Hydrogen-Heated Thermal Management for Cold Fuel Cell Hybrid EVs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles face inefficiencies due to low conversion efficiency of the fuel cell engine and low power discharge of the power battery in low-temperature environments, and existing heating systems, such as PTCs, are economically inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system with integrated galvanic pile, battery, and refrigerating loops, including a hydrogen combustion heater, warm air core body, and air conditioner, controlled by a vehicle control unit, battery management system, and fuel cell control unit, to optimize heating and cooling based on temperature thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the fuel cell engine operates in a low-temperature environment, then the vehicle can run, but the conversion efficiency of the fuel cell engine is very low
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary heating of the fuel cell engine before it operates in low-temperature conditions. The hydrogen combustion heater is activated first to warm up the fuel cell engine to its optimal operating temperature range, ensuring high conversion efficiency from the start of operation rather than allowing it to operate inefficiently in cold conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hydrogen combustion heater as an intermediary device to transfer thermal energy to the fuel cell engine. This intermediary heater serves as a bridge between the available hydrogen fuel and the fuel cell engine, providing the necessary thermal energy to maintain the engine at optimal operating temperature without directly modifying the fuel cell's internal structure.
2Power
If the power battery operates in a low-temperature environment, then the vehicle can run, but the discharge power of the power battery is very low
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary heating of the power battery before discharge operations in low-temperature conditions. The hydrogen combustion heater warms up the power battery to its optimal operating temperature range, ensuring high discharge power capability from the start rather than allowing it to operate at reduced power in cold conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydrogen combustion heater serves as an intermediary thermal source that transfers heat to the power battery through the cooling liquid circulation system. This intermediary device enables efficient thermal energy transfer to the battery without requiring direct contact or modification of the battery structure.
3Ease of operation
If PTCs are used for heating in the air conditioner, then warm air can be provided for drivers, but the economical efficiency of the heating mode is worse
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the harmful waste heat that would otherwise be dissipated into a useful resource for heating the driver compartment. The hydrogen combustion heater generates heat as a byproduct of hydrogen consumption, and this heat is captured and utilized through the heating loop to warm the driver, thereby converting what would be energy waste into a beneficial heating source and improving overall energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydrogen combustion heater serves multiple functions: it warms up the fuel cell engine, warms up the power battery, and provides heating for the driver compartment. This multi-functional device replaces the need for separate heating systems, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining comprehensive heating capability across all critical components.
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
Improves the efficiency of the fuel cell engine and power battery by effectively warming them up, and enhances the economical efficiency of the air conditioner by utilizing waste heat for heating, thus addressing low-temperature inefficiencies.
Implementation Method 1
a galvanic pile cooling and heating loop, a battery cooling and heating loop, a heating loop and a refrigerating loop; the galvanic pile cooling and heating loop comprises a radiator, a thermostat, a galvanic pile water pump, a galvanic pile and a galvanic pile temperature sensor
Implementation Method 2
the heating loop comprises a hydrogen combustion heater, a warm air core body, a heating loop rear-end temperature sensor, a heating three-way valve, a heating water pump, a heat exchanger and a heating loop front-end temperature sensor
Implementation Method 3
the cooler is configured to exchange heat with the battery cooling and heating loop
Implementation Method 4
the radiator is configured with a cooling fan, which is configured to blow air to the radiator
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A thermal management system and method for a fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle, a vehicle and a medium is provided. The thermal management system for the fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle includes: a galvanic pile cooling and heating loop, including a radiator (101), a thermostat (103), a galvanic pile water pump (104), a galvanic pile (105) and a galvanic pile temperature sensor (106); a battery cooling and heating loop, including a battery (305), a battery water pump (302), a battery temperature sensor (301) and a battery three-way valve (304), which are connected in sequence; a heating loop, including a hydrogen combustion heater (201), a warm air core body (202), a heating loop rear-end temperature sensor (207), a heating three-way valve (203), a heating water pump (204), a heat exchanger (205) and a heating loop front-end temperature sensor (206), which are connected in sequence; and a refrigerating loop, including an air conditioner (306) and a cooler (303), and the air conditioner (306) are connected with the cooler (303), wherein the cooler (303) exchanges heat with the battery cooling and heating loop; and both the galvanic pile cooling and heating loop and the battery cooling and heating loop are connected with the heating loop, and the refrigerating loop is connected with the battery cooling and heating loop. A fuel cell engine and a power battery can be warmed up, thereby improving the efficiency of the fuel cell engine and the power battery, and meanwhile, the economical efficiency of the heating mode of the air conditioner can also be improved.