WO2013071143A1

WO2013071143A1 - Simplified structure for a thermal management system for vehicle with electric drive system

Info

Publication number: WO2013071143A1
Application number: PCT/US2012/064497
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rick Rajaie; Samir SUBBA; Alan W. FORTIN
Original assignee: Magna E-Car Systems Of America, Inc.
Priority date: 2011-11-11
Filing date: 2012-11-09
Publication date: 2013-05-16
Also published as: WO2013071143A9

Abstract

In one aspect, a module is provided for use in vehicles that have thermal management systems including pumps, valves, and conduits for transporting coolant to thermal load. The module includes a support structure, control valves, and optionally pumps. At least one of the components supported on the support structure is fluidically connected at least one other of the components supported on the support structure. This module saves an assembly worker time in making all the fluid connections for the vehicle, permits the module to be hydro-tested, which can determine if there are any leakage points that need to be dealt with, prior to the installation of the module on the vehicle. Additionally, providing the module reduces the number of fluid connections that the vehicle assembly worker will need to make.

Description

SIMPLIFIED STRUCTURE FOR A THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE WITH ELECTRIC DRIVE SYSTEM

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/559,009, filed November 1 1 , 201 1 , which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to vehicles that incorporate an electric drive system, such as hybrid vehicles and non-hybrid electric vehicles, and more particularly to systems and methods for facilitating the manufacture of such vehicles.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Vehicles with traction motors offer the promise of powered transportation while producing few or no emissions at the vehicle. Such vehicles may be referred to as electric vehicles, however it will be noted that some electric vehicles include only an electric motor, while some electric vehicles include both a traction motor and an internal combustion engine. For example, some electric vehicles are powered by electric motors only and rely solely on the energy stored in an on-board battery pack. Some electric vehicles are hybrids, having both a traction motor and an internal combustion engine, which may, for example, be used to assist the traction motor in driving the wheels (a parallel hybrid), or which may, for example, be used solely to charge the on-board battery pack, thereby extending the operating range of the vehicle (a series hybrid). In some vehicles, there is a single, centrally- positioned electric motor that powers one or more of the vehicle wheels, and in other vehicles, one or more of the wheels have an electric motor (referred to sometimes as a hub motor) positioned at each driven wheel. [0004] While currently proposed and existing vehicles are advantageous in some respects over internal-combustion engine powered vehicles, there are problems that are associated with some such vehicles. One issue in particular is that such vehicles can in some instances involve relatively complex thermal management systems that involve transporting coolant to and from a battery pack, to and from an electric powertrain and power electronics, and to and from a heater core for heating the vehicle cabin. As a result, these vehicles can be particularly complex to assemble, with many fluid conduits, valves, pumps, tees and associated connecting and mounting hardware. The complexity of such systems renders them vulnerable to error in their assembly and can raise the overall cost associated with such a vehicle.

[0005] It would be beneficial to provide a vehicle with such a complex thermal management system, but with reduced risk of errors during assembly.

SUMMARY

[0006] In one aspect, a self-contained sub-assembly (also referred to as a module) is provided for use in vehicles that have thermal management systems including a plurality of pumps, control valves, and conduits for transporting coolant to thermal loads. Such thermal loads may include, for example, a motor-associated thermal load, a battery pack-associated thermal load and a cabin-associated heating load. The module includes a support structure (which may be in the form of a housing), a plurality of control valves and optionally a plurality of pumps. At least one of the components supported on the support structure is fluidically connected at least one other of the components supported on the support structure. For example, one of the control valves may be connected to one of the other control valves, or to one of the pumps. This module saves a vehicle assembly worker some time and effort in the amount of time to make all the fluid connections for the vehicle. Additionally, providing the module permits the module to be hydro-tested, which can determine if there are any leakage points that need to be dealt with, prior to the installation of the module on the vehicle. Additionally, providing the module reduces the number of fluid connections that the vehicle assembly worker will need to make, and in particular reduces the number of fluid connections to components that are not unique in the vehicle. For example, there are several control valves and several pumps, so connecting a particular port on one of the pumps to one of the ports on one of the valves could result in error. By providing a module with at least some of these connections already made, the vehicle assembly worker has a reduced likelihood of error during assembly of the vehicle. [0007] In a particular embodiment, a module for a thermal management system is provided for a vehicle with a traction motor, a battery pack and a cabin for vehicle occupants, wherein the vehicle further includes a motor- associated thermal load, a battery pack-associated thermal load and a cabin- associated heating load. The module includes a support structure having a mounting element that is configured to connect to a structural member of the vehicle and a motor-associated pump mounted to the support structure and having a motor-associated pump inlet and a motor-associated pump outlet. The motor-associated pump is fluidically connectable to the motor-associated thermal load. The module further includes a motor-associated control valve mounted to the support structure. The motor-associated control valve is fluidically connectable to the motor-associated thermal load. The module further includes a cabin-associated pump mounted to the support structure and having a cabin-associated pump inlet and a cabin-associated pump outlet. The cabin-associated pump is fluidically connectable to the cabin- associated thermal load. The module further includes a cabin-associated control valve mounted to the support structure. The cabin -associated control valve is fluidically connectable to the cabin -associated thermal load. At least one component selected from: the motor-associated pump, the motor- associated control valve, the cabin-associated pump and the cabin-associated control valve, is fluidically connected to at least one other component selected from: the motor-associated pump, the motor-associated control valve, the cabin-associated pump and the cabin-associated control valve. [0008] In another aspect, a self-contained sub-assembly (also referred to as a module) is provided for use in vehicles that have thermal management systems including a plurality of pumps, control valves, and conduits for transporting coolant to thermal loads. Such thermal loads may again include, for example, a motor-associated thermal load, a battery pack-associated thermal load and a cabin-associated heating load. The housing defines a plurality of control valve bodies and a plurality of conduits leading to and from the valve bodies. A valving element is provided in each valve body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The present disclosure will now be described by way of example only with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an electric vehicle that includes a thermal management system; [0011] Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a thermal management system for the electric vehicle;

[0012] Figure 3 is a graph of the temperature of battery packs that are part of the electric vehicle shown in Figure 1 ;

[0013] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a layout for the components shown in Figure 2;

[0014] Figure 5 is a perspective view of another layout for the components shown in Figure 2, including a module to simplify the assembly process;

[0015] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the module shown in Figure 5; [0016] Figure 7 is a perspective view inside the module shown in Figure 5;

[0017] Figures 8a and 8b are perspective and perspective transparent views respectively of a control valve for use in the module shown in Figure 5; [0018] Figure 9 is a perspective view of a variant of the module shown in Figure 5, showing the routing of internal conduits;

[0019] Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of another variant of the module shown in Figure 5; [0020] Figure 1 1 is another exploded perspective view of the varient shown in Figure 10, shown in a state of partial assembly;

[0021] Figure 12 is a perspective exploded view of another embodiment of a module;

[0022] Figure 13 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a module;

[0023] Figure 14 is a perspective view of a portion of the module shown in Figure 13; and

[0024] Figure 15 is a perspective sectional view of the portion of the module shown in Figure 14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Reference is made to Figure 2, which shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary thermal management system 10 for an electric vehicle 12 shown in Figure 1 . The electric vehicle 12 includes wheels 13, a traction motor 14 for driving the wheels 13, a battery pack that includes first and second battery pack modules 16a and 16b, a cabin 18, a high voltage electrical system 20 (Figure 2) and a low voltage electrical system 22 (Figure 2).

[0026] The motor 14 may have any suitable configuration for use in powering the electric vehicle 12. The motor 14 may be mounted in a motor compartment that is forward of the cabin 18 and that is generally in the same place an engine compartment is on a typical internal combustion powered vehicle. Referring to Figure 2, the motor 14 generates heat during use and thus requires cooling. To this end, the motor 14 includes a motor coolant flow conduit for transporting coolant fluid about the motor 14 so as to maintain the motor within a suitable temperature range.

[0027] A transmission control system shown at 28 is part of the high voltage electrical system 20 and is provided for controlling the current flow to high voltage electrical loads within the vehicle 12, such as the motor 14, an air conditioning compressor 30, a heater 32 and a DC/DC converter 34. The transmission control system 28 generates heat during use and thus has a transmission control system coolant flow conduit associated therewith, for transporting coolant fluid about the transmission control system 28 so as to maintain the transmission control system 28 within a suitable temperature range. The transmission control system 28 may be positioned immediately upstream fluidically from the motor 14.

[0028] The DC/DC converter 34 receives current from the transmission control system 28 and converts the current from high voltage to low voltage. The DC/DC converter 34 sends the low voltage current to a low voltage battery shown at 40, which is used to power low voltage loads in the vehicle 12. The low voltage battery 40 may operate on any suitable voltage, such as 12 V.

[0029] The battery pack modules 16a and 16b send power to the transmission control system 28 for use by the motor 14 and other high voltage loads and thus form part of the high voltage electrical system 20. The battery pack modules 16a and 16b may be any suitable types of battery packs. In an embodiment, the battery pack modules 16a and 16b are each made up of a plurality of lithium polymer cells. The battery pack modules 16a and 16b have a temperature range (shown in Figure 3) in which they may be maintained so as to provide them with a relatively long operating life. While two battery pack modules 16a and 16b are shown, it is alternatively possible to have any suitable number of battery packs, such as one battery pack, or 3 or more battery packs depending on the packaging constraints of the vehicle 12. [0030] A battery charge control module shown at 42 is provided and is configured to connect the vehicle 12 to an electrical source (eg. a 1 10V source, or a 220V source) shown at 44, and to send the current received from the electrical source 44 to any of several destinations, such as, the battery pack modules 16a and 16b, the transmission control system 28 and the low voltage battery 40. The battery charge control module 42 generates heat during use and thus requires cooling. To this end, the battery charge control module 42 includes a battery charge control module fluid flow conduit for transporting fluid about the battery charge control module 42 from a battery charge control module inlet 4 to a battery charge control module outlet 26 so as to maintain the battery charge control module 42 within a suitable temperature range.

[0031] An HVAC system 46 is provided for controlling the temperature of the cabin 18 (Figure 1 ). The HVAC system 46 is configured to be capable of both cooling and heating the cabin 18. To achieve this, the HVAC system 46 may include one or more heat exchangers, such as a cabin heating heat exchanger 47 and a cabin cooling heat exchanger 48 (which may be referred to as evaporator 48). The cabin heating heat exchanger 47 has a heat exchange fluid inlet 49 and a heat exchange fluid outlet 50 and is used to heat an air flow that is passed into the cabin 18. The cabin cooling heat exchanger 48 includes a refrigerant inlet 51 and a refrigerant outlet 52, and is used to cool an air flow that is passed into the cabin 18.

[0032] The motor 14, the transmission control system 28, the DC/DC converter 34, the battery pack modules 16a and 16b, the battery charge control module 42 and the HVAC system 46 constitute thermal loads on the thermal management system 10.

[0033] The thermal management system 10 includes a motor circuit 56, a cabin heating circuit 58, a battery circuit 60 and a main cooling circuit 62. The motor circuit 56 is configured for cooling the traction motor 14, the transmission control system 28 and the DC/DC converter 34, which constitute a motor circuit thermal load 61 , which has a motor circuit thermal load inlet 63 and a motor circuit thermal load outlet 65. The motor circuit 56 includes a radiator 64, a first motor circuit conduit 66 fluidically between the radiator 64 to the motor circuit thermal load inlet 63, a second motor circuit conduit 68 fluidically between the motor circuit thermal load outlet 65 and the radiator 64, and a motor circuit pump 70 positioned to pump heat exchange fluid through the motor circuit 56.

[0034] Additionally a third motor circuit conduit 74 may be provided fluidically between the second and first motor circuit conduits 68 and 66 so as to permit the flow of heat exchange fluid to bypass the radiator 64 when possible (eg. when the heat exchange fluid is below a selected threshold temperature). To control whether the flow of heat exchange fluid is directed through the radiator 64 or through the third motor circuit conduit 74, a radiator bypass valve 75 is provided and may be positioned in the second motor circuit conduit 68. The radiator bypass valve 75 is controllable so that in a first position the valve 75 directs the flow of heat exchange fluid to the radiator 64 through the second motor circuit conduit 68 and in a second position the valve 75 directs the flow of heat exchange fluid to the first motor circuit conduit 66 through the third motor circuit conduit 74, so as to bypass the radiator 64. Flow through the third motor circuit conduit 74 is easier than flow through the radiator 64 (ie. there is less of a pressure drop associated with flow through the third conduit than there is with flow through the radiator 64) and so bypassing the radiator 64 whenever possible, reduces the energy consumption of the pump 70. By reducing the energy consumed by components in the vehicle 12 (Figure 1 ), the range of the vehicle can be extended, which is particularly advantageous in electric vehicles.

[0035] It will be noted that only a single radiator bypass valve 75 is provided for bypassing the radiator 64. When the radiator bypass valve 75 is in the first position, all of the heat exchange fluid flow is directed through the second conduit 68, through the radiator 64 and through the first conduit 66. There is no net flow through the third conduit 74 because there is no net flow into the third conduit. Conversely, when the radiator bypass valve 75 is in the second position, all of the heat exchange fluid flow is directed through the third conduit 74 and back to the first conduit 66. There is no net flow through the radiator 64 because there is no net flow into the radiator 64. Thus, using only a single valve (ie. the bypass valve 75) provides the capability of selectably bypassing the radiator 64, instead of using one valve at the junction of the second and third conduits 68 and 74 and another valve at the junction of the first and third conduits 66 and 74. As a result of using one valve (ie. valve 75) instead of two valves, the motor circuit 56 contains fewer components, thereby making the valve 75 less expensive, simpler to make and to operate and more reliable. Furthermore by eliminating one valve, the energy required to move the heat exchange fluid through the motor circuit 56 is reduced, thereby reducing the energy consumed by the pump 70 and extending the range of the vehicle 12 (Figure 1 ).

[0036] The pump 70 may be positioned anywhere suitable, such as in the first motor circuit conduit 66.

[0037] The elements that make up the motor circuit thermal load may be arranged in any suitable way. For example, the DC/DC converter 34 may be downstream from the pump 70 and upstream from the transmission control system 28, and the motor 14 may be downstream from the transmission control system 28. Thus, the inlet to the DC/DC converter 34 constitutes the thermal load inlet 63 and the motor outlet constitutes the thermal load outlet 65.

[0038] A motor circuit temperature sensor 76 is provided for determining the temperature of heat exchange fluid at a selected point in the motor circuit 56. As an example, the motor circuit temperature sensor 76 may be positioned downstream from all the thermal loads in the motor circuit 56, so as to record the highest temperature of the heat exchange fluid. Based on this temperature, a controller, shown at 78 can determine whether or not to position the radiator bypass valve 75 in a first position wherein the radiator bypass valve 75 transfers the flow of heat exchange fluid towards the radiator 64 and a second position wherein the radiator bypass valve 75 bypasses the radiator 64 and transfers the flow of heat exchange fluid through the third motor circuit conduit 74 back to the first motor circuit conduit 66.

[0039] The cabin heating circuit 58 is configured for providing heated heat exchange fluid to the HVAC system 46 and more specifically to the cabin heating heat exchanger 47, which constitutes the cabin heating circuit thermal load. The cabin heating circuit 58 includes a first cabin heating circuit conduit 80 fluidically between the second motor circuit conduit 68 and the cabin heating heat exchanger inlet 49 (which in the embodiment shown is the inlet to the cabin heating circuit thermal load), a second cabin heating circuit conduit 82 fluidically between the cabin heating circuit heat exchanger outlet 50 (which in the embodiment shown is the outlet from the cabin heating circuit thermal load) to the motor circuit 56. In the embodiment shown the second cabin heating circuit conduit 82 extends to the third motor circuit conduit 74. This is because the cabin heating heat exchanger 47 serves to cool the heat exchange fluid by some amount, so that the resulting cooled heat exchange fluid need not be passed through the radiator 64 in the motor circuit 56. By reducing the volume of heat exchange fluid that passes through the radiator 64, energy consumed by the pump 70 is reduced, thereby extending the range of the vehicle 12 (Figure 1 ). In an alternative embodiment, the second cabin heating circuit conduit 82 may extend to the second motor circuit conduit 68 downstream so that the heat exchange fluid contained in the second cabin heating circuit conduit 82 passes through the radiator 64.

[0040] In some situations the heat exchange fluid will not be sufficiently hot to meet the demands of the HVAC system 46. For such situations, the heater 32 which may be referred to as the cabin heating circuit heater 32 is provided in the first cabin heating circuit conduit 80. The cabin heating circuit heater 32 may be any suitable type of heater, such as an electric heater that is one of the high voltage electrical components fed by the transmission control system 28. [0041] A third cabin heating circuit conduit 84 may be provided between the second and first cabin heating circuit conduits 82 and 80. A cabin heating circuit pump 86 is provided in the third conduit 84. In some situations it will be desirable to circulate heat exchange fluid through the cabin heating circuit 58 and not to transfer the fluid back to the motor circuit 56. For example, when the fluid is being heated by the heater 32 it may be advantageous to not transfer the fluid back to the motor circuit 56 since the fluid in the motor circuit 56 is used solely for cooling the thermal load 61 and it is thus undesirable to introduce hot fluid into such a circuit. For the purpose of preventing fluid from being transferred from the cabin heating circuit 58 back to the motor circuit 56, a cabin heating circuit valve 88 is provided. In the embodiment shown, the cabin heating circuit valve 88 is positioned in the second motor circuit conduit 68 and is positionable in a first position wherein the valve 88 directs fluid flow towards the radiator 64 through the second motor circuit conduit 68, and a second position wherein the valve 88 directs fluid flow towards the cabin heater heat exchanger 47 through the first cabin heating circuit conduit 80.

[0042] When the cabin heating circuit valve 88 is in the second position, the pump 86 may operate at a selected, low, flow rate to prevent the fluid flow from short circuiting the cabin heating circuit by flowing up the third conduit 84. [0043] It will be noted that separation of the fluid flow through the cabin heating circuit 58 and the motor circuit 56 is achieved using a single valve (ie. valve 88) which is positioned at the junction of the second motor circuit conduit 68 and the first cabin heating circuit conduit 80. When the valve 88 is positioned in the first position, fluid is directed towards the radiator 64. There is no net flow out of the cabin heating circuit 58 since there is no flow into the cabin heating circuit 58. When the valve 88 is positioned in the second position and the pump 86 is off, fluid is directed through the cabin heating circuit 58 and back into the motor circuit 56. When the valve 88 is positioned in the first position and the pump 86 is on, there is no net flow out of the second cabin heating circuit conduit 82 as noted above, however, the pump 86 generates a fluid circuit loop and drives fluid in a downstream portion 90 of the first cabin heating circuit conduit 80, through the cabin heating heat exchanger 47, and through an upstream portion 92 of the second cabin heating circuit conduit 82, whereupon the fluid is drawn back into the pump 86. Because this feature is provided using a single valve (ie. valve 88), as opposed to using one valve at the junction of the first cabin heating circuit conduit 80 and the motor circuit 56 and another valve at the junction of the second cabin heating circuit conduit 82 and the motor circuit 56, the thermal management system 10 is made simpler and less expensive, and energy consumption is further saved by having fewer valves in the system 10 so as to reduce the energy required by the pump 70 to pump liquid through such valves.

[0044] Additionally, the valve 88 combined with the pump 86 permit isolating heated fluid in the cabin heating circuit 58 from the fluid in the motor circuit 56, thereby preventing fluid that has been heated in the cabin heating circuit heater 32 from being sent to the radiator 64 to be cooled.

[0045] A cabin heating circuit temperature sensor 94 may be provided for determining the temperature of the fluid in the cabin heating circuit 58. The temperature sensor 94 may be positioned anywhere suitable, such as downstream from the cabin heating circuit heater 32. The temperature sensor 94 may communicate with the controller 78 so that the controller 78 can determine whether or not to carry out certain actions. For example, using the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 94, the controller 78 can determine whether the heater 32 should be activated to meet the cabin heating demands of the HVAC system 46. [0046] The battery circuit 60 is configured for controlling the temperature of the battery pack modules 16a and 16b and the battery charge control module 42, which together make up the battery circuit thermal load 96. A thermal load inlet is shown at 98 upstream from the battery pack modules 16a and 16b and a thermal load outlet is shown at 100 downstream from the battery charge control module 42. The battery pack modules 16a and 16b are in parallel in the battery circuit 60, which permits the fluid flow to each of the battery pack modules 16a and 16b to be selected individually so that each battery pack module 16a or 16b receives as much fluid as necessary to achieve a selected temperature change. A valve for adjusting the flow of fluid that goes to each battery pack module 16a and 16b during use of the thermal management system 10 may be provided, so that the fluid flow can be adjusted to meet the instantaneous demands of the battery pack modules 16a and 16b. After the fluid has passed through the battery pack modules 16a and 16b, the fluid is brought into a single conduit which passes through the battery charge control module 42. While the battery pack modules 16a and 16b are shown in parallel in the battery circuit 60, they could be provided in series in an alternative embodiment.

[0047] A first battery circuit conduit 102 extends between the second motor circuit conduit 68 and the battery circuit thermal load inlet 98. A second battery circuit conduit 104 extends between the thermal load outlet 100 and the first motor circuit conduit 66. A battery circuit pump 106 may be provided for pumping fluid through the battery circuit 60 in situations where the battery circuit 60 is isolated from the motor circuit 56. A battery circuit heater 108 is provided in the first conduit 102 for heating fluid upstream from the thermal load 96 in situations where the thermal load 96 requires heating. The battery circuit heater 108 may operate on current from a low voltage current source, such as the low voltage battery 40. This is discussed in further detail further below.

[0048] A third battery circuit conduit 1 10 may be provided fluidically between the second and first battery circuit conduits 102 and 104 so as to permit the flow of heat exchange fluid in the battery circuit 60 to be isolated from the flow of heat exchange fluid in the motor circuit 56. A chiller 1 12 may be provided in the third conduit 1 10 for cooling fluid upstream from the thermal load 96 when needed.

[0049] A battery circuit valve 1 14 is provided in the second conduit 104 and is positionable in a first position wherein the flow of fluid is directed towards the first motor circuit conduit 66 and in a second position wherein the flow of fluid is directed into the third battery circuit conduit 1 10 towards the first battery circuit conduit 102.

[0050] It will be noted that the flow in the battery circuit 60 is isolated from the flow in the motor circuit 56 with only one valve (ie. valve 1 14). When the valve 1 14 is in the second position so as to direct fluid flow through the third conduit 1 10 into the first conduit 102, there is effectively no flow from the first motor circuit 56 through the first conduit 102 since the loop made up of the downstream portion of the first conduit 102, the thermal load 96, the second conduit 104 and the third conduit 1 10 is already full of fluid. By using only one valve (ie. valve 1 14) to isolate the battery circuit 60, the amount of energy consumed by the pump 106 to pump fluid around the battery circuit 60 is reduced relative to a similar arrangement using two valves. Additionally, by using only one valve the battery circuit is simpler (i.e. the battery circuit has fewer components), which reduces the cost and which could increase the reliability of the battery circuit.

[0051] A battery circuit temperature sensor 1 16 is provided for sensing the temperature of the fluid in the battery circuit 60. The temperature sensor 1 16 may be positioned anywhere in the battery circuit 60, such as in the second conduit 104 downstream from the thermal load 96. The temperature from the temperature sensor 1 16 can be sent to the controller 78 to determine whether to have the valve 1 14 should be in the first or second position and whether any devices (eg. the chiller 1 12, the heater 108) need to be operated to adjust the temperature of the fluid in the first conduit 102.

[0052] The main cooling circuit 62 is provided for assisting in the thermal management of the thermal loads in the HVAC system 46 and the battery circuit 60. More particularly, the thermal load in the HVAC system 46 is shown at 1 18 and is made up of the cabin cooling heat exchanger 48 (ie. the evaporator 48).

[0053] The components of the main cooling circuit 62 that are involved in the cooling and management of the refrigerant flowing therein include the compressor 30 and a condenser 122. A first cooling circuit conduit 126 extends from the condenser 122 to a point wherein the conduit 126 divides into a first branch 128 which leads to the HVAC system 46 and a second branch 130 which leads to the battery circuit 60. A second cooling circuit conduit 132 has a first branch 134 that extends from the HVAC system 46 to a joining point and a second branch 136 that extends from the battery circuit 60 to the joining point. From the joining point, the second cooling circuit conduit 132 extends to the inlet to the compressor 30.

[0054] At the downstream end of the first branch 128 of the first conduit 126 is a flow control valve 138 which controls the flow of refrigerant into the cabin cooling heat exchanger 48. The upstream end of the first branch 134 of the second conduit 132 is connected to the refrigerant outlet from the heat exchanger 48. It will be understood that the valve 138 could be positioned at the upstream end of the first branch 134 of the second conduit 132 instead. The valve 138 is controlled by the controller 78 and is opened when refrigerant flow is needed through the heat exchanger 48.

[0055] At the downstream end of the second branch 130 of the first conduit 126 is a flow control valve 140 which controls the flow of refrigerant into the battery circuit chiller 1 12. The upstream end of the second branch 136 of the second conduit 132 is connected to the refrigerant outlet from the chiller 1 12. It will be understood that the valve 140 could be positioned at the upstream end of the second branch 136 of the second conduit 132 instead. The valve 140 is controlled by the controller 78 and is opened when refrigerant flow is needed through the chiller 1 12.

[0056] The valves 138 and 140 may be any suitable type of valves with any suitable type of actuator. For example, they may be solenoid actuated/spring return valves. Additionally thermostatic expansion valves shown at 139 and 141 may be provided downstream from the valves 138 and 140.

[0057] A refrigerant pressure sensor 142 may be provided anywhere suitable in the cooling circuit 62, such as on the first conduit 126 upstream from where the conduit 126 divides into the first and second branches 128 and 130. The pressure sensor 142 communicates pressure information from the cooling circuit 62 to the controller 78.

[0058] A fan shown at 144 is provided for blowing air on the radiator 64 and the condenser 122 to assist in cooling and condensing the heat exchange fluid and the refrigerant respectively. The fan 144 is controlled by the controller 78.

[0059] An expansion tank 124 is provided for removing gas that can accumulate in other components such as the radiator 64. The expansion tank 124 may be positioned at the highest elevation of any fluid-carrying components of the thermal management system. The expansion tank 124 may be used as a point of entry for heat exchange fluid into the thermal management system 10 (ie. the system 10 may be filled with the fluid via the expansion tank 124).

[0060] The controller 78 is described functionally as a single unit, however the controller 78 may be made up of a plurality of units that communicate with each other and which each control one or more components of the thermal management system 10, as well as other components optionally.

[0061] The logic used by the controller 78 to control the operation of the thermal management system 10 depends on which of several states the vehicle is in. The vehicle may be on-plug and off, which means that the vehicle itself is off (eg. the ignition key is out of the key slot in the instrument panel) and is plugged into an external electrical source (eg. for recharging the battery pack modules 16a and 16b). The vehicle may be off-plug and off, which means that the vehicle itself is off and is not plugged into an external electrical source. The vehicle may be off-plug and on, which means that the vehicle itself is on and is not plugged into an external electrical source. The logic used by the controller 78 may be as follows:

[0062] The controller 78 attends to the cooling requirements of the thermal load 61 of the motor circuit 56 when the vehicle is off-plug and when the vehicle is on. The controller 78 determines a maximum permissible temperature for the heat exchange fluid and determines if the actual temperature of the heat exchange fluid exceeds the maximum permissible temperature (based on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 76) by more than a selected amount (which is a calibrated value, and which could be 0 for example). If so, the controller operates the pump 70 to circulate the heat exchange fluid through the motor circuit 56. Initially when the vehicle enters the state of being off-plug and on, the controller 78 may default to a 'cooling off mode wherein the pump 70 is not turned on, until the controller 78 has determined and compared the aforementioned temperature values. In the event that the vehicle is in a fault state, the controller 78 may enter a motor circuit cooling fault mode. When the controller 78 exits the fault state, the controller 78 may pass to the 'cooling off mode.

[0063] The controller 78 attends to the heating and cooling requirements of the cabin heating circuit 58 when the vehicle is on-plug and when the vehicle is off-plug and on. The controller 78 may have 3 cabin heating modes. The controller 78 determines if the requested cabin temperature from the climate control system in the cabin 18 exceeds the temperature sensed by a temperature sensor in the evaporator 48 that senses the actual temperature in the cabin 18 by a selected calibrated amount. If so, and if the vehicle is either off plug and on or on plug and there is sufficient power available from the electrical source, and if the controller 78 determines if the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 76 is higher than the requested cabin temperature by a selected calibrated amount. If the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 76 is higher, then the controller 78 positions the cabin heating circuit valve 88 in the second position wherein flow is generated through the cabin heating circuit 58 from the motor circuit 56 and the controller 78 puts the cabin heating circuit heater 32 in the off position. These settings make up the first cabin heating mode. If the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 76 is lower than the requested cabin temperature by a selected calibrated amount, then the controller 78 positions the cabin heating circuit valve 88 in the first position and turns on the pump 86 so that flow in the cabin heating circuit 58 is isolated from flow in the motor circuit 56, and the controller 78 additionally turns on the cabin heating circuit heater 32 to heat the flow in the cabin heating circuit 58. These settings make up the second cabin heating mode. [0064] If the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 76 is within a selected range of the requested temperature from the climate control system then the controller 78 positions the cabin heating circuit valve 88 in the second position so that flow in the cabin heating circuit 58 is not isolated from flow in the motor circuit 56, and the controller turns the heater 32 on. These settings make up the third cabin heating mode. The selected range may be the requested temperature from the climate control system minus the selected calibrated value, to the requested temperature from the climate control system plus the selected calibrated value.

[0065] The default state for the controller 78 when cabin heating is initially requested may be to use the first cabin heating mode.

[0066] The controller 78 may have one cabin cooling mode. The controller 78 determines if the actual temperature of the evaporator 48 is higher than the target temperature of the evaporator 48 by more than a calibrated amount. If so, and if the vehicle is either off plug and on or on plug and there is sufficient power available from the electrical source, then the controller 78 turns on the compressor 30 and moves the refrigerant flow control valve 138 to the open position so that refrigerant flows through the cabin cooling heat exchanger 48 to cool an air flow that is passed into the cabin 18. [0067] The thermal management system 10 will enter a cabin heating and cabin cooling fault mode when the vehicle is in a fault state.

[0068] When the climate control system in the cabin 18 is set to a 'defrost' setting, the controller 78 will enter a defrost mode, and will return to whichever heating or cooling mode the controller 78 was in once defrost is no longer needed. [0069] The default mode for the controller 78 with respect to the cabin heating circuit 58 may be to have the cabin heating circuit valve 88 in the first position to direct flow towards the radiator, and to have the heater 32 off, the pump 86 off. The default mode for the controller 78 with respect to cooling the cabin 18 may to be to have the refrigerant flow control valve 138 in the closed position to prevent refrigerant flow through the cabin cooling heat exchanger 48, and to have the compressor 30 off.

[0070] The controller 78 attends to the heating and cooling requirements of the battery circuit 60 when the vehicle is on-plug and is off, and when the vehicle is off-plug and is on. The controller 78 may have three cooling modes for cooling the battery circuit thermal load 96. The controller 78 determines a desired battery pack temperature based on the particular situation, and determines if a first cooling condition is met, which is whether the desired battery pack temperature is lower than the actual battery pack temperature by a first selected calibrated amount.

[0071] If the first cooling condition is met, the controller 78 determines which of the three cooling modes to operate in by determining which, if any, of the following second and third cooling conditions are met.

[0072] The second condition is whether the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 76 is lower than the desired battery pack temperature by at least a second selected calibrated amount DT2, which may, for example, be related to the expected temperature rise that would be incurred in the flow of fluid from the temperature sensor 76 to the battery circuit thermal load 96. If the second condition is met, then the controller 78 operates in a first battery circuit cooling mode, wherein the controller 78 positions the battery circuit valve 1 14 inthe first position wherein flow is generated through the battery circuit 60 from the motor circuit 56 and the controller 78 puts the refrigerant flow control valve 140 in the closed position preventing refrigerant flow through the chiller 1 12. The first battery circuit cooling mode thus uses the radiator 68 to cool the battery circuit thermal load 96 via the motor circuit 56. [0073] The third cooling condition is whether the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 76 is greater than the desired battery pack temperature by at least a third selected calibrated amount DT3, which may, for example, be related to the expected temperature drop associated with the chiller 1 12. If the third cooling condition is met, then the controller 78 operates in a second battery circuit cooling mode wherein the controller 78 positions the battery circuit valve 1 14 in the second position and turns on the pump 106 so that flow in the battery circuit 60 is isolated from flow in the motor circuit 56, and the controller 78 additionally positions the flow control valve 140 in the open position so that refrigerant flows through the chiller 1 12 to cool the flow in the battery circuit 60.

[0074] If neither the second or third cooling conditions are met, (ie. if the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 76 is greater than or equal to the desired battery pack temperature minus the second selected calibrated amount DT2 and the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 76 is less than or equal to the desired battery pack temperature plus the third selected calibrated amount DT3, then the controller 78 operates in a third battery circuit cooling mode wherein the controller 78 positions the battery circuit valve 1 14 in the first position so that flow in the battery circuit 60 is not isolated from flow in the motor circuit 56, and the controller 78 turns the chiller 1 12 on.

[0075] It will be understood that in any of the battery circuit cooling modes, the controller 78 turns the battery circuit heater 108 off.

[0076] The default state for the controller 78 when battery circuit thermal load cooling is initially requested may be to use the first battery circuit cooling mode.

[0077] The preemptive cooling mode and subsequent fourth cooling mode are particularly suited for a vehicle 12 that has only a single radiator 64. Because a single radiator 64 can be used to cool each of the motor circuit 56 and the battery circuit 60 as described above, the vehicle 12 does not require an additional radiator and may therefore be advantageously cheaper, lighter, and more efficient to operate.

[0078] The controller 78 may have three battery circuit heating modes. The controller 78 determines a desired battery circuit thermal load temperature based on the particular situation, and determines whether a first heating condition is met, which is whether the desired battery pack temperature is higher than the actual battery pack temperature by a first selected calibrated amount. If the first heating condition is met, the controller 78 determines which of the three heating modes the controller 78 will operate in by determining which, if any, of the following second and third heating conditions are met. The second heating condition is whether the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 76 is higher than the desired battery pack temperature by a second selected calibrated amount that may, for example, be related to the expected temperature drop of the fluid as the fluid flows from the temperature sensor 76 to the battery circuit thermal load 96. If the second condition is met, then the controller 78 operates in a first battery circuit heating mode, wherein the controller 78 positions the battery circuit valve 1 14 in the first position wherein flow is generated through the battery circuit 60 from the motor circuit 56 and the controller 78 turns the battery circuit heater 32 off.

[0079] The third heating condition is whether the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 76 is lower than the desired battery pack temperature by at least a third selected calibrated amount, which may, for example, be related to the expected temperature rise associated with the battery circuit heater 108. If this third heating condition is met, then the controller 78 operates in a second battery circuit heating mode wherein the controller 78 positions the battery circuit valve 1 14 in the second position and turns on the pump 106 so that flow in the battery circuit 60 is isolated from flow in the motor circuit 56, and the controller 78 additionally turns on the battery circuit heater 108 to heat the flow in the battery circuit 60. [0080] If neither the second or third conditions are met, (ie. if the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 76 is less than or equal to the desired battery pack temperature plus the second selected calibrated amount and the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 76 is greater than or equal to the desired battery pack temperature minus the third selected calibrated amount, then the controller 78 operates in a third battery circuit heating mode wherein the controller 78 positions the battery circuit valve 1 14 in the first position so that flow in the battery circuit 60 is not isolated from flow in the motor circuit 56, and the controller 78 turns the battery circuit heater 108 on.

[0081] The default state for the controller 78 when battery circuit thermal load heating is initially requested may be to use the first battery circuit heating mode.

[0082] The thermal management system 10 will enter a battery circuit heating and cooling fault mode when the vehicle is in a fault state.

[0083] When the vehicle is off-plug, the controller 78 heats the battery circuit thermal load 96 using only the first battery circuit heating mode.

[0084] The default state for the controller 78 when the vehicle is turned on is to position the battery circuit valve 1 14 in the first position so as to not generate fluid flow through the battery circuit 60.

[0085] The controller 78 may operate using several other rules in addition to the above. For example the controller 78 may position the radiator bypass valve 75 in the first position to direct fluid flow through the radiator 64 if the temperature of the fluid sensed at sensor 76 is greater than the maximum acceptable temperature for the fluid plus a selected calibrated value and the cabin heating circuit valve 88 is in the first position and the battery circuit valve 1 14 is in the first position.

[0086] The controller 78 may also position the radiator bypass valve 75 in the first position to direct fluid flow through the radiator 64 if the temperature of the fluid sensed at sensor 76 has risen to be close to the maximum acceptable temperature for the fluid plus a selected calibrated value and the cabin heating circuit valve 88 is in the second position and the battery circuit valve 1 14 is in the second position.

[0087] In the event of an emergency battery shutdown, the controller 78 will shut off the compressor 30 and will turn on the cabin heating circuit heater 32 so as to bleed any residual voltage.

[0088] The temperature of the battery pack modules 16a and 16b may be maintained above their minimum required temperatures by the controller 78 through control of the refrigerant flow control valve 140 to the chiller 1 12. The temperature of the evaporator may be maintained above a selected temperature which is a target temperature minus a calibrated value, through opening and closing of the refrigerant flow control valve 138. The speed of the compressor 30 will be adjusted based on the state of the flow control valve 140 and of the flow control valve 138. [0089] The controller 78 is programmed with the following high level objectives and strategies using the above described modes. The high level objectives include:

[0090] A. control the components related to heating and cooling of the battery circuit thermal load 96 to maintain the battery pack modules 16a and 16b and the battery charge control module 42 within the optimum temperature range during charging and vehicle operation;

[0091] B. maintain the motor 14, the transmission control system 28 and the DC/DC converter 34 at their optimum temperature ranges;

[0092] C. control the components related to heating and cooling the cabin 18 based on input from the climate control system; and

[0093] D. operate with a goal of providing a large vehicle range while meeting vehicle system requirements.

[0094] The controller 78 uses the following high level strategy on-plug: [0095] When the vehicle is on-plug and is off, the controller 78 preconditions the battery pack modules 16a and 16b if required. Pre-conditioning entails bringing the battery pack modules 16a and 16b into a temperature range wherein the battery pack modules 16a and 16b are able to charge more quickly.

[0096] The controller 78 determines the amount of power available from the electrical source for temperature control of the battery pack modules 16a and 16b, which is used to determine the maximum permitted compressor speed, maximum fan speed or the battery pack heating requirements depending on whether the battery pack modules 16a and 16b require cooling or heating. A calibratible hysteresis band will enable the battery pack temperature control to occur in a cyclic manner if the battery pack temperatures go outside of the selected limits (which are shown in Figure 3). If sufficient power is available from the electrical source, the battery pack modules 16a and 16b may be charged while simultaneously being conditioned (ie. while simultaneously being cooled or heated to remain within their selected temperature range). If the battery pack modules 16a and 16b reach their fully charged state, battery pack conditioning may continue, so as to bring the battery pack modules 16a and 16b to their selected temperature range for efficient operation.

[0097] When the vehicle is on-plug the battery circuit heater 108 may be used to bring the battery pack modules 16a and 16b up to a selected temperature range, as noted above. In one of the heating modes described above for the battery circuit 60, the battery circuit valve 1 14 is in the second position so that the flow in the battery circuit 60 is isolated from the flow in the motor circuit 56, and therefore the battery circuit heater 108 only has to heat the fluid in the battery circuit 60.

[0098] The cabin may be pre-conditioned (ie. heated or cooled while the vehicle is off) when the vehicle is on-plug and the state of charge of the battery pack modules 16a and 16b is greater than a selected value. [0099] If the vehicle is started while on-plug, the controller 78 may continue to condition the battery pack modules 16a and 16b, to cool the motor circuit thermal load 61 and use of the HVAC system 46 for both heating and cooling the cabin 18 may be carried out. [00100] When the vehicle is off-plug, battery pack heating may be achieved solely by using the heat in the fluid from the motor circuit (ie. without the need to activate the battery circuit heater 108). Thus, while the vehicle is off-plug and on and the battery pack modules 16a and 16b require heating, the battery circuit valve 1 14 may be in the first position so that the battery circuit 60 is not isolated from the motor circuit 56. Some flow may pass through the third battery circuit conduit 1 10 for flow balancing purposes, however the refrigerant flow to the chiller 1 12 is prevented while the battery pack modules 16a and 16b require heating. By using low-voltage battery circuit heaters instead of high-voltage heaters for the heaters 108, a weight- savings is achieved which thereby extends the range of the vehicle.

[00101] When the vehicle is off-plug, battery pack cooling may be achieved by isolating the battery circuit 60 from the motor circuit 56 by moving the battery circuit valve 1 14 to the second position and by opening the flow of refrigerant to the chiller 1 12 by moving the flow control valve 140 to the open position, and by running the compressor 30, as described above in one of the three cooling modes for the battery circuit 60.

[00102] It will be noted that the battery pack modules 16a and 16b may sometimes reach different temperatures during charging or vehicle operation. The controller 78 may at certain times request isolation of the battery circuit 60 from the motor circuit 56 and may operate the battery circuit pump 106 without operating the heater 108 or permitting refrigerant flow to the chiller 1 12. This will simply circulate fluid around the battery circuit 60 thereby balancing the temperatures between the battery pack modules 16a and 16b.

[00103] Reference is made to Figure 3, which shows a graph of battery pack temperature vs. time to highlight several of the rules which the controller 78 (Figure 2) follows. In situations where the vehicle is on-plug and the battery pack modules 16a and 16b are below a selected minimum charging temperature Tcmin (Figure 3), the controller 78 will heat the battery pack modules 16a and 16b prior to charging them. Once the battery pack modules 16a and 16b reach the minimum charging temperature Tcmin, some of the power from the electrical source may be used to charge the battery pack modules 16a and 16b, and some of the power from the electrical source may continue to be used to heat them. When the battery pack modules 16a and 16b reach a minimum charge only temperature Tcomin, the controller 78 may stop using power from the electrical source to heat the battery pack modules 16a and 16b and may thus use all the power from the electrical source to charge them. Tcmin may be, for example, -35 degrees Celsius and Tcomin may be, for example, -10 degrees Celsius.

[00104] While charging, the controller 78 may precondition the battery pack modules 16a and 16b for operation of the vehicle. Thus, the controller 78 may bring the battery pack modules 16a and 16b to a desired minimum operating temperature Tomin while on-plug and optionally during charging.

[00105] In situations where the vehicle is on-plug and the battery pack modules 16a and 16b are above a selected maximum charging temperature Tcmax, the controller 78 will cool the battery pack modules 16a and 16b prior to charging them. Once the battery pack modules 16a and 16b come down to the maximum charging temperature Tcmax power from the electrical source may be used to charge them, while some power may be required to operate the compressor 30 and other components in order to maintain the temperatures of the battery pack modules 16a and 16b below the temperature Tcmax. Tcmax may be, for example, 30 degrees Celsius.

[00106] The battery pack modules 16a and 16b may have a maximum operating temperature Tomax that is the same or higher than the maximum charging temperature Tcmax. As such, when the battery pack modules 16a and 16b are cooled sufficiently for charging, they are already pre-conditioned for operation. In situations where the maximum operating temperature Tomax is higher than the maximum charging temperature Tcmax, the temperatures of the battery pack modules 16a and 16b may be permitted during operation after charging to rise from the temperature Tcmax until they reach the temperature Tomax.

[00107] The maximum and minimum operating temperatures Tomax and Tomin define a selected operating range for the battery pack modules 16a and 16b. In situations where the battery pack modules 16a and 16b are below minimum operating temperature or above their maximum operating temperature, the vehicle may still be used to some degree. Within selected first ranges shown at 150 and 152 (based on the nature of the battery pack modules 16a and 16b) above and below the selected operating range the vehicle may still be driven, but the power available will be somewhat limited. Within selected second ranges shown at 154 and 156 above and below the selected first ranges 150 and 152, the vehicle may still be driven in a limp home mode, but the power available will be more severely limited. Above and below the selected second ranges, the battery pack modules 16a and 16b cannot be used. The lower first range 150 may be between about 10 degrees Celsius and about -10 degrees Celsius and the upper first range 152 may be between about 35 degrees Celsius and about 45 degrees Celsius. The lower second range 154 may be between about -10 degrees Celsius and about -35 degrees Celsius. The upper second range may be between about 45 degrees Celsius and about 50 degrees Celsius.

[00108] It will be noted that the pumps 70, 86 and 106 are variable flow rate pumps. In this way they can be used to adjust the flow rates of the heat exchange fluid through the motor circuit 56, the cabin heating circuit 58 and the battery circuit 60. By controlling the flow rate generated by the pumps 70, 86 and 106, the amount of energy expended by the thermal management system 10 can be adjusted in relation to the level of criticality of the need to change the temperature in one or more of the thermal loads.

[00109] Additionally, the compressor 30 is also capable of variable speed control so as to meet the variable demands of the HVAC system 46 and the battery circuit 60. [00110] Throughout this disclosure, the controller 78 is referred to as turning on devices (eg. the battery circuit heater 108, the chiller 1 12), turning off devices, or moving devices (eg. valve 88) between a first position and a second position. It will be noted that, in some situations, the device will already be in the position or the state desired by the controller 78, and so the controller 78 will not have to actually carry out any action on the device. For example, it may occur that the controller 78 determines that the chiller heater 108 needs to be turned on. However, the heater 108 may at that moment already be on based on a prior decision by the controller 78. In such a scenario, the controller 78 obviously does not actually 'turn on' the heater 108, even though such language is used throughout this disclosure. For the purposes of this disclosure and claims, the concepts of turning on, turning off and moving devices from one position to another are intended to include situations wherein the device is already in the state or position desired and no actual action is carried out by the controller on the device.

[00111] As can be seen in Figure 2, there are three control valves 75, 88 and 1 14 in the thermal management system. The control vlaves 75, 88 and 1 14 may be any suitable types of valves. In the embodiment shown, the valves 75, 88 and 1 14 may be diverter valves. Additionally, there are three coolant pumps shown at 70, 86 and 106. There are also many conduits that carry coolant to the various components of the thermal management system. An example of a layout with these components is shown in Figure 4. As can be seen there are many hose connections to be made, and many thermal management system components (e.g. pumps, valves, hoses) to mount to various support structures 500 such as the motor housing shown at 502 for the electric motor and a motor support frame 504 that forms part of the structural frame of the vehicle. There is at least some potential for assembly error. Additionally, such an assembly process is time consuming. Additionally, such an assembly is difficult to test until the assembly is completed, at which point if the assembly is defective added cost is incurred to deal with the defect or to scrap the assembly. [00112] By contrast, Figure 5 shows a thermal component module 550 that includes a support structure 552, and which holds all three diverter valves 75, 88 and 1 14, all three pumps 70, 86 and 106, as well as several conduits interconnecting these aforementioned components. In this embodiment, the support structure 552 is in the form of a housing 553, which includes a first housing member 554 and a second housing member 556, as shown in Figure 6. Conduit pass-through apertures shown at 558 are provided in the housing for the pass-through of conduits leading to and from various thermal management system components, such as the radiator 64, the battery pack modules 16a and 16b, the traction motor 14, the chiller 1 12 and others (see Figure 2). Additionally, although not shown in Figure 6, apertures may be provided in the housing for the pass-through of drives for the diverter valves 75, 88 and 1 14, and for the pass-through of electrical power for the pumps 70, 86 and 106. The interior of the housing is shown in Figure 7. As can be seen, internal mounting surfaces 560 are provided for the diverter valves 75, 88 and 1 14 and for the pumps 70, 86 and 106. For greater clarity, no conduits are shown in Figure 7, however, any conduits that extend between these components may be installed in place during manufacture of the module 550. [00113] For consistency with the claims, the pump 70 may be considered to be a motor-associated pump, the pump 86 may be considered to be a cabin-associated pump and the pump 106 may be considered to be a battery pack-associated pump. Similarly, the diverter valve 75 may be considered to be a motor-associated diverter valve, the diverter valve 88 may be considered to be a cabin-associated diverter valve and the diverter valve 1 14 may be considered to be a battery pack-associated diverter valve.

[00114] Providing a pre-assembled module 550 has many advantages. For example, as can be seen, there are fewer conduits that need to be connected between components, since several of the conduits are already connected up. These remaining conduits that do need to be installed connect to relatively major vehicle components, such as the traction motor, the radiator, the battery packs, the heater core, and the chiller. There is typically only one of each of these components in the vehicle, which makes these components more likely to be easily identified by vehicle assembly workers. In other words, a worker may be more likely to make an error when having to connect conduits from a particular port on one diverter valve to a particular port on another diverter valve, since the diverter valves may be more or less identical. By contrast, a worker may be less likely to make an error when having to connect from the module 550 to the radiator inlet if there is only one radiator in the vehicle. [00115] Providing a pre-assembed module 550 also permits many of the conduits to be connected before everything is mounted to the vehicle and for these connections to be hydro-tested at the module manufacturing facility, permitting the identification and correction of any leakage issues that arise before the leaking component has been mounted to the vehicle powertrain. [00116] Providing a pre-assembled module 550 is also advantageous in that the entire module 550 is mounted at once to the support structure 500 in the vehicle, thereby preventing the vehicle assembly worker from having to individually mount each pump, diverter valve and conduit.

[00117] Reference is made to Figures 8a and 8b, which shows the diverter valve 75 in more detail. As shown in Figure 8a the diverter valve 75 includes a valve housing or body 580, a valving element 582 (Figure 8b), and a drive 584. The valve body 580 may mount on an internal mounting surface 560 in the interior of the housing 553, and may connect to the drive 584 that mounts to the exterior of the housing 553 via a pass-through aperture. Providing the drive 584 on the exterior of the housing 553 may facilitate running a power cable or a power and data cable to the drive 584.

[00118] While the valve 75 is shown in Figures 8a and 8b, the valves 86 and 1 14 may be substantially identical to the valve 75.

[00119] Reference is made to Figure 9, which shows a modified version of the module 550, but with the conduits, shown at 590, installed. It will be noted that 18 separate conduit connections are shown here, saving the vehicle assembly worker from having to make them. Some of these connections are made to or from pumps, to or from diverter valves, and to or from tees. There are a plurality of each of these components, which as noted above could increase the likelihood of error during assembly if the vehicle assembly worker had to make these connections him/herself.

[00120] Reference is made to Figure 10, which shows an exploded view of another variant of the module 550. As shown in Figure 10, the support structure 552 includes a housing 592, including first and second housing portions 593 and 594, and also a carrier 596 which holds all of the diverter valves 75, 86 and 1 14 and all of the pumps 70, 86 and 106. By providing this carrier 596, all of the pumps and diverter valves can be mounted to the carrier 596 (brackets 599 are shown for use in holding the pumps in place on the carrier 596), and all of the conduits can be mounted between the pumps and diverter valves, and then the subassembly (shown at 597 in Figure 1 1 ), can be mounted into the housing with a few mechanical fasteners. This may be easier than having to mount each component individually in the housing 592, where space can become limited particularly as the final components are being mounted. [00121] Reference is made to Figure 12 which shows an alternative embodiment of the module, at 600. The module 600 includes several advantages over the module 550. The module 600 is made up of a first module member 602, a second module member 604, a gasket 606, the three pumps 70, 86 and 106, the three valving elements 582 and the three drives 584 for the diverter valves. The two module members 602 and 604 may be referred to as housing members. Thus, the valve bodies 580 for the diverter valves 75, 88 and 1 14, and all of the conduits, which are shown at 608, leading to and from the diverter valves and between the diverter valves, are formed by the module 600 members 602 and 604. These two members 602 and 604 can easily be formed by a suitable process, such as by injection molding. These members 602 and 604 can be easily joined together by mechanical fasteners, or by a suitable bond about their respective peripheral edges, shown at 610 and 612 respectively, for example, by a thermal bonding process. Mounting them together via mechanical fasteners permits them to be separated in the event that access to one of the valving elements 582 (Figure 8b) is desired (e.g. for repair or maintenance) or for access to replace the gasket 606. It will be noted that in some embodiments, a suitable seal may be achieved between the mutually engaged surfaces of the members 602 and 604 that the gasket may be omitted. Alternatively, some other sealing means may be provided so as to not use a gasket. The members 602 and 604 may be considered to be housing members, and may together form a housing with the gasket 606 (if needed), and may also together be considered a support structure.

[00122] The pumps 70, 86 and 106 may mount to the member 602, via brackets 614 and mechanical fasteners 616. The drives 584 for the valving elements 582 may mount to the exterior of the member 602 via mechanical fasteners.

[00123] By molding the members 602 and 604, a worker does not have to individually connect numerous conduits, thereby reducing the amount of time (and therefore cost) associated with the assembly of the module 600 as compared to the module 550 and as compared to having the vehicle assembly worker mount and connect the components and conduits individually. Furthermore, the module 600 can be hydro-tested, in similar manner to the module 550.

[00124] Another advantage to the module 600 is in the pressure drop associated with the conduits leading to and from and between the valves 75, 88 and 1 14. In the module 550 and in the assembly shown in Figure 4, conduits are connected to ports on the valves 75, 86 and 1 14 and to ports on tees. Each connection results in a pressure drop due to the break between the end of the conduit and the port to which the conduit is connected. Given the number of connections that are provided, the overall effect on the energy required to pump coolant through these conduits can be significant. However, the module 600 does away with many of these connections and so the pressure drop may be lower for coolant passing through this module, thereby reducing the amount of energy required to pump the coolant. Furthermore, the conduits in the assembly shown in Figure 4 and in the module 550 may themselves have large pressure drops associated therewith, due to the surface texture of the inner lining of the conduit (particularly if the conduit is a hose). Also, hose typically has a limit as to how sharply the hose can bend (a minimum bend radius). Thus, to connect two points that are near each other but are not directly facing each other a large length of hose may be required if the minimum bend radius of a hose is large. By contrast, there are no minimum bend radii applicable to the conduits integrally formed in the module members 602 and 604 and the inner surface finish of the conduits may be relatively smooth and low friction since the integrally formed conduits do not need to be flexible. These factors further contribute to a lower pressure drop through the conduits 608 formed in the module 600.

[00125] As a result of the material of manufacture (polymer), and the redued number of individual components (no need for hose clamps, tees, hose, etc) the module 600 may be lighter than the module 550 and lighter than the sum of the individual analogous components shown in the assembly in Figure 4.

[00126] The module 600 may be mounted into the vehicle in similar manner to the module 550.

[00127] Reference is made to Figures 13-15 which show a variant of the module 600 shown in Figure 12. The module 600 shown in Figures 13-15 incorporates a housing 601 that is formed from a primary member 601 a, and that incorporates cap members 601 b as needed to enclose apertures used in the forming of the primary housing member 601 a, three valves 75, 88 and 1 14, and three pumps 70, 86 and 106. The housing 601 may be less expensive to manufacture and may have a reduced likelihood of leakage than the housing formed from two housing members and a gasket, as described in the embodiment shown in Figure 12. To form the housing 601 a combination of molding using mold plates defining a mold cavity for the formation of the exterior shape and slides for the formation of at least some of the interior passages may be used. Alternatively, a blank may be formed using conventional injection molding techniques using mold plates defining a mold cavity, and the internal conduits shown at 620 and 622 may be machined out of the blank. Conduit stubs 624 may be connected to the housing 601 using o-ring seals, sonic welding or the like. In Figure 15, the valving elements are not shown but may be the elements 582 of Figures 8b.

[00128] A bracket 603 is shown in Figure 13 and may be considered to be part of the housing 601 . The bracket 603 is used to mount the pumps 70, 86 and 106 to the housing 601 , and to mount the module 600 to the vehicle.

[00129] While the above description constitutes a plurality of embodiments, it will be appreciated that these embodiments is susceptible to further modification and change without departing from the fair meaning of the accompanying claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1 . A module for a thermal management system for a vehicle with a traction motor, a battery pack and a cabin for vehicle occupants, wherein the vehicle further includes a motor-associated thermal load, a battery pack- associated thermal load and a cabin-associated heating load, comprising: a support structure having a mounting element that is configured to connect to a structural member of the vehicle;

a motor-associated pump mounted to the support structure and having a motor-associated pump inlet and a motor-associated pump outlet, wherein the motor-associated pump is fluidically connectable to the motor-associated thermal load;

a motor-associated control valve mounted to the support structure, wherein the motor-associated control valve is fluidically connectable to the motor-associated thermal load;

a cabin-associated pump mounted to the support structure and having a cabin-associated pump inlet and a cabin-associated pump outlet, wherein the cabin-associated pump is fluidically connectable to the cabin-associated thermal load; and

a cabin-associated control valve mounted to the support structure, wherein the cabin -associated control valve is fluidically connectable to the cabin -associated thermal load,

wherein at least one component selected from: the motor-associated pump, the motor-associated control valve, the cabin-associated pump and the cabin-associated control valve, is fluidically connected to at least one other component selected from: the motor-associated pump, the motor-associated control valve, the cabin-associated pump and the cabin-associated control valve.

2. A module as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a battery pack-associated pump mounted to the support structure and having a battery pack-associated pump inlet and a battery pack-associated pump outlet; and

a battery pack-associated control valve mounted to the support structure and fluidically connected to at least one of the motor-associated and cabin-associated control valves.

3. A module as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one conduit fluidically connecting the cabin-associated control valve to the motor- associated control valve, wherein the housing defines the at least one conduit.

4. A module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the housing includes a first housing member, a second housing member, wherein the first and second housing members are matable together to form the at least one conduit.

5. A module as claimed in claim 4, wherein the housing further includes a seal member positioned between the first and second housing members.

6. A module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second control valve is fluidically connected to at least one of the first and second pumps, and to the first control valve.

7. A module as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of tees fluidically connected to at least one of the first pump, the second pump and the first control valve.

8. A module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in use, the first pump is fluidically connected to the motor-associated thermal load and the second pump is connected to the cabin-associated heating load.

9. A module as claimed in claim 2, wherein in use, the first pump is fluidically connected to the motor-associated thermal load, the second pump is connected to the cabin-associated heating load, and the third pump is fluidically connected to the battery pack-associated thermal load.

10. A module as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a carrier, wherein the pumps and the control valves are mounted to the carrier and the carrier is mounted to the housing.

1 1 . A module for a thermal management system for a vehicle with a traction motor, a battery pack and a cabin for vehicle occupants, wherein the vehicle further includes a motor-associated thermal load, a battery pack- associated thermal load and a cabin-associated heating load, comprising: a housing that defines a plurality of control valve bodies and a plurality of conduits leading to and from the control valve bodies, wherein the conduits are fluidically connectable to at least one of the motor-associated thermal load, a battery pack-associated thermal load and a cabin-associated heating load; and

a valving element positioned inside each of the control valve bodies.

12. A module as claimed in claim 1 1 , wherein the housing includes a first housing member and a second housing member, wherein the first and second housing members are matable together to define the plurality of control valve bodies and to define the plurality of conduits leading to and from the control valve bodies, wherein the conduits are fluidically connectable to at least one of the motor-associated thermal load, a battery pack-associated thermal load and a cabin-associated heating load.

13. A module as claimed in claim 1 1 , further comprising a drive mounted to the exterior of the housing, wherein the drive is operatively connected to the valving element from one of the control valve bodies through the housing.

14. A module as claimed in claim 1 1 , further comprising a plurality of pumps mounted to the housing.

15. A module as claimed in claim 1 1 , wherein the housing further includes a gasket positioned between the first and second housing members.