Reinforcement learning for integrated thermal management of electric vehicle batteries and air conditioning systems

Lithium-ion batteries are highly sensitive to temperature, with excessive heat leading to accelerated aging, reduced cycle life, and safety risks such as thermal runaway. Traditional thermal management systems often struggle to maintain optimal battery temperature, especially under high ambient temperatures or dynamic operating conditions. This paper proposes a novel reinforcement learning (RL)-based control method for the coupled thermal management system of a power battery and air conditioning system in a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV). The system integrates the battery cooling circuit with the air conditioning system via a heat exchanger, eliminating the need for a separate radiator. The Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) algorithm is employed to control the water pump speed, optimizing battery temperature in real-time. Experimental results under New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) conditions at 40°C ambient temperature demonstrate that the RL-controlled pump responds faster than the Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithm, allowing the battery temperature to reach the target temperature of 28°C 1 min earlier with a maximum fluctuation of only 0.8°C. The RL-controlled pump consumes 4 W h more energy than the MPC-controlled pump, while the compressor energy consumption is only 1.68% higher. Additionally, the temperature fluctuations in the passenger cabin under RL control are only 0.1°C higher than under MPC, ensuring passenger comfort. This study highlights the potential of RL-based control for improving the efficiency and stability of integrated thermal management systems in electric vehicles.