Engine heat conservation systems and methods

Abstract

The systems and methods described herein aim to leverage the high temperature of a vehicle's engine to heat an interior portion of the vehicle. In one embodiment, a heat transfer fluid is pumped through one or more conduits that has a first portion extending through the vehicle's engine. As the fluid flows through the first portion of conduit, the fluid in the conduit is heated by the engine. The heated fluid flows from the first portion of the conduit to a second portion that is proximate an air handler. The air handler may be configured to blow air over the second portion thereby transferring the heat from the fluid to the air. The heated air may then be provided to the interior portion of the vehicle.

1 . A heat conservation system for a vehicle powered by an engine, the heat conservation system comprising:
 an air handler comprising a fan;   at least one conduit having a first portion that is located within the engine of the vehicle and a second portion that is located proximate the fan of the air handler, wherein the at least one conduit is configured to hold a fluid therein;   a pump configured to cause the fluid to flow through the at least one conduit, wherein as the fluid flows through the first portion of the at least one conduit the engine transfers heat to the fluid, the pump caused to be operated when the vehicle engine achieves an engine OFF state; and   an air distribution assembly connected in fluid communication with the air handler, wherein the air handler is configured to blow air across the second portion of the conduit thereby heating the air, and wherein the air distribution assembly is configured to distribute the heated air to an interior space of the vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The heat conservation system of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller coupled in electrical communication with the pump upon one or more operating conditions, the controller configured to provide a signal to the pump, wherein in response to receiving the signal from the controller, the pump causes the fluid to flow through the at least one conduit. 
     
     
         3 . The heat conservation system of  claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to generate the signal in response to receiving an ignition state signal indicative of an ignition switch of the vehicle being in an OFF position. 
     
     
         4 . The heat conservation system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more operating conditions includes an engine OFF state and a system ON state. 
     
     
         5 . The heat conservation system of  claim 4 , wherein the system ON state is generated by vehicle user input. 
     
     
         6 . The heat conservation system of  claim 2 , further comprising a temperature sensor coupled in electrical communication to the controller, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the engine and to provide a signal indicative of the measured temperature to the controller. 
     
     
         7 . The heat conservation system of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to compare the measured temperature to a threshold value, and in response to the measured temperature being below the threshold value, the controller is configured to deactivate the pump and the fan. 
     
     
         8 . The heat conservation system of  claim 1  wherein the first portion of the at least one conduit includes a serpentine portion within the engine. 
     
     
         9 . The heat conservation system of  claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary powered heating system, wherein the controller is configured provide a signal to the auxiliary powered heating system to initiate the auxiliary powered heating system. 
     
     
         10 . The heat conservation system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a coolant. 
     
     
         11 . A method of heating an interior portion of a vehicle having an engine, the method comprising:
 determining whether an ignition switch of the vehicle is in an OFF state;   in response to the ignition switch being in an OFF state, removing heat from the engine;   providing the heat removed from the engine to the interior portion of the vehicle;   determining a rate of heat removal from the engine or a temperature of the engine;   and in response to the temperature of the engine or the rate of heat removal from the engine being below a threshold value, preventing the removal of heat from the engine.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein removing heat from the engine comprises causing a fluid to flow through at least one conduit having a first portion located within the engine thereby transferring the heat from the engine to the fluid. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein providing the heat removed from the engine to an interior of the vehicle comprises blowing air across a second portion of the conduit thereby heating the air. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising determining whether the engine is above a threshold temperature prior to removing heat from the engine, and wherein heat is removed from the engine in response to the engine being above the threshold temperature. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein determining whether an ignition switch of the vehicle is in an OFF state comprises receiving a signal indicative of the ignition switch transitioning from an ON state to an OFF state. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein an auxiliary powered heating system is activated in response to the temperature of the engine or the rate of heat removal from the engine being below a threshold value.