Review of integrated thermal management system research for battery electrical vehicles

Abstract

The integration of thermal management systems (TMS) is a key development trend for battery electric vehicles (BEVs). This paper reviews the integrated thermal management systems (ITMS) of BEVs, analyzes existing systems, and classifies them based on the integration modes of the air conditioning system, power battery, and electric motor electronic control system. The characteristics of different integration modes are compared in detail. Additionally, the traditional control strategies and new control strategies combined with intelligent optimization algorithms are summarized. Finally, the evaluation metrics and research methods for TMS in BEVs are reviewed. Based on the above analysis, the following conclusions are drawn: (1) ITMS represent the future development trend. Energy consumption of two integrated subsystems is approximately 10 % lower than that of a distributed system, and the energy consumption of three integrated subsystems is about 20 % lower than that of two subsystems; (2) Currently, ITMS primarily use feedback control to manage key components of individual subsystems, such as compressor speed, water pump speed, and expansion valve opening. However, it has not yet coordinated the control of various components from the perspective of the vehicle integrated system to achieve intelligent control; (3) Existing evaluation metrics for TMS tend to focus on local subsystems, while there is limited research on a comprehensive evaluation from a macro vehicle-wide perspective. A unified evaluation system for integrated vehicle thermal management has yet to be established.