Dual-Use Front Storage Cooling for EV High-Demand Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrified vehicles face significant cooling demands during performance driving and charging, which existing systems struggle to meet efficiently, especially in scenarios like track events, towing, or extreme temperatures.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a dual-use compartment in electrified vehicles that can contain a cooling medium like ice or dry ice, coupled with a heat exchanger and a valve-controlled cooling system, allows for enhanced cooling by routing a working fluid through or bypassing the heat exchanger based on user input, temperature, and charging status.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a cooling medium is added to the cargo compartment to provide enhanced cooling, then the cooling capacity is improved, but the cargo storage capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between cooling mode and cargo storage mode based on operational conditions. The valve routes the working fluid through the heat exchanger only when enhanced cooling is required (during performance driving or charging), while bypassing it during normal operation to preserve cargo storage capability. This dynamic configuration allows the same physical space to serve different functions at different times.
Solution Approach 2:
The cargo compartment serves dual purposes: it functions as a storage space during normal operation and as a cooling reservoir when performance demands increase. The heat exchanger integrated into the compartment enables this multi-functionality, allowing the same space to provide either cargo storage or enhanced cooling depending on system requirements.
2Temperature
If a heat exchanger is integrated into the cargo compartment to enable enhanced cooling, then the cooling performance is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is merged with the cargo compartment structure, using the compartment's existing physical space and structural elements. This integration approach combines the cooling function with the storage function, avoiding the need for separate cooling components and reducing overall system complexity despite the enhanced cooling capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger serves multiple functions: it provides enhanced cooling during performance operations and simultaneously maintains the cargo compartment's structural integrity and insulation properties during storage operations. This multi-functional design reduces the need for additional components.
3Temperature
If the working fluid is routed through the heat exchanger during performance mode, then the cooling capacity is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve dynamically routes the working fluid through the heat exchanger only when enhanced cooling is required (during performance driving or charging operations). During normal operation, the fluid bypasses the heat exchanger, minimizing energy consumption. This dynamic control ensures energy is expended only when the additional cooling capacity is actually needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The enhanced cooling through the heat exchanger is activated periodically or conditionally based on performance demands rather than continuously. The system switches between standard cooling mode and enhanced cooling mode, using the heat exchanger only during high-demand periods such as track events or fast charging, thereby reducing overall energy consumption.
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 provides incremental cooling during driving and charging, reducing the load on the cabin climate system and enhancing performance in high-demand scenarios, while also allowing the compartment to be used for cargo storage when not needed for cooling.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger disposed immediately below the cargo compartment and configured to selectively exchange heat with the cargo compartment
Implementation Method 2
a cooling system configured to circulate a working fluid to exchange heat with at least one of the electric machine, the power electronics, and the energy store
Implementation Method 3
a cooling medium disposed in the compartment(s)... The cooling medium may comprise water, ice, or dry ice (CO2)
Data Source
AI summary
An electrified vehicle includes a storage compartment positioned forward of a vehicle passenger cabin and accessible by opening a vehicle hood, a thermally conductive plate or heat exchanger in contact with a bottom surface of the storage compartment and having an associated conduit configured for circulating a working fluid from a vehicle cooling system, and a valve operable to control flow of the working fluid through the conduit. The storage compartment may be filled with a cooling medium, such as ice or dry ice, to provide enhanced cooling during high-demand operation or charging of the vehicle, such as when operating in a performance/track mode, towing a trailer, or in other extreme use scenarios. The valve may be controlled so that the working fluid bypasses the conduit when the storage compartment is used for cargo and/or enhanced cooling is not desired.