COOLING SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20130308270A1
• Filed: 05/07/2013
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LSIS Co. Ltd. (LS Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LSIS Co. Ltd. (LS Corporation)
• Inventors: JANG, Sung Jin
• Granted Patent: US 9,066,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/699
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/003 with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20281 Thermal management, e.g. liquid flow control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

Disclosed are a cooling system for an electric vehicle and a control method thereof. The electric vehicle equipped with electronic parts including an electric motor. The electric vehicle includes a motor control unit to control the electric motor, a main control unit to control the electronic parts and the motor control unit, a water pump to circulate a cooling water cooling the electronic parts, the motor control unit, and the main control unit, and a temperature sensor to detect a temperature for an operation of the water pump and output the temperature to the motor control unit. The motor control unit generates a control signal to operate or stop the water pump according to a detection result of the temperature sensor.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle equipped with electronic parts including an electric motor, the electric vehicle comprising:

a motor control unit to control the electric motor;

a main control unit to control the electronic parts and the motor control unit;

a water pump to circulate a cooling water cooling the electronic parts, the motor control unit, and the main control unit; and

a temperature sensor to detect a temperature for an operation of the water pump and output the temperature to the motor control unit,

wherein the motor control unit generates a control signal to operate or stop the water pump according to a detection result of the temperature sensor.

2. The electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the main control unit detects the operation of the water pump according to the control signal of the motor control unit, and generates a control signal to operate the water pump if a temperature value detected by the temperature sensor is not reduced after a reference time elapses.

3. The electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the main control unit detects the operation of the water pump according to the control signal of the motor control unit, and generates a control signal to stop the water pump if a temperature value detected by the temperature sensor is continuously reduced after a reference time elapses.

4. The electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the motor control unit comprises:

a switching module to selectively apply power of a battery to the electric motor; and

a control module to control an operation of the switching module.

5. The electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is provided on at least one of a cooling pipe and a position adjacent to the electric motor.

6. The electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the motor control unit comprises:

a switching module to selectively apply power of a battery to the electric motor;

a sensing module to detect a temperature of the switching module; and

a control module to control an operation of the water pump according to the temperature of the switching module detected by the sensing module.

7. The electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor and the water pump are driven by the control signal of the motor control unit.

8. The electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor and the water pump are driven by the control signal of the motor control unit and a control signal of the main control unit.