Electrified vehicle cabin heating

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017106724-A1
Application number	US-201514887452-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 20, 2015
Priority date	Oct 20, 2015
Publication date	Apr 20, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An exemplary electrified vehicle assembly includes a battery pack, a cabin heater, and a coolant loop that communicates liquid coolant from the battery pack to the cabin heater. The cabin heater configured to heat a cabin of a vehicle with thermal energy from liquid coolant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrified vehicle assembly, comprising:
a battery pack; a cabin heater; and a coolant loop that communicates liquid coolant from the battery pack to the cabin heater, the cabin heater configured to heat a cabin of a vehicle with thermal energy from liquid coolant.

2 . The electrified vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the liquid coolant cools the battery pack during a charge.

3 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cabin heater comprises a heater core configured to transfer thermal energy from the liquid coolant in the coolant loop to a flow of air that heats the cabin of the vehicle.

4 . The assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a blower that moves the flow of air through the cabin heater.

5 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a chiller, the coolant loop to further communicate the liquid coolant from the cabin heater to the chiller.

6 . The assembly of claim 5 , further comprising a refrigerant loop, wherein the chiller is configured to transfer thermal energy from the liquid coolant in the coolant loop to an expandable refrigerant in the refrigerant loop.

7 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a valve assembly configured to direct the liquid coolant from the battery pack to the cabin heater under some operating conditions, and configured to direct the liquid coolant from the battery pack to a radiator under other operating conditions.

8 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a valve assembly configured to direct the liquid coolant from the battery pack to the cabin heater under some operating conditions, and configured to direct the liquid coolant from the battery pack to a chiller under other operating conditions.

9 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the charge is a fast charge.

10 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the charge is a DC fast charge.

11 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the battery pack is a traction battery pack.

12 . A method of cooling a battery pack during charging, comprising:
communicating a liquid coolant through a battery pack to remove thermal energy from the battery pack that is generated when charging the battery pack; and communicating the liquid coolant from the battery pack to a cabin heater.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising transferring thermal energy from the liquid coolant to a flow of air at a heater core of the cabin heater, and heating a cabin of a vehicle using the flow of air.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising maintaining the liquid coolant in a liquid phase during the transferring and heating.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the charging is a fast charge.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the charging is a DC fast charge.

17 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising communicating the liquid coolant away from the battery pack using a coolant loop that extends from the battery pack to the cabin heater.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising communicating the liquid coolant along the coolant loop from the cabin heater to a chiller and transferring thermal energy from the liquid coolant to an expandable refrigerant at the chiller.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising, after the charging, actuating at least one valve to cause the coolant loop to extend from the battery pack to a radiator, and communicating the liquid coolant through the radiator to remove thermal energy from the liquid coolant.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising, after the charging, actuating at least one valve to cause the coolant loop to extend from the battery pack to a chiller, and communicating the liquid coolant through the chiller to remove thermal energy from the liquid coolant.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Porras Angel Fernando
• Blatchley Timothy Noah
• Rockwell Mark Anthony
• Badger Justin Reuel

Classifications

• H01M10/6568

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

• H01M10/613

  Cooling or keeping cold · CPC title

• B60L58/26

  by cooling · CPC title

• H01M10/625

  Vehicles · CPC title

• H01M10/44

  Methods for charging or discharging (circuits for charging H02J7/00) · CPC title