature below an upper threshold value and above the lower threshold value; and
switching the ultrasonic transducer on and off with a second on period which is smaller than half a second off period when the temperature sensor measures a third ambient temperature above the upper threshold value.

12. The electric vehicle according to claim 11 , the first on period and the first off period being between 300 seconds and 600 seconds; and the second on period being between 50 seconds and 150 seconds and the second off period being between 5 and 10 times the second on period.

13. The electric vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the ultrasonic transducer is coupled to the of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger via a connector body that conducts ultrasonic vibrations to the of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger at frequencies between 20 kilohertz (KHz) and 100 kHz.

14. The electric vehicle according to claim 13 , wherein the ultrasonic transducer is coupled to the of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger via the connector body that conducts ultrasonic vibrations to the of the first heat exchanger or the second heat exchanger at frequencies between 30 and 50 kHz.

15. The electric vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the ultrasonic transducer is connected to a bar forming a mechanical interface coupling the transducer to the outer surface.

16. The electric vehicle according to claim 8 , the evaporator/condenser assembly comprising a chill evaporator connected to the second heat exchanger.

17. The electric vehicle according to claim 16 , the evaporator/condenser assembly comprising water condenser connected to the chill evaporator.

18. The thermal control system according to claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic transducer is connected to a bar forming a mechanical interface coupling the transducer to the outer surface.

19. The thermal control system according to claim 1 , the evaporator/condenser assembly comprising a chill evaporator connected to the secon

Assignees

• Volvo Car Corp

Inventors

• Almkvist Göran
• Björkholtz Jonas

Classifications

• B60H1/00278 Primary

  for the battery · CPC title

• B60H1/321

  for preventing the freezing of a heat exchanger · CPC title

• B60H1/3227

  characterised by the arrangement or the type of heat exchanger, e.g. condenser, evaporator (condensed liquid drainage means B60H1/3233) · CPC title

• B60H2001/00307

  Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow · CPC title

• B60H2001/3255

  related to temperature · CPC title