Exchanging device for motor vehicles

• US 7,451,808 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2004
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BEHR GmbH & Company KG (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BEHR GmbH & Company KG (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Inventors: Wolf, Frank, Busse, Gunnar
• Primary Examiner(s): Ciric; Ljiljana (Lil) V
• Application Number:
  US10/943,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20060060340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 165/202, 165/203, 165/204, 165/42, 165/43, 165/44, 622/387, 622/44, 237/12.3 A, 237/12.3 B, 237/12.3 R
• US Class Current: 165/202
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00307 Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0023 Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0061 relating to electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/33 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/34 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2003/182 with multiple heat-exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2003/187 arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2007/146 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2050/24 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/08 : Cabin heater
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 3/20 : Cooling circuits not specific to a single part of engine or machine F01P3/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/165 : characterised by systems with two or more loops
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 9/06 : by use of refrigerating apparatus, e.g. of compressor or absorber type
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 9/0093 : Multi-circuit heat-exchangers, e.g. integrating different heat exchange sections in the same unit or heat-exchangers for more than two fluids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/345 : Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 : Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 : Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 : Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/63 : Control systems charging or discharging in response to temperature H01M10/44 , H01M10/443; measurement of temperature H01M10/48 , H01M10/486
• 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 10/663 : the system being an air-conditioner or an engine
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/667 : the system being an electronic component, e.g. a CPU, an inverter or a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

An arrangement of components for exchanging heat for motor vehicles with multiple cooling circuits comprising at least one pump, at least one control device and at least one heat exchanger. The arrangement is characterized in that a first cooling circuit is selectively connected with at least one or more additional cooling circuits to transfer thermal energy, and a selective fluid connection is provided between the additional cooling circuits by means of at least one control element.

Claims

1. An apparatus for exchanging heat in motor vehicles to raise or lower the temperatures of vehicle components comprising:

a pump to pump coolant through at least one cooling circuit;

a first cooling circuit that includes at least two heat exchangers and at least one heat reservoir;

a second cooling circuit that exchanges thermal energy with at least a first vehicle component, wherein the second cooling circuit comprises a second pump to pump coolant through the second circuit;

a third cooling circuit that is selectively connectable with the second cooling circuit and that exchanges thermal energy with at least a second vehicle component, wherein the third cooling circuit comprises a third pump to pump coolant through the third circuit; and

a plurality of control elements that selectively connect the first cooling circuit with at least one of the second and third cooling circuits, and further independently selectively connect the second and third cooling circuits to each other;

wherein the apparatus is capable of operating in at least two operating modes, and

wherein

in a first operating mode the second and third cooling circuits are connected to each other and only one of the second and third pumps is operating, and

in a second operating mode the second and third cooling circuits are separated from each other and both of the second and third pumps are operating.

2. The apparatus for exchanging heat according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of control elements comprise a four-way valve to independently selectively connect the second and third cooling circuits to each other.

3. The apparatus for exchanging heat according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of control elements comprise two three-way valves to independently selectively connect the second and third cooling circuits to each other.

4. The apparatus for exchanging heat according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the second pump and the third pump is capable of allowing a fluid flow in a switched-off state.

5. An apparatus for exchanging heat in motor vehicles to raise or lower the temperatures of vehicle components comprising:

a pump to pump coolant through at least one cooling circuit;

a first cooling circuit including at least two heat exchangers and at least one heat reservoir;

a second cooling circuit that exchanges thermal energy with at least a first vehicle component wherein the second cooling circuit comprises a second pump to pump coolant through the second circuit;

a third cooling circuit that is selectively connectable with the second cooling circuit and that exchanges thermal energy with at least a second vehicle component wherein the third cooling circuit comprises a third pump to pump coolant through the third circuit; and

a plurality of control elements that selectively connect the first cooling circuit with at least one of the second and third cooling circuits;

wherein the apparatus for exchanging heat is capable of operating in at least two operating modes, and,

wherein, in a first operating mode the second and third cooling circuits are connected to each other and only one of the second and third pumps is operating, and in a second operating mode the second and third cooling circuits are separated from each other and both the second and third pumps are operating.