Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Rohan Shrivastava

Angel Fernando Porras

Timothy Noah Blatchley

Jordan Mazaira

Brett Allen Dunn

Joseph George

Nicholas David Moore

Mary Bellino

Jennifer Helen Chang

Charles Everett Badger, Ii

Zachary March

Jan Xu

Changchun Li

Alexandria Schardt

This disclosure relates to a vehicle configured to detect a low refrigerant charge and a corresponding method. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a vehicle, including: a thermal conditioning system including a compressor and a suction pressure sensor upstream of the compressor; and a controller in communication with the compressor and the suction pressure sensor, wherein the controller is configured to perform a technique to monitor for a low charge condition, and the controller is configured to inhibit a low pressure cutoff when the controller is performing technique.

Vehicle configured to detect low refrigerant charge

While a speed of a first compressor during operation is less than a threshold speed, a speed of a second compressor during operation is prevented from falling below a minimum threshold speed that is defined by a sum of the speed of the first compressor and a predefined offset speed delta such that the minimum threshold speed changes as the speed of the first compressor changes.

Control of dual compressor climate system

A control assembly for a thermal management system for a high voltage battery of a plug-in electric vehicle may include a control valve and a control module. The control valve may be operable to control a flow of battery coolant to the high voltage battery from a refrigerant cooling circuit and from a cabin heater core cooling circuit. The control module may be configured to selectively operate the control valve to select a cooling mode, including a refrigerant only mode, a core mode, and a combined mode in which both the refrigerant cooling circuit and the cabin heater core cooling circuit provide cooling to the high voltage battery.

Opportunistic system and method for battery cooling while charging on-plug

A thermal system for an electrified vehicle including a thermal loop and a controller is provided. The thermal loop may include a rear evaporator and a compressor fluidly connected thereto, a conduit to distribute oil throughout the thermal loop, and an evaporator valve. The controller may be programmed to, responsive to receipt of a signal indicating evaporator valve shut-off and detection of a vehicle plug-in event, cycle the compressor to promote oil movement through the compressor. The controller may be further programmed to, responsive to receipt of the signal, open the evaporator valve to force oil back to the compressor. The thermal loop may further include a first expansion valve up stream of a chiller fluidly connected to the compressor, a second expansion valve between the evaporator valve and the rear evaporator, and a third expansion valve up stream of a front evaporator fluidly connected to the compressor.

Electrified vehicle refrigerant system

A vehicle includes a temperature control system, a battery configured to power the temperature control system, and a controller. The controller is programmed to, in response to a request to precondition the battery or the cabin air, an absence of receiving a signal indicative of a desired initial battery state of charge, and an actual battery state of charge being greater than a default threshold, deliver electrical power from the battery to the temperature control system at a desired value. The controller is further programmed to, in response to the request to precondition the battery or the cabin air, receiving the signal indicative of the desired initial battery state of charge, and the actual battery state of charge being greater than the desired initial battery state of charge but less than the default threshold, deliver electrical power from the battery to the temperature control system at the desired value.

Vehicle and method of preconditioning cabin air within a vehicle

An air conditioning system, a vehicle and a method of controlling the vehicle with a vehicle air conditioning system are provided. The vehicle air conditioning system has a refrigeration circuit having a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator in sequential fluid communication, with a valve assembly and a battery chiller positioned for parallel flow with the evaporator. A cooling circuit in the vehicle has a chiller. A controller is configured to, in response to a temperature of the evaporator being less than a first predetermined value and the compressor operating at a predetermined speed, open the valve assembly to divert a portion of refrigerant through the chiller and away from the evaporator. The refrigerant may be diverted, for example, to raise the temperature of the evaporator and/or prevent cycling of the compressor.

Cabin air conditioning system for a vehicle and method of controlling the vehicle and system

A thermal management system for a passenger cabin of a hybrid vehicle includes a refrigerant loop in fluid communication with a compressor, a condenser, and a chiller. A main cabin evaporator is in fluid communication with the refrigerant loop. A first valve is configured to regulate refrigerant flow through the main cabin evaporator. A temperature sensor disposed at the main cabin evaporator is configured to output a signal indicative of a main cabin evaporator temperature. An auxiliary evaporator is in fluid communication with the refrigerant loop. A second valve is configured to regulate refrigerant flow through the auxiliary evaporator. A controller is programmed to, in response to the main cabin evaporator temperature being less than a threshold while the main cabin evaporator is operated with the second valve closed, open the second valve to cycle refrigerant through the auxiliary evaporator to increase the main cabin evaporator temperature.

Vehicle cabin thermal management system and control methods

Methods and systems are provided for operating a climate control system. In one example, a method for operating a vehicle climate control system includes modeling a pressure in a heat pump downstream of an exterior heat exchanger an upstream of an expansion valve. The method also includes operating the expansion valve to cool a vehicle cabin using the modeled pressure in conjunction with a temperature from a sensor positioned upstream of the expansion valve and downstream of the exterior heat exchanger.

Heat pump system and method for operating said system

Methods and systems for providing de-icing a heat pump exchanger and heating a vehicle cabin are presented. In one example, a climate control system that experiences icing of the exterior heat exchanger may be operated in a first mode where thermal energy from the energy storage device is used to de-ice and also heat the cabin.

Opportunistic system and method for de-icing an exterior heat exchanger

Methods and systems are provided for operating a climate control system. In one example, a method for operating a vehicle climate control system includes modeling a temperature in a cabin heating circuit coupled to a heat pump. The method also includes operating the heat pump to deliver thermal energy to a cabin heat exchanger based on the modeled temperature.

A vehicle thermal management system including a refrigerant circuit, a coolant circuit, a chiller, and a controller is provided. The refrigerant circuit may include an electric air conditioning (eAC) compressor and a pressure sensor. The coolant circuit may include a high-voltage battery. The chiller selectively thermally links the circuits. The controller may be programmed to, responsive to receipt of a sensor signal indicating refrigerant pressure exiting the eAC compressor is greater than a high threshold, output a pressure sensor fault error indicating the pressure sensor is faulty. The system may further include a timer to monitor operational timing of the eAC compressor. The controller may be further programmed to direct the system to operate without monitoring the eAC compressor responsive to the timer indicating the eAC compressor has been off for a time-period less than a time threshold reflective of the eAC compressor not being in an at rest state.

Electrified vehicle thermal management system

A system for a vehicle includes an air conditioning compressor, and a controller configured to operate the compressor based on temperature value, responsive to the temperature values being faulty and refrigerant pressure values exceeding a first threshold, operate the compressor based on the refrigerant pressure values, and responsive to the refrigerant pressure values falling below a second threshold, deactivate the compressor for a rest of a drive cycle.

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Livonia, MI, United States of America

Rohan Shrivastava