Patents by Inventor Jochen WESTHAEUSER

Jochen WESTHAEUSER 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).

  • Patent number: 12455101
    Abstract: A heat pump for a motor vehicle includes a refrigerant circuit with a refrigerant, an ambient heat exchanger, a compressor, a heating heat exchanger, and a throttle. A method for operating the heat pump includes determining an expected start time of a charging process of a motor vehicle battery and determining a maximum dew point undershoot and/or a maximum frost mass and operating the heat pump such that the maximum dew point undershoot and/or the maximum frost mass are reached within a predefined time period before the expected start time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2025
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jochen Westhaeuser, Sven Twenhoevel, Peter Hellmann
  • Patent number: 12024047
    Abstract: A method for controlling the charging process of an electrical energy storage device, at an electric charging device, wherein the charging device has a temperature control system and the energy storage device has a temperature control system, including at least the following steps: transfer of electrical energy between the charging device and the energy storage device, transfer of thermal energy between a temperature control system of the charging device and the temperature control system of the energy storage device, and transmission of at least one first item of information from a computing unit associated with the charging device to a computing unit associated with the energy storage device, and/or transmission of at least one second item of information from a computing unit associated with the energy storage device to a computing unit associated with the charging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jan-Christoph Albrecht, Jochen Westhaeuser, Frank Juergen Engler, Carsten Wachsmuth, Arne-Christian Voigt
  • Patent number: 11813921
    Abstract: A method for operating a heat pump of a motor vehicle that includes a compressor, an expander, an ambient heat exchanger and a heating heat exchanger. In the method, a defrost mode for defrosting the ambient heat exchanger is initiated. In the defrost mode, a refrigerant is compressed to a high pressure by the compressor to transfer thermal energy to the ambient heat exchanger, the refrigerant is expanded to a low pressure by the expander, and the refrigerant absorbs thermal energy in the heating heat exchanger. Further, a defrosting process of the ambient heat exchanger triggered by the defrost mode is monitored. The monitoring of the defrosting process includes monitoring the pressure difference between the high pressure and the low pressure and/or monitoring the pressure gradient of the pressure difference between the high pressure and the low pressure and/or monitoring the high pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jochen Westhaeuser, Sven Twenhoevel
  • Publication number: 20230138734
    Abstract: A method for operating a heat pump for a motor vehicle is proposed, wherein the heat pump comprises a refrigerant circuit with a refrigerant, an ambient heat exchanger, a compressor, a heating heat exchanger, and a throttle. The method comprises determining an expected start time of a charging process of a motor vehicle battery and determining a maximum dew point undershoot and/or a maximum frost mass. The method further comprises operating the heat pump such that the maximum dew point undershoot and/or the maximum frost mass are reached within a predefined time period before the expected start time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Applicant: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jochen WESTHAEUSER, Sven TWENHOEVEL, Peter HELLMANN
  • Publication number: 20210283982
    Abstract: A method for operating a heat pump of a motor vehicle comprising a compressor, an expander, an ambient heat exchanger and a heating heat exchanger. The method comprises initiating a defrost mode for defrosting the ambient heat exchanger, wherein the defrost mode comprises the steps of: Compressing a refrigerant to a high pressure by means of the compressor, transferring thermal energy to the ambient heat exchanger, expanding the refrigerant to a low pressure by means of the expander, and absorbing thermal energy. The method is characterized by monitoring a defrosting process of the ambient heat exchanger triggered by the defrost mode, wherein the monitoring of the defrosting process comprises monitoring a pressure difference between the high pressure and the low pressure and/or monitoring a pressure gradient of the pressure difference between the high pressure and the low pressure and/or monitoring the high pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Applicant: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jochen WESTHAEUSER, Sven TWENHOEVEL
  • Publication number: 20210265853
    Abstract: A method for controlling the charging process of an electrical energy storage device, at an electric charging device, wherein the charging device has a temperature control system and the energy storage device has a temperature control system, including at least the following steps: transfer of electrical energy between the charging device and the energy storage device, transfer of thermal energy between a temperature control system of the charging device and the temperature control system of the energy storage device, obtaining charging progress information, and closed-loop or open-loop control of at least a first temperature of a cooling medium in the temperature control system of the charging device and/or of the energy storage device as a function of the charging progress information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Applicant: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jan-Christoph ALBRECHT, Jochen WESTHAEUSER, Frank Juergen ENGLER, Carsten WACHSMUTH, Arne-Christian VOIGT
  • Publication number: 20210265852
    Abstract: A method for controlling the charging process of an electrical energy storage device, at an electric charging device, wherein the charging device has a temperature control system and the energy storage device has a temperature control system, including at least the following steps: transfer of electrical energy between the charging device and the energy storage device, transfer of thermal energy between a temperature control system of the charging device and the temperature control system of the energy storage device, and transmission of at least one first item of information from a computing unit associated with the charging device to a computing unit associated with the energy storage device, and/or transmission of at least one second item of information from a computing unit associated with the energy storage device to a computing unit associated with the charging device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Applicant: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jan-Christoph ALBRECHT, Jochen WESTHAEUSER, Frank Juergen ENGLER, Carsten WACHSMUTH, Arne-Christian VOIGT