Performance evaluation of steady-state and dynamic response for innovative configurations of EV cabin and battery coupled thermal management based on transcritical CO2 cycle

Anci Wang, Jianhong Zhou, Qiang Li, Fan Jia, Dinghua Hu, Xiang Yin and Feng Cao

Energy, 2025, vol. 335, issue C

Abstract: Effective thermal management of the cabin-battery is crucial for operational safety of electric vehicles. To develop an optimal coupled thermal management system for cabin-battery that balances steady-state performance and dynamic response, four thermal management configurations (series configuration (SC), series-parallel configuration (SPC) with independent main/auxiliary heat exchanger (SPCM/SPCA) and parallel configuration (PC)) based on transcritical CO2 cycles are proposed, alongside corresponding multi-objective coupled control strategies. Initially, the influence of ambient temperature, battery heat generation, and mass flow rate on steady-state performance metrics−COP, cooling capacity, power consumption, and battery temperature−has been comparatively analyzed. The SC exhibits the best steady-state performance, followed by the SPCM and SPCA, while the PC performs the worst. Furthermore, the SPCM demonstrates an optimal CO2 flow rate, and both SC and SPCM cycles effectively maintain battery temperature below 45 °C with temperature differences on the battery pack surface under 1 °C. In contrast, SPCA and PC fail to manage thermal control at high heat generation rates, resulting in temperature differences of up to 8.92 °C and 10.08 °C, respectively. Subsequently, the dynamic response time and maximum deviation characteristics of multi-objective controls are comprehensively evaluated, identifying SPCA as the best performer, followed by SPCM and SC cycles. Finally, dynamic anti-interference characteristics are rigorously tested using the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycle, where SC, SPCA, and SPCM cycles showcased superior resilience, maintaining maximum deviations in discharge pressure and cabin temperature within 0.05 MPa and 0.2 °C, respectively. Considering both steady-state and dynamic response performance, SPCM is the ideal choice.

Keywords: Transcritical CO2 cycle; Electric vehicles; Coupled thermal management; Multi-objective control; Steady-state performance; Dynamic response characteristics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:335:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225036266

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.137984

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