HVAC systems for electrically-powered vehicles

• US 10,118,461 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2018
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BorgWarner Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BorgWarner Incorporated
• Inventors: Sutherland, Andrew D., Myers, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Kenneth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Deean, Deepak
• Application Number:
  US15/873,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20180154735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 293 Days
• Field of Search: 237 44
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00392 for electric vehicles having only electric drive means
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00492 comprising regenerative heating or cooling means, e.g. heat accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/2225 arrangements of electric heaters for heating air
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/229 Integration into an air outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/20 Energy regeneration from auxiliary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/44 Heat storages, e.g. for cabin heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/302 Cooling of charging equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system for an electrically-powered vehicle (EV) having an electric motor powered by at least one battery is described. The HVAC system may comprise a blower, a conduit configured to carry air from the blower to vents leading to a passenger cabin of the EV, and an electric heater positioned in the conduit and configured to heat the air. The HVAC system may further comprise a thermal reservoir heater positioned in the conduit and including a thermal storage component configured to heat the air without using power from the battery.

Claims

1. A method for heating a passenger cabin of an electrically-powered vehicle (EV) with a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, the HVAC system including a conduit configured to carry air to the passenger cabin, a barrier that divides the conduit into a first channel leading to a first heating zone and a second channel leading to a second heating zone, and a single airflow regulating device configured to regulate a flow of the air to the first channel and the second channel, the first heating zone including an electric heater, and the second zone including a second electric heater and a phase change material (PCM) at least partially surrounding the second electric heater, the method comprising:

storing heat to the second heating zone while the EV is coupled to an external energy source by causing the PCM to undergo a heat-absorbing phase change; and

heating the passenger cabin using the second heating zone while the EV is operational by causing the PCM to undergo a heat-releasing phase change.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising pre-conditioning the passenger cabin with the electric heater of the first heating zone while the EV is coupled to an external energy source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein storing heat to the second heating zone while the EV is coupled to an external energy source comprises heating the second electric heater, transferring heat from the second electric heater to the PCM, and allowing the PCM to undergo the heat-absorbing phase change.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising positioning the airflow regulating device in a first position in which more of the air is directed to the first channel than the second channel when the EV is coupled to an external energy source.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising positioning the airflow regulating device in a second position in which more of the air is directed to the second channel than the first channel when the EV is operational.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein heating the passenger cabin using the second heating zone while the EV is operational comprises extracting heat from the PCM as the PCM undergoes the heat-releasing phase change.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising, when the EV is operational, shifting the airflow regulating device to the first position when the PCM has completed the heat-releasing phase change, and heating the passenger cabin with the electric heater of the first heating zone.

8. A method for heating a passenger cabin of an electrically-powered vehicle (EV) with a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, the HVAC system including a conduit configured to carry air to the passenger cabin, a barrier that divides the conduit into a first channel leading to a first heating zone and a second channel leading to a second heating zone, and an airflow regulating device upstream of the first and second heating zones and configured to regulate a flow of air to the first channel and the second channel, the first heating zone including an electric heater, and the second heating zone including a second electric heater at least partially surrounded by a phase change material (PCM), the method comprising:

positioning the airflow regulating device in a first position in which more of the air is directed to the first channel than the second channel while the EV is coupled to an external energy source;

storing heat to the second heating zone while the EV is coupled to an external energy source by allowing the PCM to undergo a heat-absorbing phase change;

positioning the airflow regulating device in a second position in which more of the air is directed to the second channel than the first channel;

while the EV is operational, heating the air in the second channel using the second heating zone by allowing the PCM to undergo a heat-releasing phase change; and

heating the passenger cabin with the heated air from the second channel.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein storing heat to the second heating zone while the EV is coupled to an external energy source comprises heating the second electric heater, transferring heat from the second electric heater to the PCM, and allowing the PCM to undergo the heat-absorbing phase change.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising pre-conditioning the passenger cabin with the electric heater of the first heating zone while the EV is coupled to an external energy source.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein pre-conditioning the passenger cabin with the electric heater of the first heating zone comprises heating the air in the first channel with the electric heater, and heating the passenger cabin with the heated air from the first channel.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein heating the air in the second channel using the second heating zone comprises extracting heat from the PCM as the PCM undergoes the heat-releasing phase change.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising, while the EV is operational, shifting the airflow regulating device to the first position when the PCM has completed the heat-releasing phase change.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising heating the passenger cabin using the electric heater of the first heating zone after shifting the airflow regulating device to the first position.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein heating the passenger cabin using the electric heater of the first heating zone comprises heating the air in the first channel with the electric heater, and heating the passenger cabin with the heated air from the first channel.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the airflow regulating device is a blend door.

17. A method for heating a passenger cabin of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) with a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, the HVAC system including a conduit configured to carry air to the passenger cabin, a barrier that divides the conduit into a first channel leading to a first heating zone and a second channel leading to a second heating zone, and an airflow regulating device upstream of the first and second heating zones and configured to regulate a flow of the air to the first channel and the second channel, the first heating zone including an electric heater, and the second heating zone including a second electric heater and a phase change material at least partially surrounding the second electric heater, the method comprising:

storing heat to the second heating zone while the PHEV is coupled to an external energy source by allowing the PCM to undergo a heat-absorbing phase change, the airflow regulating device being in a first position in which more of the air is directed to the first channel than the second channel while the heat is stored to the second heating zone;

heating the passenger cabin using the second heating zone while the PHEV is operational by allowing the PCM to undergo a heat-releasing phase change, the airflow regulating device being in a second position in which more of the air is directed to the second channel than the first channel while the passenger cabin is heated using the second heating zone; and

while the PHEV is operational, heating the passenger cabin using one of the first heating zone or a coolant-based heating system when the PCM has completed the heat-releasing phase change.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising pre-conditioning the passenger cabin with the electric heater of the first heating zone while the PHEV is coupled to an external energy source, wherein pre-conditioning the passenger cabin with the electric heater of the first heating zone comprises heating the air in the first channel with the electric heater, and heating the passenger cabin with the heated air from the first channel.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein storing heat to the second heating zone while the PHEV is coupled to an external energy source comprises heating the second electric heater, transferring heat from the second electric heater to the PCM, and allowing the PCM to undergo the heat-absorbing phase change.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein heating the passenger cabin using the second heating zone while the PHEV is operational comprises heating the air in the second channel using the heat released from the PCM, and heating the passenger cabin with the heated air from the second channel.