Temperature control systems with thermoelectric devices
First Claim
1. A temperature control system for heating, cooling, and/or demisting an occupant compartment of a vehicle during a stop of an internal combustion engine of the vehicle, the system comprising:
- an engine coolant circuit comprising an engine block coolant conduit and configured to convey a coolant in the engine coolant circuit, wherein the engine block coolant conduit is in thermal communication with the internal combustion engine of the vehicle;
a heater core disposed in a comfort air channel of the vehicle and in fluid communication with the engine block coolant conduit;
a thermoelectric device having a waste surface and a main surface;
a supplemental heat exchanger disposed in the comfort air channel and in thermal communication with the main surface of the thermoelectric device;
a waste heat exchanger connected to the waste surface of the thermoelectric device, wherein the waste heat exchanger is connected to a fluid circuit containing the coolant, and wherein the coolant is in fluid communication with a thermal energy source or a heat sink; and
a controller configured to operate the temperature control system in a plurality of modes of operation, and wherein the plurality of modes of operation comprises;
a stop heating mode wherein residual heat of the internal combustion engine is configured to heat a comfort airflow in the comfort air channel while electric current is not supplied to the thermoelectric device and while the internal combustion engine is stopped; and
a stop cold heating mode wherein the thermoelectric device is configured to heat the comfort airflow by transferring thermal energy from the waste surface to the main surface while receiving electric current supplied in a first polarity and while the internal combustion engine is stopped,wherein the fluid circuit includes a first conduit configured to convey the coolant in the first conduit and a first bypass conduit configured to convey the coolant in the first bypass conduit, the first conduit in fluid communication with the waste heat exchanger, the first bypass conduit configured to bypass flow of the coolant around the first conduit, wherein the first conduit and the first bypass conduit include a common inlet connection and a common outlet connection, wherein the first conduit and the first bypass conduit are connected in parallel between said common inlet connection and said common outlet connection,wherein, in the stop heating mode, the controller is configured to operate at least one fluid control device to restrict flow of the coolant through the first conduit and to operate the at least one fluid control device to direct flow of the coolant through the first bypass conduit,wherein, in the stop cold heating mode, the controller is configured to operate the at least one fluid control device to direct flow of the coolant through the first conduit and to operate the at least one fluid control device to restrict flow of the coolant through the first bypass conduit,wherein, in the stop cold heating mode, the first conduit is in fluid communication with the waste heat exchanger, andwherein, in the stop cold heating mode, the thermoelectric device provides heat to the comfort airflow while the internal combustion engine is not able to heat the comfort airflow to a specified comfortable temperature without the heat provided by the thermoelectric device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Temperature control systems and methods can be designed for controlling the interior climate of a vehicle or other the climate of another desired region. The temperature control system for a vehicle can have a thermoelectric system providing heating and/or cooling, including supplemental heating and/or cooling. The thermoelectric system can transfer thermal energy between a working fluid, such as liquid coolant, and comfort air upon application of electric current of a selected polarity. The thermoelectric system can supplement or replace the heat provided from an internal combustion engine or other primary heat source. The thermoelectric system can also supplement or replace cold energy provided from a compressor-based refrigeration system or other primary cold energy source.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A temperature control system for heating, cooling, and/or demisting an occupant compartment of a vehicle during a stop of an internal combustion engine of the vehicle, the system comprising:
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an engine coolant circuit comprising an engine block coolant conduit and configured to convey a coolant in the engine coolant circuit, wherein the engine block coolant conduit is in thermal communication with the internal combustion engine of the vehicle; a heater core disposed in a comfort air channel of the vehicle and in fluid communication with the engine block coolant conduit; a thermoelectric device having a waste surface and a main surface; a supplemental heat exchanger disposed in the comfort air channel and in thermal communication with the main surface of the thermoelectric device; a waste heat exchanger connected to the waste surface of the thermoelectric device, wherein the waste heat exchanger is connected to a fluid circuit containing the coolant, and wherein the coolant is in fluid communication with a thermal energy source or a heat sink; and a controller configured to operate the temperature control system in a plurality of modes of operation, and wherein the plurality of modes of operation comprises; a stop heating mode wherein residual heat of the internal combustion engine is configured to heat a comfort airflow in the comfort air channel while electric current is not supplied to the thermoelectric device and while the internal combustion engine is stopped; and a stop cold heating mode wherein the thermoelectric device is configured to heat the comfort airflow by transferring thermal energy from the waste surface to the main surface while receiving electric current supplied in a first polarity and while the internal combustion engine is stopped, wherein the fluid circuit includes a first conduit configured to convey the coolant in the first conduit and a first bypass conduit configured to convey the coolant in the first bypass conduit, the first conduit in fluid communication with the waste heat exchanger, the first bypass conduit configured to bypass flow of the coolant around the first conduit, wherein the first conduit and the first bypass conduit include a common inlet connection and a common outlet connection, wherein the first conduit and the first bypass conduit are connected in parallel between said common inlet connection and said common outlet connection, wherein, in the stop heating mode, the controller is configured to operate at least one fluid control device to restrict flow of the coolant through the first conduit and to operate the at least one fluid control device to direct flow of the coolant through the first bypass conduit, wherein, in the stop cold heating mode, the controller is configured to operate the at least one fluid control device to direct flow of the coolant through the first conduit and to operate the at least one fluid control device to restrict flow of the coolant through the first bypass conduit, wherein, in the stop cold heating mode, the first conduit is in fluid communication with the waste heat exchanger, and wherein, in the stop cold heating mode, the thermoelectric device provides heat to the comfort airflow while the internal combustion engine is not able to heat the comfort airflow to a specified comfortable temperature without the heat provided by the thermoelectric device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A temperature control system for heating, cooling, and/or demisting an occupant compartment of a vehicle during a stop of an engine of the vehicle, the system comprising:
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an engine coolant circuit in thermal communication with the engine of the vehicle;
wherein the engine coolant circuit is configured to convey a coolant,a first heat exchanger disposed in a comfort air channel of the vehicle and in fluid communication with the engine coolant circuit; a thermoelectric device having a waste surface and a main surface, wherein the waste surface is in thermal communication with a thermal energy source or a heat sink; a second heat exchanger disposed in the comfort air channel and in thermal communication with the main surface of the thermoelectric device, wherein the second heat exchanger is downstream from the first heat exchanger with respect to a direction of a comfort airflow in the comfort air channel when the temperature control system is in operation; a first conduit configured to convey the coolant in the first conduit, the first conduit in fluid communication with the waste surface of the thermoelectric device via a waste heat exchanger connected to the waste surface of the thermoelectric device; a first bypass conduit configured to convey the coolant in the first bypass conduit, the first bypass conduit configured to bypass flow of the coolant around the first conduit, wherein the first conduit and the first bypass conduit include a common inlet connection and a common outlet connection, wherein the first conduit and the first bypass conduit are connected in parallel between said common inlet connection and said common outlet connection, at least one flow control device configured to restrict coolant flow through the first bypass conduit; and a controller configured to operate the temperature control system in a plurality of modes of operation to heat, cool, and/or demist the occupant compartment of the vehicle, wherein the plurality of modes of operation comprises a stop heating mode wherein residual heat of the engine is configured to heat the comfort airflow in the comfort air channel while electric current is not supplied to the thermoelectric device and while the engine is stopped, and wherein the first conduit directly connects to the waste heat exchanger. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification