Electric vehicle

Abstract

An electric vehicle (1) comprising: a battery system (3) configured to generate electrical energy to operate the electric vehicle; a control system (5) configured to control various systems of the electric vehicle; a temperature monitoring system (7) configured to monitor at least one temperature of the battery system (3) and to generate a temperature signal (9) comprising the at least one temperature wherein the battery system is provided with a thermal energy device (11) configured to provide thermal energy to maintain the battery system (3) within an optimal operating temperature interval. The thermal energy plant (11) comprises a mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) unit (13) and an absorption cooler unit (15). A working fluid preferably having a freezing temperature below-40 DEG C is used. The control system (5) is configured to receive the temperature signal (9) and to control the thermal energy device (11) in dependence on the at least one temperature to supply the generated thermal energy to the battery system (3) through the cooling line (35) and the heating line (39) so as to maintain the temperature of the battery system (3) within the predetermined temperature interval.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electric vehicle provided with a thermal energy device configured to provide thermal energy to maintain a battery system of the electric vehicle within an optimal operating temperature range. An additional purpose is to provide thermal energy to other parts of the electric vehicle (e.g., for heating and / or cooling purposes of the driver and passenger spaces). Background Art

[0002] Due to the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, the demand for longer battery life and higher output power is high. To achieve this, the battery thermal management system needs to be able to transfer heat away from the battery pack as it charges and discharges at higher rates. Modern lithium-ion battery packs are tough and generally last the life of the vehicle they power. However, how long they last really depends on how they are treated during their lifetime. When we talk about lifespan, we are actually referring to the battery pack's ability to store charge and how efficiently it can give that charge back to the vehicle. Heat is the biggest threat to the life of a battery pack. When too much heat is applied to a battery cell, it makes it harder for the battery to store electrons as effectively as before. Unfortunately, heat is unavoidable - extracting energy from a battery pack at high currents causes the cells to heat up due to the internal resistance in the battery pack.

[0003] Many electric vehicles are equipped with liquid-cooled battery packs, which is particularly needed in regions with hotter climates, where a cooling solution is pumped through specially designed plates or channels embedded inside or located underneath the battery cells. This technology keeps the battery pack warm in the winter and cool in the summer - i.e. maintaining the optimal temperature to minimize battery degradation. Liquid cooling is a better solution than air cooling, which involves directing ambient air over the batteries or into the battery pack through fans while the car is in motion. At the peak of summer in hot countries, the air is too hot to cool the battery pack.

[0004] In order to reduce the electricity consumption for heating and cooling power generation, some car manufacturers such as Jaguar, Nissan, Volkswagen and Tesla have begun to use air source heat pumps to reduce the electricity consumption of the passenger compartment heater, and some manufacturers also use the heat to heat the battery for optimal driving range. Such heat pumps seem to have a COP (coefficient of performance) of about 2-3, which means that 1 kWh of electricity from the battery can provide 2-3 kWh of heat to the passenger compartment. In addition to the low COP of the heat pump when cooling moderately, the COP drops sharply at very low temperatures. At about -20℃, the COP on the automotive air source heat pump can be as low as 1, that is, at such temperatures, it has no advantage over the heat generated by the resistor with a COP of about 1.

[0005] Therefore, in the field of thermal energy management and power generation in electric vehicles, more energy-efficient technologies need to be used. One of these technologies is mechanical vapor recompression (MVR), which is an evaporation method that uses a blower, compressor or ejector to compress and, as a result of compression, increases the pressure, density and temperature of the vapor. The vapor can thus act as a heating medium, allowing its "parent" liquid or solution to be concentrated. Without compression, the temperature of the vapor would be the same as that of its "parent" liquid / solution and no heat transfer would occur.

[0006] Some patent documents in the field of technology are briefly discussed below. In US10793483, a system is described for receiving a liquid fraction from a centrifuge using a mechanical vapor recompression evaporator (MVR) and evaporating the liquid fraction by mechanical vapor recompression to produce ammonia-containing water vapor and concentrated nutrient slurry. The system includes a dryer for drying the nutrient slurry to a selected moisture content that can be used as a component of a composite fertilizer; an ammonia stripper assembly for receiving ammonia-containing water vapor from the MVR and precipitating ammonium sulfate salt and condensate therefrom as separate products.

[0007] In EP2716341, a system and method for liquid treatment by mechanical vapor recompression is described, the system and method comprising a fixed liquid-tight evaporator housing. The housing comprises an inlet for feeding liquid to be evaporated into the housing and an outlet of the housing for liquid concentrated by evaporation, and an outlet of the housing for exhausting vapor boiled from the liquid by evaporation. The housing comprises a plurality of heating elements mounted within the housing on a common horizontal axis, each of the heating elements having an outer surface for contacting the liquid and having an internal passage for a heating medium and an element inlet and an element outlet for the heating medium.

[0008] A mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) liquid purification system, in particular an MVR seawater desalination system, is disclosed in WO2022 / 002708, comprising a pressure-tight shell having a first end and a second end, having an elongated shape that is substantially circular and cylindrical along a longitudinal axis A, and a plurality of evaporation compartments E1-E3; the system also includes a central tube extending along the longitudinal axis A of the shell through the center of the evaporation chambers E1-E3, and being configured to allow steam to flow from the second end of the shell to the first end.

[0009] Also, in US 2012 / 042665, a motor system is disclosed which is provided with an electric motor and an absorption cooling system which is driven by the heat generated by the electric motor and is configured to cool a primary coolant which removes heat from the electric motor to a temperature lower than the ambient temperature of a final radiator.

[0010] The object of the present invention is to achieve an electric vehicle comprising an improved thermal energy device configured to maintain the operating temperature of the battery system of the electric vehicle within an optimal range. The improvement is to provide a more energy-efficient device than currently used in the electric vehicle industry. The thermal energy device can also be used for other heating and cooling purposes of the electric vehicle. Summary of the invention

[0011] The above objects are achieved according to the invention according to the independent claims.

[0012] Preferred embodiments are set forth in the dependent claims.

[0013] The basic idea behind the present invention is to combine a mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) unit with an absorption chiller unit into a thermal energy device and use a working liquid, preferably a water-lithium bromide solution including antifreeze and water, which can also be fluid at low temperatures. The MVR unit provides an efficient hot water generator for supplying the absorption chiller unit, which in turn supplies the working liquid to the MVR unit. The cooling line is connected to the absorption chiller unit that can provide cooling for the battery system and optionally also to other systems of the electric vehicle, and the heating line is connected to a heat exchanger of the hot water line that can provide heat for the battery system and optionally also to other systems of the electric vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an electric vehicle according to the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a thermal energy device according to the present invention comprising an MVR unit and an absorption chiller unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The electric vehicle will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In all drawings, the same or similar items have the same reference symbols. In addition, the items and drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and emphasis is placed on illustrating the principles of the invention.

[0017] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2, an electric vehicle 1 is provided, which includes a battery system 3 configured to generate electrical energy to operate the electric vehicle. The battery system typically includes a plurality of battery modules, which may be arranged in one or more dedicated battery packs distributed on the vehicle. The term "vehicle" should be interpreted broadly and may include, for example, automobiles, loading trucks (e.g., equipped with cranes or other working equipment), mining vehicles, rail vehicles, etc. The electric vehicle also includes a control system 5 configured to control various systems of the electric vehicle, a temperature monitoring system 7 configured to monitor at least one temperature of the battery system 3, and generate a temperature signal 9 including at least one voltage applied to the control system 5.

[0018] The battery system is provided with a thermal energy device 11, which is arranged to provide thermal energy to keep the battery system 3 within an optimal operating temperature interval. The range of the optimal operating temperature interval depends on the battery type of the battery system, and is usually between 20-50°C.

[0019] The thermal energy device 11 comprises a mechanical vapour recompression (MVR) unit 13 and an absorption chiller unit 15 .

[0020] The MVR unit 13 comprises a pressure-tight housing 2 provided with a first end 4 and a second end 6 and having a substantially circular cylindrical elongated shape along a longitudinal axis A, optionally oriented substantially horizontally during operation of the device. The MVR unit further comprises a first end chamber 17, at least one evaporation chamber 19 and a second end chamber 21 arranged within the housing 2 along the longitudinal axis A. The at least one evaporation chamber 19 of the MVR unit 13 is arranged to receive a working liquid from the absorption chiller unit 15 via a working liquid line 23, the working liquid preferably having a freezing temperature below -40°C. Preferably, the working liquid is provided as Figure 2 The pump shown is used to pump the working liquid into the evaporation chamber. The hot water condensate from the first end chamber 17 of the MVR unit 13 is arranged to be supplied to the absorption chiller unit via a hot water line 25, wherein when the water evaporates in the evaporation chamber 19, the working liquid brine solution in at least one evaporation chamber is arranged to be supplied to the absorption chiller unit 15 via a brine solution line 27.

[0021] Preferably, the brine solution is supplied by pressure in an evaporation chamber, or a pump is provided along the brine solution line 27 to pump the brine solution into the absorption chiller unit 15 .

[0022] The absorption chiller unit 15 comprises two compartments separated by a partial inner wall 29 , a brine solution is supplied to a first compartment 31 and hot water condensate is supplied to a second compartment 33 , wherein both compartments are under a high vacuum provided by a high vacuum pump 41 .

[0023] A cooling line 35 is provided and immersed in the water in the second compartment 33. The inlet of the cooling line 35 is connected to the cooling system of the electric vehicle. The heat carried by the liquid supplied to the cooling line 35 will heat the water in the second compartment 33 of the absorption chiller unit 15, thereby evaporating faster, and the cooling line 35 outlet is provided with cooling liquid.

[0024] A first heat exchanger 37 is arranged at the hot water line 25 , which is configured to transfer heat from hot water condensate in the hot water line to heating liquid in the heating line 39 .

[0025] The control system 5 is configured to receive the temperature signal 9 and control the thermal energy device 11 to supply the generated thermal energy to the battery system 3 via the cooling line 35 and the heating line 39 according to at least one temperature, so as to keep the temperature of the battery system 3 within a predetermined temperature range.

[0026] In one embodiment, the working liquid is a combination of lithium bromide solution with an antifreeze solution and water, and the working liquid brine solution is substantially a lithium bromide brine solution and any antifreeze solution. The antifreeze solution can ensure that the freezing point of the working liquid is at least below -40°C. The antifreeze solution is one or more of an inorganic acid, an organic acid, a mixed organic acid, an ionic liquid, ethylene glycol, a polyethylene glycol, a hydrocarbon (such as a short-chain to medium-chain alcohol), a nitrate or a silicate-based antifreeze compound.

[0027] According to another embodiment, a high vacuum pump 41 is arranged in connection with the second compartment 33 to provide a high vacuum within the absorption chiller unit 15 .

[0028] Preferably, a second heat exchanger 43 is arranged at the working liquid line 23 to further increase the temperature of the working liquid by receiving heat from the brine solution.

[0029] According to a further embodiment, the MVR unit 13 and the absorption chiller unit 15 are arranged in a common housing constituting the thermal energy device 11 and the common housing comprises a sealed cylindrical housing with a substantially circular cross section and is provided with connections to the heating line 39 and the cooling line 35 .

[0030] Preferably, the common housing is dimensioned to be mountable in an electric vehicle, having a length of, for example, 0.3-0.8 meters and an outer diameter of, for example, 0.2-0.4 meters.

[0031] As an alternative, the MVR unit and the absorption chiller unit are separate units.

[0032] In another embodiment, heat energy is supplied to the battery system 3 via the cooling line 35 and the heating line 39, and the battery system 3 is provided with a cooling / heating piping system configured to receive liquid from the cooling line 35 or the heating line 39. The control system is configured to control the temperature by, for example, controlling valves of the cooling and heating lines to adjust the flow rate of the liquid to obtain a desired temperature.

[0033] According to another embodiment, at least one evaporation chamber 19 comprises two substantially flat and circular side walls 8 separating the evaporation chamber from the end chamber. The at least one evaporation chamber is provided with a plurality of longitudinal ducts 10 extending from one side wall 8 to the other side wall 8, and the circular side walls are provided with openings for the plurality of ducts, thereby establishing a connection between the first end chamber 17 and the second end chamber 21.

[0034] According to another embodiment, the MVR unit comprises a central tube 12 extending through the center of at least one evaporation chamber 19 along the longitudinal axis A of the housing 2 and configured to allow steam to flow from the second end chamber 17 of the housing to the first end chamber 21. The MVR unit further comprises a turbine assembly 14, which is preferably arranged relative to the first end 4 of the housing 2 and at least partially arranged within the central tube 12, the turbine assembly 14 comprising a turbine provided with turbine blade members configured to provide an axial (i.e., along the longitudinal axis) steam flow within the central tube 12 from the first end 6 to the first end 4 of the housing 2. Figure 2 In FIG. 1 , the steam flow in the central tube is indicated by square arrows. The turbine assembly 14 includes a motor 20 for rotating the turbine at a variable speed. Preferably, the motor is arranged relative to the first end of the housing 2.

[0035] exist Figure 2 In the figure, the high-pressure steam flow from the first end chamber 17 to the second end chamber 21 is represented by a black square arrow, and the low-pressure steam flow from the evaporation chamber 19 to the second end chamber 21 is represented by a gray square arrow. The corresponding steam flows are transmitted by one or more pipes or tubes arranged outside the evaporation chamber or integrated in the evaporation chamber and / or in the wall of the evaporation chamber.

[0036] In particular, water is separated from the working fluid by evaporation in at least one evaporation chamber 19, and the vapor is compressed by being accelerated by the turbine components while flowing through the central tube.

[0037] In another embodiment, the thermal energy device 11 is also arranged to supply thermal energy from the cooling fluid and the heating fluid to cool and / or heat various parts of the electric vehicle (eg the driver and passenger spaces).

[0038] The following is a further description of an embodiment of an electric vehicle according to the present invention.

[0039] A working liquid having a freezing point below -40°C, preferably a lithium bromide aqueous solution including antifreeze and water, is supplied to an evaporation chamber of the MVR unit, wherein when the working liquid evaporates in the evaporation chamber, water is separated from the working liquid as steam.

[0040] The working liquid is supplied into the evaporation chamber (e.g., by spraying with a nozzle). Steam is supplied to a central tube of the MVR unit provided with a turbine, which is configured to generate a steam flow from the second end chamber of the MVR unit through the central tube to the first end chamber of the MVR unit. The MVR unit comprises a fluid-tight housing capable of withstanding high pressure. The evaporation chamber is provided with a plurality of evaporation pipes extending substantially along an axis A of the MVR unit. The evaporation pipes are symmetrically arranged around the central tube and are preferably evenly distributed in a cross section perpendicular to the horizontal axis. The evaporation pipes are arranged to receive steam and transfer it from the second end chamber to the first end chamber. The MVR unit has an elongated shape having a substantially circular cylindrical shape along the horizontal axis.

[0041] In an MVR unit, the working liquid (e.g., water-lithium bromide solution) is separated from the water by evaporation in an evaporation chamber provided with multiple horizontal pipes. The steam is compressed as it flows through the central pipe by being accelerated by the turbine components, specifically for:

[0042] 1) to push the process further, which is an "expensive" process because the lithium bromide in the working fluid binds very tightly to water, so having a "cheap" heat source is important, and

[0043] 2) Condensation of clean water is produced in the pipes. Now, a brine solution is left at the bottom of the evaporation chamber, and the salt concentration gradually increases as the water evaporates.

[0044] Thus, a working liquid brine solution (preferably a lithium bromide brine solution and antifreeze) is left at the bottom of the evaporation chamber, wherein the brine solution is supplied to the absorption chiller unit via a brine solution pipeline, wherein the brine solution can be supplied by pressure in the evaporation chamber (preferably, no pump is required). The hot water condensate from the MVR unit, in particular the condensate from the first end chamber, is now supplied to the absorption chiller unit via a hot water pipeline ( Figure 2 center left). Since it is already under pressure, no pumping is required. In this step, the heat is provided by the first heat exchanger.

[0045] The absorption chiller unit consists of two compartments separated by a partial inner wall. The two compartments are in a high vacuum state.

[0046] Hot water condensate is supplied to one of the compartments, the first compartment, through a hot water line.

[0047] Preferably, the first heat exchanger is arranged along the hot water line, wherein the first heat exchanger is provided with a heating line provided with a liquid to receive heat from the hot water condensate. The heating line is connected to one or more systems of the electric vehicle that require heating.

[0048] The two compartments of the absorption chiller unit are separated from each other by partly a partition, partly a wall. The compartments are under a high vacuum generated by two separate processes. One process is the recombination of the brine solution (i.e. lithium bromide (LiBr) concentrate) with water, which, due to the strong hygroscopicity of lithium bromide, creates a strong negative pressure. If this is not enough, a vacuum pump is provided to come in and support the generation of the high vacuum. Hygroscopicity is the phenomenon of attracting and holding water molecules by absorption or adsorption from the surrounding environment, usually at normal or room temperature.

[0049] Another process is that due to the rapid drop in pressure, the water will evaporate quickly and thus become a medium with a lower density. The pressure will drop and the temperature will also drop. A cooling line is set up and immersed in the cold water in the second compartment 33. The inlet of the cooling line is connected to, for example, the cooling system of an electric vehicle, which is used to cool the battery (for example, the interior of the vehicle). The heat carried by the liquid supplied to the cooling line will heat the water in the second compartment of the absorption chiller, and the water will then evaporate faster. Typically, the cold water flowing out of the system is between 6-12°C.

[0050] The steam will find its way into the first compartment 31 where it will meet the supplied brine solution (e.g. provided by a nozzle as a spray of finely divided lithium bromide brine). The reason for spraying it is simply to create a larger specific surface area and maximize the probability of lithium bromide molecules absorbing H2O molecules. During the absorption of water molecules, the absolute volume decreases during the recombination process and the pressure in the chamber is therefore reduced. The resulting hydrate, i.e. the working liquid (e.g. water-lithium bromide solution), will be hot since it is an exothermic reaction.

[0051] The lithium bromide hydrate eventually returns to the evaporation chamber of the MVR unit, but first, optionally, passes through a second heat exchanger on the way back to further increase its temperature, thereby further approaching the temperature of the "salt bath" in the evaporation chamber. In the heat exchanger, the hydrate receives heat from the brine. The cycle is closed and the unit is in mass and energy balance.

[0052] To provide temperature control for the battery system, coolant, water and antifreeze are pumped through specially designed plates or channels embedded in or located beneath the battery cells of the battery system. This technology keeps the battery pack warm in the winter and cool in the summer, thereby maintaining the optimal temperature to minimize battery degradation.

[0053] During cold periods, the heat generated by the MVR can be used for two different heating applications:

[0054] 1) Warming the battery to optimal temperature during operation and before charging on the road (some automakers may choose to preheat the battery before charging during operation, thereby reducing charging time).

[0055] 2) Heating the vehicle's interior environment via a water-to-air heat exchanger (passenger compartment heating).

[0056] By using MVR heating in the passenger compartment and battery, you can extend the range of an electric vehicle by a factor of two:

[0057] The passenger compartment heater will consume less electricity to keep the passenger compartment warm; electricity can be used to keep the vehicle moving longer.

[0058] Lithium-ion batteries become significantly less efficient at lower temperatures; i.e. the output becomes lower than at higher temperatures. In addition, lithium-ion batteries charge less efficiently at lower temperatures, which can lead to unnecessary and long charging breaks during journeys.

[0059] Various studies have shown that, depending on the temperature and the car brand, the range can be reduced by 20-45% in cold weather, especially at extreme temperatures (such as -20°C). In addition: For long traffic jams and accident scenes, where speeds are close to zero but the passenger compartment heater needs to be running to maintain the passenger compartment temperature, the range can drop to very short range or even zero range (or switching off the passenger compartment heater at low temperatures is not advisable).

[0060] The advantage of MVR is that you are not extracting heat from the surrounding air (like a heat pump would). In other words, the COP is more or less independent of the ambient temperature.

[0061] The solution to the above challenges lies in the extreme ability of MVR technology to produce a "large amount" of heat from a "small amount" of electrical energy in the form of hot water. Given that MVR produces a hot liquid (depending on the negative pressure and the medium), the technology is suitable both for interior heating (by letting the hot medium run in a standard liquid-to-air heat exchanger) and for heating lithium-ion batteries. The latter is most effective if a liquid-carrying loop is built into the battery pack, where the loop (more or less insulated) dissipates the heat and thus heats the batteries to the right optimal temperature. Liquid loops are already used today to cool batteries in hot months, so this concept is perfectly applicable.

[0062] It goes without saying that MVR, with an expected COP of at least 10, will significantly increase the range. For interior heating, this is obvious, as the next best solution has a COP of 2-3. In other words, MVR-based technology will save at least 3 times more electricity than a standard air heat pump.

[0063] Regarding battery temperature, heating the battery should also significantly increase range, although the increase in range when the battery temperature is increased and the heat requirements to heat the battery to the optimal temperature still need to be considered, and what the optimal temperature is, to make a more accurate calculation.

[0064] As a rough estimate, one can assume that the range of an electric car at -20°C drops by 30% (there are examples of nearly 50%), driven only by a cold battery (i.e. despite interior heating). If you assume a battery capacity of 70 kWh, then 20 kWh are lost. If we also assume that we reduce the battery losses by 20 kWh with the help of 20 kWh of supplied heat, and if we assume a COP of 10, then we only need 2 kWh of electricity to increase the range by 20-2=18 kWh. In other words, we can maintain full range with only a small amount of electricity consumed by battery heating (and passenger compartment heating).

[0065] The MVR design can produce hot water at a temperature of 100°C. This temperature is enough to produce a cooling COP of about 0.7 with the help of an absorption chiller. If the COP for heat generation is 10, then the COP for cooling will be 6-7. It should be compared with the COP of a car air conditioning system, which seems to be around 3-4. Therefore, MVR and absorption chillers will have higher energy efficiency than traditional methods.

[0066] In property-based MVR facilities, water is used because it can be assumed that it will never freeze, i.e. the indoor temperature will never fall below zero. In a car, this is not the case; in the worst case, a parked electric car without a power source can be subject to temperatures of -40°C (or lower). Therefore, the working fluid in a vehicle-based MVR must contain an antifreeze that also works well in boiling and condensation cycles, not corroding metals in the structure or leaving deposits. The working fluid applied here is a combination of lithium bromide solution with antifreeze and water. Similarly, the circuit that regulates the temperature of the battery pack (heating and possible cooling) must not freeze. However, the latter is much simpler because this circuit is in heat exchange with the MVR circuit and does not have to have the same specific properties as the working fluid applied in the MVR unit.

[0067] The present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described above. Various substitutions, modifications and equivalents may be used. Therefore, the above embodiments should not be considered to limit the scope of the present invention, which is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle (1), comprising: a battery system (3) configured to generate electrical energy to operate the electric vehicle; A control system (5) configured to control various systems of the electric vehicle; a temperature monitoring system (7) configured to monitor at least one temperature of the battery system (3) and generate a temperature signal (9) including the at least one temperature, wherein the battery system is provided with a thermal energy device (11), the thermal energy device (11) being arranged to supply thermal energy to keep the battery system (3) within an optimal operating temperature range, characterized in that the thermal energy device (11) comprises: A mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) unit (13) and an absorption chiller unit (15), the MVR unit (13) comprising a pressure-tight housing (2) provided with a first end (4) and a second end (6), and having a substantially circular cylindrical elongated shape along a longitudinal axis A, and further comprising a first end chamber (17), at least one evaporation chamber (19) and a second end chamber (21) arranged in the housing (2) along the longitudinal axis A, wherein the MVR unit further comprises a central tube (12) and a turbine assembly (14), wherein the The central tube (12) extends along the longitudinal axis A of the housing (2) through the center of the at least one evaporation chamber (19) and is arranged to allow steam to flow from the second end chamber (17) of the housing (2) to the first end chamber (21), the turbine assembly (14) comprising a turbine provided with a turbine blade member, the turbine blade member being configured to provide an axial steam flow, i.e., along the longitudinal axis, from the second end (6) of the housing (2) to the first end (4) within the central tube (12), The at least one evaporation chamber (19) of the MVR unit (13) is arranged to receive working liquid from the absorption chiller unit (15) via a working liquid pipeline (23), wherein hot water condensate from the first end chamber (17) of the MVR unit (13) is arranged to be supplied to the absorption chiller unit via a hot water pipeline (25), wherein as water evaporates in the evaporation chamber (19), the working liquid brine solution in the at least one evaporation chamber is arranged to be supplied to the absorption chiller unit (15) via a brine solution pipeline (27), and the absorption chiller unit (15) comprises two compartments separated by a partial inner wall (29), the brine solution being supplied to a first compartment (31) thereof and the hot water condensate being supplied to a second compartment (33) thereof, wherein the two compartments are under high vacuum, A cooling line (35) is arranged and immersed in the water in the second compartment (33), the inlet of the cooling line (35) is connected to the cooling system of the electric vehicle, the heat carried by the liquid supplied to the cooling line (35) will heat the water in the second compartment (33) of the absorption chiller unit (15), so that it evaporates faster, and the outlet of the cooling line (35) is provided with cooling liquid, A first heat exchanger (37) is arranged at the hot water line (25), the hot water line (25) being configured to transfer heat from hot water condensate in the hot water line to heating liquid in the heating line (39), The control system (5) is configured to receive the temperature signal (9) and control the thermal energy device (11) according to the at least one temperature, so as to supply the generated thermal energy to the battery system (3) via the cooling line (35) and the heating line (39), thereby maintaining the temperature of the battery system (3) within the predetermined temperature range.

2. The electric vehicle (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The working fluid is a lithium bromide solution combined with an antifreeze solution and water and has a freezing temperature below -40°C.

3. The electric vehicle (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The working liquid brine solution is essentially a lithium bromide brine solution and any antifreeze solution.

4. The electric vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: A high vacuum pump (41) is arranged in connection with the second compartment (33) to provide a high vacuum within the absorption chiller unit (15).

5. The electric vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: A second heat exchanger (43) is arranged at the working liquid pipeline (23) to further increase the temperature of the working liquid by receiving heat from the brine solution.

6. The electric vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The MVR unit (13) and the absorption chiller unit (15) are arranged in a common housing constituting the thermal energy device (11), wherein the common housing comprises a sealed cylindrical housing having a substantially circular cross section.

7. The electric vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The thermal energy is supplied to the battery system (3) via the cooling line (35) and the heating line (39), and the battery system (3) is provided with a cooling / heating piping system configured to receive liquid from the cooling line (35) and the heating line (39).

8. The electric vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The at least one evaporation chamber (19) comprises two substantially flat and circular side walls (8) separating the evaporation chamber from the end chamber, the at least one evaporation chamber being provided with a plurality of longitudinal ducts (10) extending from one side wall (8) to the other side wall (8), and the circular side wall being provided with openings for the plurality of ducts, thereby establishing a connection between the first end chamber (17) and the second end chamber (21).

9. The electric vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The turbine assembly (14) is arranged relative to the first end (4) of the housing (2) and is located at least partially within the center tube (12) and includes a motor (20) for rotating the turbine at a variable speed.

10. The electric vehicle (1) according to claim 9, wherein: Water is separated from the working fluid by evaporation in the at least one evaporation chamber (19), and the vapor is compressed by being accelerated by the turbine components while flowing through the central tube.

11. The electric vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The thermal energy device (11) is also arranged to supply thermal energy from the cooling liquid and the heating liquid to cool and / or heat various components of the electric vehicle.

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