IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,403,746
Granted Patent B2
US 12,403,746 · App. 17/833,947 · Granted Sep 2, 2025

Thermal management system for a vehicle

Inventors: Ulf Nilsson (Gothenburg, SE); Filip Nielsen (Gothenburg, SE)
Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
B60H1/00642B60H1/00278B60H1/00485B60H1/2221B60L58/24H01M10/625H01M10/63H01M10/6568H01M10/66B60H2001/00307H01M2220/20
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,403,746
App. No.
17/833,947
Granted
Sep 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a thermal management system for a vehicle including a refrigerant system, a coolant system and a control unit. The coolant system includes a first control loop thermally coupled to an energy storage system, a second control loop thermally coupled to a drive train system, a third control loop thermally coupled to a radiator system, a first multiple valve unit and a second multiple valve unit, and a first heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to the refrigerant system. The first control loop, the second control loop and the third control loop are configured to transfer heat to the first heat exchanger. The first heat exchanger is arranged between the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit. The control unit is configured to switch the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit in a first mode to couple the first control loop with the second control loop to collectively transfer heat to the first heat exchanger independently of the third control loop.

Claims (63)

1. A thermal management system for a vehicle, comprising

a refrigerant system,

a coolant system,

a control unit,

the coolant system comprising:

a first control loop thermally coupled to an energy storage system,

a second control loop thermally coupled to a drive train system,

a third control loop thermally coupled to a radiator system,

a first multiple valve unit and a second multiple valve unit,

a first heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to the refrigerant system,

the first control loop, the second control loop and the third control loop being configured to transfer heat to the first heat exchanger,

the first heat exchanger being arranged between the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit, and

the control unit being configured to switch the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit to couple the first control loop with the second control loop to collectively transfer heat to the first heat exchanger independently of the third control loop, and

a second heat exchanger arranged in the second control loop between the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit, the second heat exchanger being configured to absorb heat from the refrigerant system,

the control unit being further configured to switch the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit to couple the first control loop with the second control loop to collectively absorb heat from the second heat exchanger.

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1 , the control unit being further configured to switch the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit to couple the second control loop with the third control loop to collectively transfer heat to the first heat exchanger independently of the first control loop.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 1 , the control unit being further configured to switch the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit to transfer heat to the first heat exchanger by only one of the first control loop, the second control loop and the third control loop separately from each other.

4. The thermal management system according to claim 1 , the control unit being further configured to switch the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit to couple the second control loop with the third control loop to collectively absorb heat from the second heat exchanger independently of the first control loop.

5. The thermal management system according to claim 1 , the control unit being further configured to switch the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit to transfer heat from the second heat exchanger only to the third control loop.

6. The thermal management system according to claim 1 , the control unit being further configured to switch the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit to couple the third control loop with the first control loop, the second control loop and the second heat exchanger to collectively transfer heat to the third control loop.

7. The thermal management system according to claim 1 , further comprising a coolant heater, the coolant heater being connected to the first heat exchanger and/or arranged in the first control loop.

8. The thermal management system according to claim 1 , the the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit being connected to a sub-control loop to adjust temperature of the coolant system and/or to divide heat transfer.

9. The thermal management system according to claim 1 , the first multiple valve unit and/or the second multiple valve unit comprising a 5-way valve element.

10. The thermal management system according to claim 1 , the first multiple valve unit and/or the second multiple valve unit comprising a 4-way valve element and a 3-way valve element.

11. A vehicle comprising the thermal management system according to claim 1 .

12. A manufacturing method of a thermal management system for a vehicle, comprising:

providing a refrigerant system,

providing a coolant system comprising a first control loop, a second control loop and a third control loop,

providing a control unit,

thermally coupling an energy storage system to the first control loop,

thermally coupling a drive train system to the second control loop,

thermally coupling a radiator system to the third control loop, and

arranging a first heat exchanger between a first multiple valve unit and a second multiple valve unit,

the first heat exchanger being configured to transfer heat to the refrigerant system,

the first control loop, the second control loop and the third control loop being configured to transfer heat to the first heat exchanger, and

the control unit being configured to switch the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit to couple the first control loop with the second control loop to collectively transfer heat to the first heat exchanger independently of the third control loop, and

arranging a second heat exchanger in the second control loop between the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit, the second heat exchanger being configured to absorb heat from the refrigerant system,

the control unit being further configured to switch the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit to couple the first control loop with the second control loop to collectively absorb heat from the second heat exchanger.

13. A thermal management system for a vehicle, comprising

a refrigerant system,

a coolant system,

a control unit,

the coolant system comprising:

a first control loop thermally coupled to an energy storage system,

a second control loop thermally coupled to a drive train system,

a third control loop thermally coupled to a radiator system,

a first multiple valve unit and a second multiple valve unit,

a first heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to the refrigerant system,

the first control loop, the second control loop and the third control loop being configured to transfer heat to the first heat exchanger,

the first heat exchanger being arranged between the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit, and

the control unit being configured to switch the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit to couple the first control loop with the second control loop to collectively transfer heat to the first heat exchanger independently of the third control loop, and

a second heat exchanger arranged in the second control loop between the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit, the second heat exchanger being configured to absorb heat from the refrigerant system,

the control unit being further configured to switch the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit to couple the third control loop with the first control loop, the second control loop and the second heat exchanger to collectively transfer heat to the third control loop.

14. The thermal management system according to claim 13 , the control unit being further configured to switch the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit to couple the second control loop with the third control loop to collectively transfer heat to the first heat exchanger independently of the first control loop.

15. The thermal management system according to claim 13 , the control unit being further configured to switch the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit to transfer heat to the first heat exchanger by only one of the first control loop, the second control loop and the third control loop separately from each other.

16. The thermal management system according to claim 13 , the control unit being further configured to:

switch the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit to couple the second control loop with the third control loop to collectively absorb heat from the second heat exchanger independently of the first control loop,

switch the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit to couple the first control loop with the second control loop to collectively absorb heat from the second heat exchanger, and

switch the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit to transfer heat from the second heat exchanger only to the third control loop.

17. The thermal management system according to claim 13 , further comprising a coolant heater, the coolant heater being connected to the first heat exchanger and/or arranged in the first control loop.

18. The thermal management system according to claim 13 , the the first multiple valve unit and the second multiple valve unit being connected to a sub-control loop to adjust temperature of the coolant system and/or to divide heat transfer.

19. The thermal management system according to claim 13 , the first multiple valve unit and/or the second multiple valve unit comprising a 5-way valve element.

20. The thermal management system according to claim 13 , the first multiple valve unit and/or the second multiple valve unit comprising a 4-way valve element and a 3-way valve element.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 7, 2022
From: NILSSON, ULF; NIELSEN, FILIP
To: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 060117/0501 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220396120A1 · Dec 15, 2022
References Cited (7)
US 20160031291A1 · Enomoto · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20200047591A1 · He et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20210331554A1 · Mancini · 2021 [cited by examiner]
KR 20200008516A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
WO 2019225867A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
WO 2021055758A1 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
Nov. 30, 2021 European Search Report issued in Corresponding EP Application No. 21179612. [cited by applicant]
Cited By (2)
US 12,691,725 US 12,715,296