System for cooling hybrid vehicle electronics, method for cooling hybrid vehicle electronics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9826666-B2
Application number	US-201514596415-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2015
Priority date	Jan 14, 2015
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

The invention provides a single radiator cooling system for use in hybrid electric vehicles, the system comprising a surface in thermal communication with electronics, and subcooled boiling fluid contacting the surface. The invention also provides a single radiator method for simultaneously cooling electronics and an internal combustion engine in a hybrid electric vehicle, the method comprising separating a coolant fluid into a first portion and a second portion; directing the first portion to the electronics and the second portion to the internal combustion engine for a time sufficient to maintain the temperature of the electronics at or below 175° C.; combining the first and second portion to reestablish the coolant fluid; and treating the reestablished coolant fluid to the single radiator for a time sufficient to decrease the temperature of the reestablished coolant fluid to the temperature it had before separation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A single radiator method for simultaneously cooling electronics and an internal combustion engine in hybrid electric vehicles, the method comprising:
a) separating a coolant fluid into a first portion and a second portion;
b) directing the first portion to the electronics and the second portion to the internal combustion engine for a time sufficient to maintain the temperature of the electronics at or below 175° C.;
c) combining the first and second portion to reestablish the coolant fluid; and
d) treating the reestablished coolant fluid to the single radiator for a time sufficient to decrease the temperature of the reestablished coolant fluid to approximately the same temperature it was at when first separated into a first portion and a second portion, wherein the fluid is a subcooled boiling fluid.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the fluid is a liquid selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, water, polyalphaolefin, and combinations thereof.

3. A single radiator method for simultaneously cooling electronics and an internal combustion engine in hybrid electric vehicles, the method comprising:
a) separating a coolant fluid into a first portion and a second portion;
b) directing the first portion to the electronics and the second portion to the internal combustion engine for a time sufficient to maintain the temperature of the electronics at or below 175° C.;
c) combining the first and second portion to reestablish the coolant fluid; and
d) treating the reestablished coolant fluid to the single radiator for a time sufficient to decrease the temperature of the reestablished coolant fluid to approximately the same temperature it was at when first separated into a first portion and a second portion, wherein the electronics are maintained at a current power density of between approximately 100 W/cm 2 and approximately 250 W/cm 2 .

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of directing the first portion to the electronics comprises flowing the first portion through a single fluid passage defining a heat exchange surface of the electronics.

5. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein the electronics are in thermal communication with a plurality of heat exchange surfaces and the first portion simultaneously contacts said plurality of surfaces.

6. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein the fluid is a liquid selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, water, polyalphaolefin, and combinations thereof.

7. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein the coolant fluid is maintained at a pressure of between approximately 0 psig and approximately 45 psig.

8. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein the coolant fluid remains in liquid phase when not in contact with heat sinks defining surfaces of the electronics.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the coolant fluid is maintained at a pressure of between approximately 0 psig and approximately 45 psig.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein coolant fluid remains in liquid phase when not in contact with heat sinks defining surfaces of the electronics.

Assignees

• France David M
• Yu Wenhua
• Singh Dileep
• Zhao Weihuan
• Uchicago Argonne Llc

Inventors

• France David M
• Yu Wenhua
• Singh Dileep
• Zhao Weihuan

Classifications

• F01P2003/008

  the liquid being water and oil · CPC title

• H10W40/73

  for cooling by change of state · CPC title

• H10W40/47

  by flowing liquids, e.g. forced water cooling · CPC title

• H10W40/10

  Arrangements for heating · CPC title

• F01P7/165

  characterised by systems with two or more loops · CPC title