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US 6,450,275 B1Granted
Power electronics cooling for a hybrid electric vehicle
AssigneeFord Motor Company
InventorsDavid Gabriel, Stephen John Kotre
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AssigneeFord Motor Company
InventorsDavid Gabriel, Stephen John Kotre
Estimating the term…
This invention is a method and system for cooling Hybrid Electric Vehicle (“HEV”) components. The present invention cools HEV components, including an A/C system, an Internal Combustion Engine and its associated parts, an electric drive system and its associated parts, including an inverter, a DC/DC Converter, a generator motor, and a traction motor. Cooling these components, is accomplished by implementing a cooling system that is comprised of fluid filled cooling loops, radiators, fans, pumps, an air conditioning condenser and a controller. The pumps move the fluid through the cooling loops, allowing the fluid to absorb heat from the components and vent through the radiators with help from the fan's airflow. The controller monitors component temperature data by measuring actual component temperature or corresponding coolant temperature and compares the component temperature data to a calibratable threshold to determine whether the fan should operate. By controlling fan speed, the controller regulates airflow across the radiator and air condenser, to maintain coolant temperature, and subsequently component temperatures within acceptable parameters.
A method of operating a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) having an internal combustion engine and a plurality of electronic components, the engine and the electronic components each having a corresponding desired operating temperature, the method comprising the steps of:
A system to operate a Hybrid Electric vehicle (HEV), comprising:
An article of manufacture to operate a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), comprising:
An automotive vehicle, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.