Patents by Inventor Derek McVay

Derek McVay has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240347805
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a powertrain thermal management system for managing thermal loads in the powertrain of an electric vehicle. The system may comprise a first coolant flow path comprising a flow split valve upstream of a first DC-DC converter, a second coolant flow path comprising a first electric motor, a third coolant flow path comprising a second electric motor, a bypass valve positioned downstream of the first DC-DC converter, the first electric motor, and the second electric motor, and a radiator positioned one of directly upstream or directly downstream of the bypass valve. The first coolant flow path, the second coolant flow path, and the third coolant flow path are fluidly connected in parallel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2024
    Publication date: October 17, 2024
    Inventors: Aiden Cohan, Rachel Cook, Akshit Markan, Derek McVay, Mitchell Shinn, Katherine Smith
  • Patent number: 12095061
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of managing thermal loads in the powertrain of an electric vehicle and controlling various electronic components of a powertrain thermal management system. The method may include heating a coolant of a powertrain coolant loop utilizing waste heat from a liquid-cooled powertrain component (e.g., an electric motor, a DC-DC converter, etc.), measuring a coolant temperature, and utilizing combined feedforward and feedback control methods for different components (pump(s), radiator fan(s), valve(s)) of the powertrain thermal management system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: Nikola Corporation
    Inventors: Namitha Anjaneyaswamy, Girish Barade, Brandon Dunn, Behrooz Karimi, Akshit Markan, Derek McVay, Shervin Shoai Naini, Aris Papadopoulos
  • Publication number: 20240097156
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes a first heat exchanger positioned adjacent to a front of the electric vehicle and configured to transfer heat generated from a first heat generating system to an ambient environment. The electric vehicle may further include a second heat exchanger positioned adjacent to a rear of the electric vehicle and configured to transfer heat generated from a second heat generating system to the ambient environment, and an air supply plenum positioned longitudinally between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger and in fluid communication with the ambient environment. The air supply plenum may define a cooling air pathway extending between the ambient environment and the second heat exchanger. The air supply plenum may isolate air flowing through the cooling air pathway from air circulating within the electric vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Mohamad Aslani, Yatish Chandra, Aiden Cohan, Seth Derouen, Akshit Markan, Derek McVay, Mozhgan Rahimi, Ben Watson
  • Publication number: 20240097231
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of managing thermal loads in the powertrain of an electric vehicle and controlling various electronic components of a powertrain thermal management system. The method may include heating a coolant of a powertrain coolant loop utilizing waste heat from a liquid-cooled powertrain component (e.g., an electric motor, a DC-DC converter, etc.), measuring a coolant temperature, and utilizing combined feedforward and feedback control methods for different components (pump(s), radiator fan(s), valve(s)) of the powertrain thermal management system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Namitha Anjaneyaswamy, Girish Barade, Brandon Dunn, Behrooz Karimi, Akshit Markan, Derek McVay, Shervin Shoai Naini, Aris Papadopoulos
  • Publication number: 20230364962
    Abstract: An integrated thermal management system for a fuel cell electric vehicle is disclosed. The integrated thermal management system includes a fuel cell system, a brake resistor, a fuel cell coolant loop that includes a fuel cell radiator thermally and fluidly coupled to the fuel cell system, a brake resistor coolant loop that includes a brake resistor radiator thermally and fluidly coupled to the brake resistor, and a heat exchanger loop that includes a coolant-coolant heat exchanger thermally and fluidly coupled to the fuel cell coolant loop and the brake resistor coolant loop. In a fuel cell cooling operating mode, heat is transferred from the fuel cell system to an ambient environment through the fuel cell radiator and the brake resistor radiator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2022
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Christian Appel, Aiden Cohan, Rachel Cook, Mohamed Ibrahim Eldesouky Azab, Rohan Gumaste, Jaeseung Lee, Akshit Markan, William Marley, Derek McVay, Hamideh Pourhashem, Manuel Varwick
  • Patent number: 11772450
    Abstract: A vehicle has a thermal management system that comprises an electric power source loop comprising at least one battery. The thermal management system further comprises a heating component thermally coupled to the electric power source loop. When an ambient temperature is less than a first threshold, the heating component pre-heats the at least one battery. In exemplary embodiments, the heating component includes at least one brake resistor that is coupled to the electric power source loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Nikola Corporation
    Inventors: Aiden Cohan, Rachel Cook, Akshit Markan, Derek McVay, Mitchell Shinn, Katherine Smith
  • Patent number: 11673448
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a thermal management system for an electric vehicle. The electric vehicle may include a cabin, a battery system, a battery coolant loop including a battery coolant line thermally coupled to the battery system, a heat pump loop including a heat pump line thermally coupled to an internal heat exchanger, and a refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger thermally coupled to the battery coolant loop and the heat pump loop. The thermal management system may be configured to provide heating or cooling to the cabin or battery system depending on an operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Nikola Corporation
    Inventors: Aiden Cohan, Akshit Markan, Derek McVay
  • Publication number: 20220355641
    Abstract: A vehicle has a thermal management system that comprises an electric power source loop comprising at least one battery. The thermal management system further comprises a heating component thermally coupled to the electric power source loop. When an ambient temperature is less than a first threshold, the heating component pre-heats the at least one battery. In exemplary embodiments, the heating component includes at least one brake resistor that is coupled to the electric power source loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: Aiden Cohan, Rachel Cook, Akshit Markan, Derek McVay, Mitchell Shinn, Katherine Smith
  • Publication number: 20220324288
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a thermal management system for an electric vehicle. The electric vehicle may include a cabin, a battery system, a battery coolant loop including a battery coolant line thermally coupled to the battery system, a heat pump loop including a heat pump line thermally coupled to an internal heat exchanger, and a refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger thermally coupled to the battery coolant loop and the heat pump loop. The thermal management system may be configured to provide heating or cooling to the cabin or battery system depending on an operating mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Aiden Cohan, Akshit Markan, Derek McVay