Charger cooling air source selection method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9854717-B2
Application number	US-201314033822-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2013
Priority date	Sep 23, 2013
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

A charger cooling air source selection method includes cooling a vehicle battery charger by opening an outside air vent door in a vehicle and drawing outside air through the outside air vent door; determining whether the outside air vent door will close; and if the outside air vent door will not close, establishing and maintaining positive air pressure in a cabin of the vehicle by ensuring an open configuration of a recirculation door in the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A controller-implemented charger cooling air source selection method, a controller causing steps comprising:
cooling a vehicle battery charger by opening an outside air vent door of the vehicle and drawing outside air through the outside air vent door while maintaining a recirculation door in a closed configuration, the outside air vent door in a rear portion of the vehicle, the recirculation door in a front portion of the vehicle;
determining whether the outside air vent door will close in response to an attempt to close the outside air vent door caused by the controller; and
if the outside air vent door will not close, establishing and maintaining positive air pressure in a cabin of the vehicle by ensuring an open configuration of the recirculation door in the vehicle, the recirculation door configured to close the cabin to outside air through the recirculation door in the closed configuration and open the cabin to outside air through the recirculation door in the open configuration.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising drawing outside air through the outside air vent door by operating an outside air fan.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing positive air pressure in a cabin of the vehicle by ensuring an open configuration of the recirculation door in the vehicle further comprises operating a vehicle climate control fan.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein cooling a vehicle battery charger comprises opening the outside air vent door in the vehicle if a temperature of the cabin of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined set temperature.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein drawing outside air through the outside air vent door comprises drawing outside air through the outside vent door through a fan outlet duct disposed in thermally conductive contact with the vehicle battery charger.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein ensuring an open configuration of the recirculation door in the vehicle comprises opening the recirculation door from the closed configuration.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein ensuring an open configuration of the recirculation door in the vehicle comprises maintaining the recirculation door in the open configuration.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing inside air from the cabin of the vehicle by operating an air extractor.

9. A controller-implemented charger cooling air source selection method, a controller causing steps comprising:
charging a vehicle battery of a vehicle by operation of a vehicle battery charger;
cooling the vehicle battery charger by opening an outside air vent door in a vehicle and drawing outside air from outside the vehicle through the outside air vent door into a cabin of the vehicle while maintaining a recirculation door in a closed configuration, the outside air vent door in a rear portion of the vehicle, the recirculation door in a front portion of the vehicle;
determining whether the outside air vent door will close in response to an attempt to close the outside air vent door caused by the controller; and
if the outside air vent door will not close, establishing and maintaining positive air pressure in the cabin of the vehicle by ensuring an open configuration of the recirculation door in the vehicle, the recirculation door configured to close the cabin to outside air through the recirculation door in the closed configuration and open the cabin to outside air through the recirculation door in the open configuration.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising drawing outside air through the outside air vent door by operating an outside air fan.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein establishing positive air pressure in a cabin of the vehicle by ensuring an open configuration of the recirculation door in the vehicle further comprises operating a vehicle climate control fan.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein cooling a vehicle battery charger comprises opening the outside air vent door in the vehicle if a temperature of the cabin of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined set temperature.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein drawing outside air through the outside air vent door comprises drawing outside air through the outside vent door through a fan outlet duct disposed in thermally conductive contact with the vehicle battery charger.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein ensuring an open configuration of the recirculation door in the vehicle comprises opening the recirculation door from the closed configuration.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein ensuring an open configuration of the recirculation door in the vehicle comprises maintaining the recirculation door in the open configuration.

16. The method of claim 9 further comprising removing inside air from the cabin of the vehicle by operating an air extractor.

17. A controller-implemented charger cooling air source selection method, a controller causing steps comprising:
charging a vehicle battery of a vehicle by operation of a vehicle battery charger;
determining whether the vehicle battery charger requires cooling and a temperature of a cabin of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined set temperature;
determining if the vehicle battery charger requires cooling and the temperature of the cabin of the vehicle exceeds the predetermined set temperature;
if the vehicle battery charger requires cooling, cooling the vehicle battery charger by opening an outside air vent door and operating a vehicle climate control fan in a vehicle to draw outside air from outside the vehicle through the outside air vent door into a cabin of the vehicle by operating an outside air fan, the outside air vent door being opened while maintaining a recirculation door in a closed configuration, the outside air vent door in a rear portion of the vehicle, the recirculation door in a front portion of the vehicle;
determining whether the outside air vent door will close in response to an attempt to close the outside air vent door caused by the controller; and
if the outside air vent door will not close, establishing and maintaining positive air pressure in the cabin of the vehicle by ensuring an open configuration of the recirculation door in the vehicle, the recirculation door configured to close the cabin to outside air through the recirculation door in the closed configuration and open the cabin to outside air through the recirculation door in the open configuration.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein ensuring an open configuration of the recirculation door in the vehicle comprises opening the recirculation door from the closed configuration.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein ensuring an open configuration of the recirculation door in the vehicle comprises maintaining the recirculation door in the open configuration.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising removing inside air from the cabin of the vehicle by operating an air extractor.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Blackburn Thomas
• Dubois Monica
• Gebbie James George
• Jackson Kenneth J

Classifications

• B60H1/004

  for vehicles having a combustion engine and electric drive means, e.g. hybrid electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60H1/24 Primary

  Ventilating devices where the heating or cooling is irrelevant (nozzles or air-diffusers B60H1/34) · CPC title

• B60H2001/003

  Component temperature regulation using an air flow · CPC title

• B60H1/00278

  for the battery · CPC title

• B60L1/003

  to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors · CPC title