Cooling System For Hybrid Vehicles

• US 20070175623A1
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanon Systems (Hahn & Co. Auto Holdings Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Halla Climate Control Corporation (Hahn & Co. Auto Holdings Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Hyung Joo, Lee, Dae Woong, Park, Min Woo, Son, Il Guk, Lee, Sung Je
• Granted Patent: US 8,187,736 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/202
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/633 characterised by algorithms, flow charts, software details or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6566 Means within the gas flow to guide the flow around one or more cells, e.g. manifolds, baffles or other barriers H01M10/6565 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/667 the system being an electronic component, e.g. a CPU, an inverter or a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/952 Housing details

Abstract

A cooling system for hybrid vehicles is provided with a battery case with a battery storage room for receiving a battery, a motor control unit for controlling an electric motor and a DC-DC converter for converting a voltage of the battery. The cooling system includes a blower for drawing an air existing in a passenger compartment of a vehicle, an introduction duct through which the air is introduced into the battery storage room to cool the battery, a first supply duct through which the air is supplied from the battery storage room to the DC-DC converter to cool the latter, a second supply duct through which the air is supplied from the battery storage room to the motor control unit to cool the latter, and an air distributor means for distributing the air flowing out of the battery storage room to the first supply duct and the second supply duct.

Claims

1. A cooling system for hybrid vehicles including a battery case with a battery storage room for receiving a battery, a motor control unit for controlling an electric motor and a converter for converting a voltage of the battery, comprising:

a blower for drawing an air existing in a passenger compartment of a vehicle;

an introduction duct through which the air drawn by the blower is introduced into the battery storage room to cool the battery;

a first supply duct having an internal passageway through which the air flowing out of the battery storage room is supplied to the converter to cool the converter;

a second supply duct having an internal passageway through which the air flowing out of the battery storage room is supplied to the motor control unit to cool the motor control unit; and

an air distributor means for distributing the air flowing out of the battery storage room to the first supply duct and the second supply duct.

2. The cooling system for hybrid vehicles as recited in claim 1, wherein the air distributor means comprises a distributing door adapted to rotate between the internal passageway of the first supply duct and the internal passageway of the second supply duct to variably control a quantity of air distributed to the first supply duct and the second supply duct.

3. The cooling system for hybrid vehicles as recited in claim 2, further comprising a distributing door control means for controlling the rotation of the distributing door in such a manner that the quantity of air distributed to the first supply duct and the second supply duct can be controlled depending on a degree of overheat of the converter and the motor control unit, the distributing door control means comprising:

a first temperature detector for detecting a temperature of the converter;

a second temperature detector for detecting a temperature of the motor control unit;

a controller for comparing the temperature detected by the first temperature detector with a predetermined first reference temperature and generating a first control signal indicative of an overheat condition of the converter, if the temperature detected by the first temperature detector is higher than the first reference temperature, and for comparing the temperature detected by the second temperature detector with a predetermined second reference temperature and generating a second control signal indicative of an overheat condition of the motor control unit, if the temperature detected by the second temperature detector is higher than the second reference temperature; and

an actuator for rotating the distributing door in such a direction as to reduce an opening degree of the second supply duct and to increase the quantity of air distributed to the first supply duct, if the first control signal is generated from the controller, and for rotating the distributing door in such a direction as to reduce an opening degree of the first supply duct and to increase the quantity of air distributed to the second supply duct, if the second control signal is generated from the controller.

4. The cooling system for hybrid vehicles as recited in claim 1, wherein the air distributor means comprises a guide baffle extending from the internal passageway of the first supply duct toward the internal passageway of the second supply duct for guiding a part of the air introduced into the first supply duct to the second supply duct.

5. The cooling system for hybrid vehicles as recited in claim 4, wherein the air distributor means further comprises dispersion baffles extending from the guide baffle toward opposite side walls of the first supply duct in such a manner as to disperse the air flowing through the first supply duct in a transverse direction.

6. The cooling system for hybrid vehicles as recited in claim 5, wherein the dispersion baffles are formed in a smaller height than the guide baffle.

7. The cooling system for hybrid vehicles as recited in claim 4, wherein the guide baffle extends into the internal passageway of the second supply duct.

8. The cooling system for hybrid vehicles as recited in claim 4, wherein the guide baffle is provided with an air passage cutout through which the air in the first supply duct is allowed to flow toward the converter.

9. The cooling system for hybrid vehicles as recited in claim 5, wherein the guide baffle and the dispersion baffles are integrally formed with the first supply duct.

10. The cooling system for hybrid vehicles as recited in claim 5, wherein the guide baffle and the dispersion baffles are separately manufactured and attached to the first supply duct.

11. The cooling system for hybrid vehicles as recited in claim 1, wherein the converter is provided with a plurality of cooling fins protruding into the internal passageway of the first supply duct.

12. The cooling system for hybrid vehicles as recited in claim 1, wherein the first supply duct is adapted to supply the air in the battery storage room to a top surface of the converter.

13. The cooling system for hybrid vehicles as recited in claim 1, wherein the second supply duct is adapted to supply the air in the battery storage room to a bottom surface of the motor control unit.

14. The cooling system for hybrid vehicles as recited in claim 1, wherein the first supply duct is directly connected to the battery storage room and the second supply duct is branched off from the first supply duct.

15. The cooling system for hybrid vehicles as recited in claim 1, wherein the second supply duct is directly connected to the battery storage room and the first supply duct is branched off from the second supply duct.