Hybrid Vehicle Thermal Management Loop for Battery Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hybrid vehicles face inefficiencies in thermal management, particularly in heating battery packs, which affects performance and autonomy, as existing solutions consume energy and do not effectively utilize heat from electric motor assemblies and other components.
Innovation Solution
A thermal control system that creates a loop between the cooling circuit of electric motor assemblies and the battery pack, using the heat generated by these components to efficiently heat the battery pack, and optionally connecting with the internal combustion engine's coolant circuit for additional heating in extreme conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a PTC heating element is used to heat the battery pack, then the battery pack temperature is maintained within the optimal range, but energy consumption increases and vehicle autonomy is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts waste heat from the electric motor assemblies and power electronics, which would otherwise be discarded to the environment, into a useful resource for heating the battery pack. This is achieved by routing coolant from the motor cooling circuits through heat exchangers that transfer thermal energy to the battery cooling circuit, eliminating the need for PTC heating elements and the associated energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal management system uses the vehicle's own operational heat sources (electric motors and power electronics) to serve the heating needs of the battery pack. The system is self-sufficient, utilizing internally generated waste heat rather than requiring external energy input, thereby maintaining battery temperature without additional energy consumption.
2Reliability
If the battery pack is heated using a PTC heating element, then the battery performance is improved, but the vehicle autonomy is reduced due to increased energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms waste heat that would be lost to the environment into a beneficial resource for maintaining battery performance. By capturing heat from electric motor assemblies and power electronics through coolant circuits and heat exchangers, the system ensures optimal battery temperature without consuming additional energy that would reduce vehicle autonomy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a complex thermal management system with multiple independent circuits is used, then each component can be controlled independently, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the thermal management functions of multiple components (internal combustion engine, electric motor assemblies, power electronics, and battery pack) into an integrated system. Instead of maintaining completely separate cooling circuits for each component, the invention creates a unified thermal management architecture where coolant circuits are shared and interconnected through heat exchangers, allowing heat transfer between components while reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The coolant circuits serve multiple functions simultaneously: cooling the internal combustion engine, cooling electric motor assemblies, cooling power electronics, and heating the battery pack. The same coolant system performs what would traditionally require separate dedicated systems, achieving multi-functionality that reduces complexity while maintaining independent control capability through valve systems.
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 battery pack heating efficiency by leveraging heat from electric motor assemblies and other components, reducing energy consumption and improving vehicle autonomy, while maintaining passenger compartment heating even when the internal combustion engine is idle.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger acting as a heater, arranged in said second circuit, upstream of the pump of the second circuit, said heat exchanger being configured to heat the liquid of the third circuit by means of the heat of the liquid of the second circuit
Implementation Method 2
said circuit including an electrically-operated pump for activating circulation of the liquid along said second circuit
Implementation Method 3
the battery pack is heated with liquid from the second circuit, by means of the heat generated by said one or more electric motor assemblies
Data Source
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AI summary
A hybrid vehicle comprises a thermal control system of the vehicle components including a first high temperature cooling circuit (8), a second low temperature cooling circuit (13) and a third cooling circuit (17) for cooling/heating the battery pack (7). A system of valves (V1, V2, V1-V4) is configured to have an operating condition of heating the battery pack (7) in which it connects the third circuit (17) with the second circuit (13) so as to create a loop consisting of a main portion (170) of the third circuit and a main portion (13M) of the second circuit including the cooling portion of one or more electric motor assemblies of the hybrid vehicle, and also, preferably, one or more additional components of the motor-vehicle, such as a turbocharger assembly and an intercooler assembly. In this operating condition, circulation of the liquid in the loop thus-formed can be activated by the pump (17A) of the third circuit and causes heating of the battery pack by means of the heat generated by the aforesaid electric motor assemblies of the hybrid vehicle and also, preferably, by the aforesaid additional components of the motor-vehicle.