HVAC Systems for Electrically-Powered Vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016355068-A1
Application number	US-201514729989-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 3, 2015
Priority date	Jun 3, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system for an electrically-powered vehicle (EV) having an electric motor powered by at least one battery is described. The HVAC system may comprise a blower, a conduit configured to carry air from the blower to vents leading to a passenger cabin of the EV, and an electric heater positioned in the conduit and configured to heat the air. The HVAC system may further comprise a thermal reservoir heater positioned in the conduit and including a thermal storage component configured to heat the air without using power from the battery.

First claim

1 . A heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system for an electrically-powered vehicle (EV) having an electric motor powered by at least one battery, comprising:
a blower; a conduit configured to carry air from the blower to vents leading to a passenger cabin of the EV; an electric heater positioned in the conduit and configured to heat the air; and a thermal reservoir heater positioned in the conduit and including a second electric heater powered by the battery and a phase change material (PCM) in heat exchange relation to the second electric heater and the air, the PCM surrounding the second electric heater and being configured to absorb and store heat from the second electric heater, the PCM being further configured to release heat into the air without using power from the battery.

2 . The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the PCM is contained in a vessel that surrounds the second electric heater.

3 . The HVAC system of claim 2 , wherein the second electric heater is a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater.

4 . The HVAC system of claim 3 , wherein the PCM is configured to absorb and store heat from the PTC heater by undergoing a heat-absorbing phase change, and wherein the PCM is further configured to release heat into the air by undergoing a heat-releasing phase change.

5 . The HVAC system of claim 4 , wherein the PCM includes a phase change temperature at which the heat-absorbing phase change and the heat-releasing phase change occur, and wherein the phase change temperature of the PCM is within an operating temperature range of the PTC heater.

6 . The HVAC system of claim 5 , wherein the electric heater and the second electric heater are separated by a barrier and are independently operated.

7 . The HVAC system of claim 5 , wherein the heat-absorbing phase change of the PCM is a solid to liquid phase change, and wherein the heat-releasing phase change of the PCM is a liquid to solid phase change.

8 . The HVAC system of claim 5 , wherein the HVAC system further comprises an airflow regulating device positioned in the conduit upstream of the electric heater and the thermal reservoir heater, the airflow regulating device being configured to regulate the flow of the air to the electric heater and the thermal reservoir heater.

9 . The HVAC system of claim 8 , wherein the airflow regulating device is a blend door that is configured to shift between a first position in which the air in the conduit is permitted to flow to the electric heater, and a second position in which the air is permitted to flow to the thermal reservoir heater.

10 . The HVAC system of claim 9 , wherein the flow of the air to the thermal reservoir heater is blocked when the blend door is in the first position, and wherein the flow of the air to the electric heater is blocked when the blend door is in the second position.

11 . The HVAC system of claim 9 , wherein the blend door is in the first position when the EV is charging at an electric outlet and when the heat stored in the PCM is depleted.

12 . An electrically-powered vehicle (EV), comprising:
a passenger cabin; wheels; an electric motor configured to drive the wheels; at least one battery configured to power the electric motor; and a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system including
a blower,
a conduit configured to carry air from the blower to vents leading to the passenger cabin of the EV,
an electric heater positioned in the conduit and configured to heat the air,
a thermal reservoir heater positioned in the conduit and including a second electric heater powered by the battery and a phase change material (PCM) surrounding the second electric heater, the PCM being in heat exchange relation to the second electric heater and the air, the PCM being configured to absorb and store heat from the second electric heater, the PCM being further configured to release the heat into the air without using power from the battery, and
a blend door upstream of the electric heater and the thermal reservoir heater in the conduit and configured to regulate a flow of the air to the electric heater and the thermal reservoir heater.

13 . The EV of claim 12 , wherein the second electric heater is a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater that includes barium titanate stones.

14 . The EV of claim 13 , wherein the PCM is contained in a vessel that surrounds the PTC heater.

15 . The EV of claim 14 , wherein the PCM is configured to absorb and store heat from the PTC heater by undergoing a heat-absorbing phase change, and wherein the PCM is further configured to release heat into the air by undergoing a heat-releasing phase change.

16 . The EV of claim 14 , wherein the blend door is configured to shift between a first position in which the air in the conduit is permitted to flow to the electric heater, and a second position in which the air is permitted to flow to the thermal reservoir heater.

17 . The EV of claim 16 , wherein the flow of the air to the thermal reservoir heater is blocked when the blend door is in the first position, and wherein the flow of the air to the electric heater is blocked when the blend door is in the second position.

18 . The EV of claim 16 , wherein the blend door is in the first position when the EV is charging at an electric outlet and when the heat stored in the PCM is depleted.

19 . The EV of claim 12 , wherein the EV is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).

20 . A method for heating a passenger cabin of an electrically-powered vehicle (EV) with a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, the HVAC system including an electric heater and a thermal reservoir heater having a thermal storage component, the method comprising:
storing heat to the thermal reservoir heater while a battery of the EV is charging at an electric outlet by causing the thermal storage component to undergo a heat-absorbing phase change; and heating the passenger cabin using the thermal reservoir heater while the EV is operational by causing the thermal storage component to undergo a heat-releasing phase change.

Assignees

• Borgwarner Inc

Inventors

• Sutherland Andrew D
• Myers Stevem M

Classifications

• B60L1/20

  Energy regeneration from auxiliary equipment · CPC title

• B60L1/02

  to electric heating circuits · CPC title

• B60H1/2221

  arrangements of electric heaters for heating an intermediate liquid (B60H1/034 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60H1/00492 Primary

  comprising regenerative heating or cooling means, e.g. heat accumulators · CPC title

• B60H1/2215

  the heat being derived from electric heaters · CPC title