US 8,261,868 B2Granted

Energy management system for a hybrid-electric vehicle

AssigneeBsst LLC

InventorsLakhi N. Goenka, Douglas T. Crane, Lon E. Bell

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Abstract

Some embodiments provide a system for optimizing electrical power management in a vehicle. The system includes a HVAC device and a thermal storage device, both configured to provide heating and cooling to an occupant compartment of the vehicle. The system further includes a controller connected to an electrical storage device and an electrical generating device. The controller receives electrical power generated by the electrical generating device and directs the electrical power to satisfy the vehicle's power requirements and/or stores the electrical power in at least one of the electrical storage device and the thermal storage device. Furthermore, the controller directs at least one of the HVAC device and the thermal storage device to provide heating and cooling to the occupant compartment of the vehicle, depending on the available storage of the thermal storage unit or occupant compartment demands.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A method for providing conditioned air to an occupant compartment of a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving electrical energy from a power generating device;
monitoring a thermal storage level of a thermal storage device;
when the thermal storage device has available storage capacity, storing at least a portion of the electrical energy in the thermal storage device by:
causing the at least a portion of the electrical energy to be converted into thermal energy;
and
storing the thermal energy in the thermal storage device;
when the thermal storage device has inadequate available storage, storing at least a portion of the electrical energy in an electrical storage device;
and
providing conditioned air to the occupant compartment of the vehicle based on at least one of thermal requirements of the occupant compartment, the thermal storage level of the thermal storage device, or an electrical storage level of the electrical storage device;
wherein the conditioned air is provided to the occupant compartment of the vehicle without directing a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (“HVAC”) device to provide the conditioned air to the occupant compartment when the occupant compartment can be sufficiently heated or cooled by the thermal storage device.

7 more elements

A system for providing conditioned air to an occupant compartment of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a power generating device configured to provide electrical energy;
an electrical storage device;
a thermal storage device;
a thermal storage temperature sensor configured to monitor a thermal storage level of the thermal storage device;
and
a controller operatively connected to the power generating device, the electrical storage device, the thermal storage device, and the thermal storage level sensor, wherein the controller is configured to:
when the thermal storage device has available storage capacity, cause at least a portion of the electrical energy to be converted into thermal energy and store the thermal energy in the thermal storage device;
and
when the thermal storage device has inadequate available storage, store at least a portion of the electrical energy in the electrical storage device;
wherein the controller is configured to cause conditioned air to be provided to the occupant compartment of the vehicle based on at least one of thermal requirements of the occupant compartment, the thermal storage level of the thermal storage device, or an electrical storage level of the electrical storage device;
wherein the conditioned air is provided to the occupant compartment of the vehicle without directing an HVAC device to provide the conditioned air to the occupant compartment when the occupant compartment can be sufficiently heated or cooled by the thermal storage device.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/966,801Filed 13 Dec 2010 · continuation
Priority: 19 Jul 2005
Published: US 2011/0079023 A17 Apr 2011
Granted: 11 Sep 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

B60H 1/00492
Heating, cooling or ventilating devices: comprising regenerative heating or cooling means, e.g. heat accumulators
B60H 1/004
For vehicles having an electrical drive, e.g. hybrid or fuel cell: for vehicles having a combustion engine and electric drive means, e.g. hybrid…
B60H 1/00428
Driving arrangements for parts of a vehicle air-conditioning: electric
B60H 1/00478
Heating, cooling or ventilating devices: air-conditioning devices using the Peltier effect

Family

Application11/184,742Parent of this continuation · filed 19 Jul 2005
US 2011/0079023 A1Pre-grant publication · published 7 Apr 2011
US 2007/0017666 A1Published application
US 8,783,397 B2Related patent
US 8,261,868 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.