EV Waste Heat Management via Parallel OBC and Motor Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electric vehicle waste heat management systems fail to efficiently utilize waste heat generated from onboard chargers and motors, leading to reduced fuel efficiency and unnecessary heat transfer, especially in winter conditions.
Innovation Solution
A waste heat management system that includes a pump for controlling cooling fluid flow, with parallel OBC and motor cooling fluid lines, a heater core, and a radiator, connected via multi-way valves, allowing selective heat transfer and controlled by a control unit to optimize heating and air-conditioning based on vehicle interior temperature and charging status.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the conventional heat exchange system uses a PTC heater and blower to heat the interior, then the interior can be heated, but additional electricity is consumed reducing fuel efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures waste heat generated by the OBC and motor, which would otherwise be discarded, and redirects it through the heater core to heat the vehicle interior. This converts harmful waste heat into a useful heating resource, eliminating the need for electricity-consuming PTC heaters and improving fuel efficiency
2Temperature
If the OBC is disposed within the circulating cycle to cool the motor, then the OBC can be cooled, but unnecessary heat transfer occurs reducing thermal efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into separate parallel circuits: one circuit cools the OBC through its dedicated cooling fluid line, while another circuit cools the motor. This segmentation prevents unnecessary heat transfer between components and allows independent optimization of each cooling path, improving overall thermal efficiency
3Temperature
If the waste heat leaks from the radiator and is separated from the interior heating system, then the motor can be cooled, but the waste heat is not used to heat the interior reducing fuel efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The radiator and heater core are integrated into a unified thermal management system that serves multiple functions: the radiator cools the motor while the heater core simultaneously provides interior heating using waste heat from both the OBC and motor. This multi-functional design ensures waste heat is captured and utilized for heating rather than being lost
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
The system effectively uses waste heat to preheat the vehicle interior and motor, enhancing fuel efficiency, reducing electricity consumption, and minimizing heat leakage, thereby improving thermal efficiency and stability.
Implementation Method 1
a pump for controlling the flow of cooling fluid
Implementation Method 2
waste heat is generated from the OBC while a battery is charging, is generated from the inverter and motor while the electric vehicle is running
Implementation Method 3
The system effectively uses waste heat to preheat the vehicle interior and motor
Implementation Method 4
a heater core cooling fluid line... connected in parallel with a junction of an inlet of the fluid pump cooling fluid line
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a waste heat management system of an electric vehicle. In particular, a pump for controlling the flow of cooling fluid, an OBC cooling fluid line and a motor cooling fluid line which diverge in parallel from an outlet of a cooling fluid line of the fluid pump, and a heater core cooling fluid line and a radiator cooling fluid line which are respectively connected in parallel with a junction of an inlet of the fluid pump cooling fluid line and a junction of outlets of the heater core cooling fluid line and the radiator cooling fluid line, are interconnected to provide both heating and air-conditioning to the interior of the vehicle. Additionally, the present invention, also allows the motor to be preheated when the vehicle is not running.