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EP-4497620-B1 - THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

EP4497620B1EP 4497620 B1EP4497620 B1EP 4497620B1EP-4497620-B1

Inventors

  • BROCK, MICHAEL S.
  • MITRI, George J.
  • RUDE, Joshua L.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240325

Claims (8)

  1. A thermal management system (20) adapted for use in a vehicle (10), the thermal management system (20) comprising a main fluid circuit (22) including a main conduit configured to conduct coolant fluid therethrough and adapted to be in thermal communication with front and rear drives (12F, 12R), included in the vehicle (10) to transfer heat between the front and rear drives (12F, 12R) and the coolant fluid, a radiator fluid circuit (24) including a radiator-circuit conduit (24C) configured to conduct the coolant fluid therethrough and adapted to be in thermal communication with a radiator (14) included in the vehicle (10) to transfer heat between the radiator (14) and the coolant fluid, a battery fluid circuit (26) including a battery-circuit conduit (26C) configured to conduct the coolant fluid therethrough and adapted to be in thermal communication with batteries (16) included in the vehicle (10) to transfer heat between the batteries (16) and the coolant fluid and a heat exchanger (18) in fluid communication with the battery-circuit conduit (26C) to transfer heat between the coolant fluid and a fluid in the heat exchanger (18), and an integrated coolant controller (30) comprising a coolant tank (32) formed to define a coolant reservoir (32R) configured to store the coolant fluid, a first pump (34) configured to pump a flow of the coolant fluid from the coolant tank (32) through the main fluid circuit (22), a second pump (36) configured to pump a flow of the coolant fluid through the battery fluid circuit (26), a multi-way valve (38) configured to control the flow of the coolant fluid through the main fluid circuit (22), the radiator fluid circuit (24), and the battery fluid circuit (26), and a manifold (40) coupled to each of the coolant tank (32), the first and second pumps (34, 36), and the multi-way valve (38) to integrate the coolant tank (32), the first and second pumps (34, 36), and the multi-way valve (38) so that the main fluid circuit (22), the radiator fluid circuit (24), and the battery fluid circuit (26) flow through the manifold (40) to eliminate piping between the coolant tank (32), the first and second pumps (34, 36), and the multi-way valve (38) and to reduce the amount of power used by the pumps to supply the coolant fluid through the different fluid circuits, wherein the manifold (40) includes a manifold body (42) shaped to define a plurality of fluid cavities (58A-L) and a plurality of pipes (44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56) that each extend from the manifold body (42), wherein the plurality of pipes (44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56) each define a pipe passageway in fluid communication with one of the fluid cavities (58A-L) included in the plurality of fluid cavities (58A-L) and one of the main conduit of the main fluid circuit (22), the radiator-circuit conduit (24C) of the radiator fluid circuit (24), and the battery-circuit conduit (26C) of the battery fluid circuit (26), wherein the manifold (40) includes an upper body section (42U) and a lower section that is separate from the upper body section (42U) and coupled to the upper body section (42U), characterized in that the upper body section (42U) of the manifold (40) defines the coolant tank dock and the first pump dock (74), and wherein the lower section of the manifold (40) defines the second pump dock (76) and the valve dock (78).
  2. The thermal management system (20) of claim 1, wherein the manifold (40) is shaped to include a plurality of temperature sensor docks (69A, 69B) each configured to receive a temperature sensor (17) to mount the temperature sensor (17) in fluid communication with one of the plurality of fluid cavities (58A-L) to measure the temperature of the flow of coolant fluid.
  3. The thermal management system of one of the preceding claims, wherein the manifold (40) includes a tank dock (72) configured to receive the coolant tank (32) to mount the coolant tank (32) on the manifold (40) so that the coolant tank (32) closes a top opening of the manifold (40) and inlet and outlet ports (32A, 32B) included in the coolant tank (32) align with tank ports (45F, 45L) on the manifold (40).
  4. The thermal management system (20) of claim 3, wherein the coolant tank (32) is welded to the tank dock (72) of the manifold (40).
  5. The thermal management system of one of the preceding claims, wherein the manifold (40) includes a first pump dock (74) configured to receive the first pump (34) to mount the first pump (34) on the manifold (40) so that an inlet of the first pump (34) is connected in fluid communication with the coolant reservoir (32R) of the coolant tank (32) and an outlet of the first pump (34) is connected in fluid communication with the main fluid circuit (22) or in fluid communication with one of the plurality of fluid circuits.
  6. The thermal management system of one of the preceding claims, wherein the manifold (40) further includes a second pump dock (76) configured to receive the second pump (36) to mount the second pump (36) on the manifold so that an inlet of the second pump (36) is connected in fluid communication with the multi-way valve (38) and an outlet of the second pump (36) is connected in fluid communication with battery fluid circuit (26).
  7. The thermal management system (20) of claim 1, wherein the manifold (40) includes a valve dock (78) configured to receive the multi-way valve (38) to mount the multi-way valve (38) on the manifold (40) so that a plurality of apertures included in the multi-way valve (38) align with valve ports on the manifold (40), and wherein each of the valve ports is in the fluid communication with one of the fluid cavities (58A-L) of the plurality of fluid cavities (58A-L).
  8. The thermal management system of one of the preceding claims, wherein the coolant tank (32) is integrally formed with the manifold (40) so that the coolant tank (32) and the manifold (40) are a single-piece component.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to thermal management systems, and particularly to thermal management systems for controlling the flow of heating and/or cooling fluid to in electric or hybrid vehicles. BACKGROUND Thermal management systems for electric vehicles may be used to heat or cool various components included in electric or hybrid vehicles. These thermal management systems may include multiple thermal fluid circuits that have different valves and hosing to carry the flow of cooling and/or heating fluid to the various components. However, there is a need to reduce the power needed to operate the thermal management system. US 2017 / 373 359 A1 relates to an integrated coolant bottle assembly including a reservoir configured for use in a thermal system such as a cooling/heating system of a battery powered electric vehicle. Such a reservoir includes a first section and a second section. The second section is joined to the first section at a reservoir interface thereby forming the reservoir that is configured for storage and/or flow of a liquid medium. SUMMARY The present disclosure provides a thermal management system adapted for use in a vehicle. The thermal management system is defined in the appended claims. In the illustrative embodiments, the manifold is shaped to include a plurality of temperature sensor docks. The temperature sensor docks are each configured to receive a temperature sensor to mount the temperature sensor in fluid communication with one of the plurality of fluid cavities to measure the temperature of the flow of coolant fluid. In the illustrative embodiments, the manifold includes a tank dock. The tank dock is configured to receive the coolant tank to mount the coolant tank on the manifold so that the coolant tank closes a top opening of the manifold and inlet and outlet ports included in the coolant tank align with tank ports on the manifold. In the illustrative embodiments, the coolant tank is welded to the tank dock of the manifold. In the illustrative embodiments, the cool tank may be integrally formed with the manifold so that the coolant tank and the manifold are a single-piece component. In the illustrative embodiments, the manifold includes a first pump dock. The first pump dock is configured to receive the first pump to mount the first pump on the manifold so that an inlet of the first pump is connected in fluid communication with the coolant reservoir of the coolant tank and an outlet of the first pump is connected in fluid communication with one of the plurality of fluid circuits. In the illustrative embodiments, the manifold includes a valve dock. The valve dock is configured to receive the multi-way valve to mount the multi-way valve on the manifold so that a plurality of apertures included in the multi-way valve align with valve ports on the manifold. Each of the valve ports is in the fluid communication with one of the fluid cavities of the plurality of fluid cavities. In the illustrative embodiments, the manifold comprises a tank dock, a first pump dock, and a valve dock. The tank dock is configured to receive the coolant tank to mount the coolant tank on the manifold so that the coolant tank closes a top opening of the manifold and inlet and outlet ports included in the coolant tank align with tank ports on the manifold. The first pump dock is configured to receive the first pump to mount the first pump on the manifold so that an inlet of the first pump is connected in fluid communication with the coolant reservoir of the coolant tank and an outlet of the first pump is connected in fluid communication with one of the plurality of fluid circuits. The valve dock is configured to receive the multi-way valve to mount the multi-way valve on the manifold so that a plurality of apertures included in the multi-way valve align with valve ports on the manifold. In the illustrative embodiments, the thermal management system comprises a main fluid circuit, a radiator fluid circuit, and a battery fluid circuit. The main fluid circuit includes a main conduit configured to conduct coolant fluid therethrough and adapted to be in thermal communication with front and rear drives included in the vehicle to transfer heat between the front and rear drives and the coolant fluid. The radiator fluid circuit includes a radiator-circuit conduit configured to conduct the coolant fluid therethrough and adapted to be in thermal communication with a radiator included in the vehicle to transfer heat between the radiator and the coolant fluid. The battery fluid circuit includes battery-circuit conduit configured to conduct the coolant fluid therethrough and adapted to be in thermal communication with batteries included in the vehicle to transfer heat between the batteries and the coolant fluid and a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the battery-circuit conduit to transfer heat between the coolant fluid and a fluid in the heat exchanger. In the illustrative embodiments, the