Mining Machine Battery Cooling via Charging Station Refrigerant Circuit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium-ion batteries used in mining machines face degradation and safety risks due to high temperatures during charging, leading to decreased efficiency and increased maintenance costs, as they typically operate within a narrow temperature range and can overheat during high-power charging.
Innovation Solution
A mining machine vehicle equipped with a refrigerant circuit and a fluid-fluid heat exchanger connected to a charging station's refrigerant circuit, allowing for efficient cooling of the battery during both operation and charging, with the refrigerant circuit of the charging station having higher cooling power than the vehicle's to manage heat effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high charging power (800kW) is used to charge the battery quickly, then charging speed is improved, but battery temperature increases significantly causing overheating and degradation
Solution Approach 1:
A fluid-fluid heat exchanger is introduced as an intermediary component between the battery and the charging station's refrigerant circuit. This heat exchanger enables thermal coupling between the vehicle's refrigerant circuit and the charging station's refrigerant circuit, allowing heat to be transferred from the battery cooling system to the charging station's refrigeration system during fast charging operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle's refrigerant circuit is merged with the charging station's refrigerant circuit through the heat exchanger connection. This merging allows the charging station's refrigeration system to directly assist in cooling the battery during fast charging, combining the cooling capacities of both systems to manage the thermal load generated by high-power charging.
2Loss of time
If the battery is charged fast with high power, then charging time is reduced, but the battery efficiency and lifetime are decreased due to overheating
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid-fluid heat exchanger serves as a thermal intermediary that connects the vehicle's refrigerant circuit to the charging station's refrigerant circuit. During fast charging, this intermediary enables the charging station's refrigeration system to actively cool the battery, preventing temperature-induced degradation while maintaining high charging power levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The refrigerant circuits are pre-configured and connected before fast charging begins. The heat exchanger is already in place and the refrigerant flow paths are established, allowing immediate thermal management when high-power charging starts, preventing temperature buildup before it can cause damage.
3Temperature
If a refrigerant circuit is integrated into the mining machine vehicle, then cooling capability during operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle's refrigerant circuit is designed with dual functionality: it serves as the primary cooling system during normal vehicle operation and as a connectable thermal management system during charging operations. The same refrigerant circuit and heat exchanger components are used in both modes, eliminating the need for separate dedicated cooling systems for charging operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The refrigerant circuit system is designed to dynamically adapt its configuration based on operational mode. During normal operation, the vehicle's refrigerant circuit functions independently. During charging, the system dynamically connects to the charging station's refrigerant circuit through the heat exchanger, allowing the thermal management capacity to scale with the charging power level.
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 effectively maintains battery health by regulating temperature, reducing the risk of overheating and prolonging battery life, enabling faster charging and minimizing downtime by ensuring efficient cooling both during operation and charging processes.
Implementation Method 1
a connection for connecting the refrigerant circuit (11) of the mining machine vehicle (1) to a refrigerant circuit of a charging station (9) via a fluid-fluid heat exchanger (202)
Implementation Method 2
a refrigerant circuit (11) of a vehicle for circulating a refrigerant via the battery (10)
Data Source
Figure 1~2b
AI summary
There is provided a charging station, and a mining machine comprising a battery for storing electrical energy, a refrigerant circuit for circulating a refrigerant via the battery, and a connection for connecting the refrigerant circuit to a refrigerant circuit of a charging station via a fluid-fluid heat exchanger.