HVAC systems for electrically-powered vehicles

• US 9,944,150 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2015
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BorgWarner Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BorgWarner Incorporated
• Inventors: Sutherland, Andrew D., Myers, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Savani, Avinash
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEEAN, DEEPAK A
• Application Number:
  US14/729,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20160355068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 237 44
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00392 for electric vehicles having only electric drive means
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00492 comprising regenerative heating or cooling means, e.g. heat accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/2225 arrangements of electric heaters for heating air
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/229 Integration into an air outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/20 Energy regeneration from auxiliary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/44 Heat storages, e.g. for cabin heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/302 Cooling of charging equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system for an electrically-powered vehicle (EV) having an electric motor powered by at least one battery is described. The HVAC system may comprise a blower, a conduit configured to carry air from the blower to vents leading to a passenger cabin of the EV, and an electric heater positioned in the conduit and configured to heat the air. The HVAC system may further comprise a thermal reservoir heater positioned in the conduit and including a thermal storage component configured to heat the air without using power from the battery.

Claims

1. A heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system for an electrically-powered vehicle (EV), comprising:

a blower;

a conduit configured to carry air from the blower;

a heating system positioned in the conduit and having a first heating zone and a second heating zone separated by a barrier, the first heating zone including an electric heater and the second heating zone including a second electric heater and a phase change material (PCM) at least partially surrounding the second electric heater, the barrier dividing the conduit into a first channel leading to the first heating zone and a second channel leading to the second heating zone; and

a single airflow regulating device upstream of the heating system and the barrier, the airflow regulating device being configured to regulate a flow of the air between the first channel and the second channel.

2. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the PCM is contained in a vessel that surrounds the second electric heater.

3. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the second electric heater is a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater.

4. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the second electric heater is a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater that includes barium titanate stones.

5. The HVAC system of claim 3, wherein the electric heater is a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater.

6. The HVAC system of claim 5, wherein the electric heater and the second electric heater are independently operated of each other.

7. The HVAC system of claim 5, wherein the first heating zone and the second heating zone are independently operated zones of a same heater.

8. The HVAC system of claim 5, wherein the airflow regulating device is a blend door.

9. The HVAC system of claim 8, wherein the blend door is configured to shift between a first position in which more of the air is directed to the first channel than the second channel, and a second position in which more of the air is directed to the second channel than the first channel.

10. The HVAC system of claim 9, wherein the flow of the air to the second heating zone is blocked when the blend door is in the first position, and wherein the flow of the air to the first heating zone is blocked when the blend door is in the second position.

11. An electrically-powered vehicle (EV), comprising:

a passenger cabin;

wheels;

an electric motor configured to drive the wheels;

at least one battery configured to power the electric motor; and

a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system including

a blower,

a conduit configured to carry air from the blower to vents leading to the passenger cabin of the EV,

a heating system positioned in the conduit and having a first heating zone and a second heating zone separated by a barrier, the first heating zone including an electric heater and the second heating zone including a second electric heater and a phase change material (PCM) at least partially surrounding the second electric heater, the barrier dividing the conduit into a first channel leading to the first heating zone and a second channel leading to the second heating zone; and

a single airflow regulating device upstream of the heating system and the barrier, the airflow regulating device being configured to regulate a flow of the air between the first channel and the second channel.

12. The EV of claim 11, wherein the second electric heater is a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater.

13. The EV of claim 12, wherein the PCM is contained in a vessel that surrounds the PTC heater.

14. The EV of claim 13, wherein the electric heater is a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater and is powered by the battery.

15. The EV of claim 13, wherein the vessel has a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

16. The EV of claim 13, wherein the airflow regulating device is a blend door configured to shift between a first position in which more of the air is directed to the first channel than the second channel, and a second position in which more of the air is directed to the second channel than the first channel.

17. The EV of claim 16, wherein the blend door is in the first position when the EV is charging at an electric outlet and when the heat stored in the PCM is depleted.

18. The EV of claim 11, wherein the EV is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).