# US 11,999,216 B2 · Temperature management systems and methods for electric vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,999,216 B2 - Document ID: US11999216B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/537,268 - Filed: 2021-11-29 - Published: 2022-07-14 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-03 - Assignees: Phoenix Motor, Inc. - Applicants: Phoenix Motor, Inc. - Inventors: James Harper; Kevin Myers; David Lai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999216B2 ## CPC - B60H 1/00278: {for the battery} - H01M 10/052: Li-accumulators - B60H 1/00371: {for vehicles carrying large numbers of passengers, e.g. buses} - B60H 1/00392: {for electric vehicles having only electric drive means} - B60H 1/00907: {where the flow direction of the refrigerant changes and an evaporator becomes condenser} - B60L 58/24: for controlling the temperature of batteries - H01M 10/60: Heating or cooling; Temperature control - H01M 10/625: Vehicles - H01M 10/63: Control systems (charging or discharging in response to temperature H01M10/44 {, H01M10/443}; measurement of temperature H01M10/48 {, H01M10/486}) - H01M 10/6556: Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange (closed pipes H01M10/6552) - H01M 10/6568: characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings - H01M 10/66: Heat-exchange relationships between the cells and other systems, e.g. central heating systems or fuel cells - H01M 10/663: the system being an air-conditioner or an engine - B60H 2001/00307: {Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow} - B60H 2001/00935: {comprising four way valves for controlling the fluid direction} - B60Y 2200/91: Electric vehicles - B60Y 2306/05: Cooling - H01M 2010/4271: {Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing} - H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - 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 - 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 - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A temperature control system for an electric vehicle includes a cabin temperature control system configured to control flow of a refrigerant through one or more heat exchangers to control a temperature of a cabin of the electric vehicle, a battery temperature control system configured to control the flow of a coolant through one or more heat exchangers to control a temperature of a battery system of the electric vehicle, and a power electronics temperature control system configured to control the flow of coolant through one or more heat exchangers to control a temperature of one or more power electronics. In a first configuration of the temperature control system, the battery temperature control system and the power electronics temperature control system may be thermally isolated, and, in a second configuration, the battery temperature control system and the power electronics temperature control system may thermally interact. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A temperature control system for an electric vehicle, comprising: a cabin temperature control system configured to control flow of a refrigerant through one or more heat exchangers to control a temperature of a cabin of the electric vehicle; a battery temperature control system configured to control the flow of a coolant through a plate heat exchanger to control a temperature of a battery system of the electric vehicle; and a power electronics temperature control system configured to control a flow of coolant through one or more heat exchangers to control a temperature of one or more power electronics, wherein, in a first configuration of the temperature control system, the battery temperature control system and the power electronics temperature control system are thermally isolated, and, in a second configuration, the battery temperature control system and the power electronics temperature control system thermally interact wherein in a first cooling mode the battery temperature control system is cooled using only the plate heat exchanger, and wherein in a second cooling mode the battery temperature control system is cooled by both the plate heat exchanger and at least one of a plurality of inside air heat exchangers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The temperature control system of claim 1, wherein the cabin temperature control system comprises the plurality of inside air heat exchangers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The temperature control system of claim 1, wherein the plate heat exchanger is connected in parallel with at least one of the inside air heat exchangers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The temperature control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of inside air heat exchangers comprise a curb side inside air heat exchanger and a street side inside air heat exchanger. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The temperature control system of claim 4, further comprising a first expansion valve adjacent to the plate heat exchanger and a second expansion valve adjacent to the curb side and/or street side inside air heat exchangers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The temperature control system of claim 5, wherein, in the first and/or the second cooling mode, the first expansion valve is upstream of the plate heat exchanger and the second expansion valve is upstream of the curb side and/or street side inside air heat exchangers. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The temperature control system of claim 5, wherein, in a heating mode, the first expansion valve is downstream of the plate heat exchanger and the second expansion valve is downstream of the curb side and/or street side inside air heat exchangers. ### Claim 8 A method of operating a temperature control system of an electric vehicle, comprising: directing a flow of a coolant through fluid conduits of a battery temperature control system to control a temperature of a battery system of the electric vehicle and/or through fluid conduits of a power electronics temperature control system to control the temperature of power electronics of the electric vehicle; selecting between a first configuration and a second configuration of the temperature control system, wherein, in the first configuration, the coolant in the fluid conduits of the battery temperature control system does not intermix with the coolant in the fluid conduits of the power electronics temperature control system, and in the second configuration, the coolant in the fluid conduits of the battery temperature control system intermixes with the coolant in the fluid conduits of the power electronics temperature control system, and cooling the battery temperature control system by both a plate heat exchanger and at least one of a plurality of inside air heat exchangers. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein in the first configuration, the battery system and the power electronics are thermally isolated from each other, and in the second configuration the battery system and the power electronics are thermally coupled together via the coolant. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: controlling the flow of the coolant through the battery temperature control system and through the power electronics temperature control system by at least one control valve, wherein the at least one control valve is a four-way control valve. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: selectively controlling the flow of a refrigerant through a cabin temperature control system of the electric vehicle, wherein the cabin temperature control system comprises the plurality of inside air heat exchangers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: connecting the plate heat exchanger in parallel with at least one of the inside air heat exchangers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of inside air heat exchangers comprise a curb side inside air heat exchanger and a street side inside air heat exchanger. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: positioning a first expansion valve adjacent to the plate heat exchanger; and positioning a second expansion valve adjacent to the curb side and/or street side inside air heat exchangers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: positioning the first expansion valve upstream of the plate heat exchanger; and positioning the second expansion valve upstream of the curb side and/or street side inside air heat exchangers. ### Claim 16 An electric vehicle, comprising: a body enclosing a cabin, wherein a temperature in the cabin is regulated by a cabin temperature control system; a battery system to power the electric vehicle, wherein a temperature of the battery system is regulated by a battery temperature control system; one or more power electronics, wherein a temperature of the one or more power electronics is regulated by a power electronics temperature control system, the power electronics being cooled in series with the battery system using an outside air heat exchanger, and inside air heat exchanger, and a plate heat exchanger; and a controller configured to selectively (a) thermally decouple the cabin temperature control system, the battery temperature control system, and the power electronics temperature control system from each other, and (b) thermally couple at least two of the cabin temperature control system, the battery temperature control system, and the power electronics temperature control system together. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The electric vehicle of claim 16, wherein the controller thermally couples at least two of the cabin temperature control system, the battery temperature control system, and the power electronics temperature control system together by directing a fluid flowing through one of the cabin temperature control system, the battery temperature control system, or the power electronics temperature control system to flow through another of the cabin temperature control system, the battery temperature control system, and the power electronics temperature control system, or transferring heat between fluids flowing through at least two of the cabin temperature control system, the battery temperature control system, and the power electronics temperature control system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The electric vehicle of claim 16, wherein the battery temperature control system and the power electronics temperature control system are connected in series. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The electric vehicle of claim 16, wherein the battery temperature control system is cooled via coolant pumped from the battery temperature control system and passing through a control valve, the plate heat exchanger, and back to the battery temperature control system.