Patent ID: 7841431

Claim:
A method of managing thermal loads within an electric vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: cooling a first portion of a heat exchanger with a refrigeration system, wherein said step of cooling said first portion of said heat exchanger further comprises the steps of circulating a refrigerant within said refrigeration system and passing said refrigerant through a condenser and a thermal expansion valve; circulating a first coolant within a first coolant loop, wherein said first coolant loop is separate from said refrigeration system and said first coolant is separate from said refrigerant, wherein a first portion of said first coolant loop passes through a second portion of said heat exchanger and wherein a second portion of said first coolant loop is thermally coupled to an energy storage system, wherein said energy storage system is comprised of a plurality of batteries; circulating a second coolant within a second coolant loop, wherein said second coolant loop is separate from said refrigeration system and said first coolant loop, wherein said second coolant is separate from said refrigerant, wherein a first portion of said second coolant loop passes through a third portion of said heat exchanger and wherein a second portion of said second coolant loop is thermally coupled to a vehicle passenger cabin HVAC subsystem corresponding to a vehicle passenger cabin; and circulating a third coolant within a third coolant loop, wherein said third coolant loop is separate from said refrigeration system and first coolant loop, wherein said third coolant is separate from said refrigerant, and wherein said third coolant loop is thermally coupled to a vehicle drive motor.