Cooling Loops and Vehicles Incorporating The Same

• US 20160344074A1
• Filed: 05/18/2015
• Published: 11/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhou, Feng, Dede, Ercan Mehmet, Joshi, Shailesh
• Granted Patent: US 10,290,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00 Heating, cooling or ventilating [HVAC] devices heating, cooling or ventilating devices providing other air treatment, the other treatment being relevant, B60H3/00; ventilating solely by opening windows, doors, roof parts, or the like B60J; heating or ventilating devices for vehicle seats B60N2/56; vehicle window or windscreen cleaners using air, e.g. defrosters, B60S1/54
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6568 characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6569 Fluids undergoing a liquid-gas phase change or transition, e.g. evaporation or condensation heat pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/667 the system being an electronic component, e.g. a CPU, an inverter or a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

Cooling loops and vehicles including cooling loops include a power module, a cooling loop including a cooler thermally coupled to the power module, a working fluid housed within the cooler, where the working fluid absorbs thermal energy from the power module, a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the cooler, a pump in fluid communication with the heat exchanger and the cooler, and a vehicle component thermally coupled to the cooling loop, where the working fluid from the cooler is selectively directed to the vehicle component.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a power module;

a cooling loop comprising;

a cooler thermally coupled to the power module;

a working fluid housed within the cooler, wherein the working fluid absorbs thermal energy from the power module;

a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the cooler;

a pump in fluid communication with the heat exchanger and the cooler; and

a vehicle component thermally coupled to the cooling loop, wherein the working fluid from the cooler is selectively directed to the vehicle component.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle component comprises a thermoelectric generator thermally coupled to the cooling loop, the thermoelectric generator comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is thermally coupled to the cooling loop and the second portion is exposed a medium that has a second temperature which is less than a temperature of the cooling loop.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the cooling loop further comprises a two-phase side conduit that connects the cooler and the heat exchanger, and a two-phase bypass loop that is connected to and in fluid communication with the two-phase side conduit.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the cooling loop further comprises at least one control valve that selectively directs the working fluid through the two-phase bypass loop.

5. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the thermoelectric generator is thermally coupled to the two-phase bypass loop.

6. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the cooling loop further comprises a liquid side conduit that connects the heat exchanger and the pump, and a liquid bypass loop that is connected to and in fluid communication with the liquid side conduit.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the cooling loop further comprises at least one control valve that selectively directs the working fluid through the liquid bypass loop.

8. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the thermoelectric generator is thermally coupled to the liquid bypass loop.

9. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the cooling loop further comprises a battery pack assembly that is in fluid communication with the cooler.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the cooling loop further comprises a two-phase side conduit that connects the cooler and the heat exchanger and a battery conduit that is connected to and is in fluid communication with the two-phase side conduit, wherein the battery pack assembly is thermally coupled to the battery conduit.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the cooling loop further comprises at least one control valve that selectively directs the working fluid through the battery conduit.

12. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the cooling loop further comprises a heater core that is in fluid communication with the cooler.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the cooling loop further comprises a two-phase side conduit that connects the cooler and the heat exchanger and a heater core conduit that is connected to and in fluid communication with the two-phase side conduit, wherein the heater core is thermally coupled to the heater core conduit.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the cooling loop further comprises a battery conduit that is connected to and in fluid communication with the two-phase side conduit, and the battery conduit is thermally coupled to a battery pack assembly.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the battery conduit and the heater core conduit are connected to one another by an intermediate conduit.

16. A cooling system for a vehicle, the cooling system comprising:

a power module;

a cooling loop comprising;

a cooler thermally coupled to the power module;

a working fluid housed within the cooler, wherein the working fluid absorbs thermal energy from the power module;

a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the cooler;

a pump in fluid communication with the heat exchanger and the cooler;

at least one control valve in fluid communication with the cooler;

a heating system comprising a heater core in fluid communication with the cooler, wherein heating of a cabin of the vehicle is facilitated by the heater core;

a battery pack assembly in fluid communication with the cooler;

a temperature sensor thermally coupled to the battery pack assembly; and

an electronic controller communicatively coupled to the at least one control valve, the temperature sensor, and the heating system, the electronic controller comprising a processor and a memory storing a computer readable and executable instruction set, wherein, when the computer readable and executable instruction set is executed by the processor, the electronic controller;

detects a temperature of the battery pack assembly with the temperature sensor;

detects a disengagement of the heating system; and

commands the at least one control valve to direct the working fluid from the cooler to at least one of the heater core and the battery pack assembly based on at least one of the detected temperature of the battery pack assembly and the disengagement of the heating system.

17. The cooling system of claim 16, wherein the electronic controller commands the at least one control valve to open and direct the working fluid to the battery pack assembly when a detected temperature of the battery pack assembly is less than a predetermined temperature.

18. The cooling system of claim 16, wherein the electronic controller commands the at least one control valve to open and direct the working fluid to the heater core when the heating system is not disengaged.

19. The cooling system of claim 16, wherein the electronic controller commands the at least one control valve to open and direct the working fluid to the battery pack assembly and the heater core when a detected temperature of the battery pack assembly is less than a predetermined temperature and the heating system is not disengaged.

20. The cooling system of claim 16, further comprising a thermoelectric generator thermally coupled to the cooling loop.