Electric vehicle thermal management system with series and parallel structure

• US 9,802,460 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2016
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Inventors: Cheng, Ming-Chieh
• Primary Examiner(s): WALTERS, JOHN DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US15/365,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20170080776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 335 Days
• Field of Search: 180 681, 180 682, 180 684
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00321 Heat exchangers for air-conditioning devices B60H1/3227 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00392 for electric vehicles having only electric drive means
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00428 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00885 Controlling the flow of heating or cooling liquid, e.g. valves or pumps B60H1/00899 takes precedence; constructions of valves B60H1/00485
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/04 from cooling liquid of the plant B60H1/025, B60H1/03 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/143 the heat being derived from cooling an electric component, e.g. electric motors, electric circuits, fuel cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/2218 controlling the operation of electric heaters
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/2221 arrangements of electric heaters for heating an intermediate liquid B60H1/034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/32 Cooling devices B60H1/00478, B60H1/005 take precedence; vehicles adapted to transport refrigerated goods B60P3/20
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00307 Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/04 Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds B60K11/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/60 using power supplied by batteries in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/24 for controlling the temperature of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6568 characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6569 : Fluids undergoing a liquid-gas phase change or transition, e.g. evaporation or condensation heat pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6571 : Resistive heaters arrangements for heating the battery by its resistance to the internal current H01M10/637
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/663 : the system being an air-conditioner or an engine
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/667 : the system being an electronic component, e.g. a CPU, an inverter or a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 : Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

Electric vehicle thermal management systems and electric vehicles using the thermal management system, are disclosed. A passenger cabin is heated by the heat dissipated from a battery and/or a motor. A cooling circuit in the management system fluidly connects the battery, the motor and a first radiator in series. The first radiator provides a heat source to the passenger cabin by means of the heat dissipated from the battery and/or the electric motor. Under certain conditions, the electric motor is selectively separated from the cooling circuit, so that when the passenger cabin needs to be heated, the thermal management system can provide heat to the passenger cabin without affecting the heat dissipation of the battery.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle thermal management system for heating a passenger cabin of an electric vehicle by means of heat absorbed from at least a battery and an electric motor of the electric vehicle, comprising:

a battery temperature sensor configured to detect a battery temperature of the battery;

a first radiator configured to dissipate heat to a cabin of the electrical vehicle; and

a controller operatively connected to the battery temperature sensor, and configured to;

receive an heat instruction from a user of the vehicle indicating heat is needed in the cabin of the electrical vehicle; and

selectively connect at least one of the battery and electric motor to the first radiator such that;

when the heat instruction is not received, none of the battery and motor is connected to the first radiator, and

when the heat instruction is received and battery sensor detects the battery temperature is not above a threshold temperature for the battery, the battery and the electric motor are both connected to the first radiator.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein when the heat instruction is received and battery sensor detects the battery temperature is above a threshold temperature, the battery, but not the electric motor, is connected to the first radiator.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second radiator; and

, wherein the controller is further configured to selectively connect at least one of the battery and electric motor to the second radiator such that;

when the heat instruction is not received, the battery and motor are both connected to the second radiator.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second radiator is configured to dissipate heat out of the electrical vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a motor temperature sensor configured to detect a motor temperature of the electrical vehicle; and

, wherein

the controller is further operatively connected to the motor temperature sensor such that the battery and the electric motor are both connected to the first radiator only when the motor temperature sensor detects the motor temperature is not above a threshold temperature for the electrical motor.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a cooling circuit that comprises;

a first part path fluidly connecting the battery and the first radiator, wherein the first part path is provided with a first part path inlet for the inflow of the cooling liquid and a first part path outlet for the outflow of the cooling liquid,

a second part path fluidly connecting the electric motor, wherein the second part path is provided with a second part path inlet for the inflow of the cooling liquid and a second part path outlet for the outflow of the cooling liquid; and

one or more switching devices configured to;

connect the first part path outlet with the second part path inlet and connect the second part path outlet with the first part path inlet at the first state, so as to fluidly connect the battery, the electric motor and the first radiator in series; and

connect the first part path outlet with the first part path inlet at the second state, so as to separate the electric motor from said cooling circuit; and

wherein the controller is configured to selectively connect the battery and electric motor to the first radiator via the cool circuit and the one or more switch devices.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more switching devices are configured to connect the second part path outlet with the second part path inlet at the second state, so that the electric motor is connected to another cooling circuit independent from said cooling circuit.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a cooling liquid source fluidly connecting with the battery for providing cooling liquid to cool the battery; and

, wherein

the controller is further configured to control the provision of the cooling liquid based on the battery temperature detected by the battery temperature sensor.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a refrigerator configured to cool the battery; and

, wherein

the controller is further configured to control activation of the refrigerator and connect the refrigerator with the battery based on the battery temperature detected by the battery temperature sensor.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a heater configured to heat the battery; and

, wherein

the controller is further configured to control activation of the heater and connect the heater with the battery based on the battery temperature detected by a battery temperature sensor.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein

the controller is further configured to disconnect the electric motor from the battery when the heater is connected with the battery.

12. An method for controlling electric vehicle thermal management system for heating a passenger cabin of an electric vehicle by means of heat absorbed from at least a battery and an electric motor of the electric vehicle, the vehicle comprising a battery temperature sensor configured to detect a battery temperature of the battery, a first radiator configured to dissipate heat to a cabin of the electrical vehicle, and a controller operatively connected to the battery temperature sensor, wherein the method is implemented by the controller and comprises:

receiving an heat instruction from a user of the vehicle indicating heat is needed in the cabin of the electrical vehicle; and

selectively connecting at least one of the battery and electric motor to the first radiator such that;

when the heat instruction is not received, none of the battery and motor is connected to the first radiator, and

when the heat instruction is received and battery sensor detects the battery temperature is not above a threshold temperature for the battery, the battery and the electric motor are both connected to the first radiator.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein when the heat instruction is received and battery sensor detects the battery temperature is above a threshold temperature, the battery, but not the electric motor, is connected to the first radiator.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the electric vehicle further comprises a second radiator, and wherein the method further comprising selectively connecting at least one of the battery and electric motor to the second radiator such that:

when the heat instruction is not received, the battery and motor are both connected to the second radiator.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second radiator is configured to dissipate heat out of the electrical vehicle.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the electric vehicle further comprises a motor temperature sensor configured to detect a motor temperature of the electrical vehicle, and wherein the controller is further operatively connected to the motor temperature sensor such that the battery and the electric motor are both connected to the first radiator only when the motor temperature sensor detects the motor temperature is not above a threshold temperature for the electrical motor.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the electric vehicle further comprises a cooling liquid source fluidly connecting with the battery for providing cooling liquid to cool the battery, and wherein the method further comprises controlling the provision of the cooling liquid based on the battery temperature detected by the battery temperature sensor.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the electric vehicle further comprises a refrigerator configured to cool the battery, and wherein the method further comprises controlling activation of the refrigerator and connecting the refrigerator with the battery based on the battery temperature detected by the battery temperature sensor.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the electric vehicle further comprises a heater configured to heat the battery, and wherein the method further comprises controlling activation of the heater and connecting the heater with the battery based on the battery temperature detected by a battery temperature sensor.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

disconnecting the electric motor from the battery when the heater is connected with the battery.