Coupled Battery and Drive Unit Thermal Circuits for EV Heat Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing temperature management systems for electric vehicles struggle to efficiently regulate battery and drive unit temperatures, often requiring dedicated heating elements and cooling systems, which can be energy-intensive and inefficient, especially in varying operating modes.
Innovation Solution
A temperature system that couples a first temperature medium circuit for the drive unit with a second circuit for the battery, allowing for synergistic heat transfer, where waste heat from the drive unit can be used to heat the battery, and vice versa, with the option to separate circuits based on temperature requirements, thereby minimizing energy expenditure and avoiding the need for additional heating or cooling sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dedicated heating elements and cooling systems are used for battery and drive unit, then temperature control reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the battery temperature control circuit and drive unit temperature control circuit into a coupled system where the heat exchanger serves both circuits. This allows waste heat from the drive unit to be transferred to the battery for heating, eliminating the need for dedicated heating elements and reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining reliable temperature control for both components.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger is designed to perform multiple functions: it cools the drive unit during high-load operation and simultaneously heats the battery during low-load or cold-start conditions. This multi-functional approach replaces dedicated heating and cooling systems with a single versatile thermal management system, reducing energy consumption while ensuring reliable temperature control.
2Measurement precision
If separate temperature control circuits are used for battery and drive unit, then temperature control precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate temperature control circuits into a coupled system sharing a common heat exchanger. The control unit monitors temperatures of both battery and drive unit independently, maintaining precise temperature control, while the shared heat exchanger reduces system complexity by eliminating redundant heating elements and independent cooling circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger acts as an intermediary between the battery and drive unit temperature control circuits. It enables thermal energy transfer between the two circuits while allowing independent temperature monitoring and control, thus maintaining temperature control precision while reducing overall system complexity through shared infrastructure.
3Loss of energy
If waste heat from drive unit is used to heat battery, then energy efficiency is improved, but temperature control adaptability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the coupling between the battery temperature control circuit and drive unit temperature control circuit based on real-time temperature requirements. The control unit monitors both circuits and adjusts the heat exchanger operation to enable waste heat recovery when beneficial, while allowing independent control when adaptability is needed, thus maintaining energy efficiency without sacrificing temperature control versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit proactively determines temperature requirements for both battery and drive unit before operating modes change. By anticipating heating or cooling needs, the system can pre-position the heat exchanger to capture waste heat at optimal moments, maximizing energy efficiency while maintaining the ability to switch to independent control modes when adaptability becomes necessary.
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 approach enhances thermal management efficiency by leveraging waste heat, reducing energy consumption, and providing flexibility in thermal load distribution, while protecting the battery from excessive temperature differences.
Implementation Method 1
waste heat from the drive unit can be used to heat the battery
Implementation Method 2
a cooler of the first temperature control medium circuit, which in normal operating mode serves to dissipate heat from the drive unit to the ambient atmosphere (e.g., a heat exchanger that enables thermal exchange between the first temperature control medium circuit and the atmosphere surrounding the vehicle)
Implementation Method 3
a cooler of the first temperature control medium circuit... can be used to dissipate heat from the battery
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method (200) for temperature control of a drive unit (120) and a battery (110) of an at least partially electrically powered vehicle using a temperature control system (100) comprising a first temperature control media circuit comprising the drive unit (120) and a second temperature control media circuit comprising the battery (110), wherein the first and the second temperature control media circuits can be coupled to each other to form a common temperature control media circuit (12), wherein the method comprises: determining a first temperature control requirement with respect to the drive unit (120), determining a second temperature control requirement with respect to the battery (110), comparing the first temperature control requirement with the second temperature control requirement, and coupling the first temperature control media circuit with the second temperature control media circuit to form the common temperature control media circuit (12), depending on a result of the comparison.Furthermore, a suitable temperature control system (100) as well as a computing unit and a computer program for carrying out such a procedure are proposed.