Hybird vehicle cooling system
First Claim
1. A cooling system for use in a hybrid vehicle having a traction motor drive, a power source therefor, and an internal combustion engine (ICE) operative at times to drive the power source, including a first coolant circulatable through the traction motor for absorbing waste heat therefrom, a second coolant circulatable through the ICE for absorbing waste heat therefrom or adding heat thereto, heat exchanger means connecting the first and second coolants in heat exchanging relationship for at times transferring heat from the first coolant to the second coolant, and temperature responsive means operable during inoperativeness of the ICE and in response to the ICE coolant being below a predetermined temperature to circulate the second coolant through the heat exchanger to scavenge waste heat from the first to second coolant to preheat the ICE.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A cooling system for a hybrid vehicle consisting of an electrical traction motor for driving the vehicle wheels, electrical energy storage and supply means such as a battery or batteries, alternator/generator, or a combination of the two, for supplying the electrical energy to the motor, and an independently operable ICE auxiliary power unit for driving the alternator/generator and charging the battery or batteries; the cooling system not only cooling the motor, but having flow circuits selectively operable to prewarm the ICE prior to engine start-up, to reduce the output of emissions.
178 Citations
17 Claims
- 1. A cooling system for use in a hybrid vehicle having a traction motor drive, a power source therefor, and an internal combustion engine (ICE) operative at times to drive the power source, including a first coolant circulatable through the traction motor for absorbing waste heat therefrom, a second coolant circulatable through the ICE for absorbing waste heat therefrom or adding heat thereto, heat exchanger means connecting the first and second coolants in heat exchanging relationship for at times transferring heat from the first coolant to the second coolant, and temperature responsive means operable during inoperativeness of the ICE and in response to the ICE coolant being below a predetermined temperature to circulate the second coolant through the heat exchanger to scavenge waste heat from the first to second coolant to preheat the ICE.
- 7. A cooling system for use in a hybrid vehicle having an electrical traction motor drive, a power source therefor, and an ICE operative at times to drive the Power source, including a first coolant circulatable through the traction motor for absorbing waste heat therefrom, a second coolant circulatable through the ICE for absorbing waste heat therefrom or adding heat thereto, heat exchanger means connecting the first and second coolants in heat exchanging relationship for at times transferring heat from the first coolant to the second coolant, second heat exchanger means connectable at times to the ICE second coolant for cooling the same, and control means for circulating the second coolant through the ICE in one path through the second heat exchanger when the ICE is running to divest waste heat therefrom and alternately in a second path through the first mentioned heat exchanger when the ICE is not running to scavenge waste heat from the traction motor first coolant thereto to preheat the ICE coolant.
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16. A cooling system for a hybrid vehicle having a traction motor having an energy supply input and an output operatively connected to the vehicle to drive the same, an ICE connected to the energy supply to drive the same, a pair of coolant systems, one for the traction motor and one for the ICE, and a heat exchanger interconnected to the coolant systems for the scavenging at times of the waste heat from the traction motor by the coolant of the ICE to prewarm the ICE when the ICE is below a predetermined temperature level and not running.
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17. A cooling system for a hybrid vehicle having an electrical traction motor having an output adapted to be connected to the wheels of the vehicle to drive the same, electrical energy input means for charging the motor with electrical energy including an ICE for powering the input means, the ICE having a first cooling system, a second cooling system for the motor, the cooling systems including a heat exchanger connected between the motor and ICE in a manner to transfer the heat output of the motor through the second cooling system to the cooling system of the ICE to preheat the latter when the temperature level of the ICE is below a predetermined level and the ICE is inoperative.
Specification