THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND RELATED METHODS FOR VEHICLE HAVING ELECTRIC TRACTION MOTOR AND RANGE EXTENDING DEVICE

• US 20130269911A1
• Filed: 04/08/2013
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Magna E-Car Systems Of America, Inc. (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna E-Car Systems Of America, Inc. (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Carpenter, Neil, Rajaie, Rick
• Application Number:
  US13/858,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20130269911A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/104.13
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/004 for vehicles having a combustion engine and electric drive means, e.g. hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/03 and from a source other than the propulsion plant
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/143 the heat being derived from cooling an electric component, e.g. electric motors, electric circuits, fuel cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00307 Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/0408 Multi-circuit heat exchangers, e.g. integrating different heat exchange sections in the same unit or heat exchangers for more than two fluids F28F9/0234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle, such as a parallel or series hybrid vehicle, includes both an electric traction motor and a range extending device such as, for example, an internal combustion engine, or a fuel cell. In an embodiment, a thermal management system for the vehicle includes a passenger cabin heating circuit configured to circulate heat exchange fluid through a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger and a passenger cabin heating heat exchanger. A motor circuit can be configured to circulate heat exchange fluid through the electric traction motor, a transmission control module, and a DC/DC converter. The motor circuit can be selectably connected to the passenger cabin heating circuit by a valve. An engine circuit is configured to circulate heat exchange fluid through the internal combustion engine, a radiator, and the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger. The liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat between heat exchange fluid of the passenger cabin heating circuit and heat exchange fluid of the engine circuit.

Claims

1. A method of heating a vehicle passenger cabin of a vehicle, the method comprising:

a) heating heat exchange fluid with an electric traction motor of the vehicle and with a range extending device of the vehicle; and

b) heating the vehicle passenger cabin using the heat exchange fluid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat exchange fluid is a first heat exchange fluid, and step a) includes:

c) heating a second heat exchange fluid with the range extending device; and

d) heating the first heat exchange fluid with the second heat exchange fluid.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein step d) includes passing the first and second heat exchange fluids through a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat exchange fluid flows through the motor and through the range extending device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the heat exchange fluid is a first heat exchange fluid, and wherein step a) includes:

f) heating a second heat exchange fluid with the motor and with the range extending device; and

g) heating the first heat exchange fluid with the second heat exchange fluid.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

i) heating the heat exchange fluid with at least one of a transmission control module of the vehicle and a DC/DC converter of the vehicle; and

j) heating the vehicle passenger cabin using the heat exchange fluid.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the range extending device is an internal combustion engine.

8. A thermal management system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a passenger cabin heating circuit configured to circulate heat exchange fluid through a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger and a passenger cabin heating heat exchanger; and

a second circuit configured to circulate heat exchange fluid through a range extending device, a radiator, and the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger,

wherein the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat between heat exchange fluid of the passenger cabin heating circuit and heat exchange fluid of the second circuit.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a motor circuit configured to circulate heat exchange fluid through an electric traction motor, the motor circuit being selectably connected to the passenger cabin heating circuit by a cabin heating circuit valve.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a battery circuit configured to circulate heat exchange fluid through a battery pack, the battery circuit being selectably connected to the motor circuit by a battery circuit valve.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the motor circuit is further configured to circulate heat exchange fluid through at least one of a transmission control module and a DC/DC converter.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising a power electronics cooling circuit configured to circulate heat exchange fluid through at least one of a transmission control module and a DC/DC converter, the power electronics cooling circuit being selectably connected to the passenger cabin heating circuit by a cabin heating circuit valve.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the second circuit includes an electric traction motor.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising a cabin heating circuit pump positioned to circulate heat exchange fluid through the cabin heating circuit.

15. The system of claim 8, further comprising a second pump positioned at the second circuit.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the range extending device is an internal combustion engine.

17. A method of heating a battery pack of a vehicle having an electric traction motor, the method comprising:

heating heat exchange fluid with a range extending device of the vehicle;

providing heat from the heat exchange fluid heated by the range extending device to a heat exchanger; and

transferring heat using the heat exchanger to heat exchange fluid circulating through a battery circuit that includes the battery pack.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising heating the heat exchange fluid circulating through a battery circuit using the electric traction motor.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the range extending device is an internal combustion engine.