Vehicle Thermal Management Circuit for Independent Battery and Cabin Heating
Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicles face reduced driving distance during heating due to the lack of an efficient thermal management system that can recover waste heat from the electronic driving unit for both battery heating and indoor heating, leading to degraded thermal management efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An integrated thermal management circuit where an electric chiller and a battery chiller are connected in parallel, with a chiller control valve allowing independent heating modes, enabling waste heat recovery from the electronic driving unit for both battery and indoor heating through a heat pump, and utilizing a water heater for battery heating while preventing refrigerant flow to the battery chiller during battery heating modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a water heater is connected in series to the battery on a battery cooling water line to heat the battery, then battery heating is achieved, but waste heat recovery from the electronic driving unit cannot be performed and thermal management efficiency is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the thermal management system into separate functional paths: a battery cooling line with water heater for battery heating, and a refrigerant line with heat pump for waste heat recovery and indoor heating. This segmentation allows independent operation of battery heating and waste heat recovery functions that were previously conflicting when connected in series.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pump system serves multiple functions: it recovers waste heat from the electronic driving unit, provides indoor heating, and can operate independently of the battery heating function. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by enabling waste heat recovery while maintaining battery heating capability through separate control paths.
2Ease of operation
If heating is performed using electricity in electric vehicles without engine waste heat, then heating function is provided, but driving distance is greatly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the waste heat generated by the electronic driving unit (which would otherwise be discarded) into a useful resource for indoor heating through the heat pump system. This transforms energy waste into energy recovery, reducing the electricity consumption required for heating and thereby preserving driving distance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temperature parameter utilization by recovering heat at elevated temperatures from the electronic driving unit and transferring it to the indoor heating system, which operates at lower temperature requirements. This parameter optimization reduces the energy burden on the battery for heating purposes.
3Temperature
If an integrated chiller is used for both electronic driving unit and battery cooling, then cooling function is provided, but independent battery heating and waste heat recovery cannot be simultaneously achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the thermal management system into separate refrigerant line and battery cooling line, with the chiller control valve enabling selective routing. This segmentation allows the system to independently control cooling for the electronic driving unit, cooling for the battery, heating for the battery, and waste heat recovery for indoor heating without functional conflicts.
Solution Approach 2:
The chiller control valve provides dynamic routing capability, allowing the system to adaptively switch between different operational modes (cooling mode, heating mode, waste heat recovery mode) based on real-time thermal management requirements. This dynamic control enables the system to achieve multiple functions that would be impossible with fixed configurations.
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 allows for independent battery and indoor heating modes, enhancing thermal management efficiency by utilizing waste heat for both battery and indoor heating, thereby improving the driving distance and performance of electric vehicles in varying temperature conditions.
Implementation Method 1
heating through a heat pump and battery temperature rise are independently performed
Implementation Method 2
an integrated chiller exchanging heat with the electronic driving unit and the battery
Implementation Method 3
heats and supplies, to the battery, the cooling water that flows into the battery
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated thermal management circuit for a vehicle is introduced, which includes a refrigerant line on which a refrigerant flows into the compressor; a battery cooling line making a cooling water circulate between a battery and a battery radiator or between the battery and the battery chiller; an electric cooling line making the cooling water circulate between an electronic driving unit and an electric radiator or between the electronic driving unit and the electric chiller; and a chiller control valve provided at an upstream point of the electric chiller and the battery chiller on the chiller line, and making the refrigerant discharged from the external heat exchanger flow into the electric chiller or the battery chiller.