Abstract: A vehicle system includes a power electronics device and a coolant circuit thermally coupled to the power electronics device. The coolant circuit includes a fluidic pump and a fluid/air heat exchanger, an air pump configured to transfer air across the fluid/air heat exchanger, and a shutter device configured to control airflow across the fluid/air heat exchanger. A controller controls the fluidic pump to control coolant flow through the fluid/air heat exchanger to reject heat from the power electronics device to the coolant and correspondingly controls the air pump and the shutter device to control airflow across the fluid/air heat exchanger to reject heat from the coolant to achieve a preferred heat rejection from the power electronics device.

Abstract: Noise control for a vehicle is implemented by identifying sources of noise that are indicative of vehicle noise producing components. The sources of noise include a thermal management device of a hybrid-electric component of the vehicle and non-hybrid-electric components of the vehicle. The noise control is further implemented by determining a decibel value of the noise produced by each of the vehicle noise producing components, selecting the decibel value of one of the vehicle noise producing components having a highest decibel value as a mask limit, and determining an operational limit for the thermal management device. The operational limit includes a lowest threshold operating value which, when implemented, maintains a threshold level operating efficiency of the hybrid-electric component.

Abstract: A thermal system includes fluid-cooled devices, a controller, and a thermal loop or loops each having a cooling actuator and fluid passages. The controller executes device-specific control logic to arbitrate between cooling requests having different relative priorities. The controller receives raw speed requests and noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) limits for each device, and processes the raw speed requests and NVH limits to determine a relative cooling priority for each device. The controller outputs a speed command to the actuator(s) for each thermal loop in order to cool the devices at a level required by the device having the highest relative cooling priority. A vehicle includes a traction motor, a transmission that is selectively connected to the traction motor, fluid-cooled devices each in electrical communication with the motor, and a controller configured to execute the arbitration method noted above.

Abstract: A vehicle system includes a power electronics device and a coolant circuit thermally coupled to the power electronics device. The coolant circuit includes a fluidic pump and a fluid/air heat exchanger, an air pump configured to transfer air across the fluid/air heat exchanger, and a shutter device configured to control airflow across the fluid/air heat exchanger. A controller controls the fluidic pump to control coolant flow through the fluid/air heat exchanger to reject heat from the power electronics device to the coolant and correspondingly controls the air pump and the shutter device to control airflow across the fluid/air heat exchanger to reject heat from the coolant to achieve a preferred heat rejection from the power electronics device.

Abstract: Noise control for a vehicle is implemented by identifying sources of noise that are indicative of vehicle noise producing components. The sources of noise include a thermal management device of a hybrid-electric component of the vehicle and non-hybrid-electric components of the vehicle. The noise control is further implemented by determining a decibel value of the noise produced by each of the vehicle noise producing components, selecting the decibel value of one of the vehicle noise producing components having a highest decibel value as a mask limit, and determining an operational limit for the thermal management device. The operational limit includes a lowest threshold operating value which, when implemented, maintains a threshold level operating efficiency of the hybrid-electric component.

Abstract: A thermal system includes fluid-cooled devices, a controller, and a thermal loop or loops each having a cooling actuator and fluid passages. The controller executes device-specific control logic to arbitrate between cooling requests having different relative priorities. The controller receives raw speed requests and noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) limits for each device, and processes the raw speed requests and NVH limits to determine a relative cooling priority for each device. The controller outputs a speed command to the actuator(s) for each thermal loop in order to cool the devices at a level required by the device having the highest relative cooling priority. A vehicle includes a traction motor, a transmission that is selectively connected to the traction motor, fluid-cooled devices each in electrical communication with the motor, and a controller configured to execute the arbitration method noted above.