Multi-Circuit Vehicle Cooling With One Expansion Tank
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern vehicles with diverse components such as electric propulsion systems and batteries face challenges in temperature regulation due to the need for multiple cooling systems, which increase cost, complexity, and weight, and are often oversized for most operating conditions.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system with a single expansion tank and multiple coolant circuits, each with a heat exchanger and pump, allows independent temperature regulation of vehicle components, reducing complexity and weight by sharing a common static line for pressure regulation and deaeration, and enabling modular configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple separate cooling systems are used for different vehicle components, then each component can be cooled independently, but the system complexity, cost, and weight increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate cooling systems into a single integrated thermal management system that serves multiple vehicle components. The system uses one expansion tank, one coolant pump, and shared static lines that connect to multiple coolant circuits, each serving different components like the combustion engine, electric motor, and battery. This consolidation reduces the number of redundant components while maintaining the ability to independently regulate temperatures of different components through individual control valves and flow regulators in each coolant circuit.
Solution Approach 2:
The single expansion tank and coolant pump serve multiple functions by supporting several different coolant circuits simultaneously. The expansion tank provides pressure regulation and deaeration for the entire system, while the coolant pump circulates coolant through multiple circuits that can be independently controlled. This multi-functional design allows the system to handle thermal management needs of various components with different temperature requirements using a unified platform.
2Reliability
If multiple separate cooling systems are used for different vehicle components, then each component can be cooled independently, but the vehicle weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates multiple cooling systems into a single integrated system, eliminating redundant components such as multiple expansion tanks and multiple coolant pumps. The shared static lines and common expansion tank reduce the overall material usage and component weight while maintaining independent temperature control capabilities for different vehicle components through individually controlled coolant circuits.
3Reliability
If multiple separate cooling systems are used for different vehicle components, then each component can be cooled independently, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated thermal management system reduces manufacturing costs by eliminating the need to produce and assemble multiple separate cooling systems. The common expansion tank, shared static lines, and unified coolant pump reduce the total number of parts that need to be manufactured, inventoried, and assembled, while still providing independent temperature regulation for different components through controlled coolant flow in each circuit.
4Reliability
If cooling systems are designed for highest power output, then sufficient cooling is provided at maximum load, but the system is oversized for most operating conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal management system incorporates dynamic control elements including control valves and flow regulators in each coolant circuit that can adjust coolant flow rates based on real-time thermal demands. The coolant pump can vary its operation to match actual cooling requirements rather than running at constant maximum capacity. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to provide sufficient cooling at maximum power output while adapting to reduced cooling needs during normal operating conditions, preventing oversizing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters such as coolant flow rate, pump speed, and valve opening degrees to match the thermal demands of different operating conditions. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system can operate efficiently across a wide range of power outputs from minimum to maximum, rather than being fixed at maximum capacity design points.
5Reliability
If multiple expansion tanks are used for multiple coolant circuits, then each circuit can be pressurized independently, but the system complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple expansion tanks into a single common expansion tank that serves all coolant circuits. The tank is equipped with multiple outlets that connect to different coolant circuits via static lines. This single expansion tank maintains pressure for the entire thermal management system and provides a common point for deaeration and air venting, reducing component count and simplifying the system architecture while maintaining pressure regulation capability across all circuits.
6Reliability
If multiple separate coolant circuits with individual static lines are used, then each circuit can be deaerated independently, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple separate static lines into a configuration where a common static line or manifold distributes coolant from the single expansion tank to multiple coolant circuits. Each coolant circuit still has its own flow control and deaeration capability, but they share the common static line infrastructure, reducing the total number of static lines and simplifying the overall piping architecture while maintaining independent circuit operation.
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 approach enables efficient temperature regulation of multiple vehicle components while minimizing cost, complexity, and weight, allowing for flexible configurations and improved space utilization, and facilitates service and repair.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger configured to regulate the temperature of coolant in the coolant circuit
Implementation Method 2
one expansion tank, and a multiple of coolant circuits each configured to regulate the temperature of a vehicle component
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal management system is disclosed configured to regulate the temperature of a number of vehicle components. The system comprises one expansion tank and two or more coolant circuits each configured to regulate the temperature of a vehicle component of the number of vehicle components. Each coolant circuit of the two or more coolant circuits comprises a heat exchanger configured to regulate the temperature of coolant in the coolant circuit, a coolant pump comprising a pump inlet, and a static line fluidly connecting the pump inlet to the expansion tank. The present disclosure further relates to a vehicle comprising a thermal management system.