Vehicle Thermal Management Layout for Fast Engine Warm-Up
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal management systems in vehicles suffer from high energy and engine oil consumption, and slow engine warming due to improper structural arrangements and independent coolant circuits for the engine cooler and exhaust gas recirculation system cooler.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system that integrates an engine cooler, an exhaust gas recirculation system cooler, and a temperature adjustment and heat dissipation assembly, with a shared coolant circuit and optional components like a warm air module, battery cooling system, and air-conditioning system, to optimize coolant flow and reduce energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the engine cooler and exhaust gas recirculation system cooler are arranged in independent pipelines, then each cooler can be cooled independently, but the water pump power consumption increases and engine oil consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the engine cooler and exhaust gas recirculation system cooler into a single integrated cooler assembly with shared coolant flow path. The engine cooler and EGR cooler are positioned adjacent to each other and cooled by the same coolant stream, eliminating the need for separate water pump circuits. This reduces water pump power consumption while maintaining effective cooling of both components through the shared thermal management system.
2Reliability
If the engine cooler and exhaust gas recirculation system cooler are arranged in independent pipelines, then each cooler can be cooled independently, but the coolant flow requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cooling functions into a single coolant circuit where one coolant stream serves both the engine cooler and EGR cooler. The coolant flows through the engine cooler first, then continues to the EGR cooler in series, or both coolers are positioned to receive coolant from a single pump outlet. This merging approach reduces the total coolant flow requirement compared to having two independent parallel circuits.
3Ease of manufacture
If the thermal management system has improper structural arrangement, then the system is simple to manufacture, but the engine warming speed decreases and energy saving requirement cannot be satisfied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a thermal energy storage unit that pre-stores thermal energy before it is needed for engine warming. The system includes a thermal energy storage tank that accumulates heat during engine operation and releases it during cold starts or low-temperature conditions. This preliminary action of storing thermal energy in advance enables faster engine warming without requiring complex active heating systems, thus maintaining manufacturing simplicity while improving warming speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the waste heat from the exhaust gas recirculation system into a beneficial resource for engine warming. The EGR cooler, which normally dissipates heat, is integrated with the thermal management system to transfer its cooling capacity to warm the engine coolant during cold starts. This transforms what would be wasted thermal energy into a useful heating source, improving engine warming speed while maintaining system simplicity.
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
The system achieves low energy consumption, reduced engine oil consumption, and rapid engine warming, while simplifying the vehicle structure and reducing costs by eliminating the need for additional electronic water pumps and optimizing coolant flow paths.
Implementation Method 1
an exhaust gas recirculation system cooler, the outlet of the exhaust gas recirculation system cooler being in communication with the liquid inlet, and the inlet of the exhaust gas recirculation system cooler being in communication with the liquid outlet
Implementation Method 2
an engine cooler, the outlet of the exhaust gas recirculation system cooler being in communication with the liquid inlet, and the inlet of the exhaust gas recirculation system cooler being in communication with the liquid outlet
Implementation Method 3
a temperature adjustment and heat dissipation assembly, an inlet of the temperature adjustment and heat dissipation assembly being in communication with the inlet of the exhaust gas recirculation system cooler, and an outlet of the temperature adjustment and heat dissipation assembly being in communication with the outlet of the exhaust gas recirculation system cooler
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal management system includes an engine cooler, an exhaust gas recirculation system cooler, and a temperature adjustment and heat dissipation assembly. The engine cooler includes a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet. An outlet of the exhaust gas recirculation system cooler is in communication with the liquid inlet, and an inlet of the exhaust gas recirculation system cooler is in communication with the liquid outlet. An inlet of the temperature adjustment and heat dissipation assembly is in communication with the inlet of the exhaust gas recirculation system cooler, and an outlet of the temperature adjustment and heat dissipation assembly is in communication with the outlet of the exhaust gas recirculation system cooler.