# US 12,215,935 B2 · Thermal management system and method

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- Number: US 12,215,935 B2
- Document ID: US12215935B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/672,930
- Filed: 2022-02-16
- Published: 2023-08-17
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2022-02-16
- Assignees: Transportation IP Holdings, LLC
- Applicants: Transportation IP Holdings, LLC
- Inventors: Andrew Louis Krivonak; Patrick Lee Jansen; Neil Bradley; Gregory Badders; Mark Zysk; Michael Jay Grutkowski
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12215935B2

## CPC

- F28F 3/12: Elements constructed in the shape of a hollow panel, e.g. with channels {(F28D1/02, F28D1/03 take precedence)}
- F28F 27/02: for controlling the distribution of heat-exchange media between different channels ({static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026}; arrangements of guide plates or guide vanes F28F9/22, F28F25/12)
- F28D 1/035: {with U-flow or serpentine-flow inside the conduits (F28D1/0341 takes precedence)}
- F28D 15/00: Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls {; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies (F28D17/00, F28D19/00, F28D20/00 take precedence)}
- F28F 9/026: {with static flow control means, e.g. with means for uniformly distributing heat exchange media into conduits}
- G05D 7/0641: {using a plurality of throttling means (G05D7/067 takes precedence)}
- G05D 23/1917: {using digital means}
- H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold
- 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
- F28D 2021/0043: {for fuel cells}
- H01M 10/625: Vehicles
- F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16)
- F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general)
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY

## Abstract

A thermal management system and a method of operating thereof includes a housing body having a first broad surface and an opposing second broad surface and may extend between a first end and a second end. The housing body defines plural passages disposed between the first and second broad surfaces. The plural passages extend in one or more orthogonal directions between the first and second ends of the body. An inlet conduit is fluidly coupled with a first passage of the plural passages via an inlet structure that defines an inlet of the housing body, and directs a fluid into the first passage of the plural passages. An outlet conduit is fluidly coupled with a second passage of the plural passages via an outlet structure that defines an outlet of the housing body, and directs the fluid out of the second passage of the plural passages.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A thermal management system comprising:
a housing body having a first broad surface and an opposing second broad surface and extending between a first end and a second end, the housing body defining plural passages disposed between the first and second broad surfaces, the plural passages extending in one or more orthogonal directions between the first end and the second end of the housing body;
an inlet conduit fluidly coupled with two or more first passages of the plural passages via an inlet structure that defines an inlet of the housing body, the inlet conduit configured to direct a fluid into each of the two or more first passages of the plural passages; [and] an outlet conduit fluidly coupled with two or more second passages of the plural passages via an outlet structure that defines an outlet of the housing body, the outlet conduit configured to receive the fluid from each of the two or more second passages of the plural passages; and
a fluid reservoir housing comprising one or more surfaces defining one or more chambers disposed within the fluid reservoir housing, wherein a first chamber is fluidly coupled with the inlet conduit and configured to direct the fluid toward the inlet conduit and the two or more first passages of the plural passages, and a second chamber is fluidly coupled with the outlet conduit and configured to receive the fluid from the outlet conduit and the two or more second passages of the plural passages.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the first passage is fluidly coupled with the second passage within the housing body.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the first broad surface is configured to thermally couple with a first device and the second broad surface is configured to thermally coupled with a second device, the housing body configured to facilitate thermal energy exchange between the fluid and at least one of the first device or the second device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The thermal management system of claim 3, wherein the two or more first passages and the two or more second passages of the plural passages are oriented between the first and second broad surfaces to distribute the fluid within the housing body based on an amount of thermal energy generated by one or more of the first or second devices.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The thermal management system of claim 3, wherein the housing body selectively secures the first device and the second device in a determined position of the first and second devices, respectively.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The thermal management system of claim 3, wherein at least one of the two or more first passages and at least one of the two or more second passages are located between the first broad surface and the second broad surface based an amount of thermal energy generated by one or more of the first or second devices.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The thermal management system of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to receive sensor data indicative of a thermal condition of the housing body, the controller configured to control one or more characteristics of the fluid directed into each of the two or more first passages via the inlet conduit and the fluid directed out of each of the two or more second passages via the outlet conduit based on the thermal condition of the housing body.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the two or more first passages include a first group of first passages fluidly coupled with the inlet conduit, wherein the inlet conduit is configured to direct the fluid into the first group of the first passages.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the two or more second passages include a second group of second passages fluidly coupled with the outlet conduit, wherein the outlet conduit is configured to receive the fluid from the second group of the second passages.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the inlet conduit is oriented to control one or more characteristics of the fluid directed into the two or more first passages of the plural passages, and the outlet conduit is oriented to control one or more characteristics of the fluid directed out of the two or more second passages of the plural passages.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the housing body is a first housing body, the first housing body defining a first set of plural passages disposed between the first and second broad surfaces of the first housing body, the thermal management system further comprising:
a second housing body having a third broad surface and a fourth broad surface, the second housing body defining a second set of plural passages disposed between the third and fourth broad surfaces of the second housing body, wherein the first set of the plural passages and the second set of the plural passages are fluidly coupled with the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The thermal management system of claim 11, wherein:
the inlet conduit is oriented to control one or more characteristics of a first portion of the fluid directed into the first set of the plural passages and one or more characteristics of a second portion of the fluid directed into the second set of the plural passages, and
the outlet conduit is oriented to control one or more characteristics of the first portion of the fluid directed out of the first set of the plural passages and one or more characteristics of the second portion of the fluid directed out of the second set of the plural passages.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The thermal management system of claim 11, further comprising a controller configured to receive sensor data indicative of a thermal condition of the first housing body and a thermal condition of the second housing body, the controller configured to control one or more characteristics of a first portion of the fluid moving through the first set of the plural passages, and one or more characteristics of a second portion of the fluid moving through the second set of the plural passages based on the thermal condition of the first housing body and the thermal condition of the second housing body.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The thermal management system of claim 11, wherein the first housing body is aligned with the second housing body in a vertical direction, wherein the second broad surface of the first housing body faces toward the third broad surface of the second housing body.

### Claim 15

A method comprising:
controlling one or more characteristics of a fluid directed out of a first chamber of a fluid reservoir housing into two or more first passages of plural passages via an inlet conduit, wherein the first chamber is fluidly coupled with the inlet conduit and configured to direct the fluid toward the inlet conduit and the two or more first passages of the plural passages, the plural passages defined by a housing body having a first broad surface and an opposing second broad surface and extending between a first end and a second end, the plural passages extending in one or more directions between the first end and the second end; and
controlling one or more characteristics of the fluid directed out of two or more second passages of the plural passages via an outlet conduit into a second chamber of the fluid reservoir, wherein the second chamber is fluidly coupled with the outlet conduit and configured to receive the fluid from the outlet conduit and the two or more second passages of the plural passages, each of the two or more second passages fluidly coupled with at least one of the two or more first passages.

### Claim 16

A thermal management system comprising:
a housing body having a first broad surface and an opposing second broad surface and extending between a first end, a second end, a third end, and a fourth end, the housing body defining plural passages disposed between the first and second broad surfaces, the plural passages extending in one or more directions between the first end and the second end of the housing body, the housing body selectively secures one or more devices in a determined position of the one or more devices, the one or more devices thermally coupled with one or more of the first broad surface or the second broad surface, wherein a fluid moving within the plural passages exchanges thermal energy with the one or more devices;
an inlet conduit fluidly coupled with two or more first passages of the plural passages via an inlet structure that defines an inlet of the housing body, the inlet structure disposed proximate the third end of the housing body and the inlet conduit extending between the third end and the fourth end of the housing, the inlet conduit configured to direct the fluid into each of the two or more first passages of the plural passages;
an outlet conduit fluidly coupled with two or more second passages of the plural passages via an outlet structure that defines an outlet of the housing body, the outlet structure disposed proximate the fourth end of the housing body and the outlet conduit extending between the third end and the fourth end of the housing, the outlet conduit configured to direct the fluid out of each of the two or more second passages of the plural passages;
a controller configured to receive sensor data indicative of a thermal condition of one or more of the housing body or the one or more devices, the controller configured to control one or more characteristics of the fluid directed into each of the two or more first passages via the inlet conduit and the fluid directed out of each of the two or more second passages via the outlet conduit based on the thermal condition of the one or more of the housing body or the one or more devices; and
a fluid reservoir housing comprising one or more surfaces defining one or more chambers disposed within the fluid reservoir housing, wherein a first chamber is fluidly coupled with the inlet conduit and configured to direct the fluid toward the inlet conduit and the two or more first passages of the plural passages, and a second chamber is fluidly coupled with the outlet conduit and configured to receive the fluid from the outlet conduit and the two or more second passages of the plural passages.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The thermal management system of claim 16, wherein the housing body is a first housing body defining a first set of plural passages, and further comprising a second housing body having a third broad surface and an opposing fourth broad surface, the second housing body defining a second set of plural passages extending in one or more directions within the second housing body, wherein the controller is configured to control one or more characteristics of a first portion of the fluid directed into the first set of the plural passages of the first housing body, and one or more characteristics of a second portion of the fluid directed into the second set of the plural passages of the second housing body.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The thermal management system of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to receive sensor data indicative of one or more thermal conditions of the first housing body and the second housing body, wherein the controller is configured to change one or more characteristics of one or more of the first portion of the fluid or the second portion of the fluid based on the one or more thermal conditions of the first housing body and the second housing body.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The thermal management system of claim 17, wherein the first housing body is aligned with the second housing body in a vertical direction such that the first housing body is positioned on top of the second housing body, wherein the second broad surface of the first housing body and the third broad surface of the second housing body face toward each other, and the first broad surface of the first housing body and the fourth broad surface of the second housing body face away from each other, the first and second housing bodies separated from each other in the vertical direction by the one or more devices operably coupled with one or more of the first or second housing bodies,
wherein the first portion of the fluid is configured to be directed into the first set of the plural passages of the first housing body, and the second portion of the fluid is configured to be directed into the second set of the plural passages of the second housing body, and
wherein the first set of the plural passages are fluidly coupled with the second set of the plural passages via the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit, the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit extending in the vertical direction between the controller and the first and second housing bodies, wherein the fluid is configured to move in the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit in the vertical direction, and the first and second portions of the fluid are configured to move in the first set of the plural passages and in the second set of the plural passages, respectively, in a horizontal direction.