CN219749451U - Expansion kettle, thermal management system and new energy automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an expansion kettle, a thermal management system, and a new energy vehicle. The expansion kettle comprises a shell; the shell comprises a first liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, a filling port, an exhaust port, a liquid supply cavity and a gas-liquid separation cavity, wherein the liquid supply cavity and the gas-liquid separation cavity are distributed transversely and are communicated with each other, the first liquid inlet and the exhaust port are respectively communicated with the gas-liquid separation cavity, and the liquid outlet and the filling port are respectively communicated with the liquid supply cavity; wherein, filler neck and gas vent all are located the top of casing. The expansion kettle realizes the function of gas-liquid separation, realizes the integration of functions and saves space.

Description

Expansion kettle, thermal management system and new energy automobile

Technical Field

The disclosure relates to the field of automobile part manufacturing, in particular to an expansion kettle, a thermal management system and a new energy automobile.

Background

With the gradual increase of the complexity of the thermal management system of the new energy automobile, the heat of the motor, the battery, the warm air and the refrigerant system of the new energy automobile can be exchanged through the variable pipelines, and the complex pipelines are required to be arranged to realize the serial connection and the parallel connection of multiple systems. More turns and dead angle areas occur in the thermal management system, and bubbles are easily generated in the piping. When filling coolant liquid, the bubble is easy to gather or can not discharge along with coolant liquid fluid circulation repeatedly, can cause the water pump import like this to have a large amount of bubbles, influence inlet pressure or do not have sufficient import medium to get into the water pump, the water pump easily appears the idle running, both produced the harm to the water pump body, can make the pump lift and the flow that can provide can not reach the best state again, causes the medium flow in the thermal management system pipeline to lack the power supply.

At present, some new energy automobiles solve the problem of bubbles by additionally arranging an expansion kettle in a thermal management system, but the number of parts and the volume of the thermal management system are increased, the weight is heavier, and the weight reduction of the automobiles is not facilitated.

Disclosure of Invention

The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide an expansion kettle, a thermal management system and a new energy automobile, which realize the function of gas-liquid separation through the expansion kettle, realize the integration of the functions and save the space.

One aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an expansion jug, comprising a housing; the shell comprises a first liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, a filling port, an exhaust port, a liquid supply cavity and a gas-liquid separation cavity, wherein the liquid supply cavity and the gas-liquid separation cavity are distributed transversely and are mutually communicated, the first liquid inlet and the exhaust port are respectively communicated with the gas-liquid separation cavity, and the liquid outlet and the filling port are respectively communicated with the liquid supply cavity; wherein, the filler neck and the gas vent are both located at the top of the housing.

In one embodiment, the gas-liquid separation cavity comprises a main separation cavity, a float cavity and an exhaust cavity, wherein the main separation cavity and the float cavity are positioned below the exhaust cavity, the float cavity is positioned in the main separation cavity and is communicated with the main separation cavity, the first liquid inlet is communicated with the main separation cavity, and the exhaust port is communicated with the exhaust cavity.

In one embodiment, the main separation chamber comprises a first separation chamber and a second separation chamber which are communicated with each other, the first separation chamber is positioned above the second separation chamber, the float chamber is positioned above the second separation chamber, the first liquid inlet is communicated with the second separation chamber through the first separation chamber, and the second separation chamber is communicated with the liquid supply chamber.

In one embodiment, the housing includes a first baffle and a second baffle, the first baffle separates the interior of the housing to form the liquid supply cavity and the gas-liquid separation cavity, the second baffle is annular and is disposed at the top of the housing, and the second baffle extends downwards from the top of the housing and surrounds the first baffle to form the annular first separation cavity.

In one embodiment, the shell further comprises a first baffle plate and a second baffle plate, the first baffle plate and the second baffle plate transversely extend and are assembled with the second baffle plate to form the float cavity, the first baffle plate is positioned at one side close to the second separation cavity relative to the second baffle plate, the second baffle plate is provided with a second opening, and the float cavity is communicated with the exhaust cavity through the second opening; the first partition plate is provided with a first opening, and the float cavity is communicated with the second separation cavity through the first opening.

In one embodiment, the first partition board is provided with a boss, and the boss extends upwards towards one surface of the second partition board; the boss is the round platform shape, the up end cross sectional area of boss is less than terminal surface cross sectional area down, first opening runs through the boss sets up, makes the inner wall of boss encircles and forms round platform shape through-hole, the up end inner circle cross sectional area of boss is less than terminal surface inner circle cross sectional area down.

In one embodiment, the second separation chamber is in a truncated cone shape, and a cross section of an upper end surface of the second separation chamber is larger than a cross section of a lower end surface of the second separation chamber.

In one embodiment, the expansion kettle comprises a float device which is assembled in the float cavity and moves up and down in the float cavity, the float device comprises a blocking part, and when the float device floats up to the blocking part to block the second opening, the float cavity is isolated from the exhaust cavity; and/or

The maximum cross-sectional area of the vent chamber is less than the maximum cross-sectional area of the float chamber; and/or

The top surface of the exhaust cavity is obliquely arranged relative to the horizontal plane, and the exhaust port is positioned at the highest position of the top surface of the exhaust cavity.

In one embodiment, the housing comprises a first housing and a second housing, the first housing is assembled above the second housing, the first separation chamber is disposed in the first housing, and the second separation chamber is disposed in the second housing.

In one embodiment, the first liquid inlet is provided on the first housing or the second housing; and/or

The first liquid inlet is arranged in the circumferential direction of the first shell or the second shell and extends along the tangential direction of the first baffle; and/or

The shell further comprises a communication part, the second separation chamber is communicated with the liquid supply cavity through the communication part, and the communication part is arranged in the circumferential direction of the first shell or the second shell and extends along the tangential direction of the first baffle; and/or

The expansion kettle further comprises a liquid inlet pipe which is communicated with the first liquid inlet; the liquid inlet pipe is arranged in the circumferential direction of the first shell or the second shell and extends along the tangential direction of the first shell or the second shell.

In one embodiment, the housing further includes a communicating portion, the communicating portion is provided on the first baffle, and the second separation chamber is communicated with the liquid supply chamber through the communicating portion.

In one embodiment, the communication portion is provided on the first housing or the second housing.

In one embodiment, the cross section of the gas-liquid separation cavity is circular, and the longitudinal section of the first liquid inlet and/or the communicating part is square; and/or

The height of the communicating part is less than or equal to one third of the depth of the gas-liquid separation cavity.

In one embodiment, the vent and the fill port are in or out of communication; and/or

The filling port is arranged at the highest position of the shell; and/or

The shell is also provided with a second liquid inlet which is communicated with the liquid supply cavity; the expansion kettle comprises a three-way valve which is communicated between the first liquid inlet and the second liquid inlet.

Another aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a thermal management system comprising a fluid line, a water pump, and an expansion tank of any of the above embodiments; the fluid pipeline is respectively communicated with the first liquid inlet and the liquid outlet of the expansion kettle, and the fluid pipeline is also connected with the water pump.

In one embodiment, the expansion tank comprises the three-way valve, the fluid line being connected to the three-way valve; and/or

The expansion tank is located at the highest point of the thermal management system.

The technical scheme of the expansion kettle and the thermal management system provided by the embodiment of the disclosure can comprise the following beneficial effects:

the expansion kettle can realize gas-liquid separation, separate and discharge a large amount of bubbles generated in a fluid pipeline of the thermal management system, and recycle the liquid obtained after separation. Meanwhile, the expansion kettle can perform the original functions of pressure relief, pressurization and fluid infusion. The expansion kettle realizes multifunctional integration, the thermal management system does not need to be additionally provided with a separator, and the system volume is reduced. The first liquid inlet is a liquid inlet source of the gas-liquid separation cavity and a liquid inlet source of the liquid supply cavity, and the liquid outlet is a liquid outlet of the gas-liquid separation cavity and a liquid outlet of the liquid supply cavity, so that the configuration length of a fluid pipeline can be reduced, and the weight of the thermal management system is reduced.

A further aspect of the disclosed embodiments provides a new energy vehicle comprising a cabin, a battery, and the thermal management system of any of the above embodiments, the cabin, the battery being coupled to the thermal management system.

The technical scheme of the new energy automobile provided by the embodiment of the disclosure can comprise the following beneficial effects:

By applying the small-size light-weight thermal management system in the new energy automobile, the manufacturing cost of the new energy automobile is greatly reduced.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, illustrate and explain the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure and their description are given by way of illustration and not of limitation.

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings required for the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and other drawings may be obtained according to these drawings without inventive effort for a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic structure of an expansion kettle in an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a thermal management system in one embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the expansion kettle shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the expansion kettle shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of another portion of the expansion kettle shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 6 shows a schematic structural diagram of an expansion kettle in another embodiment.

Fig. 7 shows a schematic structural diagram of an expansion kettle in a further embodiment.

Fig. 8 shows a schematic structural view of an expansion kettle in yet another embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the expansion kettle shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the expansion kettle of fig. 1 at another height.

Fig. 11 is a schematic structural view of an expansion kettle with a three-way valve in a first operating state according to an embodiment.

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the expansion kettle shown in fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a schematic structural view of an expansion kettle with a three-way valve in a second operating state according to an embodiment.

Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the expansion kettle shown in fig. 13.

Wherein: 10-an expansion kettle; 20-a thermal management system; 11-a housing; 111-a first liquid inlet; 112-a liquid outlet; 113-a filler neck; 114-an exhaust port; 115-a liquid supply chamber; 116-a gas-liquid separation chamber; 21-a fluid line; 22-a water pump; 1161-a primary separation chamber; 1162-float chamber; 1163-venting lumen; 11611-a first separation chamber; 11612-a second separation chamber; 118-a first baffle; 119-a second baffle; 121-a first separator; 122-a second separator; 1221-a second opening; 1211-a first opening; 13-a float device; 131-blocking part; 1212-a boss; 123-a first housing; 124-a second housing; 125-communicating portion; 126-a first liquid inlet channel; 14-a liquid inlet pipe; 127-second liquid inlet; 15-three-way valve.

Detailed Description

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles and advantages of the disclosure, reference will now be made to the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It should be understood that the detailed description is presented herein only to illustrate the present disclosure and not to limit the scope of the disclosure.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The terminology used in the description of the disclosure herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure.

In the related art, in order to solve the problem of excessive bubbles in a pipeline of a thermal management system of a new energy automobile, a separator is additionally arranged in the pipeline, but the volume of the thermal management system is increased, and a large amount of space in the automobile is occupied. In order to save space, the volume of the separator is required to be reduced, and the fluid with bubbles can not have enough space in the separator to realize gas-liquid separation, so that the gas-liquid separation function of the separator is greatly weakened, and the effect is quite unsatisfactory.

Based on this, this disclosure provides an inflation kettle, thermal management system and new energy automobile, realizes the function of gas-liquid separation through inflation kettle, has realized the integration of function, has practiced thrift the space.

The expansion jug of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The features of the examples and embodiments described below may be combined with each other without conflict.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, referring to fig. 1 and 2, an expansion kettle 10 and a thermal management system 20 incorporating the expansion kettle 10 are provided. The expansion kettle 10 comprises a housing 11. The housing 11 includes a first liquid inlet 111, a liquid outlet 112, a filler 113, an exhaust port 114, a liquid supply chamber 115, and a gas-liquid separation chamber 116, the liquid supply chamber 115 and the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 being distributed in a lateral direction and communicating with each other. The first liquid inlet 111 and the gas outlet 114 are respectively communicated with the gas-liquid separation cavity 116. The liquid outlet 112 and the filling port 113 are respectively communicated with the liquid supply cavity 115. Wherein both the filler neck 113 and the exhaust port 114 are located at the top of the housing 11. The thermal management system 20 also includes a fluid line 21 and a water pump 22. The fluid line 21 is in communication with the first inlet 111 and the outlet 112, respectively, of the expansion tank 10. The fluid line 21 is also connected to a water pump 22.

Thus, the fluid in the fluid line 21 flows by the water pump 22 in a direction from the first inlet 111 into the expansion tank 10 to the outlet 112 out of the expansion tank 10. The gas-liquid mixture enters the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 from the first liquid inlet 111, and in the gas-liquid separation chamber 116, the gas in the gas-liquid mixture flows upward to the gas outlet 114 provided at the top of the housing 11, and the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 is discharged through the gas outlet 114. The exhaust port 114 is provided at the top of the housing 11, meaning that the exhaust port 114 is provided at the highest position of the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 so that the gas can flow toward the exhaust port 114. Since the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 and the liquid supply chamber 115 are communicated, the remaining liquid in the gas-liquid mixture flows from the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 to the liquid supply chamber 115, thereby effecting gas-liquid separation. After the liquid flowing into the liquid supplying cavity 115 from the gas-liquid separating cavity 116 is mixed with the original liquid in the liquid supplying cavity 115, the mixed liquid can flow back to the fluid pipeline 21 from the liquid outlet 112 for the heat supply management system 20 to use. The expansion kettle 10 of the present disclosure can not only realize gas-liquid separation, separate and discharge a large amount of bubbles generated in the fluid pipeline 21 of the thermal management system 20, but also recycle the liquid obtained after separation. Meanwhile, the expansion kettle 10 can perform the original functions of pressure relief, pressurization and fluid replacement. The expansion kettle 10 realizes multifunctional integration, the thermal management system 20 does not need to be additionally provided with a separator, and the system volume is reduced. The first liquid inlet 111 is a liquid inlet source of the gas-liquid separation cavity 116 and a liquid inlet source of the liquid supply cavity 115, and the liquid outlet 112 is a liquid outlet of the gas-liquid separation cavity 116 and a liquid outlet of the liquid supply cavity 115, so that the configuration length of the fluid pipeline 21 can be reduced, and the weight of the thermal management system 20 is reduced.

Specifically, in some embodiments, the housing 11 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped structure, and four corners have circular arc transitions. In other embodiments, the housing 11 is generally spherical in configuration. The housing 11 is designed in the shape and size according to practical requirements, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

In some embodiments, the material of the housing 11 may be engineering plastic, for example, the material of the housing 11 may be a mixed material of PA6 (Polyamide-6, nylon plastic Polyamide 6) and GF (Glass Fiber), wherein the mass fraction of Glass Fiber may be 30%. The shell 11 is made of the material, so that the shell has better rigidity and strength, and has smaller density, thereby being beneficial to reducing the weight of the shell 11. In other embodiments, the material of the housing 11 may be other materials such as metal.

In some embodiments, the first liquid inlet 111 is provided on a side wall of the housing 11, and the filling port 113 is provided on a top of the housing 11 and vertically penetrates an upper surface of the housing 11. The expansion kettle 10 further comprises a cover body detachably mounted on the filling port 113, and the cover body and the filling port 113 can be connected through screw threads. The user opens the lid body and fills the liquid supply chamber 115 with liquid through the filling port 113. The pressure release valve and the vacuum valve are arranged in the cover body, when the pressure in the thermal management system 20 is larger than the specified pressure of the system, the pressure release valve is opened to release pressure, when the pressure in the thermal management system 20 is smaller than the specified pressure of the system, the vacuum valve is opened to supplement pressure to the system, and meanwhile, liquid can be compensated for the system under the action of atmospheric pressure. When the lid is opened, the gas in the liquid supply chamber 115 can be discharged through the filling port 113.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 1 and 2, the filling port 113 is provided at the highest position of the housing 11, so that the expansion kettle 10 can perform the functions of pressure relief, pressurization, filling water and exhausting gas. Further, in some embodiments, the expansion tank 10 is located at the highest point of the thermal management system 20, thereby enabling the thermal management system 20 to smoothly depressurize, pressurize, fill and vent gases.

In some embodiments, the liquid outlet 112 is disposed on a side wall of the housing 11, and is disposed near a lower end surface of the housing 11, or the liquid outlet 112 is disposed on a lower end surface of the housing 11, so as to facilitate the outflow of liquid.

In some embodiments, the housing 11 further includes a plurality of baffles extending in horizontal and/or vertical and/or curved directions to divide the chamber within the housing 11 into a plurality of small chambers, and the baffles are provided with openings to allow communication between the small chambers. At least one of the plurality of small chambers is a gas-liquid separation chamber 116, the other plurality of small chambers are liquid supply chambers 115, and the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 and the liquid supply chambers 115 are arranged adjacently in the transverse direction and are communicated with each other through openings on the baffle plate. Providing the liquid supply chamber 115 as a plurality of small chambers communicating with each other can increase the flow path, and if the liquid flowing out of the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 is mixed with gas, the gas-liquid separation can be further performed in the process of flowing through the plurality of liquid supply chambers 115. Further, the thickness of the housing 11 and the thickness of each baffle can be set to different values, thereby forming chambers of different sizes.

In some embodiments, the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 is disposed in a region of the expansion tank 10 near the center. In other embodiments, the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 is disposed in the region of the expansion tank 10 near the edge. The present disclosure is not limited to the specific location of the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 within the housing 11 of the expansion kettle 10.

In some embodiments, the volume of the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 ranges from 200ml to 400ml, e.g., the volume of the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 is 200ml, 250ml, 300ml, 350ml, 400ml, etc. The volume of the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 is smaller, and the influence on the arrangement of the liquid supply chamber 115 is reduced.

In some embodiments, the expansion kettle 10 further comprises a fixed bracket fixedly connected or integrally manufactured with the housing 11 for mounting the expansion kettle 10. In some embodiments, the housing 11 is also provided with level graduations for a user to know the level of the liquid in the kettle when using the expansion kettle 10.

In some embodiments, as shown with reference to fig. 1 and 3, the exhaust port 114 communicates with the filler neck 113, such that gas flows from the exhaust port 114 to the filler neck 113 and exits via the filler neck 113. In the related art, in order to exhaust gas, the exhaust port of the separator must be disposed at the highest position in the pipeline of the thermal management system, which limits the structural arrangement of the whole thermal management system and easily reduces the space utilization rate of the automobile. The present disclosure communicates the vent 114 to the fill port 113, and the vent 114 need not be located at the highest point in the piping of the thermal management system 20, nor at the highest point of the expansion tank 10. The exhaust port 114 is required to be disposed at the highest position of the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 for the gas in the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 to flow upward therethrough. The position design limit of the exhaust port 114 is reduced, and the exhaust port can be designed according to practical requirements, so that the applicability is improved. On the other hand, the gas-liquid separation cavity 116 and the liquid supply cavity 115 finally share the filling port 113 to discharge air outwards, so that the channel for discharging the air of the expansion kettle 10 to the outside is reduced, and the tightness of the expansion kettle 10 is better.

Specifically, in some embodiments, with continued reference to FIG. 5, the vent 114 curves and extends into the fill port 113 to form a channel within the housing 11. The exhaust port 114 may be positioned as close to the filler neck 113 as possible, shortening the path and reducing bends, thereby reducing resistance to gas passage.

In other embodiments, the air outlet 114 is not communicated with the filling port 113, the air outlet 114 automatically discharges the air in the air-liquid separation cavity 116 out of the expansion kettle 10, the air discharge can be performed at any time, and when the air outlet 114 needs to be arranged far away from the filling port 113, a single pipeline of the air outlet 114 is directly connected with the air-liquid separation cavity 116, so that the arrangement of a longer channel in the shell 11 can be avoided, and the processing and manufacturing difficulty is reduced.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 1 and 4, the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 includes a main separation chamber 1161, a float chamber 1162, and a vent chamber 1163, the main separation chamber 1161 and the float chamber 1162 are located below the vent chamber 1163, the float chamber 1162 is located within the main separation chamber 1161 and is in communication with the main separation chamber 1161, the first liquid inlet 111 is in communication with the main separation chamber 1161, and the vent 114 is in communication with the vent chamber 1163. Thus, the gas-liquid mixture first enters the main separation chamber 1161, then enters the float chamber 1162, then enters the vent chamber 1163, and finally is discharged through the vent 114. The arrangement of the multistage chambers can further improve the gas-liquid separation effect. The exhaust chamber 1163 is disposed at the uppermost end of the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 to facilitate exhaust. The float chamber 1162 is disposed within the main separation chamber 1161 to reduce the volume of the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 and thus the volume of the expansion tank 10.

In some embodiments, with continued reference to fig. 1 and 4, the primary separation chamber 1161 includes a first separation chamber 11611 and a second separation chamber 11612 in communication with each other, the first separation chamber 11611 being located above the second separation chamber 11612, the float chamber 1162 being located in the second separation chamber 11612, the first fluid inlet 111 being in communication through the first separation chamber 11611 and the second separation chamber 11612, the second separation chamber 11612 being in communication with the fluid supply chamber 115. In this way, the liquid in the gas-liquid mixture flows downward into the second separation chamber 11612 after entering the first separation chamber 11611, and then flows out of the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 from the second separation chamber 11612, so that the gas-liquid separation is sufficient.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 1, 3 and 4, the housing 11 includes a first baffle 118 and a second baffle 119, where the first baffle 118 partitions the interior of the housing 11 to form the liquid supply chamber 115 and the gas-liquid separation chamber 116, the second baffle 119 is annular and is disposed at the top of the housing 11, and the second baffle 119 extends downward from the top of the housing 11 and surrounds the first baffle 118 to form the annular first separation chamber 11611. Because the first separation chamber 11611 surrounded by the first baffle 118 and the second baffle 119 is annular, the gas-liquid mixture entering the first separation chamber 11611 through the first liquid inlet 111 forms a vortex, and under the centrifugal action, the gas-liquid mixture entering the first separation chamber 11611 flows downwards by rotating against the inner wall of the first baffle 118 and flows into the second separation chamber 11612. The gas in the gas-liquid mixture is hardly centrifuged, so that the gas in the gas-liquid mixture does not adhere to the inner wall of the first baffle 118, but is located at the center of the liquid flow, and thus separation of the gas in the gas-liquid mixture can be achieved.

The second baffle 119 may be annular in shape and may have a substantially circular, elliptical cross-section, and the second baffle 119 may be provided in the shape of a circular ring, an elliptical ring, a spiral, etc., and the shape of the second baffle 119 is not particularly limited in the present disclosure.

Specifically, in some embodiments, the first baffle 118 and the second baffle 119 are generally circular in cross-section throughout to facilitate liquid rotation. The wall thickness of the first baffle 118 and the second baffle 119 ranges from 1.5mm to 2.5mm. For example, the wall thickness may be 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm. By this arrangement, the structural rigidity can be satisfied without occupying too much internal space of the expansion kettle 10.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 4, the second separation chamber 11612 is frustoconical, with the cross-section of the upper end surface of the second separation chamber 11612 being greater than the cross-section of the lower end surface. By the arrangement, the gas-liquid mixture is more beneficial to realizing the rotation flow by utilizing the centrifugal effect, and the separated gas is convenient to be converged and flow upwards towards the center of the second separation cavity 11612. In some embodiments, a portion of the first baffle 118 corresponding to the second separation chamber 11612 has a longitudinal cross-section in the shape of an approximately right triangle.

In some embodiments, with continued reference to fig. 4, the housing 11 further includes a first bulkhead 121 and a second bulkhead 122, the first bulkhead 121 and the second bulkhead 122 extending transversely and assembled with the second bulkhead 119 to form a float chamber 1162, the first bulkhead 121 being located on a side of the second bulkhead 122 adjacent to the second separation chamber 11612, the second bulkhead 122 being provided with a second opening 1221, the float chamber 1162 being in communication with the exhaust chamber 1163 through the second opening 1221. The first partition 121 is provided with a first opening 1211 and the float chamber communicates with the second separation chamber 11612 through the first opening 1211. The separation and communication of the chambers are easy to realize, the structure is regular and simple, and the production and the manufacture are convenient. The first opening 1211 is provided through the first partition 121, and the second opening 1221 is provided through the second partition 122.

In some embodiments, the expansion kettle 10 comprises a float device 13 assembled within a float chamber 1162 and moving up and down within the float chamber 1162, the float device 13 comprising a plug 131, the float chamber 1162 being isolated from a vent chamber 1163 when the float device 13 floats up to the plug 131 to plug the second opening 1221. The gas-liquid mixture flows into the float chamber 1162, the float device 13 floats upward, and when the float device 13 abuts against the second partition 122, the blocking portion 131 at least partially enters into the second opening 1221 to block the second opening 1221.

Specifically, in some embodiments, the blocking portion 131 is provided at the top of the float device 13, the blocking portion 131 being opposite to the second opening 1221 in the vertical direction. The end face of the blocking portion 131 facing the exhaust chamber 1163 may be hemispherical. For example, the shape of the blocking portion 131 may be spherical or mushroom-shaped. With this arrangement, even if the float device 13 is subjected to the impact of the gas-liquid mixture or the movement of the vehicle to tilt the float device 13, since the end face of the blocking portion 131 that blocks the second opening 1221 is a hemispherical surface, the blocking portion 131 can still achieve good sealing of the second opening 1221.

When the flow rate of the gas-liquid mixture in the cooling pipeline is too high, part of the gas-liquid mixture flows into the float cavity 1162, the gas-liquid mixture in the float cavity 1162 gradually increases, the float device 13 floats upwards under the action of the buoyancy of the gas-liquid mixture, and finally the float device 13 isolates the float cavity 1162 from the exhaust cavity 1163, so that the gas-liquid mixture is prevented from entering the exhaust cavity 1163 and being exhausted through the exhaust port 114, and the waste of the gas-liquid mixture is avoided. As the pressure of the gas in the float chamber 1162 increases, the gas presses the gas-liquid mixture in the float chamber 1162 back into the main separation chamber 1161, the liquid level of the gas-liquid mixture in the float chamber 1162 decreases, the float device 13 decreases, the float chamber 1162 communicates with the vent chamber 1163, and the gas in the float chamber 1162 enters the vent chamber 1163 and is finally discharged through the vent 114.

In some embodiments, with continued reference to fig. 4, the first spacer 121 is provided with a boss 1212, the boss 1212 extending upwardly toward one face of the second spacer 122. The boss 1212 is in a truncated cone shape, the cross-sectional area of the upper end surface of the boss 1212 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the lower end surface, and the first opening 1211 penetrates through the boss 1212, so that a truncated cone-shaped through hole is formed around the inner wall of the boss 1212, and the cross-sectional area of the inner ring of the upper end surface of the boss 1212 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the inner ring of the lower end surface. The first opening 1211 is configured as a circular-truncated-cone-shaped through hole, which can create a certain suction force on the gas, facilitating the continuous rising of the gas into the float chamber 1162. When the bottom of the float device 13 abuts against the first partition 121, if the area of the bottom of the float device 13 abutting against the first partition 121 is large, the liquid between the bottom of the float device 13 and the first partition 121 will squeeze out the gas between the float device 13 and the first partition 121, so that the pressure between the float device 13 and the first partition 121 is far less than the atmospheric pressure, and the float device 13 and the first partition 121 are not easy to separate. By providing the boss 1212, the boss 1212 protrudes from the upper surface of the first partition plate 121 at the peripheral side portion, so that the contact area between the float device 13 and the first partition plate 121 is small, the bottom of the float device 13 is prevented from sticking to the first partition plate 121, and the float device 13 floats upward under the buoyancy of the gas-liquid mixture.

In some embodiments, the maximum cross-sectional area of the vent chamber 1163 is less than the maximum cross-sectional area of the float chamber 1162. Thus, after the gas flows from the float chamber 1162 into the vent chamber 1163, the flow rate increases, the venting efficiency increases, and the volume of the expansion tank 10 is reduced. Specifically, the vent chamber 1163 may be provided in a cylindrical shape, and the float chamber 1162 may be provided approximately coaxially, or the axial distance of the vent chamber 1163 and the axial distance of the float chamber 1162 may be provided as required.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 5, the top surface of the exhaust chamber 1163 is disposed obliquely with respect to the horizontal plane, and the exhaust port 114 is located at the highest position of the top surface of the exhaust chamber 1163. The corresponding part of the shell 11 at the top of the exhaust cavity 1163 has an included angle of not 0 degrees with the horizontal plane, so that the gas can flow upwards to the exhaust port 114 along the inner wall of the part of the shell 11, and the exhaust efficiency is improved.

Further, in some embodiments, the higher the top surface of the exhaust chamber 1163, the closer to the filler neck 113 such that the exhaust port 114 is disposed close to the filler neck 113.

In an actual application scene, after the gas-liquid mixture enters the gas-liquid separation cavity 116 through the first liquid inlet 111 and the gas-liquid mixture enters the first separation cavity 11611, the flow direction of the gas-liquid mixture is changed under the action of the first baffle 118 and the second baffle 119, the gas-liquid mixture rotates and flows downwards against the inner wall of the first baffle 118 under the centrifugal action, and then flows into the liquid supply cavity 115 from the second separation cavity 11612 and merges with the liquid in the liquid supply cavity 115. The gas in the gas-liquid mixture is separated from the gas-liquid mixture by almost no centrifugal action, the separated gas enters the float chamber 1162 through the first opening 1211 formed in the first partition plate 121, at this time, the liquid separated from the gas-liquid mixture is more, the gas-liquid mixture does not enter the float chamber 1162, the second opening 1221 is in an open state, and the separated gas enters the exhaust chamber 1163 through the second opening 1221. As the gas in the discharge chamber 1163 increases, the pressure in the discharge chamber 1163 increases and the gas is discharged directly from the expansion tank 10 through the discharge port 114 or flows to the filling port 113 and is discharged from the expansion tank 10 through the filling port 113 together with the gas in the liquid supply chamber 115.

As the amount of gas discharged increases, the amount of gas in the gas-liquid mixture decreases, the amount of gas separated from the gas-liquid mixture decreases, the liquid level in the main separation chamber 1161 rises, the gas-liquid mixture enters the float chamber 1162, and the float device 13 floats upward when the float device 13 receives a certain buoyancy of liquid. Before the liquid level in the float chamber 1162 reaches the second opening 1221, the blocking portion 131 of the float device 13 blocks the second opening 1221, preventing the gas-liquid mixture in the float chamber 1162 from entering the vent chamber 1163.

The gas-liquid mixture continuously enters the main separation chamber 1161, the separated gas continuously enters the float chamber 1162, the gas separated from the gas-liquid mixture is accumulated at the top of the float chamber 1162, the gas pressure is gradually increased, and the gas pushes the liquid level in the float chamber 1162 to drop. When the liquid level drops to a level at which the float device 13 receives buoyancy less than the set value, the float device 13 moves down, the blocking portion 131 is separated from the second opening 1221, the second opening 1221 is opened, and the gas in the float chamber 1162 enters the gas discharge chamber 1163 through the second opening 1221 and finally is discharged out of the gas discharge chamber 1163.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 1 and 6, the housing 11 includes a first housing 123 and a second housing 124, the first housing 123 is assembled above the second housing 124, the first separation chamber 11611 is disposed within the first housing 123, and the second separation chamber 11612 is disposed within the second housing 124. The shell 11 is in a split structure, the first shell 123 and the second shell 124 are divided into an upper shell and a lower shell along a horizontal plane by the shell 11, so that each cavity in the shell 11 can be formed conveniently, and the manufacture is more convenient. The second baffle 119 and a portion of the first baffle 118 corresponding to the first separation chamber 11611 are disposed in the first housing 123, and a portion of the first baffle 118 corresponding to the second separation chamber 11612 is disposed in the second housing 124. An annular first separation chamber 11611 is provided in the first housing 123, and a frustoconical second separation chamber 11612 is provided in the second housing 124 to facilitate the pattern drawing process at the first and second baffles 118, 119.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 1 and 4, the housing 11 further includes a communicating portion 125, where the communicating portion 125 is provided on the first baffle 118, and the second separation chamber 11612 communicates with the liquid supply chamber 115 through the communicating portion 125, so that the liquid in the second separation chamber 11612 flows into the liquid supply chamber 115 through the communicating portion 125. The communication portion 125 may be an opening or a long extension channel.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 1 and 6, the first liquid inlet 111 is provided on the first housing 123, and the communication portion 125 is provided on the second housing 124. In this way, the gas-liquid mixture enters the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 from the first liquid inlet 111 located relatively above the gas-liquid separation chamber 116, rotates, and flows downward, and is collected at the bottom of the gas-liquid separation chamber 116, and flows into the liquid supply chamber 115 from the communication portion 125 located relatively below the gas-liquid separation chamber 116, so that a preferable gas-liquid separation effect can be achieved.

In other embodiments, referring to fig. 7, the first liquid inlet 111 is provided on the first housing 123, and the communication portion 125 is provided on the first housing 123. The gas-liquid mixture enters the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 from the first liquid inlet 111, is separated from the gas-liquid, and flows into the liquid supply chamber 115 through the communication portion 125 after accumulating to the height of the communication portion 125 in the gas-liquid separation chamber 116. Or, after the liquid with a certain flow rate enters the gas-liquid separation cavity 116 from the first liquid inlet 111, the liquid flows downwards along the inner wall of the first baffle 118, reaches the bottom, flows upwards along the inner wall of the first baffle 118, flows to the communicating part 125, and flows into the liquid supply cavity 115.

In still other embodiments, referring to fig. 8, the first liquid inlet 111 is provided in the second housing 124, and the communication portion 125 is provided in the first housing 123. The gas-liquid mixture enters the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 from the first liquid inlet 111, is separated from the gas-liquid, and flows into the liquid supply chamber 115 through the communication portion 125 after accumulating to the height of the communication portion 125 in the gas-liquid separation chamber 116. Alternatively, after the liquid having a certain flow rate enters the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 from the first liquid inlet 111, the liquid flows upward along the inner wall of the first baffle 118, flows to the communication portion 125, and flows into the liquid feed chamber 115. In still other embodiments, referring to fig. 9, the first liquid inlet 111 is provided in the second housing 124, and the communication portion 125 is provided in the second housing 124. The gas-liquid mixture enters the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 from the first liquid inlet 111 to be separated into gas and liquid, and the liquid flows through a short path and then flows into the liquid supply chamber 115 through the communication portion 125.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 1, 4 and 6 to 10, the first liquid inlet 111 is provided in the circumferential direction of the first casing 123 or the second casing 124, and extends in the tangential direction of the first baffle 118. The first liquid inlet 111 extends in the housing 11 to form a first liquid inlet channel 126, the axial extension of the first liquid inlet channel 126 being tangential to the circular cross section of the first baffle 118. After the gas-liquid mixture enters the gas-liquid separation cavity 116 from the first liquid inlet 111, the gas-liquid separation is performed, the separated liquid flows against the inner wall of the first baffle 118, and the first separation cavity 11611 which is in a downstream annular shape rotates to form a vortex. If the first liquid inlet 111 does not extend in the tangential direction, the gas-liquid mixture will directly flow downward in a parabolic manner after entering the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 from the first liquid inlet 111.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1, 4 and 6 to 10, the communication portion 125 is provided in a circumferential direction of the first casing 123 or the second casing 124, and extends in a tangential direction of the first barrier 118. The axial extension direction of the communication portion 125 is tangential to the circular cross section of the first housing 123 or the second housing 124. The separated liquid swirls along the inner wall of the first baffle 118 in the gas-liquid separation chamber 116. When the liquid flows to the communicating portion 125, the liquid flows out of the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 along the extending direction of the communicating portion 125, and the liquid is discharged efficiently by the effect of being thrown out of the gas-liquid separation chamber 116. If the communication portion 125 does not extend in the tangential direction, the liquid is not easy to flow out from the gas-liquid separation chamber 116, and is accumulated in the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 until the pressure in the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 is too high, so that part of the liquid is extruded out of the gas-liquid separation chamber 116, and the liquid discharge efficiency is low.

In some embodiments, the first liquid inlet channel 126 and/or the communication 125 extend along a straight line. In other embodiments, at least a portion of the first inlet passage 126 and/or the communication 125 extends along an annular curve around the outer wall of the first baffle 118.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 1 and 10, the cross section of the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 is circular, and the longitudinal section of the first liquid inlet 111 and/or the communication portion 125 is square. The communication between the square section channel and the circular section large diameter channel which can enable the liquid to surround the rotation can generate better fluid flow effect, improve the gas-liquid separation efficiency of the expansion kettle 10 and improve the gas-liquid separation effect.

In some embodiments, the lower edge of the communicating portion 125 is disposed against the bottom of the gas-liquid separation chamber 116, so as to facilitate outflow of the liquid.

In some embodiments, the height of the communication 125 is less than or equal to one third of the depth of the gas-liquid separation chamber 116. The height of the communicating portion 125 is set shorter, so that the gas-liquid mixture flows in the gas-liquid separation cavity 116 for a longer time, and sufficient time is ensured for gas-liquid separation, so that the gas-liquid mixture is prevented from being thrown out of the gas-liquid separation cavity 116 from the communicating portion 125 with a large height by centrifugal force when the gas-liquid mixture flows close to the inner wall of the first baffle 118 and is not sufficiently separated. Further, in some embodiments, the width of the communicating portion 125 may be set longer, and the longitudinal section of the communicating portion 125 is a flat opening with a long width and a short height, so that the opening area of the communicating portion 125 is large enough, and a sufficient amount of liquid can flow out of the gas-liquid separation cavity 116 in a unit time, thereby improving the liquid discharge efficiency. The width to height ratio of the communication portion 125 may be 3: 1. 4: 1. 5: 1. 6:1, etc., the present disclosure is not limited to specific values.

In some embodiments, the first liquid inlet 111 is configured as a rectangle with a higher height and a shorter width, so that the contact area between the gas-liquid mixture and the inner wall of the first baffle 118 after entering the gas-liquid separation cavity 116 is large, and thus the gas-liquid mixture can fully contact with the inner wall of the first baffle 118, better flow close to the inner wall of the first baffle 118, and rotate along the annular first separation cavity 11611 to form a vortex. The ratio of the height to the width of the first liquid inlet 111 may be 3: 1. 4: 1. 5: 1. 6:1, etc., the present disclosure is not limited to specific values.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 1, the expansion jug 10 further comprises a feed pipe 14 in communication with the first feed inlet 111. The liquid inlet pipe 14 is disposed in the circumferential direction of the first casing 123 or the second casing 124, and extends in the tangential direction of the first casing 123 or the second casing 124. By providing the inlet pipe 14, the square first inlet 111 can be switched into a circulation channel with a circular cross section, so that the expansion kettle 10 can be conveniently connected into the thermal management system 20. The extending direction of the liquid inlet pipe 14 is attached to the side surface of the first casing 123 or the second casing 124, so that the liquid inlet pipe 14 can be better connected with the first liquid inlet 111 extending along the tangential direction of the first casing 123 or the second casing 124, fluid can flow more smoothly in a pipeline, the size of the expansion kettle 10 can be reduced, and arrangement of components in an automobile is facilitated.

In some embodiments, the thermal management system 20 further comprises a heat exchanger for cooling/refrigerating, and an inlet fluid pipeline 21, wherein the heat exchanger, the expansion kettle 10 and the water pump 22 are communicated through the fluid pipeline 21 to form a circuit for circulating the refrigerant.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 11-14, the housing is further provided with a second fluid inlet 127, the second fluid inlet 127 being in communication with the fluid supply chamber 115. The expansion kettle 10 comprises a three-way valve 15 which is connected between the first inlet 111 and the second inlet 127. Thus, by providing the three-way valve 15, liquid entering the expansion tank 10 can be selectively introduced into the liquid supply chamber 115 from the second liquid inlet 127 or into the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 from the first liquid inlet 111. If the liquid directly enters the liquid supply cavity 115, the expansion tank 10 does not use the gas-liquid separation function of the gas-liquid separation cavity 116. By adjusting the three-way valve 15, the opening or closing of the first liquid inlet 111 and the closing or opening of the second liquid inlet 127 are achieved. When the three-way valve is in the first operating state (as shown in fig. 11 and 12), the first liquid inlet 111 is opened and the second liquid inlet 127 is closed. When the three-way valve is in the second operating state (as shown in fig. 13 and 14), the first liquid inlet 111 is closed and the second liquid inlet 127 is opened.

Specifically, in some embodiments, the second liquid inlet 127 is disposed on the housing 11 corresponding to the peripheral side of the first liquid inlet channel 126, and the second liquid inlet 127 and the first liquid inlet 111 are disposed at intervals.

Further, in some embodiments, the fluid line 21 is connected to the three-way valve 15. When the three-way valve 15 is in the first working state, the fluid pipeline 21 is communicated with the gas-liquid separation cavity 116 through the first liquid inlet 111, and the gas-liquid mixture in the fluid pipeline 21 enters the gas-liquid separation cavity 116 for gas-liquid separation. When the three-way valve 15 is in the second working state, the fluid pipeline 21 is communicated with the gas-liquid separation cavity 116 through the second liquid inlet 127, and the gas-liquid mixture in the fluid pipeline 21 enters the liquid supply cavity 115 and returns to the fluid pipeline 21. The fluid in the thermal management system 20 enters the gas-liquid separation cavity 116 to perform gas-liquid separation, which generates a certain fluid resistance to affect the circulation efficiency of the fluid in the fluid pipeline 21. During maintenance of the vehicle, for example, filling the expansion tank 10 with liquid, the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 is required to operate to discharge a large amount of bubbles in the pipeline, the bubbles are not required to be removed during the production and manufacturing process, and excessive requirements for bubble removal during the driving process are not required. By arranging the three-way valve 15, the gas-liquid separation cavity 116 is closed under some working conditions, fluid directly enters the liquid supply cavity 115, the fluid resistance is small, the circulation efficiency of the pipeline is high, and the working efficiency of the thermal management system 20 is improved.

In the production process of automobiles, the expansion kettle 10 is used as follows:

in the first step, the three-way valve is adjusted to the second working state, and the gas-liquid separation cavity 116 is closed. The heat management system 20 is vacuumized through the expansion kettle 10, the refrigerant is filled into the heat management system 20 after the vacuumization is finished, and the rest air in the heat management system 20 is extruded into the heat exchanger, the expansion kettle 10 and other components.

In the second step, the vehicle starts, the thermal management system 20 starts to work, the water pump 22 in the thermal management system 20 drives the refrigerant to circulate, the gas-liquid mixture composed of the refrigerant and the gas in the thermal management system 20 flows into the expansion kettle 10, the three-way valve is adjusted to the first working state, the gas-liquid separation cavity 116 is opened, the gas-liquid mixture realizes gas-liquid separation through the gas-liquid separation cavity 116, and the gas in the gas-liquid mixture is discharged out of the thermal management system 20.

Third, the vehicle is turned off, the water pump 22 of the thermal management system 20 is stopped, and the remaining gas in the thermal management system 20 is collected in the fluid line 21. Since part of the gas of the thermal management system 20 is discharged in the second step, the refrigerant in the expansion tank 10 is replenished into the thermal management system 20, and the liquid level of the expansion tank 10 drops, at which time the thermal management system 20 is replenished with refrigerant.

And fourthly, after the vehicle is flamed out for a period of time, the vehicle is transferred to a delivery road test station for road test. The vehicle is restarted, the thermal management system 20 begins to operate, the water pump 22 circulates the refrigerant, and the second step is repeated.

Fifth, most of the gas in the thermal management system 20 is removed after the vehicle road test is finished, the vehicle has a factory condition, and the thermal management system 20 is filled with the refrigerant for the last time before the vehicle leaves the factory, so that the liquid level of the refrigerant in the expansion kettle 10 is lower than the highest liquid level line of the expansion kettle 10.

During the running of the vehicle, the three-way valve is adjusted to the second operating state, and the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 is closed. The water pump 22 drives the refrigerant to enter and exit from the liquid supply cavity 115 of the expansion kettle 10, so that the heat exchange efficiency is high. The expansion tank 10 regulates the flow of refrigerant in the thermal management system 20 to within a suitable range, and the expansion tank 10 also regulates the line pressure in the thermal management system 20 to within a suitable range.

During maintenance of the vehicle, the three-way valve is adjusted to the first operating state and the gas-liquid separation chamber 116 is opened. The cover of the expansion kettle 10 is opened to fill with refrigerant, and a large amount of air is introduced into the thermal management system 20 during the refrigerant filling process to form a gas-liquid mixture. The gas-liquid mixture is driven by the water pump 22 to enter the gas-liquid separation cavity 116 of the expansion kettle 10 for gas-liquid separation, so that the gas is discharged out of the thermal management system 20.

The present disclosure also provides a new energy automobile, including a cabin, a battery, and the thermal management system 20 described above, where the cabin, the battery are connected with the thermal management system 20. The new energy automobile realizes the refrigeration and the heating of the battery through the thermal management system 20, so that the temperature of the battery is in a proper working range under various working conditions. The new energy automobile realizes the refrigeration and the heating to the cabin through the thermal management system 20, ensures the comfort level of passengers and improves the user experience. By applying the thermal management system 20 with a small volume and a light weight in the new energy automobile, the manufacturing cost of the new energy automobile is greatly reduced.

In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "middle," "longitudinal," "transverse," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," "circumferential," etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings, are merely for convenience in describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element being referred to must have a particular orientation, be configured and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and the like, are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying a relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defining "first," "second," etc. can include at least one such feature, either explicitly or implicitly. In the description of the present disclosure, the meaning of "a plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless explicitly specified otherwise.

In the present disclosure, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," "secured," and the like are to be construed broadly, and may be, for example, fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally formed; can be mechanically or electrically connected; either directly or indirectly, through intermediaries, or both, may be in communication with each other or in interaction with each other, unless expressly defined otherwise. The specific meaning of the terms in this disclosure will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art as the case may be.

In this disclosure, unless expressly stated or limited otherwise, a first feature "up" or "down" a second feature may be the first and second features in direct contact, or the first and second features in indirect contact through an intervening medium. Moreover, a first feature being "above," "over" and "on" a second feature may be a first feature being directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicating that the first feature is level higher than the second feature. The first feature being "under", "below" and "beneath" the second feature may be the first feature being directly under or obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicating that the first feature is less level than the second feature.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "mounted," "positioned," "secured" or "disposed" on another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. When an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or intervening elements may also be present. Further, when one element is considered as being "fixedly connected" to another element, the two elements may be fixed by a detachable connection manner, or may be fixed by a non-detachable connection manner, such as sleeving, clamping, integrally forming, or welding, which may be implemented in the conventional technology, which is not further described herein.

The technical features of the above embodiments may be arbitrarily combined, and all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are not described for brevity of description, however, as long as there is no contradiction between the combinations of the technical features, they should be considered as the scope of the description.

The foregoing examples merely represent several embodiments of the present disclosure, which are described in more detail and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model. It should be noted that variations and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the inventive concepts of the present disclosure, which are within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims (17)

1. An expansion kettle, comprising:

the shell comprises a first liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, a filling port, an exhaust port, a liquid supply cavity and a gas-liquid separation cavity, wherein the liquid supply cavity and the gas-liquid separation cavity are distributed transversely and are mutually communicated, the first liquid inlet and the exhaust port are respectively communicated with the gas-liquid separation cavity, and the liquid outlet and the filling port are respectively communicated with the liquid supply cavity; wherein, the filler neck and the gas vent are both located at the top of the housing.

2. The expansion kettle of claim 1, wherein the gas-liquid separation chamber comprises a main separation chamber, a float chamber and a vent chamber, the main separation chamber and the float chamber being located below the vent chamber, the float chamber being located within and in communication with the main separation chamber, the first liquid inlet being in communication with the main separation chamber, the vent being in communication with the vent chamber.

3. The expansion kettle of claim 2, wherein said main separation chamber comprises a first separation chamber and a second separation chamber in communication with each other, said first separation chamber being located above said second separation chamber, said float chamber being located above said second separation chamber, said first liquid inlet being in communication with said second separation chamber through said first separation chamber, said second separation chamber being in communication with said liquid supply chamber.

4. The expansion kettle according to claim 3, wherein the housing comprises a first baffle and a second baffle, the first baffle separates the interior of the housing to form the liquid supply cavity and the gas-liquid separation cavity, the second baffle is annular and is arranged at the top of the housing, and the second baffle extends downwards from the top of the housing and surrounds the first baffle to form the annular first separation cavity.

5. The expansion kettle according to claim 4, wherein said housing further comprises a first partition and a second partition, said first partition and said second partition extending transversely and assembled with said second partition to form said float chamber, said first partition being located on a side of said second partition adjacent said second separation chamber relative to said second partition, said second partition being provided with a second opening through which said float chamber communicates with said vent chamber; the first partition plate is provided with a first opening, and the float cavity is communicated with the second separation cavity through the first opening.

6. The expansion kettle according to claim 5, wherein the first partition is provided with a boss extending upward toward one face of the second partition; the boss is the round platform shape, the up end cross sectional area of boss is less than terminal surface cross sectional area down, first opening runs through the boss sets up, makes the inner wall of boss encircles and forms round platform shape through-hole, the up end inner circle cross sectional area of boss is less than terminal surface inner circle cross sectional area down.

7. An expansion jug according to claim 3, wherein the second separation chamber is frusto-conical, the upper end surface of the second separation chamber being of greater cross section than the lower end surface.

8. The expansion kettle of claim 5, comprising a float device assembled within and moving up and down said float chamber, said float device comprising a blocking portion, said float chamber being isolated from said vent chamber when said float device floats up to said blocking portion to block said second opening; and/or

The maximum cross-sectional area of the vent chamber is less than the maximum cross-sectional area of the float chamber; and/or

The top surface of the exhaust cavity is obliquely arranged relative to the horizontal plane, and the exhaust port is positioned at the highest position of the top surface of the exhaust cavity.

9. The expansion kettle of claim 4, wherein the housing comprises a first housing and a second housing, the first housing being assembled above the second housing, the first separation chamber being disposed within the first housing, the second separation chamber being disposed within the second housing.

10. The expansion kettle of claim 9, wherein the first inlet is provided in either the first housing or the second housing; and/or

The first liquid inlet is arranged in the circumferential direction of the first shell or the second shell and extends along the tangential direction of the first baffle; and/or

The shell further comprises a communication part, the second separation chamber is communicated with the liquid supply cavity through the communication part, and the communication part is arranged in the circumferential direction of the first shell or the second shell and extends along the tangential direction of the first baffle; and/or

The expansion kettle further comprises a liquid inlet pipe which is communicated with the first liquid inlet; the liquid inlet pipe is arranged in the circumferential direction of the first shell or the second shell and extends along the tangential direction of the first shell or the second shell.

11. The expansion jug according to claim 9, wherein the housing further comprises a communication portion provided to the first baffle plate, the second separation chamber being in communication with the liquid supply chamber through the communication portion.

12. The expansion kettle of claim 11, wherein the communication is provided in the first housing or the second housing.

13. The expansion kettle according to claim 12, wherein the cross section of the gas-liquid separation chamber is circular, and the longitudinal section of the first liquid inlet and/or the communication part is square; and/or

The height of the communicating part is less than or equal to one third of the depth of the gas-liquid separation cavity.

14. The expansion jug according to claim 1, wherein the vent port and the fill port are in communication or not; and/or

The filling port is arranged at the highest position of the shell; and/or

The shell is also provided with a second liquid inlet which is communicated with the liquid supply cavity; the expansion kettle comprises a three-way valve which is communicated between the first liquid inlet and the second liquid inlet.

15. A thermal management system, comprising:

a fluid line;

a water pump; a kind of electronic device with high-pressure air-conditioning system

The expansion jug according to any of claims 1 to 14, wherein the fluid line is in communication with the first inlet and the outlet of the expansion jug, respectively, and the fluid line is further connected to the water pump.

16. The thermal management system of claim 15, wherein said expansion tank comprises said three-way valve, said fluid line being connected to said three-way valve; and/or

The expansion tank is located at the highest point of the thermal management system.

17. A new energy automobile, characterized by comprising: cabin, battery and thermal management system according to any one of claims 15 to 16, the cabin, battery being connected to the thermal management system.