Water Loop Chiller Control for Battery Cabinet Cooling Loads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery cabinet thermal management systems face challenges such as inconvenient maintenance, low reliability, and poor energy efficiency due to limited heat exchanger area and fixed-frequency operation, leading to inadequate temperature control and high energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A loop-based thermal management method and system that utilizes a water supply pipe loop and a water return pipe loop, dynamically adjusting the operation of chillers based on real-time temperature differences and load demands, allowing for precise control of cooling capacity and energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional cooling devices are installed inside battery cabinets in a one-to-one configuration, then each battery cabinet can be cooled independently, but the heat exchanger area is limited by internal space and installation constraints, resulting in reduced energy efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple battery cabinets into a shared thermal management system where multiple battery cabinets share common chillers and water loops. This increases the effective heat exchanger area available for cooling while reducing the number of redundant cooling devices, thereby improving energy efficiency while maintaining reliable cooling capability across the battery storage system.
2Device complexity
If internal chillers operate at fixed frequency or simple on-off control, then the control system is simple, but the cooling output cannot be dynamically adjusted according to load demand, resulting in overcooling or insufficient cooling and high energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of chiller operation by adjusting the frequency of compressors based on real-time temperature feedback from battery cabinets. The system continuously monitors temperature differences and adjusts chiller output accordingly, enabling precise matching of cooling capacity to actual heat dissipation demands, thereby avoiding overcooling and reducing energy consumption while maintaining simple operational control.
3Volume of stationary object
If traditional thermal management systems are designed with limited heat exchanger area, then installation space is saved, but the duration of utilizing natural cooling is shortened and energy efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines thermal management resources across multiple battery cabinets, allowing the system to utilize the cumulative heat exchanger area of shared chillers. This approach effectively increases the available heat exchanger area without requiring additional installation space within individual cabinets, thereby extending the duration of efficient natural cooling operation and improving overall energy efficiency.
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 solution enables real-time adjustment of chiller operation to match heat dissipation needs, improving cooling capacity distribution and system response speed, reducing energy consumption, and enhancing the reliability of battery cabinets by allowing continued operation even if some chillers fail.
Implementation Method 1
a water supply pipe loop 2 and a water return pipe loop 3; the battery pack, the chiller, the heat dissipation group, and the bypass valve are provided in the cabinet
Implementation Method 2
determining a target output cooling capacity of the chillers according to a predetermined Cooling demand control strategy, and controlling each of the chillers in target chillers corresponding to the number of chillers to be operated to enter into an operating state according to the target output cooling capacity
Implementation Method 3
deriving a rate of change of temperature difference according to a temperature difference in a current sampling stage and the temperature difference in a previous sampling stage; wherein the temperature difference is a difference between a temperature of the water supply pipe loop and a temperature of the water return pipe loop
Data Source
AI summary
The present application provides a loop-based thermal management method, apparatus, device, and system. A thermal management capacity deviation value in a current sampling stage is determined according to a rate of change of temperature difference and a temperature difference in a current sampling stage, and a thermal management capacity value is calculated according to a thermal management capacity value in a previous sampling stage and the deviation value. A corresponding number of chillers to be operated in the current sampling stage is determined according to the thermal management capacity value in the current sampling stage, and a target output cooling capacity of the chillers is determined according to a preset Cooling demand control strategy to control the chillers. This technical solution can reduce the energy consumption of the whole system. Furthermore, centralized control of the water loop improves the reliability and cooling efficiency of the battery cabinet.