Thermal management system for a vehicle
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsMark Thomas Grimm, Ryan Patrick McEnaney
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermal management system for a vehicle includes an engine operable to generate energy. An energy storage unit may be associated with the engine and adapted to receive and store the energy generated by the engine. A temperature control unit may be associated with the energy storage unit and adapted to control a temperature in the vehicle. The temperature control unit may be adapted to selectively draw stored energy from the energy storage unit to control the temperature when the engine is not operating. A controller may be adapted to monitor an operating condition of the thermal management system and to control the transfer of the energy from the engine to the energy storage unit based on the monitored operating condition.
Claims22
A thermal management system for a vehicle, comprising:
- an engine operable to generate energy;
- an energy storage unit associated with the engine and adapted to receive and store the energy generated by the engine;
- a temperature control unit associated with the energy storage unit and adapted to control a temperature in the vehicle, the temperature control unit being adapted to selectively draw stored energy from the energy storage unit to control the temperature when the engine is not operating;
- and
- a controller adapted to monitor an operating condition of the thermal management system, and to control the transfer of the energy from the engine to the energy storage unit based on the monitored operating condition.
A method for managing a thermal system for a vehicle, comprising:
- generating energy with an engine;
- transferring the energy from the engine to an energy storage unit;
- storing the transferred energy in the energy storage unit;
- selectively drawing the stored energy from the energy storage unit to control a temperature in the vehicle when the engine is not operating;
- monitoring an operating condition of the system;
- and
- controlling the transfer of the energy from the engine to the energy storage unit based on the monitored operating condition.
An on-highway truck, comprising:
- an operator compartment;
- and
- a thermal management system including
- an engine operable to generate energy,
- an energy storage unit associated with the engine and adapted to receive and store energy generated by the engine,
- a temperature control unit associated with the energy storage unit and adapted to control a temperature in the operator compartment, the temperature control unit being adapted to selectively draw stored energy from the energy storage unit to control the temperature when the engine is not operating, and
- a controller adapted to monitor an efficiency level of the engine and an energy level of the energy storage unit, the controller being adapted to automatically transfer energy from the engine to the energy storage unit when the engine is operating above a threshold efficiency level and the energy level of the energy storage unit is below a threshold energy level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.