Vehicle Drive System Cooling Priority for Battery Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drive systems for electrically powered vehicles face inefficiencies in cooling multiple energy storage components with different heat production rates, leading to suboptimal temperature management and potential overheating.
Innovation Solution
A drive system that prioritizes cooling the high-capacity battery first, using a coolant circulation pathway to manage temperatures and regulate the coolant's flow based on detected temperatures, ensuring both batteries are maintained within their respective maximum management temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If multiple energy storage components are cooled using a single coolant circulation system, then the cooling system structure is simplified, but the temperature management efficiency deteriorates due to different heat production rates and maximum usage temperatures of each component
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent cooling circuits, each dedicated to a specific energy storage component (fuel cell, capacitor, secondary battery). Each circuit has its own coolant flow path, pump, and temperature control mechanisms, allowing optimized cooling for each component's specific heat generation characteristics and maximum usage temperature requirements.
2Temperature
If the coolant flow path is arranged to cool components in ascending order of maximum usage temperature, then each component is cooled to its optimal temperature, but the coolant temperature increases progressively making it difficult to cool high-temperature components effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system divides the coolant flow into separate circuits for different temperature zones. The fuel cell circuit operates at higher temperatures (up to 90°C), the capacitor circuit at intermediate temperatures (up to 60°C), and the secondary battery circuit at lower temperatures (up to 40°C). Each circuit maintains independent temperature control, preventing cumulative temperature increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the coolant temperature parameter for each circuit based on the specific thermal requirements of each energy storage component. By adjusting coolant flow rates, pump speeds, and heat exchanger configurations in each circuit, the system optimizes coolant temperature for each component rather than using a single progressive temperature approach.
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 approach effectively cools the high-capacity battery efficiently, allowing the high-power battery to be cooled by the heated coolant while maintaining both within safe temperature ranges, thereby optimizing the cooling process for components with different heat production rates.
Implementation Method 1
a first energy storage, a second energy storage that produces a smaller amount of heat due to charging and discharging than the first energy storage... The controller controls temperatures of the first energy storage and the second energy storage using a coolant flowing inside the electrically powered vehicle
Implementation Method 2
The first energy storage and the second energy storage are disposed inside the electrically powered vehicle such that the first energy storage and the second energy storage are cooled by the coolant in this sequence
Data Source
AI summary
A drive system includes a first energy storage, a second energy storage, a driver, and a controller. The first energy storage is charged and discharged. A first amount of heat is generated by charging and discharging the first energy storage. The second energy storage is charged and discharged. The second amount of heat is generated by charging and discharging the second energy storage and is smaller than the first amount of heat. The driver generates driving power to move an electrically powered vehicle with electric power supplied from at least one of the first energy storage and the second energy storage. The controller controls temperature of the first energy storage and temperature of the second energy storage with a coolant flowing inside the electrically powered vehicle. The first energy storage is cooled by the coolant before the second energy storage is cooled by the coolant.