# US 9,517,678 B2 · High-voltage equipment cooling system for electric vehicle and high-voltage equipment cooling method for electric vehicle

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- Number: US 9,517,678 B2
- Document ID: US9517678B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/786,315
- Filed: 2013-03-05
- Published: 2013-09-12
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2012-03-07
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Masanori Matsuda; Shinji Kakizaki; Takeshi Someya
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517678B2

## CPC

- B60L 58/26: by cooling
- B60H 1/00278: {for the battery}
- B60H 1/00392: {for electric vehicles having only electric drive means}
- B60H 1/00457: {Ventilation unit, e.g. combined with a radiator (control systems for ventilators B60H1/00828)}
- B60L 1/003: {to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors}
- B60L 1/02: to electric heating circuits
- B60L 3/0046: {relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors}
- B60H 2001/003: {Component temperature regulation using an air flow}
- B60L 2240/34: Cabin temperature
- B60L 2240/545: Temperature
- B60L 2240/662: Temperature
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility
- Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B60H: ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A high-voltage equipment cooling system for electric vehicle and a high-voltage equipment cooling method for electric vehicle are provided to improve the performance of an air-conditioning unit in the vehicle compartment, while cooling the high-voltage equipment. More specifically, the high-voltage equipment cooling system for electric vehicle includes a motor 103, a high-voltage equipment 101, a blowing means for high-voltage equipment 30, an outlet valve 50, an air conditioning means 10, and an air inlet mode selection means 20, wherein the air outside the vehicle compartment is introduced by the air inlet mode selection means 20 when supplying air cooled by an evaporator 14 in the air conditioning means 10 to the high-voltage equipment 101 using the blowing means for high-voltage equipment 30.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A high-voltage equipment cooling system for electric vehicle comprising:
a motor that drives an electric vehicle;
a high-voltage equipment that is installed in the electric vehicle to supply power to the motor;
a blowing means for high-voltage equipment that supplies cooling air to the high-voltage equipment;
an outlet valve that opens and closes by the pressure difference between inside and outside of a vehicle compartment and discharges cooling air heat-exchanged with the high-voltage equipment out of the vehicle compartment;
an air conditioning means that includes:
an ambient air flow channel that extends from an ambient air inlet for inletting air outside the vehicle compartment to a first discharge port for discharging air into the vehicle compartment;
a cabin air flow channel that extends from a cabin air inlet for air conditioning for inletting air in the vehicle compartment to a second discharge port for discharging air into the vehicle compartment;
an ambient air fan that is arranged in the ambient air flow channel;
a cabin air fan that is arranged in the cabin air flow channel;
an air cooling means that cools air flowing through the ambient air flow channel and the cabin air flow channel; and
an air heating means that heats air flowing through the ambient air flow channel and the cabin air flow channel,
wherein the ambient air flow channel and the cabin air flow channel are separate from each other;
a channel that branches from a portion on the ambient air flow channel, at a downstream side of the air cooling means but at an upstream side of the air heating means, to an inlet of the blowing means for high-voltage equipment;
a cabin air inlet for cooling that is arranged at an upstream side of the blowing means for high-voltage equipment and inlets air from the vehicle compartment in a way that does not pass through the air conditioning means; and
an air inlet mode selection means that is arranged at the portion where the channel branches, and switches a channel for air, which is sucked into the inlet of the blowing means for high-voltage equipment, between the ambient air inlet and the cabin air inlet for cooling,
wherein the air outside the vehicle compartment is introduced by the air inlet mode selection means when supplying air cooled by the air cooling means to the high-voltage equipment from the blowing means for high-voltage equipment.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The high-voltage equipment cooling system for electric vehicle according to claim 1,
wherein the air conditioning means regulates an air-flow rate by the ambient air fan so as to be greater than or equal to an air-flow rate by the blowing means for high-voltage equipment, when supplying the air cooled by the air cooling means to the high-voltage equipment from the blowing means for high-voltage equipment.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The high-voltage equipment cooling system for electric vehicle according to claim 2,
wherein the first discharge port is formed so that the air is blown out toward other than around a face of the occupant.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The high-voltage equipment cooling system for electric vehicle according to claim 2,
wherein the high-voltage equipment cooling system for electric vehicle, when introducing the air outside the vehicle compartment, operates the air-conditioning and blowing means, then switches the air inlet mode selection means for introducing the air outside the vehicle compartment, and thereafter operates the blowing means for high-voltage equipment.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The high-voltage equipment cooling system for electric vehicle according to claim 1,
wherein the high-voltage equipment cooling system for electric vehicle further comprises an ambient temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature of the air outside the vehicle compartment, and the air cooling by the air cooling means is stopped when the temperature detected by the ambient temperature detecting means is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The high-voltage equipment cooling system for electric vehicle according to claim 1,
wherein the high-voltage equipment cooling system for electric vehicle further comprises a high-voltage equipment temperature detection means for detecting a temperature of the high-voltage equipment, and the air in the vehicle compartment is inlet by the air inlet mode selection means when the temperature detected by the high-voltage equipment temperature detection means is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The high-voltage equipment cooling system for electric vehicle according to claim 1,
wherein the high-voltage equipment cooling system for electric vehicle further comprises a cabin air temperature detection means for detecting a temperature of the air in the vehicle compartment, and the air in the vehicle compartment is inlet by the air inlet mode selection means when the temperature detected by the cabin air temperature detection means is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The high-voltage equipment cooling system for electric vehicle according to claim 1,
wherein the high-voltage equipment is configured with at least one of a battery, a DC/DC converter and an AC/DC converter.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The high-voltage equipment cooling system for electric vehicle according to claim 1,
wherein the high-voltage equipment cooling system for electric vehicle can detect a driving mode of the electric vehicle, the driving mode including a first mode and a second mode, wherein, in the first mode, the high-voltage equipment generates higher heat than in the second mode, and the air outside the vehicle compartment is introduced by the air inlet mode selection means when the driving mode is detected to be the first mode.