CN116968497A

CN116968497A - Thermal management system for vehicle and vehicle

Info

Publication number: CN116968497A
Application number: CN202210468723.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李万龙; 朱凤超; 谷丰; 佟林
Original assignee: Shanghai Jusheng Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shanghai Jusheng Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-04-24
Filing date: 2022-04-24
Publication date: 2023-10-31

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a thermal management system for a vehicle and a related vehicle. The thermal management system includes a multi-way valve including a plurality of ports configured to be selectively communicable; a battery circuit including a main battery leg and a heat exchange battery leg selectively intercommunicated through first to fourth ports of the multi-way valve, the main battery leg coupled to the battery; a proportional three-way valve; and a warm air circuit including a main warm air leg and a heat exchange warm air leg exchanging heat with the heat exchange battery leg at the first heat exchanger, the main warm air leg having a warm air core and one end being connected to a fifth port of the multi-way valve via a proportional three-way valve and the other end being connected to a sixth port, wherein the heat exchange warm air leg is connected in parallel to a first section of the main warm air leg and the proportional three-way valve is configured to regulate flow distribution in the first section and the heat exchange warm air leg. By designing a set of integrated thermal management system, the energy in the thermal management system is efficiently utilized.

Description

Thermal management system for vehicle and vehicle

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of thermal management of vehicles, and more particularly, to a thermal management system for a vehicle and a vehicle.

Background

In recent years, the requirements of energy conservation and emission reduction in the automobile industry are more and more strict, and electric automobiles are more and more popular due to the excellent characteristics of energy conservation and environmental protection, and are becoming the focus of future development in the automobile industry. The electric automobile is different from the traditional automobile, the power source is provided by the power battery, and the air conditioner cooling heat management system is also different from the traditional automobile.

The efficient whole car heat management system further improves the endurance mileage of the whole car by efficiently utilizing the energy in the whole car heat system. In the existing thermal management system, in order to realize more energy interaction among the systems, an electric water valve and a refrigerant stop valve are added to carry out coupling relation among different loops. But each additional component increases the cost and complexity of the system, as well as the complexity of the arrangement and the complexity of the plumbing. Therefore, how to design a set of efficient and highly integrated air conditioner cooling and heating system loop becomes a technical problem to be solved at present.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a thermal management system for a vehicle and related vehicle to at least partially address the above-referenced problems and other potential problems of the prior art.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a thermal management system for a vehicle is provided. The system includes a multi-way valve including a plurality of ports configured to be selectively communicable; a battery circuit including a main battery branch and a heat exchange battery branch in selectable communication with each other through first to fourth ports of the multi-way valve, the main battery branch being coupled to a battery of the vehicle; a proportional three-way valve; and a warm air circuit including a main warm air branch having a warm air core exchanging heat to the vehicle interior at a first heat exchanger and a heat exchange warm air branch exchanging heat with the heat exchange battery branch, and having one end connected to a fifth port of the multi-way valve via the proportional three-way valve and the other end connected to a sixth port, wherein the heat exchange warm air branch is connected in parallel to a first section of the main warm air branch, and the proportional three-way valve is configured to adjust flow distribution in the first section and the heat exchange warm air branch.

In some embodiments, the main warm air leg further comprises a second section connected in series with the first section; and a heating unit disposed in the second section.

In some embodiments, a first three-way interface of the proportional three-way valve is connected to the fifth port, the second three-way interface is connected to the first section, and the third three-way interface is connected to the heat exchange warm air branch.

In some embodiments, the proportional three-way valve is configured to adjust flow distribution in the first section and the heat exchange warm air branch according to heating requirements of the battery circuit and the warm air circuit.

In some embodiments, the multi-way valve is configured such that the fifth port and the sixth port are selectively communicable.

In some embodiments, the main warm air branch in the warm air circuit includes a warm air water pump.

In some embodiments, at least one of the main battery leg and the heat exchange battery leg in the battery circuit includes a first temperature sensor and the heat exchange battery leg includes a battery water pump therein.

In some embodiments, the main battery leg is connected to the first and second ports of the multi-way valve and the heat exchange battery leg is connected to the third and fourth ports of the multi-way valve.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises an electric drive circuit comprising: a first heat sink branch connected to the eighth and ninth ports of the multi-way valve and coupled to components of an electric drive system of the vehicle, the first heat sink branch including a motor water pump and a second temperature sensor; and a second heat dissipation branch having one end connected to a seventh port of the multi-way valve and the other end connected to the first heat dissipation branch and including a motor radiator.

In some embodiments, the multi-way valve is configured such that the eighth port is selectively communicable with the seventh port and the ninth port.

In some embodiments, the multi-way valve is further configured such that the eighth port and the second port are in selective communication, and the ninth port and the first port are in selective communication.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises: the air conditioning loop comprises a main air conditioning branch, wherein the main air conditioning branch comprises a compressor, a liquid cooling condenser, a first electromagnetic valve, a one-way valve, a liquid storage tank, a first expansion valve or a first expansion stop valve and an evaporator which are sequentially connected in series.

In some embodiments, the second section exchanges heat with the air conditioning circuit at the liquid cooled condenser.

In some embodiments, the air conditioning branch further comprises a first air conditioning branch connected to the main air conditioning branch and connected in parallel with the evaporator and the first expansion valve or first expansion shut-off valve, the first air conditioning branch comprising a second expansion valve, and the first air conditioning branch and the heat exchanging battery branch being coupled to and exchanging heat at a second heat exchanger.

In some embodiments, at least one of the primary air conditioning branch and the first air conditioning branch includes a third temperature pressure sensor.

In some embodiments, the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are integrally integrated.

In some embodiments, the air conditioning circuit further comprises: a second air conditioning branch connected to the main air conditioning branch and including a second solenoid valve connected in parallel with the first solenoid valve, the outdoor heat exchanger, and the check valve; a third air conditioning branch connected to the main air conditioning branch and including a third solenoid valve in parallel with the compressor, the liquid-cooled condenser, and the first solenoid valve; and a fourth air conditioning branch connected to the main air conditioning branch and including a third expansion valve connected in parallel with the check valve and the reservoir.

In some embodiments, the multi-way valve, the proportional three-way valve, the warm air water pump, the battery water pump, and the motor water pump are formed as modular assemblies.

In some embodiments, the thermal management system is configured such that the second solenoid valve, the one-way valve, the third expansion valve, and the tank are formed as a modular assembly and are also capable of unitary split use.

In some embodiments, the thermal management system is configured such that the first solenoid valve and the third solenoid valve are formed as modular assemblies and are also capable of unitary split use.

In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle comprises a thermal management system as described in the first aspect hereinbefore.

It should be understood that the summary is not intended to identify key or critical features of the embodiments of the disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description.

Drawings

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent by describing in more detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which like reference numerals generally refer to like parts.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a flow diagram of medium in various circuits of a thermal management system in a battery heating mode and a passenger compartment heating priority mode according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic flow of medium in various circuits of a thermal management system under battery heating conditions and battery heating priority conditions, according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic flow of medium in each circuit during conditions in which a thermal management system heats a passenger compartment through a heating unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic flow of a medium in each circuit of a thermal management system under a cooling condition of an electric drive system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic flow of medium in each circuit of a thermal management system under conditions where electrical drive waste heat is recovered to preserve heat of the battery, according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic flow of medium in various circuits of a thermal management system under passenger compartment cooling conditions, according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates a schematic flow of medium in various circuits of a thermal management system under battery cooling conditions, according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 8 illustrates a schematic flow of medium in each circuit of a thermal management system in which a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger are integrally integrated during simultaneous passenger compartment and battery cooling conditions, according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 9 illustrates a schematic flow of medium in each circuit of a thermal management system in which a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger are integrally integrated during simultaneous passenger compartment and battery cooling conditions, according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 10 illustrates a schematic flow of medium in each circuit of a thermal management system under conditions where an air source heat pump heats a passenger compartment in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 11 illustrates a schematic flow of medium in each circuit of a thermal management system under conditions where a water source heat pump heats a passenger compartment and dissipates heat to an electric drive system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 12 illustrates a schematic flow of medium through the circuits of the thermal management system under conditions where the water source heat pump heats the passenger compartment and dissipates heat to the electric drive system and motor in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to various exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. It should be understood that these embodiments are merely provided to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and further practice the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. It should be noted that similar or identical reference numerals may be used, where possible, in the figures and similar or identical reference numerals may designate similar or identical functions. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.

Automotive thermal management systems are used primarily for cooling and temperature control, such as cooling of engines, engine oils, lubricating oils, charge air, fuels, electronics, and Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR), and temperature control of engine compartments and cabs. The automobile heat management system consists of a plurality of components and heat transfer fluid, wherein the components comprise a heat exchanger, a fan, a coolant pump, a compressor, a thermostat, a sensor, an actuator, a cooling water jacket and various pipelines; heat transfer fluids include air, coolant, oil, lubricating oil, exhaust gas, fuel, refrigerant, etc., which must work in concert to meet vehicle heat rejection and temperature control requirements.

The electric automobile replaces an engine with a motor, and the thermal management system of the electric automobile is composed of a motor loop, a battery loop, an air conditioning system loop and a warm air core loop. The cooling circuit of the electric automobile is similar to that of a fuel automobile, but the working purpose and the working condition of the cooling circuit are different. For example, the reasonable operating temperature of the motor circuit should not exceed 80 ℃, while the reasonable operating temperature of the battery circuit should be 20-35 ℃. Typically, the air conditioning circuit is responsible for cooling the interior of the vehicle, but may also cool the battery circuit. After the engine is replaced, the waste heat of the engine cannot be obtained in cold weather for heating, and a positive temperature coefficient thermistor (PTC) of a warm air core loop is used for converting electric energy into heat energy.

When the conventional air conditioner cooling heat management system on the electric automobile is used for realizing the coupling utilization of energy of each system, the energy is usually realized by adding an electric water valve, an electromagnetic valve, a one-way valve and the like, so that the cost of the whole automobile is obviously increased. Furthermore, such an increase in the number of physical parts, which are often distributed at different locations in the nacelle, results in an increase in mess. Meanwhile, the complexity of pipeline connection is further improved, and then the resistance of each system and the leakage risk of the system are improved, so that various problems such as failure of a thermal management system are easily caused.

In the drawings of the present application, the solid black lines represent the lines of the corresponding circuits in the thermal management system to which the corresponding descriptions relate, and the arrows thereon represent the flow direction of the medium in the lines. The dashed lines represent the figure and the corresponding lines of the corresponding circuit of the thermal management system to which the description is not made. The pipelines and components surrounded by the dot-dash line blocks are the corresponding circuits in the thermal management system, such as a battery circuit, a warm air circuit, an air conditioner circuit, an electric drive circuit and the like.

Embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure provide a thermal management system for a vehicle that addresses or at least partially addresses the above-mentioned and other potential problems that exist in conventional thermal management systems. FIG. 1 illustrates an overall frame diagram of a thermal management system for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 1, a thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least a multi-way valve 101, a battery circuit 102, a warm air circuit 103, and a proportional three-way valve 104. A thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure utilizes a heating unit 1035 in a warm air circuit 103 to heat a battery and a passenger compartment of a vehicle in a thermal medium circulation schematic is shown in fig. 1.

The multi-way valve 101 shown in fig. 1 is a nine-way valve that includes nine ports configured to be selectively communicable, e.g., every two of the nine ports may be selectively communicable, as will be described in greater detail below in connection with different operating conditions. Of course, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the multi-way valve 101 may also be a multi-way valve 101 having more ports, which will not be described in detail below.

The battery circuit 102 is a circuit for cooling and heating the battery. The battery circuit 102 includes a main battery leg 1021 and a heat exchange battery leg 1022. The main battery branch 1021 is coupled to the power battery of the vehicle, for example, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the main battery branch 1021 may be disposed in or near the power battery pack, in such a way that the main battery branch 1021 is coupled to the power battery to cool or heat the battery.

The warm air circuit 103 is a circuit for heating the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and has a main warm air branch 1031 and a heat exchange warm air branch 1032. The main warm air branch 1031 includes a warm air core that exchanges heat to the vehicle interior. In some embodiments, main warm air branch 1031 may also include a heating unit 1035. In some embodiments, the heating unit 1035 may be a PTC heating unit. Both the heat exchange warm air branch 1032 and the heat exchange battery branch 1022 are coupled to the first heat exchanger 201 and perform heat exchange at the first heat exchanger 201.

The main battery leg 1021 and the heat exchange battery leg 1022 are selectively communicable with each other through the first port 1 to the fourth port 4 in the multi-way valve 101. Specifically, in some embodiments, both ends of the main battery circuit 102 are connected to the first port 1 and the second port 2 of the multi-way valve 101, respectively. Both ends of the heat exchange cell branch 1022 are connected to the third port 3 and the fourth port 4 of the multi-way valve 101, respectively. The multi-way valve 101 is configured such that the second port 2 and the third port are selectively communicable, and the fourth port 4 and the first port 1 are selectively communicable, thereby enabling the main battery branch 1021 and the heat exchange battery branch 1022 to be selectively communicable with each other.

The thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a nine-way valve along with a proportional three-way valve 104. The proportional three-way valve 104 has a first three-way port a, a second three-way port C, and a third three-way port B. Specifically, in some embodiments, the main warm air leg 1031 may include a first section 1034 and a second section 1033 connected together in series. The heat exchange warm air branch 1032 is connected in parallel with the first section 1034. The heating unit 1035 and the warm air core mentioned in the foregoing may be arranged in the second section 1033.

In some embodiments, a first three-way interface a of the proportional three-way valve 104 is connected to the fifth port 5 of the multi-way valve 101, a second three-way interface C is connected to the first section 1034, and a third three-way interface B is connected to the heat exchange warm air branch 1032. The proportional three-way valve 104 according to embodiments of the present disclosure is capable of adjusting the flow distribution in the first section 1034 and the heat exchange warm air branch 1032, thereby being capable of more effectively regulating the flow distribution in the thermal management system.

For example, in some embodiments, the proportional three-way valve 104 can adjust the flow distribution in the first section 1034 and the heat exchange warm air branch 1032 according to the heating requirements of the battery circuit 102 and the warm air circuit 103 (i.e., the requirements to heat the battery and heat the passenger compartment), thereby enabling improved energy efficiency, as will be further described below in connection with different operating conditions.

For ease of description, some of the branches between the two circuits are referred to for ease of description as belonging to a certain circuit, for example, the warm air circuit 103 may include a heat exchange warm air branch 1032 as mentioned above. It should be appreciated that in some embodiments, the heat exchange warm air leg 1032 may also be considered as part of the battery circuit 102, which is also within the scope of the present application.

In addition, for efficient flow of fluid in each circuit, a warm air water pump for driving flow of fluid in the warm air circuit 103 is provided in the second section 1033. The heat exchange battery branch 1022 has a battery water pump therein for driving fluid flow in the battery circuit 102. Of course, in some cases, the fluid in the battery circuit 102 and the fluid in the warm air circuit 103 may also be in communication with each other, as will be further described below.

According to the above-described circuit in the thermal management system, the condition in which the passenger compartment (i.e., the interior of the vehicle) and the battery are heated simultaneously by the heating unit 1035 of the warm air circuit 103 can be achieved, and the heating of the passenger compartment and the battery can be more efficiently accomplished further according to the flow distribution of the medium in the priority distribution circuit of the passenger compartment and the battery heating. How this is achieved with the multi-way valve 101 and the proportional three-way valve 104 will be described below in connection with fig. 1. It should be understood that the connection illustrated in fig. 1 is merely illustrative and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The manner of connection of the proportional three-way valve 104 and the order of the various interfaces in the multi-way valve 101 may differ from any suitable order of the order shown in fig. 1, so long as the proportional three-way valve 104 is capable of flow distribution (flow may be 0) in the first section 1034 and the heat exchange warm air branch 1032.

For example, when the passenger compartment is heated preferentially, the coolant heated by the warm air circuit 103 is circulated in the warm air circuit 103 preferentially to ensure the passenger compartment heating priority. At this time, the coolant in the warm air circuit 103 is not directly connected in series with the coolant in the battery circuit 102. Specifically, in the multi-way valve 101, the sixth port 6 communicates with the fifth port 5. Thus, the hot water in the first warm air circuit 103 heated by the heating unit 1035 exchanges a part of heat to the passenger compartment (heats the passenger compartment) through the warm air core, and then enters the proportional three-way valve 104 from the first three-way port a of the proportional three-way valve 104 through the fifth port 5 by the warm air water pump. The proportional three-way valve 104 may be configured to control the proportional adjustment of the proportional three-way valve 104 according to the heating requirements of the passenger compartment and the power battery, so that the flow of heated hot water enters the second three-way interface C and the third three-way interface B respectively in a predetermined ratio. The hot water flowing out of the third three-way connection B exchanges heat with the cooling liquid in the heat exchange battery branch 1022 at the first heat exchanger 201, i.e., after the cooling liquid in the heat exchange battery branch 1022 is heated, it is returned together with the hot water returned from the second three-way connection C to the warm air circuit 103, and continues to circulate in the warm air circuit 103 in the above-described manner.

At this time, the battery circuit 102 communicates the main battery branch 1021 and the heat exchange battery branch 1022 of the battery circuit 102 by communicating the fourth port 4 and the first port 1 of the multi-way valve 101 and communicating the second port 2 and the third port 3, and flows under the drive of the battery water pump. In this way, the cooling liquid heated by the first heat exchanger 201 in the above-mentioned heat exchange battery branch 1022 enters the main battery branch 1021 to heat the battery body. By the mode, the working condition that the battery is heated while the passenger cabin is heated preferentially is achieved.

In some conditions, it may only be necessary to heat the battery, with the passenger compartment being of lower priority. The multi-way valve 101 may be in the communication mode of fig. 2. Specifically, in some embodiments, the second port 2 and the fifth port 5 of the multi-way valve 101 communicate, and the sixth port 6 and the first port 1 communicate. Further, for the proportional three-way valve 104, only the first three-way port a and the second three-way port C are communicated. In this way, the fluid heated by the heating unit 1035 is directly communicated with the main battery circuit 102 by the warm air water pump, thereby heating the battery more effectively. That is, in some embodiments, the second section 1033 may be in selective communication with the main battery leg 1021 in the battery circuit 102 through the multi-way valve 101. The fluid cooled after the battery is heated flows into the heat exchange warm air branch 1032 through the first three-way interface a and the second three-way interface C after passing through the second port 2 and the fifth port 5 of the multi-way valve 101, and finally returns to the heating unit 1035 to realize circulation.

In this way, by providing the proportional three-way valve 104 and the multi-way valve 101, both conditions of passenger compartment preferential heating and battery preferential heating are achieved. In the case of preferential heating of the passenger compartment, the adjustment of the degree of heating of the passenger compartment and of the battery can also be achieved by controlling the flow ratio of the proportional three-way valve 104, which significantly reduces the complexity of the line connection.

In some embodiments, some conditions are where the passenger compartment is heated only by the heating unit 1035. Fig. 3 shows the circulation of the cooling medium in the warm air circuit 103 under such a condition. Specifically, under this condition, the sixth port 6 and the fifth port 5 in the multi-way valve 101 communicate, and the proportional three-way valve 104 communicates only the first three-way port a with the second three-way port C by control. At this time, the cooling liquid heated by the heating unit 1035 in the second section 1033 is directly heated by the warm air core by the warm air water pump, and finally returns to the heating unit 1035 to complete the cycle of heating the passenger cabin by the heating unit 1035.

In some embodiments, the main battery loop 102 may also include a temperature sensor (hereinafter, will be referred to as a first temperature sensor 1023) to detect the water temperature in the main battery loop 102 or to detect the temperature of the battery. In some embodiments, the flow ratio in the proportional three-way valve 104 may be controlled according to the temperature of the medium sensed by the temperature sensor or the temperature of the battery, thereby achieving closed-loop control to improve the reliability of the control.

In some embodiments, the thermal management system may also include an electrical drive circuit 105. The electric drive circuit 105 is a circuit that dissipates heat for the motor and dissipates heat for a component 202 such as a motor controller. The construction of the electric drive circuit 105 and the manner in which the medium circulates will be described below in connection with fig. 4. The electric drive circuit 105 may include a first heat dissipation branch 1051 and a second heat dissipation branch 1052. The first heat dissipating branch 1051 is connected to the eighth port 8 and the ninth port 9 of the multi-way valve 101 and is coupled to the plurality of components 202 in the electric drive system of the vehicle to dissipate heat or heat (under some conditions) from these components. A motor water pump and a second temperature sensor 1053 may be included in the first heat dissipation branch 1051. The second temperature sensor 1053 may sense the temperature of the plurality of components 202 that require heat dissipation or heating, thereby enabling more efficient control of the flow of cooling fluid in the electric drive circuit 105.

One end of the second heat dissipation branch 1052 is connected to the seventh port 7 of the multi-way valve 101, and the other end is connected to the first heat dissipation branch 1051 or, so to speak, the ninth port 9 together with one end of the first heat dissipation branch 1051. The second heat dissipation branch 1052 includes a motor radiator for dissipating heat from the motor. The multi-way valve 101 is configured to selectively communicate the eighth port 8 with the seventh port 7 and the ninth port 9, thereby communicating the first heat dissipation branch 1051 and the second heat dissipation branch 1052 to dissipate heat for the electric drive system. Specifically, under such a working condition, by communicating the eighth port 8 in the multi-way valve 101 with the ninth port 9 and the seventh port 7 respectively through different control logics, the cooling liquid can circulate in the first heat dissipation branch 1051 and the second heat dissipation branch 1052 in the manner shown in fig. 4 under the driving of the motor water pump, so as to effectively dissipate heat of the components required to dissipate heat of the electric drive system.

With this arrangement, the use of the electric drive waste heat to keep the battery warm is achieved by controlling the multi-way valve 101. Fig. 5 shows the communication of the multi-way valve 101 and the flow of fluid between the various circuits during such conditions. For example, under such conditions, when the electric drive system is operating normally after the vehicle is started, and the power battery body needs to be heated, the use of the waste heat of the electric drive system is prioritized to preserve heat of the battery body. In this case, it is necessary to communicate the first heat dissipation branch 1051 in the electric drive circuit 105 with the main battery branch 1021 for heating the battery body. For this purpose, the multi-way valve 101 is configured to communicate the second port 2 and the eighth port 8, and to communicate the ninth port 9 and the first port 1. In this way, the heat generated by the operation of some components 202 in the electric drive system is transferred to the main battery branch 1021 by the cooling fluid in the first heat dissipation branch 1051, driven by the motor water pump, thereby heating the power battery body. In this way, efficient utilization of the waste heat of the electric drive system is achieved, thereby improving energy utilization efficiency and thereby reducing energy consumption.

In some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes an air conditioning circuit 106. The air conditioning circuit 106 is used to cool the passenger compartment and the battery. The air conditioning circuit 106 includes a main air conditioning branch 1061. In the main air conditioning branch 1061, a compressor, a liquid-cooled condenser, a first solenoid valve, a check valve, a liquid storage tank, a first expansion valve or a first expansion shutoff valve, and an evaporator are connected in series in this order, as shown in fig. 6. A schematic diagram of the cooling of the passenger compartment is shown in fig. 6. When the passenger compartment is cooled, the first solenoid valve and the first expansion valve (or the first expansion shutoff valve) in the refrigerant circuit are opened, and the refrigerant in the main air conditioning branch 1061 is compressed into a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant by the compressor. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant is subjected to heat release through the outdoor heat exchanger to be changed into low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant, then passes through the one-way valve and the liquid storage tank, then passes through the first expansion valve (also can be the first expansion stop valve) to expand, absorbs heat in the evaporator, absorbs heat of the passenger cabin, and accordingly lowers the temperature of the passenger cabin. And finally, returning the refrigerant to the compressor to complete the refrigerating cycle of the passenger cabin.

In the main air conditioning branch 1061, one or more third temperature and pressure sensors 1063 may be included to be able to detect the temperature and pressure of the cooling fluid. On the one hand, this can avoid damage to the various components in the air-conditioning circuit 106 due to coolant temperature anomalies. On the other hand, the flow of the cooling liquid in the main air conditioning branch 1061 can be effectively controlled according to the temperature of the cooling liquid, thereby achieving closed-loop control.

In some embodiments, the air conditioning branch may also include a first air conditioning branch 1062. The first air conditioning branch 1062 is connected to the main air conditioning branch 1061 and is connected in parallel with the evaporator and the first expansion valve (which may also be a first expansion shut-off valve). In the first air conditioning branch 1062, a second expansion valve is included. The heat exchange battery circuit 102 of the battery circuit 102 mentioned previously exchanges heat with the first air conditioning branch 1062 at the second exchanger. In this way, the air conditioning system can be used to cool down, cool down the battery. Fig. 7 shows a schematic diagram of the cooling of the battery with the air conditioning circuit 106.

Under such conditions, the first solenoid valve in the main air conditioning branch 1061 is open, the first expansion valve (which may also be a first expansion shut-off valve) is closed, and the second expansion valve in the first air conditioning branch 1062 is open. In this way, the refrigerant is compressed into a high-temperature high-pressure gaseous refrigerant after passing through the compressor. The high-temperature high-pressure gaseous refrigerant is subjected to heat release through the outdoor heat exchanger to be changed into low-temperature high-pressure liquid refrigerant, and then is expanded through the one-way valve and the liquid storage tank and then is changed into low-temperature low-pressure liquid refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant exchanges heat with the coolant in the heat exchange battery branch 1022 at the second heat exchanger, absorbs the heat of the coolant in the heat exchange battery branch 1022, and then becomes low-temperature low-pressure gaseous refrigerant, and finally the refrigerant returns to the compressor to complete the refrigeration cycle.

The cooled coolant in the heat exchange battery branch 1022 at the second heat exchanger enters the main battery branch 1021 via the fourth port 4 and the first port 1 in the multi-way valve 101 to cool the battery under the driving of the battery water pump. The cooling liquid taking away the heat of the battery returns to the second heat exchanger again through the second port 2 and the third port 3 of the multi-way valve 101 under the action of the battery water pump, and the circulation of the cooling liquid is completed, so that the battery refrigeration working condition is completed. In this way, the battery can be cooled down more quickly.

In addition, the air conditioning circuit 106 may also be utilized to dissipate heat from both the passenger compartment and the battery. Fig. 8 shows a schematic flow of the coolant under such conditions. Under this condition, the first solenoid valve in the air conditioning circuit 106 is opened, the second expansion valve is opened, the first expansion valve (which may also be a first expansion shutoff valve) is opened, and the fourth port 4 in the multi-way valve 101 communicates with the first port 1, and the second port 2 communicates with the third port 3. In this way, the refrigerant is compressed into a high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant after passing through the compressor, and the high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant is discharged into a low-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant after passing through the outdoor heat exchanger. And part of the refrigerant is expanded through a first expansion valve (also can be a first expansion stop valve) to be changed into low-temperature low-pressure liquid refrigerant according to different requirements of the passenger cabin and the battery through a one-way valve and the refrigerant after the liquid storage tank, the low-temperature low-pressure liquid refrigerant is changed into low-temperature low-pressure gaseous refrigerant after the heat of the passenger cabin is absorbed in an evaporator (the passenger cabin is cooled), and finally the refrigerant returns to a compressor to complete the refrigerating cycle of the passenger cabin.

The other part of the refrigerant is expanded after passing through the second expansion valve, the heat of the cooling liquid in the heat exchange battery branch 1022 is absorbed in the second heat exchanger, and becomes low-temperature low-pressure gaseous refrigerant, and finally the refrigerant returns to the compressor, so that the refrigeration cycle is completed. The cooling liquid in the heat exchange battery branch 1022 in the second heat exchanger, which takes away heat, enters the main battery branch 1021 to cool the battery through the fourth port 4 and the first port 1 in the multi-way valve 101 under the driving of the battery water pump. The cooling liquid taking away the heat of the battery returns to the second heat exchanger again through the second port 2 and the third port 3 of the multi-way valve 101 under the action of the battery water pump, and the circulation of the cooling liquid is completed, so that the battery refrigeration working condition is completed. In this way, the cooling of the passenger compartment can be performed while the cooling of the battery is performed more quickly.

In some embodiments, the first heat exchanger 201 and the second heat exchanger can be integrally integrated together as shown in fig. 9, so that the assembly space can be further reduced without affecting any of the above functions, and the cost can be saved.

In some embodiments, the air conditioning circuit 106 may further include three additional air conditioning branches connected to the main air conditioning branch 1061, a second air conditioning branch 1064, a third air conditioning branch 1065, and a fourth air conditioning branch 1066, respectively. The second air conditioning branch 1064 is connected in parallel with the first solenoid valve, the outdoor heat exchanger, and the check valve, and includes a second solenoid valve. A third air conditioning branch 1065 is connected in parallel with the compressor, the liquid cooled condenser, and the first solenoid valve and includes a third solenoid valve. The fourth air conditioning branch 1066 includes a third expansion valve in parallel with the check valve and the reservoir.

In this way, the condition that the air source heat pump heats the passenger compartment and the condition that the air source heat pump heats the passenger compartment together with the heating unit 1035 can be achieved. FIG. 10 illustrates the use of an air source heat pump to heat the passenger compartment. As shown in fig. 10, under this condition, the second solenoid valve, the third solenoid valve, and the third expansion valve in the air conditioning circuit 106 are opened, the fifth port 5 and the sixth port 6 in the multi-way valve 101 are communicated, the first three-way port a and the second three-way port C in the proportional three-way valve 104 are communicated, and the first solenoid valve, the second expansion valve, and the first expansion valve (which may be a first expansion shutoff valve) are closed. In this way, the refrigerant in the air conditioning circuit 106 is compressed into a high temperature, high pressure gaseous refrigerant after passing through the compressor. The high-temperature high-pressure gaseous refrigerant is changed into low-temperature high-pressure liquid refrigerant through heat release of the liquid cooling condenser, then is changed into low-temperature low-pressure liquid refrigerant through the second electromagnetic valve and the liquid storage tank after being expanded by the third expansion valve, further is changed into low-temperature low-pressure gaseous refrigerant through the outdoor heat exchanger, absorbs heat in the environment, and finally returns to the compressor through the electromagnetic valve to complete the air source heat pump cycle. The heat released by the high-temperature high-pressure gaseous refrigerant in the liquid-cooled condenser heats the cooling liquid in the warm air circuit 103. Under the action of the warm air water pump, the heated cooling liquid enters the warm air core, exchanges heat with the passenger cabin at the warm air core, passes through the sixth port 6 and the fifth port 5 of the multi-way valve 101 and the first three-way interface A and the second three-way interface C of the proportional three-way valve 104, and then enters the liquid cooling condenser to complete the passenger cabin heating cycle.

In this way, the passenger compartment can be warmed using the air source heat pump. In this case, if the heat provided by the air source heat pump is insufficient to make the heating demand of the passenger compartment, the heating unit 1035 may be started to heat the temperature of the cooling liquid in the warm air circuit 103 at this time to heat the passenger compartment more efficiently.

In some embodiments, a water source heat pump may also be utilized to warm the passenger compartment and the electric drive system. As shown in fig. 11, under this working condition, the ninth port 9 in the multi-way valve 101 is communicated with the third port 3, the fourth port 4 is communicated with the eighth port 8, so that the first heat dissipation branch 1051 in the electric drive loop 105 is communicated with the heat exchange battery branch 1022, the second electromagnetic valve is opened with the second expansion valve, and the other is closed. The refrigerant in the air conditioning circuit 106 is compressed into a high-temperature high-pressure gaseous refrigerant after passing through a compressor. The high-temperature high-pressure gaseous refrigerant is radiated by the liquid cooling condenser to be changed into low-temperature high-pressure liquid refrigerant, the cooling liquid of the warm air loop 103 is heated, and hot water from the electric drive loop is absorbed in the second heat exchanger after passing through the second electromagnetic valve, the liquid storage tank and the second expansion valve, so that a refrigerant cycle is formed. The fifth port 5 is communicated through the sixth port 6 of the multi-way valve, and the first three-way interface A and the second three-way interface C in the proportional three-way valve are communicated, so that under the action of a warm air water pump, the medium heated in the liquid cooling condenser in the warm air loop 103 exchanges heat with the passenger cabin at the warm air core, and the passenger cabin is heated. In addition, under the action of the motor water pump and the battery water pump, the cooling liquid cooled by the heat exchange battery branch 1022 at the second heat exchanger enters the first heat dissipation branch 1051 in the electric drive loop 105 through the fourth port 4 and the eighth port 8 of the multi-way valve 101, and finally the medium returns to the second heat exchanger again through the ninth port 9 and the third port 3 to complete the cooling cycle of the electric drive system.

In this case, if the first temperature sensor 1023 behind the first heat exchanger in the heat exchange battery loop 1022 detects that the water temperature in the path is lower than the ambient temperature, the following operation of the multi-way valve may be switched to the electric drive large circulation water source heat pump to simultaneously dissipate heat of the electric drive system and the motor: the seventh port 7 of the multi-way valve is communicated with the third port 3, and the fourth port 4 is communicated with the eighth port 8, so that the first heat dissipation branch 1051, the second heat dissipation branch 1052 and the heat exchange battery branch 1022 in the electric drive circuit 105 are communicated, as shown in fig. 12. The high-temperature high-pressure gaseous refrigerant is radiated by the liquid cooling condenser to be changed into low-temperature high-pressure liquid refrigerant, the cooling liquid of the warm air loop 103 is heated, and hot water from the electric drive loop is absorbed in the second heat exchanger after passing through the second electromagnetic valve, the liquid storage tank and the second expansion valve, so that a refrigerant cycle is formed. The fifth port 5 is communicated through the sixth port 6 of the multi-way valve, and the first three-way interface A and the second three-way interface C in the proportional three-way valve are communicated, so that under the action of a warm air water pump, the medium heated in the liquid cooling condenser in the warm air loop 103 exchanges heat with the passenger cabin at the warm air core, and the passenger cabin is heated. In addition, under the action of the motor water pump, the cooling liquid cooled by the heat exchange battery branch 1022 at the second heat exchanger enters the first heat dissipation branch 1051 and the second heat dissipation branch 1052 in the electric drive loop 105 through the fourth port 4 and the eighth port 8 of the multi-way valve 101, and finally the medium returns to the second heat exchanger again through the seventh port 7 and the third port 3 to complete the cooling cycle of the motor and the electric drive system.

As can be seen from the above description, the passenger compartment may be heated in various ways, for example, by an air source heat pump (shown in fig. 10), by a heating unit 1035 (shown in fig. 3), by both an air source heat pump and a heating unit 1035 (combined fig. 3 and 10), etc. Therefore, the heat energy of the system can be utilized more efficiently, so that the heat efficiency is improved, and the energy conservation and emission reduction are realized.

Further, in some embodiments, the multi-way valve 101, the battery water pump, the motor water pump, the warm air water pump, and the proportional three-way valve 104 may be provided as a modular assembly, and the third expansion valve, the liquid storage pump, the second solenoid valve, and the one-way valve may be provided as a modular assembly, and the first solenoid valve and the third solenoid valve may be formed as an integrated modular assembly, thereby further simplifying the connection and assembly of the thermal management system. Of course, the third expansion valve, the liquid storage pump, the second solenoid valve, and the check valve may be used separately and, similarly, the first solenoid valve and the third solenoid valve may be used separately and separately. In this way, the flexibility of assembly is improved.

There is also provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure a vehicle including the above-described thermal management system. By using a thermal management system, the vehicle is more energy efficient, less energy consuming, and more convenient to assemble and produce.

It is to be understood that the above detailed embodiments of the present disclosure are merely illustrative or explanatory of the principles of the disclosure and are not restrictive thereof. Therefore, any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention. Meanwhile, the appended claims of the present disclosure are intended to cover all changes and modifications that fall within the scope and boundary of the claims or the equivalents of the scope and boundary.

Claims

1. A thermal management system for a vehicle, comprising:

a multi-way valve (101) comprising a plurality of ports configured to be selectively communicable;

a battery circuit (102) comprising a main battery branch (1021) and a heat exchange battery branch (1022) that are selectively in communication with each other through a first port to a fourth port of the multi-way valve (101), the main battery branch (1021) being coupled to a battery of the vehicle;

a proportional three-way valve (104); and

a warm air circuit (103) comprising a main warm air branch (1031) and a heat exchange warm air branch (1032) exchanging heat with the heat exchange battery branch (1022) at a first heat exchanger (201), the main warm air branch (1031) having a warm air core exchanging heat to the vehicle interior and having one end connected to a fifth port of the multi-way valve (101) via the proportional three-way valve (104) and the other end connected to a sixth port,

Wherein the heat exchange warm air branch (1032) is connected in parallel to a first section (1034) of the main warm air branch (1031), and the proportional three-way valve (104) is configured to regulate flow distribution in the first section (1034) and the heat exchange warm air branch (1032).

2. The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the main warm air branch (1031) further comprises:

a second section (1033) connected in series with the first section (1034); and

-a heating unit (1035) arranged in the second section (1033).

3. The thermal management system of claim 2, wherein a first three-way interface (a) of the proportional three-way valve (104) is connected to the fifth port, the second three-way interface (C) is connected to the first section (1034), and the third three-way interface (B) is connected to the heat exchange warm air branch (1032).

4. A thermal management system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the proportional three-way valve (104) is configured to adjust flow distribution in the first section (1034) and the heat exchange warm air branch (1032) according to heating requirements of the battery circuit (102) and the warm air circuit (103).

5. A thermal management system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the multi-way valve (101) is configured such that the fifth port and the sixth port are selectively communicable.

6. A thermal management system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the main warm air branch (1031) in the warm air circuit (103) comprises a warm air water pump.

7. A thermal management system according to any of claims 1-3, wherein at least one of the main battery leg (1021) and the heat exchanging battery leg (1022) in the battery loop (102) comprises a first temperature sensor (1023), and the heat exchanging battery leg (1022) comprises a battery water pump.

8. A thermal management system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the main battery branch (1021) is connected to a first port and a second port of the multi-way valve (101), and the heat exchanging battery branch (1022) is connected to a third port and a fourth port of the multi-way valve (101).

9. The thermal management system of claim 8, further comprising:

an electric drive circuit (105) comprising:

-a first heat dissipation branch (1051) connected to the eighth and ninth ports of the multi-way valve (101) and coupled to a plurality of components (202) of an electric drive system of the vehicle, the first heat dissipation branch (1051) comprising a motor water pump and a second temperature sensor (1053); and

a second heat dissipation branch (1052), one end of which is connected to the seventh port of the multi-way valve (101), and the other end of which is connected to the first heat dissipation branch (1051), and which comprises a motor radiator.

10. The thermal management system of claim 9, wherein the multi-way valve (101) is configured such that the eighth port is selectively communicable with the seventh port and the ninth port.

11. The thermal management system of claim 9 or 10, wherein the multi-way valve (101) is further configured such that the eighth port and the second port are in selective communication and the ninth port and the first port are in selective communication.

12. The thermal management system of any one of claims 2, 3, 9, and 10, further comprising:

the air conditioning loop (106) comprises a main air conditioning branch (1061), wherein the main air conditioning branch (1061) comprises a compressor, a liquid cooling condenser, a first electromagnetic valve, a one-way valve, a liquid storage tank, a first expansion valve or a first expansion stop valve and an evaporator which are sequentially connected in series.

13. The thermal management system of claim 12, wherein the second section (1033) exchanges heat with the air conditioning circuit (106) at the liquid cooled condenser.

14. The thermal management system of claim 12 or 13, wherein the air conditioning branch further comprises:

a first air conditioning branch (1062) connected to the main air conditioning branch (1061) and connected in parallel with the evaporator and the first expansion valve or first expansion shutoff valve, the first air conditioning branch (1062) including a second expansion valve and

The first air conditioning branch (1062) and the heat exchange battery branch (1022) are coupled to a second heat exchanger and exchange heat at the second heat exchanger.

15. The thermal management system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the primary air conditioning branch (1061) and the first air conditioning branch (1062) includes a third temperature pressure sensor (1063).

16. The thermal management system of claim 14, wherein the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are integrally integrated.

17. The thermal management system of any of claims 12, 13, 15, and 16, the air conditioning circuit (106) further comprising:

a second air conditioning branch (1064) connected to the main air conditioning branch (1061) and including a second solenoid valve in parallel with the first solenoid valve, the outdoor heat exchanger, and the check valve;

a third air conditioning branch (1065) connected to the main air conditioning branch (1061) and including a third solenoid valve in parallel with the compressor, the liquid-cooled condenser, and the first solenoid valve; and

a fourth air conditioning branch (1066) connected to the main air conditioning branch (1061) and including a third expansion valve in parallel with the check valve and the reservoir.

18. The thermal management system of claim 17, wherein the multi-way valve (101), the proportional three-way valve (104), the warm air water pump, the battery water pump, and the motor water pump are formed as a modular assembly.

19. The thermal management system of claim 17, wherein the thermal management system is configured such that the second solenoid valve, the one-way valve, the third expansion valve, and the liquid storage tank are formed as a modular assembly and are also capable of unitary split use.

20. The thermal management system of claim 17, wherein the thermal management system is configured such that the first and third solenoid valves are formed as an integrated modular assembly and are also capable of unitary split use.

21. A vehicle comprising a thermal management system according to any one of claims 1-20.