Vehicle heat exchange system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11905875-B2
Application number	US-201917418774-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2019
Priority date	Dec 28, 2018
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

A vehicle heat exchange system may include a first heat exchanger for exchanging heat between a first medium and a second medium, a second heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the first medium and a third medium, a third heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the second medium and the third medium, a switch valve, and a control unit. The switch valve may be configured to enable selective switching between (i) a first path that supplies the second medium that has passed through the third heat exchanger to an inverter via an inverter radiator and (ii) a second path that supplies the second medium that has passed through the third heat exchanger to the inverter via the first heat exchanger. The control unit may be configured to control the switch valve such that the second path is selected when the first medium is in a predetermined low-temperature state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle heat exchange system, comprising:
a first heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between a first medium for cooling an internal combustion engine and a second medium for cooling an inverter;
a second heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between the first medium and a third medium for at least one of lubricating of a transmission and cooling a motor;
a third heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between the second medium and the third medium;
a switch valve configured to enable selective switching between (i) a first path that supplies the second medium that has passed through the third heat exchanger to the inverter via an inverter radiator and (ii) a second path that supplies the second medium that has passed through the third heat exchanger to the inverter via the first heat exchanger; and
a control unit configured to control the switch valve such that the second path is selected when the first medium is in a predetermined low-temperature state.

2. The vehicle heat exchange system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the switch valve such that the second path is selected when the internal combustion engine is stopped and the first medium is in the predetermined low-temperature state.

3. The vehicle heat exchange system according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the switch valve such that the first path is selected when the internal combustion engine is stopped and a temperature of the second medium is in a predetermined high-temperature state.

4. The vehicle heat exchange system according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the switch valve such that the first path is selected when the internal combustion engine is operating and the first medium is not in the predetermined low-temperature state.

5. The vehicle heat exchange system according to claim 1 , further comprising a first medium switch valve, wherein:
the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are arranged such that the first medium passes through the first heat exchanger after having passed through the second heat exchanger;
the first medium switch valve is configured to enable selective switching between (i) a third path that supplies the first medium that has cooled the internal combustion engine to the second heat exchanger via an internal combustion engine radiator and (ii) a fourth path that supplies the first medium that has cooled the internal combustion engine directly to the second heat exchanger; and
the control unit is further configured to control the first medium switch valve such that (i) the fourth path is selected when the first medium is in the predetermined low-temperature state, and (ii) the third path is selected when the first medium is not in the predetermined low-temperature state.

6. The vehicle heat exchange system according to claim 1 , wherein the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger are arranged such that the third medium passes through the third heat exchanger after having passed through the second heat exchanger.

7. A vehicle heat exchange system, comprising:
a first cooling circuit through which a first medium is flowable;
a second cooling circuit through which a second medium is flowable;
a third cooling circuit through which a third medium is flowable;
an internal combustion engine arranged in the first cooling circuit and coolable via the first medium;
an inverter arranged in the second cooling circuit and coolable via the second medium;
a drive unit arranged in the third cooling circuit and coolable via the third medium;
a first heat exchanger arranged in the first cooling circuit and the second cooling circuit, the first heat exchanger configured to facilitate a heat exchange between the first medium and the second medium flowing therethrough;
a second heat exchanger arranged in the first cooling circuit and the third cooling circuit, the second heat exchanger configured to facilitate a heat exchange between the first medium and the third medium flowing therethrough;
a third heat exchanger arranged in the second cooling circuit and the third cooling circuit, the third heat exchanger configured to facilitate a heat exchange between the second medium and the third medium flowing therethrough;
a switch valve arranged in the second cooling circuit downstream of the third heat exchanger;
a control unit operatively connected to the switch valve;
the second cooling circuit including a first flow path and a second flow path that each extend from the switch valve to the inverter, the first heat exchanger arranged in the second flow path between the switch valve and the inverter;
an inverter radiator arranged in the first flow path of the second cooling circuit between the switch valve and the inverter;
wherein the switch valve is configured to selective switch between directing the second medium that has passed through the third heat exchanger to (i) the first path and (ii) the second path; and
wherein the control unit is configured to control the switch valve such that the second path is selected when the first medium is in a predetermined low-temperature state.

8. The vehicle heat exchange system according to claim 7 , further comprising an inverter pump arranged in the second cooling circuit between the third heat exchanger and the switch valve.

9. The vehicle heat exchange system according to claim 7 , wherein the first heat exchanger is arranged in the first cooling circuit downstream of the second heat exchanger such that the first medium passes through the first heat exchanger after having passed through the second heat exchanger.

10. The vehicle heat exchange system according to claim 9 , further comprising an engine pump arranged in the first cooling circuit upstream of the second heat exchanger, wherein the internal combustion engine is arranged in the first cooling circuit between the first heat exchanger and the engine pump.

11. The vehicle heat exchange system according to claim 9 , further comprising (i) a first medium switch valve arranged in the first cooling circuit downstream of the internal combustion engine and (ii) an internal combustion engine radiator, wherein:
the first cooling circuit includes:
a third flow path extending from the first medium switch valve to the second heat exchanger; and
a fourth flow path extending directly from the first medium switch valve to the second heat exchanger;

the internal combustion engine radiator is arranged in the third flow path between the first medium switch valve and the second heat exchanger;
the first medium switch valve is configured to selective switch between directing the first medium that has cooled the internal combustion engine to (i) the third flow path and (ii) the fourth flow path; and
the control unit is operatively connected to the first medium switch valve and is further configured to control the first medium switch valve such that (i) the fourth flow path is selected when the first medium is in the predetermined low-temperature state, and (ii) the third flow path is selected when the first medium is not in the predetermined low-temperature state.

12. The vehicle heat exchange system according to claim 7 , wherein the third heat exchanger is arranged in the third cooling circuit downstream of the second heat exchanger such that the third medium passes through the third heat exchanger after having passed through the second heat exchanger.

13. The vehicle heat exchange system according to claim 12 , wherein the drive unit is arranged in the third coolin

Assignees

• Mahle Int Gmbh
• Mahle Filter Systems Jp Corp

Inventors

• Ariyama Masahiro
• Isoda Katsuhiro
• Yamashita Kenji

Classifications

• F01P3/20 Primary

  Cooling circuits not specific to a single part of engine or machine (F01P3/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K1/00

  Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00) · CPC title

• B60K11/04

  Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds · CPC title

• B60K6/22

  characterised by apparatus, components or means specially adapted for HEVs · CPC title

• B60K2001/006

  the electric motors · CPC title