Thermal management system and method for automotive vehicle
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsUpendra J. Patel, William Schwartz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal management system for an automotive vehicle includes air cooled heat exchangers for an HVAC system, for a prime mover, and for various electronics componentry. All heat exchangers are cooled by a common air stream flowing from the ambient. The amount of heat imparted to the air stream through the HVAC system is controlled as to permit optimal cooling of the vehicle electronics and vehicle prime mover.
Claims16
A thermal management system for an automotive vehicle, comprising:
- an air-cooled HVAC heat exchanger;
- an electronics heat exchanger cooled by air flowing from said HVAC heat exchanger;
- a prime mover heat exchanger cooled by air flowing from said electronics heat exchanger;
- an HVAC cabin heating system comprising a flow-through heat exchanger for rejecting heat carried within a fluid flowing to at least one of said HVAC heat exchanger, said prime mover heat exchanger, and said electronics heat exchanger, to the ambient.
A method for managing heat rejection to the ambient by a vehicle having an HVAC system, power electronics, a prime mover, an electronics cooling system, and a prime mover cooling system, comprising the steps of:
- providing a separate HVAC heat exchanger for said HVAC system, an electronics heat exchanger for said electronics cooling system, and a prime mover heat exchanger for said prime mover cooling system;
- directing a cooling airflow through each of said heat exchangers;
- operating at least one of said HVAC system, said power electronics, and said prime mover so as to control the amount of heat rejected to said cooling airflow;
- and providing an HVAC cabin heat exchanger and an externally connected air duct for rejecting heat from said HVAC system directly to the ambient.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.