Vehicle Coolant Layout for Parallel HPC and Battery Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle thermal management systems face challenges in efficiently managing the temperature of high-performance computers (HPCs), batteries, and power electronics (PE) components, leading to increased complexity, manufacturing costs, and weight, as well as limitations in operating modes.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle thermal management system that includes a control valve connecting a battery, a PE component, a radiator, and an HPC in parallel, allowing for independent control of coolant flow between these components, and a chiller thermally connected to both the refrigerant and coolant systems to optimize thermal management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the HPC is thermally connected to the refrigerant system through a cooling loop, then the HPC can be cooled, but the configuration becomes complex and manufacturing cost and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the HPC cooling function with the existing coolant system by thermally connecting the HPC to the coolant passage. This integration allows the HPC to be cooled using the same coolant that circulates through the battery and PE component, eliminating the need for a separate refrigerant-based cooling loop and reducing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The coolant system is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it cools the battery, cools the PE component, and cools the HPC. By making the coolant system universal, the patent eliminates the need for separate cooling systems for each component, thereby reducing system complexity and manufacturing cost
2Temperature
If the HPC is connected in series to the battery in the coolant system, then the HPC can be cooled, but thermal management of both HPC and battery cannot be efficiently performed due to conflicting temperature requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the coolant system into multiple parallel coolant passages: one passage for the battery, another for the PE component, and a third for the HPC. This segmentation allows independent temperature control for each component, enabling efficient thermal management without the conflicts that would arise from a series connection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a one-dimensional series connection to a multi-dimensional parallel architecture by introducing separate coolant passages for different components. This dimensional change in the system architecture enables simultaneous independent thermal management of multiple components with different temperature requirements
3Use of energy by moving object
If the compressor of the refrigerant system does not operate, then energy consumption is reduced, but the HPC cannot be cooled
Solution Approach 1:
The HPC cooling system is designed to be self-sufficient by using the coolant circulation system that operates independently of the compressor. The coolant pump can circulate coolant through the HPC coolant passage even when the compressor is not operating, allowing the HPC to be cooled without requiring compressor energy consumption
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 thermal management of HPCs, batteries, and PE components, reduces HVAC power consumption, and improves electric efficiency by allowing independent cooling of the HPC and battery, even when the compressor is not operating.
Implementation Method 1
the control valve may be configured to control the flow of a coolant between the PE component, the radiator, the battery, and the HPC
Implementation Method 2
a radiator fluidly connected to the control valve
Implementation Method 3
a radiator fluidly connected to the control valve
Implementation Method 4
a chiller thermally connected to both the refrigerant and coolant systems
Implementation Method 5
The refrigerant system may be designed to perform the heating and cooling of the cabin using phase changes of a refrigerant circulating through a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator
Implementation Method 6
a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle thermal management system includes: a control valve; a battery fluidly connected to the control valve; a power electronics (PE) component fluidly connected to the control valve; a radiator fluidly connected to the control valve; and a high-performance computer (HPC) fluidly connected to the control valve. In particular, the HPC and the battery are connected in parallel to the control valve, and the control valve is configured to control the flow of a coolant between the PE component, the radiator, the battery, and the HPC.