Patent ID: 8800502

Claim:
A heat storage device of a vehicle, comprising: an insulation container in which an outlet and an inlet are formed; a coolant passage disposed to penetrate the inlet and the outlet, wherein opposing ends of the coolant passage are fluidly connected to coolant outlets of a vehicle engine; a heat exchanger that includes a fin formed on the coolant passage inside the insulation container; a phase change material that is charged in the insulation container to exchange heat with coolant flowing in the coolant passage through the fin; a phase change material temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the phase change material within the insulation container; a pressure sensor that detects a pressure inside the insulation container; an engine coolant temperature sensor that detects a temperature of coolant circulating in the engine; and a control portion that circulates the coolant through the coolant passage according to a driving condition of the engine and the coolant temperature such that the coolant exchanges heat with the phase change material; wherein a bypass line is fluidly connected to the coolant passage to bypass the insulation container, and an inlet valve and an outlet valve are disposed to divert coolant passage around the insulation container; and wherein an outlet temperature sensor is disposed downstream of the outlet valve to detect a temperature of coolant exhausted through the outlet of the insulation container, and an inlet temperature sensor is disposed upstream of the inlet valve to detect a temperature of coolant that flows therein through the inlet of the insulation container.