# US 11,028,764 B2 · Vehicle thermal management system applying an integrated thermal management valve and a cooling circuit control method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,028,764 B2 - Document ID: US11028764B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/816,786 - Filed: 2020-03-12 - Published: 2021-04-29 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-10-25 - Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation - Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation - Inventors: Cheol-Soo Park; Dae-Kwang Kim; Dong-Suk Chae - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11028764B2 ## CPC - F01P 7/14: the coolant being liquid - F01P 7/165: {characterised by systems with two or more loops} - F01P 3/02: Arrangements for cooling cylinders or cylinder heads - F01P 3/20: Cooling circuits not specific to a single part of engine or machine (F01P3/22 takes precedence) - F01P 5/10: Pumping liquid coolant; Arrangements of coolant pumps - F01P 2003/028: {Cooling cylinders and cylinder heads in series} - F01P 2007/146: {using valves} - F01P 2025/30: Engine incoming fluid temperature - F01P 2025/32: Engine outcoming fluid temperature - F01P 2025/50: using two or more temperature sensors - F01P 2037/02: starting - F01P 2060/04: Lubricant cooler - F01P 2060/045: for transmissions - F01P 2060/08: Cabin heater - F01P 2060/16: Outlet manifold - F01P: COOLING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; COOLING OF INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES (arrangements in connection with cooling of propulsion units in vehicles B60K11/00; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials C09K5/00; {cooling of gas-turbine engines F02C7/12}; heat exchange in general, radiators F28) ## Abstract A vehicle thermal management system includes an Integrated Thermal Management Valve (ITM) for receiving engine coolant through a coolant inlet connected to an engine coolant outlet of an engine, and for distributing the engine coolant flowing out toward a radiator through a coolant outlet flow path connected to a heat exchange system. The heat exchange system includes at least one among a heater core, an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) cooler, an oil warmer, an Auto Transmission Fluid (ATF) warmer, and the radiator. The thermal management system includes a water pump positioned at the front end of the engine coolant inlet of the engine and a coolant branch flow path branched at the front end of an engine coolant inlet to be connected to the coolant outlet flow path. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle thermal management system, comprising: an Integrated Thermal Management Valve (ITM) for receiving engine coolant through an engine coolant inlet connected to an engine coolant outlet of an engine, and distributing the engine coolant flowing out toward a radiator through a coolant outlet flow path connected to a heat exchange system comprising at least one among a heater core, an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) cooler, an oil warmer, and an Auto Transmission Fluid (ATF) warmer, and the radiator; a water pump positioned at a front end of the engine coolant inlet of the engine; and a coolant branch flow path branched at the front end of the engine coolant inlet to be connected to the coolant outlet flow path, wherein an Exhaust Heat Recovery System (EHRS) is installed at the coolant branch flow path, and wherein the coolant outlet flow path comprises a radiator outlet flow path connected to the radiator, a first distribution flow path connected to the heater core or the EGR cooler, and a second distribution flow path connected to the oil warmer or the ATF warmer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the second distribution flow path is connected with the coolant branch flow path. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the first distribution flow path forms a leak hole, out of which some flow is supplied to an EGR cooler directional outlet flow path port. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the engine coolant outlet comprises an engine head coolant outlet and an engine block coolant outlet, and the coolant inlet comprises an engine head coolant inlet connected with the engine head coolant outlet and an engine block coolant inlet connected with the engine block coolant outlet. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle thermal management system of claim 4, wherein the valve opening of the ITM forms the opening or closing of the engine head coolant inlet and the engine block coolant inlet oppositely. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vehicle thermal management system of claim 5, wherein the opening of the engine head coolant inlet forms a Parallel Flow, in which the coolant flows out to the engine head coolant outlet, inside an engine, and the opening of the engine block coolant inlet forms a Cross Flow, in which the coolant flows out to the engine block coolant outlet, inside an engine. ### Claim 7 A cooling circuit control method of a vehicle thermal management system, the cooling circuit control method comprising: distributing a coolant flowing out toward a radiator through a radiator outlet flow path of a coolant outlet flow path to a heat exchange system comprising at least one among a heater core, an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) cooler, an oil warmer, an Auto Transmission Fluid (ATF) warmer, and an Exhaust Heat Recovery System (EHRS) by flowing the coolant of an engine circulated to a water pump and a radiator from an Integrated Thermal Management Valve (ITM) into an engine head coolant inlet and an engine block coolant inlet, and joining the coolant having passed through the EHRS in a coolant branch flow path branched from the water pump side to be connected to the coolant outlet flow path; adjusting a coolant flow of the coolant branch flow path connected to a second distribution flow path of the coolant outlet flow path connected to the oil warmer or the ATF warmer; and performing any one among a STATE 1, a STATE 2, a STATE 3, a STATE 4, a STATE 5, a STATE 6, a STATE 7, and a STATE 8 as an engine coolant control mode of a vehicle thermal management system under a valve opening control of the ITM by a valve controller, wherein the EHRS is installed at the coolant branch flow path, and wherein the coolant outlet flow path comprises the radiator outlet flow path connected to the radiator, a first distribution flow path connected to the heater core or the EGR cooler, and the second distribution flow path connected to the oil warmer or the ATF warmer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The cooling circuit control method of the vehicle thermal management system of claim 7, wherein in the STATE 1, the ITM opens the engine head coolant inlet while it closes the engine block coolant inlet, the radiator outlet flow path, the first distribution flow path, and the second distribution flow path, and the coolant branch flow path is opened to the oil warmer or the ATF warmer side. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The cooling circuit control method of the vehicle thermal management system of claim 7, wherein in the STATE 2, the ITM partially opens the first distribution flow path and the second distribution flow path while opening the engine head coolant inlet while it closes the engine block coolant inlet and the radiator outlet flow path, and the coolant branch flow path is opened to the oil warmer or the ATF warmer side. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The cooling circuit control method of the vehicle thermal management system of claim 7, wherein in the STATE 3, the ITM partially opens the second distribution flow path while opening the engine head coolant inlet and the first distribution flow path while it closes the engine block coolant inlet and the radiator outlet flow path, and the coolant branch flow path is opened to the oil warmer or the ATF warmer side. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The cooling circuit control method of the vehicle thermal management system of claim 7, wherein in the STATE 4, the ITM partially opens the radiator outlet flow path while opening the engine head coolant inlet, the first distribution flow path, and the second distribution flow path while it closes the engine block coolant inlet, and the coolant branch flow path is opened to the oil warmer or the ATF warmer side. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The cooling circuit control method of the vehicle thermal management system of claim 7, wherein in the STATE 5, the ITM 1 closes the engine head coolant inlet while it partially opens the radiator outlet flow path, the first distribution flow path, and the second distribution flow path while opening the engine block coolant inlet, and the coolant branch flow path is closed to the oil warmer or the ATF warmer side. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The cooling circuit control method of the vehicle thermal management system of claim 7, wherein in the STATE 6, the ITM closes the engine head coolant inlet while it opens the engine block coolant inlet, the radiator outlet flow path, the first distribution flow path, and the second distribution flow path, and the coolant branch flow path is closed to the oil warmer or the ATF warmer side. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The cooling circuit control method of the vehicle thermal management system of claim 7, wherein in the STATE 7, the ITM closes the engine head coolant inlet, the radiator outlet flow path, and the second distribution flow path while it opens the engine block coolant inlet and the first distribution flow path, and the coolant branch flow path is closed to the oil warmer or the ATF warmer side. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The cooling circuit control method of the vehicle thermal management system of claim 7, wherein the controlling of each of the STATE 1-STATE 8 is determined by the operating condition of the vehicle operating information. ### Claim 16 (depends on 7) The cooling circuit control method of the vehicle thermal management system of claim 7, wherein the STATE 1-STATE 4 form a Parallel Flow inside the engine by opening the engine head coolant inlet and closing the engine block coolant inlet, and the Parallel Flow uses the engine head coolant outlet, through which the coolant is communicated with the engine head coolant inlet, as a main circulation passage. ### Claim 17 (depends on 7) The cooling circuit control method of the vehicle thermal management system of claim 7, wherein the STATE 5-STATE 7 form a Cross Flow inside the engine by opening the engine block coolant inlet and closing the engine head coolant inlet, and the Cross Flow uses the engine block coolant outlet, through which the coolant is communicated with the engine block coolant inlet, as a main circulation passage. ### Claim 18 (depends on 7) The cooling circuit control method of the vehicle thermal management system of claim 7, wherein the valve controller opens the valve opening of the ITM to a maximum cooling position by applying the STATE 8 as the engine coolant control mode at the engine stop.