Patent ID: 9484605
Filing Date: 2016-11-01
CPC Classification: B60K,B60L,B60W,B60Y,H01M,Y02E,Y02T

Claim Text:
1. A system for heating and charging a battery in a hybrid vehicle using exhaust gas comprising: an exhaust gas heat recovery (EGHR) device having an EGHR heat exchanger configured to transfer thermal energy to a heat transfer fluid; a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the battery; a state of charge indicator configured to indicate the state of charge of the battery; a first heat exchanger configured to receive the thermal energy from the heat transfer fluid and transfer the thermal energy to the battery cover plate so that the temperature of the battery rises; and a thermoelectric device configured to generate a current to charge the battery; a second heat exchanger configured to receive the thermal energy from the heat transfer fluid and transfer the thermal energy to the thermoelectric device such that the thermal energy creates a temperature difference in the thermoelectric device which causes generation of the current to charge the battery so that the state of charge of the battery rises; a controller configured to monitor the temperature of the battery from the temperature sensor and the state of charge of the battery from the state of charge indicator to determine whether to transfer the heat transfer fluid to at least one of the first and second heat exchangers; a first fluid flow control valve configured to control the flow of the heat transfer fluid in response to the controller, and having a first position in which substantially all of the heat transfer fluid is transferred to the first heat exchanger, a second position in which the heat transfer fluid is transferred to both the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, and a third position in which substantially all of the heat transfer fluid is transferred to the second heat exchanger; a second fluid flow control valve configured to control the flow of the heat transfer fluid in response to the controller, and having a first position in which the heat transfer fluid is transferred to both the EGHR heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, and a second position in which substantially all of the heat transfer fluid is transferred to the second heat exchanger; wherein the controller is configured to: