Thermal energy management device for a vehicle

• US 8,316,659 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2006
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nexter Systems (KNDS NV)
• Original Assignee: Nexter Systems (KNDS NV)
• Inventors: Bouysset, Jean-Louis, Cozic, Martial, Hoslin, Dominique
• Primary Examiner(s): Ciric, Ljiljana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cox, Alexis
• Application Number:
  US11/442,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20100243751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,373 Days
• Field of Search: 622/383, 624/97, 624/76
• US Class Current: 62/238.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00392 for electric vehicles having only electric drive means
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00414 for military, emergency, safety or security vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3201 using absorption or adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/32011 using absorption, e.g. using Li-Br and water

Abstract

The invention relates to a thermal energy management device for a vehicle, namely a vehicle equipped with an electric generator associating and fuel cell and hydrogen reformer, comprising at least one primary circuit circulating a first heat-conducting fluid, such circuit enabling calories to be collected from a thermal source and transported to at least one thermal exchanger wherein said device comprises at least one thermal exchanger constituted by a sorption exchanger, enabling the thermal energy management of vehicles, and namely, armored vehicles.

Claims

1. A thermal energy management device for a vehicle equipped with an electric generator associating a fuel cell and hydrogen reformer, said device comprising:

a thermal source (2),

at least one primary circuit (20) for circulating a first heat-conducting fluid,

a plurality (24-27) of thermal exchangers, said primary circuit enabling heat to be collected from said thermal source (2) and transported to at least one of said thermal exchangers (24-27),

wherein said at least one thermal exchanger is a sorption exchanger,

a plurality of chamber cavities each of which cavities is associated with but separate from one of said plurality of thermal exchangers,

said primary circuit comprises a closed loop having a plurality of side outlets, said side outlets being positioned in series within the loop,

each of said plurality of thermal exchangers connected to one of said side outlets for supplying heat conducting fluid to the cavity associated with that thermal exchanger for thereby heating that thermal exchanger,

each side outlet having a valve capable of directing said first heat-conducting fluid through the outlet and capable of causing all of said first heat-conducting fluid to completely bypass the outlet.

2. A thermal energy management device according to claim 1, wherein said thermal source is a vehicle exhaust system.

3. A thermal energy management device according to claim 2, wherein said primary circuit is for mounting contiguous to a hot part of a vehicle exhaust system, for collecting heat therefrom.

4. A thermal energy management device according to claim 1, wherein said thermal source is the hydrogen reformer.

5. A thermal energy management device according to claim 4, wherein said primary circuit is for mounting contiguous to a hot part of said hydrogen reformer, for collecting heat therefrom.

6. A thermal energy management device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said thermal exchangers is a thermal convection exchanger for mounting contiguous to an organ of said vehicle, for heating said organ.

7. A thermal energy management device according to claim 6, wherein said thermal convection exchanger enables heat to be exchanged with the cooling circuit of an engine of said vehicle.

8. A thermal energy management device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one secondary circuit for circulating a second heat-conducting fluid isolated from said primary circuit,

wherein said sorption exchanger is connected to said primary circuit and said secondary circuit, and gains heat from said side outlets of said primary circuit.

9. A thermal energy management device according to claim 1, wherein said one at least sorption exchanger uses said first heat-conducting fluid collected from said primary circuit by a side outlet.

10. A thermal energy management device according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit for managing the temperature of said at least one thermal exchange circuit.

11. A thermal energy management device according to claim 1, wherein said sorption exchanger is connected to an electronic circuit, wherein the sorption exchanger is for cooling an electronic circuit.

12. A thermal energy management device according to claim 1, wherein said sorption exchanger is connected to a thermal insulation chamber arranged around a hot part of said vehicle, and the sorption exchanger is for cooling the thermal insulation chamber.

13. A thermal energy management device according to claim 1, wherein said sorption exchanger is connected to at least one electrical energy storage battery, and the sorption exchanger is for cooling the at least one electrical energy storage battery.

14. A thermal energy management device according to claim 1, wherein said sorption exchanger is connected to an air-conditioning unit of said vehicle, and the sorption exchanger is for cooling said air-conditioning unit.

15. A thermal energy management device according to claim 1, wherein said primary circuit further comprises a pump (55) to regulate the flow of said first heat-conducting fluid.