EV Heat Pump Mode Switching for Cabin and Battery Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicles face inefficiencies in thermal management, particularly in extreme ambient temperatures, leading to wasted energy and reduced battery performance, as conventional methods like resistive heating are inefficient and consume energy that could be used for increasing vehicle range.
Innovation Solution
A heat pump thermal system that includes a two-phase refrigeration system and heat-generating thermal system, capable of switching modes to either heat or cool the cabin and battery packs based on ambient conditions, utilizing waste heat from power electronics and motors for efficient thermal management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If resistive heating is used to heat the cabin in cold ambient conditions, then the cabin can be heated, but substantial amounts of energy are wasted that could instead be used to increase vehicle range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts waste heat from the motor and power converter, which would otherwise be dissipated to the ambient environment, into a useful resource for heating the cabin. The heat pump system captures this waste thermal energy and transfers it to the cabin, transforming a harmful energy loss into a beneficial heating source.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the vehicle's own powertrain components (motor and power converter) as heat sources, allowing the vehicle to heat its own cabin using internally generated waste heat rather than relying on external energy sources like resistive heaters that consume valuable battery energy.
2Temperature
If conventional thermal management techniques are used, then thermal control can be achieved, but energy efficiency is reduced and vehicle range is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pump system serves multiple functions: it can heat the cabin, cool the battery packs, and transfer waste heat from the powertrain. This multi-functionality allows a single system to address multiple thermal management needs, improving overall energy efficiency compared to separate systems for heating and cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operating parameters of thermal management by using a heat pump cycle with reversible refrigerant flow, allowing the same system to provide both heating and cooling functions by reversing the direction of heat transfer, thereby optimizing energy usage across different ambient conditions.
3Temperature
If heat is drawn from the powertrain thermal system to heat the cabin, then the cabin is heated efficiently, but the powertrain thermal system may require additional cooling capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cabin heating system with the powertrain thermal management system by using the same heat pump and refrigeration cycle to serve both functions. The heat exchangers are integrated into the existing powertrain cooling loops, combining what could be separate systems into a unified thermal management architecture.
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
Enhances passenger comfort and battery efficiency by optimizing thermal management, reducing energy waste, and increasing vehicle range by effectively utilizing waste heat for heating or cooling as needed.
Implementation Method 1
the heat from the heat source flows through the powertrain thermal system, then through the battery pack thermal system, and finally through the two-phase refrigeration system into the cabin
Implementation Method 2
the two-phase refrigeration system absorbs heat from the battery pack thermal system and cabin and transfers the absorbed heat to the ambient environment
Implementation Method 3
utilizing waste heat from power electronics and motors for efficient thermal management
Data Source
AI summary
A heat pump vehicle thermal system comprises a battery pack thermal system, a two-phase refrigeration system, and a power electronics thermal system. When the outer environment is cold relative to the interior of the vehicle (cold ambient), the heat pump thermal system is controlled in a first mode where the two-phase refrigeration system transfers heat generated by the power electronics thermal system to either the battery pack thermal system or to the cabin or to both. When the outer environment is hot relative to the interior of the electric vehicle (hot ambient), the heat pump thermal system is controlled in a second mode where the two-phase refrigeration system absorbs heat from the battery pack thermal system and the cabin and transfers the absorbed heat to the ambient environment. In the second mode, no heat generated by the power electronics is transferred to either the cabin or the battery packs.