Tesla, Inc.

Tesla Motors, Inc.

Curt Raymond O'Donnell

Vincent George Johnston

Andrew David Baglino

Joseph Stratford Maxwell Mardall

Jan Kopitz

Scott Ira Kohn

Vineet Haresh Mehta

Christopher David Gadda

Nicholas Mancini

Daniel F Hanks

Wulfer Adrijan De Bruijn

Huize Li

Christoph Eisenbarth

Donald Paul Yuhasz

Marco Elkenkamp

Wulfer Adrijn De Bruijn

Nicholas Albert Roche

Jacob Edward Oberlin

Stefan Forrest Campbell

Wulfur Adrijan De Bruijn

A vehicle thermal management system includes a vehicle heat pump system, a battery system coolant loop, a drive train coolant loop, and control electronics. The vehicle heat pump system includes a compressor, a cabin condenser, a cabin evaporator, a cabin blower, and a chiller. The battery system coolant loop is in thermal communication with a battery system and with the chiller and selectively in thermal communication with the drive train coolant loop. The control electronics control the components of the vehicle thermal management system to heat the cabin, cool the cabin, heat the battery system, cool the battery system, and cool the drive train. The control electronics may control the compressor to operate in an efficient mode or a lossy mode in which the compressor generates heat. The control electronics may also control the components of the vehicle thermal management system to precondition the battery.

Optimal source electric vehicle heat pump with extreme temperature heating capability and efficient thermal preconditioning

A method of regulating thermal dissipation from a vehicle battery pack is provided in which a by-pass valve is used to control the amount of battery pack coolant either passing through, or by-passing, a heat exchanger, where the coolant passing through the heat exchanger is cooled by a refrigeration system. The vehicle's HVAC system is controlled to insure that HVAC operation does not compromise maintaining the battery pack within an acceptable range of temperatures.

Battery centric thermal management system utilizing a heat exchanger blending valve

A thermal management system and method of use are provided, the system including a heat exchanger, a refrigeration system, a coolant loop thermally coupled to the heat exchanger, and a by-pass valve that regulates the amount of coolant within the coolant loop that either passes through the heat exchanger or is diverted away from the heat exchanger. The coolant loop is thermally coupled to the battery pack of an electric vehicle.

Thermal management system with heat exchanger blending valve

A multi-port, multi-mode valve includes: a valve housing; multiple ports on the valve housing, a spacing between first and second ports being smaller than a spacing between third and fourth ports; and a stemshell positioned at least partly inside the valve housing, the stemshell having at least two channels configured for selectively coupling one or more of the ports to a selected at least other one of the ports.

Multi-port valve with multiple operation modes

In a first aspect, a vehicle HVAC system includes: a housing that defines at least first and second air conduits to a vehicle interior compartment; and at least first and second heat rods that each traverses the first and second air conduits, wherein a first positive temperature coefficient along a length of the first heat rod is greater at the first air conduit than at the second air conduit, and wherein a second positive temperature coefficient along a length of the second heat rod is greater at the second air conduit than at the first air conduit.

HVAC system with positive temperature coefficient varying along length of heat rod

A coolant de-aeration system is provided that includes a coolant reservoir, a plurality of de-aeration chambers within the reservoir, a plurality of de-aeration chamber apertures that direct coolant flow through the de-aeration chambers, a reservoir inlet and a reservoir outlet that share a common coolant flow pathway that allows the majority of coolant to flow directly between the reservoir inlet and the reservoir outlet, and a reservoir inlet aperture that directs a portion of coolant passing along the common coolant flow pathway through the reservoir's de-aeration chambers for de-aeration prior to being returned to the common coolant flow pathway.

Coolant de-aeration reservoir

A dual mode, thermal management system for use in a vehicle is provided. At a minimum, the system includes a first coolant loop in thermal communication with a battery system, a second coolant loop in thermal communication with at least one drive train component (e.g., electric motor, power electronics, inverter), a dual mode valve system that provides means for selecting between a first mode where the two coolant loops operate in parallel and a second mode where the two coolant loops operate in series, and a coolant reservoir that is coupled to both coolant loops when the two coolant loops are operating in series and only coupled to the drive train coolant loop when the two coolant loops are operating in parallel.

Thermal management system with dual mode coolant loops

A dual mode, thermal management system for use in a vehicle is provided. At a minimum, the system includes a first coolant loop in thermal communication with a battery system, a second coolant loop in thermal communication with at least one drive train component (e.g., electric motor, power electronics, inverter), and a dual mode valve system that provides means for selecting between a first mode where the two coolant loops operate in parallel, and a second mode where the two coolant loops operate in series.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Curt Raymond O'Donnell