Battery Thermal Management with Dual Trunk Paths for Regional Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal management systems for vehicles often fail to provide optimal temperature control for different regions of a battery, leading to inefficiencies and increased energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system with a battery thermal management subsystem featuring independent trunk paths for different battery regions, allowing for tailored heat exchange through separate first and second trunk paths and heat exchangers, enabling efficient temperature regulation across various battery regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a single thermal management path is used for the battery, then the system structure is simple, but the temperature control efficiency for different battery regions is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The battery thermal management system is segmented into multiple independent trunk paths (first trunk path and second trunk path), each serving different battery regions. This segmentation allows differentiated temperature control for various battery modules, improving temperature control efficiency while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
Different trunk paths are assigned to different battery regions based on their specific thermal characteristics and heat generation patterns. Each region receives customized thermal management through its dedicated trunk path, enabling local optimization of temperature control efficiency without requiring complete system redesign.
2Use of energy by moving object
If heat exchange with battery module is optimized, then energy consumption is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal management system merges the battery thermal management subsystem with the air conditioning subsystem through heat exchangers. This integration allows the air conditioning system to serve dual purposes (vehicle climate control and battery thermal management), reducing overall energy consumption while avoiding the need for completely separate systems that would increase complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The air conditioning subsystem is designed with multi-functionality, serving both vehicle climate control and battery thermal management through shared components and heat exchangers. This universal design reduces energy consumption by eliminating redundant systems while maintaining manageable complexity through integrated architecture.
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 reduces energy consumption and enhances the functionality of the thermal management system by ensuring proper heat exchange efficiency across different battery regions, improving temperature uniformity and overall system performance.
Implementation Method 1
the first trunk path being configured to exchange heat with a first region of a battery, the second trunk path being configured to exchange heat with a second region of the battery
Implementation Method 2
heat can be exchanged to the first region and the second region of the battery by using the first trunk path and the second trunk path respectively
Implementation Method 3
the battery thermal management subsystem and the air conditioning subsystem exchanging heat through the first heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal management system includes a battery thermal management subsystem having a first trunk path and a second trunk path. The first trunk path is configured to exchange heat with a first region of a battery, and the second trunk path is configured to exchange heat with a second region of the battery, where the first region and the second region are different. At least one of the first trunk path and the second trunk path exchanges heat with the battery. The system includes at least one first heat exchanger arranged at the battery thermal management subsystem and an air conditioning subsystem. The battery thermal management subsystem and the air conditioning subsystem exchange heat through the first heat exchanger.