Thermal Management Device for Battery Energy Storage Systems

A method of manufacturing a thermal management device with integrated refrigeration and cooling capabilities, the method comprising:

• providing (i) a compressor, (ii) a shared HX, (iii) a coolant-loop HX, (iv) a coolant pump, (v) a refrigerant-loop HX, and (vi) an enclosure;
• forming a refrigerant loop by (i) fluidically coupling the compressor to the shared HX, (ii) fluidically coupling the shared HX to the refrigerant-loop HX, and (iii) fluidically coupling the refrigerant-loop HX to the compressor;
• forming a coolant loop by (i) fluidically coupling the coolant-loop HX to the coolant pump, (ii) fluidically coupling the coolant pump to the refrigerant-loop HX, and (iii) fluidically coupling the refrigerant-loop HX to the coolant-loop HX;
• filling the refrigerant loop with a fluid refrigerant and the coolant loop with a liquid coolant;
• and
• arranging in the enclosure the refrigerant loop, the refrigerant-loop HX, and at least a portion of the coolant loop comprising the coolant pump;
• wherein the coolant-loop HX is configured to transfer heat from a battery energy storage system to the liquid coolant and the refrigerant-loop HX is configured to transfer heat from the liquid coolant to the fluid refrigerant.

A method of operatingflui a thermal management system with integrated refrigeration and cooling capabilities, the method comprising:

• receiving sensor data from first and second sensors, wherein the sensor data is indicative of a thermal state of a battery energy storage system cooled by a thermal management device comprising (i) a refrigerant loop containing a fluid refrigerant, (ii) a coolant loop containing a liquid coolant, and (iii) a refrigerant-loop HX configured to transfer heat from the liquid coolant to the fluid refrigerant;
• and
• adjusting operation of a component of the refrigerant loop or the coolant loop based on the sensor data from the first and second sensors;
• wherein the refrigerant loop comprises (i) a compressor, which is fluidically coupled to a shared HX, (ii) the shared HX, which is fluidically coupled to the refrigerant-loop HX, and (iii) the refrigerant-loop HX, which is fluidically coupled to the compressor;
• wherein the coolant loop comprises (i) a coolant-loop HX, which is fluidically coupled to a coolant pump, (ii) the coolant pump, which is fluidically coupled to the refrigerant-loop HX, and (iii) the refrigerant-loop HX, which is fluidically coupled to the coolant-loop HX;
• and
• wherein the refrigerant loop, the refrigerant-loop HX, and at least a portion of the coolant loop comprising the coolant pump are contained within an enclosure.