Thermal management system for vehicle

• US 9,827,824 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2013
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Enomoto, Norihiko, Kakehashi, Nobuharu, Nishikawa, Michio
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Len
• Assistant Examiner(s): HINCAPIE SERNA, GUSTAVO A
• Application Number:
  US14/423,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20150217622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 165100, 165101
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00385 for vehicles having an electrical drive, e.g. hybrid or fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00878 the components being temperature regulating devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/08 from other radiator than main radiator
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/22 the heat being derived otherwise than from the propulsion plant B60H1/0025, B60H1/00492 and B60H1/03 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/02 with liquid cooling
• 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 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/425 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/076 with sealing faces shaped as surfaces of solids of revolution
• 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 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A first-pump arrangement flow path, temperature-adjustment target-device arrangement flow paths, and a second-pump arrangement flow path are connected to a communication flow path in this order from one end side to the other end side of the communication flow path. A first heat exchanger is disposed in the first-pump arrangement flow path among numerous flow paths, which is connected to the communication flow path at a position on a side of the first-pump arrangement flow path, rather than the flow path in which a second heat exchanger is disposed. The switching portion is operated to establish communication between plural flow paths, starting from the flow path connected to the communication flow path at the position closest to the one end side among the numerous flow paths, up to the flow path connected to the communication flow path at an n-th position counted from the one end side among the numerous flow paths.

Claims

1. A thermal management system for a vehicle, comprising:

a first pump and a second pump sucking and discharging a heat medium;

a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger exchanging heat with the heat medium, to change a temperature of the heat medium;

at least one of temperature adjustment target devices, each of which has a temperature adjusted by the heat medium;

numerous flow paths allowing the heat medium to flow therethrough, the numerous flow paths including a first-pump arrangement flow path in which the first pump is disposed, a second-pump arrangement flow path in which the second pump is disposed, and a temperature-adjustment target-device arrangement flow path in which one or more of the temperature adjustment target devices is disposed;

a switching portion connected to one ends of the numerous flow paths, and adapted to allow the numerous flow paths to selectively communicate with each other; and

a communication flow path connected to the other ends of the numerous flow paths in parallel with each other, and adapted to allow the numerous flow paths to communicate with each other, wherein

the first-pump arrangement flow path, the temperature-adjustment target-device arrangement flow path, and the second-pump arrangement flow path are connected to the communication flow path in this order, from one end side of the communication flow path toward the other end side of the communication flow path,

the first heat exchanger is disposed in one flow path among the numerous flow paths, that is connected to the communication flow path at a position on a side of the first-pump arrangement flow path, rather than the second-pump arrangement flow path in which the second heat exchanger is disposed, and

the switching portion is operated to have communication between plural flow paths among the numerous flow paths, starting from the one flow path connected to the communication flow path at a position closest to the one end side of the communication flow path, up to a flow path connected to the communication flow path at an n-th position counted from the one end side of the communication flow path.

2. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the switching portion is operated such that the first-pump arrangement flow path is included in the plural flow paths, and that the second-pump arrangement flow path is included in a flow path other than the plural flow paths, among the numerous flow paths.

3. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of the temperature-adjustment target-device arrangement flow paths, wherein

the temperature adjustment target devices are respectively arranged in the temperature-adjustment target-device arrangement flow paths, and

an allowable temperature of the temperature adjustment target device disposed in the temperature-adjustment target-device arrangement flow path positioned on the one end side of the communication passage, among the temperature-adjustment target-device arrangement flow paths, is equal to or higher than an allowable temperature of the temperature adjustment target device disposed in the temperature-adjustment target-device arrangement flow path positioned on the other end side of the communication passage, among the temperature-adjustment target-device arrangement flow paths.

4. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein,

in a case where the first pump, the first heat exchanger, and the at least one of the temperature adjustment target devices communicate each other to allow the plural flow paths to form a first heat medium circuit, while two or more flow paths among the numerous flow paths, which are flow paths other than the plural flow paths, and which include the second-pump arrangement flow path, communicate each other to form a second heat medium circuit,

the switching portion is operated such that the second pump, the second heat exchanger, and the temperature adjustment target device communicate each other to form the second heat medium circuit, (i) when a temperature of the heat medium in the first heat medium circuit is detected or estimated to exceed a predetermined temperature, or (ii) when a temperature of the heat medium in the first heat medium circuit is predicted to exceed a predetermined temperature.

5. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the at least one of the temperature adjustment target devices, forming the first heat medium circuit, is included in the second heat medium circuit.

6. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein

the at least one of the temperature adjustment target devices includes an electric device that generates heat when being energized, and

the first heat exchanger is an air-heat medium heat exchanger that exchanges heat between air and the heat medium.

7. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein

the at least one of the temperature adjustment target devices includes a battery cooler that cools a battery with the heat medium,

the first heat exchanger is an air-heat medium heat exchanger exchanging heat between air and the heat medium, and

the second heat exchanger is a chiller exchanging heat between a low-pressure refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle and the heat medium.

8. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein in a case where

(i) the at least one of the temperature adjustment target devices includes a condenser exchanging heat between a high-pressure refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle and the heat medium, an inverter converting a direct-current power into an alternate-current power, and a battery cooler cooling a battery with the heat medium,

(ii) the first heat exchanger is an air-heat medium heat exchanger exchanging heat between air and the heat medium,

(iii) the air-heat medium heat exchanger is disposed in the first-pump arrangement flow path,

(iv) the second heat exchanger is a chiller exchanging heat between a low-pressure refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle and the heat medium,

(v) the chiller is disposed in the second-pump arrangement flow path,

(vi) the flow path among the numerous flow paths, in which the condenser is disposed, is a condenser arrangement flow path,

(vii) the flow path among the numerous flow paths, in which the inverter is disposed, is an inverter arrangement flow path, and

(viii) the flow path among the numerous flow paths, in which the battery cooler is disposed, is a battery cooler arrangement flow path,

the first-pump arrangement flow path, the condenser arrangement flow path, the inverter arrangement flow path, the battery cooler arrangement flow path, and the second-pump arrangement flow path are connected in this order to the communication flow path from the one end side to the other end side of the communication flow path.

9. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein

the temperature-adjustment target-device arrangement flow path includes the condenser arrangement flow path, the inverter arrangement flow path, and the battery cooler arrangement flow path, and

the condenser arrangement flow path, the inverter arrangement flow path, and the battery cooler arrangement flow path are connected to the communication flow path in this order from one end side to the other end side of the communication flow path.

10. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the first heat exchanger is an air-heat medium heat exchanger exchanging heat between air and the heat medium,

when an abnormality is assumed or determined to occur in one of the first pump and the second pump, the switching portion is operated such that the at least one of the temperature adjustment target devices communicates with the other one of the first pump and the second pump, as well as the air-heat medium heat exchanger.

11. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a bypass flow path connected to a flow path among the numerous flow paths, in which the first heat exchanger is disposed, and adapted to allow the heat medium to bypass the first heat exchanger; and

a valve body switching between a flow of the heat medium through the first heat exchanger and a flow of the heat medium through the bypass flow path, wherein

at least one of the temperature adjustment target devices includes a condenser exchanging heat between a high-pressure refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle and the heat medium, a heater core exchanging heat between the heat medium and air to be blown into a vehicle compartment, and a cooling target device cooled by the heat medium,

the first heat exchanger is an air-heat medium heat exchanger exchanging heat between air and the heat medium,

the second heat exchanger is a chiller exchanging heat between a low-pressure refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle and the heat medium, and

the switching portion is operated to allow the chiller and the cooling target device to communicate with each other, and to allow the condenser, the heater core, and the air-heat medium heat exchanger to communicate with each other, while the valve body is operated to allow the heat medium to flow through the bypass flow path.

12. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the at least one of the temperature adjustment target devices include a chiller exchanging heat between a low-pressure refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle and the heat medium, a heat exchanger for a cold accumulator that cools or heats a cold accumulator capable of storing cold heat therein, and a refrigerant supercooling heat exchanger that supercools a refrigerant cooled by a condenser with the heat medium, the condenser being adapted to exchange heat between a high-pressure refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle and the heat medium, and

the switching portion is operated to establish communication between the heat exchanger for the cold accumulator and the refrigerant supercooling heat exchanger when cold heat is stored in the cold accumulator.

13. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the one or more temperature adjustment target devices include an internal combustion engine, an oil-heat medium heat exchanger exchanging heat between oil and the heat medium, a heater core heating air to be blown into a vehicle compartment by exchanging heat between the air and the heat medium, an intercooler exchanging heat between the heat medium and a supercharged intake air drawn into the internal combustion engine, and an inverter converting a direct-current power into an alternate-current power, and

each of the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger is a radiator that exchanges heat between the heat medium and outside air.

14. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the at least one of the temperature adjustment target devices include a condenser exchanging heat between a high-pressure refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle and the heat medium, a heater core heating air to be blown into a vehicle compartment by exchanging heat between the air and the heat medium, an inverter converting a direct-current power into an alternate-current power, a battery cooler cooling a battery with the heat medium, and an exhaust heat-recovering heat exchanger in ventilation that exchanges heat between the heat medium and a vehicle interior air to be discharged toward an outside of the vehicle for ventilation,

the first heat exchanger is a radiator exchanging heat between the heat medium and outside air, and

the second heat exchanger is a chiller exchanging heat between a low-pressure refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle and the heat medium.

15. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the at least one of the temperature adjustment target devices includes an intercooler exchanging heat between a supercharged intake air to be sucked into an internal combustion engine and the heat medium, an inverter converting a direct-current power into an alternate-current power, and a battery cooler cooling a battery with the heat medium,

the first heat exchanger is a first radiator exchanging heat between outside air and the heat medium,

the second heat exchanger is a second radiator exchanging heat between outside air and the heat medium, and

the second radiator is disposed on an upstream side of an outside air flow with respect to the first radiator, or on a vertically downward side with respect to the first radiator.

16. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the first heat exchanger is a radiator exchanging heat between outside air and the heat medium, and

in the temperature-adjustment target-device arrangement flow path, the temperature adjustment target device and the radiator are arranged in parallel with each other.

17. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 14, wherein

the first heat exchanger is a radiator exchanging heat between the heat medium and outside air,

the second heat exchanger is a chiller exchanging heat between a low-pressure refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle and the heat medium,

the radiator is disposed in the first-pump arrangement flow path, and

the chiller is disposed in the second-pump arrangement flow path.

18. The thermal management system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the switching portion includes a housing with a heat medium flow path formed therein, a valve body accommodated in the housing, and a rotary shaft fixed to the valve body,

the valve body is a plate-like valve body that partitions an internal space of the housing into two spaces, or is a rotary valve body that partitions an internal space of the housing into two spaces, and

in the housing, the numerous flow paths are connected side by side in a rotation direction of the valve body.