CATL: make heat travel where it is useful
In an electric vehicle, the cabin, battery and motor have different thermal needs. A patent can focus on connecting those needs.
Canvas of Knowledge · 14 November 2026 · Illustrated explainerThe architecture
The disclosed battery thermal-management device connects to an external cooling system through a network of solenoid valves, with a processor controlling how those valves operate.
The engineering idea
Instead of treating every thermal circuit as isolated, the system can direct heat from the external cooling system towards the battery when warming is required.
The evidence
US11904728B2 is a US grant publication dated 20 February 2024. The original applicant was Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited; later assignment records are separate from the original filing.
THE IDEA TO KEEPA thermal-management invention may concern routing and control, not a new cell chemistry.
Thermal management system for battery pack and thermal management system for electric vehicle
- Publication
- US11904728B2
- Document
- US granted patent publication
- Applicant at filing
- Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited
- Earliest priority
- 2019-02-28
- Filing
- 2021-08-27
- Publication
- 2024-02-20
This record does not establish implementation in a production vehicle. Document type is not a statement of current enforceability.
Sources & further reading
Sources reviewed 14 November 2026. Specifications and availability depend on the product, market and date. Source organisations do not endorse this website.