Dual-Circuit Battery Cooling With Dielectric Immersion for Fast Charging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems for battery-electric vehicles are inadequate for efficiently managing the heat generated during fast charging and high-power operation, leading to increased contact resistance, wear, and potential damage to charging components, while also posing safety risks due to complex fluid-electrical separation requirements.
Innovation Solution
A dual cooling system with a first coolant circuit for general vehicle components and a second coolant circuit for high-voltage components, utilizing a dielectric coolant for direct contact immersion cooling of battery cells and integrating thermal management modules to regulate temperature independently in separate sub-circuits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If fast charging is implemented to reduce charging time, then charging speed is improved, but heat generation increases causing temperature rise and contact resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into two separate circuits: a first cooling circuit for low-voltage components and a second cooling circuit for high-voltage components. This segmentation allows independent temperature control for different components, enabling effective cooling of charging components during fast charging without compromising other vehicle systems.
Solution Approach 2:
A dielectric coolant is introduced as an intermediary substance in the second cooling circuit. This coolant provides both cooling functionality and electrical insulation, allowing direct contact with high-voltage charging components while preventing electrical hazards. The dielectric coolant enables efficient heat transfer from charging components without compromising safety.
2Device complexity
If a single cooling circuit is used to cool all components, then system complexity is reduced, but temperature control precision for high-voltage components deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into two separate circuits: a first cooling circuit for low-voltage components and a second cooling circuit for high-voltage components. This segmentation allows independent temperature control for different components, enabling effective cooling of charging components during fast charging without compromising other vehicle systems.
3Device complexity
If fluid and electrical connections are integrated at the charging port, then connection complexity is reduced, but safety risks increase due to potential leaks and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into two separate circuits: a first cooling circuit for low-voltage components and a second cooling circuit for high-voltage components. This segmentation allows independent temperature control for different components, enabling effective cooling of charging components during fast charging without compromising other vehicle systems.
Solution Approach 2:
A dielectric coolant is introduced as an intermediary substance in the second cooling circuit. This coolant provides both cooling functionality and electrical insulation, allowing direct contact with high-voltage charging components while preventing electrical hazards. The dielectric coolant enables efficient heat transfer from charging components without compromising safety.
4Stress or pressure
If contact pins are made loose to accommodate thermal expansion, then thermal stress is reduced, but contact resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system actively removes heat from charging components before thermal expansion can significantly increase contact resistance. By maintaining lower operating temperatures through the second cooling circuit, the contact pins remain closer to their intended position, minimizing play and maintaining low contact resistance throughout the charging process.
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
Enables efficient cooling of energy storage devices and other high-voltage components during fast charging and high-power operation, reducing thermal expansion and contact resistance, and ensuring safe, cost-effective operation by separating fluid and electrical connections.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one second coolant is designed for temperature control of high-voltage vehicle components
Implementation Method 2
Temperatures well above 90 °C cause thermal expansion of the contact pins and thus increased contact resistance
Implementation Method 3
the at least one first cooling circuit, the at least one second cooling circuit, and a refrigerant circuit are coupled or connected to each other for heat exchange
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
In a cooling system (1) for cooling vehicle components, in particular an energy storage device (30), of a battery-electric vehicle, wherein the cooling system (1) comprises at least a first cooling circuit (10) with at least a first coolant and at least a second cooling circuit (20) with at least a second coolant, and wherein the at least one second coolant is designed for temperature control of high-voltage vehicle components, the at least one second cooling circuit (20) serves to temperature control at least two vehicle components (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 38), one of which is the energy storage device (30) of the battery-electric vehicle, and/or the at least one first cooling circuit (10), the at least one second cooling circuit (20) and a refrigerant circuit (50) are coupled or connected to each other for heat exchange.