EV Thermal Management Using Phase Change Materials
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicles face challenges in managing sudden increases in thermal power and maintaining different components at varying temperatures, leading to increased volume, weight, and power allocations for cooling systems, which can reduce available resources for other subsystems.
Innovation Solution
The use of phase changing materials (PCMs) in a cooling system that thermally couples components and subsystems to store excess thermal energy and maintain different temperature levels without the need for multiple cooling systems or complex channels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the thermal management capacity of the TMS is increased to manage sudden increases in thermal power, then the temperature management capability is improved, but the volume, weight, and power allocations for the cooling system increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses phase change materials that undergo parameter changes (phase transitions between solid and liquid states) to absorb and release thermal energy. This allows the cooling system to handle variable thermal loads dynamically without requiring a proportional increase in system capacity, thereby managing thermal power effectively while minimizing weight penalties
Solution Approach 2:
The phase change materials are pre-positioned in thermal contact with components that experience sudden thermal increases. When thermal spikes occur, the PCM immediately begins absorbing excess heat through phase transition, providing preliminary thermal buffering before the main cooling system needs to respond, thus reducing the required capacity of the primary cooling components
2Measurement precision
If multiple TMS or complex cooling channels are used to maintain different components at different temperatures, then the temperature control precision is improved, but the volume, weight, and power allocations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by placing specific phase change materials with different phase change temperatures in contact with different components that require different temperature maintenance. Each PCM is selected to match the thermal characteristics of its associated component, enabling precise local temperature control without requiring multiple separate cooling systems or complex channel networks
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
PCMs provide higher energy density than traditional thermal management systems, reducing the volume, weight, and power required for cooling, allowing electric vehicles to effectively manage thermal power while preserving resources for other critical subsystems.
Implementation Method 1
PCMs may transition at least partially from one state of matter (e.g., a solid) to another state of matter (e.g., a liquid) in response to the introduction or removal of thermal energy from the PCM
Implementation Method 2
The cooling systems described herein may thermally couple components and/or subsystems of an electric vehicle with one or more PCMs to store excess thermal energy in the one or more PCMs
Data Source
AI summary
A system comprising: a heat exchanger configured to be thermally coupled to a cooling system of an electric vehicle, wherein the cooling system is thermally coupled to at least two subsystems of a plurality of subsystems of the electric vehicle, wherein each subsystem of the at least two subsystems is configured to be maintained at a different threshold temperature level; a sealed subsystem thermally coupled to the heat exchanger; and a phase changing material (PCM) disposed within the sealed subsystem, wherein the PCM is configured to transition, via an at least partial transition between a first state of matter and a second state of matter, thermal energy between the PCM and the cooling system via the heat exchanger to maintain each subsystem of the at least two subsystems at a respective threshold temperature level.