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US 10,807,436 B2Granted
Methods and systems for coolant system
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsDavid Karl Bidner, Hugh Hamilton, James C. Rollinson
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, comprising:
- with a controller, executing instructions stored on non-transitory memory to:
- meet a cooling demand of each of a charge air cooler and an air conditioner condenser by adjusting, in parallel, via a pump and a proportioning valve, a flow of coolant through each of the charge air cooler (CAC) and the air conditioner condenser, the adjusting in response to a charge air cooler coolant temperature and an actual head pressure of an air conditioner compressor.
A method for a vehicle, comprising:
- with a controller, executing instructions stored on non-transitory memory to:
- flow refrigerant through a refrigerant circuit including an air-conditioning (AC) condenser;
- flow coolant through each of a first branch of a coolant circuit including the condenser, a second branch of the coolant circuit including a charge air cooler (CAC), and a third branch including a transmission oil cooler, wherein coolant flow through the first branch relative to the second branch is adjusted based on an AC head pressure in the refrigerant circuit, a coolant temperature in the coolant circuit, a CAC cooling demand, and an estimated transmission oil temperature (TOT).
A vehicle system, comprising:
- a vehicle cabin;
- an air conditioning (AC) 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 (CAC);
- a refrigerant circuit circulating refrigerant through the condenser, the circuit including a pressure sensor;
- a first coolant circuit circulating coolant through each of the condenser, the CAC, and a transmission oil cooler (TOC), the first coolant circuit including an electric pump, a three-way proportioning valve, and a coolant temperature sensor;
- a second coolant circuit circulating coolant through each of the engine, an exhaust manifold cooler, and the TOC, the second coolant circuit including a mechanical pump;
- and
- an oil circuit circulating oil drawn from a sump through each of a transmission, a torque converter, and the TOC, the oil circuit including an oil temperature sensor and a transmission valve.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.