Vehicle thermal management system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle thermal management systems fail to efficiently transfer heat between the cabin heating subsystem, the power electronics cooling subsystem, and the battery cooling subsystem, leading to wasted thermal energy and increased electrical energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle thermal management system incorporating a heat pump module with a refrigerant cycle, which is thermally and fluidly connected to the cabin heating, power electronics cooling, and battery cooling subsystems, allowing for efficient heat transfer and utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the battery and battery cooling subsystem are disposed on the roof spaced apart from the cabin heating loop, then the layout is simplified, but waste heat from the battery cannot be used in the cabin heating subsystem
Solution Approach 1:
A heat transfer fluid serves as an intermediary carrier to transport thermal energy from the battery (located on the roof) to the cabin heating subsystem. The fluid circulates through a heat transfer path that connects the battery cooling subsystem with the cabin heating loop, enabling heat transfer without requiring physical proximity between the battery and cabin heating components.
2Reliability
If the battery radiator and battery chiller are sized to correspond to charging conditions with high heat generation, then the battery can be effectively cooled during charging, but the number of components and vehicle weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The battery cooling subsystem is designed to perform multiple functions: it can cool the battery during both charging conditions (high heat generation) and driving conditions (lower heat generation). The system uses a single integrated cooling path that can operate in different modes depending on the thermal management needs, eliminating the requirement for separate cooling systems for different operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the cooling strategy based on operating conditions. During charging, the battery cooling subsystem actively removes heat through the cooling path. During driving, when heat generation is lower, the system can alternatively transfer heat to the cabin heating subsystem, adapting its function to the current thermal requirements without requiring oversized fixed-capacity components.
3Device complexity
If the vehicle thermal management system does not efficiently transfer heat between subsystems, then the system structure is simpler, but thermal energy is wasted and electrical energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts waste heat from the battery and power electronics, which would otherwise be discarded, into useful thermal energy for cabin heating. By creating a heat transfer path that routes thermal energy from high-temperature sources (battery during charging, power electronics) to the cabin heating subsystem, the system transforms harmful waste heat into a beneficial resource, reducing the need for additional heating energy input.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle thermal management system merges the battery cooling subsystem with the cabin heating subsystem through a shared heat transfer fluid loop. This integration allows the same thermal management infrastructure to serve dual purposes: cooling the battery when needed and heating the cabin by recovering waste heat, thereby reducing overall energy consumption and eliminating the need for separate independent systems.
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 utilizes waste heat from the battery and power electronics to heat the cabin, reducing the need for additional heating sources, lowering manufacturing costs by potentially removing the battery radiator, and improving electric efficiency by reducing the operating time of the cooling fan.
Implementation Method 1
a heat pump module thermally and fluidly connected to the cabin heating subsystem, the PE cooling subsystem, and the battery cooling subsystem
Implementation Method 2
The heat pump module includes a refrigerant circulation path configured to allow a refrigerant to circulate
Implementation Method 3
a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat between the refrigerant received from the compressor or the condenser and the PE coolant
Implementation Method 4
a condenser disposed on the downstream side of the compressor
Implementation Method 5
an evaporator disposed on the downstream side of the condenser
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle thermal management system includes: a cabin heating subsystem thermally connected to a cabin and including a cabin coolant circulation path configured to allow a cabin coolant to circulate; a power electronics (PE) cooling subsystem fluidly connected to a PE component and including a PE coolant circulation path configured to allow a PE coolant to circulate; and a battery cooling subsystem fluidly connected to a battery and including a battery coolant circulation path configured to allow a battery coolant to circulate. The vehicle thermal management system further includes a heat pump module thermally and fluidly connected to the cabin heating subsystem, the PE cooling subsystem, and the battery cooling subsystem. The heat pump module includes a refrigerant circulation path configured to allow a refrigerant to circulate.