EV Thermal Management Circuit With Switchable Heat Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal management systems for electric vehicles are complex and costly, lacking efficient temperature control and requiring multiple components, including an air-refrigerant condenser, which increases design and manufacturing complexity.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system that uses a heat exchange device and actuatable valves to establish or separate heat transfer connections between the battery circuit, drive circuit, and air conditioning circuit, allowing for flexible temperature control and simplification of the system architecture by eliminating the need for an air-refrigerant condenser, with a heat transfer circuit that can connect or separate from the battery and drive circuits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional thermal management systems use separate coolant circuits and air-refrigerant condensers for battery and drive temperature control, then temperature control reliability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the battery cooling circuit and drive cooling circuit into a single integrated thermal management system. The heat exchanger serves both circuits simultaneously, allowing temperature control of both battery and drive components through one unified system rather than separate independent systems, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining temperature control reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger is designed as a multi-functional component that handles both battery coolant and drive coolant through different circuit paths. This universal heat exchange device can serve multiple temperature control functions within a single component structure, eliminating the need for separate air-refrigerant condensers and reducing manufacturing complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple actuatable valves and heat exchange devices are added to enable flexible heat transfer connections, then temperature control adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic temperature control by making the heat transfer connections actuatable rather than fixed. The system can dynamically adjust which heat transfer paths are active based on real-time temperature requirements of the battery and drive components, providing adaptability without requiring completely separate static circuit systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal management system is segmented into distinct controllable zones with selective heat transfer connections. Each circuit (battery circuit and drive circuit) can be independently controlled through actuatable valves, allowing flexible configuration of heat transfer paths while maintaining a unified overall system architecture that avoids excessive complexity.
3Power
If an air-refrigerant condenser is included in the thermal management system, then heat dissipation capability is improved, but manufacturing cost and design effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the air-refrigerant condensation function into the existing heat exchanger structure. The heat exchanger is designed to perform both refrigerant condensation and coolant heat exchange functions, eliminating the need for a separate air-refrigerant condenser component. This integration maintains heat dissipation capability while significantly reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
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 enables efficient temperature control of electric vehicle components with reduced system complexity and cost, allowing for adaptable temperature management based on vehicle state and ambient conditions, while minimizing the number of required components and lines.
Implementation Method 1
a heat transfer connection between the battery circuit and/or the drive circuit on the one hand, and the air conditioning circuit on the other hand can be established or separated by means of at least one heat exchange device
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal management system for an electric vehicle, having a control unit, a battery circuit connected to a drive battery of the electric vehicle, a drive circuit connected to an electric drive of the electric vehicle or to a power electronics for an electric drive, and an air conditioning circuit connected for heat transfer to a vehicle interior of the electric vehicle. The battery circuit and the drive circuit are each operable with a coolant and can be connectable from one another for transfer of coolant by an actuatable coolant valve. The air conditioning circuit can be operated with a refrigerant different from the coolant. A heat transfer connection between the battery circuit and/or the drive circuit on the one hand and the air conditioning circuit on the other hand can be established or separated by at least one heat exchange device of the thermal management system.