HV BATTERY THERMAL CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20140144160A1
• Filed: 11/25/2012
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Jackson, Kenneth J.
• Application Number:
  US13/684,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20140144160A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/62
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• 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: F25B 5/02 arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6561 Gases
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery thermal control system includes a battery, a heater core disposed in fluid communication with the battery and a vehicle HVAC system having an evaporator thermally interfacing with the heater core. A battery thermal control method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A battery thermal control system, comprising:

a battery;

a heater core disposed in fluid communication with said battery; and

a vehicle HVAC system having an evaporator thermally interfacing with said heater core.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a heat source inlet conduit and a heat source return conduit communicating with said battery.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a valve in each of said heat source inlet conduit and said heat source return conduit.

4. The system of claim 2 further comprising a fluid heat source communicating with said heat source inlet conduit and said heat source outlet conduit.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said fluid heat source comprises a source of heated coolant.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said fluid heat source comprises a source of heated vehicle engine coolant.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said vehicle HVAC system comprises an AC compressor communicating with said evaporator and an AC condenser communicating with said AC compressor and said evaporator.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said evaporator is positioned to receive air from said rear heater core.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a coolant heat exchanger disposed in fluid communication with said heater core.

10. A battery thermal control system, comprising:

a battery;

a heater core;

a battery coolant circuit having a battery coolant inlet conduit and a battery coolant outlet conduit establishing communication between said battery and said heater core; and

a vehicle HVAC system having an evaporator thermally interfacing with said heater core.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a heat source inlet conduit and a heat source return conduit communicating with said battery coolant inlet conduit and said battery coolant outlet conduit, respectively, of said battery coolant circuit.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising a valve in each of said heat source inlet conduit and said heat source return conduit.

13. The system of claim 11 further comprising a fluid heat source communicating with said heat source inlet conduit and said heat source outlet conduit.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said fluid heat source comprises a source of vehicle engine coolant.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein said vehicle HVAC system comprises an AC compressor communicating with said evaporator and an AC condenser communicating with said AC compressor and said evaporator.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said evaporator is positioned to receive air from said rear heater core.

17. A battery thermal control method, comprising:

flowing ambient air through an evaporator of an HVAC system;

distributing cooled air from said evaporator to an auxiliary heater core;

distributing battery coolant through said auxiliary heater core; and

cooling said battery by distributing said battery coolant through said battery.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising terminating flow of heated coolant to said battery.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising heating said battery by distributing heated coolant through said battery as an alternative to said cooling said battery.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said distributing heated coolant through said battery comprises distributing heated vehicle engine coolant through said battery.