Thermal management system, and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12286007-B2
Application number	US-202117917115-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2021
Priority date	Apr 29, 2020
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle thermal management system is disclosed comprising a first and a second coolant circuit each comprising a coolant pump. The first coolant circuit comprises a coolant duct configured to conduct coolant flow through a portion of the first coolant circuit, and an expansion tank connected to the coolant duct. The system further comprises a first connecting conduit connecting the second coolant circuit to the coolant duct, and valve controllable between a first state in which the valve hinders flow of fluid through the first connecting conduit, and a second state in which the valve allows flow of fluid through the first connecting conduit. The present disclosure further relates to a vehicle comprising a vehicle thermal management system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle thermal management system comprising:
a first and a second coolant circuit each comprising a coolant pump,
wherein the first coolant circuit comprises:
a coolant duct configured to conduct coolant flow through a portion of the first coolant circuit; and
an expansion tank connected to the coolant duct;
a first connecting conduit connecting the second coolant circuit to the coolant duct of the first coolant circuit; and
a valve controllable between a first state in which the valve hinders flow of fluid through the first connecting conduit, and a second state in which the valve allows flow of fluid through the first connecting conduit and through at least a portion of the coolant duct and thereafter to the expansion tank to deair the second coolant circuit via the expansion tank,
wherein the first connecting conduit comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the second end is connected to the second coolant circuit via a connection arranged upstream of the coolant pump of the second coolant circuit relative to an intended flow direction through the second coolant circuit.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first connecting conduit comprises the first end connected to the coolant duct, wherein the first end is arranged above the second end when the system is mounted in an intended mounting position on a vehicle.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first connecting conduit is routed such that an intended flow direction through the first connecting conduit has a vector component parallel to a local gravity vector along the full length of the first connecting conduit when the system is mounted in an intended mounting position on a vehicle.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first connecting conduit comprises the second end connected to the second coolant circuit via a connection arranged above the coolant pump of the second coolant circuit when the system is mounted in an intended mounting position on a vehicle.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the second coolant circuit comprises a conduit section between the connection and the coolant pump of the second coolant circuit, and wherein the conduit section is routed such that an intended flow direction through the conduit section has a vector component parallel to a local gravity vector along the full length of the conduit section when the system is mounted in an intended mounting position on a vehicle.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the coolant duct comprises an expansion tank connection fluidly connecting the coolant duct to the expansion tank, and wherein the first connecting conduit is connected to the coolant duct at a location below the expansion tank connection when the system is mounted in an intended mounting position on a vehicle.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the coolant duct comprises an inlet and an outlet each connected to the first coolant circuit, and wherein the coolant duct comprises an expansion tank connection fluidly connecting the coolant duct to the expansion tank, wherein the expansion tank connection is arranged above the inlet when the system is mounted in an intended mounting position on a vehicle.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the expansion tank connection is arranged above the outlet when the system is mounted in an intended mounting position on a vehicle.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the coolant duct is configured to conduct coolant flow along a flow direction having a vector component parallel to a local gravity vector along the full length of the coolant duct when the coolant duct is mounted in an intended mounting position on a vehicle.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a second connecting conduit fluidly connecting the second coolant circuit to the coolant duct.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the second connecting conduit comprises a flow restrictor.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein one of the first and second connecting conduits is configured to supply coolant from the coolant duct to the second coolant circuit and the other of the first and second connecting conduits is configured to return coolant from the second coolant circuit to the coolant duct when the valve is in the second state.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the connecting conduit of the first and second connecting conduits which is configured to supply coolant to the second coolant circuit comprises a connection at the coolant duct located upstream of a connection of the other connecting conduit at the coolant duct relative to an intended flow direction through the coolant duct.

14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the valve is controllable to selectively connect the first connecting conduit to the coolant duct to allow flow of fluid from the second coolant circuit fluid through the first connecting conduit and through at least a portion of the coolant duct and thereafter to the expansion tank, such that the coolant duct is selectively used to deair both the first and second coolant circuits via the expansion tank using the valve.

15. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second end of the first connecting conduit is connected to the second coolant circuit via a connection arranged upstream of the coolant pump of the second coolant circuit and downstream of a heat exchanger of the second coolant circuit.

16. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a second connecting conduit fluidly connecting the second coolant circuit to the coolant duct, wherein the second end of the first connecting conduit is connected to the second coolant circuit via a connection arranged: (i) upstream of the coolant pump of the second coolant circuit, (ii) upstream of the connection of the second connecting conduit to the second coolant circuit, and (iii) downstream of a heat exchanger of the second coolant circuit.

17. A vehicle comprising a vehicle thermal management system comprising:
a first and a second coolant circuit each comprising a coolant pump,
wherein the first coolant circuit comprises:
a coolant duct configured to conduct coolant flow through a portion of the first coolant circuit; and
an expansion tank connected to the coolant duct;
a first connecting conduit connecting the second coolant circuit to the coolant duct of the first coolant circuit; and
a valve controllable between a first state in which the valve hinders flow of fluid through the first connecting conduit, and a second state in which the valve allows flow of fluid through the first connecting conduit and through at least a portion of the coolant duct and thereafter to the expansion tank to deair the second coolant circuit via the expansion tank,

wherein the first connecting conduit comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the second end is connected to the second coolant circuit via a connection arranged upstream of the coolant pump of the second coolant circuit relative to an intended flow direction through the second coolant circuit.

18. The vehicle according to claim 17 , wherein the valve is controllable to selectively connect the first connecting conduit to the coolant duct to allow flow of fluid from the second coolant circuit fluid through the first connecting conduit and through at least a portion of the coolant duct and thereafter to the expansion tank, such that the coolant duct is selectively used to deair both the first and second coolant circuits via the expansion tank using the valve.

Assignees

• Scania Cv Ab

Inventors

• Hall Ola
• Mohlin Martin

Classifications

• F01P2005/105

  Using two or more pumps · CPC title

• F01P5/10

  Pumping liquid coolant; Arrangements of coolant pumps · CPC title

• F01P3/20 Primary

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

• B60K2001/006

  the electric motors · 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