Hybrid Heat Transfer Assembly
The hybrid heat transfer assembly efficiently manages heat loads in large equipment by utilizing a radiator for primary cooling and a refrigerant cooler for supplementary cooling, optimizing energy use and reducing costs through controlled operation.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024572276
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-06-06
- Filing Date
- 2023-06-05
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-19
Smart Images

Figure 2025518902000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] (Cross - Reference to Related Applications) This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 832,980, filed on June 6, 2022, the content of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety for any and all non - limiting purposes.
[0002] Aspects of the present invention generally relate to hybrid heat transfer assemblies for large equipment, and more particularly to hybrid heat transfer assemblies for large equipment including a radiator and a refrigerant cooling assembly or cooling device.
Background Art
[0003] Heavy - duty equipment can include operating equipment such as internal combustion engines, batteries, and fuel cells. Such heat loads may require cooling, which is often provided by a radiator. The operating equipment may also require heating in certain situations.
[0004] It is desirable to provide a hybrid heat transfer assembly for heavy - duty equipment that is efficient, low - cost, can provide sufficient cooling for high cooling loads, and can provide sufficient heating when needed. Specific objectives and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art, i.e., those with skill or experience in this area of technology, upon consideration of the following disclosure of the invention and the detailed description of specific embodiments.
Summary of the Invention
[0005] Aspects of the present invention can be advantageously used to provide a hybrid heat transfer assembly for large equipment having both a radiator and a cooling device. The hybrid heat transfer assembly can use one or both of the radiator and the cooler to most efficiently address the heat load requirements of the operating equipment. The radiator can operate using less power than the cooling device, and thus, using the radiator to provide cooling and supplementing the cooling provided by the cooling device with radiator cooling can be more cost-effective and energy-efficient. Thus, in some embodiments, the radiator may be sufficient to provide all of the cooling required for the heat load of the operating equipment. In other embodiments, the cooler may be used to supplement the cooling provided by the radiator. The controller may be configured to control the operation of the radiator and the cooler to use the most efficient means of cooling the heat load generated by the operating equipment.
[0006] According to a first aspect, a hybrid heat transfer assembly includes an operating device having a coolant loop including a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet. The radiator has a radiator inlet connected to the coolant outlet and a radiator outlet connected to the coolant inlet. A radiator fan proximate to the radiator directs air across the radiator. The cooler includes an evaporator having an evaporator inlet connected to the coolant outlet and an evaporator outlet connected to the coolant inlet. A compressor is connected to the evaporator, a condenser is connected to the compressor, and an expansion valve is connected to the condenser and the evaporator. A refrigerant loop connects the evaporator and the compressor, the condenser and the compressor, and the expansion valve to the condenser and the evaporator. A condenser fan proximate to the condenser directs air across the condenser.
[0007] According to another aspect, the hybrid heat transfer assembly includes operating equipment having a coolant loop including a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet. The radiator has a radiator inlet and a radiator outlet, and the radiator inlet is connected to the coolant outlet. The radiator fan is proximate to the radiator and configured to direct air across the radiator. The cooler includes an evaporator having an evaporator inlet connected to the radiator outlet and an evaporator outlet connected to the coolant inlet. A compressor is connected to the evaporator, and a condenser is connected to the compressor. The expansion valve is connected to the condenser and the evaporator. The refrigerant loop connects the evaporator to the compressor, connects the condenser to the compressor, and connects the expansion valve to the condenser and the evaporator. The condenser fan is proximate to the condenser and configured to direct air across the condenser. A temperature sensor is disposed within the coolant loop between the evaporator outlet and the coolant inlet. A controller is operably connected to the temperature sensor and the compressor and configured to control the operation of the compressor.
[0008] According to a further aspect, the hybrid heat transfer assembly includes operating equipment having a coolant loop including a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet. The radiator has a radiator inlet connected to the coolant outlet, a radiator valve configured to control the flow of coolant through the radiator, and a radiator outlet connected to the coolant inlet. The radiator fan is proximate to the radiator and is configured to direct air across the radiator. The cooler includes an evaporator having an evaporator inlet connected to the coolant outlet, an evaporator valve configured to control the flow of coolant through the evaporator, and an evaporator outlet connected to the coolant inlet. A compressor is connected to the evaporator and a condenser is connected to the compressor. The expansion valve is connected to the condenser and the evaporator. The refrigerant loop connects the evaporator to the compressor, connects the condenser to the compressor, and connects the expansion valve to the condenser and the evaporator. The condenser fan is proximate to the condenser and is configured to direct air across the condenser. The heater has a heater inlet connected to the coolant outlet, a heater flow valve configured to control the flow of coolant through the heater, and a heater outlet connected to the coolant inlet. The temperature sensor is disposed within the coolant loop between the evaporator outlet and the coolant inlet. The controller is operably connected to one or more of the temperature sensor, the compressor, the radiator valve, the evaporator valve, the fan, the heater, and the heater flow valve. The controller is configured to control the operation of one or more of the compressor, the radiator valve, the evaporator valve, the fan, the heater, and the heater flow valve.
[0009] From the foregoing disclosure, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, i.e., those with skill or experience in this technical field, that the preferred embodiments of the hybrid heat transfer assembly provide significant technological advancements from the perspective of energy-efficient heat transfer. These and additional features and advantages will be further understood from the following detailed disclosure of specific preferred embodiments.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0010]
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
[0011] It should be understood that the above-described drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and provide a representation of a hybrid heat transfer assembly that illustrates the relevant principles. Some features of the hybrid heat transfer assembly shown in the drawings are enlarged or distorted relative to others for ease of explanation and understanding. The same reference numbers are used in the drawings for similar or identical components and features shown in various alternative embodiments. The hybrid heat management assemblies disclosed herein have configurations and components that are partially determined by the intended uses and environments in which they are used.
[0012] The present invention can be implemented in various forms. One embodiment of a hybrid heat transfer assembly 10 for heavy-duty equipment is shown in FIG. 1. For convenience, the terms "upper" and "lower" and "upper side" and "lower side" are used herein to distinguish the upper and lower ends of the hybrid heat transfer assembly 10 from specific components of the assembly. It should be understood that "up" and "down" and "upper" and "lower" are used only for ease of explanation and understanding and are not intended to limit the possible spatial orientations of the cooling assembly or its components during assembly or use.
[0013] As used herein, the term "substantially" means mostly or nearly the same within the scope of practical commercial engineering purposes, costs, manufacturing tolerances, and capacity constraints in the field of manufacturing and using large equipment thermal management assemblies. Similarly, the term "about" as used herein means near or in the vicinity of a particular value within the scope of practical commercial engineering purposes, costs, manufacturing tolerances, and capacity constraints in the field of manufacturing and using high-load equipment thermal management assemblies.
[0014] Hybrid heat transfer assembly 10 may be configured to provide cooling to operating device 12 of a heavy-duty device. Operating device 12 can take various forms. For example, operating device 12 may be an internal combustion engine, a battery, or a fuel cell used to power a heavy-duty device such as a large mining haul truck, a generator, an excavator, or any other type of mobile or stationary device. Considering the benefits of the present disclosure, other types of operating devices will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
[0015] Hybrid heat transfer assembly 10 can include a coolant loop 14 configured to extract heat generated by operating device 12. Coolant loop 14 can include one or more pipes 15 that can carry a coolant, such as a liquid, throughout hybrid heat transfer assembly 10. Pipe 15 can be a rubber hose, a metal pipe, or any type of conduit suitable for carrying a heated coolant throughout hybrid heat transfer assembly 10. The appropriate form of pipe 15 will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art considering the benefits of the present disclosure.
[0016] The coolant passing through coolant loop 14 is heated by operating device 12, then cooled by the components of hybrid heat transfer assembly 10, and then can be returned to operating device 12 to absorb heat again. In certain embodiments, the coolant within coolant loop 14 may be water, or a mixture of water and antifreeze, deionized water, or a dielectric coolant. Other suitable coolants for coolant loop 14 will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the benefits of the present disclosure.
[0017] Coolant loop 14 can include a coolant fluid outlet 16 that directs coolant from operating device 12 to the components of hybrid heat transfer assembly 10 to be cooled. Coolant loop 14 can also include a coolant fluid inlet 18 that returns the coolant cooled by the components of hybrid heat transfer assembly 10 to operating device 12.
[0018] Radiator 20 can include a radiator inlet 22 connected to coolant fluid outlet 16 of operating device 12 by a pipe 15 of coolant loop 14. Radiator 20 can also include a radiator outlet 24. The coolant flowing out through coolant fluid outlet 16 of operating device 12 can then pass through radiator 20, which can cool the heated coolant. A radiator fan 26 can be disposed proximate to radiator 20 and can direct air across radiator 20 to cool the heated coolant passing through radiator 20 in a known manner. Radiator 20 may be a fin-and-tube radiator, a bar-and-plate radiator, or a removable tube radiator. Other suitable radiator types will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the benefits of the present disclosure.
[0019] Hybrid heat transfer assembly 10 may also include a refrigerant cooling assembly 28, or cooler, which can serve to provide additional cooling to coolant loop 14. Cooler 28 can include a refrigerant loop 30 configured to extract heat generated by operating equipment 12. Refrigerant loop 30 can include one or more pipes 32 that can carry refrigerant throughout cooler 28. The refrigerant passing through refrigerant loop 30 may be R-134A, R-410A, or R-513A. Other suitable refrigerants will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the present disclosure.
[0020] Pipe 32 may be a rubber hose, a metal pipe, or any type of conduit suitable for carrying refrigerant throughout cooler 28. Other suitable forms of pipe 32 will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the present disclosure.
[0021] Chiller 28 can act as a pump for compressing the refrigerant gas, thereby including a compressor 34 that creates a pressure differential to drive the refrigerant around refrigerant loop 30 in a continuous cycle. The compressed refrigerant exiting compressor 34 can then be sent through pipe 32 to condenser 36, which can cool the refrigerant gas and condense it into a liquid. A condenser fan 37 can be disposed proximate to condenser 36, and air can be directed across condenser 36 to cool the heated refrigerant passing through condenser 36 in a known manner.
[0022] In the illustrated embodiment, a radiator fan 26 and a separate condenser fan 37 are shown. It should be understood that in certain embodiments, a single fan can be configured to direct air across both radiator 20 and condenser 36. In other embodiments, two or more fans can be configured to direct air across either or both of radiator 20 and condenser 36.
[0023] Next, the liquid can pass from the condenser 36 through the pipe 32 to the expansion valve 38, where the pressure is removed from the liquid refrigerant, allowing the refrigerant to expand into a lower pressure liquid or saturated mixture.
[0024] Next, the low-pressure refrigerant can pass through the pipe 32 to the evaporator 40 which can have an evaporator inlet 42 and an evaporator outlet 44. The coolant exiting the radiator 20 through the radiator outlet 24 can pass through the pipe 15 of the coolant loop 14 that enters and exits the evaporator 40 through the evaporator inlet 42 and outlet 44 respectively.
[0025] The evaporator 40 serves to absorb heat from the refrigerant, warming and evaporating the refrigerant passing through the evaporator 40. The superheated gas is then sent through the pipe 32 to the compressor 34, and then the process within the refrigerant loop 30 is repeated. Thus, the evaporator 40 acts as a heat exchanger that absorbs heat from the coolant and transfers the heat to the refrigerant.
[0026] In such an embodiment, the radiator 20 and the evaporator 40 are connected in series such that the coolant that absorbs heat from the operating device 12 is first cooled by the radiator 20 and then additional cooling can be provided by the cooler 28. This is advantageous as the radiator 20 requires less power to operate than the chiller 28, which can increase the efficiency of the operating device 12 of the heavy-duty equipment and reduce costs.
[0027] In certain embodiments, a temperature sensor 46 can be disposed within the coolant loop 14 to monitor the temperature of the coolant. In the illustrated embodiment, the temperature sensor 46 is disposed downstream of the evaporator 40 and upstream of the operating device 12. In certain embodiments, the temperature sensor 46 can be a thermostat, a thermocouple, or a resistance temperature detector (an “RTD”). The temperature sensor 46 can send a signal via wiring 47 to a controller 48 operably connected to the compressor 34. The controller 48 can be configured to send a signal through the wiring 47 to control the operation of the compressor 34. The controller 48 can also be configured to control the operation of the radiator fan 26 and the condenser fan 37.
[0028] In certain embodiments, the controller 48 can be configured to simply turn on and off any one of the compressor 34, the radiator fan 26, and the condenser fan 37. In other embodiments, the controller 48 can be configured to provide variable speed control of any one of the compressor 34, the radiator fan 26, and the condenser fan 37, thereby providing more control over the cooling capacity of the cooler 28. In certain embodiments, the controller 48 can utilize variable frequency drive (a “VFD”) control for one or more of the radiator fan 26, the condenser fan 37, and the compressor 34 to conserve power.
[0029] In certain embodiments, the temperature sensor 46 can be disposed within the coolant loop 14 downstream of the radiator outlet 24 and upstream of the evaporator inlet 42. It should be understood that in other embodiments, the temperature sensor 46 can be disposed at other locations within the coolant loop 14. In certain embodiments, the temperature sensor 46 can be disposed directly on a portion of a large device such as a battery or a fuel cell, for example, to directly monitor the temperature of these devices. Other suitable locations for the temperature sensor 46 will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the benefits of the present disclosure.
[0030] The controller 48 may be a programmable logic controller (“PLC”), a controller area network (“CAN”) bus, or any other type of computer such as a personal computer suitable for controlling the operation of the chiller 28. Other types of controllers will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the benefits of this disclosure.
[0031] In certain embodiments, the controller 48 can be operative to close a solenoid valve (not shown) in the refrigerant loop when the coolant reaches a sufficiently low temperature in a known manner. This can then cause all of the refrigerant to be pumped to the condenser 39. Pumping the refrigerant to the condenser 39 reduces the pressure within the refrigerant loop 30, which in turn triggers a low-pressure switch (not shown) near the evaporator 40, thereby shutting off power to the compressor 34. When the coolant temperature subsequently rises above a predetermined level, the controller 48 can open the solenoid valve, restore the pressure to the refrigerant loop, and be operative to turn the compressor 34 back on.
[0032] Another embodiment of the hybrid heat transfer assembly 10 is shown in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, the radiator 20 and the evaporator 40 are connected in parallel. In such an embodiment, cooling for operating the device 12 can be provided by the radiator 20 only, by the chiller 28 only, or by both the radiator 20 and the chiller 28.
[0033] In this embodiment, the radiator outlet 24 is directly connected to the cooling fluid inlet 18 of the operating device 12 via the pipe 15. The evaporator inlet 42 is directly connected to the cooling fluid outlet 16 of the operating device 12 via the pipe 15.
[0034] The radiator flow valve 50 may be disposed within the pipe 15 proximate to the radiator 20 to control the flow of coolant through the radiator 20. As shown here, the radiator flow valve 50 can be disposed upstream of the radiator inlet 22. In other embodiments, the radiator flow valve 50 may be disposed downstream of the radiator outlet 24.
[0035] Similarly, the evaporator flow valve 52 may be disposed within the pipe 15 to control the flow of coolant through the evaporator 40. As shown here, the evaporator flow valve 52 can be disposed upstream of the evaporator inlet 42. In other embodiments, the evaporator flow valve 52 can be disposed downstream of the evaporator outlet 44.
[0036] The controller 48 can be operably connected to each of the radiator flow valve 50 and the evaporator flow valve 52 to control the flow of coolant through the radiator 20 and the evaporator 40, respectively. Accordingly, the controller 48 can enable the coolant exiting the operating device 12 to flow through only the radiator 20, only the evaporator 40, or both the radiator 20 and the evaporator 40.
[0037] It should be understood that in certain embodiments, the hybrid heat transfer assembly 10 can include one or more additional coolers to provide additional cooling capacity and / or redundancy for the hybrid heat transfer assembly 10. Each of the additional coolers can include a refrigerant loop having a pipe, a compressor, a condenser, a condenser fan, an expansion valve, and an evaporator. It should be understood that the evaporator of each additional cooler may be disposed in series or parallel with the radiator 20 and the evaporator 40.
[0038] Another embodiment of the hybrid heat transfer assembly 10 is shown in FIG. 3. In this embodiment, a heater 56 can be connected to the coolant loop 14 to warm the coolant. The heater 56 can have a heater inlet 58 and a heater outlet 60. The coolant exiting the evaporator 40 through the evaporator outlet 44 passes through the pipe 15 of the coolant loop 14 that enters and exits the heater 56 through the heater inlet 58 and outlet 60, respectively, and can then enter the operating device 12 through the coolant inlet 18.
[0039] In a low temperature environment where the ambient temperature is below the desired operating temperature of the operating device 12, the heater 56 can operate to heat the coolant within the coolant loop 14. It should be understood that the heater 56 may only be required until the operating device 12 warms up, at which point the heater 56 may be shut down. In this embodiment, the radiator 20, the evaporator 40, and the heater 56 are connected in series. The controller 48 may be connected to the heater 56 by wiring 47 to control the operation of the heater 56, including, for example, turning the heater 56 on and off.
[0040] In certain embodiments, the heater 56 may be an electric heater. Other suitable types of heaters will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the benefits of the present disclosure.
[0041] Another embodiment of the hybrid heat transfer assembly 10 is shown in FIG. 4. In this embodiment, the radiator 20, the evaporator 40, and the heater 56 are connected in parallel. In this embodiment, the heater outlet 60 is directly connected to the coolant inlet 18 of the operating device 12 via the pipe 15. In such an embodiment, thermal control for operating the device 12 can be provided by any combination of the radiator 20, the cooler 28, and / or the heater 56.
[0042] The heater flow valve 62 may be disposed within the pipe 15 to control the flow of coolant through the heater 56. As shown here, the heater flow valve 62 can be disposed upstream of the heater inlet 58. In other embodiments, the heater flow valve 62 may be disposed downstream of the heater outlet 60.
[0043] In such embodiments, the controller 48 can be operably connected to each of the radiator flow valve 50, the evaporator flow valve 52, and the heater flow valve 62 to control the flow of coolant through the radiator 20, the evaporator 40, and the heater 56, respectively. Thus, the controller 48 can enable the coolant exiting the operating device 12 to flow through only the radiator 20, only the evaporator 40, only the heater 56, or any combination of the radiator 20, the evaporator 40, and the heater 56.
[0044] In this specification, various embodiments of a hybrid heat transfer assembly including various components and features have been described. In other embodiments, the hybrid heat transfer assembly can comprise any combination of such components and features. It should also be understood that in other embodiments, the various devices, components, and features of the cooling assemblies described herein can be composed of similar structural and functional elements having different configurations, including different decorative appearances.
[0045] Those skilled in the art having the knowledge obtained from the present disclosure will recognize that various changes can be made to the disclosed apparatus and methods without departing from the scope of the present disclosure in achieving these and other advantages. Therefore, it should be understood that the features described herein are susceptible to modification, change, alteration, or substitution. For example, all combinations of those elements and / or steps that perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same result are clearly intended to be within the scope of the embodiments described herein. Substitution of elements from one described embodiment to another is also fully intended and contemplated. The specific embodiments shown and described herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit what is recited in the appended claims. Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It should be understood that the foregoing description is provided for clarity only and is merely illustrative. The spirit and scope of the present disclosure are not limited to the above examples but are encompassed by the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. A hybrid heat transfer assembly, comprising a working device having a coolant loop including a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, a radiator having a radiator inlet connected to the coolant outlet and a radiator outlet connected to the coolant inlet, a radiator fan configured to direct air across and proximate to the radiator, a cooler, an evaporator having an evaporator inlet connected to the coolant outlet and an evaporator outlet connected to the coolant inlet, a compressor connected to the evaporator, a condenser connected to the compressor, an expansion valve connected to the condenser and the evaporator, a refrigerant loop connecting the evaporator to the compressor, the condenser to the compressor, and the expansion valve to the condenser and the evaporator, and a cooler fan configured to direct air across and proximate to the condenser, the cooler comprising the condenser fan. A hybrid heat transfer assembly comprising the above.
2. The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the evaporator inlet is connected to the radiator outlet such that the radiator and the evaporator are connected in series to the working device.
3. The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the radiator and the evaporator are connected in parallel to the working device.
4. The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor disposed within the coolant loop.
5. The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 4, further comprising a controller operably connected to the temperature sensor and the compressor.
6. The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to turn on and off the compressor.
7. The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to provide variable speed control of the compressor.
8. The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a heater having a heater inlet connected to the cooling fluid outlet and a heater outlet connected to the cooling fluid inlet.
9. The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 8, wherein the radiator, the evaporator, and the heater are connected in series to the operating equipment.
10. The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 8, wherein the radiator, the evaporator, and the heater are connected in parallel to the operating equipment.
11. A heater having a heater inlet connected to the cooling fluid outlet and a heater outlet connected to the cooling fluid inlet, A temperature sensor disposed in the coolant loop between the evaporator outlet and the cooling fluid inlet, A radiator flow valve configured to control the flow of cooling fluid through the radiator, An evaporator flow valve configured to control the flow of cooling fluid through the evaporator, A heater flow valve configured to control the flow of cooling fluid through the heater, A controller operably connected to the temperature sensor, the radiator flow valve, the evaporator flow valve, the heater, and the heater flow valve and configured to control the operation of the radiator flow valve, the evaporator flow valve, the heater, and the heater flow valve, The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 1, further comprising.
12. The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to control the operations of the radiator fan and the condenser fan.
13. The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the operating device includes one of a battery and a fuel cell.
14. A hybrid heat transfer assembly, comprising: An operating device having a coolant loop including a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet; A radiator having a radiator inlet and a radiator outlet, wherein the radiator inlet is connected to the coolant outlet; A radiator fan disposed adjacent to the radiator and configured to direct air across the radiator; A cooler, comprising: An evaporator having an evaporator inlet connected to the radiator outlet and an evaporator outlet connected to the coolant inlet; A compressor connected to the evaporator; A condenser connected to the compressor; An expansion valve connected to the condenser and the evaporator; A refrigerant loop connecting the evaporator to the compressor, connecting the condenser to the compressor, and connecting the expansion valve to the condenser and the evaporator; A condenser fan disposed adjacent to the condenser and configured to direct air across the condenser; A temperature sensor disposed in the coolant loop between the evaporator outlet and the coolant inlet; A controller operably connected to the temperature sensor and the compressor and configured to control the operation of the compressor; A hybrid heat transfer assembly comprising the above components.
15. The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to turn the compressor on and off.
16. The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to provide variable speed control of the compressor.
17. The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of the radiator fan and the condenser fan.
18. The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 14, wherein the operating device includes one of a battery and a fuel cell.
19. A hybrid heat transfer assembly, comprising: An operating device having a coolant loop including a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet; A radiator having a radiator inlet connected to the coolant outlet, a radiator flow valve configured to control the flow of coolant through the radiator, and a radiator outlet connected to the coolant inlet; A radiator fan disposed adjacent to the radiator and configured to direct air across the radiator; A cooler, comprising: An evaporator having an evaporator inlet connected to the coolant outlet, an evaporator flow valve configured to control the flow of coolant through the evaporator, and an evaporator outlet connected to the coolant inlet; A compressor connected to the evaporator; A condenser connected to the compressor; An expansion valve connected to the condenser and the evaporator; A refrigerant loop connecting the evaporator to the compressor, connecting the condenser to the compressor, and connecting the expansion valve to the condenser and the evaporator; A condenser fan disposed adjacent to the condenser and configured to direct air across the condenser; and A heater, comprising a heater inlet connected to the cooling fluid outlet, a heater flow valve configured to control the flow of the cooling fluid through the heater, and a heater outlet connected to the cooling fluid inlet. A temperature sensor disposed within the coolant loop. A controller operably connected to the temperature sensor, the compressor, the radiator flow valve, the evaporator flow valve, the heater, and the heater flow valve, and configured to control the operation of the compressor, the radiator flow valve, the evaporator flow valve, the heater, and the heater flow valve. A hybrid heat transfer assembly comprising the above.
20. The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to turn the compressor on and off.
21. The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to provide variable speed control of the compressor.
22. The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of the radiator fan and the condenser fan.
23. The hybrid heat transfer assembly according to claim 19, wherein the operating device comprises one of a battery and a fuel cell.