Method and system for thermal management of a vehicle

Abstract

A method (400) and a system (128) for thermal management of a vehicle (110) is disclosed. The method (400) includes computing an instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) associated with a corresponding component of one or more components of the vehicle (110). The method (400) further includes obtaining parameters associated with the components based on the computation of the RT. Further, the method (400) includes determining a reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF associated with the corresponding component based on the parameters. The (dT / dt)REF indicates a temperature rate change that enables the corresponding component to operate within a predefined threshold temperature range. Furthermore, the method (400) includes determining an error based on comparing the RT with the (dT / dt)REF. Moreover, the method (400) includes determining a current reference value (IREF) based on the error for regulation of an instantaneous current value (IBATT) such that the RT matches the (dT / dt)REF.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THERMAL MANAGEMENT OF A VEHICLEFIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to vehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and a system for thermal management of the vehicles.BACKGROUND

[0002] The information in this section merely provides background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art(s) for the present disclosure.

[0003] In vehicles, such as Electric Vehicles (EVs) or hybrid vehicles, the performance of various components of the vehicles is critical for operational capabilities and endurance. The performance of the components may depend on the operating environment, including temperature. For example, a battery of lithium-ion typically delivers optimum performance within a specific range of temperatures. If such batteries are operated below or above the specific range of temperatures, then these can be less efficient or prone to catastrophic failure, respectively.

[0004] Further, during the operation of the components, different types of drive cycles / drive profiles cause different amounts of thermal loads on the components of the vehicles. Such components may include, for example, the battery, a motor, and a motor controller. Specifically, the components become thermal bottlenecks in different types of driving profiles. The term “thermal bottlenecks” typically refers to a point where heat transfer is limited in the components. Therefore, operating the components at non-optimal temperatures may also degrade the performance or efficiency, accelerate degradation during subsequent use, and can also affect the lifespan of the electric vehicle.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for thermal management in the vehicles to maintain preferred operating temperatures in the vehicles. Thermal management refers to a process of maintaining the temperature of various components within a predefined range and plays an essential role in maintaining the smooth performance of vehicle components.

[0006] Traditional thermal management systems involve two steps for ensuring the thermal management of the vehicles, i.e., the first step is a design for optimal heat transfer and thermal management for operating loads. Further, the second step is a combination of thermal derating and / or temperature-based cut-off to prevent overheating of the components.

[0007] However, a typical problem that is presented in the traditional thermal management systems is the amount of over-designing that goes into ensuring that none of the components encounter any operating load where they become thermal bottlenecks. This approach ends upincreasing the cost and complexity of the traditional thermal management systems. Further, this approach can result in an increase in size, weight, power consumption, manufacturing complexity, and / or cost of the vehicles, which can affect the performance and efficiency of the vehicles.

[0008] Accordingly, there exists a need for a method and a system for the thermal management that addresses the limitations of the prior art.

[0009] The drawbacks / difficulties / disadvantages / limitations of the conventional techniques explained in the background section are just for exemplary purposes and the disclosure would never limit its scope only such limitations. A person skilled in the art would understand that this disclosure and below mentioned description may also solve other problems or overcome the other drawbacks / disadvantages.SUMMARY

[0010] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts, in a simplified format, that are further described in the detailed description of the invention. This summary is neither intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the invention nor is it intended for determining the scope of the invention.

[0011] In an aspect of the present disclosure, a method for thermal management of the vehicle is disclosed. The method includes computing an instantaneous temperature rate change value associated with a corresponding component of one or more components of the vehicle. Further, the method includes obtaining one or more parameters associated with the one or more components of the vehicle based on the computation of the instantaneous temperature rate change value. Furthermore, the method includes determining a reference temperature rate change value associated with the corresponding component based on the obtained one or more parameters. The reference temperature rate change value indicates a maintained temperature rate change that enables the corresponding component to operate within a predefined threshold temperature range. The method further includes determining an error based on comparing the computed instantaneous temperature rate change value with the determined reference temperature rate change value. Moreover, the method includes determining a current reference value based on the determined error using a controlling model for regulation of an instantaneous current value such that the instantaneous temperature rate change value matches the reference temperature rate change value, thereby enabling the thermal management of the vehicle.

[0012] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a system for thermal management of a vehicle is disclosed. The system includes a memory and at least one processor incommunication with the memory. The at least one processor is configured to compute an instantaneous temperature rate change value associated with a corresponding component of one or more components of the vehicle. Further, the at least one processor is configured to obtain one or more parameters associated with the one or more components of the vehicle based on the computation of the instantaneous temperature rate change value. Furthermore, the at least one processor is configured to determine a reference temperature rate change value associated with the corresponding component based on the obtained one or more parameters. The reference temperature rate change value indicates a maintained temperature rate change that enables the corresponding component to operate within a predefined threshold temperature range. The at least processor is further configured to determine an error based on comparing the computed instantaneous temperature rate change value with the determined reference temperature rate change value. Moreover, the at least one processor is further configured to determine a current reference value based on the determined error using a controlling model for regulation of an instantaneous current value such that the instantaneous temperature rate change value matches the reference temperature rate change value, thereby enabling the thermal management of the vehicle.

[0013] To further clarify the advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

[0015] Figure 1 illustrates an environment for the implementation of a system for thermal management of an Electric Vehicle (EV), according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of the EV, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 3 illustrates a detailed block diagram of the system for the thermal management of the EV, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 4 illustrates a flowchart depicting an exemplary method for the thermal management of the EV, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 5 illustrates a flowchart depicting sub-steps for computing an instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT), according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 6 illustrates a flowchart depicting sub-steps for determining a reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 7 illustrates a flowchart depicting a bang-bang controller for determining a current reference value IREF, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 8A illustrates an exemplary schematic flow diagram depicting the thermal management of a battery, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 8B illustrates an exemplary schematic flow diagram depicting the thermal management of a Motor Controller Unit (MCU), according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 8C illustrates an exemplary schematic flow diagram depicting the thermal management of an electric motor, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 9A illustrates an exemplary graph depicting a range of an instantaneous current value IBATT associated with the battery, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 9B illustrates an example representation of a temperature-time graph depicting variation in temperature over time, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 9C illustrates an example representation of a graph depicting the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) that matches the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0028] Figure 9D illustrates an exemplary graph depicting a difference between the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) and the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Further, skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the flow charts illustrate the method in terms of the most prominent steps involved to help toimprove understanding of aspects of the present invention. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0030] For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the various embodiments and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the present disclosure is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the present disclosure as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the present disclosure relates.

[0031] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are explanatory of the present disclosure and are not intended to be restrictive thereof.

[0032] Whether or not a certain feature or element was limited to being used only once, it may still be referred to as “one or more features” or “one or more elements” or “at least one feature” or “at least one element.” Furthermore, the use of the terms “one or more” or “at least one” feature or element does not preclude there being none of that feature or element, unless otherwise specified by limiting language including, but not limited to, “there needs to be one or more. . .” or “one or more elements is required.”

[0033] Reference is made herein to some “embodiments.” It should be understood that an embodiment is an example of a possible implementation of any features and / or elements of the present disclosure. Some embodiments have been described to explain one or more of the potential ways in which the specific features and / or elements of the proposed disclosure fulfill the requirements of uniqueness, utility, and non-obviousness.

[0034] Use of the phrases and / or terms including, but not limited to, “a first embodiment,” “a further embodiment,” “an alternate embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “multiple embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “other embodiments,” “further embodiment”, “furthermore embodiment”, “additional embodiment” or other variants thereof do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, one or more particular features and / or elements described in connection with one or moreembodiments may be found in one embodiment, or may be found in more than one embodiment, or may be found in all embodiments, or may be found in no embodiments. Although one or more features and / or elements may be described herein in the context of only a single embodiment, in the context of more than one embodiment, or in the context of all embodiments, the features and / or elements may instead be provided separately or in any appropriate combination or not at all. Conversely, any features and / or elements described in the context of separate embodiments may alternatively be realized as existing together in the context of a single embodiment.

[0035] Any particular and all details set forth herein are used in the context of some embodiments and therefore should not necessarily be taken as limiting factors to the proposed disclosure.

[0036] The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process or method that comprises a list of steps does not include only those steps but may include other steps not expressly listed or inherent to such process or method. Similarly, one or more devices or sub-systems or elements or structures or components proceeded by “comprises... a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other devices or other sub-systems or other elements or other structures or other components or additional devices or additional sub-systems or additional elements or additional structures or additional components.

[0037] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] For the sake of clarity, the first digit of a reference numeral of each component of the present disclosure is indicative of the Figure number, in which the corresponding component is shown. For example, reference numerals starting with digit “1” are shown at least in Figure 1. Similarly, reference numerals starting with digit “2” are shown at least in Figure 2.

[0039] Figure 1 illustrates an environment 100 for the implementation of a system for thermal management of the vehicle, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle may herein be referred to as an electric vehicle 110 within the scope of the present disclosure. In another embodiment, the vehicle may also include a hybrid vehicle.

[0041] The Environment 100 may include the Electric Vehicle (EV) 110 or a battery- powered vehicle including, but not limited to, two-wheelers such as scooters, mopeds, motorbikes / motorcycles; three-wheelers such as auto-rickshaws; four-wheelers such as cars;other Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs); and Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HCVs) primarily work on the principle of driving an electric motor 116 using power from one or more batteries provided therein. Furthermore, the EV 110 may have at least one wheel which is electrically powered to traverse such a vehicle. The term ‘wheel’ may refer to any groundengaging member that allows traversal of the EV 110 over a path. The types of EVs include Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), and Range Extended Electric Vehicles. However, the subsequent paragraphs pertain to the different elements of the BEVs.

[0042] In construction, the EV 110 typically comprises a battery 112 enclosed within a battery casing and includes a Battery Management System (BMS) 204 (not shown in Figure 1), an on-board charger 114, a Motor Controller Unit (MCU) 205 (not shown in Figure 1), the electric motor 116, and an electric transmission system 118. The electric motor 116 may also be interchangeably termed as a motor within the scope of the present disclosure. The primary function of the above-mentioned elements is detailed in the subsequent paragraphs: The battery 112 of the EV 110 (also known as Electric Vehicle Battery (EVB) or traction battery) is re-chargeable in nature and is the primary source of energy required for the operation of the EV 110, wherein the battery 112 is typically charged using the electric current taken from the grid through a charging infrastructure 120. The battery 112 may be charged using Alternating Current (AC) or Direct Current (DC), wherein in case of AC input, the on-board charger 114 converts the AC signal to a DC signal after which the DC signal is transmitted to the battery 112 via the BMS 204. However, in the case of DC charging, the on-board charger 114 is bypassed, and the current is transmitted directly to the battery 112 via the BMS 204.

[0043] The battery 112 is made up of a plurality of cells which are grouped into a plurality of modules in a manner in which the temperature difference between the cells does not exceed 5 degrees Celsius. The terms “battery”, “cell”, and “battery cell” may be used interchangeably and may refer to any of a variety of different rechargeable cell compositions and configurations including, but not limited to, lithium-ion (e.g., lithium iron phosphate, lithium cobalt oxide, other lithium metal oxides, etc.), lithium-ion polymer, nickel metal hydride, nickel cadmium, nickel hydrogen, nickel-zinc, silver zinc, or other battery type / configuration. The individual batteries may be electrically interconnected to achieve the desired voltage and capacity for a desired application. The Battery Management System (BMS) 204 is an electronic system whose primary function is to ensure that the battery 112 is operating safely and efficiently. The BMS continuously monitors different parameters of the battery such as temperature, voltage, current, and so on, and communicates these parametersto the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and the Motor Controller Unit (MCU) 205 in the EV 110 using a plurality of protocols including and not limited to Controller Area Network (CAN) bus protocol which facilitates the communication between the ECU / MCU and other peripheral elements of the EV 110 without the requirement of a host computer.

[0044] The electric transmission system 118 of the EV 110 facilitates the transfer of the generated mechanical energy by the electric motor 116 to the wheels 122a, 122b of the EV 110. Generally, the electric transmission systems 118 used in EVs 110 include a singlespeed transmission system and a multi-speed (i.e., two-speed) transmission system, wherein the single-speed transmission system comprises a single gear pair whereby the EV 110 is maintained at a constant speed. However, the multi-speed / two-speed transmission system comprises a compound planetary gear system with a double-pinion planetary gear set and a single-pinion planetary gear set thereby resulting in two different gear ratios which facilitate higher torque and vehicle speed.

[0045] In one embodiment, all data pertaining to the EV 110 and / or charging infrastructure 120 may be collected and processed using a remote server 124 (known as cloud), wherein the processed data is indicated to the rider / driver of the EV 110 through a display unit present in a dashboard 126 of the EV 110. In an embodiment, the display unit may be an interactive display unit. In another embodiment, the display unit may be a non- interactive display unit.

[0046] In addition to the hardware components / elements, the EV 110 may be supported with software modules comprising intelligent features including but not limited to navigation assistance, hill assistance, cloud connectivity, Over-The-Air (OTA) updates, adaptive display techniques, and so on. The firmware of the EV 110 may also comprise Artificial Intelligence (Al) & Machine Learning (ML) driven modules which enable the prediction of a plurality of parameters such as and not limited to driver / rider behaviour, road condition, charging infrastructures 120 / charging grids 120 in the vicinity and so on. The data pertaining to the intelligent features may be displayed through the display unit present in the dashboard 126 of the EV 110. In one embodiment, the display unit may contain a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen of a predefined dimension. In another embodiment, the display unit may contain a Light-Emitting Diode (LED) screen of a predefined dimension. The display unit may be a water-resistant display supporting one or more User-Interface (UI) designs. The EV 110 may support multiple frequency bands such as 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, and so on. Additionally, the EV 110 may also be equipped with wireless infrastructure such as, but not limited to Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and so on to facilitate wireless communication with other EVs orthe remote server 124. Further, the EV 110 may include the system 128 configured to estimate the charging time of the battery 112 of the EV 110, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the charging time indicates the amount of time to charge the battery up to one or more State-of-Charges (SOCs) in response to detecting a connection of the EV 110 with the charging infrastructure 120. Furthermore, the one or more SOCs may indicate a measure of charge level or a measure of the remaining capacity of the battery 112.

[0047] Further, the constructional and operational details of the system 128 are explained in subsequent paragraphs in conjunction with Figures 2 and 3, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0048] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of the Electric Vehicle (EV) 110, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The EV 110 may include the system 128 for the thermal management of the EV 110. The system 128 may be in communication with the Battery Management System / unit (BMS) 204 and may be connected to the battery 112. Further, the system 128 may be in communication with the MCU 205 that may be connected to the electric motor 116. The system 128 may include, but is not limited to, a vehicle computation unit (VCU) 206 for the thermal management of the EV 110.

[0049] The present disclosure may be explained in reference to the system 128 which may reside in the EV 110. However, this should not be construed as a limitation of the present disclosure. In another embodiment, the system 128 may also reside in the cloud or the remote server 124.

[0050] Referring to Figure 2, the BMS 204 may be the electronic system whose primary function is to ensure that the battery 112 is operating safely and efficiently. The BMS 204 may continuously monitor different parameters of the battery 112 such as temperature, voltage, current, and so on, and communicates these parameters to the VCU 206 in the EV 110 using a plurality of protocols including, but not limited to, Controller Area Network (CAN) bus protocol which facilitates the communication without the requirement of the host computer. In an advantageous aspect, the BMS 204 ensures the safety, efficiency, and longevity of the battery 112.

[0051] For example, the BMS 204 may be adapted to obtain details associated with the battery 112 for instance, a Battery Identification Number (BIN), which uniquely identifies the battery 112. Additionally, the BMS 204 may be adapted to acquire configuration of the battery 112, such as the number of cells in series and parallel, and the specific cell type used in the battery 112.

[0052] Further, in an example, the BMS 204 may be adapted to continuously monitor the charging current flowing into the battery 112 during the charging process. Consequently, the BMS 204 may be adapted to determine a plurality of initial battery parameters. In a nonlimiting example, the plurality of initial battery parameters may include an initial State of Charge (SoC) of the battery 112, an initial cell temperature, an initial State of Health (SoH), and the initial charging current value and more, based on the real-time data received from sensors embedded in the battery 112.

[0053] In the example, the initial SOC may indicate a current charge level of the battery 112 as a percentage of its total capacity. The BMS 204 may be adapted to constantly calculate and update the initial SOC to provide an accurate representation of how much energy is stored in the battery 112 at any given time.

[0054] In an exemplary embodiment, the BMS 204 may be in communication with the VCU 206, to provide the updated SOC value to the VCU 206. In an embodiment, the VCU 206 may be explained in conjunction with Figure 3.

[0055] Further, the MCU 205 primarily controls / regulates the operation of the electric motor 116 based on the signal transmitted from the battery 112. The primary functions of the MCU 205 include starting the electric motor 116, stopping the electric motor 116, controlling the speed of the electric motor 116, enabling the EV 110 to move in the reverse direction, and protecting the electric motor 116 from premature wear and tear. The primary function of the electric motor 116 is to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy, wherein the converted mechanical energy is subsequently transferred to the transmission system of the EV to facilitate movement of the EV 110. Additionally, the electric motor 116 also acts as a generator during regenerative braking (i.e., kinetic energy generated during vehicle braking / deceleration is converted into potential energy and stored in the battery of the EV). The types of motors generally employed in EVs include, but are not limited to, DC series motors, Brushless DC motors (also known as BLDC motors), Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM), Three Phase AC Induction Motors and Switched Reluctance Motors (SRM).

[0056] Further, the EV 110 may include one or more temperature sensors 208 that may be installed on the one or more components of the EV 110 such as the battery 112, the electric motor 116, and the MCU 205. The one or more temperature sensors 208 may be critical components that measure an accurate and real-time temperature of the battery 112, the electric motor 116, and the MCU 205 to ensure safe and efficient operation.

[0057] The one or more temperature sensors 208 may include a thermistor and / or a thermocouple that changes its resistance or voltage with temperature. Thermistors are the most commonly used sensors due to their high sensitivity, fast response time, and low cost. Thermocouples, on the other hand, generate a voltage that is proportional to the temperature difference between the two junctions. Thermocouples are known for their high accuracy, wide temperature range, and durability.

[0058] Figure 3 illustrates a detailed block diagram of the system 128 for the thermal management of the EV 110, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The system 128 may include the VCU 206 for the thermal management of the EV 110. The key elements of the VCU 206 typically include (i) a microcontroller core (or processor unit) or a processor 302; (ii) a memory unit or a memory 304; (iii) a plurality of modules 306 and (iv) communication protocols including, but not limited to CAN protocol, Serial Communication Interface (SCI) protocol and so on. The sequence of program instructions and data associated therewith can be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as the memory unit 304 or storage device which may be any suitable memory apparatus such as, but not limited to, read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), random-access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk drive and the like. In one or more embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, non-transitory computer-readable storage media can be embodied with a sequence of programmed instructions for monitoring and controlling the operation of different components of the EV 110.

[0059] The processor 302 may include any computing system that includes, but is not limited to, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), an Application Processor (AP), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a Visual Processing Unit (VPU), and / or an Artificial Intelligence (Al)-dedicated processor such as a Neural Processing Unit (NPU). In an embodiment, the processor can be a single processing unit or several units, all of which could include multiple computing units. The processor 302 may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, and / or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the processor is configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions and the data stored in the memory 304. The instructions can be compiled from source code instructions provided in accordance with a programming language such as Java, C++, C#.net, or the like. The instructions can also comprise code and data objects provided in accordance with, for example, the Visual Basic™ language,Lab VIEW, or another structured or object-oriented programming language. The one or a plurality of processors control the processing of the input data in accordance with a predefined operating rule or an Al model stored in the non-volatile memory and the volatile memory. The predefined operating rule or artificial intelligence model is provided through training or learning algorithms which include, but are not limited to, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning.

[0060] Furthermore, the modules, processes, systems, and devices can be implemented as a single processor or as a distributed processor. Also, the processes, modules, and sub-modules described in the various figures of and for embodiments herein may be distributed across multiple computers or systems or may be co-located in a single processor or system. Further, the modules 306 can be implemented in hardware, instructions executed by a processing unit, or by a combination thereof. The processing unit can comprise a computer, a processor, such as the processor 302, a state machine, a logic array, or any other suitable devices capable of processing instructions. The processing unit can be a general- purpose processor which executes instructions to cause the general -purpose processor to perform the required tasks or, the processing unit can be dedicated to performing the required functions. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the modules 306 may be machine- readable instructions (software) which, when executed by a processor / processing unit, perform any of the described functionalities. In an embodiment, the plurality of modules 306 may include a computing module 310, an obtaining module 312, a determining module 314, and a transmitting module 316. The computing module 310, the obtaining module 312, the determining module 314, and the transmitting module 316 may be in communication with each other. Exemplary structural embodiment alternatives suitable for implementing the modules 306, sections, systems, means, or processes described herein are provided below.

[0061] Further, a detailed explanation of various functions of the system 128 and / or the processor / controller 302, and plurality of modules 306, may be explained with respect to a method illustrated in Figures 4-7.

[0062] Figure 4 illustrates a flowchart depicting an exemplary method 400 for thermal management of the EV 110, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is explained in detail in the subsequent paragraphs in conjunction with Figures 4-7. The method 400 may be a computer-implemented method executed, for example, by the system 128 and the plurality of modules 306.

[0063] At step 402, the method 400 may include computing, via the computing module 310, an instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) associated with acorresponding component of one or more components of the EV 110, i.e., the EV 110. In an embodiment, the one or more components may include the battery 112, the electric motor 116, or the Motor Controller Unit (MCU) 205. In one embodiment, the corresponding component may be a sub-component of either the battery 112, the electric motor 116, or the MCU 205. For example, the electric motor 116 may include, a stator, a rotor, windings, a shaft, bearings, etc.

[0064] In an embodiment, the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) indicates a rate of change in temperature value in real-time. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, temperature values associated with the corresponding component may be obtained using the one or more temperature sensors 208 that may be installed on the corresponding component. More specifically, the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) may be computed using subs-steps discussed in conjunction with Figure 5.

[0065] Figure 5 illustrates a flowchart depicting the sub-steps for computing the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT), according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0066] At step 402a, the step 402 may include filtering, using a predefined filtering technique, noise from a temperature signal received from the one or more temperature sensors 208 associated with the corresponding component. More specifically, the one or more temperature sensors 208 may detect temperature changes and convert them into the temperature signal. Further, the temperature signal may pass through a low pass filter to eliminate noise from the temperature signal.

[0067] Further, at step 402b, the step 402 may include computing the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) associated with the corresponding component based on differentiating the filtered temperature signal. More specifically, the filtered temperature signal may be utilized to obtain the temperature values over time. In an embodiment, the computing module 310 may further compute the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) using equation (1) as below:Rr = dT / dt . (1)Where Rris the instantaneous temperature rate change value, dT is the change in temperature value, and dt is a change in time

[0068] Again, referring to Figure 4, at step 402, the method 400 may include obtaining, via the obtaining module 312, one or more parameters associated with the one or more components of the EV 110 based on the computation of the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT). In an embodiment, the one or more parameters may include at least one of an instantaneous temperature value (Ti) associated with the corresponding component, a predefined threshold temperature value (Tmax) associated with the corresponding component, a state of charge (SoC) value associated with the battery 112, and a predefined threshold SoC value (SoCmin) associated with the battery 112.

[0069] In an embodiment, the instantaneous temperature value (Ti) is a real-time temperature value of the corresponding component. For example, during the operation of the electric motor 116, if the temperature of a stator of the electric motor 116 is 90° Celsius (C) having a critical temperature of 140°C, then the 90°C is the instantaneous temperature value (Ti), and the 140°C is the predefined threshold temperature value (Tmax). More specifically, the predefined threshold temperature is an upper threshold temperature value at which the corresponding component may become thermal bottleneck.

[0070] Further, the SoC value of the battery 112 may be obtained from the BMS 204. For example, the SoC value indicated in the display unit of the dashboard 126 is 50 %, and the EV 110 may stop when the SOC value reaches 2%. In this case, 2% is the predefined threshold value SoC value, which is the lower threshold SOC value (SoCmin) of the battery 112.

[0071] At step 406, the method 400 may include determining, via the determining module 314, a reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF associated with the corresponding component based on the obtained one or more parameters. In an embodiment, the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF may herein refer to a maintained temperature rate change that enables the corresponding component to operate within a predefined threshold temperature range.

[0072] More specifically, the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REmay be determined based on the performance requirements of the EV 110 to ensure that there may not be any discernible change in the performance of the EV 110.

[0073] In one embodiment, the method 400 may include computing, via the computing module 310, a temperature difference value (Ta). The temperature difference value (Ta) may be computed by correlating the instantaneous temperature value (Ti), associated with the corresponding component, with the predefined threshold temperature value (Tmax) of thecorresponding component as shown in equation (2) below:Td=Tmax— Ti . (2)

[0074] More particularly, the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF may be determined using sub-steps as discussed in conjunction with Figure 6.

[0075] Figure 6 illustrates a flowchart depicting sub-steps for determining the reference temperature rate change (dT / dt)REF, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0076] At sub-step 406a, the step 606 may include computing, via the computing module 310, a state of charge (SoC) difference value (SoCd) based on correlating the SoC value and the predefined threshold SoC value (SoCmin) associated with the battery 112.SoCd= SoC - SoCmin . (3)

[0077] At sub-step 406b, the step 406 may include computing, via the computing module 310, an energy value (E) based on correlating a battery capacity (Q) with the computed SoC difference value (SoCd).E= Q x SoCd . (4)

[0078] At sub-step 406c, the step 406 may include determining the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF based on correlating the computed energy value (E), the instantaneous current value (IBATT), and the computed temperature difference value (Td).(dT / dt)REF= (Td x IBATT)ZE . (5)

[0079] Again, referring to Figure 4, at step 408, the method 400 may include determining, via the determining module 314, an error based on comparing the computed instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) with the determined reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF. In an embodiment, the error may be computed using the equation (6) as below:Error = (dT / dt)REF - RT . (6)

[0080] At step 410, the method 400 may include determining a current reference value (IREF) based on the determined error using a controlling model for regulation of the instantaneous current value (IBATT) such that the instantaneous temperature rate change value(RT) matches the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF, thereby enabling the thermal management of the EV 110.

[0081] More specifically, the transmitting module 316, may transmit to the MCU (205), an instruction for the regulation of the instantaneous current value (IBATT) to the current reference value (IREF).

[0082] In an exemplary scenario, for operating the electric motor 116, 50 Ampere (Amp) of current is drawn from the battery 112 and the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) of the stator of the electric motor 116 is l°C / sec. In this case, the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF is 0.40°C / sec. Therefore, the controlling module regulates the current from 50 Amp to 35 Amp so that the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) becomes 0.40°C / sec so that the stator may operate efficiently.

[0083] More specifically, the controlling model may be either a full-state feedback controller or a bang-bang controller.

[0084] In an embodiment, the full-state feedback controller may apply a control law to the error. More specifically, a feedback gain matrix (Kgain) may be computed using one of the techniques such as a pole placement technique, Linear Quadratic Regulator technique (LQR), or a Proportional (P) gain estimation technique. In an embodiment, an output value is obtained as shown in the equation (7) below:Output = Error x Kgain . (7)

[0085] Further, a current output value may be obtained based on correlating the output using equation (8) as below: loutput= / Output . (8)

[0086] In an embodiment, the current output value may be the current reference value (IREF) when the instantaneous temperature value (Ti) of the corresponding component may exceed an initial temperature value (Tstart) of the corresponding component as shown in equation (9) below:Ti> Tstart . (9)

[0087] In another embodiment, if the instantaneous temperature value (Ti) of the corresponding component may not exceed the initial temperature value of the corresponding component, then the current reference value (IREF) may be a maximum current value (Imax)that may be drawn from the battery 112 to power other components such as the electric motor 116 and the MCU 205.

[0088] Figure 7 illustrates a flowchart 700 depicting the bang-bang controller for determining the current reference value IREF, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the bang-bang controller may determine the current reference value IREF. At step 702, the determining module 314 may determine whether the instantaneous temperature value (Ti) of the corresponding component exceeds the initial temperature value (T start) as shown in equation (10) below:If Ti > Tstart . (10)

[0089] At step 704, when the instantaneous temperature value (Tt) of the corresponding component does not exceed the initial temperature value (T start), then the current reference value IREF is equivalent to the maximum current value (Imax) as shown in equation (11) as below:IREF—Imax . (11)

[0090] Further, in the case, when the instantaneous temperature value (Tt) of the corresponding component exceeds the initial temperature value (T start), then at step 706, the error is compared with a positive value of an error threshold value and checked whether the error exceeds the positive value of the error threshold value as shown in equation (12) below:If Error > + Error threshold value . (12)

[0091] At step 708 when the error exceeds the positive value of the error threshold value, the current reference value IREF is equivalent to zero as shown in equation (13) below:IREF = 0 . (13)

[0092] In the embodiment, if the error does not exceed the positive value of the error threshold value, then at step 710, the determining module 314 may determine whether the error is less than a negative value of the error threshold value as shown in equation (14) below:If Error < - Error threshold value . (14)

[0093] In the embodiment, when the error is less than the negative value of the error threshold value, then the current reference value IREF is equivalent to the maximum current value (Imax) as illustrated in step 704.

[0094] In an embodiment, if the error is not less than the negative value of the error threshold value, then at step 712, the current reference value IREF is continued as a previous current reference value IPREV as shown in equation (15) below:IREF = IPREV . (15)

[0095] In various embodiments, the method 400 may include transmitting, using the transmitting module 316, an instruction to the remote server 124, and a Human Machine Interface (HMI) associated with the EV 110 i.e., the dashboard 126 for displaying a notification that the one or more components are performing efficiently. For example, if the battery 112 is performing efficiently, then the notification is displayed as the batteryl l2 is performing efficiently as illustrated in Figure 1.

[0096] In various embodiments, the thermal management of each of the one or more components of the EV 110 i.e. the battery 112, the MCU 205, and the electric motor 116 are discussed in conjunction with Figures 8A-8C.

[0097] Figure 8A illustrates an exemplary schematic flow diagram depicting the thermal management of the battery 112, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) is computed using the instantaneous temperature value (Ti) which is associated with the corresponding component of the battery 112. More specifically, the temperature signal associated with the corresponding component when passed through the low pass filter, enables the computation of the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) associated with the corresponding component of the battery 112. Further, in response to the determination of the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT), the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF associated with the corresponding component of the battery 112 is computed using the one or more parameters. The one or more parameters correspond to the instantaneous temperature value (Ti) and the predefined threshold temperature value (Tmax) which is obtained from the corresponding component of the battery 112. Further, the one or more parameters include the SoC value and the predefined threshold SoC value (SoCmin) associated with the battery 112. After the determination of the reference temperature rate change value, the error is computed based on comparing the reference temperature rate change value and the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT). The error is processed using the controlling model to determine the current reference value (IREF) which helps regulate the instantaneous current value (IBATT) of the battery 112. The regulation of the instantaneous current value (IBATT) enables the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) of the correspondingcomponent of the battery 112 to match with the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF of the corresponding component of the battery 112.

[0098] Figure 8B illustrates an exemplary schematic flow diagram depicting the thermal management of the MCU 205, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) is computed using the instantaneous temperature value (Ti) which is associated with the corresponding component of the MCU 205. More specifically, the temperature signal associated with the corresponding component when passed through the low pass filter, enables the computation of the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) associated with the corresponding component of the MCU 205. Further, in response to the determination of the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT), the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF associated with the corresponding component of the MCU 205 is computed using the one or more parameters. The one or more parameters correspond to the instantaneous temperature value (Ti) and the predefined threshold temperature value (Tmax) which is obtained from the corresponding component of the MCU 205. Further, the one or more parameters include the SoC value and the predefined threshold SoC value (SoCmin) associated with the battery 112. After the determination of the reference temperature rate change value, the error is computed based on comparing the reference temperature rate change value and the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT). The error is processed using the controlling model to determine the current reference value (IREF) which helps regulate the instantaneous current value (IBATT) of the battery 112. The regulation of the instantaneous current value (IBATT) enables the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) of the corresponding component of the MCU 205 to match the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF of the corresponding component of the MCU 205.

[0099] Figure 8C illustrates an exemplary schematic flow diagram depicting the thermal management of the electric motor 116, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) is computed using the instantaneous temperature value (Ti) which is associated with the corresponding component of the electric motor 116. More specifically, the temperature signal associated with the corresponding component when passed through the low pass filter, enables the computation of the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) associated with the corresponding component of the electric motor 116. Further, in response to the determination of the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT), the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF associated with the corresponding component of the electric motor 116 iscomputed using the one or more parameters. The one or more parameters correspond to the instantaneous temperature value (Ti) and the predefined threshold temperature value (Tmax) which is obtained from the corresponding component of the electric motor 116. Further, the one or more parameters include the SoC value and the predefined threshold SoC value (SoCmin) associated with the battery 112. After the determination of the reference temperature rate change value, the error is computed based on comparing the reference temperature rate change value and the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT). The error is processed using the controlling model to determine the current reference value (IREF) which helps regulate the instantaneous current value (IBATT) of the battery 112. The regulation of the instantaneous current value (IBATT) enables the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) of the corresponding component of the electric motor 116 to match the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF of the corresponding component of the electric motor 116.[000100] Figure 9A illustrates an exemplary graph depicting a range of the instantaneous current value IBATT associated with the battery 112, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the instantaneous current value IBATT may be regulated such that the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) matches the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF which is explained in conjunction with Figures 9B-9D.[000101] Figure 9B illustrates an example representation of a temperature-time graph depicting variation in temperature over time, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 9C illustrates an example representation of the graph depicting the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) that matches the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 9D illustrates an exemplary graph depicting a difference between the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) and the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.[000102] For example, to operate the corresponding component efficiently, the system 128 may ensure that the temperature of the corresponding component may rise 30°C in 30 minutes. The determining module 314 may determine the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF as 0.1666°C / s. Therefore, as illustrated in Figure 9B, initially the temperature of the corresponding component is 30°C which rises to 60°C in 1800 seconds i.e., 30°C in 30 minutes. Further, referring to Figure 9C, the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) matches the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF value of 0.1666°C / s. More specifically, the difference between the reference temperature rate change value(dT / dt)REF and the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) becomes zero as illustrated in Figure 8D. Therefore, from the sample graphs, the present disclosure may ensure that the thermal load on the one or more components may be reduced by matching the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) with the reference temperature rate change value (dT / dt)REF.[000103] In various embodiments, the present disclosure ensures that the SoC of the battery 112 depletes before any component of the battery 112, the MCU 205, and the electric motor 116 reaches critical temperatures. This ensures that the EV 110 does not derate or cut off because of the corresponding components of the battery 112, the electric motor 116, or the motor controller unit 205. Further, the present disclosure ensures that the one or more components of the EV 110 operate in the predefined threshold temperature range so that there may not be any discernible change in the performance of the EV 110 until the battery 112 runs out of charge.[000104] Furthermore, the present disclosure eliminates the incorporation of any additional components to the EV 110. Moreover, the present disclosure enables the instantaneous temperature rate change of the corresponding component with the determined reference temperature rate change, thereby reducing the thermal load in the corresponding component. In a nutshell, the present disclosure discloses the system and method that may provide thermal management of the EV 110 in an efficient and cost-effective way.[000105] It will be appreciated that the modules, processes, systems, and devices described above can be implemented in hardware, hardware programmed by software, software instruction stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, or a combination of the above. Embodiments of the methods, processes, modules, devices, and systems (or their sub-components or modules), may be implemented on a general -purpose computer, a specialpurpose computer, a programmed microprocessor or microcontroller, and peripheral integrated circuit element, an ASIC or other integrated circuit, a digital signal processor, a hardwired electronic or logic circuit such as a discrete element circuit, a programmed logic circuit such as a programmable logic device (PLD), programmable logic array (PL A), field- programmable gate array (FPGA), programmable array logic (PAL) device, or the like. In general, any process capable of implementing the functions or steps described herein can be used to implement embodiments of the methods, systems, or computer program products (software program stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium).[000106] Furthermore, embodiments of the disclosed methods, processes, modules, devices, systems, and computer program products may be readily implemented, fully orpartially, in software using, for example, object or object-oriented software development environments that provide portable source code that can be used on a variety of computer platforms. Alternatively, embodiments of the disclosed methods, processes, modules, devices, systems, and computer program products can be implemented partially or fully in hardware using, for example, standard logic circuits or a very-large-scale integration (VLSI) design.Other hardware or software can be used to implement embodiments depending on the speed and / or efficiency requirements of the systems, the particular function, and / or particular software or hardware system, microprocessor, or microcomputer being utilized.[000107] In this application, unless specifically stated otherwise, the use of the singular includes the plural, and the use of “or” means “and / or.” Furthermore, the use of the terms“including” or “having” is not limiting. Any range described herein will be understood to include the endpoints and all values between the endpoints. Features of the disclosed embodiments may be combined, rearranged, omitted, etc., within the scope of the invention to produce additional embodiments. Furthermore, certain features may sometimes be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.[000108] List of reference numerals:

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method (400) for thermal management of a vehicle (HO), the method (400) comprising: computing an instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) associated with a corresponding component of one or more components of the vehicle (110); obtaining one or more parameters associated with the one or more components of the vehicle (110) based on the computation of the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT); determining a reference temperature rate change value ((dT / dt)REF) associated with the corresponding component based on the obtained one or more parameters, wherein the reference temperature rate change value ((dT / dt)REF) indicates a maintained temperature rate change that enables the corresponding component to operate within a predefined threshold temperature range; determining an error based on comparing the computed instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) with the determined reference temperature rate change value ((dT / dt)REp); and determining a current reference value (IREF) based on the determined error using a controlling model for regulation of an instantaneous current value (IBATT) such that the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) matches the reference temperature rate change value ((dT / dt)REp), thereby enabling the thermal management of the vehicle (110).

2. The method (400) as claimed in claim 1 comprising: transmitting, to a Motor Controller Unit (MCU) (205), an instruction for the regulation of the instantaneous current value (IBATT) to the current reference value (IREF).

3. The method (400) as claimed in claim 1, wherein computing the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) comprises: filtering noise from a temperature signal received from one or more temperature sensors (208) associated with the corresponding component; and computing the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) associated with the corresponding component based on differentiating the filtered temperature signal.

4. The method (400) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters comprise at least one of an instantaneous temperature value (Ti) associated with the corresponding component, a predefined threshold temperature value (Tmax) associated with the corresponding component, a state of charge (SoC) value associated with the battery (112), and a predefined threshold SoC value (SoCmin) associated with the battery (112).

5. The method (400) as claimed in claim 4 comprising: computing a temperature difference value (Ta) based on correlating the instantaneous temperature value (Ti), associated with the corresponding component, with the predefined threshold temperature value (Tmax) of the corresponding component.

6. The method (400) as claimed in claim 1, wherein determining the reference temperature rate change value ((dT / dt)RE?) associated with the corresponding component comprises: computing a state of charge (SoC) difference value (SoCd) based on correlating the SoC value and the predefined threshold SoC value (SoCmin) associated with the battery (112); and computing an energy value based on correlating a battery capacity (Q) with the computed SoC difference value (SoCd); and determining the reference temperature rate change value ((dT / dt)RE?) based on correlating the computed energy value, the instantaneous current value (IBATT), and the computed temperature difference value (Td).

7. The method (400) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more components comprise at least one of a motor (116), the MCU (205), and the battery (112).

8. A system (128) for thermal management of a vehicle (110), the system (128) comprising: a memory (304); and at least one processor (302) in communication with the memory (304), wherein the at least one processor (302) configured to: compute an instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) associated with a corresponding component of one or more components of the vehicle (110);obtain one or more parameters associated with the one or more components of the vehicle (110) based on the computation of the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT); determine a reference temperature rate change value ((dT / dt)REF) associated with the corresponding component based on the obtained one or more parameters, wherein the reference temperature rate change value ((dT / dt)REF) indicates a maintained temperature rate change that enables the corresponding component to operate within a predefined threshold temperature range; determine an error based on comparing the computed instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) with the determined reference temperature rate change value ((dT / dt)REp); and determine a current reference value (IREF) based on the determined error using a controlling model for regulation of an instantaneous current value (IBATT) such that the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) matches the reference temperature rate change value ((dT / dt)REF), thereby enabling the thermal management of the vehicle (110).

9. The system (128) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one processor (302) is configured to: transmit, to a Motor Controller Unit (MCU) (205), an instruction for the regulation of the instantaneous current value (IBATT) to a current reference value (IREF).

10. The system (128) as claimed in claim 8, wherein to compute the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT), the at least one processor (302) is configured to: filter noise from a temperature signal received from one or more temperature sensors (208) associated with the corresponding component; and compute the instantaneous temperature rate change value (RT) associated with the corresponding component based on differentiating the filtered temperature signal.

11. The system (128) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the one or more parameters comprise at least one of an instantaneous temperature value (Ti) associated with the corresponding component, a predefined threshold temperature value (Tmax) associated with the corresponding component, a state of charge (SoC) value associated with the battery (112), and a predefined threshold SoC value (SoCmin) associated with the battery (112).

12. The system (128) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one processor (302) is configured to: compute a temperature difference value (Ta) based on correlating the instantaneous temperature value (Ti), associated with the corresponding component, with the predefined threshold temperature value (Tmax) of the corresponding component.

13. The system (128) as claimed in claim 8, wherein to determine the reference temperature rate change value ((dT / dt)RE?) associated with the corresponding component, the at least one processor (302) is configured to: compute a state of charge (SoC) difference value (SoCd) based on correlating the SoC value and the predefined threshold SoC value (SoCmin) associated with the battery (112); and compute an energy value based on correlating a battery capacity (Q) with the computed SoC difference value (SoCd); and determine the reference temperature rate change value ((dT / dt)RE?) based on correlating the computed energy value, the instantaneous current value (IBATT), and the computed temperature difference value (Td).

14. The system (128) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the one or more components comprise at least one of a motor (116), the MCU (205), and the battery (112).

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