HVAC Systems for Electrically-Powered Vehicles
AssigneeBorgWarner Inc.
InventorsAndrew D. Sutherland, Stevem M. Myers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system for an electrically-powered vehicle (EV) having an electric motor powered by at least one battery is described. The HVAC system may comprise a blower, a conduit configured to carry air from the blower to vents leading to a passenger cabin of the EV, and an electric heater positioned in the conduit and configured to heat the air. The HVAC system may further comprise a thermal reservoir heater positioned in the conduit and including a thermal storage component configured to heat the air without using power from the battery.
Claims20
A heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system for an electrically-powered vehicle (EV) having an electric motor powered by at least one battery, comprising:
- a blower;
- a conduit configured to carry air from the blower to vents leading to a passenger cabin of the EV;
- an electric heater positioned in the conduit and configured to heat the air;
- and
- a thermal reservoir heater positioned in the conduit and including a second electric heater powered by the battery and a phase change material (PCM) in heat exchange relation to the second electric heater and the air, the PCM surrounding the second electric heater and being configured to absorb and store heat from the second electric heater, the PCM being further configured to release heat into the air without using power from the battery.
An electrically-powered vehicle (EV), comprising:
- a passenger cabin;
- wheels;
- an electric motor configured to drive the wheels;
- at least one battery configured to power the electric motor;
- and
- a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system including
- a blower,
- a conduit configured to carry air from the blower to vents leading to the passenger cabin of the EV,
- an electric heater positioned in the conduit and configured to heat the air,
- a thermal reservoir heater positioned in the conduit and including a second electric heater powered by the battery and a phase change material (PCM) surrounding the second electric heater, the PCM being in heat exchange relation to the second electric heater and the air, the PCM being configured to absorb and store heat from the second electric heater, the PCM being further configured to release the heat into the air without using power from the battery, and
- a blend door upstream of the electric heater and the thermal reservoir heater in the conduit and configured to regulate a flow of the air to the electric heater and the thermal reservoir heater.
A method for heating a passenger cabin of an electrically-powered vehicle (EV) with a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, the HVAC system including an electric heater and a thermal reservoir heater having a thermal storage component, the method comprising:
- storing heat to the thermal reservoir heater while a battery of the EV is charging at an electric outlet by causing the thermal storage component to undergo a heat-absorbing phase change;
- and
- heating the passenger cabin using the thermal reservoir heater while the EV is operational by causing the thermal storage component to undergo a heat-releasing phase change.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.