Thermal Management System

Abstract

The present invention discloses a thermal management system, which includes a refrigerant system and a coolant system. The thermal management system also includes a fourth heat exchanger, which is arranged in the coolant system. The fourth heat exchanger can absorb heat from the air and release heat to the air, which is beneficial to improving the performance of the thermal management system.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of thermal management, and in particular to a thermal management system for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] The thermal management system includes an external heat exchanger, in which the refrigerant can absorb or release heat to the ambient air; the thermal management system can manage the heat of the heat-generating components so that the heat-generating components operate within a reasonable temperature range. How to control the temperature of the heat-generating components and improve the performance of the thermal management system is a technical problem that needs to be solved. [Summary of the invention]

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a thermal management system, which is beneficial to improving the performance of the thermal management system.

[0004] A thermal management system, the thermal management system comprising a refrigerant system and a coolant system, the refrigerant of the refrigerant system and the coolant of the coolant system being isolated from each other and not circulated; the refrigerant system comprising a compressor, a first heat exchanger and a throttling device, the outlet of the compressor being able to communicate with the refrigerant inlet of the first heat exchanger; the thermal management system further comprising a double-flow heat exchanger, the double-flow heat exchanger comprising a refrigerant flow channel and a coolant flow channel, the throttling device being able to communicate with the inlet of the compressor through the refrigerant flow channel of the double-flow heat exchanger;

[0005] The coolant system comprises a second heat exchanger and / or a third heat exchanger, a coolant flow channel of the dual-flow channel heat exchanger, a pump and a fourth heat exchanger, and the fourth heat exchanger is arranged outside the air conditioning box of the vehicle;

[0006] In the heating mode of the thermal management system, the compressor is connected to the throttling device through the first heat exchanger, the pump and the throttling device are turned on, and the coolant flow channel of the dual-flow heat exchanger is connected to the fourth heat exchanger and the pump;

[0007] In the first cooling mode of the thermal management system, the pump is turned on, and at least one of the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger is in communication with the pump and the fourth heat exchanger.

[0008] The thermal management system includes a refrigerant system and a coolant system. The fourth heat exchanger is a part of the coolant system. The fourth heat exchanger is arranged outside the air-conditioning box of the vehicle. The thermal management system can absorb heat from the air through the fourth heat exchanger, and the coolant system can release heat to the air through the fourth heat exchanger. The fourth heat exchanger is arranged in the coolant system to provide a new way for the thermal management system to absorb and release heat, which is beneficial to enhance the heating and cooling performance of the thermal management system.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009] Figure 1 is a connection diagram of a first embodiment of a thermal management system;

[0010] Figure 2 is a connection diagram of a second embodiment of a thermal management system;

[0011] Figure 3 is a connection diagram of a third embodiment of a thermal management system;

[0012] Figure 4 is a connection diagram of a fourth embodiment of a thermal management system;

[0013] Figure 5 is a connection diagram of a fifth embodiment of a thermal management system;

[0014] Figure 6 is a connection diagram of a sixth embodiment of a thermal management system;

[0015] Figure 7 is a connection diagram of a seventh embodiment of a thermal management system;

[0016] Figure 8 2 is a connection diagram of an eighth embodiment of a thermal management system. [Specific implementation method]

[0017] The following is an example of a specific automotive thermal management system with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1The thermal management system includes a refrigerant system and a coolant system. The refrigerant of the refrigerant system and the coolant of the coolant system are isolated from each other and do not circulate. The refrigerant system includes a compressor 10 and a first heat exchanger 101. The refrigerant system also includes two throttling devices, namely a first throttling device 204 and a second throttling device 208. The outlet of the compressor is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the first heat exchanger 101. The thermal management system also includes a first double-channel heat exchanger 104. The first double-channel heat exchanger 104 has a refrigerant channel and a coolant channel. The refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant channel and the coolant flowing through the coolant channel can exchange heat in the first double-channel heat exchanger 104. The inlet of the refrigerant channel of the first double-channel heat exchanger 104 is connected to the first throttling device 204. The outlet of the refrigerant channel of the first double-channel heat exchanger 104 is connected to the suction port of the compressor 10 or is connected to the inlet of the compressor 10 through the gas-liquid separator 207. The thermal management system also includes a second double-channel heat exchanger 109, which has a refrigerant channel and a coolant channel. The refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant channel and the coolant flowing through the coolant channel can exchange heat in the second double-channel heat exchanger 109. The inlet of the refrigerant channel of the second double-channel heat exchanger 109 is connected to the second throttling device 208, and the outlet of the refrigerant channel of the second double-channel heat exchanger 109 is connected to the suction port of the compressor 10 or is connected to the inlet of the compressor 10 through the gas-liquid separator 207. The coolant system includes a first circuit and a second circuit, and the first circuit and the second circuit can operate independently of each other. The first circuit includes the coolant flow channel of the first double-channel heat exchanger 104, the second heat exchanger 106 and the first pump 502. The coolant flow channel of the first double-channel heat exchanger 104, the second heat exchanger 106 and the first pump 502 are connected in series to form the first circuit. The first pump 502 can drive the coolant to flow in the first circuit. The second heat exchanger 106 can be used to adjust the temperature of heating devices such as motors. Motors and other heating devices can directly or indirectly exchange heat with the coolant in the second heat exchanger 106, thereby adjusting the temperature of heating devices such as motors. The second circuit includes the coolant flow channel of the second double-channel heat exchanger 109, the third heat exchanger 105 and the second pump 501. The third heat exchanger 105 and the second pump 501 are connected in series to form the second circuit. The second pump 501 can drive the coolant to flow in the second circuit. The third heat exchanger 105 can be used to adjust the temperature of heating devices such as batteries. Batteries and other heating devices can directly or indirectly exchange heat with the coolant in the third heat exchanger 105, thereby adjusting the temperature of heating devices such as batteries. Since the operating temperature of heat-generating devices such as motors is higher than that of heat-generating devices such as batteries, the coolant in the first circuit is not connected to the coolant in the second circuit to prevent damage to the battery.

[0018] Specifically, the first circuit includes a first branch, the first branch includes a second heat exchanger 106 and a first pump 502, the second heat exchanger 106 and the first pump 502 are connected, the first branch has two ports, the two ports of the first branch are the inlet for the coolant to enter the first branch and the outlet for the coolant to flow out of the first branch, and the two ports of the first branch can be the opening of the device or the opening of the pipeline.

[0019] The second circuit includes a second branch, the second branch includes a third heat exchanger 105 and a second pump 501, the second branch has two ports, the two ports of the second branch are the inlet for the coolant to enter the second branch and the outlet for the coolant to flow out of the second branch, the two ports of the second branch can be the opening of the device or the opening of the pipeline. The two ports of the second branch are respectively connected to the two ports of the coolant flow channel of the second double-flow channel heat exchanger 109;

[0020] The coolant system also includes a fourth heat exchanger 107. In one technical solution of the present invention, the fourth heat exchanger 107 is arranged in the first circuit, or the fourth heat exchanger 107 is a part of the first circuit. The fourth heat exchanger 107 can be an air-cooled heat exchanger, such as a microchannel heat exchanger. The fourth heat exchanger 107, the first pump 502 and the second heat exchanger 106 are connected in series. In the vehicle thermal management system, the fourth heat exchanger 107 is arranged outside the air-conditioning box of the vehicle, and the fourth heat exchanger 107 can exchange heat with the ambient air. Specifically, when the temperature of the heat-generating equipment such as the motor is high and needs to be dissipated, the coolant in the first circuit only circulates in the first circuit, and the heat of the heat-generating equipment such as the motor is released into the air through the fourth heat exchanger 107. At this time, there is no need to turn on the compressor to achieve temperature control of the heat-generating equipment such as the motor, which can save energy. In other technical solutions of the present invention, the fourth heat exchanger 107 can be arranged in the second circuit and will not be described in detail. Alternatively, the first circuit and the second circuit may also share the fourth heat exchanger 107. For example, when the first circuit needs to dissipate heat, the first circuit is connected to the fourth heat exchanger 107, and when the second circuit needs to dissipate heat, the second circuit is connected to the fourth heat exchanger 107. Of course, the coolant system may also include two fourth heat exchangers 107, one of which is set in the first circuit and the other is set in the second circuit.

[0021] The refrigerant system includes a first throttling unit 205, a seventh heat exchanger 103 and a first valve device 201. The seventh heat exchanger 103 includes at least a first port and a second port. The first throttling unit 205 is connected to the second port of the seventh heat exchanger 103. The refrigerant inlet of the first heat exchanger 101 is connected to the outlet of the compressor 10. The refrigerant outlet of the first heat exchanger 101 is connected to the first valve device 201. The refrigerant outlet of the first heat exchanger 101 can be connected to the first throttling unit 205 through the first valve device 201. The first heat exchanger 101 can also be connected to the first throttling device 204 and / or the second throttling device 208 through the first valve device. The first port of the seventh heat exchanger 103 can also be connected to the suction port of the compressor 10 through the first valve device 201 or be connected to the inlet of the compressor 10 through the gas-liquid separator 207. The refrigerant system further includes an eighth heat exchanger 102 and a second throttling unit 202 . The second throttling unit 202 can be in communication with an inlet of the eighth heat exchanger 102 , and an outlet of the eighth heat exchanger 102 is in communication with an inlet of the compressor 10 . The first valve device 201 at least includes a first connecting port, a second connecting port, a third connecting port and a fourth connecting port. Specifically, the first connecting port is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the first heat exchanger 101, the fourth connecting port is connected to the suction port of the compressor 10, the second connecting port can be connected to at least one of the first throttling unit 205, the first throttling device 204, the second throttling device 208 and the second throttling unit 202, and the third connecting port is connected to the first port of the seventh heat exchanger 103. The first valve device 201 at least includes a first working state and a second working state. In the first working state of the first valve device 201, the first valve device 201 opens the connecting passage between the first connecting port and the third connecting port, and closes the connecting passage between the fourth connecting port and the second connecting port and the first connecting port. In the second working state of the first valve device 201, the first valve device 201 opens the connecting passage between the first connecting port and the second connecting port, and opens the connecting passage between the third connecting port and the fourth connecting port. Among them, the first heat exchanger 101 and the eighth heat exchanger 102 are arranged in the vehicle's air conditioner to adjust the temperature of the vehicle's passenger compartment, and the seventh heat exchanger 103 and the fourth heat exchanger 107 are arranged outside the vehicle's air conditioner box and can exchange heat with ambient air.

[0022] The second port of the seventh heat exchanger 103 is also provided with a one-way element 206 in parallel with the first throttling unit 205, or in other words, the second connecting port can be connected to the second port of the seventh heat exchanger 103 through the first throttling unit 205 and the one-way element 206 connected in parallel, wherein the one-way element 206 is turned on when the refrigerant flows out of the second port of the seventh heat exchanger 103, and is turned off when the refrigerant flows toward the second port of the seventh heat exchanger 103, or in other words, the inlet of the one-way element 206 is connected to the second port of the seventh heat exchanger 103. In addition, the first throttling unit 205 can also use a throttling device with a cut-off function, so that the one-way element 206 can be eliminated. In addition, the connection or communication described in this specification can be a direct connection or communication, such as two components can be assembled together, so that there is no need to connect the pipeline and the system is more compact, or it can be an indirect connection or communication, such as connecting through a pipeline, or connecting after passing through a certain component, which will not be illustrated here one by one; in the technical scheme of the present invention, opening the throttling device means that the opening of the throttling device is the largest, closing the throttling device means that the opening of the throttling device is zero, and opening the throttling device means the state between opening and closing, or the throttling state of the throttling device. The second throttling device 208 and the first throttling device 204 can be a throttling device such as a thermal expansion valve or an electronic expansion valve or a capillary tube that can adjust the refrigerant flowing through; the one-way element 206 can be a shut-off valve or a flow regulating valve or a solenoid valve with an on-off control function, or a one-way valve that flows in one direction and shuts off in the other direction; the one-way element or valve module can also be integrated with the heat exchanger to form a combination, which has a more compact structure, such as the second throttling unit 202 and the eighth heat exchanger 102 integrated into the combination.

[0023] The coolant system of the thermal management system also includes a kettle 108. The medium in the kettle 108 can be coolant. The coolant flow channel of the second double-flow channel heat exchanger 109, the kettle 108, the second pump 501 and the third heat exchanger 105 are connected in series. At this time, the coolant in the kettle 108 participates in the flow of the coolant system in the second circuit. In other embodiments, the kettle 108 can also be connected only to the second circuit and participate in the flow of the coolant in the second circuit. A kettle 108' can also be set in the first circuit, which will not be described in detail.

[0024] The vehicle's air conditioning box is provided with a number of air ducts (not shown) connected to the vehicle's passenger compartment, and the air ducts are provided with grilles (not shown) that can adjust the size of the air ducts. On the air inlet side of the air conditioning box, there are provided an internal circulation air vent, an external circulation air vent, a circulation damper 301 that adjusts the size of the internal circulation air vent and the external circulation air vent, and a motor that drives the circulation damper 301. The internal circulation air vent is connected to the vehicle's passenger compartment, and the air in the vehicle's passenger compartment enters the air conditioning box through the internal circulation air vent and then re-enters the vehicle's interior through the air duct, forming an internal circulation; the external circulation air vent is connected to the outside of the vehicle's passenger compartment, and the air outside the vehicle enters the air conditioning box through the external circulation air vent and enters the vehicle's passenger compartment through the air duct. The circulation damper 301 is arranged between the inner circulation air outlet and the outer circulation air outlet. The controller can control the circulation damper 301 through the motor. When the circulation damper 301 is switched to the inner circulation air outlet, the inner circulation air outlet can be closed to form an outer circulation. When the circulation damper 301 is switched to the outer circulation air outlet, the outer circulation air outlet can be closed to form an in-car circulation. The position of the circulation damper 301 can adjust the size of the inner circulation air outlet and the outer circulation air outlet, thereby adjusting the ratio of the air outside the car to the air inside the car in the air entering the air conditioning box. In addition, a fan 303 is also arranged on one side of the seventh heat exchanger 103, which can speed up the wind speed flowing through the seventh heat exchanger 103.

[0025] The first heat exchanger 101 is arranged in the air conditioning box, and a blower 304 is arranged near the inner circulation air outlet and the outer circulation air outlet of the air conditioning box. A temperature damper 302 is also arranged on the upwind side of the first heat exchanger 101. When the thermal management system further includes the eighth heat exchanger 102, the first heat exchanger 101 and the eighth heat exchanger 102 can be arranged in the air conditioning box at a certain distance, or the temperature damper 302 is arranged between the first heat exchanger 101 and the eighth heat exchanger 102. When the temperature damper 302 is opened, the air blown in from the inner circulation air outlet or the outer circulation air outlet exchanges heat with the first heat exchanger 101. When the temperature damper 302 is closed, the air blown in from the inner circulation air outlet or the outer circulation air outlet cannot flow through the first heat exchanger 101, and the air flows through the channels on both sides of the temperature damper 302, and then enters the vehicle interior through the air duct. The seventh heat exchanger 103 and the fourth heat exchanger 107 are disposed outside the air conditioning box of the vehicle. Specifically, the seventh heat exchanger 103 and the fourth heat exchanger 107 are disposed in a front end module of the vehicle.

[0026] The thermal management system includes a heating mode and a first cooling mode. The working conditions of the thermal management system in several modes are described below. Among them, the heating mode of the thermal management system includes a first heating mode and a second heating mode. When the ambient temperature is too low, the heating performance of the first heat exchanger 101 is insufficient, or the heat absorbed by the thermal management system from the seventh heat exchanger 103 is insufficient to provide the required heat indoors, the thermal management system enters the first heating mode. In the first heating mode, the first valve device 201 is in the second working state, the first throttling unit 205 and the first throttling device 204 are turned on, and the refrigerant of the thermal management system becomes a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant after being compressed by the compressor 10. The temperature damper 302 is opened, and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant exchanges heat with the surrounding air in the first heat exchanger 101, and the refrigerant of the first heat exchanger 101 releases heat to the surrounding air. The refrigerant outlet of the first heat exchanger 101 leads to the second port of the seventh heat exchanger 103 and the flow paths of the refrigerant flow paths of the first double-channel heat exchanger 104 and the second double-channel heat exchanger 109, and the flow path leading to the eighth heat exchanger 102 is cut off. Accordingly, the refrigerant enters the seventh heat exchanger 103 after being throttled by the first throttling unit 205, and the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant exchanges heat with the air around it in the seventh heat exchanger 103, absorbing the heat of the air. After the refrigerant flows out of the seventh heat exchanger 103, it can return to the compressor 10, and the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant enters the compressor 10 and is compressed by the compressor 10 again into a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant, and the cycle works in this way. The refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path of the first double-channel heat exchanger 104 exchanges heat with the coolant of the coolant system, and then the refrigerant enters the compressor and is compressed by the compressor again. The situation of the second double-channel heat exchanger 109 is the same as that of the first double-channel heat exchanger 104 and will not be described in detail. In this embodiment, the first throttling device 204 and the second throttling device 208 are both turned on, and the first double-flow channel heat exchanger 104 and the second double-flow channel heat exchanger are both involved in the operation. Of course, in other embodiments, only one of the first throttling device and the second throttling device can be turned on. Since the requirements for temperature control accuracy of heating equipment such as motors are not high, the first throttling device can be a thermal expansion valve with a cut-off function, which can reduce costs. The second throttling device can be an electronic expansion valve, which can accurately control the temperature of equipment such as batteries.

[0027] Taking the refrigerant heat exchange between the first circuit and the first double-channel heat exchanger 104 as an example, the heat exchange between the motor and other heat generating equipment and the second heat exchanger 106 is carried out, and the coolant in the second heat exchanger 106 absorbs the heat of the motor and other heat generating equipment. The thermal management system obtains the heat absorbed by the second heat exchanger 106 from the motor and other heat generating equipment through the first double-channel heat exchanger 104, and releases it to the air conditioning box through the first heat exchanger 101. At this time, the thermal management system has two heat sources, namely the air outside the vehicle air conditioning box and the motor and other heat generating equipment. When the fourth heat exchanger 107 is also set in the first circuit, the fourth heat exchanger 107 can absorb heat from the ambient air. It should be emphasized here that the fourth heat exchanger 107 is set upstream of the second heat exchanger 106. The "upstream" mentioned here means that the coolant first passes through the fourth heat exchanger 107 and then passes through the second heat exchanger 106. This is set up because the temperature of the ambient air is lower than the temperature of the heating equipment such as the motor. The coolant first absorbs the heat of the ambient air in the fourth heat exchanger 107, and the coolant temperature rises. Then, the coolant absorbs heat in the second heat exchanger 106, and the coolant temperature can be further increased. If the second heat exchanger 106 is set upstream of the fourth heat exchanger 107, the coolant cannot absorb heat from the fourth heat exchanger 107 after absorbing heat from the second heat exchanger 106. The thermal management system can absorb heat from the air through the fourth heat exchanger 107, which is equivalent to increasing the heat exchange area of ​​the seventh heat exchanger 103. Because the specific heat capacity of the coolant is larger than that of the air and the temperature change range is smaller, the superheat control of the first double-channel heat exchanger 104 is relatively easy compared to the control of the seventh heat exchanger 103; in addition, the double-channel heat exchanger has a small volume, a short flow channel, and better oil return performance.

[0028] In winter, the temperature outside the vehicle in some areas is relatively low. When the outside temperature is below zero or close to zero, the surface of the seventh heat exchanger 103 is prone to frost or ice or failure, which in turn affects the energy efficiency of the thermal management system and even loses the heating performance. The thermal management system enters the second heating mode, the first valve device 201 is in the second working state, at least one of the first throttling device and the second throttling device is opened, and the refrigerant discharged from the first heat exchanger 101 enters the first throttling device 204 and / or the second throttling device 208 after passing through the first valve device 201, and the second throttling unit 202 is closed. The thermal management system absorbs heat from the air and heating devices such as motors through the first circuit and / or absorbs heat from the air and heating devices such as batteries through the second circuit. Compared with the first heating mode, the refrigerant flowing through the first double-channel heat exchanger can absorb heat from the coolant in the first circuit, or the refrigerant flowing through the second double-channel heat exchanger can absorb heat from the second circuit. When the seventh heat exchanger 103 cannot effectively absorb heat, the heat of devices such as batteries or motors is used to provide a certain amount of heat for the room, which is conducive to improving comfort. Of course, when the ambient temperature is relatively high, the thermal management system absorbs heat through the seventh heat exchanger 103 and then releases the heat in the first heat exchanger 101, which will not be described in detail.

[0029] In the first cooling mode of the thermal management system, the compressor 10 is turned off. Taking the operation of the first circuit as an example, when the temperature of the heat-generating device such as the motor is high and needs to be cooled, the first pump 502 is turned on to make the coolant in the first circuit flow in the first circuit, and the heat of the heat-generating device such as the motor is released to the coolant, and finally released to the air through the fourth heat exchanger 107. At this time, the heat-generating device such as the battery can be cooled through the first double-flow heat exchanger 104, and the heat-generating device such as the battery cools itself, or dissipates heat through another fourth heat exchanger 107. In the first cooling mode, the first pump 502 is turned on, the fourth heat exchanger 107, the first pump 502 and the second heat exchanger 106 are connected, and the first pump 502 drives the coolant to flow in the first circuit. In the first cooling mode, at least one of the battery or the motor releases heat using the fourth heat exchanger 107, and the compressor can be turned off or the compressor operates at a relatively low power consumption, which can reduce energy consumption and save energy. In summary, in the heating mode of the thermal management system, the thermal management system can absorb heat from the air through the fourth heat exchanger 107, and in the first cooling mode of the thermal management system, the thermal management system can release heat to the air through the fourth heat exchanger 107. Compared with the thermal management system only having the seventh heat exchanger 103, it is equivalent to increasing the heat exchange area of ​​the seventh heat exchanger 103, thereby improving the heating performance and cooling performance of the thermal management system.

[0030] See also Figure 2, the refrigerant system may also be provided with only one throttling device 204', that is, only one of the first throttling device and the second throttling device is provided. Specifically, the refrigerant system includes a first valve component 2003. In the present embodiment, the first valve component 2003 is a three-way valve. The first valve component 2003 has three connection ports. The first connection port of the first valve component 2003 can be communicated with the second connection port of the first valve component 2003 and / or with the third connection port of the first valve component 2003. The first valve component may be a three-way switching valve or a three-way flow regulating valve. The first connection port of the first valve component 2003 is communicated with the first port of the throttling device 204', the second port of the throttling device 204' is communicated with the outlet of the one-way element 206, the second connection port of the first valve component 2003 is communicated with the refrigerant inlet of the first double-channel heat exchanger 104, and the third connection port of the first valve component 2003 is communicated with the inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the second double-channel heat exchanger 109. When the first connection port of the first valve component 2003 is connected to the third connection port of the first valve component 2003, and the first connection port of the first valve component 2003 is not connected to the second connection port, the second pump 501 is turned on, the first pump 502 is turned off, the first double-channel heat exchanger 104 does not work, and the refrigerant and the coolant of the second circuit are heat exchanged in the second double-channel heat exchanger 109. When the first connection port of the first valve component 2003 is not connected to the third connection port, and the first connection port of the first valve component 2003 is connected to the second connection port, the second pump 501 is turned off, the first pump 502 is turned on, the refrigerant and the coolant of the first circuit are heat exchanged in the first double-channel heat exchanger 104, and the second double-channel heat exchanger does not work. In other embodiments, the first valve component 2003 may also be a combination of two shut-off valves or flow regulating valves, which will not be described in detail. Compared to Figure 1 In the embodiment shown, the thermal management system can save an expansion valve, which relatively reduces the cost. When the first throttling device and the second throttling device are thermal expansion valves or capillaries, in order to conveniently control the working conditions of the first double-channel heat exchanger and the second double-channel heat exchanger, the refrigerant system can be provided with a first valve member 2003, wherein the first connection port of the first valve member 2003 is communicated with the outlet of the one-way element 206, the second connection port of the first valve member is communicated with the refrigerant inlet of the first double-channel heat exchanger 104 through the first throttling device 204, and the third interface of the first valve member is communicated with the refrigerant inlet of the second double-channel heat exchanger 109 through the second throttling device 208. The specific working method will not be described in detail.

[0031] See also Figure 3, the first heat exchanger 101 is a dual-channel heat exchanger, such as the first heat exchanger 101 is a plate heat exchanger, the first heat exchanger 101 includes a refrigerant channel and a coolant channel, the outlet of the compressor 10 is connected to the inlet of the refrigerant channel of the first heat exchanger 101, and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant can release heat in the refrigerant channel of the first heat exchanger 101 to increase the heat of the coolant channel. The thermal management system includes a third circuit, the third circuit includes a third pump 503, the coolant channel of the first heat exchanger 101 and a sixth heat exchanger 1001, the third pump 503, the coolant channel of the first heat exchanger 101 and the sixth heat exchanger 1001 are connected in series; the sixth heat exchanger 1001 is arranged in the air-conditioning box of the vehicle, and the first heat exchanger 101 is arranged outside the air-conditioning box of the vehicle. Please refer to Figure 4 , the third circuit can exchange heat with the second circuit or the first circuit. In a specific embodiment, the thermal management system further includes a first connecting line 51 and a second connecting line 52, the first connecting line 51 and the second connecting line 52 both include a first end and a second end, the first end of the first connecting line 51 is connected to the second circuit, and the second end of the first connecting line 51 is connected to the third circuit; similarly, the first end of the second connecting line 52 is connected to the second circuit, and the second end of the second connecting line 52 is connected to the third circuit. The thermal management system can realize the exchange of the coolant of the second circuit and the coolant of the third circuit through the first connecting line 51 and the second connecting line 52, that is, the coolant of the second circuit can flow into the third circuit through the first connecting line 51 or the second connecting line 52, or the coolant of the third circuit can flow into the second circuit through the first connecting line 51 or the second connecting line, and finally realize the heat exchange between the second circuit and the third circuit. Specifically, among the four ports of the first communication pipeline 51 and the second communication pipeline 52, at least one port is directly or indirectly connected to the inlet of the third pump 503 or the second pump 501, such as the second end of the first communication pipeline 51 is connected to the inlet of the third pump 503, the second end of the first communication pipeline 51 is connected to the second circuit, and the two ends of the second communication pipeline 52 are connected to the second circuit and the third circuit, but the two ends of the second communication pipeline are not directly connected to the third pump 503 or the second pump 501. This facilitates the coolant in the second circuit and the third circuit to flow to each other.

[0032] The third circuit includes a third branch, which includes a third pump 503, a coolant flow channel of the first heat exchanger 101 and a sixth heat exchanger 1001 connected in series, or the third branch is a disconnected form of the third circuit. The coolant system includes a third valve 401, which includes a first interface 4011, a second interface 4012 and a third interface 4013. The third valve 401 can open or close the communication passage between the first interface 4011 and the third interface 4013 or between the first interface 4011 and the second interface 4012. The first interface 4011 and the second interface 4012 of the third valve 401 are connected to both ends of the third branch, and the third interface 4013 of the third valve 401 is connected to one end of the second connecting pipeline 52, and the other end of the second connecting pipeline 52 is connected to one end of the second branch. Both ends of the first connecting pipeline 51 are connected to the other ends of the second branch and the third branch. The thermal management system can control whether the second circuit and the third circuit exchange coolant through the third valve component 401, such as when the first interface 4011 of the third valve component 401 is connected to the second interface 4012, and the first interface 4011 of the third valve component 401 is not connected to the third interface 4013, the coolant in the third circuit flows in the third circuit. In the circulation mode of the thermal management system, that is, when the third circuit and the second circuit need to exchange heat, such as using the heat generated by the first heat exchanger 101 to increase the heat of a heat-generating device such as a battery, or using the heat of a heat-generating device such as a battery to heat the passenger compartment, the first interface 4011 of the third valve component 401 is controlled to be disconnected from the second interface 4012, and the first interface 4011 of the third valve component 401 is connected to the third interface 4013, and the coolant in the second circuit and the third circuit is exchanged, and finally the heat exchange between the second circuit and the third circuit is realized, that is, the heat of the second circuit is released in the third circuit through the first connecting pipeline and the second connecting pipeline to increase the temperature of the passenger compartment. Alternatively, the heat of the third circuit is released in the second circuit through the first connecting pipe 51 and the second connecting pipe 52, and is used to increase the temperature of heat-generating devices such as batteries. In other embodiments, the third valve component 401 only includes the first interface and the second interface, and the third valve component 401 can open or close the communication passage between the first interface of the third valve component 401 and the second interface of the third valve component 401. The first interface of the third valve component 401 is connected to the first connecting pipe 51, and the second interface of the third valve component 401 is connected to one end of the second branch or one end of the third branch. The thermal management system controls the second circuit to be connected to the third circuit through the third valve component 401. Of course, the third valve component 401 can also be connected to the second connecting pipe 52, which will not be described in detail. Of course, the coolant system can also include a fourth valve component, and the communication mode of the fourth valve component is the same as that of the third valve component, which will not be described in detail. The thermal management system is provided with the third valve component 401 and / or the fourth valve component, and can then control the second circuit to exchange coolant with the third circuit to save energy of the thermal management system.

[0033] See also Figure 5 . The coolant system includes a third double-channel heat exchanger 2001, and the third double-channel heat exchanger 2001 includes a first channel and a second channel. The first channel of the third double-channel heat exchanger 2001 is a part of the third circuit, and the second channel of the third double-channel heat exchanger 2001 is a part of the second circuit. The coolant in the second circuit and the coolant in the third circuit can exchange heat in the third double-channel heat exchanger 2001. Compared with the above embodiment, the second circuit and the third circuit only exchange heat but not coolant. Since the second circuit is provided with a second pump 501 and the third circuit is provided with a third pump 503, when the second circuit and the third circuit need to exchange heat, the third pump 503 and the second pump 501 are turned on, or in other words, the thermal management system can control whether the second circuit and the third circuit are to exchange heat by controlling the third pump 503 and the second pump 501. For further information, please refer to Figure 5 The coolant system also includes a bypass line 53 and a second valve component 404. The bypass line 53 and the second valve component 404 are arranged in the third circuit. The bypass line 53 is arranged in parallel with the first channel of the third double-channel heat exchanger 2001. The bypass line 53 bypasses the first channel of the third double-channel heat exchanger 2001 by controlling the second valve component 404. Of course, the bypass line 53 and the second valve component 404 can also be arranged in the second circuit. The bypass line 53 can bypass the second channel of the third double-channel heat exchanger 2001, which will not be described in detail. The thermal management system is provided with a bypass line 53 and a second valve component 404. When the second circuit and the third circuit are not exchanging heat, they can operate independently and simultaneously, which is convenient for control.

[0034] See also Figure 6 ,and Figure 3 Compared with the embodiment shown in the figure, the thermal management system includes the first double-flow heat exchanger 104, but does not have the second double-flow heat exchanger 109. The third heat exchanger 105 is arranged in the first circuit, or the first circuit includes the third heat exchanger 105. In this embodiment, the second heat exchanger 106 and the third heat exchanger 105 are connected in series. In other embodiments, the second heat exchanger 106 and the third heat exchanger 105 can also be connected in parallel and connected in series with the first pump 502. Please refer to Figure 7 The second heat exchanger 106 and the third heat exchanger 105 are connected in series or in parallel, and then connected in parallel with the coolant flow channel of the first double-flow channel heat exchanger 104, and then connected in series with the first pump 502 and the fourth heat exchanger. The second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger are arranged in the same loop, and the thermal management system has the advantage of being relatively simple.

[0035] See also Figure 8 In this embodiment, the fourth heat exchanger 107 is disposed in the first branch; of course, the fourth heat exchanger 107 can also be disposed in the second branch, or the fourth heat exchanger 107 is disposed in both the first branch and the second branch. Figure 3 Compared with the illustrated embodiment, the coolant system includes a second valve member 402. In this embodiment, the second valve member 402 is a three-way valve. The first connection port 4021 of the second valve member 402 can be communicated with the second connection port 4022 of the second valve member 402 or with the third connection port 4023 of the second valve member 402. The first connection port 4021 of the second valve member 402 can be communicated with a port of the second branch. The second connection port 4022 of the second valve member 402 can be communicated with a port of the coolant flow channel of the first dual-channel heat exchanger 104. The other port of the second branch and the other port of the coolant flow channel of the first dual-channel heat exchanger 104 can be communicated with the second branch. The third connection port 4023 of the valve component 402 is connected; when the first connection port of the second valve component 402 is connected to the third connection port, and the first connection port of the second valve component 402 is not connected to the second connection port, the second valve component 402 and the second branch form a second loop, and the coolant flow channel of the first double-channel heat exchanger 104 is not connected to the second loop; when the first connection port of the second valve component 402 is not connected to the third connection port, and the first connection port of the second valve component 402 is connected to the second connection port, the coolant flow channel of the first double-channel heat exchanger 104 is connected to the first branch, that is, the coolant flow channel of the first double-channel heat exchanger 104, the second pump 501 and the third heat exchanger 105 are connected in series. In other embodiments, the second valve component 402 can also be a combination of two shut-off valves or flow regulating valves, which will not be described in detail. When the thermal management system is working, the coolant flow channel of the first dual-channel heat exchanger 104 can be connected to the first branch or the second branch. It needs to be explained that the "coolant flow channel of the first dual-channel heat exchanger 104 can be connected to the first branch or the second branch" mentioned here means that the coolant in the coolant flow channel of the first dual-channel heat exchanger 104 can flow into and out of the first branch or the second branch, or in other words, the coolant in the first branch or the second branch can flow into and out of the coolant flow channel of the first dual-channel heat exchanger 104.

[0036] The coolant system includes a first valve component 403. In the present embodiment, the first valve component 403 is a three-way valve. The first valve component 403 has three connection ports. The first connection port 4031 of the first valve component 403 can be communicated with the second connection port 4032 of the first valve component 403 or with the third connection port 4033 of the first valve component 403. The first connection port 4031 of the first valve component 403 is communicated with a port of the first branch, the second connection port 4032 of the first valve component 403 is communicated with a port of the coolant channel of the first dual-channel heat exchanger 104, and the third connection port 4033 of the first valve component and another port of the coolant channel of the first dual-channel heat exchanger 104 can be communicated with another port of the first branch. When the first connection port of the first valve component 403 is connected to the third connection port, and the first connection port of the first valve component 403 is not connected to the second connection port, the first valve component and the first branch form a first loop, and the coolant flow channel of the first double-channel heat exchanger 104 is not connected to the first loop; when the first connection port of the first valve component 403 is not connected to the third connection port, and the first connection port of the first valve component 403 is connected to the second connection port, the coolant flow channel of the first heat exchanger 104 is connected to the first branch, that is, the coolant flow channel of the first double-channel heat exchanger 104, the first pump 502 and the second heat exchanger 106 are connected in series, and the heat of the coolant in the first branch can be released to the refrigerant system through the first double-channel heat exchanger 104. In other embodiments, the first valve component 403 can also be a combination of two shut-off valves or flow regulating valves, which will not be described in detail. At this time, the first valve 402 and the second valve 403 can be controlled to connect the coolant flow channel of the first double-channel heat exchanger 104 to the first circuit, or to connect the coolant flow channel of the first double-channel heat exchanger 104 to the second circuit. Taking the first branch and the coolant flow channel of the first double-channel heat exchanger 104 as an example, the heat-generating equipment such as the motor and the second heat exchanger 106 perform heat exchange, and the coolant in the second heat exchanger 106 absorbs the heat of the heat-generating equipment such as the motor. The refrigerant flowing through the first double-channel heat exchanger 104 obtains the heat absorbed by the second heat exchanger 106 from the heat-generating equipment such as the motor through the first double-channel heat exchanger 104, and releases it to the air-conditioning box through the fifth heat exchanger 101. At this time, the heat management system has two heat sources, namely, the air outside the vehicle air-conditioning box and the heat-generating equipment such as the motor. When the fourth heat exchanger 107 is also set in the first circuit, the fourth heat exchanger 107 can absorb heat from the ambient air, which is equivalent to increasing the heat exchange area of ​​the seventh heat exchanger, which is conducive to improving the heat exchange performance. Similarly, the heat absorbed by the second heat exchanger 106 from the heat-generating device such as the motor can also be released through the fourth heat exchanger 107 to reduce the temperature of the heat-generating device such as the motor.

[0037] The refrigerant suitable for the refrigerant system can be a conventional refrigerant, such as 134a, or a refrigerant in a supercritical state, such as CO2. If the refrigerant system uses CO2 as the refrigerant, the eighth heat exchanger 102 can be a double-flow heat exchanger. At this time, the eighth heat exchanger 102 is arranged outside the air-conditioning box. In this way, the entire refrigerant system is arranged outside the air-conditioning box, which is beneficial to prevent CO2 from escaping and endangering the health of passengers; due to the high working pressure of CO2, the refrigerant system components working in a high-pressure state are located outside the air-conditioning box, which is also beneficial to prevent damage to passengers due to accidental explosion of components.

[0038] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention but not to limit the technical solutions described in the present invention, such as the directional definitions of "front", "back", "left", "right", "up" and "down". Although the present invention has been described in detail in this specification with reference to the above embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention can still be combined, modified or replaced by each other, and all technical solutions and improvements thereof that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A thermal management system, the thermal management system comprising a refrigerant system and a coolant system, the refrigerant of the refrigerant system and the coolant of the coolant system are isolated from each other and do not circulate; the refrigerant system comprises a compressor, a first heat exchanger and a throttling device, the outlet of the compressor can be communicated with the refrigerant inlet of the first heat exchanger; the thermal management system also comprises a double-channel heat exchanger, the double-channel heat exchanger comprises a refrigerant flow channel and a coolant flow channel, the throttling device can be communicated with the inlet of the compressor through the refrigerant flow channel of the double-channel heat exchanger, the double-channel heat exchanger comprises a first double-channel heat exchanger and a second double-channel heat exchanger, the throttling device can be communicated with the inlet of the compressor through the refrigerant flow channel of the first double-channel heat exchanger, and the throttling device can also be communicated with the inlet of the compressor through the refrigerant flow channel of the second double-channel heat exchanger; The coolant system includes a second heat exchanger, a third heat exchanger, a pump, a fourth heat exchanger, a coolant flow channel of the first double-channel heat exchanger, and a coolant flow channel of the second double-channel heat exchanger, and the fourth heat exchanger is arranged outside the air-conditioning box of the vehicle; the coolant system includes a first loop and a second loop, the first loop includes the coolant flow channels of the second heat exchanger and the first double-channel heat exchanger, the second loop includes the coolant flow channels of the third heat exchanger and the second double-channel heat exchanger, and the coolant system includes at least one fourth heat exchanger, and at least one of the first loop and the second loop includes the fourth heat exchanger; In the heating mode of the thermal management system, the compressor is connected to the throttling device through the first heat exchanger, the pump and the throttling device are turned on, and at least one of the coolant flow channel of the first double-flow heat exchanger and the coolant flow channel of the second double-flow heat exchanger is connected to the fourth heat exchanger and the pump; In the first cooling mode of the thermal management system, the pump is turned on, and at least one of the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger is in communication with the pump and the fourth heat exchanger.

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thermal management system includes a first valve component and a throttling device. The first valve component has three connecting ports. The first connecting port of the first valve component can be communicated with the second connecting port of the first valve component and / or the third connecting port of the first valve component. The first connecting port of the first valve component is communicated with the first port of the throttling device, the second connecting port of the first valve component is communicated with the inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the first double-channel heat exchanger, and the third connecting port of the first valve component is communicated with the inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the second double-channel heat exchanger; the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the first double-channel heat exchanger and the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the second double-channel heat exchanger are communicated with the inlet of the compressor.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The throttling device includes a first throttling device and a second throttling device, the first throttling device is connected to the inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the first double-channel heat exchanger, the second throttling device is connected to the inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the first double-channel heat exchanger, the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the first double-channel heat exchanger and the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the second double-channel heat exchanger are connected to the inlet of the compressor.

4. The thermal management system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The thermal management system includes a first valve component, which has three connection ports. The first connection port of the first valve component can be communicated with the second connection port of the first valve component and / or the third connection port of the first valve component. The second connection port of the first valve component can be communicated with the refrigerant inlet of the first double-flow heat exchanger through the first throttling device, and the third connection port of the first valve component can be communicated with the refrigerant inlet of the second double-flow heat exchanger through the second throttling device.

5. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The pump comprises a first pump and a second pump, the first pump is arranged in the first circuit, and the second pump is arranged in the second circuit; The first circuit includes the fourth heat exchanger, which is arranged in series with the second heat exchanger, the first pump, and the coolant flow channel of the first double-flow heat exchanger; And / or, the second circuit includes the fourth heat exchanger, and the fourth heat exchanger is arranged in series with the third heat exchanger, the second pump, and the coolant flow channel of the second double-flow-channel heat exchanger.

6. The thermal management system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first heat exchanger includes a refrigerant flow channel and a coolant flow channel, and the outlet of the compressor is connected to the inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the first heat exchanger; the thermal management system includes a third circuit, the third circuit includes a third pump, the coolant flow channel of the first heat exchanger and a sixth heat exchanger, the third pump, the coolant flow channel of the first heat exchanger and the sixth heat exchanger are connected in series, and the third pump can drive the coolant to flow in the third circuit; the sixth heat exchanger is arranged in the air-conditioning box of the vehicle, and the first heat exchanger is arranged outside the air-conditioning box of the vehicle; The third circuit can exchange heat with the second circuit or the first circuit.

7. The thermal management system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The coolant system includes a third dual-channel heat exchanger, the third dual-channel heat exchanger includes a first channel and a second channel, the first channel of the third dual-channel heat exchanger is part of a third circuit, and the second channel of the third dual-channel heat exchanger is part of the second circuit; The coolant system also includes a bypass line and a second valve component; the bypass line and the second valve component are arranged in the third circuit, and the bypass line is arranged in parallel with the first channel of the third dual-channel heat exchanger; or the bypass line and the second valve component are arranged in the second circuit, and the bypass line is arranged in parallel with the second channel of the third dual-channel heat exchanger.

8. The thermal management system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The thermal management system also includes a first connecting pipe and a second connecting pipe. The thermal management system includes at least a circulation mode. In the circulation mode, part of the coolant in the third circuit can flow into the second circuit through the first connecting pipe and mix with the coolant in the second circuit. The mixed part of the coolant in the second circuit can flow into the third circuit through the second connecting pipe.

9. The thermal management system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The first circuit includes a first branch, the second circuit includes a second branch, the second branch has two ports, and the second branch includes a third heat exchanger and a second pump; The third circuit includes a third branch, the third branch includes the third pump, the coolant flow channel of the first heat exchanger and the sixth heat exchanger, and the third pump, the coolant flow channel of the first heat exchanger and the sixth heat exchanger are connected in series; The coolant system further comprises a third valve member, the third valve member comprises two interfaces, the third valve member is capable of opening or cutting off a communication passage between a first interface of the third valve member and a second interface of the third valve member, the first interface of the third valve member is in communication with the first communication pipeline, the second interface of the third valve member is in communication with one end of the second branch or one end of the third branch; or the third valve member comprises a first interface, a second interface and a third interface, the third valve member is capable of opening or cutting off a communication passage between the first interface of the third valve member and the third interface of the third valve member or between the first interface and the second interface, the first interface of the third valve member and the second interface of the third valve member are in communication with two ends of the second branch or the third branch respectively, and the third interface of the third valve member is in communication with the corresponding branch through the first communication pipeline; And / or the thermal management system also includes a fourth valve component, which also includes two interfaces, and the fourth valve component can open or cut off the communication passage between the first interface of the fourth valve component and the second interface of the fourth valve component, the first interface of the fourth valve component is connected to the second connecting pipeline, and the second interface of the fourth valve component is connected to the second circuit or the third circuit; or the fourth valve component includes a first interface, a second interface and a third interface, and the fourth valve component can open or cut off the communication passage between the first interface of the fourth valve component and the third interface of the fourth valve component and / or the first interface of the fourth valve component and the second interface of the fourth valve component, the first interface of the fourth valve component and the second interface of the fourth valve component are respectively connected to the two ends of the second branch or the third branch, and the third interface of the fourth valve component is connected to the corresponding branch through the second connecting pipeline.

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