Battery Temperature Regulation
A well-designed thermal management system keeps the battery pack within the ideal 20°C to 45°C range. During fast charging, high current flow generates excess heat, which, if unmanaged, can degrade battery cells and reduce their charge-holding capacity over time. Active cooling via liquid coolant loops or refrigerant-based chillers ensures stable temperatures, preserving battery health and maintaining energy density.
Cooling Circuit Adaptability
EVs employ dynamic coolant routing strategies:
- Serial mode (cold weather): Combines battery and powertrain coolant loops, using waste heat from motors to warm batteries.
- Parallel mode (hot weather): Separates coolant loops, allowing dedicated cooling for batteries via chillers while independently cooling motors through radiators.
During fast charging, the system prioritizes battery cooling using chillers in the refrigerant loop to rapidly dissipate heat.
Charging Optimization
Effective thermal management enables faster DC charging by:
- Pre-cooling batteries before charging to accept higher currents without overheating.
- Maintaining temperature uniformity across cells using integrated sensors and controllers, preventing localized hotspots that accelerate degradation.
- Adjusting cooling intensity in real-time through communication between the battery thermal management system (BTMS) and vehicle control unit (VCU).
By mitigating thermal stress during high-power charging, these systems help preserve battery capacity and reduce long-term range loss. Advanced thermal management directly addresses range anxiety and charging speed limitations in modern EVs.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/how-does-the-thermal-management-system-in-evs-impact-the-range-loss-from-fast-charging/
