Power module units and transport refrigeration systems

Abstract

The present invention relates to a power module device and a transport refrigeration system. The power module device is used for equipment powered by batteries or / and fuels, has a working mode and includes: a DC buck module or / and a DC boost module, the DC buck module is configured to buck-convert the DC provided by at least the battery into a low-voltage output DC for output, and the DC boost module is configured to boost the low-voltage input DC provided by the equipment powered by fuel into a high-voltage DC for output; and a control module, which is connected to the transport refrigeration unit and controls the operation of the DC buck module or / and the DC boost module in the working mode. The application of the present invention can effectively save layout space, simplify the original complex wiring harness connection layout, reduce costs, and bring great convenience to the operation and maintenance of equipment such as transport refrigeration units, and can be compatible with and applied to many types of equipment powered by batteries and / or fuel cells.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of power equipment, and in particular to a power module device for equipment powered by batteries and / or fuel (such as a transport refrigeration unit on a transport vehicle), and a transport refrigeration system including the power module device. Background Art

[0002] Transport refrigeration units can be installed on vehicles such as electric trucks to refrigerate cargo during transportation. These units typically include components or devices such as compressors, electric heaters, fans, valves, and logic control boards. Typically, an inverter is required to drive the compressor, a low-voltage DC power supply to power the fan motor and valves, and another power device to control the electric heater. This results in complex wiring harnesses connecting these components, devices, or equipment, taking up a lot of space and making them difficult to operate, inspect, and maintain.

[0003] Furthermore, battery-powered vehicles, such as electric trucks, can directly utilize batteries to power their transport refrigerated units. However, fuel-powered vehicles, such as diesel trucks, typically utilize low-voltage DC generators (e.g., 12V, 24V, or 48V) to power their transport refrigerated units. Consequently, these two types of vehicles, utilizing different power platforms, present incompatibility issues with the wiring harness connections and related components used in their transport refrigerated units. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a power module device and a transport refrigeration system, thereby solving or at least alleviating one or more of the above-mentioned problems and other problems existing in the prior art.

[0005] First, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a power module device for use in equipment powered by batteries or / and fuel, which has an operating mode and includes:

[0006] a DC step-down module and / or a DC step-up module, wherein the DC step-down module is configured to step down and convert the DC provided by at least the battery into a low-voltage output DC for output, and the DC step-up module is configured to step up and convert the low-voltage input DC provided by a fuel-powered device into a high-voltage DC for output; and

[0007] A control module is connected to the device. In the working mode, the control module controls the operation of the DC step-down module and / or the DC step-up module.

[0008] In the power module device according to the present invention, optionally, the power module device further includes:

[0009] An AC port configured to be connected to an external AC power source to receive power; or / and

[0010] a DC port configured to be connected to the battery to access power; or / and

[0011] A low-voltage input DC port is configured to receive a low-voltage DC from the device having a voltage lower than that of the DC provided by the battery, so as to provide power to the control module and / or external devices.

[0012] In the power module device according to the present invention, optionally, the external device includes a logic control board, a fan motor, and a valve of the equipment.

[0013] In the power module device according to the present invention, optionally, the control module is configured to:

[0014] In the power module device according to the present invention, optionally, the power module device further comprises:

[0015] a charging mode, in which the control module controls the AC connected to the external AC power source via the AC port to charge the battery connected via the DC port; and / or

[0016] Standby mode: in the standby mode, the control module controls so that the low-voltage DC is connected through the low-voltage input DC port and then output to the external device.

[0017] In the power module device according to the present invention, optionally, the control module is configured to:

[0018] In the working mode, when power is supplied to one of the AC port and the DC port, the path for supplying power from the port is in a connected state, and the path for supplying power from the other port is in a disconnected state; and / or

[0019] In the working mode, when the DC step-down module fails to output the low-voltage output DC, the power module device is switched to the standby mode.

[0020] In the power module device according to the present invention, optionally, the power module device further includes:

[0021] an AC / DC conversion module connected to the control module, the AC port, and the DC step-down module, configured to convert AC input from the external AC power source via the AC port into DC in the working mode and then provide the DC to the DC step-down module; or

[0022] A DC / AC conversion module is connected to the control module and the DC port, and has a connection port for connecting to an external device. The module is used to convert the DC input via the DC port into AC in the working mode and then provide the AC to the external device via the connection port.

[0023] In the power module device according to the present invention, optionally, the power module device further includes:

[0024] an AC / DC conversion module connected to the control module, the AC port, and the DC step-down module, configured to convert AC input from the external AC power source via the AC port into DC in the working mode and then provide the DC to the DC step-down module; and

[0025] A DC / AC conversion module is connected to the control module and the AC / DC conversion module, and has a connection port for connecting to an external device. The module is used to convert the DC converted by the AC / DC conversion module into AC in the working mode and then provide the AC to the external device via the connection port.

[0026] In the power module device according to the present invention, optionally, the device is a transport refrigeration unit on a transport vehicle, the external AC power source includes a commercial power grid, and the external device includes a compressor and a compressor housing heater of the transport refrigeration unit.

[0027] In the power module device according to the present invention, optionally, the power module device further includes:

[0028] at least one output port; and

[0029] At least one IGBT module is connected to the DC port, the AC / DC conversion module, or the DC boost module, and is also connected to the output port, and is used to control the on / off state and / or power level of a path through which DC provided via the DC port, the AC / DC conversion module, or the DC boost module is transmitted to an external device via the output port.

[0030] In the power module device according to the present invention, optionally, the external device includes an electric heater for a transport refrigeration unit on a transport vehicle.

[0031] In the power module device according to the present invention, optionally, the low-voltage output DC is used to provide power to the control module and / or external devices, and the external devices include a logic control board, a fan motor, and a valve for a transport refrigeration unit on a transport vehicle.

[0032] In the power module device according to the present invention, optionally, the control module is connected to the transport refrigeration unit for bus communication.

[0033] In the power module device according to the present invention, optionally, the voltage value of the low-voltage output DC is the same as or different from the voltage value of the low-voltage input DC; and / or, the voltage range of the battery DC and the high-voltage DC is 200V~850V, the voltage value of the low-voltage output DC is 12V, 24V or 48V, and the voltage value of the low-voltage input DC is 12V, 24V or 48V.

[0034] In the power module device according to the present invention, optionally, the transportation vehicle includes a vehicle, an aircraft, or a watercraft, and the vehicle includes a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a fuel vehicle, or a rail vehicle.

[0035] Secondly, according to a second aspect of the present invention, it provides a transport refrigeration system, which is arranged on a transport vehicle, comprising:

[0036] a transport refrigeration unit configured to provide a refrigerated environment;

[0037] a power module configured to provide power to the transportation vehicle using batteries and / or fuel; and

[0038] The power module device as described in any of the above items is connected to the power module and is used to provide power to the transport refrigeration unit.

[0039] In the transport refrigeration system according to the present invention, optionally, the power module device is provided in the transport refrigeration unit.

[0040] The principles, characteristics, features, and advantages of the various technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly understood from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. For example, compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the present invention can be used to integrate multiple functional modules into the power module device or remove some of the modules according to specific application needs, thereby achieving a flexible modular design, effectively saving layout space, simplifying the original complex wiring harness layout, and helping to reduce costs, which can greatly facilitate the operation and maintenance of the transport refrigeration unit. In addition, the power module device of the present invention can be compatible with transport refrigeration units on different transportation vehicles that use batteries, fuel, etc. as power, and therefore has a very wide range of applications. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. However, it should be noted that these drawings are designed for explanatory purposes only and are only intended to conceptually illustrate the structural configuration described herein, and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0042] Figure 1 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the composition and arrangement of an embodiment of a power module device according to the present invention.

[0043] Figure 2 FIG. 4 is a table of different component arrangement modes adopted by some embodiments of the power module device according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] First, it should be noted that the following will illustrate the composition, features and advantages of the power module device and the transport refrigeration system according to the present invention in an illustrative manner, but all descriptions should not be used to form any limitations on the present invention.

[0045] In this article, the technical terms "first" and "second" are only used for distinguishing purposes and are not intended to indicate their order and relative importance; the technical term "connection" means connecting one component directly to another component and / or indirectly to another component. The connection via the "port" can be carried out using an intermediate connector, etc., or directly using a cable, etc.; the technical terms "high voltage" and "low voltage" are relative concepts, which can be fully understood and implemented by technical personnel in this field in the application environment of this article.

[0046] In addition, for any single technical feature described or implied in the embodiments mentioned in this document, or any single technical feature shown or implied in the drawings, the present invention still allows for continued arbitrary combination or deletion between these technical features (or their equivalents) without any technical obstacles, and thus it should be considered that these more embodiments according to the present invention are also within the scope of the description in this document.

[0047] See also Figure 1 This figure illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a power module device according to the present invention, showing only a schematic diagram of the components and layout of this embodiment. This power module device can be used to provide power for a wide range of equipment (e.g., transport refrigeration units installed on vehicles, which will be used as an example below). Furthermore, this power module device is compatible with vehicles powered by batteries, fuels (e.g., gasoline, diesel, hydrogen, etc.), or hybrids. Such vehicles include, but are not limited to, vehicles (e.g., pure electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, fuel vehicles, rail vehicles, etc.), aircraft, and watercraft.

[0048] like Figure 1 As shown, in this given embodiment, the power module device may include an AC / DC conversion module 1, a DC / AC conversion module 2, a first IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) module 3, a DC boost module 4, a control module 5, a DC buck module 6, and a second IGBT module 7, and may be provided with a plurality of input ports or output ports represented by reference numerals P1-P9, respectively. The above functional modules and ports will be described in detail below.

[0049] First, the AC / DC conversion module 1 can be connected to the AC port P1, the control module 5, and the DC / AC conversion module 2, so that an external AC power source R1 (such as a commercial power grid) is connected to the power module device via the AC port P1 for AC-to-DC conversion. The converted DC is then provided to the DC / AC conversion module 2, so that the latter can further convert DC to AC. The converted AC is then provided to an external device R3 via the connection port P3. Such external device R3 includes, but is not limited to, a compressor of a transport refrigeration unit, a compressor housing heater, and the like.

[0050] like Figure 1 As shown, the AC / DC conversion module 1 and the DC step-down module 6 can be connected so that the latter can be used to further utilize the DC converted by the AC / DC conversion module 1 .

[0051] The DC step-down module 6 is configured to convert the input DC voltage into a low-voltage output DC for output. This low-voltage output DC can be, for example, 12V, 24V, 48V, or other suitable voltages to meet various specific application requirements. The input DC is typically a high-voltage DC voltage ranging from 200V to 850V, for example. This input DC can be provided by a battery on the vehicle or by connecting the power module to an external AC power source R1 and performing AC-DC conversion using the AC / DC conversion module 1.

[0052] The low-voltage DC output generated after the DC step-down module 6 steps down and converts the DC output can be output to an external device R7 via port P7 to meet various application needs. For example, this low-voltage DC output can be provided to the transport refrigeration unit's logic control board, fan motor, valves, etc. In specific applications, a component such as a diode D2 can be optionally provided in the link from the DC step-down module 6 to port P7 to prevent reverse current flow, thereby improving overall system safety.

[0053] exist Figure 1 In the power module device shown, a DC boost module 4 can also be provided. The DC boost module 4 is configured to be used for, in the case of a transportation vehicle using fuel as a power source, to boost the low-voltage input DC (such as 12V, 24V or 48V, etc.) of some devices or equipment (such as a low-voltage DC generator, etc.) provided in the transportation vehicle via port P5. Figure 1 The high-voltage DC is stepped up and converted into a high-voltage DC. The high-voltage DC can be provided to other functional modules in the power module device or output externally after processing. For example, the high-voltage DC can be input to the DC / AC conversion module 2 for conversion and then output externally, or the high-voltage DC can be input to the first IGBT module 3 and / or the second IGBT module 7 for processing and then output externally. This will be described in more detail later.

[0054] The control module 5 is the control part of the power module device, which can be connected to other modules in the power module device to control the operation of these modules accordingly. Figure 1 Not all of these complex connection control lines are shown. Furthermore, a bus communication method, such as CANBUS (Controller Area Network Bus), can be used to achieve communication between the control module 5 and the transport refrigeration unit. As a more specific example, the control module 5 can be connected to the logic control board in the transport refrigeration unit via bus R6 via port P6 to achieve the aforementioned communication connection.

[0055] In practical applications, various methods can be used to provide power to the control module 5. For example, the low-voltage output DC outputted by the DC step-down module 6 can be used to provide power to the control module 5.

[0056] For another example, a low-voltage DC input from an external device R8 via a low-voltage input DC port P8 can be used to provide power to the control module 5. The external device R8 can typically be a low-voltage battery on a vehicle, which can be used to provide power to the control module 5, etc. In this way, the power is usually only used for control power and not for providing high current. For example, when the power module is in standby mode, the DC step-down module 6 has no input and therefore does not provide low-voltage output DC. The control module 5 can be controlled to connect the low-voltage input DC port P8 to the port P7, that is, the low-voltage DC provided by the external device R8 is used to power the controller, etc. in the transport refrigeration unit, so that the unit can operate at any time. In addition, components such as a diode D1 and a switch S3 can be optionally provided on the link between the low-voltage input DC port P8 and the port P7 to prevent the power output from the DC step-down module 6 from being input to the external device R8, such as a low-voltage battery, via the low-voltage input DC port P8 when the power module is in working mode, thereby avoiding charging the low-voltage battery and increasing the load. In addition, since the DC step-down module 6 may fail to output the low-voltage output DC due to a malfunction or other reasons, the power module can end the current working mode at this time and then switch to the standby mode, and provide the low-voltage output DC input from the low-voltage input DC port P8 discussed above to the transport refrigeration unit via port P7.

[0057] For another example, a battery may be separately configured for the power module device or the control module 5 so as to provide power to the control module 5 .

[0058] The power module device may be provided with one or more operating modes. For example, in some operating modes, the control module 5 may be used to perform various controls on the operation of one or more modules in the power module device to meet actual application requirements.

[0059] For example, when in an operation mode, the control module 5 can control the operation of the DC boost module 4 and the DC buck module 6 to respectively implement their respective functions.

[0060] For example, the power module device can be configured with both an AC port P1 and a DC port P2, the former being used to connect to the AC of the external AC power source R1, and the latter being used to connect to the Figure 1The battery DC represented by the symbol "R2" can be input into the DC / AC conversion module 2 to be converted into AC and then provided to the external device R3. When the above-mentioned AC port P1 and DC port P2 are set at the same time, in order to ensure safety, when using one of the two ports to access power, the control module 5 can control the path of power access from this port to be in a closed state, while the path of power access from the other port is in a closed state. As an example, this can be achieved by the control module 5 controlling, for example, Figure 1 This is achieved by controlling the on-off states of the switches S1 and S2 shown in FIG.

[0061] In addition, in an optional situation, the power module device can be configured to have a charging mode. In this charging mode, the control module 5 can connect AC from an external AC power source R to the power module device via the AC port P1, and then charge the battery connected to it via the DC port P2, thereby very conveniently replenishing the battery energy of the transportation vehicle.

[0062] like Figure 1 As shown, in an optional case, one or more IGBT modules and corresponding output ports can be set in the power module device. Such IGBT modules can be connected to any port, interface, etc. that can provide high-voltage DC (for example, the output end of the AC / DC conversion module 1, the output end of the DC boost module 4, the DC port P2, etc. discussed above) to achieve stepless adjustment of the output power (that is, it can be adjusted from 0 (OFF) to a preset maximum power, and vice versa), and / or to achieve connection or disconnection of the outward transmission path, which will be very convenient for various possible specific applications.

[0063] As an example, in Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the power module device is provided with a first IGBT module 3 and a second IGBT module 7, which can provide power to external devices R4 and R9 via output ports P4 and P9, respectively. Such external devices R4 and R9 may include but are not limited to, for example, electric heaters of transport refrigeration units.

[0064] By combining Figure 1The illustrated embodiment has been described in detail above, describing the structure, functions, and connections of the power module device and its various component modules, input ports, output ports, and the like. In practical applications, all of these components can be integrated and assembled together to form a compact, functional, and reliable power module device. This power module device can support not only transport refrigeration units on battery-powered vehicles, but also transport refrigeration units on fuel-powered or hybrid-powered vehicles. This significantly reduces the number of on-site cables, conserves a significant amount of wiring harness material, and greatly simplifies the associated wiring operations, improving convenience and practicality while also reducing potential safety risks associated with the numerous wiring harnesses and connectors present in existing equipment.

[0065] However, it should be noted that, in specific application scenarios, the present invention fully allows various possible combinations of these component modules, input ports, output ports, etc. in the power module device, so as to better meet actual application requirements.

[0066] For example, in Figure 2 The figure only shows by way of example the eight optional configuration modes of the power module device in different situations where batteries and fuel are used as power. Figure 2 In the figure, the symbol "√" is used to indicate that it has been selected and configured in the power module device, the symbol "╳" is used to indicate that it has not been selected and configured in the power module device, and the word "optional" means that it can be configured in the power module device or removed from the power module device. Since the technical contents such as these component modules, input ports, and output ports in the power module device have been introduced in detail in the previous text, those skilled in the art can fully understand the specific descriptions of the corresponding parts by referring to the above. Figure 2 These optional configuration modes of the power module device are listed in the table, so they will not be repeated here.

[0067] In addition, it should be understood that according to the subject matter of the present invention, the power module device is allowed to have more possible configuration modes, not limited to Figure 2 The eight configuration modes shown in the figure are: This means that the functional modules, components, input ports, output ports, etc. in the power module device can be configured in any possible combination, and such combination configurations can be determined and adjusted based on specific application requirements. Because the present invention adopts a modular design concept, it is very convenient and easy to implement the required combination configurations of functional modules, components, input ports, output ports, etc., thereby achieving many good technical effects such as reducing costs, reducing product volume, saving wiring harness consumables, and simplifying engineering wiring operations.

[0068] As another aspect that is significantly superior to the prior art, the present invention also provides a transport refrigeration system, which may include a transport refrigeration unit, a power module, and an electric power module device designed and provided according to the present invention, so as to bring into play the significant technical advantages of the present invention as described above.

[0069] Specifically, the transport refrigeration system can be installed on a means of transportation such as a vehicle (such as a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a fuel vehicle, a rail vehicle, etc.), an aircraft, a watercraft, etc., and a transport refrigeration unit therein can be used to provide a refrigerated environment so as to provide refrigerated protection for goods stored in the means of transportation during transportation.

[0070] The power module can utilize batteries or fuel (such as gasoline, diesel, or hydrogen) to power the transport vehicle. The power module device designed and provided according to the present invention can be connected to the power module to provide power to the transport refrigeration unit in the transport refrigeration system. The specific composition, functional configuration, and placement of the power module device for the transport refrigeration unit can be flexibly configured and adjusted based on specific application requirements.

[0071] For example, in actual application scenarios, the specific layout position of the power module device can be flexibly set according to demand conditions. For example, the power module device can be installed in a transport refrigeration unit or at any other suitable position on a transport vehicle.

[0072] The above description of the power module device and transport refrigeration system according to the present invention is provided by way of example only. These examples are intended solely to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Persons skilled in the art may readily make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent technical solutions are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention and are defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A power module device, characterized in that: The power module device is used for equipment powered by batteries and / or fuel, has an operating mode and includes a DC port, a low-voltage input DC port, a DC step-down module, a DC step-up module, and a control module, wherein: The DC port is configured to be connected to the battery to receive power; The low-voltage input DC port is configured to receive a low-voltage DC from the device having a voltage lower than that of the DC provided by the battery, so as to provide power to the control module and / or an external device, wherein the device is a transport refrigeration unit on a transport vehicle; The DC step-down module is configured to step down and convert the DC provided by at least the battery into a low-voltage output DC for output, and the DC step-up module is configured to step up and convert the low-voltage input DC provided by a fuel-powered device into a high-voltage DC for output; and The control module is connected to the device, and in the working mode, the control module controls the operation of the DC buck module and the DC boost module.

2. The power module device according to claim 1, wherein: The power module device further includes: The AC port is configured to be connected to an external AC power source to receive power.

3. The power module device according to claim 2, wherein: The external devices include the logic control board, fan motor, and valve of the equipment.

4. The power module device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The power module device also has: a charging mode, in which the control module controls the AC connected to the external AC power source via the AC port to charge the battery connected via the DC port; and / or Standby mode: in the standby mode, the control module controls so that the low-voltage DC is connected through the low-voltage input DC port and then output to the external device.

5. The power module device according to claim 4, wherein: The control module is configured to: In the working mode, when power is supplied to one of the AC port and the DC port, the path for supplying power from the port is in a connected state, and the path for supplying power from the other port is in a disconnected state; and / or In the working mode, when the DC step-down module fails to output the low-voltage output DC, the power module device is switched to the standby mode.

6. The power module device according to claim 2, wherein: The power module device further includes: an AC / DC conversion module connected to the control module, the AC port, and the DC step-down module, configured to convert AC input from the external AC power source via the AC port into DC in the working mode and then provide the DC to the DC step-down module; or A DC / AC conversion module is connected to the control module and the DC port, and has a connection port for connecting to an external device. The module is used to convert the DC input via the DC port into AC in the working mode and then provide the AC to the external device via the connection port.

7. The power module device according to claim 2, wherein: The power module device further includes: an AC / DC conversion module connected to the control module, the AC port, and the DC step-down module, configured to convert AC input from the external AC power source via the AC port into DC in the working mode and then provide the DC to the DC step-down module; and A DC / AC conversion module is connected to the control module and the AC / DC conversion module, and has a connection port for connecting to an external device. The module is used to convert the DC converted by the AC / DC conversion module into AC in the working mode and then provide the AC to the external device via the connection port.

8. The power module device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein: The external AC power source includes a commercial power grid, and the external devices include a compressor and a compressor housing heater of the transport refrigeration unit.

9. The power module device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein: The power module device further includes: at least one output port; and At least one IGBT module is connected to the DC port, the AC / DC conversion module, or the DC boost module, and is also connected to the output port, and is used to control the on / off state and / or power level of a path through which DC provided via the DC port, the AC / DC conversion module, or the DC boost module is transmitted to an external device via the output port.

10. The power module device according to claim 9, wherein: The external device comprises an electric heater for a transport refrigeration unit on a transport vehicle.

11. The power module device according to claim 1, wherein: The low voltage output DC is used to provide power to the control module and / or external devices, including a logic control board, a fan motor, and a valve of a transport refrigeration unit on a transport vehicle.

12. The power module device according to claim 8, wherein: The control module is connected to the transport refrigeration unit for bus communication.

13. The power module device according to claim 1, wherein: The voltage value of the low-voltage output DC is the same as or different from the voltage value of the low-voltage input DC.

14. The power module device according to claim 1, wherein: The voltage range of the battery DC and the high-voltage DC is 200V to 850V, the voltage value of the low-voltage output DC is 12V, 24V or 48V, and the voltage value of the low-voltage input DC is 12V, 24V or 48V.

15. The power module device according to claim 1, wherein: The transportation means include vehicles, aircraft, and water vehicles, and the vehicles include pure electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and fuel vehicles.

16. The power module device according to claim 1, wherein: The transportation vehicle includes a rail vehicle.

17. A transport refrigeration system, which is installed on a transport vehicle, characterized in that: include: a transport refrigeration unit configured to provide a refrigerated environment; a power module configured to provide power to the transportation vehicle using batteries and / or fuel; as well as The power module device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, connected to the power module, for providing power to the transport refrigeration unit.

18. The transport refrigeration system of claim 17, wherein: The power module device is disposed in the transport refrigeration unit.

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