Integrated thermal management system for fuel cell vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12319115-B2
Application number	US-202217989371-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2022
Priority date	May 12, 2022
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

Abstract

An integrated thermal management system for a fuel cell vehicle includes a fuel cell coolant line configured to circulate first coolant through a fuel cell, a battery chiller, and an integrated chiller, an indoor air-conditioning refrigerant line configured to circulate refrigerant through a first compressor, an indoor condenser, an outdoor heat exchanger, and the integrated chiller, and a battery refrigerant line configured to circulate refrigerant through a second compressor, an outdoor condenser, and the battery chiller.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An integrated thermal management system for a fuel cell vehicle, the integrated thermal management system comprising:
a fuel cell coolant line configured to circulate a first coolant through a fuel cell generating electric power using hydrogen and air, a fuel cell radiator cooling the fuel cell, a battery chiller exchanging heat with a battery, and an integrated chiller;
an indoor air-conditioning refrigerant line configured to circulate a first refrigerant through a first compressor configured to suction and compress the first refrigerant, an indoor condenser provided in an indoor air-conditioning device configured to generate hot air and supply the hot air to an indoor space, an outdoor heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between outside air and the first refrigerant, and the integrated chiller; and
a battery refrigerant line configured to circulate a second refrigerant through a second compressor configured to suction and compress the second refrigerant, an outdoor condenser configured to perform heat exchange between the compressed second refrigerant and outside air to dissipate heat, and the battery chiller;
wherein the fuel cell is cooled by at least one of the integrated chiller, the battery chiller, or the fuel cell radiator.

2. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 1 , wherein, in the fuel cell coolant line, the battery chiller is connected in parallel to a point between the fuel cell and the integrated chiller via a first valve.

3. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 1 , wherein, in the fuel cell coolant line, a fuel cell radiator is connected in parallel to the fuel cell via a second valve, and
wherein the integrated thermal management system further comprises:
a battery coolant line configured to circulate a second coolant through the battery chiller and the battery.

4. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an electric part coolant line configured to circulate a second coolant through a vehicle electric part and the integrated chiller.

5. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 4 , wherein, in the electric part coolant line, an electric part radiator is connected in parallel to the vehicle electric part via a valve.

6. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 4 , wherein the integrated chiller comprises an electric part chiller and a fuel cell chiller, connected in parallel to each other via a valve in a refrigerant line,
wherein the electric part chiller is connected to the electric part coolant line, and
wherein the fuel cell chiller is connected to the fuel cell coolant line.

7. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 1 , wherein the integrated chiller and an evaporator are connected in parallel to each other between the outdoor heat exchanger and the first compressor in the indoor air-conditioning refrigerant line.

8. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 4 , wherein the integrated chiller comprises a fuel cell chiller and an electric part chiller, connected in series to each other,
wherein the electric part chiller is connected to the electric part coolant line,
wherein the fuel cell chiller is connected to the fuel cell coolant line,
wherein a valve is provided upstream of the integrated chiller, and
wherein a branch line, branching from a point between the indoor condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger and connected to the valve, is provided in a refrigerant line.

9. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a bypass line bypassing the integrated chiller and connected to the valve,
wherein the bypass line is connected to the indoor air-conditioning refrigerant line at a point upstream of the first compressor.

10. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 8 , wherein the fuel cell chiller is disposed upstream of the electric part chiller, and
wherein refrigerant discharged from the fuel cell chiller is introduced into the electric part chiller.

11. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 1 , wherein the first coolant in the fuel cell coolant line flows through the fuel cell, the battery chiller, and the integrated chiller, in that order.

12. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 1 , wherein, in the indoor air-conditioning refrigerant line, a refrigerant heater is provided between the first compressor and the indoor condenser of the indoor air-conditioning device.

13. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 1 , wherein, in a fuel cell cooling mode, both the first compressor and the second compressor are driven, and the first coolant, having passed through the fuel cell in the fuel cell coolant line, is cooled by the battery chiller and the integrated chiller.

14. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 1 , wherein, in an indoor heating mode, the first compressor is driven, and refrigerant, having passed through the indoor condenser in the indoor air-conditioning refrigerant line, absorbs heat through the outdoor heat exchanger and the integrated chiller.

15. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 3 , wherein, in a battery-temperature-increasing mode, the second coolant circulates through the battery coolant line, and the first coolant, having passed through the fuel cell in the fuel cell coolant line, dissipates heat through the battery chiller.

16. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 6 , wherein, in a fuel cell cooling mode, both the first compressor and the second compressor are driven, and the first coolant, having passed through the fuel cell in the fuel cell coolant line, is cooled by the battery chiller and the fuel cell chiller.

17. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 6 , wherein, in an indoor heating mode, the first compressor is driven, and refrigerant, having passed through the indoor condenser in the indoor air-conditioning refrigerant line, absorbs heat through the outdoor heat exchanger, and absorbs heat while flowing through the fuel cell chiller via the valve.

18. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 6 , wherein, in an indoor heating mode, the first compressor is driven, refrigerant, having passed through the indoor condenser in the indoor air-conditioning refrigerant line, absorbs heat through the outdoor heat exchanger and absorbs heat while flowing through the electric part chiller via the valve, and coolant, having passed through the fuel cell in the fuel cell coolant line, dissipates heat through the battery chiller.

19. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 9 , wherein, in an indoor heating mode, the first compressor is driven, a portion of refrigerant, having passed through the indoor condenser in the indoor air-conditioning refrigerant line, absorbs heat through the outdoor heat exchanger, and a remaining portion of the refrigerant absorbs heat while flowing through the fuel cell chiller and the electric part chiller via the branch line and the valve.

20. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 19 , wherein, in the indoor heating mode, when a temperature of the fuel cell is below a predetermined value, refrigerant is not expanded in the fuel cell chiller, and is expanded in the electric part chiller.

21. An integrated thermal management system for a fuel cell ve

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Kim Ki Mok
• Lee Sang Shin
• Oh Man Ju
• Lee Keun Bok
• Choi Jae Hyeok

Classifications

• H01M10/663

  the system being an air-conditioner or an engine · CPC title

• H01M10/625 Primary

  Vehicles · CPC title

• H01M8/04059

  Evaporative processes for the cooling of a fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01M10/6569

  Fluids undergoing a liquid-gas phase change or transition, e.g. evaporation or condensation (heat pipes H01M10/6552) · CPC title