Heating systems – Heat and power plants – Vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-19
2004-05-11
Boles, Derek (Department: 3749)
Heating systems
Heat and power plants
Vehicle
C237S01230R, C123S14250E, C165S041000, C165S042000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06732942
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The subject invention generally relates to a heating, venting, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for a vehicle or power system. The subject invention also relates to a powertrain cooling (PTC) system for a vehicle or power system and also to an emission control system of an internal combustion engine. The HVAC system provides supplemental heat to a passenger compartment and to an engine of the vehicle, and the PTC system provides necessary cooling of various powertrain components, such as the engine and the transmission.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
HVAC systems are known in the art. A prior art HVAC system is generally disclosed in
FIG. 1
at
10
. HVAC systems are used to heat and cool a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle and also to cool an engine
12
of the vehicle during operation. The HVAC system
10
disclosed in
FIG. 1
, and other conventional HVAC systems, include a first heat exchanger
14
, or radiator, a second heat exchanger
16
, or heater core, and a pump
18
. Conventional HVAC systems
10
also include a first fluid circuit
15
between the pump
18
and the first heat exchanger
14
, and a second fluid circuit
17
between the pump
18
and the second heat exchanger
16
.
To cool the engine, the pump
18
, which is typically a mechanical, belt-driven pump that is operatively connected to a crankshaft of the engine
12
, circulates a fluid from the pump
18
, through the engine
12
, into the radiator
14
, and back to the pump
18
. When the heater core
16
is utilized to heat the passenger compartment, the fluid from the engine
12
circulates through the heater core
16
and back to the pump
18
.
It is known throughout the art that, during the start-up of a cold engine, it takes a significant amount of time for the passenger compartment of the vehicle to warm-up, which causes discomfort for any occupants of the vehicle. This prolonged amount of time also prevents faster defrosting of the windshield of the vehicle. Furthermore, as engines continue to be redesigned to improve their efficiency, the amount of time necessary for the fluid to warm-up is increasing. This also contributes to the discomfort of the vehicle occupants and prolonged defrosting of the windshield. The HVAC systems
10
of the prior art do not adequately resolve this occupant discomfort. The HVAC systems
10
of the prior art are also unable to quickly defrost the windshield.
As a result, it is desirable to provide supplemental heat to the passenger compartment of the vehicle. More specifically, due to the inadequacies of the prior art HVAC systems, including those described above, it is desirable to provide an HVAC system that utilizes heat that is generated in a reformer to provide supplemental heat to the passenger compartment and also to the engine of the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A heating, venting, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for use in a vehicle is disclosed. The HVAC system provides supplemental heat in a vehicle, specifically to a passenger compartment and to an engine of the vehicle. The HVAC system of the subject invention includes at least one pump, and first and second heat exchangers. The pump circulates a fluid through the engine and throughout the system. The first and second heat exchangers are in fluid communication with the pump for transferring heat from the fluid.
The HVAC system also includes a first fluid circuit and a second fluid circuit. The first fluid circuit is defined between the first heat exchanger and the pump. As such, the first fluid circuit cools the fluid upon circulation of the fluid through the first heat exchanger after the fluid circulates through the engine to cool the engine. The second fluid circuit is defined between the second heat exchanger and the pump. As such, the second fluid circuit heats the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The second fluid circuit also cools the fluid upon circulation of the fluid through the second heat exchanger after the fluid circulates through the engine to cool the engine.
The HVAC system of the subject invention also includes a reformer assembly. The reformer assembly converts a hydrocarbon or alcohol fuel of the vehicle into a hydrogen-containing reformate. The reformer assembly generates heat upon the conversion of the fuel into the reformate. Like the first and second heat exchangers, the reformer assembly is also in fluid communication with the pump.
A third fluid circuit is defined between the reformer assembly and the pump. This third fluid circuit is interconnected with the second heat exchanger. As such, the third fluid circuit provides supplemental heat to the passenger compartment through the second heat exchanger due to the heat that is generated in the reformer assembly upon the conversion of the fuel into the reformate. This third fluid circuit also provides supplemental heat to the engine due to the heat that is generated in the reformer assembly upon the conversion.
Accordingly, the subject invention provides a HVAC system for a vehicle that utilizes heat generated in a reformer assembly to supply heat in the vehicle. Specifically, the HVAC system of the subject invention provides supplemental heat to a passenger compartment of the vehicle thereby increasing the comfort of any occupants of the vehicle. The HVAC system of the subject invention also provides reformate and supplemental heat to an engine and/or an exhaust catalyst of the vehicle thereby improving the emission performance of the vehicle, improving durability of the engine by reducing friction of engine components, and improving fuel economy.
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patent: 5409784 (1995-04-01), Bromberg et al.
patent: 5662184 (1997-09-01), Riemer et al.
patent: 6210821 (2001-04-01), Lesieur et al.
patent: 6223843 (2001-05-01), O'Connell et al.
patent: 6443253 (2002-09-01), Whitehead et al.
patent: 6448535 (2002-09-01), Ap
patent: 6555928 (2003-04-01), Mizuno et al.
Grieve Malcolm James
Kirwan John E.
O'Brien John F.
Sangwan Karma Vir
Urbank Thomas Martin
Boles Derek
Delphi Technologies Inc.
Griffin Patrick M.
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