COOLING MODULE FOR A VEHICLE
A cooling module for a vehicle includes a combo cooler associated with a vehicle. A heat rejecter includes tubes arranged in a planar configuration. A low temperature radiator is associated with the heat rejecter and includes low temperature radiator tubes arranged in a planar configuration. Manifolds are independently configured to supply a refrigerant to the heat rejecter and a coolant to the low temperature radiator. A high temperature radiator is disposed adjacent and parallel to the combo cooler, and downstream of the combo cooler relative to an air stream flowing through the combo cooler and the high temperature radiator. The high temperature radiator is associated with a high temperature cooling loop of the vehicle, and cools an other coolant flowing therethrough. An operating temperature of refrigerant in the heat rejecter and an operating temperature of coolant in the low temperature radiator are lower than an operating temperature of the other coolant in the high temperature radiator.
The present disclosure relates generally to cooling modules. Hybrid electric vehicles are often powered by an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, where each typically operates at different temperature ranges. Due, at least in part, to such different operating temperature ranges, cooling requirements for the internal combustion engine and the electric motor may, in some instances, be different.
SUMMARYA cooling module for a vehicle is disclosed herein. The cooling module includes a combo cooler operatively associated with a vehicle. The combo cooler includes i) a heat rejecter having a plurality of heat rejecter tubes operatively connected thereto, where the heat rejecter tubes are arranged in a substantially planar configuration, ii) a low temperature radiator operatively associated with the heat rejecter and in fluid communication with a low temperature cooling loop of the vehicle, where the low temperature radiator has a plurality of low temperature radiator tubes operatively connected thereto and arranged in a substantially planar configuration, iii) a manifold opposed to and substantially parallel to an other manifold, where the manifold and the other manifold are each operatively connected to the plurality of heat rejecter tubes and the plurality of low temperature radiator tubes, and where the manifold and the other manifold are also independently configured to supply a refrigerant to the heat rejecter and a coolant to the low temperature radiator, and iv) at least one fin disposed between each one of the condenser tubes and the low temperature radiator tubes. A high temperature radiator is disposed adjacent and substantially parallel to the combo cooler and downstream of the combo cooler relative to an air stream flowing through the combo cooler and the high temperature radiator. The high temperature radiator is operatively associated with a high temperature cooling loop of the vehicle, where the high temperature radiator is configured to cool an other coolant flowing therethrough. Further, an operating temperature of the refrigerant in the heat rejecter and an operating temperature of the coolant in the low temperature radiator, are lower than the temperature of the other coolant in the high temperature radiator.
Features and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description and drawings, in which like reference numerals correspond to similar, though perhaps not identical, components. For the sake of brevity, reference numerals or features having a previously described function may or may not be described in connection with other drawings in which they appear.
Embodiment(s) of the present disclosure relate to a cooling module for a vehicle having a high temperature cooling loop, cooling an internal combustion engine of a powertrain system of a vehicle, and a low temperature cooling loop, cooling at least an other component of the vehicle. Alternate embodiment(s) of the present disclosure relate to a cooling module for a hybrid electric vehicle.
An example of a traditional engine cooling module 10 for a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine 11 is schematically depicted in
Referring now to an example of a vapor cycle air conditioning loop 16 depicted in
Referring now to
The refrigerant R may be selected from a number of suitable refrigerants for use in a variety of air conditioning systems. A non-limiting example of a suitable refrigerant R for use in the vapor cycle air conditioning loop 16 includes R-134a. It is to be understood, however, that other fluids may also work such as, e.g., R-12 (DuPont Freon) or the like, which may be desirable for older vehicles, e.g., for those built prior to 1993. In an embodiment, carbon dioxide may be a refrigerant gas R for a gas cycle air conditioning system.
Referring to the example of the internal combustion engine cooling loop 18 depicted in
Hybrid powertrains differ from internal combustion engine powertrains in that hybrid powertrains use both an internal combustion engine (e.g., the engine 11) and an electric motor (identified by reference numeral 32 in
It is to be understood that “operating temperature” means the normal temperature after the engine or other cooled component has warmed up, and the temperature has stabilized. Often, airflow and coolant flow are controlled to keep the temperature of the coolant within a desirable range. If separate cooling loops are used, it is possible to have different operating temperatures for each cooling loop.
An example of an engine cooling module 10′ currently used for a hybrid electric vehicle is schematically depicted in
The low temperature cooling loop 28 using the low temperature radiator 30 is shown in
Referring now to
Other known engine cooling modules combine the low temperature radiator 30 and the high temperature radiator 14 into a single unit (such as the cooling module 10″ depicted in
The inventor of the present disclosure has unexpectedly and fortuitously discovered that combining the heat rejecter 12, 12′ and the low temperature radiator 30 into a single unit and placing the unit upstream of the high temperature radiator 14 advantageously provides a relatively compact, yet efficient cooling module for a vehicle without the problems associated with traditional modules as identified above. Embodiment(s) of the present disclosure may be particularly advantageous in a hybrid electric vehicle. Without being bound to any theory, it is believed that the foregoing advantages may be accomplished by arranging the heat exchangers of the cooling module (i.e., the low temperature radiator 30, the high temperature radiator 14, and the heat rejecter 12, 12′) so that the heat exchanger(s) operating at a higher temperature is/are located downstream from the heat exchanger(s) operating at a lower temperature.
Embodiments of a cooling module 10′″ and 10″″ according to the present disclosure are schematically depicted in
An embodiment of the cooling module 10′″ is depicted in
In either of the embodiments depicted in
During operation of the cooling module 10′″ (depicted in
Further details of the embodiment of the cooling module 10′″ are shown in
The combo cooler 34 further includes a manifold 41 opposed to and substantially parallel to an other manifold 41′. The manifolds 41, 41′ are also each operatively connected to the heat rejecter tubes 36 and the low temperature radiator tubes 38. In a non-limiting example, the manifolds 41, 41′ are also independently configured to supply the refrigerant R to the heat rejecter 12,12′ and the coolant C-L to the low temperature radiator 30. As shown in
It is to be understood that the term “internal combustion engine” may include any type of internal combustion engine. Non-limiting examples of internal combustion engines are compression ignition engines, spark ignition engines, and gas turbine engines, wherein any type of fuel is combusted. Non-limiting examples of fuels include gasoline, diesel fuel, biodiesel fuel, ethanol, methanol, kerosene, propane, methane, natural gas, hydrogen, and combinations thereof. The internal combustion engines may be naturally aspirated, turbo charged, super charged, and combinations thereof. It is to be further understood that the present disclosure is not limited by the type of fuel delivery system used in the internal combustion engine, including port injection, rail injection, direct injection, carburetion and the like.
While several embodiments have been described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the disclosed embodiments may be modified. Therefore, the foregoing description is to be considered exemplary rather than limiting.
Claims
1. A cooling module for a vehicle, comprising:
- a combo cooler operatively associated with a vehicle, including: a heat rejecter having a plurality of heat rejecter tubes operatively connected thereto, the plurality of heat rejecter tubes arranged in a substantially planar configuration; a low temperature radiator operatively associated with the heat rejecter and in fluid communication with a low temperature cooling loop of the vehicle, the low temperature radiator having a plurality of low temperature radiator tubes operatively connected thereto and arranged in a substantially planar configuration; a manifold opposed to and substantially parallel to an other manifold, the manifold and the other manifold each operatively connected to the plurality of heat rejecter tubes and the plurality of low temperature radiator tubes, the manifold and the other manifold also independently configured to supply a refrigerant to the heat rejecter and a coolant to the low temperature radiator; and at least one fin disposed between each one of the plurality of the heat rejecter tubes and the plurality of the low temperature radiator tubes; and
- a high temperature radiator disposed adjacent and substantially parallel to the combo cooler, and downstream of the combo cooler relative to an air stream flowing through the combo cooler and the high temperature radiator, the high temperature radiator operatively associated with a high temperature cooling loop of the vehicle and configured to cool an other coolant flowing therethrough;
- wherein an operating temperature of the refrigerant in the heat rejecter and an operating temperature of the coolant in the low temperature radiator of the combo cooler are lower than an operating temperature of the other coolant in the high temperature radiator.
2. The cooling module as defined in claim 1 wherein the vehicle is a hybrid electric vehicle, the low temperature cooling loop is an electric motor cooling loop, and the high temperature cooling loop is an internal combustion engine cooling loop.
3. The cooling module as defined in claim 1 wherein the high temperature cooling loop is an internal combustion engine cooling loop, and the low temperature cooling loop is a charge air cooler cooling loop.
4. The cooling module as defined in claim 1 wherein the heat rejecter is a condenser operatively associated with a vapor cycle refrigeration system.
5. The cooling module as defined in claim 4 wherein the refrigerant is R134a or R12.
6. The cooling module as defined in claim 1 wherein the heat rejecter is a gas heat exchanger operatively associated with a gas cycle refrigeration system.
7. The cooling module as defined in claim 6 wherein the refrigerant is carbon dioxide gas.
8. The cooling module as defined in claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of heat rejecter tubes is extruded and silicon particle coated.
9. The cooling module as defined in claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of heat rejecter tubes is extruded and clad with a metal alloy.
10. The cooling module as defined in claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of the low temperature radiator tubes is individually folded and subsequently brazed with the combo cooler as a whole.
11. A cooling module for a vehicle, comprising:
- a combo cooler, including: a heat rejecter having a plurality of heat rejecter tubes operatively connected thereto, the plurality of heat rejecter tubes arranged in a substantially planar configuration; a low temperature radiator operatively associated with the heat rejecter and in fluid communication with a low temperature cooling loop of the vehicle, the low temperature radiator having a plurality of low temperature radiator tubes operatively connected thereto and arranged in a substantially planar configuration; an oil cooler operatively associated with the heat rejecter and the low temperature radiator, the oil cooler having at least one oil cooler tube operatively connected thereto and also arranged in a substantially planar configuration; a manifold opposed to and substantially parallel to an other manifold, the manifold and the other manifold each operatively connected to the plurality of heat rejecter tubes, the plurality of low temperature radiator tubes, and the at least one oil cooler tube, the manifold and the other manifold also independently configured to supply a refrigerant to the heat rejecter, a coolant to the low temperature radiator, and an oil to the oil cooler; and at least one fin disposed between i) the at least one oil cooler tube, and ii) each of the plurality of the heat rejecter tubes and the plurality of the low temperature radiator tubes; and
- a high temperature radiator disposed adjacent and substantially parallel to the combo cooler, and downstream of the combo cooler relative to an air stream flowing through the combo cooler and the high temperature radiator, the high temperature radiator configured to cool an other coolant flowing therethrough;
- wherein an operating temperature of the refrigerant in the heat rejecter, an operating temperature of the oil in the oil cooler, and an operating temperature of the coolant in the low temperature radiator of the combo cooler are lower than an operating temperature of the other coolant in the high temperature radiator.
12. The cooling module as defined in claim 11 wherein the vehicle is a hybrid electric vehicle, the low temperature cooling loop is an electric motor cooling loop, and the high temperature cooling loop is an internal combustion engine cooling loop.
13. The cooling module as defined in claim 11 wherein the high temperature cooling loop is an internal combustion engine cooling loop, and the low temperature cooling loop is a charge air cooler cooling loop.
14. The cooling module as defined in claim 11 wherein the heat rejecter is a condenser operatively associated with a vapor cycle refrigeration system.
15. The cooling module as defined in claim 14 wherein the refrigerant is R134a or R12.
16. The cooling module as defined in claim 11 wherein the heat rejecter is a gas heat exchanger operatively associated with a gas cycle refrigeration system.
17. The cooling module as defined in claim 16 wherein the refrigerant is carbon dioxide gas.
18. The cooling module as defined in claim 11 wherein each of the plurality of heat rejecter tubes is extruded and silicon particle coated.
19. The cooling module as defined in claim 11 wherein each of the plurality of heat rejecter tubes is extruded and clad with a metal alloy.
20. The cooling module as defined in claim 11 wherein each of the plurality of low temperature radiator tubes is folded and subsequently brazed with the combo cooler as a whole.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 30, 2009
Publication Date: Mar 31, 2011
Inventor: Zaiqian Hu (Carmel, IN)
Application Number: 12/570,452
International Classification: F28F 1/12 (20060101); F28D 1/04 (20060101);