VEHICLE HEAT MANAGEMENT DEVICE

• US 20120037336A1
• Filed: 05/07/2009
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Keiko, Miyamoto, Yuki, Morita, Masaki, Kumamoto, Takayuki, Ishikawa, Masahide, Uzuki, Kaname, Morita, Atsushi, Shiga, Satoru, Matsuda, Miyuki, Orihashi, Manabu, Saeki, Yoshihiro, Uno, Keiichi, Nishimura, Hiroki
• Granted Patent: US 8,475,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/51
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00314 Arrangements permitting a rapid heating of the heating liquid B60H1/00492, B60H1/03 take precedence; aiding engine start by heating of engine coolants F02N19/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/08 from other radiator than main radiator
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/16 Outlet manifold
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 29/0493 Controlling the air charge temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/33 controlling the temperature of the recirculated gases
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 19/04 by heating of fluids used in engines
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0413 Controlled cooling or heating of lubricant; Temperature control therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

When there is an extremely low ambient temperature, an electronic control unit controls operation of a circulation path for coolant water in such a manner that, after starting of an engine, the coolant water is supplied from the engine first to a throttle valve and an EGR valve and then to an oil warmer for a transmission. This solves a failure problem in the throttle valve and the EGR valve caused by frost formation at an early stage. As a result, desired operating performance of the vehicle is quickly ensured and heat management in the vehicle is carried out in a desired manner when there is an extremely low ambient temperature.

Claims

1. A heat management device for a vehicle including an engine and a transmission, the heat management device comprising:

a heat source mounted in the vehicle;

a valve warm-up portion that warms up an intake air amount regulating valve of the engine using heat supplied from the heat source;

a transmission warm-up portion that warms up the transmission using the heat supplied from the heat source; and

a heat management section that controls, after starting of the engine, heat supply from the heat source to supply the heat to the valve warm-up portion preferentially over the transmission warm-up portion.

2. The heat management device according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle includes a heater core for heating a passenger compartment, and

the management section controls the heat supply from the heat source to supply the heat to the heater core preferentially over the transmission warm-up portion.

3. The heat management device according to claim 2, wherein, after the engine is started, the management section controls the heat supply from the heat source in such a manner that heat supply to the valve warm-up portion and the heater core, heat supply to the heater core, and heat supply to the valve warm-up portion and the transmission warm-up portion are performed sequentially in this order.

4. The heat management device according to claim 1, wherein the management section starts the heat supply to the transmission warm-up portion on condition that warm-up of a portion that has received the heat preferentially over the transmission warm-up portion is complete.

5. The heat management device according to claim 1, wherein

when there is an extremely low ambient temperature, the management section controls the heat supply from the heat source to supply the heat to the valve warm-up portion preferentially over the transmission warm-up portion, and

when there is not an extremely low ambient temperature, the management section controls the heat supply from the heat source to supply the heat to the transmission warm-up portion preferentially over the valve warm-up portion.

6. The heat management device according to claim 1, wherein the heat source is the engine.

7. The heat management device according to claim 1, wherein the heat source is a heat storage device that recovers exhaust heat from the engine and stores the exhaust heat after the engine is stopped.