How much do you know about thermal management systems?

Thermal Management System (TMS) is a technical system that regulates the temperature of a target object by heating, cooling or constant temperature means, aiming to ensure that the equipment or system operates efficiently and safely within an appropriate temperature range. Its core principle is based on heat transfer (heat conduction, convection, radiation), and creates temperature differences by consuming energy to achieve heat transfer and control. The following are the key points of thermal management systems:

1. Definition and core elements
Definition: The thermal management system controls the temperature or temperature difference of the object through energy regulation means (such as heat dissipation, heating, and insulation), involving three elements: specific objects, implementation means (such as radiators, coolants, sensors), and management parameters (temperature, energy consumption ratio, etc.). For example, the human body maintains body temperature through metabolism, dressing, etc., which is also a natural thermal management system.
Core goals
Temperature control: Keep the target object in the normal operating temperature range (such as 20-30℃ for batteries)
Temperature uniformity: Reduce internal temperature differences (such as electric vehicle battery packs need to control the temperature difference between cells)
Energy efficiency optimization: Achieve efficient heat dissipation or heating through low-energy means (such as heat pump technology is more energy-efficient than PTC)

2. Application areas
Traditional fuel vehicles: Mainly manage engine, gearbox cooling and air conditioning systems.
New energy vehicles: additional management of batteries, motors, and electronic control systems is required, and more complex technologies (such as liquid cooling and heat pump air conditioning) are used.
Key components: radiators, electric water pumps, PTC heaters, cold plates, etc.
Electronic devices:Mobile phones, computers, etc. need to dissipate heat to avoid chip overheating; servers maintain stable operation through liquid cooling or air cooling
PCB heat dissipation design: balance heat and performance through layout optimization, heat dissipation holes, high thermal conductivity materials, etc.
Industry and energy storage:Energy storage batteries need to maintain temperature consistency through air cooling or liquid cooling. Liquid cooling has become a trend due to its efficient heat dissipation and low failure rate; industrial equipment (such as laser cutting machines) requires precise temperature control to ensure processing accuracy
Biology and architecture:The human body achieves body temperature regulation through metabolism and external behavior (such as blowing air conditioning). Building thermal management maintains a comfortable indoor environment through air conditioning, insulation materials, etc.
3. Technology classification and implementation methods
Active and passive technologies
Active: Relying on external energy drive (such as liquid cooling cycle, fan).
Passive: Using materials or natural heat transfer (such as phase change materials, heat dissipation holes, sky radiation cooling)