WO2024108790A1 - Charging device and thermal management method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

A charging device (10) and a thermal management method therefor. The charging device (10) comprises a connector assembly (11), a charging assembly (13), and a thermal management assembly (12). The connector assembly (11) is used for connecting an electric vehicle and comprises a charging connector (111) and a thermal management connector (112), the charging connector (111) is used for connecting to a power receiving socket (22) of the electric vehicle, and the thermal management connector (112) is used for connecting to a temperature control pipeline (21) of the electric vehicle; the power receiving socket (22) is connected to a battery pack (23) of the electric vehicle, and the temperature control pipeline (21) is used for controlling the temperature of the battery pack (23) by means of a heat conduction medium; the charging assembly (13) is used for charging the battery pack (23); the thermal management assembly (12) comprises a thermal management pipeline (122), a controller (121) and a cooler (123), the thermal management pipeline (122) is connected to the thermal management connector (112), and then the heat conduction medium is circulated between the thermal management connector (112) and the temperature control pipeline (21); the controller (121) is configured to control the cooler (123) to cool the heat conduction medium in the thermal management pipeline (122) in the process of charging the battery pack (23) by the charging assembly (13) and after charging is finished. Therefore, the endurance of the electric vehicle is improved.

Description

Charging device and thermal management method thereof

【cross reference】

This application claims priority to a Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on November 23, 2022, with application number 202223116964.1 and application name “A charging device for charging electric vehicles”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference in this application.

[Technical field]

The present application relates to the field of new energy technology, and in particular to a charging device and a thermal management method thereof.

【Background technique】

With the development of battery technology, electric vehicles replacing fuel vehicles has become a development trend in the automotive industry. In order to reduce the time cost of users, ultra-fast charging of batteries has always been a key development goal in the field of new energy vehicles. During the fast charging process, the battery pack will generate a lot of heat. If the generated heat cannot be quickly and timely discharged, it will cause the battery cell temperature to be too high, performance will be reduced, and the battery cycle life will be reduced, and the probability of thermal runaway will increase.

In order to avoid thermal runaway of the battery pack during fast charging, a battery pack thermal management system is usually set up to regulate the heat of the battery. The battery pack thermal management system in the prior art is completely built into the vehicle. The battery pack generates a lot of heat during the charging process, which requires a high cooling capacity for the built-in thermal management system. At the same time, the built-in thermal management system consumes battery pack power, which is not conducive to energy conservation and environmental protection.

[Summary of the invention]

The main purpose of this application is to provide a charging device and a thermal management method thereof, aiming to solve the above-mentioned technical problems existing in the prior art.

In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a charging device, the charging device comprising: a connector assembly, a charging assembly and a thermal management assembly, the connector assembly is used to detachably connect the electric A vehicle, and includes a charging connector and a thermal management connector, the charging connector is used to dock with the power receiving socket of the electric vehicle when the connector assembly is connected to the electric vehicle, the thermal management connector is used to dock with the temperature control pipeline of the electric vehicle when the connector assembly is connected to the electric vehicle, the power receiving socket is connected to the battery pack of the electric vehicle, and the temperature control pipeline is used to control the temperature of the battery pack through a heat-conducting medium; the charging component is connected to the charging connector, and then the battery pack is charged through the charging connector and the power receiving socket; the thermal management component includes a thermal management pipeline, a controller and a cooler, the thermal management pipeline is connected to the thermal management connector, and then the heat-conducting medium is circulated between the thermal management connector and the temperature control pipeline, and the controller is configured to control the cooler to cool the heat-conducting medium in the thermal management pipeline during the charging process of the battery pack by the charging component and after charging. In this way, the thermal management component can be built into the charging equipment and cooperate with the vehicle's temperature control pipeline to effectively reduce the cooling capacity requirements of the vehicle's thermal management system. At the same time, in addition to cooling the battery pack during the charging process, the thermal management component also cools the battery pack after charging is completed, without consuming the electric vehicle's power to cool the battery pack, thereby improving the electric vehicle's endurance.

In one embodiment, the charging device or the electric vehicle further comprises a temperature sensor connected to the controller, the temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature of the battery pack or the charging environment of the battery pack, and the controller is further configured to switch the cooler based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, and/or adjust the cooling power of the cooler. Thus, the temperature of the battery pack is detected by the temperature sensor and the temperature data is transmitted to the controller, thereby controlling the operation of the cooler to meet the cooling effect of the battery pack during charging and avoid thermal runaway and the like.

In one embodiment, the charging device further comprises an alarm connected to the controller, and the controller is further configured to trigger the alarm to generate an alarm signal based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. Thus, the alarm signal can be sent by the alarm as a prompt signal, so as to facilitate timely temperature control of the battery pack and avoid thermal runaway caused by continuous temperature rise of the battery pack.

In one embodiment, the temperature sensor includes a first temperature sensor disposed on the electric vehicle and a second temperature sensor disposed on the joint assembly, and the controller is configured to trigger the alarm to generate an alarm signal based on the temperatures detected by the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor. The alarm can be triggered by adjusting the degree of the alarm, thereby improving the accuracy of the alarm triggering and reducing the situation of false alarm triggering.

In one embodiment, the connector assembly further includes a communication connector, which is connected to the controller and docks with a communication socket of the electric vehicle when the connector assembly is connected to the electric vehicle, so that the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor can be transmitted to the controller via the communication socket and the communication connector. By connecting the communication connector to the communication socket, the efficiency of temperature transmission detected by the first temperature sensor can be accelerated, so that the controller can receive the temperature of the first temperature sensor in time to quickly control the component to perform an action.

In one embodiment, the thermal management component further includes a heater, and the controller is further configured to control the heater to heat the heat transfer medium based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor before the charging component charges the battery pack. Thus, the heat transfer medium is heated by the heater so as to quickly raise the temperature of the battery pack to a suitable temperature value, thereby improving the charging performance of the battery pack.

In one embodiment, the thermal management component further includes a pressure regulating device, and the controller is further configured to control the pressure regulating device to adjust the pressure of the heat transfer medium based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. The pressure regulating device is used to regulate the pressure of the heat transfer medium in the thermal management pipeline, and the cooling function is quickly achieved in cooperation with the cooler.

In one embodiment, the thermal management component further includes a time-delay shutdown circuit independent of the controller, and the controller triggers the time-delay shutdown circuit in response to the charging component completing charging of the battery pack and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor being greater than a preset temperature threshold, and the time-delay shutdown circuit is configured to delay closing the cooler after being triggered. The cooler is delayed by the time-delay shutdown circuit independent of the controller to release the controller, thereby reducing the controller load, or achieving power saving by hibernating the controller.

In one embodiment, the connector assembly further comprises an insulating plug arranged relative to the electric vehicle, the thermal management connector and the charging connector are arranged in the insulating plug, the thermal management connector comprises a first thermal management connector and a second thermal management connector, the first thermal management connector is used to input the heat transfer medium into the temperature control pipeline, the second thermal management connector is used to output the heat transfer medium from the temperature control pipeline, and in the cross section of the insulating plug, the charging connector is relative to the insulating plug. The plug is centrally arranged, the first thermal management joint and the second thermal management joint are arranged on opposite sides of the charging joint, and the first thermal management joint and the second thermal management joint are thermally coupled to the charging joint through the insulating plug. Thus, the first thermal management joint and the second thermal management joint can be used to cool the charging joint, while effectively reducing the heat transfer between the first thermal management joint and the second thermal management joint.

In one embodiment, in the cross section, the spacing distance between the first thermal management connector and the charging connector is greater than the spacing distance between the second thermal management connector and the charging connector. Thus, a cooling medium with a lower temperature can be used to cool the battery pack first, thereby improving the thermal management effect of the battery pack.

In one embodiment, the charging device further comprises a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the connector assembly, the temperature sensor being arranged in the insulating plug, wherein in the cross section, the shortest distance between the temperature sensor and the charging connector is smaller than the shortest distance between the temperature sensor and the first thermal management connector and the second thermal management connector. Thus, placing the temperature sensor close to the charging connector and relatively far from the first thermal management connector and the second thermal management connector can reduce the temperature sensor being affected by the temperature of the first thermal management connector and the second thermal management connector, so that the temperature of the charging connector can be quickly and accurately detected by the temperature sensor.

In one embodiment, along the circumference of the charging connector, the temperature sensor is located between the first thermal management connector and the second thermal management connector, and along the radial direction of the charging connector, the radial spacing distance between the temperature sensor and the charging connector is smaller than the radial spacing distance between the charging connector and the first thermal management connector and the second thermal management connector. Thus, by placing the temperature sensor closer to the charging connector, the temperature of the charging connector can be quickly and accurately detected by the temperature sensor.

In one embodiment, the insulating plug is further provided with a heat-insulating hollow portion, and the heat-insulating hollow portion is located between the temperature sensor and the first thermal management joint and/or between the temperature sensor and the second thermal management joint. Thus, the temperature sensor is thermally isolated from the first thermal management joint and the second thermal management joint through the heat-insulating hollow portion, thereby reducing the temperature sensor from the temperature of the first thermal management joint and the second thermal management joint, and the temperature sensor can quickly and accurately detect the temperature of the charging joint.

In one embodiment, the connector assembly further includes a communication connector, which is disposed in the insulating plug, wherein in the cross section, the communication connector and the temperature sensor are arranged on opposite sides of the charging connector, and the radial spacing distance between the communication connector and the charging connector is greater than the radial spacing distance between the temperature sensor and the charging connector. Thus, by disposing the communication connector away from the charging connector, the influence of the heat generated by the charging connector on the communication connector can be reduced.

In one embodiment, the thermal management circuit is a pulsating heat pipe, which can speed up the pre-cooling or cooling of the battery pack.

To solve the above problems, the present application provides a thermal management method, which is applied to any charging device such as the above, and the method includes: obtaining the temperature of a battery pack or a charging environment in an electric vehicle connected to the charging device; based on the temperature, thermally managing the heat-conducting medium in the thermal management pipeline in the charging device, so that the temperature control pipeline in the electric vehicle controls the temperature of the battery pack through the heat-conducting medium.

Compared with the prior art, the charging device of the present application includes: a connector assembly, a charging assembly and a thermal management assembly. The connector assembly is used to connect the electric vehicle in a detachable manner, and includes a charging connector and a thermal management connector. The charging connector is used to dock with the power receiving socket of the electric vehicle when the connector assembly is connected to the electric vehicle. The thermal management connector is used to dock with the temperature control pipeline of the electric vehicle when the connector assembly is connected to the electric vehicle. The power receiving socket is connected to the battery pack of the electric vehicle, and the temperature control pipeline is used to control the temperature of the battery pack through a heat-conducting medium; the charging assembly is connected to the charging connector, and then the battery pack is charged through the charging connector and the power receiving socket; the thermal management assembly includes a thermal management pipeline, a controller and a cooler. The thermal management pipeline is connected to the thermal management connector, and then the heat-conducting medium circulates between the thermal management connector and the temperature control pipeline. The controller is configured to control the cooler to cool the heat-conducting medium in the thermal management pipeline during the charging process of the battery pack by the charging assembly and after charging. Through the above implementation, the thermal management component is built into the charging device and cooperates with the vehicle's temperature control pipeline, which effectively reduces the cooling capacity requirements of the vehicle's thermal management system; at the same time, in addition to cooling the battery pack during the charging process, the thermal management component also cools the battery pack after charging is completed, without consuming the electric vehicle's power to cool the battery pack, thereby improving the electric vehicle's endurance.

【Brief Description of the Drawings】

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a charging device provided by the present application;

FIG2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an embodiment of a joint assembly provided by the present application;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of an embodiment of a thermal management method provided by the present application.

Figure numbers: charging device 10; connector assembly 11; charging connector 111; thermal management connector 112; first thermal management connector 1121; second thermal management connector 1122; insulating plug 113; thermal management assembly 12; controller 121; thermal management pipeline 122; cooler 123; heater 124; voltage regulator 125; delayed shutdown circuit 126; charging assembly 13; communication connector 131; alarm 14; second temperature sensor 15; electric vehicle 20; temperature control pipeline 21; power receiving socket 22; battery pack 23; first temperature sensor 24.

【Detailed ways】

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. It will be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application, rather than to limit the present application. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only some but not all structures related to the present application are shown in the drawings. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

The terms "first", "second", and "third" in this application are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first", "second", and "third" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "multiple" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined. All directional indications in the embodiments of this application (such as above, The terms "down, left, right, front, back, etc.) are only used to explain the relative positional relationship, movement, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly. In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units that are not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units that are inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various locations in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

At present, from the perspective of market development, the application of power batteries is becoming more and more extensive. Power batteries are not only used in energy storage power systems such as hydropower, thermal power, wind power and solar power stations, but also widely used in electric vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, electric cars, as well as military equipment and aerospace and other fields. With the continuous expansion of the application field of power batteries, the market demand is also constantly expanding.

The battery can be used as a power source for an electrical device or as a variety of energy storage systems as an energy storage element. The electrical device may be, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop, an electric toy, an electric tool, a battery car, an electric car, a ship, a spacecraft, and the like. Among them, the electric toy may include a fixed or mobile electric toy, for example, a game console, an electric car toy, an electric ship toy, and an electric airplane toy, and the like, and the spacecraft may include an airplane, a rocket, a space shuttle, and a spacecraft, and the like. In the embodiments of the present application, an electric vehicle as an electrical device is taken as an example.

The electric vehicle can be a fuel vehicle, a gas vehicle or a new energy vehicle. The new energy vehicle can be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle or an extended range vehicle. The electric vehicle is provided with a battery pack inside. The battery pack can be provided at the bottom, head or tail of the electric vehicle. The battery pack can be used to power the electric vehicle. For example, the battery pack can be used as the operating power source of the electric vehicle. The electric vehicle may also include The controller and the motor, the controller is used to control the battery pack to supply power to the motor, for example, for the starting, navigation and driving power requirements of the electric vehicle. The battery pack can not only be used as the operating power source of the electric vehicle, but also as the driving power source of the electric vehicle, replacing or partially replacing fuel or natural gas to provide driving power for the electric vehicle.

As the core energy supply module of electric vehicles, how to quickly replenish energy after energy consumption has also become a development goal in this field. In order to reduce the user's time cost, ultra-short fast charging of batteries has always been a key development goal in the field of new energy vehicles. Most of the power batteries used in current electric vehicles are lithium-ion batteries. The charging and discharging capabilities of lithium-ion batteries are reduced when the temperature is below 0 degrees Celsius, and there is a risk of thermal runaway when the temperature is too high. However, during the fast charging process, the battery pack will generate a lot of heat. If the generated heat cannot be quickly and timely discharged, the battery pack temperature will be too high, the performance will be reduced, the battery cycle life will be reduced, and the probability of thermal runaway will increase.

In order to avoid thermal runaway of the battery pack during fast charging, a battery pack thermal management system is usually set up to regulate the heat of the battery. The battery pack thermal management system in the prior art is completely built into the electric vehicle. The battery pack generates a lot of heat during the charging process, which requires a high cooling capacity for the built-in thermal management system. At the same time, the built-in thermal management system consumes battery pack power, which is not conducive to energy conservation and environmental protection.

Based on the above-mentioned technical foundation and technical problems, the present application provides a charging device, see Figures 1 and 2, Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the charging device provided by the present application; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an embodiment of the connector assembly provided by the present application.

The charging device 10 is electrically connected to the electric vehicle 20 so as to charge the electric vehicle 20 through the charging device 10. The charging device 10 includes: a connector assembly 11, a charging assembly 13 and a thermal management assembly 12. The connector assembly 11 is used to electrically connect the electric vehicle 20, the charging assembly 13 is used to connect with the connector assembly 11, the charging assembly 13 charges the electric vehicle 20 through the connector assembly 11, and the thermal management assembly 12 is built in the charging device 10. The thermal management assembly 12 is used to perform thermal management on the electric vehicle 20 during or after the charging assembly 13 charges the electric vehicle 20.

The connector assembly 11 is used to connect the electric vehicle 20 in a detachable manner, and the connector assembly 11 includes a charging connector 111 and a thermal management connector 112. The charging connector 111 is used to dock with the power receiving socket 22 of the electric vehicle 20 when the connector assembly 11 is connected to the electric vehicle 20, and the thermal management connector 112 is used to connect the charging connector 111 to the power receiving socket 22 of the electric vehicle 20 when the connector assembly 11 is connected to the electric vehicle 20. When the component 11 is connected to the electric vehicle 20, it docks with the temperature control pipeline 21 of the electric vehicle 20, the power receiving seat 22 is connected to the battery pack 23 of the electric vehicle 20, the temperature control pipeline 21 is used to control the temperature of the battery pack 23 through the heat-conducting medium, and the charging component 13 is connected to the charging connector 111, and then the battery pack 23 is charged through the charging connector 111 and the power receiving seat 22. The power receiving seat 22 can be electrically connected to the battery pack 23 of the electric vehicle 20. When the charging connector 111 is connected to the power receiving seat 22, the charging component 13 is electrically connected to the battery pack 23, so that the charging component 13 can charge the battery pack 23. The temperature control pipeline 21 can be arranged around the outer wall of the battery pack 23. The temperature control pipeline 21 can be built with a heat-conducting medium, and the heat generated by the battery pack 23 during charging is transferred out of the battery pack 23 through the heat-conducting medium to cool the battery pack 23; or, the heat of the heat-conducting medium is transferred to the battery pack 23 through the heat-conducting medium to heat the battery pack 23, wherein the heat-conducting medium can be water or other liquids that can transfer heat. The temperature control pipeline 21 can be connected to the thermal management component 12 through the thermal management connector 112, so that the temperature of the thermal medium can be controlled by the thermal management component 12 to control the temperature of the battery pack 23.

The thermal management component 12 includes a thermal management pipeline 122, a controller 121 and a cooler 123. The thermal management pipeline 122 is connected to the thermal management connector 112, and a heat transfer medium circulates between the thermal management connector 112 and the temperature control pipeline 21. The controller 121 is configured to control the cooler 123 to cool the heat transfer medium in the thermal management pipeline 122 during the charging process of the battery pack 23 by the charging component 13 and after charging is completed. A loop for the flow of heat-conducting medium is formed between the thermal management pipeline 122, the thermal management joint 112 and the temperature control pipeline 21. The heat-conducting medium can flow in the thermal management pipeline 122 and the temperature control pipeline 21. When the temperature of the battery pack 23 is too high, the controller 121 can control the cooler 123 to cool the heat-conducting medium in the thermal management pipeline 122, and transport the heat-conducting medium with a relatively low temperature to the temperature control pipeline 21 through the thermal management pipeline 122 to cool the battery pack 23; when the temperature of the battery pack 23 is too low, the controller 121 can control the cooler 123 to heat the heat-conducting medium in the thermal management pipeline 122, and transport the heat-conducting medium with a relatively high temperature to the temperature control pipeline 21 through the thermal management pipeline 122 to heat the battery pack 23, thereby controlling the temperature of the heat-conducting medium through the thermal management component 12 to control the temperature of the battery pack 23. In this embodiment, the thermal management component 12 is built into the charging device 10 and cooperates with the vehicle's temperature control pipeline 21 to effectively reduce the cooling capacity requirements of the vehicle's thermal management system, which is beneficial to energy saving and environmental protection. In a specific application scenario, after the electric vehicle 20 is charged, it will leave the charging device 10. At this time, the battery pack 23 is still in a state of discharging and heating. In this state, if the temperature of the battery pack 23 is too high, it will not only affect the discharge efficiency and safety of the battery pack 23, The electric vehicle 20 also needs to use its own thermal management system for cooling, and using its own thermal management system for cooling will also consume the power of the battery pack 23, reducing the endurance of the electric vehicle 20. In this embodiment, in addition to cooling the battery pack 23 during charging, the thermal management component 12 also cools the battery pack 23 after charging is completed. There is no need to consume the power of the electric vehicle 20 to cool the battery pack 23, thereby improving the endurance of the electric vehicle 20.

The heat management circuit 122 may be a pulsating heat pipe.

In one embodiment, the charging device 10 or the electric vehicle 20 further includes a temperature sensor connected to the controller 121, and the temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature of the battery pack 23 or the charging environment of the battery pack 23. The controller 121 is also configured to switch the cooler 123 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, and/or adjust the cooling power of the cooler 123. The temperature sensor can be set in the electric vehicle 20 and can be directly or indirectly connected to the battery pack 23. When the temperature sensor is directly connected to the battery pack 23, the temperature of the battery pack 23 can be directly detected by the temperature sensor; when the temperature sensor is indirectly connected to the battery pack 23, the temperature sensor can detect the temperature of the peripheral devices of the battery pack 23, so that the temperature of the battery pack 23 can be inferred from the detected temperature. The temperature sensor can also be set in the charging device 10, by detecting the temperature of the devices in the charging device 10 related to the temperature of the battery pack 23, so that the temperature of the battery pack 23 can be inferred from the detected temperature. When the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is too high, it means that the temperature of the battery pack 23 is too high and the battery pack 23 needs to be cooled. In this case, the controller 121 can turn on the cooler 123 or increase the cooling power of the cooler 123 to quickly cool down the battery pack 23; when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is normal, it means that the temperature of the battery pack 23 is normal and there is no need to cool or heat up the battery pack 23. In this case, the controller 121 can turn off the cooler 123 or reduce the cooling power of the cooler 123; when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is too low, it means that the temperature of the battery pack 23 is too low and the battery pack 23 needs to be heated. In this case, the controller 121 can turn off the cooler 123.

In one embodiment, the charging device 10 further includes an alarm 14 connected to the controller 121, and the controller 121 is further configured to trigger the alarm 14 to generate an alarm signal based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. The alarm 14 may be partially exposed outside the outer shell of the charging device 10. When the temperature sensor detects that the temperature exceeds a certain temperature threshold, the alarm 14 may be triggered to generate an alarm signal and interrupt charging of the electric vehicle 20 to prevent the temperature of the battery pack 23 from continuing to rise and causing thermal runaway. The alarm signal It can be an audible or visual alarm signal.

The temperature sensor includes a first temperature sensor 24 disposed on the electric vehicle 20 and a second temperature sensor 15 disposed on the connector assembly 11. The controller 121 is configured to trigger the alarm 14 to generate an alarm signal based on the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 24 and the second temperature sensor 15. The first temperature sensor 24 may be located on the outer surface of the battery pack 23. The first temperature sensor 24 may be used to detect the temperature of the battery pack 23. The second temperature sensor 15 may be used to detect the temperature of the connector assembly 11. In this embodiment, when the temperature of the first temperature sensor 24 is greater than the first temperature threshold, and the temperature of the second temperature sensor 15 is greater than the second temperature threshold, the controller 121 may control the alarm 14 to trigger an alarm signal; or when the temperature of the first temperature sensor 24 is greater than the first temperature threshold, or the temperature of the second temperature sensor 15 is greater than the second temperature threshold, the controller 121 may control the alarm 14 to trigger an alarm signal.

The connector assembly 11 further includes a communication connector 131, which is connected to the controller 121 and docked with the communication socket of the electric vehicle 20 when the connector assembly 11 is connected to the electric vehicle 20, so that the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 24 can be transmitted to the controller 121 via the communication socket and the communication connector 131. The communication connector 131 docks with the communication socket of the electric vehicle 20, and the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 24 can be transmitted to the controller 121 in real time via the communication connector 131.

In one embodiment, the thermal management component 12 further includes a heater 124, and the controller 121 is further configured to control the heater 124 to heat the heat-conducting medium based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor before the charging component 13 charges the battery pack 23. The heater 124 may be connected to the thermal management pipeline 122, and the controller 121 may control the switch of the heater 124, increase or decrease the heating power of the heater 124, so as to heat the heat-conducting medium in the thermal management pipeline 122 through the heater 124. Before the charging component 13 charges the battery pack 23, the temperature of the battery pack 23 may be relatively low, and the battery pack 23 with a relatively low temperature has relatively poor charging and discharging performance. In this embodiment, before the charging component 13 charges the battery pack 23, the controller 121 may heat the heat-conducting medium based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, so as to quickly raise the temperature of the battery pack 23 to a suitable temperature value, thereby improving the charging performance of the battery pack 23.

In one embodiment, the thermal management component 12 further includes a pressure regulating device 125, and the controller 121 is further configured to control the pressure regulating device 125 to adjust the pressure of the heat transfer medium based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. The pressure regulating device 125 can be connected to the thermal management pipeline 122 so as to adjust the pressure of the heat transfer medium through the pressure regulating device 125. The pressure of the heat transfer medium in the pipe 122 is managed.

In one embodiment, the thermal management component 12 further includes a time-delayed shutdown circuit 126 independent of the controller 121. The controller 121 triggers the time-delayed shutdown circuit 126 in response to the charging component 13 completing the charging of the battery pack 23 and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor being greater than a preset temperature threshold. The time-delayed shutdown circuit 126 is configured to delay the shutdown of the cooler 123 after being triggered. Since the battery pack 23 no longer continues to generate heat after charging, and the battery pack 23 will continue to cool down under the action of the heat-conducting medium, there is no need to adjust the power of the cooler 123 or issue an alarm when the temperature of the battery pack 23 rises. At this time, the time-delayed shutdown circuit 126 independent of the controller 121 delays the shutdown of the cooler 123 to release the controller 121, thereby reducing the load of the controller 121, or achieving power saving by putting the controller 121 into hibernation.

In one embodiment, the connector assembly 11 also includes an insulating plug 113 that is plugged in and out of the electric vehicle 20. The thermal management connector 112 and the charging connector 111 are disposed in the insulating plug 113. The thermal management connector 112 includes a first thermal management connector 1121 and a second thermal management connector 1122. The first thermal management connector 1121 is used to input a heat-conducting medium into the temperature control pipeline 21, and the second thermal management connector 1122 is used to output a heat-conducting medium from the temperature control pipeline 21. On the cross section of the insulating plug 113, the charging connector 111 is centered relative to the insulating plug 113. The first thermal management connector 1121 and the second thermal management connector 1122 are arranged on opposite sides of the charging connector 111. The first thermal management connector 1121 and the second thermal management connector 1122 are thermally coupled to the charging connector 111 through the insulating plug 113. The insulating plug 113 is placed outside the thermal management connector 112 and the charging connector 111 to protect the thermal management connector 112 and the charging connector 111 through the insulating plug 113. The thermal management connector 112 is specifically divided into a first thermal management connector 1121 and a second thermal management connector 1122. On the cross section of the insulating plug 113, the first thermal management connector 1121 and the second thermal management connector 1122 are located on both sides of the charging connector 111. The first thermal management connector 1121 and the second thermal management connector 1122 can be used to cool the charging connector 111, and the heat transfer between the first thermal management connector 1121 and the second thermal management connector 1122 can be effectively reduced. It should be noted that the charging connector 111 in this embodiment is centrally arranged relative to the insulating plug 113, which means that the charging connector 111 is located near the geometric center of the insulating plug 113, so that in the radial direction of the geometric center of the insulating plug 113, the outer peripheral surface of the charging connector 111 is kept at a certain distance relative to the outer peripheral surface of the insulating plug 113.

In one embodiment, on the cross section of the insulating pin 113, the first thermal management connector 1121 The spacing distance between the first thermal management connector 1121 and the charging connector 111 is greater than the spacing distance between the second thermal management connector 1122 and the charging connector 111. The first thermal management connector 1121 is mainly used to input a cooling medium with a lower temperature, while the second thermal management connector 1122 is mainly used to output a cooling medium with a higher temperature. On the cross section of the insulating plug 113, the spacing distance between the first thermal management connector 1121 and the charging connector 111 is greater than the spacing distance between the second thermal management connector 1122 and the charging connector 111, so that the battery pack 23 can be cooled preferentially by using the cooling medium with a lower temperature, thereby improving the thermal management effect of the battery pack 23.

In one embodiment, the charging device 10 further includes a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the connector assembly 11, and the temperature sensor is disposed in the insulating plug 113, wherein in a cross section, the shortest spacing distance between the temperature sensor and the charging connector 111 is less than the shortest spacing distance between the temperature sensor and the first thermal management connector 1121 and the second thermal management connector 1122. Referring to FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the temperature sensor may be the second temperature sensor 15 in FIG. 2, and the shortest spacing distance between the second temperature sensor 15 and the charging connector 111 is the distance between the outer circumference of the second temperature sensor 15 and the outer circumference of the charging connector 111; the shortest spacing distance between the second temperature sensor 15 and the first thermal management connector 1121 is the distance between the outer circumference of the second temperature sensor 15 and the outer circumference of the first thermal management connector 1121; the shortest spacing distance between the second temperature sensor 15 and the second thermal management connector 1122 is the distance between the outer circumference of the second temperature sensor 15 and the outer circumference of the second thermal management connector 1122. Therefore, in the cross section, the shortest spacing distance from the temperature sensor to the charging connector 111 is smaller than the shortest spacing distance from the temperature sensor to the first thermal management connector 1121 and the second thermal management connector 1122, so that the temperature sensor can be closer to the charging connector 111 and relatively far away from the first thermal management connector 1121 and the second thermal management connector 1122, thereby reducing the influence of the temperature of the first thermal management connector 1121 and the second thermal management connector 1122 on the temperature sensor, so that the temperature of the charging connector 111 can be quickly and accurately detected by the temperature sensor.

In one embodiment, along the circumference of the charging connector 111, the temperature sensor is located between the first thermal management connector 1121 and the second thermal management connector 1122, and along the radial direction of the charging connector 111, the radial spacing distance between the temperature sensor and the charging connector 111 is smaller than the radial spacing distance between the charging connector 111 and the first thermal management connector 1121 and the second thermal management connector 1122. Referring to FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the temperature sensor may be the second temperature sensor 15 in FIG. 2. The second temperature sensor 15, the first thermal management connector 1121 and the second thermal management connector 1122 are spaced apart along the circumference of the charging connector 111, and the second temperature sensor 15 The radial spacing distance between the charging connector 111 and the first thermal management connector 1121 and the second thermal management connector 1122 is smaller than the radial spacing distance between the charging connector 111 and the first thermal management connector 1121 and the second thermal management connector 1122. Therefore, the second temperature sensor 15 is arranged closer to the charging connector 111, and the temperature of the charging connector 111 can be quickly and accurately detected by the second temperature sensor 15.

In one embodiment, the insulating plug 113 is further provided with a heat-insulating hollow portion (not shown), which is located between the temperature sensor and the first thermal management joint 1121 and/or between the temperature sensor and the second thermal management joint 1122. Referring to FIG. 2 , in this embodiment, the temperature sensor may be the second temperature sensor 15 in FIG. 2 . There may be one heat-insulating hollow portion, which is located between the second temperature sensor 15 and the first thermal management joint 1121; or it is located between the second temperature sensor 15 and the second thermal management joint 1122; or there may be two heat-insulating hollow portions, which are located between the second temperature sensor 15 and the first thermal management joint 1121 and between the second temperature sensor 15 and the second thermal management joint 1122. Thus, the second temperature sensor 15 is thermally isolated from the first thermal management joint 1121 and the second thermal management joint 1122 through the heat-insulating hollow portion, thereby reducing the influence of the temperature of the first thermal management joint 1121 and the second thermal management joint 1122 on the second temperature sensor 15, so that the temperature of the charging joint 111 can be quickly and accurately detected by the second temperature sensor 15.

In one embodiment, the connector assembly 11 further includes a communication connector 131, which is disposed in the insulating plug 113, wherein in a cross section, the communication connector 131 and the temperature sensor are arranged on opposite sides of the charging connector 111, and the radial spacing distance between the communication connector 131 and the charging connector 111 is greater than the radial spacing distance between the temperature sensor and the charging connector 111. Referring to FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the temperature sensor may be the second temperature sensor 15 in FIG. 2, thereby arranging the communication connector 131 away from the charging connector 111 can reduce the influence of the heat generated by the charging connector 111 on the communication connector 131.

Through the above-mentioned implementation mode, the thermal management component 12 is built into the charging device 10 and cooperates with the vehicle's temperature control pipeline 21, which effectively reduces the cooling capacity requirements of the vehicle's thermal management system; at the same time, in addition to cooling the battery pack 23 during the charging process, the thermal management component 12 also cools the battery pack 23 after charging is completed, without consuming the power of the electric vehicle 20 to cool the battery pack 23, thereby improving the endurance of the electric vehicle 20.

The above embodiments are various embodiments of the charging device 10. In other embodiments, the charging device The charging device 10 may also include a combination of multiple embodiments of the charging device 10 described above.

The charging device 10 is electrically connected to the electric vehicle 20 so as to charge the electric vehicle 20 through the charging device 10. The charging device 10 includes a connector assembly 11, a charging assembly 13, a thermal management assembly 12, an alarm 14, and a second temperature sensor 15. The connector assembly 11 includes a charging connector 111, a first thermal management connector 1121, a second thermal management connector 1122, a communication connector 131, and an insulating plug 113. The thermal management assembly 12 includes a controller 121, a thermal management circuit 122, a cooler 123, a heater 124, a voltage regulator 125, and a delayed shutdown circuit 126. The electric vehicle 20 includes a temperature control circuit 21, a power receiving seat 22, a battery pack 23, and a first temperature sensor 24.

The connector assembly 11 is used to electrically connect the electric vehicle 20, the charging assembly 13 charges the electric vehicle 20 through the connector assembly 11, and the thermal management assembly 12 is built into the charging device 10. The thermal management assembly 12 is used to perform thermal management on the electric vehicle 20 during or after the charging assembly 13 charges the electric vehicle 20. The charging connector 111 is used to connect to the power receiving seat 22 of the electric vehicle 20, and the first thermal management connector 1121 and the second thermal management connector 1122 are used to connect to the temperature control pipeline 21 and the thermal management pipeline 122, so that a loop is formed between the charging device 10 and the electric vehicle 20 through the first thermal management connector 1121, the second thermal management connector 1122, the temperature control pipeline 21 and the thermal management pipeline 122, so that the heat transfer medium circulates in the loop. The temperature control pipeline 21 can be in contact with the battery pack 23, and the thermal management pipeline 122 can be built into the charging device 10 and connected to the cooler 123 and the heater 124, so as to adjust the temperature of the heat transfer medium through the cooler 123 and the heater 124. The controller 121 is connected to the second temperature sensor 15, the alarm 14, the communication connector 131 and the voltage regulator 125. The first temperature sensor 24 is located in the electric vehicle 20, and the temperature of the battery pack 23 or the temperature of the charging environment of the battery pack 23 can be detected by the first temperature sensor 24, and the temperature is transmitted to the controller 121 through the communication connector 131.

Among them, on the cross section of the insulating plug 113, the charging connector 111 is centrally arranged relative to the insulating plug 113, the first thermal management connector 1121 and the second thermal management connector 1122 are arranged on opposite sides of the charging connector 111, and the first thermal management connector 1121 and the second thermal management connector 1122 are thermally coupled with the charging connector 111 through the insulating plug 113; on the cross section of the insulating plug 113, the spacing distance between the first thermal management connector 1121 and the charging connector 111 is greater than the spacing distance between the second thermal management connector 1122 and the charging connector 111. On the cross section, the shortest spacing distance from the second temperature sensor 15 to the charging connector 111 is less than The shortest spacing distance between the second temperature sensor 15 and the first thermal management joint 1121 and the second thermal management joint 1122. Along the circumference of the charging joint 111, the second temperature sensor 15 is located between the first thermal management joint 1121 and the second thermal management joint 1122, and along the radial direction of the charging joint 111, the radial spacing distance between the second temperature sensor 15 and the charging joint 111 is less than the radial spacing distance between the charging joint 111 and the first thermal management joint 1121 and the second thermal management joint 1122. The insulating plug 113 is further provided with a heat-insulating hollow portion, which is located between the second temperature sensor 15 and the first thermal management joint 1121 and/or between the second temperature sensor 15 and the second thermal management joint 1122. The communication joint 131 and the second temperature sensor 15 are arranged on opposite sides of the charging joint 111, and the radial spacing distance between the communication joint 131 and the charging joint 111 is greater than the radial spacing distance between the second temperature sensor 15 and the charging joint 111.

In a specific application scenario, when the charging device 10 is required to charge the electric vehicle 20, the first thermal management connector 1121 and the second thermal management connector 1122 are connected to the temperature control pipeline 21, the communication connector 131 is connected to the communication socket of the electric vehicle 20, and the charging connector 111 is connected to the receiving socket 22. The controller 121 receives the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 24 and the second temperature sensor 15. When the temperature is detected to be less than the first temperature threshold, the controller 121 can control the heater 124 to heat the heat-conducting medium to preheat the battery pack through the heated heat-conducting medium; during the charging process and after the charging is completed, the controller 121 receives the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 24 and the second temperature sensor 15. When the temperature of the battery pack 23 is detected to be greater than the second temperature threshold, the controller 121 controls to increase the cooling power of the cooler 123 to cool the heat-conducting medium; when the temperature of the battery pack 23 is detected to be less than the third temperature threshold, the controller 121 controls to reduce the cooling power of the cooler 123. When it is detected that the temperature of the battery pack 23 is greater than the fourth temperature threshold, the controller 121 controls the generation of an alarm signal to trigger the alarm, wherein the fourth temperature threshold is greater than the second temperature threshold, greater than the third temperature threshold, and greater than a temperature threshold. In the process of charging the electric vehicle 20 using the charging device 10, the controller 121 can also control the pressure regulating device 125 to adjust the pressure of the heat transfer medium based on the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 24 and the second temperature sensor 15; when the battery pack is charged and the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 24 and the second temperature sensor 15 is greater than the preset temperature threshold, the delay closing circuit 126 is triggered, and the cooler 123 is delayed by the delay closing circuit 126 to release the controller 121.

Through the above-mentioned implementation, the thermal management component 12 is built into the charging device 10 and The vehicle's temperature control pipeline 21 cooperates to effectively reduce the cooling capacity requirements of the vehicle's thermal management system; at the same time, in addition to cooling the battery pack 23 during the charging process, the thermal management component 12 also cools the battery pack 23 after charging is completed. There is no need to consume the power of the electric vehicle 20 to cool the battery pack 23, thereby improving the battery life of the electric vehicle 20.

Please refer to FIG. 3 at the same time. In some embodiments, a thermal management method is also provided, which is applied to any one of the charging devices provided in the above charging device embodiments. The thermal management method includes: step S11 and step S12. Step S11: Acquire the temperature of the battery pack or the charging environment in the electric vehicle connected to the charging device; step S12: Based on the temperature, thermal management is performed on the heat-conducting medium in the thermal management pipeline in the charging device, so that the temperature control pipeline in the electric vehicle controls the temperature of the battery pack through the heat-conducting medium.

Among them, the temperature of the battery pack or the charging environment can be obtained by a temperature sensor arranged in the charging device or the electric vehicle. Thermal management of the heat-conducting medium may be cooling or heating the heat-conducting medium. Exemplarily, if the temperature of the battery pack or the charging environment is detected to be high, the heat-conducting medium in the thermal management circuit is cooled, so that the temperature control pipeline in the electric vehicle can cool down the battery pack through the heat-conducting medium. If the detected temperature of the battery pack or the charging environment is low, the heat-conducting medium in the thermal management circuit is heated, so that the temperature control pipeline in the electric vehicle can preheat the battery pack through the heat-conducting medium.

Through the above implementation, the thermal management component is built into the charging device and cooperates with the vehicle's temperature control pipeline, which effectively reduces the cooling capacity requirements of the vehicle's thermal management system; at the same time, in addition to cooling the battery pack during the charging process, the thermal management component also cools the battery pack after charging is completed, without consuming the electric vehicle's power to cool the battery pack, thereby improving the electric vehicle's endurance.

Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present application and its core idea. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

Claims (18)

1. A charging device, comprising:

   A connector assembly, used for detachably connecting to an electric vehicle, and comprising a charging connector and a thermal management connector, wherein the charging connector is used to dock with a power receiving socket of the electric vehicle when the connector assembly is connected to the electric vehicle, and the thermal management connector is used to dock with a temperature control pipeline of the electric vehicle when the connector assembly is connected to the electric vehicle, wherein the power receiving socket is connected to a battery pack of the electric vehicle, and the temperature control pipeline is used to control the temperature of the battery pack through a heat-conducting medium;

   A charging assembly connected to the charging connector to charge the battery pack via the charging connector and the charging seat;

   A thermal management component, the thermal management component comprising a thermal management pipeline, a controller and a cooler, the thermal management pipeline is connected to the thermal management joint, and the heat transfer medium is circulated between the thermal management joint and the temperature control pipeline, and the controller is configured to control the cooler to cool the heat transfer medium in the thermal management pipeline during and after the charging component charges the battery pack;

   Wherein, the thermal management pipeline is a pulsating heat pipe.
2. The charging device according to claim 1, wherein the charging device or the electric vehicle further comprises a temperature sensor connected to the controller, the temperature sensor being used to detect the temperature of the battery pack or the charging environment of the battery pack, and the controller is further configured to switch the cooler based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, and/or adjust the cooling power of the cooler.
3. The charging device according to claim 2, wherein the charging device further comprises an alarm connected to the controller, and the controller is further configured to trigger the alarm to generate an alarm signal based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.
4. The charging device according to claim 3, wherein the temperature sensor includes a first temperature sensor arranged on the electric vehicle and a second temperature sensor arranged on the connector assembly, and the controller is configured to trigger the alarm to generate an alarm signal based on the temperatures detected by the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor.
5. The charging device according to claim 4, wherein the first temperature sensor is located on an outer surface of the battery pack, and the first temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature of the battery pack.
6. The charging device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the connector assembly further comprises a communication connector, which is connected to the controller and docks with a communication socket of the electric vehicle when the connector assembly is connected to the electric vehicle, thereby enabling the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor to be transmitted to the controller via the communication socket and the communication connector.
7. The charging device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the thermal management component further includes a heater, and the controller is further configured to control the heater to heat the heat conductive medium based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor before the charging component charges the battery pack.
8. The charging device according to claim 7, wherein the heater is connected to the thermal management pipeline, and the controller is further configured to control switching of the heater and increase or decrease the heating power of the heater so that the heater can heat the heat transfer medium in the thermal management pipeline.
9. The charging device according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the thermal management component further includes a pressure regulating device, and the controller is further configured to control the pressure regulating device to adjust the pressure of the heat conductive medium based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.
10. The charging device according to claim 9, wherein the pressure regulating device is connected to the thermal management pipeline, and the controller is further configured to control the pressure regulating device to adjust the pressure of the heat-conducting medium located in the thermal management pipeline based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.
11. The charging device according to any one of claims 2-10, wherein the thermal management component further includes a delayed shutdown circuit independent of the controller, and the controller triggers the delayed shutdown circuit in response to the charging component completing charging of the battery pack and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor being greater than a preset temperature threshold, and the delayed shutdown circuit is configured to delay closing the cooler after being triggered.
12. The charging device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the connector assembly further comprises an insulating plug arranged relative to the electric vehicle, the thermal management connector and the charging connector are arranged in the insulating plug, the thermal management connector comprises a first thermal management connector and a second thermal management connector, the first thermal management connector is used to input the heat transfer medium into the temperature control pipeline, and the second The thermal management connector is used to output the heat-conducting medium from the temperature control pipeline. On the cross section of the insulating plug, the charging connector is centrally arranged relative to the insulating plug. The first thermal management connector and the second thermal management connector are arranged on opposite sides of the charging connector. The first thermal management connector and the second thermal management connector are thermally coupled to the charging connector through the insulating plug.
13. The charging device according to claim 12, wherein, in the cross section, the spacing distance between the first thermal management connector and the charging connector is greater than the spacing distance between the second thermal management connector and the charging connector.
14. The charging device according to claim 12, wherein the charging device further comprises a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the connector assembly, the temperature sensor being disposed in the insulating plug, wherein in the cross section, the shortest spacing distance from the temperature sensor to the charging connector is smaller than the shortest spacing distance from the temperature sensor to the first thermal management connector and the second thermal management connector.
15. The charging device according to claim 14, wherein, along the circumference of the charging connector, the temperature sensor is located between the first thermal management connector and the second thermal management connector, and along the radial direction of the charging connector, the radial spacing distance between the temperature sensor and the charging connector is smaller than the radial spacing distance between the charging connector and the first thermal management connector and the second thermal management connector.
16. The charging device according to claim 15, wherein the insulating plug is further provided with a heat-insulating hollow portion, and the heat-insulating hollow portion is located between the temperature sensor and the first thermal management joint and/or between the temperature sensor and the second thermal management joint.
17. The charging device according to claim 15, wherein the connector assembly further comprises a communication connector, wherein the communication connector is disposed in the insulating plug, wherein in the cross section, the communication connector and the temperature sensor are arranged on opposite sides of the charging connector, and the radial spacing distance between the communication connector and the charging connector is greater than the radial spacing distance between the temperature sensor and the charging connector.
18. A thermal management method, the thermal management method being applied to the charging device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, the thermal management method comprising:

    Acquiring the temperature of a battery pack or a charging environment in an electric vehicle connected to the charging device;

    Based on the temperature, the heat transfer medium in the heat management pipeline in the charging device is thermally managed to The temperature control pipeline in the electric vehicle controls the temperature of the battery pack through the heat-conducting medium.