Waste heat accumulator/distributor system
A waste heat accumulator/distributor system for use in a vehicle. The system includes an engine coolant loop directing engine coolant through a power plant, a powertrain electronics coolant loop directing electronics coolant through a powertrain electronics system; and a transmission fluid loop directing transmission fluid through a transmission. The system includes a multi-fluid heat exchanger including an engine coolant inlet receiving the engine coolant from the engine coolant loop, an electronics coolant inlet receiving the electronics coolant from the powertrain electronic coolant loop, and a transmission fluid inlet receiving the transmission fluid from the transmission fluid loop; a first valve controllable to cause engine coolant to flow into the engine coolant inlet or to bypass the engine coolant inlet; and a second valve controllable to cause electronics coolant to flow into the electronics coolant inlet or to bypass the electronics coolant inlet.
1. A waste heat accumulator/distributor system for use in a vehicle comprising:
an engine coolant loop configured to direct engine coolant through a power plant;
a powertrain electronics coolant loop configured to direct electronics coolant through a powertrain electronics system;
a transmission fluid loop configured to direct transmission fluid through a transmission;
a multi-fluid heat exchanger including an engine coolant inlet configured to selectively receive the engine coolant from the engine coolant loop, an electronics coolant inlet configured to selectively receive the electronics coolant from the powertrain electronic coolant loop, and a transmission fluid inlet configured to selectively receive the transmission fluid from the transmission fluid loop, whereby heat transfer between the engine coolant, the electronics coolant and the transmission fluid can occur in the multi-fluid heat exchanger;
a first valve controllable to selectively cause the engine coolant to flow into the engine coolant inlet or to bypass the engine coolant inlet of the multi-fluid heat exchanger; and
a second valve controllable to selectively cause the electronics coolant to flow into the electronics coolant inlet or to bypass the electronics coolant inlet of the multi-fluid heat exchanger.
2. The waste heat accumulator/distributor system of claim 1 including a passenger cabin heating loop, and wherein the multi-fluid heat exchanger includes an electronics coolant outlet, and the electronics coolant outlet and the second valve selectively direct the electronics coolant to the passenger cabin heating loop.
3. The waste heat accumulator/distributor system of claim 1 wherein the engine coolant loop includes a thermostat valve, an engine radiator and a radiator bypass line, the multi-fluid heat exchanger includes an engine coolant outlet, and the thermostat valve is actuatable such that the engine coolant outlet selectively directs the engine coolant through the engine radiator or the radiator bypass line.
4. The waste heat accumulator/distributor system of claim 1 wherein the powertrain electronics coolant loop includes a controllable valve, a powertrain electronics radiator and a radiator bypass line, the multi-fluid heat exchanger includes an electronics coolant outlet, and the controllable valve is actuatable such that the electronics coolant outlet selectively directs the electronics coolant through the powertrain electronics radiator or the bypass line.
5. The waste heat accumulator/distributor system of claim 1 wherein the multi-fluid heat exchanger includes an outer housing, an inner housing spaced from and located within the outer housing, and insulation located between the outer housing and the inner housing.
6. The waste heat accumulator/distributor system of claim 1 wherein the multi-fluid heat exchanger includes an engine coolant tube configured to direct the engine coolant therethrough, an electronics coolant tube configured to direct the electronics coolant therethrough, a transmission fluid tube configured to direct the transmission fluid therethrough, a housing surrounding the engine coolant tube, the electronics coolant tube and the transmission fluid tube, and a void between the housing and the tubes, the void being filled with air.
7. The waste heat accumulator/distributor system of claim 1 wherein the multi-fluid heat exchanger includes an engine coolant tube configured to direct the engine coolant therethrough, an electronics coolant tube configured to direct the electronics coolant therethrough, a transmission fluid tube configured to direct the transmission fluid therethrough, a housing surrounding the engine coolant tube, the electronics coolant tube and the transmission fluid tube, and a void between the housing and the tubes, the void being filled with a phase change material.
8. The waste heat accumulator/distributor system of claim 7 wherein the phase change material is at least one of barium hydroxide and Glauber's salt.
9. The waste heat accumulator/distributor system of claim 1 wherein the multi-fluid heat exchanger includes an engine coolant tube configured to direct the engine coolant therethrough, an electronics coolant tube configured to direct the electronics coolant therethrough, a transmission fluid tube configured to direct the transmission fluid therethrough, the transmission fluid tube being located between the engine coolant tube and the electronics coolant tube.
10. The waste heat accumulator/distributor system of claim 1 wherein the power plant is an internal combustion engine through which the engine coolant flows.
11. The waste heat accumulator/distributor system of claim 1 wherein the powertrain electronics system includes at least one of an on-board charging module, a power inverter module and a traction power inverter module through which the electronics coolant flows.
12. A method of operating a waste heat accumulator/distributor system in a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) directing engine coolant through an engine in an engine coolant loop;
(b) directing electronics coolant through a powertrain electronics system in a powertrain electronics coolant loop;
(c) directing transmission fluid through a transmission in a transmission fluid loop;
(d) selectively directing the engine coolant through or bypassing a multi-fluid heat exchanger as the engine coolant flows through the engine coolant loop;
(e) selectively directing the electronics coolant through or bypassing the multi-fluid heat exchanger as the electronics coolant flows through the powertrain electronics coolant loop; and
(f) directing the transmission fluid through the multi-fluid heat exchanger as the transmission fluid flows through the transmission fluid loop.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein step (d) is further defined by actuating a first valve to direct the engine coolant through the multi-fluid heat exchanger or to bypass the multi-fluid heat exchanger.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein step (e) is further defined by actuating a second valve to direct the electronics coolant through the multi-fluid heat exchanger or to bypass the multi-fluid heat exchanger.
15. The method of claim 12 including step (g), directing the electronics coolant flowing through the powertrain electronics coolant loop to flow through a passenger cabin heating loop.
16. The method of claim 12 including step (g), providing a phase change material in the multi-fluid heat exchanger and storing heat energy in the phase change material.