EV multi-mode thermal management system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9511645-B2
Application number	US-201414519345-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2014
Priority date	Oct 21, 2014
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

A multi-mode vehicle thermal management system is provided that allows efficient thermal communication between a refrigerant-based thermal control loop and three non-refrigerant-based thermal control loops, where one of the non-refrigerant-based loops provides temperature control over the vehicle's passenger cabin, a second of the non-refrigerant-based control loops is thermally coupled to the vehicle's battery system and the third of the non-refrigerant-based control circuits is thermally coupled to the vehicle's drive train. The refrigerant-based control loop may be operated either in a heating mode or a cooling mode and is coupled to the vehicle's HVAC system using a refrigerant-air heat exchanger, and to one or more of the non-refrigerant-based control loops using refrigerant-fluid heat exchangers. A valve assembly is used to couple and/or decouple the battery and drive train thermal control loops, thereby allowing these two thermal control loops to operate either in parallel or in series.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-mode vehicle thermal management system, comprising:
a passenger cabin thermal control loop comprising a first circulation pump and a liquid-air heat exchanger, wherein said first circulation pump circulates a first heat transfer fluid within said passenger cabin thermal control loop and through said liquid-air heat exchanger, and wherein said passenger cabin thermal control loop provides temperature control of a vehicle passenger cabin;
a battery thermal control loop comprising a second circulation pump, wherein said second circulation pump circulates a second heat transfer fluid within said battery thermal control loop, wherein said battery thermal control loop is thermally coupled to a vehicle battery pack, and wherein said passenger cabin thermal control loop operates in parallel with and independent of said battery thermal control loop;
a drive train control loop comprising a third circulation pump, wherein said third circulation pump circulates said second heat transfer fluid within said drive train control loop, wherein said drive train control loop is thermally coupled to at least one drive train component, and wherein said passenger cabin thermal control loop operates in parallel with and independent of said drive train thermal control loop;
a valve assembly, wherein said battery thermal control loop operates in parallel with and independent of said drive train thermal control loop when said valve assembly is configured in a first mode, and wherein said battery thermal control loop is serially coupled to said drive train thermal control loop when said valve assembly is configured in a second mode;
a refrigerant-based thermal control loop, wherein said refrigerant-based thermal control loop is comprised of a refrigerant, a compressor, and a condenser/evaporator;
a refrigerant-air heat exchanger coupled to said refrigerant-based thermal control loop by a first expansion valve, wherein said refrigerant-air heat exchanger is thermally coupled to a vehicle HVAC system;
a refrigerant valve operable in at least two modes; and
a refrigerant-fluid heat exchanger coupled to said passenger cabin thermal control loop, wherein said refrigerant valve in a first mode directs said refrigerant through said refrigerant-air heat exchanger and said first expansion valve, wherein said refrigerant valve in a second mode directs said refrigerant through said refrigerant-fluid heat exchanger, and wherein said first heat transfer fluid within said passenger cabin thermal control loop is heated when said refrigerant is directed through said refrigerant-fluid heat exchanger.

2. The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 1 , further comprising a second refrigerant-fluid heat exchanger coupled to said refrigerant-based thermal control loop by a second expansion valve, wherein said second refrigerant-fluid heat exchanger is thermally coupled to said battery thermal control loop.

3. The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a refrigerant by-pass valve; and
a second expansion valve interposed between said refrigerant-fluid heat exchanger and said condenser/evaporator, wherein when said refrigerant valve is in said first mode said refrigerant by-pass valve is configured to allow said refrigerant in said refrigerant-based thermal control loop to by-pass said second expansion valve, and wherein when said refrigerant valve is in said second mode said refrigerant by-pass valve is configured to allow said refrigerant in said refrigerant-based thermal control loop to flow through said second expansion valve.

4. The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 3 , wherein said refrigerant by-pass valve and said second expansion valve are combined in an electronic expansion valve.

5. The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 1 , further comprising a refrigerant by-pass valve, wherein said refrigerant by-pass valve in a first mode of operation couples said refrigerant-fluid heat exchanger to said refrigerant-based thermal control loop, and wherein said refrigerant by-pass valve in a second mode of operation decouples said refrigerant-fluid heat exchanger from said refrigerant-based thermal control loop.

6. The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 1 , said passenger cabin thermal control loop further comprising a supplemental electric heater configured to heat said first heat transfer fluid of said passenger cabin thermal control loop when electrical power is connected to said supplemental electric heater.

7. The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 1 , said battery thermal control loop further comprising a supplemental electric heater configured to heat said second heat transfer fluid of said battery thermal control loop when electrical power is connected to said supplemental electric heater.

8. The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein said valve assembly is comprised of a four-way valve, wherein said four-way valve configured in said first mode couples a first portion of said battery thermal control loop to a second portion of said battery thermal control loop and couples a first portion of said drive train thermal control loop to a second portion of said drive train thermal control loop, and wherein said four-way valve configured in said second mode couples said first portion of said battery thermal control loop to said second portion of said drive train thermal control loop and couples said first portion of said drive train thermal control loop to said second portion of said battery thermal control loop.

9. The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein said valve assembly is comprised of a first three-way valve and a second three-way valve, wherein said first three-way valve configured in said first mode couples a first portion of said battery thermal control loop to a second portion of said battery thermal control loop, wherein said second three-way valve configured in said first mode couples a first portion of said drive train thermal control loop to a second portion of said drive train thermal control loop, wherein said first three-way valve configured in said second mode couples said first portion of said battery thermal control loop to said second portion of said drive train thermal control loop, and wherein said second three-way valve configured in said second mode couples said first portion of said drive train thermal control loop to said second portion of said battery thermal control loop.

10. The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 1 , further comprising a radiator coupled to said drive train thermal control loop.

11. The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 10 , further comprising a fan configured to force air through said radiator.

12. The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 10 , further comprising a diverter valve, wherein said diverter valve in a first position couples said radiator to said drive train thermal control loop and allows at least a portion of said second heat transfer fluid to flow through said radiator, and wherein said diverter valve in a second position decouples said radiator from said drive train thermal control loop and allows said second heat transfer fluid within said drive train thermal control loop to by-pass said radiator.

13. The multi-mode vehicle thermal management system of claim 12 , wherein said diverter valve in said first position allows a second portion of said second heat transfer fluid to by-pass said radiator, and wherein said diverter valve in a third position couples said radiator to said drive train

Assignees

• Atieva Inc

Inventors

• Johnston Vincent George

Classifications

• B60H1/32284

  comprising two or more secondary circuits, e.g. at evaporator and condenser side · CPC title

• B60H1/00278 Primary

  for the battery · CPC title

• B60H2001/00928

  comprising a secondary circuit · CPC title

• B60H2001/00307

  Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow · CPC title

• B60H1/00921

  where the flow direction of the refrigerant does not change and there is an extra subcondenser, e.g. in an air duct · CPC title