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US 10,093,147 B2Granted
Methods and systems for coolant system
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsDavid Karl Bidner, James C. Rollinson, Hugh Hamilton, Alan Richardson, Ravi Gopal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for controlling coolant flow through parallel branches of a coolant circuit including an AC condenser and a charge air cooler. Flow is apportioned responsive to an AC head pressure and a CAC temperature to reduce parasitic losses and improve fuel economy. The flow is apportioned via adjustments to a coolant pump output and a proportioning valve.
Claims20
A method for operating a vehicle air conditioning system via a controller, comprising:
- in response to a higher than threshold cabin cooling demand and a higher than threshold charge air cooler cooling demand,
- the controller adjusting coolant flow through each of an air-conditioning condenser and a charge air cooler of a coolant circuit, in parallel, to meet each cooling demand, the coolant flow adjusted based on an air-conditioning head pressure and further based on charge air cooler charge air outlet temperature.
A method for a vehicle controller, comprising:
- during a first condition, when cooling demand at an air-conditioning condenser is lower than a lower threshold, the vehicle controller adjusting an output of a coolant pump and a position of a proportioning valve of a coolant circuit to flow coolant through the air-conditioning condenser at a first, fixed flow rate while flowing coolant through a charge air cooler at a second, variable flow rate that is based on charge air cooler cooling demand;
- and
- during a second condition, when cooling demand at the air-conditioning condenser is higher than a higher threshold, the vehicle controller adjusting the output of the coolant pump and the position of the proportioning valve to flow coolant through the charge air cooler at a third, fixed flow rate while flowing coolant through the air-conditioning condenser at a fourth, variable flow rate that is based on cabin cooling demand.
A vehicle system, comprising:
- a vehicle cabin;
- an air-conditioning system including an evaporator and a condenser for cooling cabin air;
- a boosted engine system including an engine, and a turbocharger compressor coupled upstream of a charge air cooler;
- a refrigerant circuit circulating refrigerant through the condenser, the refrigerant circuit including a pressure sensor;
- a first coolant circuit circulating coolant through each of the condenser, the charge air cooler, and a transmission oil cooler, the first coolant circuit including an electric pump, a proportioning valve, and a temperature sensor;
- and
- a second coolant circuit circulating coolant through each of the engine, an exhaust manifold cooler, and the transmission oil cooler, the second coolant circuit including a mechanical pump;
- and
- a controller including computer readable instructions for:
- in response to a cabin cooling demand,
- estimating a base coolant flow rate through the condenser based on coolant temperature;
- estimating a corrective coolant flow rate based on an actual air-conditioning head pressure relative to a reference air-conditioning head pressure, the reference air-conditioning head pressure determined as a function of the coolant temperature;
- adding the corrective coolant flow rate to the base coolant flow rate to determine a net coolant flow rate through the condenser;
- and
- actuating the electric pump and the proportioning valve to provide the net coolant flow rate through the condenser.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.