Thermal management system and thermal management method of electric aircraft

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of electric airplanes, in particular to a heat management system of an electric aircraft, which comprises a heat pump unit and a heat pipe radiator, and the heat pump unit comprises a compressor, a one-way valve, a pipeline, a heat management controller and a valve; the heat pipe radiator comprises a copper heat pipe and aluminum fins. The invention aims to realize effective heat dissipation of heat generated by the electric aircraft by optimizing a heat management system, and meanwhile, the heat is used for heating the interior of an aircraft cabin, so that the comfort of passengers is improved. In addition, the system further has an intelligent heat management function, and it is ensured that the electric aircraft can keep the optimal heat balance state under various flight conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of electric aircraft, and in particular to a thermal management system and a thermal management method for an electric aircraft. Background Art

[0002] Traditional heat dissipation devices for electric aircraft usually use radiators, cooling fans, liquid cooling circuits, etc., which are used to dissipate the heat generated by the power batteries and motors of the electric aircraft during operation into the external environment.

[0003] The heat recovery system used attempts to use part of the waste heat for cabin heating through a heat exchanger, but its efficiency is limited. Main problems or shortcomings: Low heat dissipation efficiency: Traditional heat dissipation systems may not be able to effectively dissipate heat under extreme weather conditions, causing equipment overheating, affecting performance and life. Inadequate utilization of thermal energy: Existing heat recovery systems can often only utilize a small part of the waste heat, and most of the heat is still wasted. System complexity: Existing thermal management systems are often complex, increasing the weight and energy consumption of the aircraft. Lack of rapid response: Under rapidly changing flight conditions, existing systems cannot adjust quickly to adapt to thermal management needs. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a thermal management system for an electric aircraft, including a heat pump unit and a heat pipe radiator, wherein the heat pump unit includes an annular pipeline, a heat management controller and a condenser; wherein the annular pipeline is distributed in the aircraft body, extending from the front motor to the battery end of the rear of the aircraft; an intermediate pipeline is arranged in the middle of the annular pipeline, on which a compressor is arranged; three-channel valves are respectively arranged at the connection between the intermediate pipeline and the annular pipeline; the heat management controller is located on one side of the pipeline, and the condenser is connected in series with the pipeline; the annular pipeline is divided into a left circulation channel and a right circulation channel by controlling the channels of the two valves;

[0005] The heat pipe radiator includes a plurality of copper heat pipes, which are respectively arranged on the motor housing, the battery, and the motor controller of the motor; the heat pipes are provided with aluminum fins, and the tail ends of the plurality of copper heat pipes are located at the heat dissipation ports distributed on the nose skin of the aircraft.

[0006] Furthermore, one-way valves are respectively provided on the pipelines of the left circulation channel and the right circulation channel, so that the gas in the two channels flows in one direction.

[0007] Furthermore, fan structures are provided at the motor housing, battery, and motor controller to introduce the heat dissipated by the heat pipe into the cabin.

[0008] Furthermore, temperature sensors are provided in the cockpit and the battery and are connected to the thermal management controller.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present invention, a thermal management method for an electric aircraft is provided. Based on the thermal management system described above, the method comprises the following steps:

[0010] When the cabin temperature is detected to be between -20℃ and 10℃, and the battery temperature is within the normal range, the thermal management controller controls the two valves to control the corresponding channels to open the left circulation channel and close the right circulation channel; the carbon dioxide or freon injected into the pipeline has the same temperature as the outside air, and the compressor works to compress the carbon dioxide or freon to form a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas, which passes through the condenser for a condensation reaction, and the carbon dioxide or freon becomes liquid, condensing and releasing heat, and the released heat is introduced into the cabin through the fan; at the same time, the heat of the motor and the motor controller on the left circulation channel is introduced into the front windshield in the cabin through the fan for defrosting and heating;

[0011] When the cabin temperature is greater than 30°C and the battery temperature is within the normal range, the heat pump unit stops working and the heat pipe radiator performs heat dissipation;

[0012] If it is detected that the actual battery temperature exceeds the preset temperature, the thermal management controller gives priority to the battery temperature and controls the two valves to open the right circulation channel and close the left circulation channel. The carbon dioxide or Freon has the same temperature as the outside air, and the compressor works to compress the carbon dioxide or Freon to form a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas, which passes through the condenser for a condensation reaction. The condensation releases heat, and the heat is directed out of the aircraft through a fan. The carbon dioxide or Freon becomes a low-temperature condensed liquid due to the condensation reaction through the condenser. At this time, the carbon dioxide or Freon passes through the battery to exchange heat with the battery.

[0013] The advantages of the present invention are:

[0014] The present invention combines the heat pump principle with the heat pipe radiator structure to provide a faster heat dissipation speed and a more uniform heat dissipation effect, effectively preventing the overheating of the power battery and the motor. In addition, the solution of the present invention is not only used for heat dissipation, but also uses the excess heat to start battery heating and cabin heating, realizing multifunctional heat utilization, while existing products can often only achieve a single function. The thermal management system can also maintain efficient operation under extreme temperature conditions and has strong adaptability, while the performance of existing products may be limited under extreme conditions such as low temperature. Intelligent heat management control can automatically adjust heat distribution according to the external environment, while existing products usually lack such intelligent adjustment capabilities. Through efficient heat recovery and utilization, the present invention reduces the aircraft's dependence on additional heating systems, thereby reducing overall energy consumption and improving the endurance of electric aircraft. Battery overheating is managed, and the present invention reduces the potential safety risks caused by overheating through effective heat management, thereby improving the safety performance of electric aircraft. The complexity and failure rate of the system are reduced, thereby reducing maintenance costs. The existing electric aircraft has a low cabin temperature due to flying at high altitudes, and the present invention can use waste heat to heat the cabin interior, providing a more comfortable riding environment, especially in cold weather. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 It is the overall structure diagram of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of heat pipe radiator;

[0017] Figure 3 Aluminum fins;

[0018] Figure 4 Copper heat pipes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The principles and features of the present invention are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The examples given are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0020] like Figure 1-4 As shown, the present invention provides a thermal management system for an electric aircraft, comprising: a motor 1, a condenser 2, a battery 3, a compressor 4, a motor controller 5, a cabin 6, a copper heat pipe 7, an aluminum fin 8, a one-way valve 9, a pipeline 10, carbon dioxide or freon 11, a thermal management controller 12, a valve 13, a fan 14, and a motor housing 15. The copper heat pipe 7 and the aluminum fin 8 constitute a heat pipe radiator structure, such as Figure 2As shown, the copper heat pipe 7 is respectively arranged on the motor housing 15, the battery 3, and the motor controller 5 on the motor 1. The heat pump unit is composed of a compressor 4, a one-way valve 9, a pipeline 10, carbon dioxide or Freon 11, a thermal management controller 12, and a valve 13. Among them, the pipeline 10 is an annular pipeline, an intermediate pipeline is arranged on the annular pipeline 10, and a valve with three channels is arranged at the connection between the intermediate pipeline and the annular pipeline 10. The valve is connected with the thermal management controller 12 for signal control. By controlling the corresponding channel of the valve to open or close, the annular pipeline is divided into a left circulation channel and a right circulation channel; a compressor is arranged on the intermediate pipeline; the thermal management controller 12 controls the three channels of the valve 13 to open or close according to the measured temperature signal transmitted by the temperature sensor. Carbon dioxide or Freon 11 is stored in the pipeline 10 (carbon dioxide or Freon is introduced in advance), and the one-way valve 9 can control the carbon dioxide or Freon 11 as follows Figure 1 The arrow direction in the middle pipe 10 flows correctly to prevent backflow. The compressor 4 can compress the passing carbon dioxide or Freon 11 into a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas. The carbon dioxide or Freon 11 condenses and reacts to become a low-temperature and high-pressure liquid after passing through the condenser 2, and the condensation releases heat.

[0021] As an improvement to the scheme, multiple fans are also provided in this scheme to introduce the heat from the motor, motor controller, battery, and condenser into the cabin. The tail ends of multiple copper heat pipes extend into the heat dissipation ports distributed on the aircraft nose skin.

[0022] When the cabin 6 temperature is between 10 degrees Celsius and minus 20 degrees Celsius, the heat management controller 12 detects the actual cabin 6 temperature, and controls the two valves 13 to open the left circulation channel and close the right circulation channel. At this time, the carbon dioxide or Freon 11 has the same temperature as the outside air, and the compressor 4 works to compress the carbon dioxide or Freon 11 to form a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas, which passes through the condenser 2 for a condensation reaction, and the carbon dioxide or Freon 11 becomes liquid, condensing and releasing heat, and the released heat is passed into the cabin through the fan 14. Cabin 6, at the same time, because the motor 1 is in working state, a large amount of heat is generated, and the heat is quickly introduced into the cabin 6 through the heat pipe radiator structure composed of copper heat pipe 7 and aluminum fin 8 through the fan 14 to defrost and heat the front windshield in the cabin. The motor controller 5 is also in working state, and a large amount of heat is also generated through the heat pipe radiator structure composed of copper heat pipe 7 and aluminum fin 8. The heat is quickly introduced into the cabin 6 through the fan 14 to defrost and heat the front windshield in the cabin. At this time, the cabin 6 is heated by three ways, which can quickly heat up the cabin 6. At the same time, in order to ensure the battery operation at this temperature, the condenser 2 condenses the heat released, and the heat released is conducted to the battery 3 part, so that the battery 3 maintains the working range temperature. The compressor is powered on for compression, first sucking in carbon dioxide or Freon for compression and then passing it to the subsequent pipeline to realize circulation.

[0023] When the temperature of the cabin 6 is higher than 30 degrees Celsius above zero, the motor 1, the motor controller 5, and the battery 3 dissipate heat through the heat pipe radiator structure composed of copper heat pipes 7 and aluminum fins 8 arranged on the surface, and the heat pump system composed of the compressor 4, the one-way valve 9, the pipeline 10, the carbon dioxide or Freon 11, the thermal management controller 12, and the valve 13 stops working.

[0024] When the battery 3 is overheated due to long-term operation, before the battery is damaged, the thermal management controller 12 detects the actual temperature of the battery 3, and the two valves 13 open the right circulation channel and close the left circulation channel. At this time, the carbon dioxide or Freon 11 is the same temperature as the outside air, and the compressor 4 works to compress the carbon dioxide or Freon 11 to form a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas, which passes through the condenser 2 for condensation reaction and condensation releases heat. The released heat is passed into the cabin 6 or discharged from the body through the fan 14. The carbon dioxide or Freon 11 becomes a low-temperature condensed liquid due to the condensation reaction through the condenser 2. At this time, the carbon dioxide or Freon 11 passes through the battery 3 for heat exchange, cools the battery 3, and prevents the battery 3 from being damaged. At the same time, the heat pipe radiator structure composed of copper heat pipes 7 and aluminum fins 8 is distributed on the surface of the battery, and the heat in the battery 3 is quickly introduced into the cabin or discharged from the body through the fan 14.

[0025] Temperature sensors are installed in the cabin and battery to transmit the detected temperature signals to the thermal management controller. In this solution, the thermal management controller gives priority to processing the temperature sensor signal at the battery. If the temperature at the battery is within the preset temperature range, the temperature signal collected by the cabin temperature sensor is considered, and then the fan is controlled to pass heat into the cabin for heating. If the battery temperature exceeds the normal range, the battery is given priority to cooling down.

[0026] The present invention designs an efficient thermal management system to ensure that electric aircraft can quickly and effectively dissipate heat when running at high speed and with load changes. Under high temperature conditions, the heat pipe heat conduction structure quickly conducts heat to the aircraft motor, motor control system, and battery to prevent damage to the aircraft's electrical system, battery, and other key components due to temperature increases.

[0027] In low temperature conditions, the excess heat generated by the condenser is used to maintain the battery within the operating temperature range, thereby improving the performance and life of the battery in low temperature environments, and recovering the useless heat generated by the electric aircraft during operation and converting it into useful energy.

[0028] Using recovered heat to heat the aircraft cabin improves passenger comfort and reduces reliance on additional heating equipment, reducing energy consumption.

[0029] Real-time monitoring and intelligent management of heat are achieved to ensure that electric aircraft can maintain the best thermal balance in different flight modes and environments, thereby optimizing the overall performance and safety of the aircraft.

[0030] By improving energy efficiency, reducing heat waste, and lowering the overall energy consumption of electric aircraft, the impact on the environment can be reduced and the development of green aviation technology can be promoted.

[0031] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A thermal management system for an electric aircraft, It is characterized in that It includes a heat pump unit and a heat pipe radiator, wherein: The heat pump unit comprises an annular pipe, a heat management controller and a condenser; wherein the annular pipe is distributed in the aircraft body and extends from the motor at the front of the aircraft to the battery end at the tail of the aircraft; an intermediate pipe is arranged in the middle of the annular pipe, and a compressor is arranged on it; three-channel valves are arranged at the connection between the intermediate pipe and the annular pipe respectively; the heat management controller is located on one side of the pipe, and the condenser is connected in series with the pipe; the annular pipe is divided into a left circulation channel and a right circulation channel by controlling the opening / closing of the channels of the two valves; The heat pipe radiator includes a plurality of copper heat pipes, which are respectively arranged on the motor housing, the battery, and the motor controller of the motor; the heat pipes are provided with aluminum fins, and the tail ends of the plurality of copper heat pipes are located at the heat dissipation ports distributed on the nose skin of the aircraft.

2. A thermal management system for an electric aircraft as claimed in claim 1, It is characterized in that One-way valves are respectively arranged on the pipelines of the left circulation channel and the right circulation channel.

3. A thermal management system for an electric aircraft as claimed in claim 1, It is characterized in that The motor housing, the battery and the motor controller are provided with fan structures.

4. A thermal management system for an electric aircraft as claimed in claim 1, It is characterized in that Temperature sensors are provided in the cockpit and the battery and are connected to the thermal management controller.

5. A thermal management method for an electric aircraft, It is characterized in that Based on the above thermal management system, the following steps are included: When the cabin temperature is detected to be between -20℃ and 10℃, and the battery temperature is within the normal range, the thermal management controller controls the two valves to control the corresponding channels to open the left circulation channel and close the right circulation channel; the carbon dioxide or freon injected into the pipeline has the same temperature as the outside air, and the compressor works to compress the carbon dioxide or freon to form a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas, which passes through the condenser for a condensation reaction, and the carbon dioxide or freon becomes liquid, condensing and releasing heat, and the released heat is introduced into the cabin through the fan; at the same time, the heat of the motor and the motor controller on the left circulation channel is introduced into the front windshield in the cabin through the fan for defrosting and heating; When the cabin temperature is greater than 30°C and the battery temperature is within the normal range, the heat pump unit stops working and the heat pipe radiator performs heat dissipation; If it is detected that the actual battery temperature exceeds the preset temperature, the thermal management controller gives priority to the battery temperature and controls the two valves to open the right circulation channel and close the left circulation channel. The carbon dioxide or Freon has the same temperature as the outside air, and the compressor works to compress the carbon dioxide or Freon to form a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas, which passes through the condenser for a condensation reaction. The condensation releases heat, and the heat is directed out of the aircraft through a fan. The carbon dioxide or Freon becomes a low-temperature condensed liquid due to the condensation reaction through the condenser. At this time, the carbon dioxide or Freon passes through the battery to exchange heat with the battery.

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