HK1242655A1 - Vehicle cooling system, vehicle and electric vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a vehicle cooling system, a vehicle and an electric vehicle, wherein the vehicle cooling system comprises: an air intake; ducting arranged to split air entering the air intake into multiple channels; a first heat exchanger arranged within a first channel of the channels; a second heat exchanger arranged within a second channel of the channels; a first exhaust vent oriented to exhaust air from the first channel through an upper exterior surface of a vehicle; and a second exhaust vent oriented to exhaust air from the second channel through a lower exterior surface of the vehicle. The vehicle and the electric vehicle employ the vehicle cooling system. The vehicle cooling system of the present invention is designed with a unique v-shaped air channel system, and the heat exchangers are respectively arranged therein. Therefore, the effect of increased heat rejection capabilities is obtained, and meanwhile the space layout designs to accommodate different components are optimally provided.

Description

Vehicle cooling system, vehicle and electric vehicle

Technical Field

The disclosed embodiments generally relate to the manner in which heat sinks are disposed within a vehicle. In particular, a V-type layout is described in which incoming ambient air is split into two channels that flow to the condenser and radiator of the vehicle.

Background

Vehicle cooling systems typically utilize ambient air to dissipate heat from the radiator and condenser components of the vehicle cooling system. Most vehicle cooling systems arrange the radiator and condenser in parallel so that ambient air flows first through one component and then the other. Unfortunately, this type of configuration may reduce the efficiency of heat removal from the second component because the temperature of the ambient air as it reaches the first component is much higher than the temperature of the ambient air as it reaches the second component. Furthermore, stacking components in parallel also tends to require a large section of space in the vehicle immediately adjacent to the location where ambient air can be drawn into the opening in the vehicle. For many designs, the only feasible place to locate this area is the front of the vehicle, which may preclude the placement of other large components in this location. Accordingly, alternative designs that accommodate different component arrangements and have enhanced heat removal capabilities are needed.

Disclosure of Invention

Various embodiments are described herein in connection with a cooling component of a vehicle.

In a first embodiment, a vehicle cooling system is disclosed, comprising: an air inlet; a duct arranged to split air entering the air inlet into a plurality of channels; a first heat exchanger disposed within a first one of the channels; a second heat exchanger disposed within a second one of the channels; a first exhaust port oriented to exhaust air from the first channel through an upper exterior surface of the vehicle; and a second exhaust port oriented to exhaust air from the second passage through a lower exterior surface of the vehicle.

In many embodiments, the first heat exchanger is oriented substantially vertically with respect to the second heat exchanger.

In many embodiments, the first heat exchanger is a radiator configured to dissipate heat from an electric machine of the vehicle.

In many embodiments, the second heat exchanger may take the form of a condenser configured to dissipate heat from the cabin cooling system.

In many embodiments, the vehicle cooling system also includes an air mover (e.g., a fan) configured to draw air into one or more of the plurality of channels.

In many embodiments, the first heat exchanger is a condenser configured to dissipate heat from the cabin cooling system.

In many embodiments, the second heat exchanger is a radiator configured to dissipate heat from an electric machine of the vehicle.

In many embodiments, the second exhaust port includes a number of deflectors configured to deflect air exiting the second exhaust port toward the rear end of the vehicle.

In other embodiments, a vehicle is disclosed that includes the following: an engine; an air conditioning system; an air intake disposed along a forward facing surface of the vehicle; a duct configured to distribute air received through the air inlet into a plurality of channels; a condenser in heat-conducting contact with the air conditioning system and positioned within a first channel of the plurality of channels; and a radiator in thermally conductive contact with the engine and positioned within a second channel of the plurality of channels.

In many embodiments, the air flowing through the second passage is exhausted so that it exits the vehicle and flows over the hood of the vehicle.

In many embodiments, the first channel is separate and distinct from the second channel.

In many embodiments, the vehicle further includes a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the condenser and the radiator. The conduit may be configured to vary an amount of air entering each of the plurality of channels based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

In many embodiments, the central portion of the conduit is hinged in multiple directions to vary the amount of air entering each of the plurality of channels.

In many embodiments, the first passage includes an exhaust port arranged such that air exiting the first passage flows over a hood of the vehicle.

In yet another embodiment, an electric vehicle is disclosed, comprising: an electric motor; a vaporizer; a condenser configured to receive heat from the vaporizer; and a heat sink configured to receive heat from the motor, the heat sink forming a v-shaped structure with the condenser.

In many embodiments, the electric vehicle further comprises: an air inlet; and a duct configured to distribute air received by the air intake to the condenser and the radiator.

In many embodiments, the condenser and the heat sink each include cooling fins configured to enhance heat dissipation from the condenser and the heat sink.

In many embodiments, the duct evenly distributes air entering the electric vehicle through the air intake between the condenser and the radiator.

In many embodiments, the conduit includes a hinged portion configured to move between a plurality of positions to vary the distribution of air received by the condenser and the radiator.

In many embodiments, the electric vehicle further includes a flow guide positioned at the air outlet that directs the flow of air exiting the radiator along a lower surface of the electric vehicle.

The unique v-shaped air channel system is designed in the vehicle cooling system of the invention, and the heat exchangers are respectively arranged in the v-shaped air channel system, thereby obtaining the effect of enhancing the heat discharge capacity and optimally providing a space arrangement design suitable for different components.

Drawings

The present disclosure will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a vehicle suitable for use with the described embodiments;

FIG. 2A illustrates a cutaway perspective view of the cooling system of the vehicle depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2B illustrates a cross-sectional view of the cooling system depicted in FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2C illustrates a cross-sectional view of the vehicle depicted in FIG. 1 and the manner in which the exhaust air flows around the vehicle;

FIG. 3 illustrates exemplary cooling components associated with a condenser and a radiator; and

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram depicting the interaction between a controller or processor and other components of a vehicle cooling system.

Detailed Description

This section describes representative applications of the methods and apparatus according to the present application. These examples are provided merely to add context and aid in the understanding of the described embodiments. It will thus be apparent to one skilled in the art that the described embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the described embodiments. Other applications are possible, and thus the following examples should not be construed as limiting.

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in accordance with the described embodiments. Although these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the described embodiments, it is understood that these examples are not limiting; thus, other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the described embodiments.

Convective heat transfer can be achieved by flowing a cooling gas over a large heat emitting surface. As the difference between the gas temperature and the exothermic surface temperature decreases, the overall heat transfer efficiency decreases commensurately. Reducing the velocity of the gas flowing over the heat emitting surface may also cause a significant reduction in heat transfer efficiency, as some of the gas tends to maintain convective contact with the heat emitting surface for a longer period of time, increasing the gas temperature and reducing heat transfer efficiency. Therefore, stacking the heat emitting surfaces in parallel so that one stream of gas passes through both sequentially has a number of disadvantages. In particular, the second heat emitting surface must reject heat into the stream of gas that has received gas from the first heat emitting surface. For this reason, the efficiency of heat transfer away from the second heat emitting surface is commensurately lower. In embodiments where the heat emitting surface takes the form of a fin stack, the ambient air also slows as it flows through the fin stack, which makes the heat transfer characteristics worse.

In the context of a vehicle cooling system, one solution to this problem is: the ambient air inlet is configured with a plurality of branches that each carry a portion of the air entering the vehicle to various heat-emitting components within the vehicle. In this way, the heat radiating member can receive the cooling air at the external temperature. In addition, the branches allow the heat radiating components to be separated and strategically placed in areas of the vehicle having space to accommodate these heat radiating components. In some embodiments, the first heat-radiating member may be disposed near an upper portion of the vehicle, and the second heat-radiating member may be disposed near a lower portion of the vehicle. By arranging the components in this manner, heat transferred to the ambient air may be expelled through vents that open out of the upper and lower portions of the vehicle. In some embodiments, heated exhaust air from one of the heat emitting components may be exhausted toward a windshield of the vehicle to prevent fogging of the windshield of the vehicle.

These and other embodiments are discussed below with reference to fig. 1-4; however, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes only and should not be construed as limiting.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary vehicle suitable for use with the described embodiments. Specifically, the vehicle 100 includes an air intake 102 positioned along a forward facing surface of the vehicle 100. Also depicted is a hood 104 of the vehicle 100, which also serves as a means of directing air exiting the vehicle 100. For example, a portion of the air entering the air intake 102 may be expelled along an outer surface of the hood 104. While the speed at which the vehicle 100 is located has a direct effect on the volume of air entering the vehicle 100, in some embodiments, the vehicle 100 may include an internal fan that draws ambient air into the air intake 102 to help promote cooling of the internal heat sink when the vehicle 100 is not in motion. The vehicle 100 may also include a windshield 106, which may also benefit from heated air exiting the cooling system of the vehicle 100.

Fig. 2A shows a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of the vehicle 100. Specifically, fig. 2A shows the air intake 102 leading into two separate conduit paths leading to a heat exchanger associated with the cooling system of the vehicle 100. For exemplary purposes, the heat exchangers may be referred to as a condenser 202 and a radiator 204; however, in some designs the component positions may be reversed. As depicted, the first conduit path leads to a condenser 202 and the second conduit path leads to a radiator 204. With the condenser 202 and the radiator 204 in a generally v-shaped configuration, air flowing through the cooling condenser 202 or the radiator 204, redirected by the conduit 206, may already be directed toward the exhaust conduit. A deflector 208 may be positioned at the end of the second conduit path to help deflect the exhausted air toward the rear of the vehicle 100. This may improve the aerodynamics of the vehicle 100 when the vehicle 100 is in motion. Similarly, the outlet of the first conduit path may also include a flow guide configured to direct the flow of exhaust air in a desired direction. In some embodiments, the baffle may help direct heated air toward the windshield 106 of the vehicle 100 when the windshield requires heating to reduce condensation. This may be particularly effective in view of the condenser 202 being associated with the cooling system of the vehicle 100 and the direction of the heated air being coordinated with the air output into the cabin of the vehicle 100.

Fig. 2B illustrates the manner in which ambient air 210 is directed by the conduit 206 to one of the condenser 202 or the radiator 204 once it enters through the air intake 102. The conduit 206 has a smooth curvature at the leading edge 212 of the conduit 206, which prevents turbulence from forming within the vehicle 100. The conduit 206 also helps to minimize the amount of turns the ambient air is forced to make after entering the conduit 206. As depicted, the conduit may be integrally formed with a portion of the hood 104 and/or a bottom portion of the vehicle 100. In this manner, the conduit 206 may be securely locked in place during operation of the vehicle 100. The relatively straight path along which ambient inlet air flows, formed by the combination of the conduit 206 and the interior surface of the body of the vehicle 100, helps reduce pressure buildup within the cooling system. The low pressure nature of the cooling system helps maintain a high air velocity flowing through the cooling system 200 by: the back pressure generated within the system is reduced due to the reduced air redirection. This may also reduce the amount of resistance encountered by the vehicle 100 when traveling forward, thereby reducing the amount of energy used to propel the vehicle. It should be noted that while a particular angle is shown in fig. 2A and 2B, any angle is possible, and that the vector normal to the entrance surface of the condenser 202 generally has a downward-facing component, while the vector normal to the entrance surface of the radiator 204 has an upward-facing component. In some embodiments, the leading edge 212 may be hinged, which allows the leading edge 212 to regulate the amount of air flowing to the heat exchanger. For example, by hinging the leading edge 212 of the conduit 206 downward toward the wheels of the vehicle 100, the amount of air directed toward the radiator 204 can be significantly reduced while commensurately increasing the amount of air reaching the condenser 202. In some cases, the leading edge 212 may be reoriented to completely close the opening to one of the conduits.

Fig. 2C shows a high level flow chart of air as it passes around the vehicle 100. A portion of the ambient air 210 entering the vehicle 100 and flowing through the condenser 202 exits along the exterior surface of the vehicle 100 and flows smoothly over the roof of the vehicle 100. A portion of the ambient air 210 entering the vehicle 100 and flowing through the radiator 204 exits along the bottom surface of the vehicle 100. In this manner, the flow of air into the vehicle 100 is split in much the same manner as air would be split without entering the vehicle 100. In this manner, the entry of ambient air 210 into the vehicle 100 may have a relatively insignificant effect on the aerodynamics of the vehicle 100. In some embodiments, the flow of ambient air 210 is actually less disturbed than if the flow of ambient air 210 were otherwise forced above or below the forward facing surface of vehicle 100, as it is allowed to turn at a more gradual angle. In some embodiments, this configuration may compensate for any pressure buildup caused by ambient air flowing over the fins or over the condenser 202 and the radiator 204.

Fig. 3 illustrates the manner in which the condenser 202 and radiator 204, respectively, dissipate heat from the vehicle 100. The condenser 202 receives pressurized gas from a compression pump 302. The pressurized gas from the compressor pump 302 is then cooled by ambient air flowing along the surface of the condenser 202. The surface of the condenser 202 may have a complex outer surface geometry configured to maximize the amount of surface area exposed to the ambient air 210. For example, the condenser 202 may have an array of cooling fins designed to efficiently exchange heat with the ambient air 210. The cooling system is designed to remove enough heat to convert the compressed gas into a liquid. The liquid then flows through expansion valve 304, which both regulates the amount of liquid reaching vaporizer 306 and reduces the pressure of the liquid reaching vaporizer 306. As the liquid flows through the vaporizer 306, it may be used to cool air entering the cabin of the vehicle 100. The air may be cooled by forcing the air over the surface of the vaporizer 306. In some embodiments, the vaporizer 306 may include a number of fins that function to increase the amount of surface area available to absorb heat from air blowing over the fins. Alternatively or additionally, the cooled liquid may be used to cool a battery that powers the vehicle 100. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the cabin of the vehicle 100 may also be heated by this system, for example by reversing the flow of the working fluid to form a heat pump configured to deliver heat to a cooling system.

Fig. 3 also illustrates the heat sink 204 and the manner in which the heat sink 204 may be used to dissipate heat from the cooling fluid directed through the motor 310. In some embodiments, the motor 310 may be an electric motor. The pump 312 keeps the cooling fluid circulating between the radiator 204 and the motor 310. In this manner, heat generated by the electric machine 310 may be transferred to and dissipated by the heat sink 204, which convectively transfers heat to the ambient air 210. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the heat sink 204 may be configured in the same manner as the condenser 202, causing a phase change in the heat transfer fluid flowing between the motor 310 and the heat sink 204.

Fig. 4 shows a block diagram representing the manner in which the controller 402 and the controller 402 (based on signals received from various temperature sensors along the lines of the cabin air temperature sensor 404 and/or the motor temperature sensor 406) may be configured to command the air duct control 408 to change the configuration of the air duct such that the amount of air delivered to each of the condenser 202 and the radiator 204 is changed. This is possible because each heat exchanger has its own duct for receiving cooling air. In some embodiments, the hottest one of the heat exchangers is given priority. In other embodiments, any heat exchanger that exceeds a predetermined maximum temperature for a particular heat exchanger is given priority. It should also be appreciated that in some embodiments, more than one heat exchanger may be positioned within the vehicle, and the air duct configuration control may be capable of directing air to three or more heat exchangers.

The various aspects, embodiments, implementations or features of the described embodiments may be used alone or in any combination. Various aspects of the described embodiments may be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of hardware and software. The described embodiments may also be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable medium for controlling a manufacturing operation or as computer readable code on a computer readable medium for controlling a manufacturing line. The computer readable medium is any data storage device that can store data which can thereafter be read by a computer system. Examples of the computer readable medium include read-only memory, random-access memory, CD-ROMs, HDDs, DVDs, magnetic tape, and optical data storage devices. The computer readable medium can also be distributed over network coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the described embodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the described embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.

Claims (18)

1. A vehicle cooling system, comprising:

an air inlet;

a duct configured to split air entering the air intake into a plurality of channels;

a first heat exchanger disposed within a first channel of the plurality of channels;

a second heat exchanger disposed within a second channel of the plurality of channels;

a first exhaust port oriented to exhaust air from the first channel through an upper exterior surface of the vehicle; and

a second exhaust port oriented to exhaust air from the second passage through a lower exterior surface of the vehicle,

wherein the duct is further configured to distribute air received through the air intake to a condenser and a radiator, wherein the duct evenly distributes air entering an electric vehicle through the air intake between the condenser and the radiator.

2. The vehicle cooling system of claim 1, wherein the first heat exchanger is oriented substantially perpendicular with respect to the second heat exchanger.

3. The vehicle cooling system of claim 2, wherein the first heat exchanger is a radiator configured to dissipate heat from an electric machine of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle cooling system of claim 3, wherein the second heat exchanger is a condenser configured to dissipate heat from a cabin cooling system.

5. The vehicle cooling system of claim 1, further comprising an air mover configured to draw air into one or more of the plurality of channels.

6. The vehicle cooling system of claim 1, wherein the first heat exchanger is a condenser configured to dissipate heat from a cabin cooling system.

7. The vehicle cooling system of claim 6, wherein the second heat exchanger is a radiator configured to dissipate heat from an electric machine of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle cooling system of claim 1, wherein the second exhaust port comprises a plurality of deflectors configured to deflect air exiting the second exhaust port toward a rear end of the vehicle.

9. A vehicle, comprising:

an engine;

an air conditioning system;

an air intake disposed along a forward facing surface of the vehicle;

a duct configured to distribute air received through the air inlet into a plurality of channels;

a condenser in heat-conducting contact with the air conditioning system and positioned within a first channel of the plurality of channels; and

a radiator in thermally conductive contact with the engine and positioned within a second channel of the plurality of channels.

A temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the condenser and the radiator,

wherein the conduit is configured to vary an amount of air entering each of the plurality of channels based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor,

wherein a central portion of the conduit is hinged in multiple directions to vary the amount of air entering each of the plurality of channels.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein air flowing through the second passage is exhausted so that it exits the vehicle and flows over a hood of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the first channel is separate and distinct from the second channel.

12. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the first passage includes an exhaust port arranged such that the air exiting the first passage flows over the hood of the vehicle.

13. An electric vehicle, comprising:

an electric motor;

a vaporizer;

a condenser configured to receive heat from the vaporizer;

a heat sink configured to receive heat from the motor, the heat sink forming a v-shaped structure with the condenser;

an air inlet; and

a duct configured to distribute air received through the air intake to the condenser and the radiator, wherein the duct evenly distributes air entering the electric vehicle through the air intake between the condenser and the radiator.

14. The electric vehicle of claim 13, wherein the condenser and the radiator each include cooling fins configured to enhance heat dissipation from the condenser and the radiator.

15. The electric vehicle of claim 13, further comprising:

a flow guide positioned at an air outlet that guides a flow of air exiting the radiator along a lower surface of the electric vehicle.

16. A vehicle cooling system comprising any one of the features and any combination of the features of claims 1-8.

17. A vehicle comprising the features and any combination of the features of any one of claims 9 to 12.

18. An electric vehicle comprising the features and any combination of the features of any one of claims 13 to 15.