Modular Cooling Medium Circulation Device for Eco-Friendly Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Eco-friendly vehicles lack an efficient heat management system, leading to increased size, weight, and manufacturing costs due to separate systems for battery, electronic equipment, and indoor air conditioning, with no engine-based heat source, necessitating innovative integrated solutions for improved electric efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A modularized cooling medium circulation device integrating a reservoir tank, water pump, and valve with a single integrated controller, allowing wireless communication and control of multiple water pumps and valves, reducing the need for individual control drivers and enhancing compactness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate heat management systems are provided for battery, electronic equipment, and indoor air conditioning, then each component can be controlled independently, but the overall system size, weight, and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple heat management systems (battery cooling, electronic equipment cooling, and indoor air conditioning) into a single integrated heat management system. The reservoir tank serves as a common coolant reservoir for all three subsystems, and a single water pump circulates coolant through all heat exchangers. This consolidation eliminates redundant components such as multiple pumps, multiple reservoir tanks, and multiple control units, thereby reducing overall system weight while maintaining independent control capability through the integrated controller that can selectively activate different subsystems.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated heat management system employs universal components that serve multiple functions. The single water pump acts as a universal circulation device for all coolant loops. The reservoir tank serves as a universal coolant storage and expansion chamber for the entire system. The integrated controller functions as a universal control unit that manages temperature regulation across all subsystems (battery, electronics, and cabin). This multi-functionality reduces the number of dedicated components needed, directly reducing system weight.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate heat management systems are provided for battery, electronic equipment, and indoor air conditioning, then each component can be controlled independently, but the system complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple control units into a single integrated controller that manages all heat management subsystems. This integrated controller receives temperature inputs from various sensors and selectively activates appropriate subsystems (battery cooling, electronics cooling, or cabin air conditioning) based on current thermal requirements. By consolidating control logic into one unit rather than having separate controllers for each subsystem, the system complexity is reduced while maintaining the ability to independently control each function when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated controller serves as a universal control unit that handles multiple control functions through a single device. It manages temperature regulation for the battery, cooling control for electronic equipment, and air conditioning control for the cabin interior, replacing what would traditionally require three separate control units. This universal control approach simplifies the overall system architecture and reduces manufacturing costs associated with multiple control electronics.
3Ease of operation
If control substrates are provided in the housing of each component, then each component can be controlled independently, but the overall size and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates multiple control substrates into a single integrated controller unit. Instead of having separate control substrates embedded in the housing of the battery cooling system, electronics cooling system, and air conditioning system, all control functions are merged into one centralized controller. This single control substrate manages all subsystems through integrated control logic, significantly reducing the total area occupied by control electronics while maintaining the capability to independently control each component when required.
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 heat management by actively utilizing waste heat, reducing system weight and size, and lowering manufacturing costs through integrated control of the cooling medium circulation, thereby improving overall energy consumption efficiency in eco-friendly vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
a water pump coupled to a lower portion of the reservoir tank so as to circulate the cooling medium
Implementation Method 2
an integrated controller mounted to the reservoir tank so as to control an operation of the water pump
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure introduces a cooling medium circulation device wherein a reservoir tank and a water pump are integrated and modularized, and various components, including the water pump, are controlled by a single integrated controller, thereby eliminating the need for an individual control driver for each component and thus resulting in the compactification of the entire module.