Battery-Based Cabin Thermal Management to Cut HVAC Mass
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle cabin thermal management systems, particularly in electric vehicles and aircraft, are inefficient and add significant mass and power consumption, impacting vehicle performance and energy efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle cabin thermal management system that utilizes the battery thermal mass for heating and cooling, with off-board infrastructure support, reducing on-board components to minimize mass and energy requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional HVAC equipment is installed in vehicle cabin, then cabin temperature control is achieved, but vehicle mass increases and performance degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cabin thermal management function with the battery thermal management system. The battery pack serves dual purposes: as an energy storage device and as a thermal mass for heating the cabin. The fluid loop system is integrated to serve both battery cooling and cabin heating/cooling needs, eliminating the need for separate HVAC equipment and reducing overall system mass.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery pack is given multiple functions: it stores electrical energy and simultaneously serves as a thermal energy storage device for cabin climate control. The fluid loop system performs multiple functions including battery cooling, cabin heating, and cabin cooling, replacing what would traditionally require separate dedicated systems.
2Temperature
If traditional HVAC equipment is installed in vehicle cabin, then cabin temperature control is achieved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the waste heat generated by the battery during operation into a useful resource for cabin heating. Instead of dissipating this thermal energy to the environment, the system captures it through the fluid loop and uses it to heat the cabin, thereby reducing the power consumption of heating elements and improving overall energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery pack serves its own thermal management needs while simultaneously providing thermal services to the cabin. The system uses the battery's inherent thermal characteristics and operational heat generation to fulfill climate control requirements, reducing the need for external power input to the HVAC system.
3Use of energy by moving object
If battery thermal mass is used for cabin heating and cooling, then energy efficiency is enhanced and vehicle mass is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the thermal management system into distinct functional modules: a battery pack with integrated heat exchanger, a fluid loop system with controllable flow paths, and a control system that manages thermal energy distribution. This segmentation allows for independent optimization of each component while maintaining overall system integration, making the complex system more manageable and controllable.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances energy efficiency and reduces vehicle mass by leveraging battery thermal capacity for temperature regulation, optimizing thermal management and minimizing noise and air flow, thereby improving range and payload capacity.
Implementation Method 1
The battery pack can store thermal energy from the cabin air
Implementation Method 2
a first heat exchanger (e.g., cabin heat exchanger) on-board the electric aircraft, the first heat exchanger fluidly connected to the cabin air
Implementation Method 3
the first heat exchanger fluidly connected to the cabin air
Implementation Method 4
transferring a first portion of thermal energy from the cabin air to a first working fluid
Implementation Method 5
transferring the first portion of thermal energy from the first working fluid to a second working fluid, the second working fluid in thermal communication with the battery pack
Data Source
AI summary
The system can include an on-board thermal management subsystem. The system 100 can optionally include an off-board (extravehicular) infrastructure subsystem. The on-board thermal management subsystem can include: a battery pack, one or more fluid loops, and an air manifold. The system 100 can additionally or alternatively include any other suitable components.