Apparatus and method for cooling a high heat-generating component of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022010926-A1
Application number	US-202117401699-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 13, 2021
Priority date	Apr 5, 2019
Publication date	Jan 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus for cooling a high heat-generating vehicle component includes an air compressor assembly operable in a heat-generating mode, in which the air compressor assembly has a relatively low capability to absorb heat energy from a coolant that has passed through a high heat-generating vehicle component. The coolant may be passed through a heat exchanger submerged in an oil reservoir of the air compressor assembly to facilitate the heat exchange. The air compressor assembly can also be operated in a non-heat-generating mode, in which the air compressor assembly has a relatively higher capability to absorb heat energy from the coolant that has passed through the high heat-generating vehicle component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for cooling a high heat-generating vehicle component, the apparatus comprising:
an air compressor assembly operable in a heat-generating mode in which the air compressor assembly has a relatively lower capability to absorb heat energy from a coolant that has passed through a high heat-generating vehicle component, and operable in a non-heat-generating mode in which the air compressor assembly has a relatively higher capability to absorb heat energy from the coolant that has passed through the high heat-generating vehicle component.

2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heat-generating mode includes (i) a first heat-generating mode in which component parts of the air compressor assembly are generating heat and delivering compressed air, and (ii) a second heat-generating mode in which component parts of the air compressor assembly are generating heat and not delivering compressed air.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:
an actuatable, low-temperature compressor cooling system associated with the air compressor assembly and for, when actuated, absorbing heat energy from the air compressor assembly to cool the air compressor assembly.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the air compressor assembly is capable of expelling heat energy from the air compressor assembly to the low-temperature compressor cooling system when temperature of the coolant received from the vehicle component is about +70 degrees C.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the air compressor assembly is capable of drawing heat energy away from the high heat-generating vehicle component when a temperature of the coolant received from the high heat-generating vehicle component is in a temperature range between about −30 degrees C. and about +70 degrees C. and an environmental temperature is less than the temperature of the coolant.

6 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the air compressor assembly is capable of lowering the temperature of the coolant no lower than about −30 degrees C. by transferring heat energy away from the coolant.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the air compressor assembly is configured for use in one of a vehicle air braking system, a vehicle suspension system, and a vehicle bulk off-loading system.

8 . A method for transferring heat energy in a vehicle comprising:
passing a fluid through a high heat-generating component of a vehicle to allow heat energy to be transferred from the high heat-generating component to the fluid to provide a heated fluid;
directing the heated fluid to an air compressor assembly of the vehicle;
passing the heated fluid through an oil reservoir of the air compressor assembly, wherein the oil reservoir has a heat exchanger submerged in the oil to absorb heat energy from the heated fluid to the air compressor assembly to provide a cooled fluid; and
directing the cooled fluid from the air compressor assembly to the high heat-generating component to return the cooled fluid back to the high heat-generating component.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising setting the air compressor assembly non-heat-generating mode, wherein the heat energy absorbed by the air compressor assembly when the air compressor assembly is in the non-heat-generating mode is greater than when the air compressor assembly is in a heat-generating mode.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the non-heat-generating mode is when the air compressor assembly is not delivering compressed air.

11 . A method for transferring energy in a vehicle comprising:
lowering an operating temperature of a high heat-generating component of the vehicle by transferring heat energy away from the high heat-generating component via a coolant; and
raising an operating temperature of an air compressor assembly while the air compressor assembly is in a non-heat-generating mode by sinking the heat energy from the coolant that has been transferred away from the high heat-generating component.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein energy consumed by the air compressor assembly when started from the raised operating temperature is less than energy consumed when the air compressor assembly is started from the initial operating temperature.

13 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein raising the operating temperature of the air compressor assembly further includes passing the coolant through a heat exchanger submerged in an oil reservoir of the air compressor assembly to absorb the heat energy from the coolant.

14 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein lowering the operating temperature of the high-heat-generating component occurs when the coolant is between about −30 degrees C. and about +70 degrees C. and an environmental temperature is less than the temperature of the coolant.

Assignees

• Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems Llc

Inventors

• Plow William
• Howe Stephen
• Matko Mark A

Classifications

• F04C29/04

  Heating; Cooling (of machines or engines in general F01P); Heat insulation (heat insulation in general F16L59/00) · CPC title

• F16N39/04 Primary

  by heating (heat-exchangers in general F28) · CPC title

• F16N2210/04

  Vehicles · CPC title

• F16N39/02 Primary

  by cooling (heat-exchangers in general F28) · CPC title

• F01P3/20

  Cooling circuits not specific to a single part of engine or machine (F01P3/22 takes precedence) · CPC title