Vehicle Thermal Loop Layout for Rapid-Charging Battery Cooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional temperature management systems in electric vehicles face inefficiencies due to the size constraints of heat exchangers at the front end, which are compromised when trying to manage both interior and electrical storage device temperatures during rapid charging, leading to reduced performance in cooling and heating capabilities.

Innovation Solution

A temperature management system with a refrigerant circuit and heat transfer fluid loop that includes multiple heat exchangers arranged to optimize supercooling and thermal management, where the primary radiator is positioned upstream of the first heat exchanger, and additional heat exchangers are used to ensure efficient heat exchange and supercooling of the refrigerant, allowing for simultaneous management of interior and electrical storage device temperatures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the heat exchanger size is reduced to meet front end space constraints, then the system can be compact and installable, but the cooling performance and thermal management capability are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat exchanger sizeVSAvoidcooling performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the heat exchanger into multiple segments: a first heat exchanger for interior cooling and a second heat exchanger for electrical component cooling. This segmentation allows each segment to be optimized for its specific function, maintaining overall cooling performance while reducing the total volume required at the front end.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a thermal management system that operates in multiple thermal dimensions simultaneously - managing interior temperature, electrical component temperature, and refrigerant temperature. This multi-dimensional approach allows efficient use of limited front end space by handling different thermal loads in parallel through the segmented heat exchanger architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Device complexity

If a single heat exchanger is used to manage both interior and electrical storage device temperatures, then the system structure is simple, but the thermal management performance during rapid charging is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem structureVSAvoidthermal management performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The heat exchanger is segmented into a first heat exchanger connected to the interior air flow and a second heat exchanger connected to the electrical storage device. This segmentation enables independent thermal management of each component, ensuring that rapid charging thermal loads do not compromise interior thermal comfort, while maintaining relatively simple system integration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of manufacture

If the radiator is arranged downstream of the heat exchanger, then the installation is conventional, but the refrigerant supercooling capability is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinstallation conventionalityVSAvoidrefrigerant supercooling capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional arrangement by placing the radiator upstream of the heat exchanger in the refrigerant circuit. This inversion allows the refrigerant to be cooled by the radiator before entering the heat exchanger, enabling effective supercooling of the refrigerant and improving the overall efficiency of the thermal management system during rapid charging operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

4Reliability

If the heat exchanger size is increased to maintain cooling performance during rapid charging, then the cooling capability is sufficient, but the front end space requirements are not met

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling capabilityVSAvoidfront end space

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the heat exchanger into multiple specialized units (first heat exchanger for interior cooling, second heat exchanger for electrical component cooling), the system achieves sufficient total cooling capability for all thermal loads without requiring a single large heat exchanger, thus meeting front end space constraints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The thermal management system is designed to handle multiple thermal management functions simultaneously - interior cooling, electrical storage device cooling during rapid charging, and refrigerant supercooling - through a integrated but segmented heat exchanger architecture, maximizing the utility of the limited front end space.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 enhances the system's coefficient of performance, reduces the size requirements of heat exchangers at the front end, and maintains thermal comfort and efficiency during rapid charging by ensuring effective cooling and heating capabilities.

Implementation Method 1

a first heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant and an air flow external to a vehicle interior

Methodology Applied