Single Expansion Tank for Vehicle Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electric vehicle thermal management systems require three independent liquid circuits, leading to high production costs, low filling efficiency, complex water channel layouts, and inefficient after-sales maintenance due to the need for multiple expansion tanks.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system that connects a cooling circuit, a thermostatic circuit, and a heating circuit using a single expansion tank, with a reversing valve and liquid-gas separators to facilitate series or parallel connections, reducing the number of tanks and improving filling and maintenance efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If three independent liquid circuits are used for cooling, thermostatic, and heating functions, then each circuit can operate independently and reliably, but the number of expansion tanks increases to three, leading to high production cost, low filling efficiency, complicated water channel layout, and difficult after-sales maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges three separate expansion tanks into a single integrated expansion tank that serves all three liquid circuits (cooling, thermostatic, and heating). This is achieved by providing a communication channel that connects all three circuits to the shared expansion tank, allowing one tank to perform the functions of three separate tanks, thereby reducing part count and system complexity while maintaining independent circuit operation
Solution Approach 2:
The single expansion tank is designed with multi-functionality to serve multiple purposes: it acts as the expansion tank for the cooling circuit, the thermostatic circuit, and the heating circuit simultaneously. The communication channel enables the tank to handle coolant filling and air exhausting for all three circuits, making one component perform the work of three separate components
2Ease of manufacture
If three expansion tanks are equipped with separate filling devices, then each tank can be filled independently, but the production line requires three filling devices simultaneously, causing low filling efficiency and high production cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines three separate filling operations into a single filling operation by providing one filling device that connects to the shared expansion tank. Since all three circuits communicate with the same tank, filling the tank once automatically fills all three circuits, eliminating the need for three separate filling devices and significantly improving production line efficiency
3Reliability
If three separate expansion tanks are used, then each circuit has dedicated air-exhausting capability, but the water channel layout becomes complicated and after-sales maintenance becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges three separate air-exhausting systems into a single integrated system. The shared expansion tank provides a common air-exhausting point for all three circuits, and the communication channel allows air to be exhausted from any circuit through the same tank and outlet, simplifying the water channel layout and making maintenance easier by reducing the number of access points and 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
This configuration reduces vehicle production costs, enhances coolant filling efficiency, simplifies the pipeline layout, and improves after-sales maintenance efficiency by using a single expansion tank for all circuits, allowing for efficient liquid and air management.
Implementation Method 1
a first liquid-gas separator connected to the expansion tank, the reversing valve, and the cooling circuit. The first liquid-gas separator is configured to separate liquid and air in the cooling circuit and thermostatic circuit and introduce the separated gas into the expansion tank
Implementation Method 2
When the cooling circuit and the thermostatic circuit are connected in series, the cooling circuit is configured to absorb heat of a target cooling element using the liquid, and the thermostatic circuit is configured to heat the target thermostatic element using the liquid with the absorbed heat of the target cooling element
Implementation Method 3
the cooling circuit is configured to absorb heat of a target cooling element using the liquid, and the thermostatic circuit is configured to heat the target thermostatic element using the liquid with the absorbed heat
Implementation Method 4
the heat dissipating device is connected to the second reversing valve, and the heat dissipating device is configured to dissipate heat of the liquid
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are a thermal management system applied in a vehicle, and the vehicle. The thermal management system includes a cooling circuit (10), a thermostatic circuit (20), a heating circuit (30), and an expansion tank (40). The cooling circuit (10), the thermostatic circuit (20), and the heating circuit (30) are all connected to the expansion tank (40), and the expansion tank is configured for liquid-filling and air-exhausting of the cooling circuit (10), the thermostatic circuit (20), and the heating circuit (30). In the thermal management system, the cooling circuit (10), the thermostatic circuit (20), and the heating circuit (30) are connected by using one expansion tank, thereby reducing the cost of the vehicle, improving a coolant-filling efficiency of the expansion tank and a production takt on the vehicle production line, and improving the after-sales maintenance efficiency of the vehicle.