Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ravi Gopal

Hassan Farhat

Sunil Katragadda

Daniel C Huang

Yixin Yao

Clifford E Maki

Clay Wesley Maranville

Jody Michael Slike

Christopher Mark Greiner

Peter Kanefsky

Lloyd E Stanley

Joseph Norman Ulrey

David Karl Bidner

Rajit Johri

Jan Mehring

Bernd Steiner

Hugh Hamilton

James C Rollinson

Ronald Richard Semel

Jeffrey Allen Mullins

Alan Richardson

A multiple fuel cell thermal management system controls a proportional mixing valve, heat exchanger bypass valves, fan speeds, and pump speeds of respective coolant circuits and associated fuel-cell stacks to operate the stacks independently or in combination. When vehicle wheel loads are low or in applications with standby fuel-cell stacks, selected stacks are turned off. During moderate loads or high ambient temperature, the working fuel cell cooling system(s) operates in parasitic load reduction mode, using the non-working cooling circuit(s) as a heat sink running the associated pump at low speed and throttling the proportional mixing valve such that efficient cooling is accomplished in the running circuit with less fan power required than if the non-working circuit is completely shut down. A heat exchanger bypass valve and fan speed are controlled to provide a target stack inlet temperature. Pump speed is controlled responsive to a stack inlet/outlet temperature difference.

Thermal management system and method for fuel cell vehicle having a plurality of fuel-cell stacks

A vehicle includes first and second fuel-cell stacks, a first coolant circuit including conduit arranged to circulate coolant through the first fuel-cell stack, and a second coolant circuit including conduit arranged to circulate coolant through the second fuel-cell stack. A heater is in fluid communication with at least the first coolant circuit. A valve arrangement is configured to proportion a flow of coolant between the first and second coolant circuits. The valve arrangement has an isolation position in which the first and second circuits are not in fluid communication and at least one mixing position in which the first and second circuits are in fluid communication. A controller is programmed to operate the value based on sensed conditions.

Thermal management system for fuel cell vehicle having multiple fuel-cell stacks

This disclosure details a coolant distribution module as used in a thermal management systems for thermally managing electrified vehicle components. An exemplary coolant distribution module includes a module body including a plurality of inlet ports and a plurality of outlet ports, a first manifold valve encompassed within the module body, and a second manifold valve encompassed within the module body. The first manifold valve includes a plurality of first valve inputs wherein each first valve input is in communication with at least one inlet port of the plurality of inlet ports, and a plurality of first valve outputs wherein each first valve output is in communication with at least one outlet port of the plurality of outlet ports. The second manifold valve includes a plurality of second valve inputs wherein each second valve input is in communication with at least one inlet port of the plurality of inlet ports, and a plurality of second valve outputs wherein each second valve output is in communication with at least one outlet port of the plurality of outlet ports.

Coolant distribution module for electrified vehicle

A vehicle includes first and second fuel-cell stacks, a first coolant circuit having conduit arranged to circulate coolant through the first fuel-cell stack, a second coolant circuit having conduit arranged to circulate coolant through the second fuel-cell stack, a heater in fluid communication with at least the first coolant circuit, and an isolation valve assembly configured to proportion a flow of coolant between the first and second coolant circuits. The isolation valve assembly includes valving. The valving has an isolation position in which the first and second circuits are isolated. The valving also has at least one mixing position in which the first and second circuits are in fluid communication.

A differential assembly include a housing defining an oil sump, a differential disposed in the housing, and a thermal-management system. The system includes an oil pump in fluid communication with the sump, a spool valve having an inlet connected to the pump, a first outlet, a second outlet, and a spool slidable to a first position in which the inlet is in fluid communication with the first outlet and to a second position in which the inlet is in fluid communication with the second outlet. The spool valve further has a chamber containing wax configured to move the spool according to a temperature of the wax such that the spool is in the first position when the temperature of the wax is within a first temperature range and is in the second position when the temperature of the wax is within a second temperature range.

Differential with passive thermal-management system

This disclosure details integrated thermal management systems for thermally managing electrified vehicle components. Exemplary integrated thermal management systems may include a thermal module assembly that may be integrated into a front end structure of a flexible modular platform of the electrified vehicle. The integrated thermal management systems may be controlled in a plurality of distinct thermal control modes for thermal managing various subcomponents and for addressing various vehicle auxiliary loads (e.g., passenger cabin heating loads, passenger cabin cooling loads, etc.).

Integrated thermal management systems and associated thermal control methods for electrified vehicles

Methods and systems are provided for a cooling arrangement. In one example, a system comprises a separator arranged in a block coolant jacket. The separator fluidly separates an upper portion of the block coolant jacket from a lower portion of the block coolant jacket.

Methods and systems for cooling arrangement

Methods and system for operating a vehicle cooling system are described. In one example, the vehicle cooling system cools a heat generating device via a fan and pump. A speed of the fan is commanded by a feedback controller with possible neural network predictive control to track a variable temperature reference that is based on thermal load estimation. A disturbance observer may be applied to observe thermal load and an observer-based observer may be used to generate the temperature reference so that the power consumption of a fan is minimized.

Method and system for vehicle cooling systems

A vehicle has an internal combustion engine, an accessory, and a system having first and second belts extending between a drive assembly rotatably connected to a crankshaft of the engine and a driven assembly rotatably connected to a driveshaft of the accessory. One of the drive and driven assemblies comprises a mechanism with a shaft supporting first and second pulleys, with the first and second pulleys associated with the first and second belts, respectively. The first pulley is selectively engaged with the shaft in response to an engine speed being below a threshold value, and the second pulley is selectively engaged with the shaft in response to the engine speed being above the threshold value.

Mechanism for a two-speed engine accessory drive system in a vehicle

Methods and systems are provided for adjusting operation of each of a pump and a fan of an engine cooling system. In one example, a method may include adjusting a speed of the pump and a speed of the fan based on one or more of a temperature of coolant entering a heat exchanger of the cooling system, a temperature of air exiting the heat exchanger, and a temperature of air entering the heat exchanger.

System and method for engine cooling system

Methods and systems are provided for a dual loop coolant system used to control an engine temperature. In one example, cooling capacity is transferred from a low temperature loop to a heat exchanger, and cooling capacity stored in the heat exchanger is transferred to a high temperature loop (e.g., an engine coolant loop). The flow of coolant from the dual loop coolant system to the heat exchanger may be regulated responsive to a temperature of the coolant in each of the low temperature loop and the high temperature loop.

Dual loop cooling system energy storage and reuse

A differential assembly includes a housing defining an oil sump, a differential disposed in the housing, and a thermal-management system. The thermal-management system includes an oil pump in fluid communication with the sump, an oil-to-air heat exchanger external to the housing, and a passive valve assembly. The passive valve assembly has an inlet connected to the pump, a first outlet connected to the heat exchanger, and a second outlet connected to a conduit disposed within the housing. The valve assembly further has a valve movable to a first position in which the inlet and the first outlet are in fluid communication and to a second position in which the inlet and the second outlet are in fluid communication. The valve is configured to be in the first position in response to the oil exceeding a first threshold temperature.

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Novi, MI, United States of America

Ravi Gopal