Vehicle Thermal Management with Parallel Cooling Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle thermal management systems struggle to efficiently manage heat dissipation for high-torque and high-rotational-speed electric vehicle power assemblies and battery packs, as they require peak heat dissipation that is not effectively met by serial connection methods, limiting energy-saving working conditions.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle thermal management system that includes a refrigeration cycle system, a coolant cycle system, and a control device, allowing for separate refrigeration and natural heat dissipation modes for both the power assembly and the battery pack, enabling independent control based on ambient temperature and inlet coolant temperature to achieve an energy-saving working condition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If heat dissipation of battery pack and power assembly are connected in series, then the system structure is simplified, but the power assembly cannot achieve separate natural heat dissipation and must wait for battery pack cooling, limiting energy-saving working conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal management system divides the heat dissipation paths into separate parallel channels: one path for the battery pack and another path for the power assembly. This segmentation allows each component to undergo heat dissipation independently, enabling the power assembly to achieve natural heat dissipation without being constrained by the battery pack's thermal state, thus resolving the contradiction between system simplicity and energy efficiency.
2Reliability
If battery pack outlet coolant temperature is kept within narrow comfortable interval, then battery pack operates safely, but power assembly inlet coolant temperature is limited and cannot achieve optimal heat dissipation
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements separate temperature control loops for the battery pack and power assembly. The battery pack's coolant temperature is independently regulated within its optimal range, while the power assembly receives coolant through a separate path that can be optimized for its specific thermal requirements. This segmentation allows each subsystem to maintain its own temperature within the respective optimal range without mutual constraint.
3Power
If high-torque and high-rotational-speed output is achieved, then power performance is improved, but peak heat dissipation requirements increase greatly challenging the thermal management system
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal management system employs dynamic control strategies that adapt to real-time power demands. When the power assembly operates at high-torque and high-rotational-speed conditions generating peak heat, the system dynamically adjusts coolant flow rates and selects appropriate heat dissipation modes (natural or forced convection). This dynamic responsiveness enables the system to meet peak heat dissipation requirements while maintaining power performance.
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 effectively manages heat dissipation for both the power assembly and the battery pack, ensuring they do not overheat while minimizing energy consumption, thereby achieving a most energy-saving working condition.
Implementation Method 1
the refrigeration cycle system may perform freezing processing on the coolant to reduce a temperature of the coolant to a required range
Implementation Method 2
the coolant cycle system may reduce the temperature of the coolant to the required range through natural heat dissipation
Implementation Method 3
a coolant cycle system, wherein the coolant cycle system includes a coolant cycle frontend radiator
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of this application disclose a vehicle thermal management system and method. The system includes a refrigeration cycle system, a coolant cycle system, and a control device, where the coolant cycle system includes a coolant cycle frontend radiator, a power assembly heat dissipation system, a battery pack heat dissipation system, a primary path water pump, a bypass water pump, and a valve bank system. In the system, the refrigeration cycle system is connected to the primary path water pump. Furthermore, in the system, the power assembly heat dissipation system and the battery pack heat dissipation system share the refrigeration cycle system and the coolant cycle frontend radiator by using the primary path water pump, the bypass water pump, and a combination of the valve bank system.