Post-Shutdown Battery Pack Cooling for EV Life Extension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicle batteries face significant limitations in lifetime and cost due to adverse temperature effects, which are not adequately addressed by existing technologies, leading to reduced reliability and increased replacement costs.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system for electric vehicles that actively cools the battery pack even when the vehicle is turned off, using a coolant loop, radiator, and refrigeration system to maintain optimal temperatures, with a controller that adjusts cooling techniques based on thermal needs and energy requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If active cooling is provided continuously after vehicle shutdown, then battery life is extended, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system dynamically adjusts its operation based on real-time temperature monitoring. The controller activates cooling only when temperature thresholds are exceeded, rather than operating continuously, thereby extending battery life while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates temperature sensors that continuously monitor battery pack temperature and provide feedback to the controller. This feedback mechanism enables the system to activate cooling only when and where needed, optimizing the balance between battery protection and energy usage.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cooling techniques are provided, then thermal management flexibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into separate functional modules: a coolant circulation system with pump and radiator, and an independent refrigeration system with heat exchanger. This segmentation allows the controller to select and activate only the necessary cooling technique based on thermal requirements, providing flexibility while managing complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The system design allows a single thermal management system to perform multiple cooling functions through different techniques. The coolant circulation system handles moderate thermal loads, while the refrigeration system addresses severe overheating conditions, creating a universal solution that adapts to various thermal scenarios.
3Temperature
If cooling is provided when battery SOC is low, then battery temperature is controlled, but unnecessary cooling activation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The controller monitors battery state of charge (SOC) as an additional parameter alongside temperature. When SOC falls below a predetermined threshold, the controller prevents cooling activation even if temperature conditions would normally trigger it, since low-SOC batteries are less sensitive to temperature effects. This parameter-based control optimizes cooling activation efficiency.
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 extends battery life by maintaining optimal temperatures, reducing hot-spots, and ensuring consistent cooling, thereby enhancing the reliability and longevity of electric vehicle batteries while minimizing additional costs.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling system in thermal communication with the ESS and including a coolant within a coolant loop
Implementation Method 2
a radiator coupled to the coolant loop
Implementation Method 3
a radiator coupled to the coolant loop
Implementation Method 4
an independent refrigeration system and a heat exchanger in thermal communication with both the refrigeration system and the cooling system
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for actively cooling the battery pack of an electric vehicle after the vehicle has been turned off, thereby limiting the adverse effects of temperature on battery life, are provided. Different battery pack cooling techniques are provided, thus allowing the cooling technique used in a particular instance to be selected not only based on the thermal needs of the battery pack, but also on the thermal capacity and energy requirements of the selected approach.