Battery Pack Thermal Management Using Recovered Motor Heat
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current thermal management systems for battery packs and electric vehicles operate independently, leading to significant heat waste and low energy utilization due to the lack of integration between thermal management for the passenger compartment, battery pack, and electric motor systems.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system that integrates a solenoid valve network connected to an external cooling system, allowing the processor to control the solenoid valves to utilize excess heat from external sources, such as the electric motor and control cooling system, to heat the battery pack, thereby reducing waste and improving energy utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If thermal management systems for battery pack and electric motor operate independently, then each system can be controlled separately, but significant heat waste occurs and energy utilization is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the battery pack thermal management system and electric motor cooling system into an integrated thermal management system. The system uses a common coolant circulation system with shared components including coolant tanks, pumps, and heat exchangers. The coolant flows through both the battery pack heat exchanger and electric motor heat exchanger, enabling heat transfer between these two subsystems and eliminating the need for separate cooling loops, thereby reducing energy waste while maintaining manageable system complexity.
2Use of energy by moving object
If thermal management systems are integrated to share coolant circulation, then energy utilization improves, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of the integrated thermal management system through a control unit that continuously monitors temperatures of the battery pack and electric motor. Based on real-time temperature data, the control unit dynamically adjusts the operation of coolant pumps and opens or closes specific solenoid valves to direct coolant flow to different heat exchangers. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize energy utilization by transferring heat from the electric motor to the battery pack when needed, while maintaining simple control logic through standardized temperature-based decision rules.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple solenoid valves are used to control coolant flow paths, then thermal management flexibility improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the thermal management system into distinct controllable zones using multiple solenoid valves. Each solenoid valve controls a specific coolant flow path: one valve directs coolant to the battery pack heat exchanger, another directs it to the electric motor heat exchanger, and additional valves control connections to coolant tanks and pumps. This segmentation allows independent control of each thermal zone, providing flexibility to address different thermal management scenarios (cooling battery, cooling motor, heating battery using motor heat) while keeping each valve's function simple and well-defined.
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 integration enhances energy recycling and utilization by effectively using excess heat from the electric motor and control cooling system to heat the battery pack, reducing energy waste and improving operating efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the thermal management device for the battery pack heats the battery pack by using heat generated by the external cooling system
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
This application discloses a thermal management system for a battery pack and a thermal management system for an electric vehicle. The thermal management system for the battery pack includes: a thermal management device for the battery pack, a processor, and a solenoid valve network connected to the thermal management device for the battery pack. An external port of the solenoid valve network is connected to an external cooling system. The processor is configured to control operating status of a solenoid valve in the solenoid valve network, so that the thermal management device for the battery pack heats the battery pack by using heat generated by the external cooling system. The embodiments of this application improve energy utilization.