Heat exchange arrangement and thermal management system comprising it
The integration of a resistive heating element in the heat exchanger plate of the thermal management system addresses the challenges of cost, complexity, and space constraints by simplifying the system and reducing component count.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- DE202024002517
- Authority / Receiving Office
- DE · DE
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-01-05
- Filing Date
- 2024-01-30
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-05
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-01-31
AI Technical Summary
Current thermal management systems for electric vehicles face challenges such as high cost, space constraints, and excessive complexity due to numerous components.
A heat exchange assembly with a resistive heating element integrated into the heat exchanger plate, which heats the cooling fluid within the cooling loop, reducing the need for a separate heating module and simplifying the system.
This integration reduces the number of components, lowers costs, and improves in-vehicle packaging by eliminating the need for a separate heating module.
Smart Images

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Abstract
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONSThis application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 405,073 filed January 5, 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELDThe present disclosure relates generally to thermal management systems, and more particularly to heat exchange assemblies for such thermal management systems.BACKGROUNDElectric vehicles (EVs) rely on thermal management systems to ensure optimal performance and longevity. The main components of EVs, such as the vehicle battery, the power electronics components, the electric motor, and the vehicle interior, each have optimal operating temperatures that require a thermal management system to introduce or remove heat as needed so that each component can achieve these optimal operating temperatures. For example, with current thermal management systems for EVs, the challenges are high cost, space constraints, and excessive complexity due to numerous components. Thus, a thermal management system designed to overcome one or more of the aforementioned challenges is desired.SUMMARY AND ADVANTAGESA general aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a heat exchange assembly configured to couple to a cooling loop of a vehicle for cooling an electronic component of the vehicle. The heat exchange assembly includes a heat exchange plate. The heat exchanger plate comprises a base plate and a shell. The baseplate includes a first surface configured to be in thermal communication with the electronic component and a second surface opposite the first surface. The shell is coupled to the second surface of the base plate. The shell includes a shell inner surface facing the second surface of the base plate such that a cooling chamber is defined between the shell inner surface and the second surface of the base plate, and a shell outer surface opposite the shell inner surface. The shell defines a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The fluid inlet is in fluid communication with the cooling chamber and is configured to be in fluid communication with the cooling loop of the vehicle for supplying a cooling fluid to the cooling chamber. The fluid outlet is in fluid communication with the cooling chamber and is configured to be in fluid communication with the cooling loop of the vehicle for returning the cooling fluid to the cooling loop. The heat exchange assembly also includes a resistive heating element disposed on the shell outer surface and in thermal communication with the cooling chamber for heating the cooling fluid in the cooling chamber to increase the temperature of the cooling fluid returned to the cooling loop via the fluid outlet.Another general aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a thermal management system. The thermal management system includes an electronic component. The thermal management system also includes a cooling loop for circulating a cooling fluid. The cooling loop includes a first outlet channel for supplying a cooling fluid and a first return channel for receiving the cooling fluid. The thermal management system further includes a heat exchanger plate. The heat exchanger plate comprises a base plate and a shell. The base includes a first surface in thermal communication with the electronic component and a second surface opposite the first surface. The shell is coupled to the second surface of the base plate. The shell includes a shell inner surface facing the second surface of the base plate such that a cooling chamber is defined between the shell inner surface and the second surface of the base plate, and a shell outer surface opposite the shell inner surface. The shell defines a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The fluid inlet is in fluid communication with the cooling chamber and the first outlet channel of the cooling loop for supplying the cooling fluid to the cooling chamber. The fluid outlet is in fluid communication with the cooling chamber and the first return passage of the cooling loop for returning the cooling fluid to the cooling loop. The thermal management system further includes a resistive heating element disposed on the shell outer surface and in thermal communication with the cooling chamber for heating the cooling fluid in the cooling chamber to increase the temperature of the cooling fluid returned to the cooling loop.The heat exchange assembly and thermal management system comprising the same according to the present disclosure have the advantage of eliminating the need to couple a separate heating module to the cooling loop downstream of the heat exchange plate. Instead, a resistive heating element is disposed on the heat exchange plate itself, thereby reducing the number of components in the thermal management system, reducing cost, and improving vehicle packaging.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSAdvantages of the present disclosure will become more readily apparent with a better understanding of the invention by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional illustration of a configuration of a heat exchange assembly configured to be coupled to a cooling loop of a vehicle for cooling an electronic component of the vehicle; FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another configuration of a heat exchange assembly including a heat sink; FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another configuration of a heat exchange assembly, wherein a baffle divides a cooling chamber into a first cooling chamber and a second cooling chamber; FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of still another configuration of a heat exchange assembly; FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the heat exchange assembly of FIG. 4 ; FIG. 6 is a top view of the heat exchange arrangement of FIG. 4 ; FIG. 7 is a side view of the heat exchange arrangement of FIG. 4 ; FIGS. 8A-8D are perspective cross-sectional views of various configurations of the heat exchange assembly of FIG. 6 taken through line 8-8; FIGS. 9A-9D are detailed views of the respective perspective cross-sectional view of FIGS. 8A-8D; FIGS. 10A-10D are schematic cross-sectional partial views of various configurations of the heat exchange assembly of FIG. 7 taken through line 10- 10 and including an arrow generally indicating the flow of cooling fluid through the heat exchange assembly; FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional illustration of a thermal management system including a cooling loop and a heat exchange assembly coupled to the cooling loop for cooling an electronic component; FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the thermal management system of FIG. 11 wherein a gate divides a cooling chamber into a first cooling chamber and a second cooling chamber; FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional illustration of the thermal management system of FIG. 11 further including a second component downstream of the cooling loop; FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the thermal management system of FIG. 13, wherein a gate divides a cooling chamber into a first cooling chamber and a second cooling chamber.DETAILED DESCRIPTIONReferring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to identify similar or identical components throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates a heat exchange assembly 20. The heat exchange assembly 20 is configured to couple to a cooling loop 22 of a vehicle for cooling an electronic component 24 of the vehicle. The cooling loop 22 may be an array of cooling passages disposed in the vehicle and configured to circulate a cooling fluid to various components of the vehicle to manage the temperature of those components. The cooling fluid may be any suitable cooling fluid for the application, such as water, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and the like. In some examples, the electronic component 24 may be a power electronic component for distributing and / or converting electrical energy in the vehicle (e.g., for energizing a compressor, electric motor, inverter, or the like in the vehicle). In these examples, the power electronics component may be a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), or the like. It should be appreciated that other electronic components 24 are contemplated, such as electronic components associated with the vehicle power electronic components, switches, inductors, capacitors, resistors, inverters, transformers, electric motors, batteries, central processing units (CPUs), graphics processors (GPUs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and the like, or combinations thereof. In other words, the heat exchange assembly 20 may cool any electronic components 24 of the vehicle where temperature regulation is desirable.Referring to FIG. 1, the heat exchange assembly 20 includes a heat exchange plate 26. the heat exchange plate 26 includes a base plate 28 and a shell 30. the base plate 28 includes a first surface 28A configured to be in thermal communication with the electronic component 24 and a second surface 28B opposite the first surface 28A. The shell 30 is coupled to the second surface 28B of the base plate 28. The shell 30 includes a shell inner surface 30A facing the second surface 28B of the base plate 28 such that a cooling chamber 32 is defined between the shell inner surface 30A and the second surface 28B of the base plate 28, and a shell outer surface 30B opposite the shell inner surface 30A. In some examples, the base plate 28 and the shell 30 are composed of an aluminum alloy. An exemplary aluminum alloy is TRILLIUM® sold by Ranges AB, but other suitable aluminum alloys are contemplated. Moreover, in some examples, the shell 30 is soldered to the second surface 28B of the base plate 28. However, other configurations are also contemplated for coupling the shell 30 to the base plate 28, such as welding, fasteners, and the like.With continued reference to FIG. 1, the shell 30 defines a fluid inlet 34 and a fluid outlet 36. The fluid outlet 36 is in fluid communication with the cooling chamber 32 and is configured to be in fluid communication with the cooling loop 22 of the vehicle for returning the cooling fluid to the cooling loop 22. In some examples, a first pin 38 is disposed in the fluid inlet 34 for coupling the fluid inlet 34 to the cooling loop 22. Similarly, a second pin 40 may be disposed in the fluid outlet 36 for coupling the fluid outlet 36 to the cooling loop 22.With continued reference to FIG. 1, the heat exchange assembly 20 also includes a resistive heating element 42 disposed on the shell outer surface 30B and in thermal communication with the cooling chamber 32 for heating the cooling fluid in the cooling chamber 32 to increase the temperature of the cooling fluid returned to the cooling loop 22 via the fluid outlet 36. The resistive heating element 42 may include a conductive layer 44 disposed on the shell outer surface 30B and having a resistance to generate heat in response to energization to heat the cooling fluid in the cooling chamber 32. The conductive layer 44 may be disposed on the shell outer surface 30B via an additive manufacturing process. For example, the conductive layer 44 may include a thermal spray coating or printed circuit. As best shown in FIG. 4, in some examples, the heat exchange assembly 20 further includes a terminal assembly 46 disposed in electrical communication with the resistive heating element 42 for energizing the resistive heating element 42 to generate heat. Other configurations for energizing resistive heating element 42 are contemplated.Various configurations are contemplated for placing the first surface 28A in thermal communication with the electronic component 24. For example, as shown schematically in FIG. 1, the first surface 28A may be configured to directly contact the electronic component 24. In other examples, referring to FIG. 2, the heat exchange assembly 20 may further include a heat sink 48 coupled to the first surface 28A of the base plate 28. The heat sink 48 may be configured to couple to the electronic component 24 such that the base plate 28 is in thermal communication with the electronic component 24. The heat sink 48 may comprise copper, but other materials having suitable heat transfer properties are also contemplated.Referring to FIG. 3, in some examples, the shell inner surface 30A further defines a gate 50 that divides the cooling chamber 32 into a first cooling chamber 32A and a second cooling chamber 32B. The first cooling chamber 32A may be in fluid communication with the fluid inlet 34 and configured to be in thermal communication with the electronic component 24. The second cooling chamber 32B may be in fluid communication with the first cooling chamber 32A and the fluid outlet 36 and in thermal communication with the resistive heating element 42. Accordingly, as generally illustrated by arrow 52 in FIG. 3, the heat exchanger plate 26 may be configured such that the cooling fluid flows sequentially i) from the cooling loop 22 and through the fluid inlet 34 to the first cooling chamber 32A for cooling the electronic component 24, ii) from the first cooling chamber 32A to the second cooling chamber 32B such that the resistive heating element 42 increases the temperature of the cooling fluid, and iii) from the second cooling chamber 32B and through the fluid outlet 36 for returning the cooling fluid to the cooling loop 22.Figure 4-10D shows an exemplary configuration of the heat exchange assembly 20. Here, the shell 30 defines the fluid inlet 34 at one end of the shell 30 and the fluid outlet 36 at another end of the shell 30, such that the cooling fluid flows in the cooling chamber 32 from the fluid inlet 34 to the fluid outlet 36. Although not shown in FIGS. 4-10D, it should be appreciated that the shell 30 may define a dent 54 that defines the orifice 50 for dividing the cooling chamber into a first cooling chamber 32A and a second cooling chamber 32B, as described above. For example, the dent or dents 54 may extend to the base plate 28 and abut the base plate 28 to define the first cooling chamber 32A on one side of the dent(s) 54 and the second cooling chamber 32B on the other side of the dent(s) 54. As will be described in more detail below, the shell 30 may also define another indentation 54 for directing the flow of cooling fluid within the cooling chamber 32.With continued reference to FIGS. 4-10D, the resistive heating element 42 of the illustrated configuration is disposed on the shell outer surface 30B and is in thermal communication with the cooling chamber 32 for heating the cooling fluid in the cooling chamber 32 to increase the temperature of the cooling fluid returned to the cooling loop 22 via the fluid outlet 36. In some configurations, the heat exchange assembly 20 also includes an isolation layer 55 disposed on the resistive heating element 42 to prevent the flow of waste heat away from the heat exchange assembly 20. It will be appreciated that in some configurations, where the baseplate 28 is configured to be disposed in thermal communication with the electronic component or components 24, the insulation layer 55 defines voids to allow heat to escape from these regions. For example, FIGS. 4-10D illustrate four void regions 55A, 55B, 55C, and 55D of the insulation layer 55 corresponding to the regions of the baseplate 28 where the baseplate 28 is configured to be disposed in thermal communication with the electronic components 24. The configuration shown also shows the terminal arrangement 46 for energizing the resistive heating element 42 disposed on the shell outer surface 30B, but other configurations are contemplated.As best shown in the exploded view of FIG. 5, in some examples, the heat exchange assembly 20 further includes a plurality of fins 56 disposed in the cooling chamber 32. Referring to FIGS. 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D, as generally indicated by arrow 58, the plurality of fins 56 may be arranged to distribute the cooling fluid flow in the cooling chamber 32. The plurality of ribs 56 may comprise a similar or different material to the base plate 28 and the shell 30.Various configurations of the plurality of ribs 56 are contemplated. In some examples, as best shown in FIGS. 8A, 9A, and 10A, the plurality of ribs 56 extend from the second surface 28B of the base plate 28 to the shell inner surface 30A. However, in some examples, it may be desirable to limit heat transfer between the resistive heating element 42 and the region or regions of the baseplate 28 where the baseplate 28 is configured to be disposed in thermal communication with the electronic component or components 24. Accordingly, the cooling chamber 32 may at least partially not include a plurality of fins 56 in a region or regions of the cooling chamber 32 that are aligned with a region or regions of the base plate 28 in which the base plate 28 is configured to be disposed in thermal communication with the electronic component 24. In one example, referring to FIGS. 8B, 9B, and 10B, the cooling chamber 32 does not include a plurality of fins 56 in the region or regions of the cooling chamber 32 that are aligned with the region or regions of the base plate 28 in which the base plate 28 is configured to be disposed in thermal communication with the electronic component or components 24 to limit heat transfer therebetween. In another example, with reference to FIGS. 8C, 9C, and 10C, the plurality of ribs 56 only extend partially between the second surface 28B of the base plate 28 to the shell inner surface 30A (indicated in phantom in FIG. 10D ) to limit heat transfer therebetween. In yet another example, with reference to FIGS. 8D, 9D, and 10D, the shell 30 defines one or more indentations 54, each of the indentation(s) 54 respectively extending into the region or regions of the cooling chamber 32 that are aligned with the region or regions of the base plate 28 in which the base plate 28 is configured to be disposed in thermal communication with the electronic component or components 24. In this configuration, the dimples 54 change the pressure of the cooling fluid flowing through the cooling chamber 32 in the area or areas of the base plate 28 in which the base plate 28 is configured to be disposed in thermal communication with the electronic component or components 24 to achieve the desired flow of the cooling fluid flowing through the cooling chamber 32. Other configurations are contemplated for distributing the flow of cooling fluid within the second cooling chamber 32B.Referring to FIGS. 11-14, another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a thermal management system 18. the thermal management system 18 includes the electronic component 24 as described above. The thermal management system 18 also includes the cooling loop 22 for circulating a cooling fluid as described above. Here, the cooling loop 22 comprises at least a first outlet channel 22A for supplying a cooling fluid and a first return channel 22B for receiving the cooling fluid. The thermal management system 18 further includes the heat exchange assembly 20 as shown and described above. It should be appreciated that the heat exchange assembly 20 of the thermal management system 18 may have any configuration described above in connection with FIGS. 1-10D. The thermal management system 18 includes the heat exchanger plate 26 as shown and described above. Here, the first surface 28A of the base plate 28 is disposed in thermal communication with the electronic component 24 (e.g., via the heat sink 48 disposed between the first surface 28A of the base plate 28 and the electronic component 24, as shown and described above in connection with FIG. 2 ). Moreover, the fluid inlet 34 is in fluid communication with the cooling chamber 32 and the first outlet channel 22A of the cooling loop 22 for supplying the cooling fluid to the cooling chamber 32. The fluid outlet 36 is in fluid communication with the cooling chamber 32 and the first return passage 22B of the cooling loop 22 for returning the cooling fluid to the cooling loop 22. The thermal management system 18 further includes the resistive heating element 42 disposed on the shell outer surface 30B and in thermal communication with the cooling chamber 32 for heating the cooling fluid in the cooling chamber 32 to increase the temperature of the cooling fluid returned to the cooling loop 22.Referring to FIG. 12, it should be appreciated that the shell inner surface 30A may define the orifice 50 that divides the cooling chamber 32 into the first cooling chamber 32A and the second cooling chamber 32B, as shown and described above in connection with FIG. 3. Accordingly, as generally indicated by arrow 60 in FIG. 12, the heat exchanger plate 26 of the thermal management system 18 may be configured such that the cooling fluid flows sequentially i) from the first outlet passage 22A of the cooling loop 22 and through the fluid inlet 34 to the first cooling chamber 32A for cooling the electronic component 24, ii) from the first cooling chamber 32A to the second cooling chamber 32B such that the resistive heating element 42 increases the temperature of the cooling fluid, and iii) from the second cooling chamber 32B and through the fluid outlet 36 and to the first return passage 22B of the cooling loop 22 for returning the cooling fluid to the cooling loop 22.Referring to FIG. 13, in some examples, the cooling loop 22 further includes a second outlet channel 22C. The second outlet channel 22C is located in the cooling loop 22 downstream of the first return channel 22B. The second outlet channel 22C is in thermal communication with a second component for heating the second component 62. In other words, the thermal management system 18 may be configured to remove heat from the electronic component 24 and release the heat to the second component 62. Referring to FIG. 14, in examples where the orifice 50 divides the cooling chamber 32 into the first cooling chamber 32A and the second cooling chamber 32B, as generally indicated by the arrow 64, the heat exchange plate 26 of the thermal management system 18 is configured such that the cooling fluid sequentially increases i) from the first outlet passage 22A of the cooling loop 22 and through the fluid inlet 34 to the first cooling chamber 32A for cooling the electronic component 24, ii) from the first cooling chamber 32A to the second cooling chamber 32B such that the resistive heating element 42 increases the temperature of the cooling fluid, iii) from the second cooling chamber 32B and through the fluid outlet 36 and to the first return channel 22B of the cooling loop 22 for returning the cooling fluid to the cooling loop 22 and iv) to the second outlet channel 22C of the cooling loop 22 for heating the second component 62.The second component 62 may be any component where application of heat to the component is desirable. For example, the second component 62 may be a vehicle battery or a vehicle interior heat exchanger. In these examples, during operation of an electric vehicle, particularly during a starting operation of the electric vehicle where the electric vehicle is exposed to relatively cold ambient temperatures, it is desirable to heat the vehicle battery and / or the vehicle interior to a desired operating temperature via a vehicle interior heat exchanger. However, it is also desirable to cool the electronic component 24 of the vehicle at the same time. Accordingly, by positioning the heat exchange assembly 20 of the present disclosure upstream of the second component 62 in the cooling loop 22 through the heat exchange assembly 20, heat is dissipated from the electronic component 24 by the flow of the cooling fluid through the heat exchange plate 26, and the resistive heating element 42 continues to heat the cooling fluid before being supplied to the second component 62 to improve heating of the second component 62. This arrangement has the advantage of eliminating the need for a separate heating module in the thermal management system 18. Instead, the resistive heating element 42 is disposed on the heat exchange plate 26, thereby reducing the number of components in the thermal management system 18, reducing cost, and improving in-vehicle component packaging.In the foregoing description, several embodiments have been described. However, the embodiments described herein are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to any particular embodiment. The terminology used is intended to be in the nature of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings and the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.In addition to those already mentioned herein, various additional modifications and changes may be made to the above-described embodiments. This disclosure is presented for purposes of illustration and should not be interpreted as an exhaustive description of all embodiments or limiting the scope of the claims to the specific elements shown or described in connection with these embodiments. For example, and without limitation, any single element or elements of the described embodiments may be replaced with alternative elements that provide substantially the same functionality or otherwise provide appropriate functionality. This includes, for example, already known alternative elements such as those currently known to a person skilled in the art and alternative elements that may be developed in the future such as those that a person skilled in the art would grasp as an alternative after development thereof. Any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example when using the articles "a / e", "the / s" or "this / this" is not intended to be construed as limiting the element to the singular. Further, it is understood that the terms "include", "includes", and "include" have the same meaning as the terms "comprise", "comprises", and "comprising".References included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedUS 18 / 405,073
[0001]
Claims
A heat exchange assembly configured to be coupled to a cooling loop of a vehicle for cooling an electronic component of the vehicle, the heat exchange assembly comprising: a heat exchange plate comprising: a base plate comprising a first surface configured to be in thermal communication with the electronic component and a second surface opposite the first surface; and a shell coupled to the second surface of the base plate, the shell comprising a shell inner surface facing the second surface of the base plate such that a cooling chamber is defined between the shell inner surface and the second surface of the base plate and a shell outer surface opposite the shell inner surface; wherein the shell defines a fluid inlet in fluid communication with the cooling chamber and configured to be in fluid communication with the cooling loop of the vehicle for supplying a cooling fluid to the cooling chamber and a fluid outlet in fluid communication with the cooling chamber and configured to be in fluid communication with the cooling loop of the vehicle for returning the cooling fluid to the cooling loop; and a resistive heating element disposed on the shell outer surface and in heat communication with the cooling chamber for heating the cooling fluid in the cooling chamber to increase the temperature of the cooling fluid returned to the cooling loop via the fluid outlet.The heat exchange assembly of claim 1, wherein the resistive heating element comprises a conductive layer disposed on the shell outer surface and having a resistance to generate heat in response to energization to heat the cooling fluid in the cooling chamber.The heat exchange assembly of claim 2, wherein the conductive layer comprises a thermal spray coating or a printed circuit board.The heat exchange assembly of any preceding claim, further comprising a plurality of fins disposed in the cooling chamber to distribute the cooling fluid flow in the cooling chamber.The heat exchange assembly of claim 4, wherein the cooling chamber at least partially does not include a plurality of fins in a region of the cooling chamber that is aligned with a region of the base plate where the base plate is configured to be in thermal communication with the electronic component.The heat exchange assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the shell inner surface further defines a diaphragm that divides the cooling chamber into: a first cooling chamber in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and configured to be in thermal communication with the electronic component; and a second cooling chamber in fluid communication with the first cooling chamber and the fluid outlet and in thermal communication with the resistive heating element.The heat exchange assembly of claim 6, wherein the heat exchange plate is configured such that the cooling fluid flows sequentially i) from the cooling loop and through the fluid inlet to the first cooling chamber for cooling the electronic component, ii) from the first cooling chamber to the second cooling chamber such that the resistive heating element increases the temperature of the cooling fluid, and iii) from the second cooling chamber and through the fluid outlet for returning the cooling fluid to the cooling loop.The heat exchange assembly of any preceding claim, further comprising a heat sink coupled to the first surface of the base plate and configured to be coupled to the electronic component such that the base plate is in thermal communication with the electronic component.A heat exchange assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the base plate and the shell comprise an aluminium alloy.The heat exchange assembly of claim 9, wherein the shell is soldered to the second surface of the base plate.A thermal management system comprising: an electronic component; a cooling loop for circulating a cooling fluid, the cooling loop comprising a first outlet channel for supplying a cooling fluid and a first return channel for receiving the cooling fluid; a heat exchanger plate comprising: a base plate comprising a first surface in thermal communication with the electronic component and a second surface opposite the first surface; and a shell coupled to the second surface of the base plate, the shell comprising a shell inner surface facing the second surface of the base plate such that a cooling chamber is defined between the shell inner surface and the second surface of the base plate and a shell outer surface opposite the shell inner surface; wherein the shell defines a fluid inlet in fluid communication with the cooling chamber and the first outlet channel of the cooling loop for supplying the cooling fluid to the cooling chamber and a fluid outlet in fluid communication with the cooling chamber and the first return channel of the cooling loop for returning the cooling fluid to the cooling loop; and a resistive heating element disposed on the shell outer surface and in heat communication with the cooling chamber for heating the cooling fluid in the cooling chamber to increase the temperature of the cooling fluid returned to the cooling loop.The thermal management system of claim 11, wherein the shell inner surface further defines a diaphragm that divides the cooling chamber into: a first cooling chamber in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and in thermal communication with the electronic component; and a second cooling chamber in fluid communication with the first cooling chamber and the fluid outlet and in thermal communication with the resistive heating element.The thermal management system of claim 12, wherein the heat exchanger plate is configured such that the cooling fluid flows sequentially i) from the first outlet channel of the cooling loop and through the fluid inlet to the first cooling chamber for cooling the electronic component, ii) from the first cooling chamber to the second cooling chamber such that the resistive heating element increases the temperature of the cooling fluid, and iii) from the second cooling chamber and through the fluid outlet and to the first return channel of the cooling loop for returning the cooling fluid to the cooling loop.The thermal management system of any of claims 11 to 13, wherein the cooling loop further comprises a second outlet duct downstream of the first return duct, the second outlet duct being in thermal communication with a second component for heating the second component.The thermal management system of claim 14, wherein the second component is a vehicle battery or a vehicle interior heat exchanger.The thermal management system of claim 13 and any of claims 14 or 15, wherein the heat exchanger plate is further configured such that the cooling fluid further flows sequentially iv) to the second outlet channel of the cooling loop for heating the second component.The thermal management system of any preceding claim, wherein the resistive heating element comprises a conductive layer disposed on the shell outer surface and having a resistance to generate heat in response to energization to heat the cooling fluid in the cooling chamber.The thermal management system of claim 17, wherein the conductive layer comprises a thermal spray coating or a printed circuit.The thermal management system of any preceding claim, further comprising a heat sink disposed between the first surface of the base plate and the electronic component to place the base plate in thermal communication with the electronic component.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
US-PATENTANMELDUNGNR.18/405,073