Dual-Loop Thermal Management With External Heat Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal management systems for vehicles face challenges in efficiently controlling the temperature of heating components and improving overall performance, particularly in managing heat absorption and release processes.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system comprising a refrigerant system and a coolant system, where the refrigerant and coolant are isolated, with a dual-channel heat exchanger and a fourth heat exchanger disposed outside the air-conditioning box, allowing for both heat absorption and release to the environment, enhancing heating and cooling performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a conventional thermal management system with a single heat exchanger is used, then the system structure is simple, but the heat exchange area is limited and thermal management performance is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The single heat exchanger is segmented into multiple independent heat exchangers (first heat exchanger, second heat exchanger, third heat exchanger) that can independently perform heat exchange operations. This segmentation increases the total heat exchange area and allows each heat exchanger to be optimized for specific thermal management tasks, thereby improving overall thermal management performance without requiring a single large complex heat exchanger
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a multi-dimensional heat exchange architecture by adding heat exchangers at different locations and configurations (including external heat exchangers outside the air-conditioning box). This spatial dimensionality expansion increases the effective heat exchange area and enables parallel heat exchange pathways, improving thermal management efficiency
2Reliability
If the refrigerant system and coolant system are integrated with mixing, then the system complexity is reduced, but the thermal control precision and system reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal management system is segmented into two independent subsystems: a refrigerant system and a coolant system. Each system operates independently with its own circulation loop, preventing contamination between different fluid types while maintaining system reliability. The segmentation allows each subsystem to be optimized for its specific thermal control requirements
Solution Approach 2:
Heat exchangers serve as intermediary devices that enable thermal energy transfer between the refrigerant system and coolant system without direct fluid mixing. The heat exchangers act as mediators that facilitate heat exchange while maintaining physical separation between the two fluid systems, thus preserving both system reliability and operational independence
3Temperature
If heat exchangers are placed inside the air-conditioning box, then the installation space is efficient, but the heat exchange efficiency with environment air is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fourth heat exchanger is extracted from the conventional location inside the air-conditioning box and positioned outside it. This extraction allows the heat exchanger to directly access environment air for more efficient heat exchange, improving thermal management performance by eliminating the thermal barrier of the air-conditioning box enclosure
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 configuration improves the thermal management system's ability to absorb heat in heating mode and release heat in cooling mode, increasing the heat exchange area and energy efficiency, thus enhancing both heating and cooling performance.
Implementation Method 1
The dual-channel heat exchanger defines a refrigerant flow channel and a coolant flow channel
Implementation Method 2
A refrigerant in the external heat exchanger can absorb or release heat to the environment air
Implementation Method 3
A refrigerant in the external heat exchanger can absorb or release heat to the environment air
Implementation Method 4
The refrigerant system includes a compressor, a first heat exchanger and a throttling element
Implementation Method 5
The refrigerant system includes a compressor, a first heat exchanger and a throttling element
Data Source
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Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The present invention discloses a thermal management system. The thermal management system includes a refrigerant system and a coolant system. The thermal management system also includes a fourth heat exchanger. The fourth heat exchanger is disposed in the coolant system. The fourth heat exchanger can absorb heat from the air and release heat to the air, which is beneficial to improve the performance of the thermal management system.