SELECTIVE POWERTRAIN HEATING SYSTEM

• US 20150360541A1
• Filed: 06/17/2014
• Published: 12/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: SCHWARTZ, WILLIAM SAMUEL, BRIGHAM, DAVID RICHENS, JENNINGS, MARK JOHN, HUSSAIN, QUAZI
• Granted Patent: US 9,759,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00764 the input being a vehicle driving condition, e.g. speed B60H1/00828, B60H1/00864 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00885 Controlling the flow of heating or cooling liquid, e.g. valves or pumps B60H1/00899 takes precedence; constructions of valves B60H1/00485
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/20 using an intermediate heat-transferring medium
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0026 Lookup tables or parameter maps
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 5/001 Heating
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 5/005 Controlling temperature of lubricant
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 5/007 Thermostatic control
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 5/02 the devices using heat

Abstract

A vehicle includes a powertrain having an engine and at least one controller. The controller is programed to selectively heat at least one of a plurality of components of the powertrain with a given amount of waste heat based on an expected decrease in friction power associated with an expected increase in temperature from the given amount of waste heat for each of the components.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a powertrain including an engine; and

at least one controller programed to, in response to a start of the engine, selectively heat at least one of a plurality of components of the powertrain with a given amount of waste heat exhausted by the engine based on an expected decrease in friction power associated with an expected increase in temperature from the given amount of waste heat for each of the components.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the expected decrease in friction power is based on friction loss verses temperature characteristics of the components and thermal mass of the components.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a thermal system configured to supply the waste heat to at least one of the plurality of components.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 wherein the thermal system is a fluid loop.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the plurality of components includes an engine and a transmission.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein at least one of the components is a fraction battery.

7. A method for controlling a selective heating system comprising:

selectively heating at least one of a plurality of components of a vehicle with a given amount of heat based on an expected decrease in friction power associated with heating each of the components with the given amount of waste heat.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

sending a signal to a thermal system instructing the thermal system to selectively heat at least one of the plurality of components.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of:

selectively heating at least one of the plurality of components with a given amount of waste heat exhausted by an engine based on an expected decrease in friction power associated with heating each of the components with the given amount of waste heat.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the expected decrease in friction power is based on friction loss verses temperature characteristics of the components and thermal mass of the components.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein at least two of the components are heated simultaneously.

12. A vehicle control system comprising:

at least one controller programed to selectively heat at least one of a plurality of vehicle components with a given amount of thermal energy based on an expected decrease in friction power associated with an expected increase in temperature from the given amount of thermal energy for each of the components.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the expected decrease in friction power is based on friction loss verses temperature characteristics of the components and thermal mass of the components.

14. The vehicle of claim 12 further comprising a thermal system configured to supply the waste heat to at least one of the plurality of components.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 wherein the thermal system is a fluid loop.

16. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the plurality of components includes an engine and a transmission.

17. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein at least one of the components is a traction battery.

18. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the thermal energy is from an engine.

19. The vehicle of claim 18 wherein the thermal energy is captured from the engine exhaust.