Patent ID: 8191618

Claim:
A method of forming a thermal management system for a vehicle, the method comprising: thermally coupling a first coolant loop configured to circulate a first coolant mixture to a battery module and a first heat exchanger having a thermal energy storage material disposed therein located within the first coolant loop, wherein thermally coupling the first coolant loop to the battery module and the first heat exchanger comprises: coupling a first side of the first coolant loop to the battery module configured to flow the first coolant mixture from the first heat exchanger to the battery module; and coupling a second side of the first coolant loop to the battery module configured to flow the first coolant mixture from the battery module to the first heat exchanger; thermally coupling a second coolant loop configured to circulate a second coolant mixture distinct from the first coolant mixture of the first coolant loop to the first heat exchanger; coupling a second heat exchanger configured to cool the first coolant mixture to the first side of the first coolant loop between the first heat exchanger and the battery module; providing an interface between the second coolant loop and an internal combustion engine of a vehicle configured to transfer heat generated by the internal combustion engine to the first heat exchanger, via the second coolant loop, for storage within the thermal energy storage material; providing a first bypass fluid path permitting the first coolant mixture to bypass the first heat exchanger and circulate between the second heat exchanger and the battery module in order to cool the first coolant mixture and thereby reduce a temperature T Batt of the battery module below a maximum desirable temperature T max ; and providing a second bypass fluid path permitting the first coolant mixture to bypass the second heat exchanger.