Auxiliary station cooling unit for dc faster charge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023322106-A1
Application number	US-202217715593-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 7, 2022
Priority date	Apr 7, 2022
Publication date	Oct 12, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A charging station for a vehicle, a system and a method of charging the vehicle. The system includes a heat exchanger at the vehicle. The charging station includes a reservoir including a charging station coolant, a dispenser unit configured to circulate the charging station coolant from the reservoir through the vehicle to absorb heat generated at the vehicle, and a cooling unit for cooling the charging station coolant from the reservoir. Heat generated during the charging of the vehicle is transferred into a vehicle coolant circulating within the vehicle. The heat is transferred from the vehicle coolant to a charging station coolant. The charging station coolant is flowed out of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of charging a vehicle, comprising:
transferring a heat generated during the charging of the vehicle into a vehicle coolant circulating within the vehicle; transferring the heat from the vehicle coolant to a charging station coolant; and flowing the charging station coolant out of the vehicle.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising flowing the charging station coolant in a coolant circulation loop that includes a cooling unit outside of the vehicle.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising storing the charging station coolant at an underground reservoir for ambient cooling.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising
coupling a hose to the vehicle, the hose including a connector having a first port and a second port; flowing the charging station coolant into the vehicle via the first port; and flowing the charging station coolant out of the vehicle through the second port.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising switching a configuration of a valve of an internal circulation circuit of the vehicle when the hose is connected to the vehicle.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein switching the configuration includes placing a heat exchanger in the internal circulation circuit to allow the heat to transfer from the vehicle coolant to the charging station coolant at the heat exchanger.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising cooling the charging station coolant via one of: (i) circulating the charging station coolant through a radiator exterior to the vehicle; and (ii) transferring the heat from the charging station coolant to a secondary coolant.

8 . A charging station for a vehicle, comprising:
a reservoir including a charging station coolant; a dispenser unit configured to circulate the charging station coolant from the reservoir through the vehicle to absorb heat generated at the vehicle; and a cooling unit for cooling the charging station coolant from the reservoir.

9 . The charging station of claim 8 , wherein the cooling unit is located outside of the vehicle.

10 . The charging station of claim 9 , wherein the reservoir is underground.

11 . The charging station of claim 8 , further comprising a hose for coupling the dispenser unit to the vehicle, the hose including a connector with a first port for flowing the charging station coolant into the vehicle and a second port for flowing the charging station coolant out of the vehicle.

12 . The charging station of claim 11 , further comprising an electronic control unit configured to send a command to a valve of an internal circulation circuit of the vehicle when the hose is connected to the vehicle to switch a configuration of the valve.

13 . The charging station of claim 12 , wherein switching the configuration of the valve includes placing a heat exchanger in the internal circulation circuit to allow the heat from the vehicle coolant to be transferred to the charging station coolant at the heat exchanger.

14 . The charging station of claim 8 , wherein the cooling unit further comprises at least one of: (i) a radiator for cooling the charging station coolant from the reservoir; and (ii) a condenser for cooling a secondary coolant, the secondary coolant absorbing heat from the charging station coolant.

15 . A system for charging a battery of a vehicle, comprising:
a heat exchanger at the vehicle; a reservoir exterior to the vehicle, the reservoir including a charging station coolant; a dispenser unit configured to circulate the charging station coolant from the reservoir through the vehicle to absorb heat generated at the vehicle; and a cooling unit for cooling the charging station coolant from the reservoir.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the reservoir is underground.

17 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising a hose for coupling the dispenser unit to the vehicle, the hose including a connector with a first port for flowing the charging station coolant into the vehicle and a second port for flowing the charging station coolant out of the vehicle.

18 . The system of claim 17 , further comprising an electronic control unit configured to send a command to a valve of an internal circulation circuit of the vehicle when the hose is connected to the vehicle to switch a configuration of the valve.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein switching the configuration of the valve includes placing the heat exchanger in the internal circulation circuit to allow the heat from the vehicle coolant to be transferred to the charging station coolant at the heat exchanger.

20 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the cooling unit further comprises at least one of: (i) a radiator for cooling the charging station coolant from the reservoir; and (ii) a condenser for cooling a secondary coolant, the secondary coolant absorbing heat from the charging station coolant.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Lopez Richard J
• Vaddiraju Srinivasa Rao

Classifications

• B60L53/302 Primary

  Cooling of charging equipment · CPC title

• H05K7/20936

  Liquid coolant with phase change · CPC title

• B60L53/31

  Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60L53/16 Primary

  Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles · CPC title

• Y02T90/12

  Electric charging stations · CPC title