Vehicle Battery Chiller Control for Stable Cabin Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery cooling systems integrated with vehicle cabin air conditioning face challenges such as reduced cabin cooling capacity and initial cabin temperature spikes due to the use of chillers, which impact both battery performance and passenger comfort.
Innovation Solution
A cooling arrangement that includes a common chiller connecting the air conditioning and battery cooling loops, utilizing a 3-way proportional control valve to adjust coolant flow and chiller capacity dynamically, allowing for variable coolant flow rates and bypass options to manage heat effectively, thereby optimizing both cabin and battery cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a chiller is used to cool the battery in an integrated air conditioning system, then battery cooling capability is improved, but cabin cooling capacity is reduced and cabin temperature stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a three-way proportional control valve to dynamically adjust coolant flow distribution between the battery and cabin air conditioning systems. This dynamic control allows the system to optimize cooling capacity allocation in real-time, ensuring that when battery cooling is required, the cabin cooling capacity is proportionally adjusted rather than being fixed or reduced, thereby resolving the contradiction between battery cooling effectiveness and cabin cooling capacity.
2Temperature
If a chiller is activated to cool the battery, then battery cooling is achieved, but cabin temperature stability deteriorates due to initial temperature jumps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control mechanism where the proportional control valve continuously monitors and adjusts coolant flow based on temperature conditions. When the chiller is activated for battery cooling, the feedback system detects cabin temperature changes and automatically modulates the valve to maintain cabin temperature stability, preventing initial temperature jumps while ensuring effective battery cooling.
3Reliability
If separate battery cooling components are used, then battery cooling reliability is improved, but vehicle weight increases and packaging complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the battery cooling system with the existing cabin air conditioning system by integrating a chiller into the shared refrigerant loop. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate cooling components such as dedicated compressors, condensers, and refrigerant lines, thereby maintaining battery cooling reliability while significantly reducing vehicle weight and simplifying packaging requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated chiller serves multiple functions: it provides cooling for both the battery and the cabin air conditioning system through a single refrigerant circuit. This multi-functional component replaces what would traditionally require separate dedicated systems, achieving reliable battery cooling without the penalty of additional weight and complexity from redundant components.
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
This solution maintains desirable cabin temperatures while efficiently cooling batteries, reduces vehicle weight by eliminating separate cooling components, and lowers costs through improved packaging and reduced weight.
Implementation Method 1
Heat from the battery is rejected into the chiller using a cooling loop that is integrated with a refrigeration system via the chiller
Implementation Method 2
air flow from the vehicle cabin air conditioning refrigerant system is utilized to cool such batteries
Implementation Method 3
a thermal expansion valve and at least one evaporator for controlling introduction of refrigerant within the air conditioning loop into the chiller
Implementation Method 4
at least one evaporator for controlling introduction of refrigerant within the air conditioning loop into the chiller
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle includes a cooling arrangement that includes an air conditioning loop and a battery cooling loop connected together by a common chiller and arranged to cool each of cabin air and a battery. A coolant three-way proportional control valve is connected to the chiller and the battery. The control valve is configured to operatively control a capacity of the chiller for the battery.