EV Thermal Management Layout for Motor, Battery, and Cabin Heat Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vehicle thermal management systems for electric vehicles have low heat exchange efficiency, which hampers the effective heating and cooling of motor-drive-side heat exchange assemblies, batteries, and cabins.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle thermal management system comprising a refrigeration assembly with multiple condensers and evaporators, three-way and four-way valves, solenoid valves, and pumps, which allows for efficient heat exchange by routing refrigerant and circulating liquid flows to optimize heating and cooling of motor drives, batteries, and cabins, utilizing heat from the battery and motor drive to warm the cabin and cooling them through a radiator tank.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the circulating liquid first absorbs or releases heat in a condenser of a refrigeration assembly and then flows through the motor-drive-side heat exchange assembly, then the system can heat or cool the motor-drive-side heat exchange assembly, but the heat exchange efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the heat exchange process into separate pathways: one for the refrigeration assembly (condenser/evaporator) and another for the motor-drive-side heat exchange assembly. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each heat exchange path, enabling the circulating liquid to directly heat or cool the motor-drive-side heat exchange assembly without first passing through the condenser, thereby improving heat exchange efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic flow control through multiple valves (three-way valves, four-way reversing valve) that can adjust the circulation path of the liquid in real-time. This dynamic capability allows the system to switch between different operating modes (e.g., direct heating mode, cooling mode, heat recovery mode) to optimize heat exchange efficiency under different thermal conditions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a single condenser and evaporator are used in the refrigeration assembly, then the system structure is simple, but the system cannot simultaneously or independently heat/cool multiple components (motor drive, battery, cabin)
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigeration assembly is designed with multiple condensers (air-cooled and water-cooled) and multiple evaporators (cabin evaporator and chiller) that can serve different functions simultaneously. The water-cooled condenser can cool the motor-drive-side heat exchange assembly, the air-cooled condenser can cool the battery heat exchanger, and the evaporators can provide heating or cooling to the cabin and battery. This multi-functional design enables independent thermal management of multiple components while maintaining a relatively compact structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses dynamically controllable valves (three-way valves and four-way reversing valve) to flexibly route the refrigerant and circulating liquid through different pathways. This dynamic flow control allows the system to adapt to various thermal management scenarios, such as simultaneous cooling of motor and battery, or heating the cabin using waste heat from the motor drive, thereby achieving high versatility in multi-component thermal management.
3Loss of energy
If waste heat from motor drive and battery is not utilized, then the system operation is simple, but the driving mileage is reduced due to unutilized thermal energy
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the waste heat generated by the motor drive and battery (which would otherwise be discarded) into useful thermal energy for heating the cabin or preheating the battery. The water-cooled condenser captures heat from the motor-drive-side heat exchange assembly, and the refrigeration cycle components can redirect this heat to the cabin evaporator or battery heat exchanger, transforming waste heat into a beneficial resource that extends driving mileage by reducing energy consumption for heating.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service thermal management where the waste heat from the motor drive and battery is automatically captured and reused within the same thermal management system. The circulating liquid absorbs waste heat from the motor and battery, then delivers it to the cabin or battery as needed, creating a self-sustaining heat recovery loop that improves overall system efficiency and extends driving range without requiring additional external energy input.
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 heat exchange efficiency, improves system reliability, increases driving mileage, and ensures safe operation by effectively utilizing heat from the battery and motor drive for cabin heating and cooling, while efficiently managing thermal loads across various components.
Implementation Method 1
The refrigeration assembly includes a compressor, two condensers, and two evaporators
Implementation Method 2
The circulating liquid in a radiator tank first absorbs or releases heat in a condenser of a refrigeration assembly
Implementation Method 3
the circulating liquid flows through the motor-drive-side heat exchange assembly to heat or cool the motor-drive-side heat exchange assembly
Implementation Method 4
the circulating liquid flows through the motor-drive-side heat exchange assembly
Implementation Method 5
The inlet of the radiator tank can communicate with the outlet of the motor-drive-side heat exchange assembly
Implementation Method 6
the circulating liquid flows through the motor-drive-side heat exchange assembly
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a vehicle thermal management system of an electric vehicle and a control method thereof. The vehicle thermal management system of an electric vehicle includes a refrigeration assembly, a cabin heat exchanger, a motor-drive-side heat exchange assembly, a battery heat exchanger, and a radiator tank. The outlet of the cabin heat exchanger communicates with one of the heat exchange inlet of a chiller or the heat exchange inlet of a cabin evaporator. The inlet of the motor-drive-side heat exchange assembly communicates with at least one of the outlet of the cabin heat exchanger, the heat exchange outlet of the chiller, or the heat exchange outlet of a water-cooled condenser. The outlet of the motor-drive-side heat exchange assembly communicates with at least one of the heat exchange inlet of the water-cooled condenser or the inlet of the cabin heat exchanger.