Patent Application 18304832 - AUGMENTED COOLING OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE

Title: AUGMENTED COOLING OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE

Application Information

Invention Title: AUGMENTED COOLING OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE
Application Number: 18304832
Submission Date: 2025-05-22T00:00:00.000Z
Effective Filing Date: 2023-04-21T00:00:00.000Z
Filing Date: 2023-04-21T00:00:00.000Z
National Class: 180
National Sub-Class: 065100
Examiner Employee Number: 77101
Art Unit: 3613
Tech Center: 3600

Rejection Summary

102 Rejections: 1
103 Rejections: 0

Cited Patents

No patents were cited in this rejection.

Office Action Text

DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .

Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 7/18/2023. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.

Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –

(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.

Claim(s) 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) as being anticipated by Harris et al. (WO 2012/077062).
Harris et al. (WO 2012/077062) in figures 1-7, disclose a cooling system for a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) of a vehicle. The cooling system comprises a coolant circuit (200) configured to direct a coolant flow through the RESS to remove thermal energy from the RESS, a refrigerant circuit (204) through which a flow of refrigerant is circulated, a chiller (202a) fluidly connected to the coolant circuit and the refrigerant circuit configured to transfer thermal energy between the coolant circuit and the refrigerant circuit. Harris et al. also disclose an auxiliary circuit (B) fluidly connected to the coolant circuit. The auxiliary circuit configured to selectably direct at least a portion of the coolant flow across a first side of a cold plate for thermal energy exchange with a phase change material located at a second side of the cold plate. Harris et al. also disclose one or more valves (203, 204f, 204c) configured to selectably direct the at least a portion of the coolant flow through the auxiliary circuit.
Regarding claim 2, Harris et al. disclose the one or more valves, which is a spool valve.
Regarding claim 3, Harris et al. disclose the phase change material, which is one or more of ice, or frozen brine.
Regarding claim 4, Harris et al. disclose the auxiliary circuit, which is fluidly connected to the coolant circuit between the RESS and the chiller.
Regarding claim 5, Harris et al. in figure 2a, disclose an ambient heat exchanger (201b) disposed in the coolant circuit between the RESS and the one or more valves.
Regarding claim 6, Harris et al. disclose a RESS bypass pathway operably connected to the one or more valves to selectably bypass the coolant flow around the RESS.
Regarding claim 7, Harris et al. in figures 1-7, disclose a vehicle comprising a body, an electric motor supported relative to the body; a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) operably connected to the electric motor and a cooling system (200) operably connected to the RESS. The cooling system comprises a coolant circuit (A) configured to direct a coolant flow through the RESS to remove thermal energy from the RESS, a refrigerant circuit (204) through which a flow of refrigerant is circulated, a chiller (202a) fluidly connected to the coolant circuit and the refrigerant circuit configured to transfer thermal energy between the coolant circuit and the refrigerant circuit, an auxiliary circuit (B) fluidly connected to the coolant circuit. The auxiliary circuit configured to selectably direct at least a portion of the coolant flow across a first side of a cold plate for thermal energy exchange with a phase change material located at a second side of the cold plate (the auxiliary circuit fluidly connected to the coolant cicrcuit for thermal management). Harris et al. also disclose one or more valves (203, 204c, 204f) configured to selectably direct the at least a portion of the coolant flow through the auxiliary circuit.
Regarding claim 8, Harris et al. disclose the one or more valves, which is a spool valve.
Regarding claim 9, Harris et al. disclose the phase change material, which is one or more of ice, or frozen brine (a battery temperature range can be from sub T to 25-30 degree Celsius).
Regarding claim 10, Harris et al. disclose the auxiliary circuit, which is fluidly connected to the coolant circuit between the RESS and the chiller.
Regarding claim 11, Harris et al. disclose an ambient heat exchanger (201b) disposed in the coolant circuit between the RESS and the one or more valves.
Regarding claim 12, Harris et al. disclose a RESS bypass pathway operably connected to the one or more valves to selectably bypass the coolant flow around the RESS.
Regarding claim 13, Harris et al. disclose the phase change material, which is disposed in a compartment of the body.
Regarding claim 14, Harris et al. disclose the cold plate is disposed at one or more of a bottom or side of the compartment.
Regarding claim 15, Harris et al. disclose a method of operating a cooling system of a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) of a vehicle comprising steps of directing a coolant flow of a coolant circuit from a chiller through the RESS to remove thermal energy from the RESS, selectably directing at least a portion of the coolant flow across a first side of a cold plate disposed fluidly upstream of the chiller for thermal energy exchange with a phase change material disposed at a second side of the cold plate to increase a thermal energy rejection capability of the coolant flow.
Regarding claim 16, Harris et al. disclose the selectable direction of at least a portion of the coolant flow is based on a determination that the vehicle is experiencing a high heat rejection event.
Regarding claim 17, Harris et al. disclose the high heat rejection event, which is one or more of direct current fast charging, high load towing or high performance driving.
Regarding claim 18, Harris et al. disclose the phase change material, which is one or more of ice, or frozen brine.
Regarding claim 19, Harris et al. disclose exchanging thermal energy between the coolant flow and a refrigerant flow of a refrigerant circuit at the chiller.
Regarding claim 20, Harris et al. disclose a first portion of the coolant flow is directed across the cold plate and a second portion of the coolant flow bypasses the cold plate.

Conclusion

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/HAU V PHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3613