Energy management system for a hybrid-electric vehicle

• US 8,261,868 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2010
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentherm Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BSST LLC (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Inventors: Goenka, Lakhi N., Crane, Douglas T., Bell, Lon E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ebner, Katy M
• Application Number:
  US12/966,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20110079023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.2, 165/41, 165/42, 165/43, 165/236, 165/902, 165/10, 165/4, 237/12.3 R, 237/12.3 A
• US Class Current: 180/68.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/004 for vehicles having a combustion engine and electric drive means, e.g. hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00428 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00478 Air-conditioning devices using the Peltier effect for air-conditioning in general F24F5/0042; for refrigeration F25B21/02; electric devices exhibiting the Peltier effect H10N10/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00492 comprising regenerative heating or cooling means, e.g. heat accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a system for optimizing electrical power management in a vehicle. The system includes a HVAC device and a thermal storage device, both configured to provide heating and cooling to an occupant compartment of the vehicle. The system further includes a controller connected to an electrical storage device and an electrical generating device. The controller receives electrical power generated by the electrical generating device and directs the electrical power to satisfy the vehicle'"'"'s power requirements and/or stores the electrical power in at least one of the electrical storage device and the thermal storage device. Furthermore, the controller directs at least one of the HVAC device and the thermal storage device to provide heating and cooling to the occupant compartment of the vehicle, depending on the available storage of the thermal storage unit or occupant compartment demands.

Claims

1. A method for providing conditioned air to an occupant compartment of a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving electrical energy from a power generating device;

monitoring a thermal storage level of a thermal storage device;

when the thermal storage device has available storage capacity, storing at least a portion of the electrical energy in the thermal storage device by;

causing the at least a portion of the electrical energy to be converted into thermal energy; and

storing the thermal energy in the thermal storage device;

when the thermal storage device has inadequate available storage, storing at least a portion of the electrical energy in an electrical storage device; and

providing conditioned air to the occupant compartment of the vehicle based on at least one of thermal requirements of the occupant compartment, the thermal storage level of the thermal storage device, or an electrical storage level of the electrical storage device;

wherein the conditioned air is provided to the occupant compartment of the vehicle without directing a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (“

HVAC”

) device to provide the conditioned air to the occupant compartment when the occupant compartment can be sufficiently heated or cooled by the thermal storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermal storage device comprises a first energy storage material adapted to store thermal energy at a high temperature and a second energy storage material adapted to store thermal energy at a low temperature.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring the available storage capacity of the electrical storage device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a portion of the electrical energy in the thermal storage device and storing the rest of the electrical energy in the electrical storage device when the thermal storage device has inadequate available storage.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermal storage device provides thermal energy to the conditioned air when the thermal storage device is able to meet the thermal requirements of the occupant compartment.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising leaving the HVAC device in an off state while the occupant compartment can be adequately heated or cooled by the thermal storage device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the HVAC device and the thermal storage device provide at least some thermal energy to the conditioned air when the thermal storage device does not have adequate capacity to meet the thermal requirements of the occupant compartment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the HVAC device solely provides thermal energy to the conditioned air when the thermal storage device does not have adequate capacity to meet the thermal requirements of the occupant compartment.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether to provide conditioned air to the occupant compartment using the thermal storage device, the HVAC device, or both the thermal storage device and the HVAC device based on whether the thermal storage device is able to provide adequate heating and cooling to the occupant compartment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the electrical energy to be converted into thermal energy comprises directing the electrical energy to the HVAC device and causing the HVAC device to convert the electrical energy to thermal energy.

11. A system for providing conditioned air to an occupant compartment of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a power generating device configured to provide electrical energy;

an electrical storage device;

a thermal storage device;

a thermal storage temperature sensor configured to monitor a thermal storage level of the thermal storage device; and

a controller operatively connected to the power generating device, the electrical storage device, the thermal storage device, and the thermal storage level sensor, wherein the controller is configured to;

when the thermal storage device has available storage capacity, cause at least a portion of the electrical energy to be converted into thermal energy and store the thermal energy in the thermal storage device; and

when the thermal storage device has inadequate available storage, store at least a portion of the electrical energy in the electrical storage device;

wherein the controller is configured to cause conditioned air to be provided to the occupant compartment of the vehicle based on at least one of thermal requirements of the occupant compartment, the thermal storage level of the thermal storage device, or an electrical storage level of the electrical storage device;

wherein the conditioned air is provided to the occupant compartment of the vehicle without directing an HVAC device to provide the conditioned air to the occupant compartment when the occupant compartment can be sufficiently heated or cooled by the thermal storage device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the power generating device comprises an alternator, a waste energy recovery system, or a combination of an alternator and a waste energy recovery system.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to direct airflow to an occupant compartment via a duct that is connected to the HVAC device.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising an occupant compartment temperature sensor connected to the controller and configured to monitor a temperature of at least a portion of the occupant compartment.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising an electrical storage level sensor connected to the controller and configured to monitor an available storage capacity of the electrical storage device.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising a thermal storage device temperature sensor connected to the controller and configured to monitor an available storage capacity of the thermal storage device.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising a waste heat recovery generator configured to capture heat created by components of the vehicle during operation of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the waste heat recovery generator comprises one or more thermoelectric devices.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the thermal storage device and the HVAC device are configured to direct heated or cooled air to the occupant compartment via separate duets.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein one or more thermoelectric devices are used to convert the electrical energy into thermal energy for storage in the thermal storage device.

21. The system of claim 11, wherein the thermal storage device includes a high temperature storage material and a low temperature storage material.

22. The system of claim 11, wherein the power generating device comprises a regenerative brake system generator configured to generate electrical energy while the vehicle is braking and a waste heat recovery generator system having one or more thermoelectric modules configured to generate electrical energy from waste heat of the vehicle.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the one or more thermoelectric modules are located near areas of the vehicle that create heat.

24. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller directs the thermal storage device to provide the heating or cooling to the occupant compartment while leaving the HVAC device in an off state when the occupant compartment can be adequately heated or cooled by the thermal storage device.