Thermal management system for a fuel cell electric vehicle and a method for controlling same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal management systems for fuel cell electric vehicles fail to prevent battery overheating caused by electronic component failures without limiting battery output, leading to vehicle drivability issues.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system with a control apparatus that diagnoses component failures in the battery cooling line, controls the inflow of stack coolant through a heat exchanger, and adjusts fuel cell output and cooling fan/water pump speeds to maintain battery temperature within safe limits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the battery output is limited to prevent overheating, then battery temperature is controlled, but vehicle drivability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a heat exchanger as an intermediary device between the battery cooling system and the fuel cell cooling system. When battery overheating is detected, the heat exchanger enables thermal coupling with the fuel cell stack coolant, providing an additional heat dissipation pathway without requiring battery output limitation. This mediator allows the battery to maintain normal operation while transferring excess heat to the fuel cell cooling circuit.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes thermal management parameters by switching between independent battery cooling mode and coupled cooling mode. When overheating occurs, the valve controlling coolant flow to the heat exchanger is adjusted, changing the thermal parameters of the battery cooling system. This parameter change enables full battery output to be maintained while achieving temperature control through increased heat dissipation capacity.
2Device complexity
If cooling components are reduced for batteries and Pes, then system complexity is reduced, but cooling performance may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a multi-functional cooling system where the fuel cell stack cooling circuit serves dual purposes: cooling the fuel cell stack during normal operation and assisting in battery cooling during overheating conditions. The heat exchanger enables the fuel cell coolant to function as a secondary cooling medium for the battery, allowing one cooling system to perform multiple functions and reducing the need for separate dedicated battery cooling components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the battery cooling function with the fuel cell cooling system through the heat exchanger. Instead of maintaining completely separate cooling circuits for batteries and fuel cells, the patent combines their thermal management functions, allowing coolant from the fuel cell system to be utilized for battery cooling when needed. This merging reduces overall system complexity while maintaining adequate cooling performance through shared thermal management resources.
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
Prevents battery overheating and ensures vehicle drivability by effectively cooling the battery without limiting battery output, even in the presence of component failures.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between a stack coolant of the stack cooling line and a battery coolant of the battery cooling line
Implementation Method 2
a stack cooling line configured to cool a fuel cell stack of the fuel cell electric vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal management control apparatus includes: a stack cooling line configured to cool a fuel cell stack of the fuel cell electric vehicle; a battery cooling line configured to cool a battery of the fuel cell electric vehicle; a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between a stack coolant of the stack cooling line and a battery coolant of the battery cooling line; a valve configured to control an inflow of the stack coolant to the heat exchanger; and a control apparatus. The control apparatus is configured to diagnose whether a component of the valve or the battery cooling line has failed when the battery is overheated and to control a fuel cell output to cool the stack coolant and cool the battery by using a temperature of the stack coolant when a failure of the valve or a component failure of the battery cooling line occurs.