AUXILIARY ENGINE ELECTRIC CAR HEATING SYSTEM

Abstract

The invention relates to an auxiliary engine system (AES) for heating an electric car comprising a heating system and a rechargeable power source powering an electric motor. The AES comprises an internal combustion engine (ICE) producing heat to heat the electric car. The AES can heat people transported in the electric car and/or the rechargeable power source. The ICE can be coupled with an electric energy generator. The ICE can be air and/or liquid cooled which systems can heat the electric car. The ICE can be fueled by defined types of fuel. The ICE can be a two-stroke engine, a four-stroke engine, a turbine. The rechargeable power source can be coupled with a defined electrocomponent. The AES can be provided in a modular system. A heating method for an electric car is proposed.

Claims

1. An auxiliary engine system for heating an electric car comprising a heating system and a rechargeable power source powering an electric motor, characterised in that the auxiliary engine system comprises an internal combustion engine primarily designed to produce heat to heat said electric car.

2. The auxiliary engine system according to claim 1, wherein said heat heats people in said electric car.

3. The auxiliary engine system according to claim 1, wherein said heat heats said rechargeable power source.

4. The auxiliary engine system according to claim 1, wherein said internal combustion engine is coupled with an electric energy generator to produce electric energy to charge said rechargeable power source.

5. The auxiliary engine system according to claim 1, wherein said internal combustion engine is coupled with an electric energy generator to produce electric energy to drive said electric car.

6. The auxiliary engine system according to claim 1, wherein said internal combustion engine is air cooled, wherein said air cooling heats said electric car.

7. The auxiliary engine system according to claim 1, wherein said internal combustion engine is liquid cooled, wherein said liquid cooling heats said electric car.

8. The auxiliary engine system according to claim 1, wherein said internal combustion engine is phase change materials cooled, wherein said phase change material cooling heats said electric car.

9. The auxiliary engine system according to claim 1, wherein said internal combustion engine is fueled by fuel, wherein at least one said fuel is selected from gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, ethanol, methanol, natural gas, propane, butane, hydrogen, or combinations thereof.

10. The auxiliary engine system according to claim 1, wherein said internal combustion engine is a two-stroke engine.

11. The auxiliary engine system according to claim 1, wherein said internal combustion engine is a four-stroke engine.

12. The auxiliary engine system according to claim 1, wherein said internal combustion engine is a turbine.

13. The auxiliary engine system according to claim 1, wherein said rechargeable power source is coupled with an electro-component, wherein at least one said electro-component is selected from the group consisting of electronic devices, power devices, sensors, targets, actuators, amplifiers, resonators, rectifiers, filters, inverters, converters, transformers, voltage regulators, power factor corrections, compensations, power electronics, controllers, processors, inductors, capacitors, resistors, diodes, varactors, switches, conductors, rechargeable power sources, source management systems, electric motors, driving units, distributed electro-components, electro-components arrays, switchable electro-components, controllable electro-components, or combinations thereof.

14. The auxiliary engine system according to claim 1 provided as part of a modular system comprising: a module, wherein at least one said module is selected from the group consisting of said heating systems, said rechargeable power sources, said electric motors, said internal combustion engines, electric energy generators, electro-components coupled with said rechargeable power sources, or combinations thereof.

15. A heating method for an electric car comprising a heating system and a rechargeable power source powering an electric motor, characterised in that it comprises: the step of powering said electric car with said electric motor; the step of heating said electric car with an internal combustion engine primarily designed to produce heat to heat said electric car, wherein the steps can be interchanged and/or repeated.

Description

[0041] The invention will be described in reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective illustration of an embodiment of a . . . DETAILED DESCRIPTION TO FOLLOW.

[0043] Common features of drawings.

[0044] The components as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 can have different layouts [e.g. a position of an internal combustion engine, a rechargeable power source, an electric energy generator, an electric motor, etc.].

[0045] The (swappable) rechargeable power sources can be used for other than propelling purposes [e.g. regenerative braking, auxiliary systems, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, etc.], can be used for purposes of (hybrid) electric cars transported by the electric car and charged during transport.

[0046] The (swappable) rechargeable power sources can include a package [e.g. a container, a climatised container, a waterproof, watertight, pressurised package, etc.], include and/or be coupled with a source management system which can include power electronics, communication interfaces, various circuit topologies including electrocomponents such as converters, inverters, voltage regulators, power factor corrections, rectifiers, filters, controllers, processors, etc. The source management systems can provide monitoring [e.g. State of Charge (SoC), etc.], calculating, reporting, cell balancing, controlling, etc., functions with regard to the energy management. The source management system can include energy management processors, databases, position identification system [e.g. global positioning satellite (GPS) system receivers] and provide intelligent source management using anticipated track profile and conditions, charging opportunities, past operating experience, etc.

[0047] The (swappable) rechargeable power sources can include an energy storage element including a complex technology [e.g. including energy storage, energy transfer, energy harvesting, energy generating, etc.] which can include power electronics, communication interfaces, various circuit topologies, etc. They can be mobile units, compact units, enclosed units, portable units, skid mounted units, and the like.

[0048] The auxiliary engine systems can comprise a functional, communication, shape compatibility [e.g. can comprise compatible power transfer interfaces, compatible communication interfaces, compatible rechargeable power sources, compatible source management systems, thermal management systems, etc.].

[0049] The AES can provide thermal management systems which can be included by the electric car to thermally manage charging and/or discharging the (swappable) rechargeable power sources. The systems can thermally manage the electric energy generators, chargers of charging stations, charging cables, charging interfaces, rechargeable batteries and/or capacitors and/or energy storage elements of the power sources, etc. The thermal management systems of energy storage elements can include complex technologies. The systems can include ventilators, thermal exchangers, compressors, chillers, condensers, heaters, sensors, pumps, programmable controllers, thermal medium conducts, valves, heat pipes, vapor chambers, heat sinks, fillers, etc. The systems can use thermal exchange with (offshore) water, air, ground, etc.

[0050] Common requirements on the AES in cold areas

[0051] The AeS can be provided in the Arctic, the Antarctic, subpolar, cold areas. In that case, system elements components can be designed to be conform with cold, extremely cold, temporarily cold conditions. The (swappable) rechargeable power sources and other components of the system can be thermally insulated. The ICA can use antifreeze in liquid cooling systems of the electric cars. Thermal management systems provided to manage charging and/or discharging can include heating systems. The elements can be preferably designed to cope with icing, etc.

[0052] No limitations are intended others than as described in the claims. The present invention is not limited to the described exemplary embodiments. It should be noted that various modifications and combinations of the elements of the AES can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

[0053] The elements, components, integers, features, standards described in this specification and the used terminology reflect the state of knowledge at the time of the filling of this application and may be developed in the future [e.g. charging standards, charging interfaces, chargers, rechargeable power sources, energy storage elements, communication techniques, fuels, hydrogen production and hydrogen storage techniques, fuel cell technologies, etc.].

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0054] The present invention may provide effective, cheap and lightweight heating system for electric car especially in cold areas and/or periods thus saving energy in (swappable) rechargeable power source for driving purposes and thus increasing electric cars' autonomy.