What is the thermal management system of pure electric vehicles?
The thermal management system of automobiles is an important system for regulating the environment of the automobile cabin and the working environment of automobile parts. It comprehensively improves energy utilization efficiency through cooling, heating and internal heat conduction. To put it simply, it’s like people need to use fever-reducing patches when they have a fever; and when the cold is unbearable, they need to use a warm baby. The complex structure of pure electric vehicles cannot be intervened by human operation, so its own "immune system" will play a crucial role.
The thermal management system of pure electric vehicles is more complex than that of ordinary fuel vehicles. This is because pure electric vehicles have more components that require thermal control, such as batteries, controllers, and electric motors. The thermal management system of pure electric vehicles not only includes the air conditioning system, but also adds different parts such as battery pack environment, power electronic devices, and motor heat dissipation according to thermal management requirements.
The main components and functions of the thermal management system of pure electric vehicles
The thermal management system of pure electric vehicles assists driving by maximizing the use of battery energy. By carefully reusing the thermal energy in the vehicle for the air conditioning and batteries inside the vehicle, thermal management can save battery energy to extend the vehicle's driving range. The advantages are especially significant in extreme hot and cold temperatures. The thermal management system of pure electric vehicles mainly includes major components such as high-voltage battery management system (BMS), battery cooling plate, battery cooler, high-voltage PTC electric heater and heat pump system according to different models.
Thermal management system solutions for pure electric vehicles cover the entire system range, from control strategies to intelligent components, to manage two extreme temperatures by flexibly distributing the heat generated by powertrain components during operation. By allowing all components to operate at optimal temperatures, BEV thermal management system solutions shorten charging times and extend battery life.
The high-voltage battery management system (BMS) is more complex than the battery management system of traditional fuel vehicles. This system is integrated into the battery pack of pure electric vehicles as a core component. Based on collected system data, the system transfers thermal energy from the battery cooling circuit to the vehicle's refrigeration circuit to maintain optimal battery temperature. The system has a modular structure and mainly includes battery management controller (BMC), battery monitoring circuit (CSC) and high-voltage sensors.
The battery cooling plate can be used for direct cooling of pure electric vehicle battery packs, which can be divided into direct cooling (refrigerant cooling) and indirect cooling (water cooling). It can be designed and matched according to the battery to achieve high efficiency and extended battery life. The inner cavity of the dual-circuit battery cooler is dual-medium refrigerant and coolant, which is suitable for cooling the battery pack of pure electric vehicles. It can maintain the battery temperature in the high-efficiency area and ensure the optimization of battery service life.
Pure electric vehicles do not have a heat source, so it is necessary to use a high-voltage PTC electric heater with a standard output power of 4-5kW to provide fast and sufficient heat inside the vehicle. The waste heat of pure electric vehicles is not enough to completely heat the cabin, so a heat pump system is needed for heating.
