Vehicular thermal management system including selective heat transfer medium circulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9561704-B2
Application number	US-201314403148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2013
Priority date	May 24, 2012
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

First circulation portions switch a flow of a heat transfer medium such that one of the heat transfer media for two systems selectively circulates through a radiator flow path or a first bypass flow path. Second circulation portions switch the flow of the heat transfer medium such that the heat transfer media for the two systems selectively circulate with respect to a second flow path group. The first circulation portions and the second circulation portions are adapted to switch the flow of the heat transfer medium so as to form a first circulation circuit for allowing the heat transfer medium to circulate among a first flow path group, the second flow path group, and a first pump, as well as a second circulation circuit for allowing the heat transfer medium to circulate among the first flow path group, the second flow path group, and a second pump.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermal management system for a vehicle, comprising:
a radiator exchanging heat between a heat transfer medium and outside air;
a first flow path group including a radiator flow path in which the heat transfer medium flows and the radiator is disposed, and a first bypass flow path and a second bypass flow path that allow the heat transfer medium to bypass the radiator
a cooler cooling the heat transfer medium;
a heater heating the heat transfer medium;
a heat transfer medium circulation device through which the heat transfer medium heated by the heater circulates;
a plurality of devices to be heat-exchanged that exchanges heat with the heat transfer medium;
a second flow path group including (i) a cooler flow path in which the heat transfer medium flows and the cooler is disposed, (ii) a heater flow path in which the heat transfer medium flows and the heater is disposed, and a plurality of device flow paths in which the heat transfer medium flows and the devices to be heat-exchanged are disposed;
a first pump and a second pump, sucking and discharging the heat medium into two systems;
a first circulation portion circulating heat transfer medium in the two systems, discharged from the first pump and the second pump, with respect to the first flow path group; and
a second circulation portion circulating the heat transfer medium in the two systems, with respect to the second flow path group, wherein
the heat transfer medium circulation device is disposed in the heater flow path, or the heater flow path is connected to an end of a flow path with the heat transfer medium circulation device disposed therein,
the first circulation portion switches a flow of the heat transfer medium such that one of the heat transfer media for the two systems selectively circulates through the radiator flow path or the first bypass flow path,
the second circulation portion switches a flow of the heat transfer medium such that the heat transfer media for the two systems selectively circulate with respect to the second flow path group, and
the first circulation portion and the second circulation portion switch the flow of the heat transfer medium so as to form a first circulation circuit that allows the heat transfer medium to circulate between the second flow path group and the first pump, as well as a second circulation circuit that allows the heat transfer medium to circulate among the first flow path group, the second flow path group, and the second pump.

2. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the heat transfer medium circulation device is a heating heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the heat transfer medium heated by the heater and air to be blown into a vehicle interior to heat the air.

3. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein
when the vehicle interior is heated with the air heated by the heating heat exchanger, the first circulation portion and the second circulation portion switch the flow of the heat transfer medium, such that a device to be heat-exchanged among the devices to be heat-exchanged, in which a temperature of the heat transfer medium at a heat transfer medium outlet is a predetermined value or higher, the heating heat exchanger, and one bypass flow path of the first and second bypass flow paths are included in one circulation circuit of the first and second circulation circuits, and such that another device to be heat-exchanged among the devices to be heat-exchanged, in which a temperature of the heat transfer medium at a heat transfer medium outlet is less than the predetermined value, and one flow path of the first flow path group other than the one bypass flow path are included in the other circulation circuit of the first and second circulation circuits.

4. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein
the cooler is a low-pressure side heat exchanger of a refrigeration cycle, and
the heater is a high-pressure side heat exchanger of the refrigeration cycle, wherein
when a total of an amount of heat dissipation into the heat transfer medium from the devices to be heat-exchanged and a power of a compressor in the refrigeration cycle is estimated not to exceed a heat amount necessary for heating of the vehicle interior, the first circulation portion and the second circulation portion switch the flow of the heat transfer medium such that the heater, the heating heat exchanger, and one bypass flow path of the first and second bypass flow paths are included in one circulation circuit of the first and second circulation circuits, and such that the cooler and the radiator flow path are included in the other circulation circuit of the first and second circulation circuits, and
when the total is estimated to exceed the heat amount, the first circulation portion and the second circulation portion switch the flow of the heat transfer medium such that the heater, the heating heat exchanger, and the one bypass flow path are included in the one circulation circuit, and such that at least one of the devices to be heat-exchanged, the cooler, and the other bypass flow path of the first and second bypass flow paths are included in the other circulation circuit of the first and second circulation circuits.

5. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein
the cooler is a low-pressure side heat exchanger of a refrigeration cycle, and
the heater is a high-pressure side heat exchanger of the refrigeration cycle, wherein
when a total of an amount of heat generated by the devices to be heat-exchanged and an amount of heat dissipation into the heat transfer medium from the high-pressure side heat exchanger is estimated not to exceed a heat amount necessary for heating of the vehicle interior, the first circulation portion and the second circulation portion switch the flow of the heat medium such that the heater, the heating heat exchanger, and one bypass flow path of the first and second bypass flow paths are included in one circulation circuit of the first and second circulation circuits, and such that the cooler and the radiator flow path are included in the other circulation circuit of the first and second circulation circuits, and
when the total is estimated to exceed the heat amount, the first circulation portion and the second circulation portion switch the flow of the heat transfer medium such that the heater, the heating heat exchanger, and the one bypass flow path are included in the one circulation circuit, and such that at least one of the devices to be heat-exchanged, the cooler, and the other bypass flow path of the first and second bypass flow paths are included in the other circulation circuit of the first and second circulation circuits.

6. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second heat transfer medium circulation circuit for circulation of a second heat transfer medium; and
a heating heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the second heat medium and air to be blown into a vehicle interior so as to heat the air, wherein
a heat transfer medium/heat transfer medium heat exchanger of the heat transfer medium circulation devices exchanges heat between the heat transfer medium heated by the heater and the second heat transfer medium.

7. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein
when the vehicle interior is heated with the air heated by the heating heat exchanger, the first circulation portion and the second circulation portion switch the flow of the heat transfer medium such that a device to be heat-exchanged among the devices to be heat-exchanged, in which a temperature of the heat medium at a heat transfer medium ou

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Enomoto Norihiko
• Kakehashi Nobuharu
• Nishikawa Michio
• Omi Yasumitsu
• Yamanaka Takashi
• Takeuchi Masayuki

Classifications

• B60L2240/445

  Temperature · CPC title

• B60H1/00899

  Controlling the flow of liquid in a heat pump system (controlling the properties of the refrigerant liquid, e.g. pressure or temperature, B60H1/3204) · CPC title

• B60K2001/003

  with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units · CPC title

• Y02T10/7072

  Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title