Electric vehicle thermal management system with series and parallel structure

• US 9,809,082 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2016
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• 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:
  US15/365,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20170080775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 342 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 one of a battery and an electric motor of the electric vehicle, the electric vehicle thermal management system comprising:

a first radiator;

a switching device; and

a cooling circuit for circulating cooling liquid; and

, wherein

the battery, the electric motor and the first radiator are fluidly connected in series in the cooling circuit, so that the cooling liquid in the cooling circuit cools the battery and the electric motor by absorbing heat;

the first radiator is configured to provide a heat source to the passenger cabin by dissipating the heat absorbed by the cooling liquid;

the cooling circuit 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; and

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

the switching device is configured to selectively connect at least one of the battery and electric motor to the first radiator, the selective connecting by the switching device comprises;

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

or

connecting the first part path outlet with the first part path inlet to separate the electric motor from the first radiator in the cooling circuit while fluidly connecting the battery and the first radiator in series.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the switch device is configured such that:

after the electric motor is separated from the cooling circuit by the switch device, the electric motor is connected to another cooling circuit independent from the cooling circuit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

in response to an indication that the passenger cabin does not need to be heated, the switching device is further configured to disconnect the first radiator from the cooling circuit.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein:

in response to an indication that the first radiator is separated from the cooling circuit, the motor and the battery are at least one of connected in the cooling circuit or respectively connected in different cooling circuits.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the switching device is further configured to connect the second part path outlet with the second part path inlet so that the electric motor is connected to another cooling circuit independent from the cooling circuit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the switching device connects the second part path outlet with the second part path inlet at a second state, so that the electric motor is connected to another cooling circuit independent from said cooling circuit.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller configured to control the switching device according to the working condition of the battery.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a cooling liquid source connecting with the cooling circuit for providing cooling liquid to the cooling circuit.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a refrigerator for exchanging heat with the first part path;

the refrigerator is selectively separated from the first part path according to the temperature of the battery.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second radiator, wherein the second radiator is arranged to dissipate heat to the outside of the vehicle, and the second radiator is selectively connected in the second part path.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a heater, wherein the heater is connected in the first part path;

the control device controls the heater to start or stop.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller, wherein the controller is configured to control the switching device to switch between a first state and a second state according to the working condition of the battery.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a refrigerator for exchanging heat with the first part path, wherein

the refrigerator is configured to be selectively separated from the first part path according to the temperature of the battery.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second radiator, wherein the second radiator is arranged to dissipate heat to the outside of the vehicle, and the second radiator is selectively connected in the second part path.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a heater, wherein the heater is connected in the first part path; and

, wherein

the control device is further configured to control activation and deactivation of the heater.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the switching device is further configured to connect the second part path outlet with the second part path inlet so that the electric motor is connected to another cooling circuit independent from the cooling circuit.