Charging Station Battery Heating Using Compressor Motor Waste Heat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Charging stations for electric and hybrid vehicles face challenges in heating battery storage systems at low temperatures without additional heating elements, especially in compact designs, which is complex and costly, and requires re-certification due to changes in electromagnetic interference.
Innovation Solution
A charging station with an air conditioning device featuring a refrigerant circuit and a coolant circuit that creates a thermal short circuit between a heat reservoir and a cold reservoir, using the power loss from the compressor motor to heat the battery storage through a heat exchanger, eliminating the need for a separate heating element.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If heating elements are installed in compact charging stations for cold regions, then heating capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The charging station uses its own compressor motor to generate heat for heating the battery storage system. The motor is already part of the air conditioning device, and its power loss is converted to useful heating energy, eliminating the need for separate heating elements and achieving self-service heating functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The compressor motor serves dual functions: driving the refrigerant compression cycle for cooling and providing heating through its power loss. This multi-functionality allows the same component to address both cooling and heating needs, reducing overall system complexity
2Temperature
If heating elements are installed in compact charging stations, then heating capability is improved, but installation space requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The compressor motor is utilized for dual purposes: refrigerant compression and heat generation. By extracting heating capability from an existing component rather than adding dedicated heating elements, the solution avoids increasing the charging station volume while still providing necessary heating functionality
3Temperature
If conventional air conditioning systems with separate heating elements are used, then heating function is improved, but recertification requirements increase due to electromagnetic interference changes
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains its original air conditioning device configuration while adding heating capability through the existing motor. Since no additional heating elements are installed, the electromagnetic interference characteristics remain unchanged, preserving certification validity across different climate conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The motor's inherent power loss is utilized for heating, eliminating the need for separate heating components. This self-service approach ensures the system's electromagnetic signature remains consistent with the originally certified configuration, avoiding recertification requirements
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 allows for efficient heating of battery storage at low temperatures without additional heating elements, ensuring maximum charging power can be delivered while maintaining system integrity and avoiding re-certification issues.
Implementation Method 1
using the power loss from the compressor motor to heat the battery storage
Implementation Method 2
heat the battery storage through a heat exchanger
Implementation Method 3
a condenser for converting the refrigerant from a gaseous to a liquid state
Implementation Method 4
an evaporator for converting the refrigerant from a liquid to a gaseous state
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 2
AI summary
A charging station (100) for an electric or hybrid vehicle comprises at least one battery storage unit (102), charging/discharging electronics (104), at least one connection (106) to a vehicle charging port, and an air conditioning device (110) for heating and cooling at least the battery storage unit (102). The air conditioning device (110) has a refrigerant circuit (120) for circulating a refrigerant and a coolant circuit (140) for circulating a coolant.A control unit of the air conditioning device (110) is configured to create a thermal short circuit of the coolant circuit (140) between a heat reservoir (154) and a cold reservoir (161) and to operate a motor (122) of a compressor (124) of the refrigerant circuit (120) until the waste heat of the motor (122) which is fluidically connected to a space (170) surrounding the battery storage (102) has caused a temperature increase in the space (170) to or above a predetermined value.