Battery Coolant Deaeration Using Gas Separation and Pump Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal management systems in electrified vehicles are ineffective in efficiently removing gases from coolant circuits, particularly during normal operations and battery thermal events, leading to inefficient heat transfer and potential damage from vent byproducts.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system incorporating a gas separator and reservoir to deaerate coolant circuits, controlled by a pump operating at varying speeds based on temperature thresholds, effectively removing entrained gases and vent byproducts during normal and thermal events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional thermal management system is used without a gas separator, then the system structure is simple, but gases accumulate in the coolant circuit leading to inefficient heat transfer and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The gas separator extracts and removes gases from the coolant circuit, separating the gas removal function from the main thermal management system. This allows the coolant to be free of gases for efficient heat transfer while the separator handles gas accumulation, resolving the contradiction between maintaining simple system structure and preventing gas-related performance degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas separator acts as an intermediary component between the coolant circuit and the reservoir. It mediates the interaction by capturing gases from the coolant and transferring them to the reservoir, protecting the battery thermal management system from gas accumulation while maintaining overall system functionality.
2Productivity
If the pump operates at high speed continuously, then vent byproducts are removed efficiently, but energy consumption increases and normal deaeration is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The pump operates dynamically with variable speed control based on thermal conditions. During normal operations, it runs at lower speed for gentle deaeration, while during thermal events it increases to higher speed for efficient vent byproduct removal. This dynamic operation resolves the contradiction between maintaining high productivity for safety and reducing energy consumption during normal conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump speed parameter is changed based on temperature conditions and thermal event detection. The control system adjusts the pump speed from low (normal deaeration) to high (emergency vent byproduct removal), allowing the system to optimize energy consumption while maintaining appropriate productivity for different operational states.
3Productivity
If gases are not removed from the coolant, then the system structure remains simple, but convective heat transfer efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The gas separator extracts gases from the coolant stream, removing the harmful gas phase that would otherwise reduce convective heat transfer efficiency. By taking out the gas component, the system maintains high productivity for heat transfer while the added complexity is confined to the gas removal subsystem rather than the entire thermal management system.
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 coolant circulation and heat management by efficiently removing gases, reducing convective heat transfer, and expelling vent byproducts, thereby protecting the battery pack and improving thermal stability.
Implementation Method 1
a gas separator configured to deaerate the coolant
Implementation Method 2
a pump configured to circulate a coolant through the traction battery pack
Implementation Method 3
a heat exchanger configured to cool the coolant prior to the coolant being returned to the traction battery pack
Data Source
AI summary
Thermal management systems are provided for managing the thermal energy levels of a traction battery pack of an electrified vehicle. An exemplary thermal management system may include a gas separator and a reservoir. The gas separator may remove entrained gases (air, vent byproducts, etc.) from a coolant circulated through the system during both normal operating conditions and during battery thermal events that require increased coolant volume and flow rates for mitigating convective heat transfer. The removed gases can be expelled to atmosphere from within the reservoir. A pump for circulating the coolant through the system may be controlled based on a temperature of the coolant exiting the traction battery pack as part of a deaeration control strategy.