Vehicle Battery Cooling via Occupancy-Adaptive Air Intake Segmentation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems for electric vehicle batteries face challenges in maintaining effective cooling while minimizing occupant discomfort due to noise from air intake fans, leading to inadequate air flow and increased battery temperature, which affects mileage, lifespan, and capacity.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system with separate air intakes and fans near seats, controlled by a central controller that adjusts air flow rates based on occupant presence and position to ensure sufficient cooling while minimizing noise disruption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If air intake fans operate at high flow rates to cool the battery, then battery cooling effectiveness is improved, but occupant comfort deteriorates due to increased noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single air intake system into multiple separate air intakes (first air intake near first seat, second air intake near second seat), each with its own air intake fan. This segmentation allows independent control of air flow from each intake, enabling the system to select or adjust individual fans based on occupancy status to minimize noise while maintaining cooling effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic control of air intake fans based on real-time occupancy detection. The control unit adjusts which fans operate and at what flow rates according to whether seats are occupied, transforming the static cooling system into a dynamic one that adapts to changing conditions to balance cooling performance with occupant comfort.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If air intake fans reduce flow rates to minimize noise, then occupant comfort is improved, but battery cooling effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple air intake paths and fans into a unified cooling system that feeds a common battery cooling channel. By merging the air flows from multiple intakes through a shared duct system to the battery, the system can distribute the total required air flow across multiple lower-noise fans rather than relying on a single high-flow noisy fan, thus maintaining cooling effectiveness while reducing noise.
3Device complexity
If a single air intake is used, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different occupancy scenarios deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the air intake system into multiple independent intake units, each associated with a specific seat and equipped with its own fan and occupancy sensor. This segmentation enables the system to adapt to different occupancy scenarios by selectively activating only the intakes near occupied seats, providing versatility without requiring complex centralized control of a single intake 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
The system effectively maintains battery temperature within a target range while maintaining occupant comfort by dynamically adjusting air flow rates between air intake fans, ensuring efficient cooling and extended battery performance.
Implementation Method 1
air intake fans individually take in air through the air intakes. The duct guides the air taken in by the air intake fans to a battery
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling system includes air intakes, air intake fans, a duct, and an intake-air controller. The air intakes are separately formed near seats disposed side by side inside a vehicle. The air intake fans individually take in air through the air intakes. The duct guides the air taken in by the air intake fans to a battery. The intake-air controller controls a ratio of intake air flow rates in the air intake fans according to the state of a seated occupant.