Refrigerated truck and refrigeration unit thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses a refrigerated vehicle and a refrigeration unit thereof. The refrigeration unit includes an engine, a first compressor, and a refrigeration assembly. The engine is connected to the first compressor, and the first compressor is connected to the refrigeration assembly through a pipeline to realize a refrigeration cycle. The refrigeration unit also includes a high-voltage power supply system and a second compressor. The second compressor is connected to the refrigeration assembly through a pipeline, and the high-voltage power supply system is electrically connected to the second compressor to provide power to the second compressor. On the basis of the engine driving the first compressor to work, the above-mentioned refrigeration unit can also drive the second compressor to work through the high-voltage power supply system, so as to select a reasonable compressor operation according to the working condition of the engine, which can not only ensure a continuous refrigeration effect, but also improve the energy saving effect and power performance of the entire vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of vehicle refrigeration technology, and in particular to a refrigeration unit. The present invention also relates to a refrigerated vehicle having the refrigeration unit. Background Art

[0002] A refrigerated truck is a specialized transport vehicle equipped with a refrigeration unit and a polyurethane insulated compartment. The refrigeration unit is selected based on the volume of the compartment. The larger the volume, the greater the cooling capacity required, the larger the refrigeration unit model, and the higher the price. A good refrigeration unit will make transporting goods more efficient.

[0003] Refrigeration units can be divided into several types according to their installation locations: top-mounted units, front-mounted units, independent units, and semi-trailer units. According to refrigeration power, they can be divided into three categories: non-independent small refrigeration units, independent medium-sized refrigeration units, and large trailer refrigeration units. In the prior art, whether it is an independent or non-independent refrigeration unit, from the working principle of the refrigeration unit, the power source for the entire refrigeration unit is provided by the engine, which often uses a traditional compressor with low energy efficiency and poor energy saving effect. Especially in urban conditions or suburban conditions with congested roads, the engine working condition is poor. During frequent braking, the braking energy cannot be recovered for the operation of the refrigeration unit, which is not conducive to energy conservation and emission reduction. For non-independent refrigeration units, the power performance of the engine is affected, and when the engine is stopped, the cooling effect is affected.

[0004] Therefore, how to avoid the poor energy saving and cooling effect of the entire vehicle caused by using the engine as the power source is a technical problem that those skilled in the art currently need to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a refrigeration unit that can ensure refrigeration performance and prevent conventional compressors from operating in a poor operating range, thereby improving the economic efficiency of the vehicle. Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerated vehicle including the refrigeration unit.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides a refrigeration unit, comprising an engine, a first compressor and a refrigeration assembly, wherein the engine is connected to the first compressor, and the first compressor is connected to the refrigeration assembly through a pipeline to realize a refrigeration cycle. The unit also includes a high-voltage power supply system and a second compressor, wherein the second compressor is connected to the refrigeration assembly through a pipeline, and the high-voltage power supply system is electrically connected to the second compressor to provide power to the second compressor.

[0007] Optionally, the refrigeration assembly includes a three-way valve, a condenser, an evaporator and a three-way solenoid valve, the three-way valve is connected to the first compressor, the second compressor and the condenser through pipelines, the evaporator is connected to the condenser and the three-way solenoid valve through pipelines, and the three-way solenoid valve is connected to the first compressor and the second compressor through pipelines.

[0008] Optionally, the high-voltage power supply system includes an electric drive bridge, a motor controller and a power battery, the electric drive bridge is electrically connected to the motor controller, the motor controller is electrically connected to the power battery, and the power battery is electrically connected to the second compressor.

[0009] Optionally, the high-voltage power supply system further includes a braking management unit, which is electrically connected to the electric drive axle.

[0010] Optionally, the brake management unit is electrically connected to the three-way solenoid valve to control switching of the operation of the first compressor and the second compressor.

[0011] Optionally, it further includes a control system electrically connected to the engine, the first compressor and the high-voltage power supply system and used to control the operation of the high-voltage power supply system.

[0012] Optionally, the management and control system includes an engine management system electrically connected to the engine and the first compressor, and an air-conditioning control system electrically connected to the engine management system and the high-voltage power supply system.

[0013] The present invention also provides a refrigerated vehicle comprising any of the above-mentioned refrigeration units.

[0014] With respect to the above background technology, the refrigeration unit provided in the embodiment of the present invention includes an engine, a first compressor and a refrigeration assembly, wherein the engine is connected to the first compressor, and the first compressor is connected to the refrigeration assembly through a pipeline to realize a refrigeration cycle; further, the refrigeration unit also includes a high-voltage power supply system and a second compressor, the second compressor is connected to the refrigeration assembly through a pipeline, the high-voltage power supply system is electrically connected to the second compressor, and the high-voltage power supply system can provide power to the second compressor to drive the second compressor to work. In this way, on the basis of the engine driving the first compressor to work, the high-voltage power supply system can also drive the second compressor to work, so as to select a reasonable compressor to work according to the working condition of the engine. Among them, the first compressor and the second compressor share a set of refrigeration components. By selecting the first compressor / second compressor to work, the engine is prevented from working in a range with a poor working point, thereby improving fuel economy. For example, when the vehicle is traveling at a low speed or idling (resting during transportation or not unloading the goods in time after arrival), the second compressor can be used to work; when the vehicle is traveling at a high speed and the engine is in good working condition, the engine is used to drive the first compressor to work. Furthermore, the high-voltage power system can recover braking energy during braking, hill descents, and throttle release, thereby improving the vehicle's economic performance. Compared to the traditional engine-driven compressor approach, this configuration improves vehicle energy efficiency and power performance while maintaining continuous cooling. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without paying any creative work.

[0016] Figure 1 A structural block diagram of a refrigeration unit provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the working process of the refrigerated truck provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] in:

[0019] 1-Engine;

[0020] 2-First compressor;

[0021] 3-refrigeration component, 301-three-way valve, 302-condenser, 303-evaporator, 304-three-way solenoid valve;

[0022] 4-Control System, 401-Engine Management System, 402-Air Conditioning Control System;

[0023] 5-high voltage power supply system, 501-brake management unit, 502-electric drive axle, 503-motor controller, 504-power battery;

[0024] 6- Second compressor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] The core of the present invention is to provide a refrigeration unit that can ensure cooling effect and prevent the traditional compressor from operating in a range with poor working points, thereby improving the economic efficiency of the entire vehicle. Another core of the present invention is to provide a refrigerated vehicle including the above-mentioned refrigeration unit.

[0027] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solutions of the present invention, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0028] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 A structural block diagram of a refrigeration unit provided by an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the working process of the refrigerated truck provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] The refrigeration unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention includes an engine 1, a first compressor 2, and a refrigeration assembly 3, wherein the engine 1 can be connected to the first compressor 2 via a transmission mechanism such as a pulley, and the first compressor 2 and the refrigeration assembly 3 are connected via a pipeline to realize a refrigeration cycle. During refrigeration, the engine 1 drives the first compressor 2 to operate. The first compressor 2 compresses the lower-pressure steam obtained from the refrigeration assembly 3 into high-pressure steam and then sends it to the refrigeration assembly 3. The high-pressure steam completes heat exchange in the refrigeration assembly 3 and becomes lower-pressure steam, which then enters the first compressor 2, thereby completing the refrigeration cycle.

[0030] Furthermore, the refrigeration unit also includes a high-voltage power supply system 5 and a second compressor 6. The second compressor 6 is connected to the refrigeration assembly 3 via a pipeline. The high-voltage power supply system 5 is electrically connected to the second compressor 6. The high-voltage power supply system 5 can provide power to the second compressor 6 to drive the second compressor 6 to operate. Obviously, the second compressor 6 is an electric compressor, and the high-voltage power supply system 5 mainly provides power for the electric compressor.

[0031] In this way, in addition to the engine 1 driving the first compressor 2, the high-voltage power supply system 5 can also drive the second compressor 6, allowing for selection of the appropriate compressor based on the engine's operating conditions. The first and second compressors 2, 6 share a common refrigeration assembly 3. By selecting either the first compressor 2 or the second compressor 6 for operation, the engine 1 can be prevented from operating in a range with poor operating points, thereby improving fuel economy. For example, when the vehicle is traveling at low speed or idling (resting during transportation or cargo not being unloaded promptly upon arrival), the second compressor 6 can be used. When the vehicle is traveling at high speed and the engine is operating well, the engine 1 can be used to drive the first compressor 2. Furthermore, the high-voltage power supply system 5 can recover braking energy during conditions such as vehicle braking, hill descent control, and throttle release, thereby improving the vehicle's fuel economy.

[0032] Compared with the traditional method of driving the compressor through the engine 1, the above-mentioned setting method can improve the energy saving effect and power performance of the entire vehicle while ensuring a continuous cooling effect.

[0033] To achieve the above-mentioned refrigeration function, the refrigeration assembly 3 includes a three-way valve 301, a condenser 302, an evaporator 303, and a three-way solenoid valve 304. The three-way valve 301 is connected to the first compressor 2, the condenser 302, and the second compressor 6 via pipelines. The evaporator 303 is connected to the condenser 302 and the three-way solenoid valve 304 via pipelines. The three-way solenoid valve 304 is connected to the first compressor 2 and the second compressor 6 via pipelines. The first compressor 2 and the second compressor 6 are switched between operation by the three-way solenoid valve 304, which is controlled by the brake management unit 501 of the high-voltage power supply system 5.

[0034] On the basis of the above, since the first compressor 2 and the second compressor 6 share the above-mentioned refrigeration component 3, when the second compressor 6 is used for refrigeration, the second compressor 6 is driven to operate by the high-voltage power supply system 5. The second compressor 6 inhales the lower-pressure steam coming out of the evaporator 303, increases the pressure and then sends it to the condenser 302. The steam completes heat exchange in the condenser 302 and condenses into a higher-pressure liquid. After throttling by the throttle valve, it becomes a lower-pressure liquid and is sent to the evaporator 303. It absorbs heat and evaporates in the evaporator 303 to become a lower-pressure steam, and then is sent to the inlet of the second compressor 6, thereby completing the refrigeration cycle.

[0035] Specifically, the high-voltage power supply system 5 includes an electric drive bridge 502, a motor controller 503, and a power battery 504. The electric drive bridge 502 is electrically connected to the motor controller 503, which is electrically connected to the power battery 504. The power battery 504 is electrically connected to the second compressor 6. The electric drive bridge 502 may include a generator. The motor controller 503 is electrically connected to the generator and the power battery 504 to control the generator to charge the power battery 504.

[0036] The electric drive axle 502 also has braking energy recovery and / or auxiliary drive functions. In addition, a braking energy recovery and auxiliary drive manager can be set up. The braking energy recovery and auxiliary drive manager is integrated into the braking management unit 501 of the high-voltage power supply system 5. The braking energy recovery and auxiliary drive manager is used to control the braking energy recovery and / or auxiliary drive functions of the electric drive axle 502; by controlling the braking energy recovery and / or auxiliary drive functions of the electric drive axle 502 through the braking energy recovery and auxiliary drive manager, braking energy recovery can achieve energy conservation and emission reduction, and auxiliary drive can improve the working condition of the engine 1.

[0037] When the vehicle is braking, decelerating, going down a long slope, etc., the high-voltage power supply system 5 recovers braking energy by generating electricity through the electric drive axle 502 to charge the power battery 504 to meet the working power demand of the second compressor 6, thereby improving the economic performance of the entire vehicle.

[0038] It should be noted that in special circumstances, such as when a vehicle is traveling short distances and needs to travel at a low cost, the operation of the first compressor 2 driven by the engine 1 can be canceled, and refrigeration can be achieved only through power provided by the high-voltage power supply system 5.

[0039] Furthermore, when the vehicle requires dynamic performance (e.g., during vehicle start-up or overspeeding), the electric drive axle 502 can provide auxiliary power, allowing the engine 1 to enter a lower fuel consumption operating point earlier, thereby improving fuel economy. Of course, even if the conditions do not allow the electric drive axle 502 to provide auxiliary drive, the vehicle's dynamic performance can still be improved to a certain extent because the engine 1 does not need to drive the first compressor 2.

[0040] In addition, the high-voltage power supply system 5 further includes a brake management unit 501 (BMU), which is electrically connected to the electric drive axle 502 .

[0041] Of course, according to actual needs, the brake management unit 501 is electrically connected to the three-way solenoid valve 304 to control the three-way solenoid valve 304 to switch the operation of the first compressor 2 and the second compressor 6.

[0042] In order to optimize the above embodiment, the refrigeration unit further includes a control system 4, which is electrically connected to the engine 1, the first compressor 2 and the high-voltage power supply system 5, and the control system 4 is used to control the operation of the high-voltage power supply system 5.

[0043] Specifically, the control system 4 includes an engine management system 401 and an air conditioning control system 402, wherein the engine management system 401 is electrically connected to the engine 1 and the first compressor 2, and the air conditioning control system 402 is electrically connected to the engine management system 401 and the brake management unit 501 in the high-voltage power supply system 5.

[0044] In this way, on the one hand, the operating condition information of the engine 1 and the first compressor 2 is collected in real time by the engine management system 401 and transmitted to the air-conditioning control system 402, so that the air-conditioning control system 402 can transmit control instructions to the brake management unit 501, thereby further controlling the opening and closing of the second compressor 6; on the other hand, as needed, the engine management system 401 can collect the fuel consumption operating condition information of the engine 1 and the clutch information of the first compressor 2, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the first compressor 2, so as to realize the switching between the two modes of the engine 1 driving the first compressor 2 and the high-voltage power supply system 5 driving the second compressor 6.

[0045] It should be noted that during the control of the refrigeration unit, the air conditioning control system 402 is used for overall management, while the brake management unit 501 is used for auxiliary management. Furthermore, the air conditioning control system 402 includes an air conditioning control panel, which is used to control the air conditioning operating mechanism to implement various air conditioning functions. The air conditioning control panel includes function selection keys, temperature keys, air flow adjustment keys, and a rear window defrost key.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the working process of the vehicle is described in detail below:

[0047] 1) Vehicle power on

[0048] Powering on the vehicle means that the electric drive axle 502 generates electricity to charge the power battery 504. During this period, if the brake management unit 501 detects that the air-conditioning control system 402 has a cooling demand, the brake management unit 501 will start the second compressor 6. Under the condition that the power SOC of the power battery 504 allows, the refrigeration unit starts to work, avoiding the engine 1 starting and driving the first compressor 2 to work at this time, thereby achieving the purpose of saving fuel; if the power SOC of the power battery 504 is not enough to maintain the operation of the second compressor 6, the engine 1 is started to drive the first compressor 2 to work, and the conventional refrigeration unit is turned on.

[0049] 2) Vehicle starting

[0050] During the vehicle starting process, the brake management unit 501 will control the electric drive axle 502 to assist the vehicle starting, so that the engine 1 quickly enters the economic range. The so-called economic range refers to a collection of economic points, among which the economic point refers to a better working point. During this process, the refrigeration unit will be temporarily suspended.

[0051] 3) Vehicle acceleration

[0052] The vehicle acceleration is set with a threshold. When the threshold is exceeded, the brake management unit 501 will control the electric drive axle 502 to assist the vehicle acceleration, so that the engine 1 works in the economic range. During this process, the refrigeration unit will be temporarily suspended while meeting the temperature setting requirements.

[0053] 4) Vehicle braking

[0054] During vehicle braking, the braking management unit 501 can determine the braking energy recovery power based on the operation of the entire vehicle and the status of the high-voltage power supply system 5 (such as the SOC of the power battery 504, the motor operating speed, etc.), and control the electric drive axle 502 to generate electricity to charge the power battery 504. If there is a cooling demand, the second compressor 6 can be started.

[0055] 5) Constant vehicle speed

[0056] During constant vehicle speed, either the first compressor 2 or the second compressor 6 is selected for operation based on the operating condition of the engine 1. Generally, when the vehicle speed is low and the engine 1 is operating poorly, the second compressor 6 is used to drive the refrigeration unit. When the vehicle is running at high speed and the engine 1 is operating well, the brake management unit 501 switches to the first compressor 2 via the three-way solenoid valve 304, starting normal refrigeration unit operation.

[0057] 6) Vehicle deceleration

[0058] During vehicle deceleration, the brake management unit 501 can determine the brake energy recovery power based on the operation of the entire vehicle and the status of the high-voltage power supply system 5 (such as the SOC of the power battery 504, the motor operating speed, etc.), and control the electric drive axle 502 to generate electricity to properly charge the power battery 504. If there is a cooling demand, the second compressor 6 can be started.

[0059] 7) Parking

[0060] While the vehicle is parked, if the brake management unit 501 detects that the air-conditioning control system 402 still has a cooling demand, the brake management unit 501 will give priority to starting the second compressor 6. Under the condition that the power SOC of the power battery 504 allows, the refrigeration unit starts to work, avoiding the engine 1 starting to drive the first compressor 2 to work at this time, so as to achieve the purpose of saving fuel; if the power SOC of the power battery 504 is not enough to maintain the operation of the second compressor 6, the engine 1 is started to drive the first compressor 2 to work, and the conventional refrigeration unit is turned on.

[0061] 8) Vehicle reversing

[0062] When the vehicle is reversing, if the brake management unit 501 detects that the air-conditioning control system 402 still has cooling demand, the brake management unit 501 will give priority to starting the second compressor 6. Under the condition that the power SOC of the power battery 504 allows, the refrigeration unit starts to work, avoiding the engine 1 starting to drive the first compressor 2 to work at this time, so as to achieve the purpose of saving fuel; if the power SOC of the power battery 504 is not enough to maintain the operation of the second compressor 6, the engine 1 is started to drive the first compressor 2 to work, and the conventional refrigeration unit is turned on.

[0063] The present invention provides a refrigerated truck, which includes the refrigeration unit described in the above specific embodiment; other parts of the refrigerated truck can refer to the existing technology and will not be elaborated in this article.

[0064] It should be noted that, in this specification, relational terms such as first and second are merely used to distinguish one entity from other entities, but do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities.

[0065] The above is a detailed introduction to the refrigerated truck and refrigeration unit provided by the present invention. Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The description of the above embodiments is only intended to help understand the scheme and core ideas of the present invention. It should be pointed out that, for those skilled in the art, without departing from the principles of the present invention, several improvements and modifications can be made to the present invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigeration unit, characterized in that: The invention comprises an engine (1), a first compressor (2) and a refrigeration assembly (3), wherein the engine (1) is connected to the first compressor (2), the first compressor (2) and the refrigeration assembly (3) are connected via a pipeline to realize a refrigeration cycle, and further comprises a high-voltage power supply system (5) and a second compressor (6), the second compressor (6) and the refrigeration assembly (3) are connected via a pipeline, and the high-voltage power supply system (5) is electrically connected to the second compressor (6) to provide power to the second compressor (6); The refrigeration assembly (3) comprises a three-way valve (301), a condenser (302), an evaporator (303) and a three-way solenoid valve (304); the three-way valve (301) is connected to the first compressor (2), the second compressor (6) and the condenser (302) via pipelines; the evaporator (303) is connected to the condenser (302) and the three-way solenoid valve (304) via pipelines; and the three-way solenoid valve (304) is connected to the first compressor (2) and the second compressor (6) via pipelines. The high-voltage power supply system (5) comprises an electric drive bridge (502), a motor controller (503) and a power battery (504), wherein the electric drive bridge (502) is electrically connected to the motor controller (503), the motor controller (503) is electrically connected to the power battery (504), and the power battery (504) is electrically connected to the second compressor (6); The high-voltage power supply system (5) further comprises a braking management unit (501), wherein the braking management unit (501) is electrically connected to the electric drive axle (502); The brake management unit (501) is electrically connected to the three-way solenoid valve (304) to control the switching of the operation of the first compressor (2) and the second compressor (6); The electric drive axle (502) is configured to recover braking energy and charge the power battery (504) when the vehicle is braking, decelerating, or going down a long slope, and to improve the working condition of the engine (1) through auxiliary driving when the working condition of the engine (1) is poor; The electric drive axle (502) also has a braking energy recovery and / or auxiliary drive function. The refrigeration unit also includes a braking energy recovery and auxiliary drive manager. The braking energy recovery and auxiliary drive manager is integrated into the braking management unit (501). The braking energy recovery and auxiliary drive manager is used to control the braking energy recovery and / or auxiliary drive function of the electric drive axle (502). Braking energy recovery can achieve energy conservation and emission reduction, and auxiliary drive can improve the working condition of the engine (1).

2. The refrigeration unit according to claim 1, wherein: It also includes a control system (4) electrically connected to the engine (1), the first compressor (2) and the high-voltage power supply system (5) and used to control the operation of the high-voltage power supply system (5).

3. The refrigeration unit according to claim 2, wherein: The control system (4) includes an engine management system (401) electrically connected to the engine (1) and the first compressor (2), and an air conditioning control system (402) electrically connected to the engine management system (401) and the high-voltage power supply system (5).

4. A refrigerated vehicle, characterized in that: The refrigeration unit comprises the refrigeration unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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