Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Sunil Katragadda

Michael Benjamin Levin

Furqan Zafar Shaikh

Danrich Henry Demitroff

W Cary Cole

Ravi Gopal

Phillip Bonkoski

Mathew John Fast

David Karl Bidner

Cary Cole

Clifford E Maki

Kevin Mackenzie

Ronald Richard Semel

Colby Jason Buckman

Clay Wesley Maranville

Amey Y Karnik

Christopher Mark Greiner

Lawrence Marshall

Daniel C Huang

Peter Kanefsky

Lloyd E Stanley

Joseph Norman Ulrey

Jody Michael Slike

William Frederick Sanderson

Craig Winfield Peterson

Jeffrey Allen Mullins

Furqan Shaikh Zafar

A thermal management system for an electrified vehicle and a method for managing such a system, includes a coolant subsystem to cool a battery pack and a refrigerant subsystem. The coolant subsystem includes a battery chiller in fluid communication with a cooling system inlet to the battery pack. The refrigerant subsystem includes a chiller cooling subsystem to cool the battery chiller and a cabin cooling subsystem to cool a passenger cabin, wherein the chiller cooling subsystem and the cabin cooling subsystem are completely separate from each other.

Thermal management for electrified vehicle

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 regulating the temperature of rear axle lubrication oil. In one example, a rear axle coolant system may include a coolant loop with a plurality of valves and sensors, regulating the coolant flow in heat exchange relationship with an exhaust gas heat recovery and storage system to deliver warm coolant to a rear axle heat exchanger to warm the rear axle lubrication oil. The method may regulate the components of the rear axle coolant system through a controller, receiving sensor input from the components of the coolant system.

Rear axle lubrication oil temperature control using exhaust heat recovery and a thermal battery

Methods and system for operating a thermal storage device of a vehicle system are provided. In one example, a method comprises estimating a temperature of a thermal battery after the battery and coolant included therein have reached thermal equilibrium, and determining a state of charge of the battery based on the estimated temperature and one or more chemical properties of two phase change materials included within the battery. Specifically, the thermal battery may include two phase change materials with different melting points for providing thermal energy to warm coolant in a vehicle coolant system.

Systems and methods for thermal battery control

This disclosure details thermal management systems for thermally managing battery packs and other electric drive components of electrified vehicles. An exemplary thermal management system may include a battery cooling circuit and an e-drive cooling circuit. The e-drive cooling circuit may be fluidly connected to the battery cooling circuit by a combination of valves and coolant lines during or in anticipation of certain vehicle conditions, such as high load operating conditions, to augment cooling of electric drive components during the high load operating conditions.

Electrified vehicle thermal management systems with combinable battery pack and electric drive component cooling circuits

A thermal management system for an electrified vehicle and a method for managing such a system, according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a first cooling circuit, a second cooling circuit, and a third cooling circuit. The first cooling circuit cools a battery pack and includes a battery chiller in fluid communication with a cooling system inlet to the battery pack. The second cooling circuit cools the battery chiller and includes at least a first compressor and a first condenser in fluid communication with the battery chiller. The third cooling circuit cools a passenger cabin and includes at least a second compressor and a second condenser, and wherein the third cooling circuit is independent of the second cooling circuit.

An air-conditioning system and method of climate control for a fuel cell vehicle are provided herein. The system and method include a vacuum enclosure having an adsorber and an evaporator/condenser assembly. A conduit and valve system operates the air-conditioning system in two modes of operation to provide uninterrupted cooling to a passenger cabin, among other things. In one mode of operation, the adsorber is regenerated using waste heat from a fuel cell stack.

Air-conditioning system and climate control method for a fuel cell vehicle

Fuel-cell thermal management systems and control schemes therefore are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system may include a fuel-cell stack, a heat-exchanger, a thermal battery including a material having a melting temperature of 50-120&#xb0; C., a first coolant loop including the fuel-cell stack and the thermal battery and excluding the heat-exchanger, and a second coolant loop including the fuel-cell stack, the thermal battery, and the heat-exchanger. The first and second coolant loops may be configured to heat and cool the fuel-cell stack, respectively. The system may include a controller or processor configured to direct coolant to transfer heat from the thermal battery to the fuel-cell stack based on a negative heat rejection status of the fuel-cell stack and to transfer heat from the fuel-cell stack to the thermal battery based on a positive heat rejection status of the fuel-cell stack when the thermal battery is below a target temperature.

Fuel cell stack thermal management

An engine cooling system is provided with an internal combustion engine defining a head cooling jacket and a block cooling jacket in a split flow configuration. A first thermostat is positioned at an outlet of the block cooling jacket and configured to control coolant flow therethrough. A second thermostat is positioned to receive coolant flow from the first thermostat and the head cooling jacket. The first and second thermostats are in a thermostat assembly within a housing. In response to coolant temperature being below a first threshold, a first and a second thermostat downstream of the engine in a thermostat assembly are closed such that coolant flows through a head jacket and the thermostat assembly to a pump, and such that coolant in the head jacket entrains a trickle flow of coolant from a block jacket through an interbore cooling passage, thereby cooling an interbore region.

Cooling system for an internal combustion engine

A system for regulating lubricant temperature within a vehicle axle is provided. A differential housing has a primary chamber that contains the differential, and a secondary chamber separated from the primary chamber. A sump is in the primary chamber for collecting lubricant. An inlet to the secondary chamber allows the lubricant to flow from the primary chamber into the secondary chamber. An outlet to the secondary chamber allows the lubricant stored therein to be purged into the sump. When the lubricant is below a certain threshold temperature, a temperature-responsive valve is configured to close to inhibit the fluid to travel through the outlet. When the temperature of the lubricant rises to exceed the threshold, the valve is configured to open and permit the fluid to travel through the outlet.

Differential with lubricant control

Methods and systems are provided for regulating fluid flow through a three-way valve assembly, including a three-way split conduit coupled to a movable rotary ring with plurality of openings. In one example, a three-way split conduit may include one fluid inlet conduit splitting into two outlet conduits with an included angle of less than 90 degrees between the two splitting outlet conduits. A movable rotary ring coupled to the three-way split conduit may be rotated by an actuator to open or block the three way split conduits, regulating the fluid flow passages along the three-way valve assembly.

Low restriction variable flow valve with directional control

Methods and systems are provided for a phase change material (PCM) integrated radiator. In one example, a method may include adjusting a radiator control valve into a first position to flow coolant only through a first zone of a radiator containing phase change material (PCM) and not through a second zone of the radiator not containing phase change material. The method may further include adjusting the radiator control valve into a second position to flow coolant only through the second zone of the radiator and not the first zone.

Growing community of inventors

Canton, MI, United States of America

Sunil Katragadda