Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Michael H Carlson

Lawrence P Ziehr

Eugene Victor Gonze

Cameron P Smith

Kyle Holihan

Satish P Ketkar

Michele Bilancia

Tanner E Goeson

Todd M Tumas

Rupesh S Kakade

Prashant V Mer

Vish S Iyer

Nathan J English

Anthony James Donatelli

Benjamin C Groen

George T Washburn

A thermal management system for a vehicle includes a plurality of fluid flow circuits including a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) circuit circulating a flow of refrigerant therethrough and including an evaporator, a chiller heat exchanger, a first expansion valve located upstream of the evaporator, a second expansion valve located upstream of the chiller heat exchanger, and a heat exchanger located fluidly upstream of the expansion valves. A propulsion cooling circuit circulates a flow of coolant therethrough which is utilized to condition one or more propulsion components of the vehicle. The flow of coolant is directed through the heat exchanger, thus subcooling the flow of refrigerant. A controller is operably connected to one or more control points of the thermal management system and is configured to adjust the one or more control points to achieve a target amount of subcooling of the flow of refrigerant at the heat exchanger.

Vehicle cabin comfort management system

A thermal management method and system in a vehicle include a chiller to cause heat transfer between a coolant loop that defines a path in which a coolant circulates and a refrigerant loop that defines a path in which a refrigerant circulates. The system includes an electronic expansion valve (EXV) in the refrigerant loop to control a flow of the refrigerant into a first part of the chiller, and a coolant pump in the coolant loop to control a flow of the coolant into a second part of the chiller. A controller controls the EXV and the coolant pump based on a target amount for the heat transfer.

Vehicle thermal management

A vehicle includes a thermal energy management system with first and second thermal fluid loops. The first thermal fluid loop includes a coolant pump configured to circulate a coolant through a vehicle battery and a chiller. The second thermal fluid loop is configured to circulate a refrigerant through the chiller, a compressor, and at least one condenser. The controller is configured to control the thermal energy management system according to a passenger compartment cooling mode and a battery cooling mode. In the passenger compartment cooling mode the compressor is operated at a first power setting. In the battery cooling mode the compressor is operated at a second power setting and the chiller is controlled to transfer thermal energy from the first thermal fluid loop to the second fluid thermal loop. The second power setting is less than the first power setting.

Thermal system control for a vehicle

A system and method for managing thermal energy of a vehicle having a battery and an electric propulsion system are provided. The system monitors a current battery temperature, calculates an actual average battery temperature, and compares the calculated actual average battery temperature to a target lifetime battery temperature. If the actual average battery temperature is greater than the target lifetime battery temperature, and the current battery temperature is greater than the target lifetime battery temperature, the system cools the battery to below the current battery temperature. However, if the actual average battery temperature is less than the target lifetime battery temperature, and the current battery temperature is greater than the target lifetime battery temperature, the system delays cooling the battery. Therefore, the system may avoid expending energy to cool the battery in certain conditions.

Battery thermal management

A method for continuously managing thermal energy in a motor vehicle includes initializing a continuous thermal energy management control loop within a controller disposed in the motor vehicle, calculating a quantity of stored energy in a thermal management system equipped to the motor vehicle, calculating a quantity of thermal energy waste in the thermal management system, determining if thermal energy is needed within a component of the thermal management system, selectively generating thermal energy, selectively transporting thermal energy to the component of the thermal management system, determining a thermal storage capacity of the thermal management system, determining if a thermal energy deficit exists within the thermal management system, and directing a flow of a thermal energy carrying liquid to a thermal energy reservoir.

Vehicle thermal systems low to high quality energy management, storage, recovery, and optimization

A thermal energy management system for a vehicle supplies thermal energy to a passenger compartment of the vehicle. The thermal energy management system includes three thermal fluid loops. The first thermal fluid loop includes a coolant pump for circulating a coolant through at least a vehicle battery, a transmission oil cooler of the vehicle, and a chiller such that the coolant selectively transfers thermal energy from the vehicle battery, the transmission oil cooler, and the chiller. The second thermal fluid loop circulates oil through the transmission oil cooler. The third thermal fluid loop circulates a refrigerant through at least the chiller and at least one condenser such that the third thermal fluid loop transfers thermal energy to the passenger compartment.

Vehicle thermal system architecture

A method for managing thermal energy of a vehicle having a battery and an electric propulsion system is provided. The system monitors a current battery temperature, after the vehicle is connected to an outside power source at a plug time, and determines an outside air temperature. The system predicts a cabin heating temperature for a subsequent drive cycle. The subsequent drive cycle occurs when the vehicle is no longer connected to the outside power source. If the predicted cabin heating temperature is greater than the outside air temperature, the system heats the battery to a thermal storage temperature that is greater than a target operating temperature of the battery. Therefore, thermal energy is stored within the battery, and may be transferred to heat the cabin.

A thermal management system includes a coolant pump, high-voltage electric heater (HEH) for heating the coolant, a heater core, a blower directing air to the heater core, a cabin heater valve (CHV), sensors, and a controller. The CHV has an Engine Bypass position blocking coolant flow from the HEH into the engine, and an Engine Link position directing coolant from the HEH into the engine. In a method, the sensors measure engine outlet coolant temperature (ECT), inlet coolant temperature (ICT) to the HEH, inlet air temperature into the heater core, and outlet air temperature from the heater core. The controller calculates a target coolant temperature (TCT) value as a function of the air temperatures and mass flow rates, and controls the CHV via position control signals such that the CHV is switched between the Engine Link position and the Engine Bypass position when ICT equals the calculated TCT value.

Vehicle thermal management system and control method for the same

An engine cooling system for a vehicle, and method of operation, includes both an engine driven main coolant pump that may be disengaged by a clutch and an electrically driven auxiliary coolant pump, where each can be used separately or they can be used together to control the amount of coolant flow through the engine cooling system.

Engine cooling system for a vehicle

A method of controlling a HVAC system for a hybrid vehicle having a refrigerant compressor driven by an engine is disclosed. The method may comprise: determining a requested air conditioning operating point for a passenger compartment; estimating a time to reach the requested operating point; based on the previous steps, estimating a maximum allowed compressor off time; determining if the allowed compressor off time is greater than a minimum engine off time; if the allowed compressor off time is greater than the engine off time, determining if the vehicle is entering an allowable engine off mode; if so, commencing engine shut-off mode; if engine shut-off is anticipated, prior to commencing the shut-off mode, adjusting the HVAC system to maximize cooling of the passenger compartment with minimum energy usage; and if the engine shut-off is commenced, monitoring the HVAC system to determine when engine restart is needed to maintain comfort.

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Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Michael H Carlson