EV Battery Thermal Control During Towing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Eco-friendly vehicles equipped with batteries experience excessive temperature increases when towing trailers due to power system overload, leading to potential battery damage and reduced fuel efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for controlling the battery temperature in eco-friendly vehicles by measuring and predicting temperature changes during towing, using a controller to initiate cooling before the battery exceeds a predetermined reference temperature, and determining connection through fuel economy, braking current, and user input comparisons.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the vehicle tows a trailer using the vehicle's power system, then the towing function is achieved, but the battery temperature excessively increases due to power system overload
Solution Approach 1:
The controller predicts future battery temperature based on current temperature trends and initiates cooling action in advance before the temperature exceeds the reference threshold. This preliminary cooling action prevents temperature overload while maintaining towing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors battery temperature, applies the measured temperature to a prediction function to obtain temperature change trends, and uses this feedback to control the cooling system activation timing, creating a closed-loop temperature management system.
2Temperature
If the battery is cooled immediately when temperature exceeds reference, then temperature control is achieved, but fuel economy deteriorates due to unnecessary cooling activation
Solution Approach 1:
By predicting temperature trends in advance, the system activates cooling only when genuinely needed, avoiding premature or unnecessary cooling operations that would waste energy and reduce fuel economy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies cooling action partially and precisely only when temperature prediction indicates necessary intervention, rather than continuously or excessively cooling the battery, thereby optimizing energy consumption.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the cooling system operates continuously to maintain battery temperature, then temperature stability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system operates periodically based on predicted temperature needs rather than continuously, activating cooling only during periods when temperature elevation is anticipated and deactivating when not needed, thus maintaining stability while reducing 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
Effectively maintains battery temperature within an optimal range, preventing overheating and optimizing fuel efficiency by proactive cooling measures.
Implementation Method 1
a battery cooler configured to cool the battery
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to an eco-friendly vehicle and a method of controlling the eco-friendly vehicle, and optimizing the temperature of the battery of the eco-friendly vehicle towing the vehicle to be towed. The method of controlling the eco-friendly vehicle includes measuring, by a controller, a temperature of a battery during towing driving while a vehicle to be towed is connected, applying, by the controller, the measured battery temperature to a predetermined function to obtain a trend of battery temperature change, predicting, by the controller, a point in time when the temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined reference temperature based on the trend of battery temperature change, and starting, by the controller, cooling the battery before reaching the predicted excess point.