Systems and methods for preheating hybrid vehicles
First Claim
1. A method of preheating a hybrid vehicle, the method comprising:
- storing reserve coolant in an insulated reservoir fluidly coupled to a coolant circuit of an engine of the hybrid vehicle, the reserve coolant having a temperature TR;
controlling, with an electronic control unit, a preheating system of the hybrid vehicle comprising the steps of;
powering, with a power source external to the hybrid vehicle, a fluid pump fluidly coupled to the coolant circuit;
pumping line coolant through the coolant circuit with the fluid pump, the line coolant having a temperature TL that is less than or equal to the temperature TR of the reserve coolant;
powering, with the power source external to the hybrid vehicle, a heater thermally coupled to the coolant circuit;
heating the line coolant with the heater as the line coolant is pumped through the coolant circuit to increase a temperature of the line coolant; and
mixing the line coolant with the reserve coolant to accelerate preheating of at least the engine of the hybrid vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of preheating a hybrid vehicle including storing reserve coolant in an insulated reservoir fluidly coupled to a coolant circuit of an engine of the hybrid vehicle; powering a fluid pump fluidly coupled to the coolant circuit with a power source external to the hybrid vehicle; pumping line coolant through the coolant circuit with the fluid pump; powering a heater thermally coupled to the coolant circuit with the power source external to the hybrid vehicle; heating the line coolant with the heater as the line coolant is pumped through the coolant circuit to increase a temperature of the line coolant; and mixing the line coolant with the reserve coolant to accelerate preheating of at least the engine of the hybrid vehicle.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of preheating a hybrid vehicle, the method comprising:
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storing reserve coolant in an insulated reservoir fluidly coupled to a coolant circuit of an engine of the hybrid vehicle, the reserve coolant having a temperature TR; controlling, with an electronic control unit, a preheating system of the hybrid vehicle comprising the steps of; powering, with a power source external to the hybrid vehicle, a fluid pump fluidly coupled to the coolant circuit; pumping line coolant through the coolant circuit with the fluid pump, the line coolant having a temperature TL that is less than or equal to the temperature TR of the reserve coolant; powering, with the power source external to the hybrid vehicle, a heater thermally coupled to the coolant circuit; heating the line coolant with the heater as the line coolant is pumped through the coolant circuit to increase a temperature of the line coolant; and mixing the line coolant with the reserve coolant to accelerate preheating of at least the engine of the hybrid vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A preheating system for a hybrid vehicle comprising:
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an insulated reservoir fluidly coupled to a coolant circuit of an engine of the hybrid vehicle, the insulated reservoir storing reserve coolant having a temperature TR; a fluid pump fluidly coupled to the coolant circuit, wherein the fluid pump is powered by a power source external to the hybrid vehicle; a heater thermally coupled to the coolant circuit, wherein the heater is powered by the power source external to the hybrid vehicle; and an electronic control unit communicatively coupled to the fluid pump, the heater, and at least one valve of the insulated reservoir, the electronic control unit comprising a processor and a memory storing computer readable and executable instructions that, when executed by the processor cause the electronic control unit to; pump line coolant through the coolant circuit with the fluid pump, the line coolant having a temperature TL that is less than or equal to the temperature TR of the reserve coolant; heat the line coolant with the heater as the line coolant is pumped through the coolant circuit to increase the temperature TL of the line coolant; and open the at least one valve of the insulated reservoir to mix the reserve coolant with the line coolant and accelerate preheating of at least the engine of the hybrid vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification