Patent attributes
A battery thermal management system for an air vehicle includes a liquid heat exchange circuit, an air heat exchange circuit, and a liquid-air heat exchanger. The liquid-air heat exchanger is positioned on the liquid heat exchange circuit and the air heat exchange circuit to exchange heat therebetween. The system includes a coolant pump fluidically connected to the liquid heat exchange circuit, a flow restrictor positioned in the liquid heat exchange circuit, and a battery in thermal communication with the liquid heat exchange circuit. A method for controlling a thermal management system for an air vehicle includes sensing a temperature of a battery with a temperature sensor, varying a flow area of a flow path through a liquid heat exchange circuit with the flow restrictor if the temperature is below a pre-determined threshold, and operating a pump to provide heating to the battery if the temperature is below the pre-determined threshold.
