Cooling Loops and Vehicles Incorporating The Same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016344074-A1
Application number	US-201514714652-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 18, 2015
Priority date	May 18, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Cooling loops and vehicles including cooling loops include a power module, a cooling loop including a cooler thermally coupled to the power module, a working fluid housed within the cooler, where the working fluid absorbs thermal energy from the power module, a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the cooler, a pump in fluid communication with the heat exchanger and the cooler, and a vehicle component thermally coupled to the cooling loop, where the working fluid from the cooler is selectively directed to the vehicle component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle comprising:
a power module; a cooling loop comprising:
a cooler thermally coupled to the power module;
a working fluid housed within the cooler, wherein the working fluid absorbs thermal energy from the power module;
a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the cooler;
a pump in fluid communication with the heat exchanger and the cooler; and
a vehicle component thermally coupled to the cooling loop, wherein the working fluid from the cooler is selectively directed to the vehicle component.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle component comprises a thermoelectric generator thermally coupled to the cooling loop, the thermoelectric generator comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is thermally coupled to the cooling loop and the second portion is exposed a medium that has a second temperature which is less than a temperature of the cooling loop.

3 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the cooling loop further comprises a two-phase side conduit that connects the cooler and the heat exchanger, and a two-phase bypass loop that is connected to and in fluid communication with the two-phase side conduit.

4 . The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the cooling loop further comprises at least one control valve that selectively directs the working fluid through the two-phase bypass loop.

5 . The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the thermoelectric generator is thermally coupled to the two-phase bypass loop.

6 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the cooling loop further comprises a liquid side conduit that connects the heat exchanger and the pump, and a liquid bypass loop that is connected to and in fluid communication with the liquid side conduit.

7 . The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the cooling loop further comprises at least one control valve that selectively directs the working fluid through the liquid bypass loop.

8 . The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the thermoelectric generator is thermally coupled to the liquid bypass loop.

9 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the cooling loop further comprises a battery pack assembly that is in fluid communication with the cooler.

10 . The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the cooling loop further comprises a two-phase side conduit that connects the cooler and the heat exchanger and a battery conduit that is connected to and is in fluid communication with the two-phase side conduit, wherein the battery pack assembly is thermally coupled to the battery conduit.

11 . The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the cooling loop further comprises at least one control valve that selectively directs the working fluid through the battery conduit.

12 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the cooling loop further comprises a heater core that is in fluid communication with the cooler.

13 . The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the cooling loop further comprises a two-phase side conduit that connects the cooler and the heat exchanger and a heater core conduit that is connected to and in fluid communication with the two-phase side conduit, wherein the heater core is thermally coupled to the heater core conduit.

14 . The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the cooling loop further comprises a battery conduit that is connected to and in fluid communication with the two-phase side conduit, and the battery conduit is thermally coupled to a battery pack assembly.

15 . The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the battery conduit and the heater core conduit are connected to one another by an intermediate conduit.

16 . A cooling system for a vehicle, the cooling system comprising:
a power module; a cooling loop comprising:
a cooler thermally coupled to the power module;
a working fluid housed within the cooler, wherein the working fluid absorbs thermal energy from the power module;
a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the cooler;
a pump in fluid communication with the heat exchanger and the cooler;
at least one control valve in fluid communication with the cooler;
a heating system comprising a heater core in fluid communication with the cooler, wherein heating of a cabin of the vehicle is facilitated by the heater core;
a battery pack assembly in fluid communication with the cooler;
a temperature sensor thermally coupled to the battery pack assembly; and
an electronic controller communicatively coupled to the at least one control valve, the temperature sensor, and the heating system, the electronic controller comprising a processor and a memory storing a computer readable and executable instruction set, wherein, when the computer readable and executable instruction set is executed by the processor, the electronic controller:
detects a temperature of the battery pack assembly with the temperature sensor;
detects a disengagement of the heating system; and
commands the at least one control valve to direct the working fluid from the cooler to at least one of the heater core and the battery pack assembly based on at least one of the detected temperature of the battery pack assembly and the disengagement of the heating system.

17 . The cooling system of claim 16 , wherein the electronic controller commands the at least one control valve to open and direct the working fluid to the battery pack assembly when a detected temperature of the battery pack assembly is less than a predetermined temperature.

18 . The cooling system of claim 16 , wherein the electronic controller commands the at least one control valve to open and direct the working fluid to the heater core when the heating system is not disengaged.

19 . The cooling system of claim 16 , wherein the electronic controller commands the at least one control valve to open and direct the working fluid to the battery pack assembly and the heater core when a detected temperature of the battery pack assembly is less than a predetermined temperature and the heating system is not disengaged.

20 . The cooling system of claim 16 , further comprising a thermoelectric generator thermally coupled to the cooling loop.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Eng & Mfg North America Inc

Inventors

• Zhou Feng
• Dede Ercan Mehmet
• Joshi Shailesh

Classifications

• H01M10/625

  Vehicles · CPC title

• H01M10/6568 Primary

  characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings · CPC title

• B60L11/1874

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M10/613

  Cooling or keeping cold · CPC title