Vehicle Battery Preheating via Indirect Coolant Heat Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicular battery preheating systems can lead to excessive heating, causing performance degradation, damage, and reduced lifespan due to direct bypassing of high-temperature coolant without temperature consideration.
Innovation Solution
A vehicular heat management system with a refrigerant circulation line, a heater core coolant circulation line, and a battery side coolant circulation line, including a second heat exchanger and a controller to variably control the water pump's rotational speed based on coolant and battery temperatures, allowing indirect preheating and preventing overheating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high temperature coolant is directly bypassed to preheat the battery, then battery preheating efficiency is improved, but battery overheating and performance degradation occur
Solution Approach 1:
A third heat exchanger is introduced as an intermediary component between the heater core side coolant circulation line and the battery side coolant circulation line. The third heat exchanger transfers heat from the high-temperature coolant to the battery coolant indirectly, preventing direct contact between the hot coolant and the battery, thus avoiding overheating while maintaining preheating efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat transfer process is segmented into two distinct stages: first, heat is transferred from the high-temperature coolant to the battery coolant through the third heat exchanger; second, the heated battery coolant then flows to preheat the battery. This segmentation allows temperature control and prevents excessive heating.
2Speed
If high temperature coolant is directly bypassed to preheat the battery, then preheating speed is improved, but battery lifespan is reduced due to excessive heat
Solution Approach 1:
The third heat exchanger serves as a mediator that enables rapid heat transfer to the battery coolant while preventing direct exposure of the battery to excessive temperatures. This maintains fast preheating speed while protecting battery lifespan through indirect heat transfer and temperature regulation.
3Productivity
If coolant flow rate is increased for faster preheating, then preheating efficiency is improved, but temperature control precision is reduced leading to overheating
Solution Approach 1:
The third heat exchanger acts as a buffer and mediator that decouples the high-flow coolant system from the battery thermal management system. This allows high flow rates for efficient heat transfer while the heat exchanger's thermal mass and surface area provide natural temperature regulation, maintaining precision without direct flow control on the battery side.
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
Prevents battery overheating, maintaining performance and extending lifespan by controlling the preheating degree and flow rate of coolant, thereby reducing degradation and damage.
Implementation Method 1
a refrigerant circulation line configured to generate hot energy or cold energy depending on a flow direction of a refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
a battery side coolant circulation line configured to receive coolant heat of the heater core side coolant circulation line via a coolant and then circulate the coolant through a battery to preheat the battery
Implementation Method 3
a PTC heater 34 for heating coolant by the electricity applied thereto
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular heat management system includes a refrigerant circulation line configured to generate hot energy or cold energy depending on a flow direction of a refrigerant, a heater core side coolant circulation line configured to transfer refrigerant heat generated in the refrigerant circulation line to a heater core to heat a passenger compartment, and a battery side coolant circulation line configured to receive coolant heat of the heater core side coolant circulation line via a coolant and then circulate the coolant through a battery to preheat the battery.