Battery Heating Device Using Three-Way Valve to Merge Circuits

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional battery heating methods in electric vehicles result in increased overall weight, packaging space, and manufacturing costs due to the use of heat exchangers for heat exchange between engine and battery circuits.

Innovation Solution

A battery heating device that connects the battery heating circuit and engine cooling circuit via a three-way valve, mixing liquids from both circuits to heat the battery, eliminating the need for a heat exchanger and reducing system weight, space, and cost.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a heat exchanger is used to exchange heat between engine cooling circuit and battery heating circuit, then heat exchange function is achieved, but system weight and packaging space increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat exchange functionVSAvoidsystem weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the engine cooling circuit and battery heating circuit into a single integrated thermal management system. The three-way valve enables the same liquid circulation system to serve both cooling and heating functions by directing flow to different components (radiator or heating element) based on temperature requirements, eliminating the need for separate heat exchanger assemblies and reducing overall system weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The liquid circulation system is designed with multi-functionality to perform both cooling and heating operations. The three-way valve acts as a flow distributor that routes the coolant to either the radiator for cooling or the heating element for battery warmth, allowing a single system to fulfill multiple thermal management functions without requiring additional dedicated components for each function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If a heat exchanger is used to exchange heat between engine cooling circuit and battery heating circuit, then heat exchange function is achieved, but packaging space increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat exchange functionVSAvoidpackaging space

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the engine cooling circuit and battery heating circuit into a single integrated thermal management system. The three-way valve enables the same liquid circulation system to serve both cooling and heating functions by directing flow to different components (radiator or heating element) based on temperature requirements, eliminating the need for separate heat exchanger assemblies and reducing overall system weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The liquid circulation system is designed with multi-functionality to perform both cooling and heating operations. The three-way valve acts as a flow distributor that routes the coolant to either the radiator for cooling or the heating element for battery warmth, allowing a single system to fulfill multiple thermal management functions without requiring additional dedicated components for each function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If a heat exchanger is used to exchange heat between engine cooling circuit and battery heating circuit, then heat exchange function is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat exchange functionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the engine cooling circuit and battery heating circuit into a single integrated thermal management system. The three-way valve enables the same liquid circulation system to serve both cooling and heating functions by directing flow to different components (radiator or heating element) based on temperature requirements, eliminating the need for separate heat exchanger assemblies and reducing overall system weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The liquid circulation system is designed with multi-functionality to perform both cooling and heating operations. The three-way valve acts as a flow distributor that routes the coolant to either the radiator for cooling or the heating element for battery warmth, allowing a single system to fulfill multiple thermal management functions without requiring additional dedicated components for each function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Reliability

If separate battery heating/cooling circuit is used, then battery temperature control is achieved, but energy waste occurs due to engine heat not being utilized

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery temperature controlVSAvoidenergy waste

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the waste heat from the engine cooling circuit into a useful resource for battery heating. When the engine is operating and generating excess heat, the three-way valve redirects this thermal energy to the battery heating element, transforming what would otherwise be discarded energy into a beneficial contribution for maintaining battery temperature, especially during cold weather operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The system recovers thermal energy that would otherwise be discarded through the radiator. The control unit monitors engine and battery temperatures, and when conditions are appropriate, the three-way valve diverts the coolant flow to capture and transfer this waste heat to the battery, effectively recovering and reusing energy that would be lost in conventional separate circuit designs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

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 reduces the overall weight and packaging space of the system, decreases additional components and manufacturing costs, while efficiently heating the battery using recycled waste heat from the engine.

Implementation Method 1

mix a first liquid in the engine cooling circuit and a second liquid in the battery heating circuit, and transmits a mixed liquid to the battery heating circuit to heat a battery

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat exchange: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS11679691B2Battery heating device, battery heat adjustment method, storage medium, and electronic device

Publication Date: 2023.06.20 GUANGZHOU AUTOMOBILE GROUP CO LTD

AI summary

A battery heating device of an electric vehicle, a battery heat adjustment method, a storage medium, and an electronic device are provided. The device includes a battery heating circuit, an engine cooling circuit and a three-way valve. The three-way valve connects the battery heating circuit and the engine cooling circuit to mix a first liquid in the engine cooling circuit and a second liquid in the battery heating circuit, and transmits a mixed liquid to the battery heating circuit to heat a battery in the battery heating circuit. By means of the disclosure, the problems of large overall weight and packaging space of a system caused by the use of a heat exchanger and high manufacturing cost in a conventional art are solved, the overall weight and packaging space of the system are reduced, additional components are reduced, and the cost is reduced.