Dual-Zone Coolant Loop for EV Drivetrain and Battery Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current heat treatment systems for electric vehicles face challenges in efficiently cooling the electric drivetrain components, particularly the electrical storage device and electronic units, while maintaining occupant comfort during rapid charging, leading to increased energy consumption and potential overheating.
Innovation Solution
A heat-transfer liquid loop with dual networks and separate cooling zones in a radiator, allowing for simultaneous heat dissipation from both the electrical storage device and electric motor, utilizing outside air flow and refrigerant circuits to manage varying cooling demands, and incorporating additional heat exchangers for enhanced cooling during rapid charge phases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single cooling system is used for all drivetrain components, then the system structure is simple, but it cannot meet the different cooling requirements of components with varying heat generation rates
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into a first cooling circuit for the electrical storage device and a second cooling circuit for the electric motor. Each circuit has its own pump, heat exchanger, and control mechanisms, allowing independent optimization of cooling parameters for each component based on its specific thermal characteristics and operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs controllable valves and pumps that can dynamically adjust flow rates and cooling capacity based on real-time temperature sensors and component loading conditions. This enables the cooling system to adapt its performance characteristics to match the varying thermal demands of different drivetrain components during different operating phases.
2Temperature
If the electrical storage device is cooled aggressively during rapid charge, then temperature control is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Temperature sensors continuously monitor the electrical storage device temperature and feed this information back to the control unit. The control unit adjusts the pump speed and valve positions in real-time to maintain temperature within optimal ranges, avoiding excessive cooling that would waste energy while preventing overheating that would damage the battery.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system changes operational parameters such as heat transfer fluid flow rate, pump speed, and heat exchanger configuration based on the charging phase and temperature conditions. During moderate heating phases, lower flow rates are used to conserve energy, while during rapid charge high-temperature phases, the system increases cooling capacity to maintain safe operating temperatures.
3Volume of moving object
If a compact electronic unit is used to save space, then vehicle packaging is improved, but the unit becomes more sensitive to heat and requires better cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic unit is thermally decoupled from the main drivetrain cooling circuits through dedicated thermal management components. Heat-sensitive electronic components are extracted from the high-temperature drivetrain environment and provided with separate cooling pathways, allowing them to be packaged compactly while maintaining their temperature sensitivity requirements through isolated thermal control.
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 effectively maintains the electrical storage device and electric motor below a threshold temperature, optimizing energy consumption and ensuring comfortable cabin conditions by leveraging dual cooling mechanisms and flexible heat exchanger configurations.
Implementation Method 1
a radiator arranged to be traversed by an outside air flow external to a cabin of the vehicle
Implementation Method 2
a first cooling zone for the heat-transfer liquid supplying a first output of the radiator, and a second cooling zone for the heat-transfer liquid supplying a second output of the radiator
Implementation Method 3
a first heat exchanger configured to be thermally coupled to a first element of an electric drivetrain of the vehicle, the second network comprising at least one means for inducing movement of the heat-transfer liquid, a second heat exchanger configured to be thermally coupled to a second element of the electric drivetrain
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a loop (14) for heat transfer liquid (48) for a vehicle comprising a first network (70) and a second network (71), a means (42) for circulating the heat transfer liquid (48), a first heat exchanger (100) configured to be thermally coupled to a first element (40) of an electric drivetrain of the vehicle, a means (72) for moving the heat transfer liquid (48), a second heat exchanger (200) configured to be thermally coupled to a second element (49) and a radiator (51) arranged to be traversed by an external air flow (EF), the radiator (51) comprising a first cooling zone (74) and a second cooling zone (75), a first output (54) of the radiator (51) being connected to the first heat exchanger (100) and a second output (53) of the radiator (51) being connected to the second heat exchanger (200). Application to motor vehicles.