FLUID MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR A HEAT EXCHANGER OF A VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM

• US 20140318735A1
• Filed: 04/29/2013
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanon Systems (Hahn & Co. Auto Holdings Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Letteer, David C., Dziubinschi, Alexandru Orest
• Granted Patent: US 9,988,969 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/42
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/10 Guiding or ducting cooling-air, to, or from, liquid-to-air heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/14 Condenser

Abstract

A fluid management system for a cooling module of a vehicle air conditioning system. The cooling module includes a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with a liquid cooling system of the vehicle and a second heat exchanger disposed upstream of the first heat exchanger and in fluid communication with the vehicle air conditioning system, wherein the fluid management system minimizes an inlet fluid temperature of the second heat exchanger of the cooling module.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a cooling module configured to receive a flow of a cooling fluid therein and discharge a flow of a heated cooling fluid therefrom; and

a fluid management system configured to cause at least one of at least a portion of a flow of a third fluid to redirect at least a portion of a flow of a heated fluid, at least a portion of the flow of the heated cooling fluid to redirect at least a portion of the flow of the heated fluid, and at least a portion of the flow of the heated cooling fluid to be directed out of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the flow of the heated cooling fluid through a shroud configured to control the flow of the cooling fluid through the cooling module causes a decrease in pressure in the shroud, thereby redirecting the at least a portion of the flow of the heated fluid into the shroud to mix with the flow of the heated cooling fluid.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the flow of the heated cooling fluid is caused to redirect the at least a portion of the flow of the heated fluid by a shroud configured to control the flow of the cooling fluid through the cooling module.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the flow of the heated cooling fluid is caused to be directed out of the vehicle by a shroud configured to control the flow of the cooling fluid through the cooling module.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the flow of the third fluid redirects the at least a portion of the flow of the heated fluid by creating a fluid curtain.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the flow of the third fluid redirects the at least a portion of the flow of the heated fluid by creating a fluid curtain and another portion of the flow of the third fluid is directed into the cooling module.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the flow of the third fluid redirects the at least a portion of the flow of the heated fluid by an opposition thereto and another portion of the flow of the third fluid is directed into the cooling module.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the cooling fluid is ambient air from outside an engine compartment of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the cooling module includes at least one heat exchanger, and the heated cooling fluid is ambient air from outside an engine compartment of the vehicle which has absorbed heat from a fluid flowing through the at least one heat exchanger of the cooling module.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the heated fluid is at least one of the heated cooling fluid, a heated air circulating from a ground surface, a heated air circulating from front end members of the vehicle, a heated air circulating from an underbody of the vehicle, a heated air circulating around the cooling module, and a heated air circulating inside the cooling module.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the third fluid is at least one of ambient air from outside an engine compartment of the vehicle, the heated cooling fluid, a heated air circulating from a ground surface, a heated air circulating from front end members of the vehicle, a heated air circulating from an underbody of the vehicle, a heated air circulating around the cooling module, and a heated air circulating inside the cooling module.

12. A vehicle, comprising:

a cooling module including;

a first heat exchanger configured to receive a first fluid therein,

a second heat exchanger disposed adjacent the first heat exchanger and configured to receive a second fluid therein, wherein at least one of the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger is configured to receive a flow of a cooling fluid therein and discharge a flow of a heated cooling fluid therefrom; and

a shroud disposed adjacent the first heat exchanger and configured to control the flow of the cooling fluid through at least one of the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger; and

a fluid management system configured to cause at least one of at least a portion of a flow of a third fluid to redirect at least a portion of a flow of a heated fluid, at least a portion of the flow of the heated cooling fluid to redirect at least a portion of the flow of the heated fluid, and at least a portion of the flow of the heated cooling fluid to be directed out of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the flow of the heated cooling fluid through the shroud causes a decrease in pressure in the shroud, thereby redirecting the at least a portion of the flow of the heated fluid into the shroud to mix with the flow of the heated cooling fluid.

14. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the shroud causes at least one of the at least a portion of the flow of the heated cooling fluid to redirect the at least a portion of the flow of the heated fluid and the at least a portion of the flow of the heated cooling fluid to be directed out of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the fluid management system is one of at least partially disposed adjacent to the cooling module and at least partially disposed within the cooling module.

16. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the fluid management system includes a device configured to cause the flow of the third fluid through at least one fluid flow path formed by a nozzle and a duct fluidly connecting the nozzle and the device.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the fluid management system includes a plurality of nozzles configured to cause the at least a portion of the flow of the third fluid to redirect the at least a portion of the flow of the heated fluid by creating a fluid curtain.

18. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the fluid management system includes a plurality of nozzles configured to cause the portion of the flow of the third fluid to redirect the at least a portion of the flow of the heated fluid by creating a fluid curtain and at least another nozzle configured to cause another portion of the flow of the third fluid to be directed into the cooling module.

19. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the fluid management system includes a nozzle configured to cause the portion of the flow of the third fluid to redirect the at least a portion of the flow of the heated fluid by an opposition thereto and another nozzle configured to cause another portion of the flow of the third fluid to be directed into the cooling module.

20. A method of fluid management for a cooling module of a vehicle, comprising:

providing a cooling module configured to receive a flow of a cooling fluid therein and discharge a flow of a heated cooling fluid therefrom;

providing a system configured to provide fluid management for the cooling module; and

causing at least one of at least a portion of a flow of a third fluid to redirect at least a portion of a flow of a heated fluid, at least a portion of the flow of the heated cooling fluid to redirect at least a portion of the flow of the heated fluid, and at least a portion of the flow of the heated cooling fluid to be directed out of the vehicle.