Cooling apparatus and cooling method for power-pack in hybrid vehicle

Abstract

A cooling apparatus for a power-pack in a hybrid vehicle may include a power-pack that acquires traveling information of the vehicle and controls the operation of an engine and a motor, a low-temperature radiator that is connected with power-pack through a cooling water channel, dissipates heat from the cooling water discharged from power-pack, and is arranged in parallel with a radiator, and an electric water pump that is disposed in the cooling water channel and operated in response to an electric signal output from an ECU to circulate the cooling water through power-pack and low-temperature radiator. The cooling apparatus may also include a cooling fan. A cooling method of using the cooling apparatus may include determining engine operation, determining start of a water pump, and operating a water pump. The cooling method may also include starting a cooling fan, operating a cooling and examining a water pump.

1 . A cooling apparatus for a power-pack in a hybrid vehicle that circulates cooling water discharged from an engine by connecting the engine with a radiator through a first cooling water channel, the cooling apparatus comprising:
 a power-pack that acquires traveling information of the vehicle and controls an operation of the engine and a motor;   a low-temperature radiator connected with the power-pack through a second cooling water channel and arranged in parallel with the radiator, the low-temperature radiator dissipating heat of the cooling water discharged from the power-pack; and   an electric water pump disposed in the second cooling water channel and operated in response to an electric signal output from an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) to circulate the cooling water through the power-pack and the low-temperature radiator.   
     
     
         2 . The cooling apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a cooling fan that is controlled by the ECU to introduce an external air to the low-temperature radiator. 
     
     
         3 . The cooling apparatus as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the cooling fan is selectively controlled by a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) control that controls a rotation speed of the cooling fan in consideration of the temperature of the power-pack and a speed of the vehicle or by an On/Off control that controls an operation of the cooling fan. 
     
     
         4 . The cooling apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the low-temperature radiator is positioned ahead of the radiator in the vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The cooling apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the electric water pump is controlled such that a number of revolution is determined by a temperature of the power-pack. 
     
     
         6 . A cooling method of using the cooling apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , comprising:
 determining start of a water pump that determines a temperature of the power-pack and starts the electric water pump if the temperature of the power-pack is above a first temperature;   operating a water pump that operates the electric water pump such that the cooling water circulates through the power-pack and the low-temperature radiator if the temperature of the power-pack is above the first temperature in determining start of a water pump; and   determining engine operation that determines whether the engine of the vehicle is in operation and proceeds to determining start of a water pump when the engine is in operation.   
     
     
         7 . The cooling method as defined in  claim 6 , further comprising:
 determining start of a cooling fan that determines whether the temperature of the power-pack is above a second temperature, wherein determining start of a cooling fan is performed after determining start of a water pump and the second temperature is set higher than the first temperature; and   operating a cooling fan that operates the cooling fan if the temperature of the power-pack is above the second temperature in determining start of a cooling fan.   
     
     
         8 . The cooling method as defined in  claim 7 , wherein a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) control that controls a rotation speed of the cooling fan in consideration of the temperature of the power-pack and a speed of the vehicle or an On/Off control that controls an operation of the cooling fan is selectively applied in operating a cooling fan. 
     
     
         9 . The cooling method as defined in  claim 6 , further comprising:
 examining a water pump that determines whether there is an error in the electric water pump, wherein examining a water pump is performed before determining start of a water pump, and determining start of a water pump is performed if the electric water pump is in a normal state in examining a water pump.   
     
     
         10 . The cooling method as defined in  claim 9 , further comprising:
 determining entry of a safety mode that determines whether the temperature of the power-pack is above the first temperature, wherein determining entry of a safety mode is performed if the electric water pump is not in the normal state in examining a water pump;   operating in a safety mode that operates the power-pack in the safety mode if the temperature of the power-pack is above the first temperature in determining entry of a safety mode; and   operating in a normal mode that operates the power-pack in the normal mode if the temperature of the power-pack is equal to or below the first temperature in determining entry of a safety mode.   
     
     
         11 . The cooling method as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the number of revolution of the electric water pump is controlled by the power-pack and determined by the temperature of the power-pack in operating a water pump.