METHOD TO HEAT THE CABIN WHILE COOLING THE BATTERY DURING FAST CHARGE

• US 20180222286A1
• Filed: 02/09/2017
• Published: 08/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2017
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: BLATCHLEY, Timothy Noah, GEBBIE, James George, PORRAS, Angel Fernando
• Application Number:
  US15/428,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20180222286A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00385 for vehicles having an electrical drive, e.g. hybrid or fuel cell
• 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 1/00914 where the flow direction of the refrigerant does not change and there is a bypass of the condenser
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00921 where the flow direction of the refrigerant does not change and there is an extra subcondenser, e.g. in an air duct
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/32284 comprising two or more secondary circuits, e.g. at evaporator and condenser side
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00928 comprising a secondary circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6567 Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/663 the system being an air-conditioner or an engine
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane

Abstract

A thermal management system of a vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle includes a battery-coolant system including a chiller defining a thermal capacity and an electronic expansion valve arranged to selectively route fluid to the cooler. The system includes a heater-core system including an outside heat exchanger and a heating expansion valve arranged to selectively route fluid to the outside heat exchanger. The vehicle also includes a controller that is configured to, in response to a battery charge rate exceeding a threshold, open the battery expansion valve, and in response to the battery chiller having an insufficient capacity to achieve a temperature threshold as defined by a heater core thermometer, open the heating expansion valve.

Claims

1. A thermal management system of a vehicle comprising:

a battery loop including a chiller defining a thermal capacity and an electronic expansion valve (BEXV) arranged to selectively route fluid to the chiller;

a heater-core loop including an outside heat exchanger and a heating expansion valve (HEVX) arranged to selectively route fluid to the outside heat exchanger; and

a controller configured to, in response to a battery charge rate exceeding a threshold, open the BEXV, and in response to the chiller having an insufficient capacity to achieve a temperature threshold as defined by a heater core thermometer, open the HEVX.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein in a series evaporation mode, the controller is further configured to close a first shutoff valve disposed between a refrigerant-to-coolant heat exchanger and an internal heat exchanger and a second shutoff valve disposed between the outside heat exchanger and an accumulator, so that the fluid collects heat from air surrounding the outside heat exchanger before the fluid collects heat from the chiller.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein a check valve is opened in response to a sufficient pressure build up in response to closing the first and second shutoff valves.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein in a parallel evaporation mode, the controller is further configured to open a first shutoff valve disposed between a refrigerant-to-coolant heat exchanger and an internal heat exchanger and a second shutoff valve disposed between the outside heat exchanger and an accumulator, so that the fluid simultaneously collects heat from air surrounding the outside heat exchanger and from the chiller before the fluid reaches the accumulator.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein opening the HEVX facilitates a flow of fluid through the heat exchanger so that the fluid absorbs heat from air located outside of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to receiving a heater core temperature measured by the heater core thermometer, compare the heater core temperature with a temperature differential of the chiller.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to receiving a signal indicating an ambient temperature, compare the ambient temperature with a value within a look-up table indicating an insufficient capacity of the chiller.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising shutters defining a plurality of vanes disposed adjacent the outside heat exchanger, wherein the vanes are configured to move from an open position, to facilitate a flow of air to the outside heat exchanger, to a closed position.

9. A vehicle system comprising:

an ambient valve arranged to route fluid to an ambient heat exchanger;

a battery valve arranged to route fluid to a battery; and

a controller configured to, responsive to a charge rate exceeding a threshold, open the battery valve, and responsive to a chiller in fluid communication with the heat exchanger and battery having a heat rate indicative of an insufficient capacity to heat a vehicle cabin, open the ambient valve.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein in a series evaporation mode, the controller is further configured to close a first shutoff valve disposed between a refrigerant-to-coolant heat exchanger and an internal heat exchanger and a second shutoff valve disposed between the outside heat exchanger and an accumulator, so that the fluid collects heat from air surrounding the outside heat exchanger before the fluid collects heat from the chiller and before the fluid reaches the accumulator.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein a check valve is opened in response to closing the second shutoff valves.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein in a parallel evaporation mode, the controller is further configured to open the first shutoff valve disposed between a refrigerant-to-coolant heat exchanger and an internal heat exchanger and a second shutoff valve disposed between the outside heat exchanger and an accumulator, so that the fluid collects heat from air surrounding the outside heat exchanger and from the chiller before the fluid reaches the accumulator.

13. The vehicle system of claim 9, wherein the temperature differential is defined by a measured temperature from a heater core temperature sensor and a threshold temperature.

14. The vehicle system of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to the chiller having a temperature differential indicative of an insufficient capacity to heat the vehicle cabin, open the battery valve.

15. The vehicle system of claim 9 further comprising shutters defining a plurality of vanes disposed adjacent the ambient heat exchanger, wherein the vanes are configured to move from an open position, to facilitate a flow of air to the outside heat exchanger, to a closed position.

16. The vehicle system of claim 9, wherein the temperature differential is defined by a first temperature measured by an inlet thermometer arranged near an inlet of the chiller and a second temperature measured by an outlet thermometer arranged near an outlet of the chiller.

17. The vehicle system of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to receiving a signal indicating a battery temperature, compare the battery temperature with a value within a look-up table indicating an insufficient capacity of the chiller.

18. A method of controlling a vehicle climate system comprising:

opening an electronic expansion valve associated with a battery chiller in response to receiving requests for battery fast charge and cabin heating; and

opening an expansion valve associated with an outside heat exchanger to heat a vehicle cabin in response to a capacity of the chiller being insufficient to achieve a temperature threshold as defined by a heater core temperature sensor.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising closing a first shutoff valve disposed between a refrigerant-to-coolant heat exchanger and an internal heat exchanger and a second shutoff valve disposed between the outside heat exchanger and an accumulator so that fluid collects heat from air surrounding the outside heat exchanger before the fluid collects heat from the battery chiller and before the fluid reaches the accumulator.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising opening a first shutoff valve disposed between a refrigerant-to-coolant heat exchanger and an internal heat exchanger and a second shutoff valve disposed between the outside heat exchanger and an accumulator so that fluid collects heat from air surrounding the outside heat exchanger and from the battery chiller before the fluid reaches the accumulator.