# US 10,864,824 B2 · Thermal management system for electrified vehicle

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- Number: US 10,864,824 B2
- Document ID: US10864824B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/101,550
- Filed: 2018-08-13
- Published: 2020-02-13
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2018-08-13
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: Bradley Szkrybalo; Hamish Lewis; Dinakara Karanth
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864824B2

## CPC

- B60L 58/26: by cooling
- B60H 1/00278: {for the battery}
- B60H 1/00885: {Controlling the flow of heating or cooling liquid, e.g. valves or pumps (B60H1/00899 takes precedence; constructions of valves B60H1/00485)}
- B60H 1/32281: {comprising a single secondary circuit, e.g. at evaporator or condenser side}
- B60H 1/323: {characterised by comprising auxiliary or multiple systems, e.g. plurality of evaporators, or by involving auxiliary cooling devices}
- H01M 10/6568: characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings
- B60H 1/00392: {for electric vehicles having only electric drive means}
- B60H 1/3211: {for increasing the efficiency of a vehicle refrigeration cycle}
- B60H 2001/00307: {Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow}
- H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold
- H01M 10/625: Vehicles
- H01M 10/635: based on ambient temperature
- H01M 10/663: the system being an air-conditioner or an engine
- H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B60H: ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A vehicle thermal management system including a cabin thermal loop, a battery thermal loop, a parallel valve assembly, and a controller is provided. The cabin thermal loop may include a first chiller. The battery thermal loop may include a second chiller and a high-voltage (HV) battery. The parallel valve assembly selectively may link the thermal loops. The controller may be programmed to, responsive to detection of a high load condition, command the parallel valve assembly to link the thermal loops such that the chillers operate together to cool a vehicle cabin and the HV battery. The parallel valve assembly may include a three-way valve and a conduit system selectively connecting the chillers, the three-way valve, and the HV battery.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle thermal management system comprising:
a cabin thermal loop including a first chiller in fluid communication with a vehicle cabin;
a battery thermal loop including a second chiller in fluid communication with a high-voltage (HV) battery;
a series valve assembly to selectively link the cabin and battery thermal loops including a three-way valve and a conduit system arranged with one another to selectively link the first chiller and the second chiller to deliver cooling capacity to the HV battery; and
a controller programmed to, responsive to detection of an available amount of cabin thermal loop cooling capacity exceeding a detected passenger vehicle cabin cooling capacity request, output a command to the series valve assembly to release the excess cooling capacity from the cabin thermal loop to cool the HV battery.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to detection of activation of a vehicle trailer mode or detection of a vehicle load request over a predetermined threshold, output a command to the series valve assembly to release the excess cooling capacity from the cabin thermal loop to cool the HV battery.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1 further comprising one or more sensors to detect an amount of cooling capacity available from each of the cabin thermal loop and the battery thermal loop, and wherein the controller is further programmed to output a command to the series valve assembly to evenly distribute the cooling capacity of the thermal loops to the vehicle cabin and the HV battery.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to link the cabin thermal loop and the battery thermal loop responsive to detection of a charge event.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to detection of cooling capacity requests of the cabin thermal loop and the battery thermal loop being below a predetermined threshold, output a command to the series valve assembly such that only cooling capacity of the battery thermal loop is used to cool the vehicle cabin and the HV battery.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein the three-way valve is arranged within the conduit system such that in a first operating state coolant travels only between the second chiller and the HV battery.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein the three-way valve is arranged within the conduit system such that in a second operating state coolant travels between the first chiller, the second chiller, and the HV battery.