EV Multi-Mode Thermal Management System

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016107501-A1
Application number	US-201414519182-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 21, 2014
Priority date	Oct 21, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A multi-mode vehicle thermal management system is provided that allows efficient thermal communication between a refrigerant-based thermal control loop and three non-refrigerant-based thermal control loops, where one of the non-refrigerant-based loops provides temperature control over the vehicle's passenger cabin, a second of the non-refrigerant-based control loops is thermally coupled to the vehicle's battery system and the third of the non-refrigerant-based control circuits is thermally coupled to the vehicle's drive train. The refrigerant-based control loop may be operated either in a heating mode or a cooling mode and is coupled to the vehicle's HVAC system using a refrigerant-air heat exchanger, and to one or more of the non-refrigerant-based control loops using refrigerant-fluid heat exchangers. Valve assemblies are used to couple and/or decouple the three non-refrigerant-based thermal control loops, thereby allowing the thermal control loops to operate either in parallel or in series.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A multi-mode vehicle thermal management system, comprising:
a passenger cabin thermal control loop comprising a first circulation pump, wherein said first circulation pump circulates a heat transfer fluid within said passenger cabin thermal control loop, and wherein said passenger cabin thermal control loop provides temperature control of a vehicle passenger cabin; a battery thermal control loop comprising a second circulation pump, wherein said second circulation pump circulates said heat transfer fluid within said battery thermal control loop, and wherein said battery thermal control loop is thermally coupled to a vehicle battery pack; a drive train control loop comprising a third circulation pump, wherein said third circulation pump circulates said heat transfer fluid within said drive train control loop, and wherein said drive train control loop is thermally coupled to at least one drive train component; a first valve assembly, wherein said passenger cabin thermal control loop operates in parallel with and independent of said battery thermal control loop when said first valve assembly is configured in a first valve assembly first mode, and wherein said passenger cabin thermal control loop is serially coupled to said battery thermal control loop when said first valve assembly is configured in a first valve assembly second mode; and a second valve assembly, wherein said battery thermal control loop operates in parallel with and independent of said drive train thermal control loop when said second valve assembly is configured in a second valve assembly first mode, and wherein said battery thermal control loop is serially coupled to said drive train thermal control loop when said second valve assembly is configured in a second valve assembly second mode.

2 . The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 1 , said passenger cabin thermal control loop further comprising an electric heater configured to heat said heat transfer fluid of said passenger cabin thermal control loop when electrical power is connected to said electric heater.

3 . The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 1 , said passenger cabin thermal control loop further comprising a liquid-air heat exchanger, wherein said heat transfer fluid of said passenger cabin thermal control loop circulates through said liquid-air heat exchanger.

4 . The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 3 , said passenger cabin thermal control loop further comprising an electric heater configured to heat said heat transfer fluid of said passenger cabin thermal control loop when electrical power is connected to said electric heater.

5 . The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein said first valve assembly is comprised of a four-way valve, wherein said four-way valve configured in said first valve assembly first mode couples a first portion of said passenger cabin thermal control loop to a second portion of said passenger cabin thermal control loop and couples a first portion of said battery thermal control loop to a second portion of said battery thermal control loop, and wherein said four-way valve configured in said first valve assembly second mode couples said first portion of said passenger cabin thermal control loop to said second portion of said battery thermal control loop and couples said first portion of said battery thermal control loop to said second portion of said passenger cabin thermal control loop.

6 . The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein said first valve assembly is comprised of a first three-way valve and a second three-way valve, wherein said first three-way valve configured in said first valve assembly first mode couples a first portion of said passenger cabin thermal control loop to a second portion of said passenger cabin thermal control loop, wherein said second three-way valve configured in said first valve assembly first mode couples a first portion of said battery thermal control loop to a second portion of said battery thermal control loop, wherein said first three-way valve configured in said first valve assembly second mode couples said first portion of said passenger cabin thermal control loop to said second portion of said battery thermal control loop, and wherein said second three-way valve configured in said first valve assembly second mode couples said first portion of said battery thermal control loop to said second portion of said passenger cabin thermal control loop.

7 . The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein said second valve assembly is comprised of a four-way valve, wherein said four-way valve configured in said second valve assembly first mode couples a first portion of said battery thermal control loop to a second portion of said battery thermal control loop and couples a first portion of said drive train thermal control loop to a second portion of said drive train thermal control loop, and wherein said four-way valve configured in said second valve assembly second mode couples said first portion of said battery thermal control loop to said second portion of said drive train thermal control loop and couples said first portion of said drive train thermal control loop to said second portion of said battery thermal control loop.

8 . The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein said second valve assembly is comprised of a first three-way valve and a second three-way valve, wherein said first three-way valve configured in said second valve assembly first mode couples a first portion of said battery thermal control loop to a second portion of said battery thermal control loop, wherein said second three-way valve configured in said second valve assembly first mode couples a first portion of said drive train thermal control loop to a second portion of said drive train thermal control loop, wherein said first three-way valve configured in said second valve assembly second mode couples said first portion of said battery thermal control loop to said second portion of said drive train thermal control loop, and wherein said second three-way valve configured in said second valve assembly second mode couples said first portion of said drive train thermal control loop to said second portion of said battery thermal control loop.

9 . The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein said first valve assembly is comprised of a first four-way valve and wherein said second valve assembly is comprised of a second four-way valve, wherein said first four-way valve configured in said first valve assembly first mode couples a first portion of said passenger cabin thermal control loop to a second portion of said passenger cabin thermal control loop and couples a first portion of said battery thermal control loop to a second portion of said battery thermal control loop, wherein said first four-way valve configured in said first valve assembly second mode couples said first portion of said passenger cabin thermal control loop to said second portion of said battery thermal control loop and couples said first portion of said battery thermal control loop to said second portion of said passenger cabin thermal control loop, wherein said second four-way valve configured in said second valve assembly first mode couples a third portion of said battery thermal control loop to a fourth portion of said battery thermal control loop and couples a first portion of said drive train thermal control loop to a second portion of said drive train thermal control loop, and wherein said second four-way valve configured in said second valve assembly second mode couples said third portion of said battery thermal cont

Assignees

• Atieva Inc

Inventors

• Johnston Vincent George

Classifications

• B60H1/32284

  comprising two or more secondary circuits, e.g. at evaporator and condenser side · CPC title

• B60H1/00278 Primary

  for the battery · CPC title

• B60H1/00921

  where the flow direction of the refrigerant does not change and there is an extra subcondenser, e.g. in an air duct · CPC title

• B60H2001/00307

  Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow · CPC title

• B60H2001/00928

  comprising a secondary circuit · CPC title