Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Automotive Fluid Systems, Inc.

Steven Lee Lambert

William Stewart Johnston

Manfred Koberstein

Ali Jalilevand

Luke McDermott

Joseph Allen Bray

Angelo Patti

Timothy Van Evans

John Dale Fisk

Gary A Dage

Mitali Chakrabarti

Stephen Patrick Lepper

Mark C Evans

Jan Xu

Bill Wells

Robert Daniel Bachman

A method of operating a cooling system for a vehicle including providing a cooling system including a coolant loop having a coolant valve, a first refrigerant loop having a first compressor and a first chiller configured to exchange heat with the coolant loop, a second refrigerant loop having a second compressor and a second chiller configured to exchange heat with the coolant loop, and a cooling system controller operably coupled to the first compressor, the second compressor, and the coolant valve. The coolant valve is configured to selectively direct or prevent the flow of coolant between the battery and each of the first chiller and the second chiller. The method further includes operating the cooling system in one of a second chiller only mode, a first chiller only mode, an air conditioning (AC) only mode, a first refrigerant loop only mode, and a dual refrigerant loop mode.

Method of operating a cooling system having dual independent refrigerant loops for providing cooling to a vehicle cabin and vehicle battery

A cooling system for a vehicle including a coolant loop configured to exchange heat with a battery. The coolant loop includes a proportional valve for directing a coolant from the battery to at least one of a first chiller and a second chiller. The cooling system for a vehicle also includes a first refrigerant loop comprising the first chiller. The first chiller is configured to exchange heat between the first refrigerant loop and the coolant loop. The cooling system for a vehicle also includes a second refrigerant loop comprising the second chiller. The second chiller is configured to exchange heat between the second refrigerant loop and the coolant loop.

Cooling system having dual independent refrigerant loops for providing cooling to a vehicle cabin and vehicle battery

A climate-control system for a vehicle includes a refrigerant subsystem having a chiller and an electronic expansion valve (EXV) arranged to selectively route refrigerant to the chiller. The vehicle further includes a coolant subsystem having conduit arranged to circulate coolant through a traction battery and the chiller. The coolant subsystem further includes a first temperature sensor configured to measure coolant circulating into an inlet side of the chiller and a second temperature sensor configured to measure coolant circulating out of an outlet side of the chiller. A vehicle controller is configured to, in response to the battery exceeding a threshold temperature and cabin air conditioning being requested, command opening of the EXV to a predetermined position and adjust the position based on a measured coolant temperature difference between the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor.

Battery chiller control with electronic expansion device

A battery thermal management system according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a battery pack, a coolant subsystem including a chiller configured to cool the battery pack, and a refrigerant subsystem including at least one evaporator. The coolant subsystem is arranged to exchange heat with the refrigerant subsystem within the chiller. A tap line extends from the at least one evaporator to the chiller.

Battery thermal management system

An automatic climate controller device identifies an operating zone of the climate control system according to at least two input factors, and identifies a discharge temperature of the climate control system. Based on the operating zone and the discharge temperature, the automatic climate controller device determines whether to perform at least one override action to override a climate control system setting to reduce the possibility of evaporator core icing. The automatic climate controller device also adjusts an evaporator set point according to the at least one override action to reduce the discharge temperature. The input factors may include evaporator temperature and cabin relative humidity. The actions may include one or more of increasing blower speed or increasing use of recirculated air.

Coolest A/C discharge temperature for all operating conditions

An exemplary vehicle is disclosed having a compressible fluid system including at least one sensor configured to determine a fluid pressure present within the compressible fluid system, and a circulator configured to circulate air in the engine compartment. The vehicle is configured to activate the circulator in response to a decrease in the fluid pressure, and in some approaches may also open a grill shutter or other fluid passage into the engine compartment. Exemplary methods may include providing a circulator configured to selectively circulate airflow, e.g., into an engine compartment of a vehicle, and detecting a fluid pressure decrease within a compressible fluid system in the engine compartment. The circulator may be activated to circulate air in the engine compartment in response to at least the detected fluid pressure decrease.

Circulation for pressure loss event

A HVAC system including a multi-function unit for conditioning and controlling the flow of refrigerant. The multi-function unit may be contained within a housing that houses a receiver/dryer, integral heat exchanger and thermal expansion valve.

Internal heat exchanger with integrated receiver/dryer and thermal expansion valve

An air conditioning system has one expansion valve supplying refrigerant to two evaporators. A vapor quality of a refrigerant has an initial value at a primary inlet of a primary evaporator, and has a resultant value at the primary outlet. The primary evaporator has a bypass inlet at a first location where the vapor quality of the refrigerant is less than about 80% of the resultant value. A secondary evaporator has a secondary inlet receiving a bypass portion of the metered flow of refrigerant split-off at a second location of the primary evaporator between the first location and the expansion valve. The secondary outlet is connected to the bypass inlet. Thus, cooling can be achieved for two different zones using only one expansion valve.

Air conditioner with series/parallel secondary evaporator and single expansion valve

An integrated filter body and adsorbent unit capable of being integrally fastened together for easy and economical assembly into a refrigerant pressure vessel assembly. The integrated filter and adsorbent unit includes a filter puck, an adsorbent unit mounted to the filter puck, and an integral feature on the filter puck for integrally fastening the adsorbent unit to the filter puck. The adsorbent unit includes a desiccant bag and a flap that has a mounting aperture and a fastening hole extending therethrough. The filter puck includes a disc-shaped body portion and a projection for cooperation with the fastening hole of the adsorbent unit. The projection is displaced to form an enlarged head for trapping the flap of the desiccant bag to the filter puck.

Growing community of inventors

Washington, MI, United States of America

Steven Lee Lambert