Fluid control assembly and thermal management system

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of fluid control assembly and heat management system, including main casing, valve core component, pump component, main casing includes first cavity, second cavity, at least one cooling liquid inlet, cooling liquid outlet, the main casing has cover plate, ring wall portion, outer wall portion and with the support wall corresponding to the first cavity, the equivalent inner diameter of the ring wall portion is less than the equivalent inner diameter of the outer wall portion, the ring wall portion is between the first cavity and second cavity, the support wall is connected with the ring wall portion, the support wall is connected with the outer wall portion, the main casing has hollow area, part of the hollow area is between the support wall and the outer wall portion, part of the hollow area is between the ring wall portion and the outer wall portion, the cover plate is between the ring wall portion and the outer wall portion, and the cover plate seals the side of the hollow area towards the impeller.This scheme is compact in structure and stable in performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fluid control. Background Technology

[0002] Coolant is typically used in vehicle thermal management systems. It is used to heat or cool components in new energy vehicles, such as batteries and electric motors. The thermal management system requires pumps to deliver the fluid, and valves to control its flow path. Pumps and valves are connected via pipelines.

[0003] When integrating pumps and valves, it is necessary to consider both the integrated structure and the impact of the integration process on the pump's efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a fluid control component.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the following technical solution is adopted:

[0006] A fluid control assembly includes a main housing, a valve core component, and a pump component. The main housing includes a first cavity and a second cavity, with most of the valve core component located in the first cavity.

[0007] The pump component includes an impeller, at least a portion of which is located in the second chamber.

[0008] The main housing has at least one coolant inlet and one coolant outlet;

[0009] The main housing has a cover plate, an annular wall portion, an outer wall portion, and a support wall corresponding to the first cavity. The equivalent inner diameter of the annular wall portion is smaller than the equivalent inner diameter of the outer wall portion. The annular wall portion is located between the first cavity and the second cavity. The support wall is connected to the annular wall portion and the outer wall portion. The main housing has a hollow area. A portion of the hollow area is located between the support wall and the outer wall portion. A portion of the hollow area is located between the annular wall portion and the outer wall portion. The cover plate is located between the annular wall portion and the outer wall portion, and the cover plate seals the side of the hollow area facing the impeller.

[0010] The purpose of this invention is to provide a thermal management system.

[0011] A thermal management system includes a battery heat exchange circuit. The battery heat exchange circuit includes a fluid control component according to the above technical solution. The fluid control component includes at least one coolant inlet and a coolant outlet. The coolant inlet is connected to the coolant outlet through the valve core component and the impeller. The coolant inlet and the coolant outlet are connected to pipelines in the battery heat exchange circuit.

[0012] A thermal management system includes an engine cooling circuit, the engine cooling circuit including a fluid control component according to the above technical solution, the fluid control component including at least one coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, the coolant inlet being connected to the coolant outlet through the valve core component and the impeller, and the coolant inlet and coolant outlet being connected to pipelines in the engine cooling circuit.

[0013] The main casing of the above-mentioned technical solution has a cover plate, annular wall, support wall and outer wall structure. The main casing has a hollow area, part of which is located between the support wall and the outer wall, and part of which is located between the annular wall and the outer wall. The cover plate is located between the annular wall and the outer wall and seals the side of the hollow area facing the impeller. On the one hand, the fluid control component has the functions of fluid control and fluid pumping. On the other hand, because the hollow area is set and the cover plate is located between the annular wall and the outer wall, and the cover plate seals the side of the hollow area facing the impeller, it helps to stabilize the main casing structure, and thus helps to maintain a certain pump efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Cross-sectional schematic diagram of the fluid control component;

[0016] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the main housing of the fluid control assembly from one perspective;

[0017] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the main housing of the fluid control assembly from another perspective;

[0018] Figure 5 for Figure 1 Another schematic diagram of the main housing of the fluid control assembly;

[0019] Figure 6 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the middle valve core component;

[0020] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the valve core component shown;

[0021] Figure 8 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the main housing of the fluid control assembly;

[0022] Figure 9 for Figure 1Exploded view of part of the main housing of the fluid control component;

[0023] Figure 10 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of another embodiment of the main housing. Detailed Implementation

[0024] Reference Figures 1-5 , Figure 1 The diagram illustrates one embodiment of a fluid control assembly 1. The fluid control assembly 1 includes a main housing 11, a valve core component 12, a pump component 13, and a pump housing 14. The main housing 11 and pump housing 14 are assembled and fixed. The valve core component 12 is rotatable relative to the main housing 11. The main housing 11 includes a first chamber 111 and a second chamber 120. A majority of the valve core component 12 is located in the first chamber 111. The pump housing 14 includes a pump chamber 141, and a majority of the pump component 13 is located in the pump chamber 14. The pump component 13 includes an impeller 131. At least a portion of the impeller 131 is located in the second chamber 120 of the main housing 11. The impeller 131 has an inlet 132 and an outlet 133. The inlet 132 of the impeller 131 is located in the middle of the impeller 131. The valve core component 12 has at least an inlet 121 and an outlet 122, and the outlet 122 of the valve core component 12 communicates with the inlet 132 of the impeller 131. The main housing 11 has at least one coolant inlet 101 and a coolant outlet 102. The coolant inlet 101 is connected to the inlet 121 of the valve core component 12, and the coolant outlet 102 is connected to the outlet 133 of the impeller.

[0025] The fluid control assembly can be used to deliver fluid as required. After the fluid enters the valve core component from the coolant inlet, it can enter the impeller through the impeller inlet 131 and 132. Under the centrifugal force of the rotating impeller, it leaves from the coolant outlet after passing through the impeller outlet 133. Since the fluid control assembly has the functions of both a pump and a valve, it can realize the structure of the pump and valve used in the previous system in one component. Compared with this, the fluid control assembly has a smaller structural size. The fluid coming out of the valve core component can directly enter the impeller without the need to set up additional connecting pipes, which reduces costs.

[0026] The main housing 11 has a contraction section 125 and a transition channel 126. The transition channel 126 is located between the first cavity 111 and the second cavity 120. The transition channel 126 is located within the contraction section 125 and connects the first cavity 111 and the second cavity 120. The first cavity 111 and the second cavity 120 are separated by the contraction section 125. The equivalent diameter of the transition channel 126 is smaller than the equivalent diameter of the first cavity 111 and the equivalent diameter of the second cavity 120. The valve core component 12 has a bent channel 12. 7. The first port of the bend channel 127 (i.e., the inlet of the valve core component) is connected to the coolant inlet 101. The second port of the bend channel 127 (i.e., the outlet of the valve core component) is located in the contraction section 125 and is connected to the transition channel 126. A portion of the impeller 131 extends into the contraction section 125, and the inlet 132 of the impeller 131 is connected to the transition channel 126. The second port of the bend channel 127 is connected to the inlet 132 of the impeller 131. The transition channel 126 connects the second port of the bend channel 127 with the inlet 132 of the impeller. The second port of the bend channel 127 and the inlet 132 of the impeller 131 are coaxially arranged, and the outlet 133 of the impeller 131 is connected to the coolant outlet 102. The second port of the bend channel 127 and the inlet of the impeller 131 are both located in region 126 formed by the contraction section 125. The transition of the flow channels takes place within the region formed by the contraction section 125. This allows the fluid flowing out of the bend channel 127 to enter the impeller 131 more smoothly, while also reducing the backflow of fluid from the impeller outlet to the impeller inlet. Furthermore, the bend channel and the impeller inlet are fully aligned, similar to the corresponding connection between pipes, resulting in a more stable flow field. During pump operation, the impeller may experience axial movement, causing the transition channel to have different heights in the axial direction of the impeller movement.

[0027] Reference Figure 6 , Figure 7 The valve core component 12 has a main body 128 and a protrusion 129. The main body 128 has a spherical periphery and a first port of a bent channel 127 is opened on the periphery of the main body 128. The protrusion 129 extends from the main body 128 toward the second cavity 120. The equivalent outer diameter of the protrusion 129 is smaller than the equivalent outer diameter of the main body 128. The protrusion 129 extends into the contraction part 125. The contraction part 125 has a limiting wall 161. The main body 128 has a first limiting surface 130 and the protrusion 129 has a second limiting surface 142. The first limiting surface 130 and the second limiting surface 142 are stepped. The first limiting surface 130, the second limiting surface 142 and the limiting wall 161 are configured to cooperate with each other.

[0028] The valve core component 12 is a spherical valve core, the bent channel 127 is an L-shaped channel, the second port of the L-shaped channel is connected to the inlet 132 of the impeller 131, the first port of the L-shaped channel is connected to the coolant inlet, and the outlet 133 of the impeller 131 is connected to the coolant outlet.

[0029] The main housing 11 has openings at both ends and has a first opening 163 and a second opening 143. A contraction portion 125 is located between the first opening 163 and the second opening 143. The equivalent inner diameter of the first opening 163 is larger than the equivalent inner diameter of the contraction portion 125, and the equivalent inner diameter of the second opening 143 is larger than the equivalent inner diameter of the contraction portion 125. The valve core component 12 has a boss 162. The boss 162 and the protrusion 129 are located on opposite sides, and most of the boss 162 is located in the first opening 163.

[0030] The fluid control assembly 1 has a rotating shaft 151, one end of which is inserted into a boss 162, and the rotating shaft 151 and the boss 162 are in a limiting engagement.

[0031] The main housing 11 is made of plastic and has an outer wall portion 165 and a support wall 164. The support wall 164 corresponds to the first cavity 111. The support wall 164 is longitudinally connected to the first opening portion 163 and the contraction portion 125. The support wall 164 has an inner wall surface, which is arc-shaped and cooperates with the valve core component 12. The thickness of the support wall 164 is approximately equal to or slightly less than the thickness of the outer wall portion 165 of the main housing 11.

[0032] The support walls 164 are at least two spaced apart. The main housing 11 has a groove 167 located between at least two support walls 164. The fluid control assembly 1 has a connecting sleeve 168, a part of which is located in the groove 167. The connecting sleeve 168 has a sealing surface that abuts against the valve core component 12. The connecting sleeve 168 is hollow and connects the coolant inlet 101 to the first port of the valve core component 12.

[0033] The main housing 11 has a connecting wall 170, which has a long wall 171 along the length of the groove 167 and a short wall 172 along the width of the groove 167. The two ends of the long wall 171 are connected to the support wall 164, and the short wall 172 connects the outer wall portion 165 and the long wall 171. The connecting wall 170 has a top 144, and the support wall 164 has a top 145.

[0034] The fluid control assembly 1 also includes a motor 15, a motor housing 16, and a seal 17. The motor 15 is capable of driving the valve core component 12 to move. The motor housing 16 is assembled and fixed to the main housing 11. At least a portion of the motor 15 is housed in the motor housing 16. The motor housing 16 is assembled on the top of the connecting wall 170 and the support wall 164. The outer wall portion 165 of the main housing 11 has an end wall portion 173. The end wall portion 173 is stepped with the top of the connecting wall 170 and the support wall 164. The motor housing 16 and the end wall portion 173 are radially sealed by the seal 17.

[0035] The main housing 11 includes a cover plate 112, and the impeller 131 has an upper cover 134. The cover plate 112 faces the upper cover 134 and the cover plate 112 and the upper cover 134 are spaced apart. The vertical projection of the upper cover 134 toward the cover plate 112 falls on the cover plate 112, which helps the fluid to be drawn from the impeller inlet into the impeller interior and reduces the backflow of fluid from the impeller outlet to the impeller inlet, thus reducing the impact on pump efficiency. In addition, the spaced arrangement of the cover plate 112 and the upper cover 134 makes the impeller movement smoother and reduces the friction that may occur between them.

[0036] The main housing 11 has a small-diameter portion 112 and a large-diameter portion 113, which are separated by their outer dimensions. The first cavity 111 is located in the small-diameter portion 112, and the large-diameter portion 113 accommodates a portion of the pump component 13. Most of the impeller 131 is located in the large-diameter portion 113. The projection of the cover plate 112 along the axial direction of the valve core component falls into the small-diameter portion 112. The main housing 11 has a first tube portion 114 and a second tube portion 115. The first tube portion 114 is connected to the small-diameter portion 112, and the second tube portion 115 is connected to the large-diameter portion 113. The extension line of the outer wall portion of the second tube portion 115 towards the small-diameter portion 112 passes through the area of ​​the cover plate 112, so that the wall portion of the main housing 11 at the corresponding position of the cover plate 112 needs to serve as both a fixing structure for the valve core component and a fixing structure for the impeller structure. In this design, the first pipe section 114 serves as a fluid inlet pipe, and the second pipe section 115 serves as a fluid outlet pipe. Fluid can enter through the first pipe section 114 and exit through the second pipe section 115, controlled by the movement of the valve core component. This is merely an example; it should be understood that the main housing may also have one fluid inlet pipe and one fluid outlet pipe, in which case the valve core component is used to control the flow of fluid and regulate the flow rate. The main housing may also have two or more fluid inlet pipes, in which case the valve core component can be used to switch, mix, or regulate the flow path of fluid from different inlet pipes. Specifically, as another embodiment, the main housing has a third pipe section 116 connected to the small-diameter section 112, and the third pipe section 116 can serve as a fluid inlet pipe.

[0037] The main housing 11 includes an outer shell portion 113, and a cover plate 112 is assembled and fixed to the outer shell portion 113. The outer shell portion 113 is provided with a contraction portion 125, a support wall 164, and an outer wall 165. The contraction portion 125 has an annular wall portion 1131, the equivalent inner diameter of which is smaller than the equivalent inner diameter of the outer wall portion 165. The cover plate 112 is located between the annular wall portion 1131 and the outer wall portion 165. The annular wall portion 1131 is located between the first cavity 111 and the second cavity 120. The support wall 164 is connected to the annular wall portion 1131 and the outer wall portion 165. The main housing 11 has a hollow area 166, a portion of which is located between the support wall 164 and the outer wall portion 165, and a portion of which is located between the annular wall portion 1131 and the outer wall portion 165. A cover plate 112 is located between the annular wall portion 1131 and the outer wall portion 165, and the cover plate 112 seals the side of the hollow area 166 facing the impeller. The hollow area is not connected to the first cavity, nor is it connected to the second cavity. The outer housing portion 113 is provided with the hollow area 166, and the cover plate is located between the annular wall portion and the outer wall portion. The cover plate seals the side of the hollow area facing the impeller, which not only helps stabilize the main housing structure but also helps maintain a certain pump efficiency.

[0038] The outer casing 113 is formed by plastic injection molding. During the plastic injection molding process, if the plastic is not uniformly thick or thin during cooling and demolding, the thicker plastic will have a large shrinkage rate, which can easily lead to structural deformation. This will affect the pump efficiency after the pump components are assembled in the casing structure. In addition, since the cover plate 112 needs to fit with the upper cover of the impeller, excessive structural deformation will cause significant deformation at the mating part of the cover plate 112 and the impeller, affecting hydraulic efficiency.

[0039] The impeller 131 has a convex ring 135 that protrudes from the upper cover 134 and extends into the central region of the annular wall portion 1131. The convex ring 135 serves as the inlet of the impeller 131, and the outlet 122 of the valve core component 12 is located in the central region of the annular wall portion 1131. This allows fluid to enter the inlet of the impeller 131 from the outlet 122 of the valve core component 12 in the central region of the annular wall portion 1131, which helps the pump to draw fluid from the inlet and also helps to unify the flow field, thus improving the pump's hydraulic efficiency. In addition, this arrangement also makes the structure of the fluid control component, which integrates fluid control and fluid pumping functions, more compact and smaller.

[0040] The annular wall portion 1131 and the outer wall portion 165 are arranged concentrically, with the annular wall portion 1131 and the outer wall portion 165 spaced apart. The cover plate 112 connects the inner wall of the annular wall portion 1131 and the outer wall portion 165. The thickness of the annular wall portion 1131 can be approximately equal to the thickness of the outer wall portion 165.

[0041] As one specific implementation method, refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9The outer wall portion 165 has at least two lugs 1133, and the cover plate 112 has a side portion 1121 and a bottom portion 1122. The bottom portion 1122 faces the upper end face of the impeller, and the side portion 1121 extends away from the impeller. The side portion 1121 has a spring piece 1123, which is snapped into the lugs 1133. After the outer shell portion is formed, the cover plate 112 and the outer shell portion 113 are connected by snap-fit, making assembly simple.

[0042] As another implementation method, refer to Figure 10 The outer casing 113 has at least two fixing holes 1134, and the cover plate 112 has at least two protrusions 1124, which correspond to the fixing holes 1134. The cover plate 112 is fixed to the outer casing 113 with screws. After the outer casing is formed, the cover plate 112 and the outer casing 113 are connected by screws, which simplifies assembly.

[0043] The outer wall portion 165 has a raised wall 1135 located on the outer periphery of the cover plate 112, protruding towards the impeller relative to the cover plate 112. The outer casing portion 113 has a vortex channel 1136 and an outlet 1137, with the vortex channel 1136 communicating with the outlet 1137. The vortex channel 1136 has a variable diameter, and the outlet is located in the third pipe section. Thus, after the fluid exits from the impeller outlet and enters the vortex channel 1136, the fluid can be thrown out by centrifugal force and exit from the third pipe section. The raised wall contributes to the pump's hydraulic efficiency.

[0044] Fluid control components can also be used in thermal management systems, where they can be connected to coolant flow paths used for battery heat exchange or engine cooling.

[0045] As one implementation, a thermal management system includes a battery heat exchange circuit. The battery heat exchange circuit includes a fluid control component 1, which includes at least one coolant inlet 101 and a coolant outlet 102. The coolant inlet 101 is connected to the coolant outlet through the valve core component and the impeller. The coolant inlet and the coolant outlet are connected to pipelines in the battery heat exchange circuit.

[0046] As another embodiment, a thermal management system includes an engine cooling circuit, the engine cooling circuit including a fluid control component 1, the fluid control component 1 including at least one coolant inlet 101 and a coolant outlet 102, the coolant inlet being connected to the coolant outlet through the valve core component and the impeller, and the coolant inlet and coolant outlet being connected to pipelines in the engine cooling circuit.

[0047] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the technical solutions described in the present invention. For example, the directional definitions such as "front", "back", "left", "right", "up", and "down" are used. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still combine, modify or substitute the present invention with each other. All technical solutions and improvements 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 fluid control assembly, comprising a main housing, a valve core component, and a pump component, wherein the main housing includes a first cavity and a second cavity, and the majority of the valve core component is located in the first cavity; The pump component includes an impeller, at least a portion of which is located in the second chamber. The main housing has at least one coolant inlet and one coolant outlet; The main housing has a cover plate, an annular wall portion, an outer wall portion, and a support wall corresponding to the first cavity. The equivalent inner diameter of the annular wall portion is smaller than the equivalent inner diameter of the outer wall portion. The annular wall portion is located between the first cavity and the second cavity. The support wall is connected to the annular wall portion and the outer wall portion. The main housing has a hollow area. A portion of the hollow area is located between the support wall and the outer wall portion, and a portion of the hollow area is located between the annular wall portion and the outer wall portion. The cover plate is located between the annular wall portion and the outer wall portion, and the cover plate seals the side of the hollow area facing the impeller. The main housing has an outer shell portion. The outer shell portion is provided with the annular wall portion, the support wall, and the outer wall portion. The cover plate is assembled and fixed to the outer shell portion. The outer shell portion is made of plastic.

2. The fluid control assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main housing has a transfer channel that connects the first cavity and the second cavity. The equivalent diameter of the transfer channel is smaller than the equivalent diameters of the first cavity and the second cavity. The impeller has a top cover, and the cover plate faces the top cover and the cover plate maintains a certain distance from the top cover. The hollow area is not connected to the first cavity and is not connected to the second cavity.

3. The fluid control assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The annular wall portion and the outer wall portion are arranged concentrically, and the thickness of the annular wall portion is equal to the thickness of the supporting wall; the annular wall portion and the outer wall portion are spaced apart, and the cover plate connects the end of the annular wall portion and the outer wall portion; The outer shell has a vortex channel and an outlet, the vortex channel is connected to the outlet, and the vortex channel is configured with a variable diameter.

4. The fluid control assembly of claim 2, wherein: The outer wall portion has a protruding wall, which is located on the outer periphery of the cover plate and protrudes towards the impeller relative to the cover plate; A portion of the valve core component extends into the adapter channel; At least a portion of the impeller extends into the transition channel, and the valve core component is coaxially arranged with the impeller.

5. The fluid control assembly of claim 1, wherein: The outer wall portion has at least two lugs, the cover plate has a side portion and a bottom portion, the bottom portion is opposite to the upper end face of the impeller, the side portion extends away from the impeller, the side portion has a spring piece, the spring piece is snapped into the lugs; or the outer shell portion has at least two fixing holes, the cover plate has at least two protrusions, the protrusions correspond to the fixing holes, and the cover plate is fixed to the outer shell portion with screws.

6. The fluid control assembly of claim 2, wherein: The main housing has a contraction section, which includes an annular wall portion. The impeller has a convex ring that protrudes from the upper cover and extends into the contraction section. The convex ring is the inlet of the impeller, and the outlet of the valve core component is located in the contraction section.

7. The fluid control assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main housing has a transfer channel that connects the first cavity and the second cavity; the main housing has a contraction section with a limiting wall. The main housing has a limiting wall, and the valve core component has a first limiting surface and a second limiting surface in the form of a step. The first limiting surface and the second limiting surface are configured to cooperate with the limiting wall, and the valve core component can rotate relative to the limiting wall. The valve core component has an L-shaped channel with a first port and a second port. The second port of the L-shaped channel is connected to the inlet of the impeller and is coaxially arranged with the inlet of the impeller. The first port of the L-shaped channel is connected to the coolant inlet.

8. The fluid control assembly of claim 1, wherein: The fluid control assembly includes a motor and a motor housing, wherein the motor housing is assembled and fixed to the main housing. The motor has a rotating shaft, and one side of the valve core component is limited to the rotating shaft; The main housing has a small-diameter portion and a large-diameter portion, at least a portion of the valve core component is located in the small-diameter portion, and at least a portion of the impeller is located in the large-diameter portion. The main housing has a first tube section, a second tube section, and a third tube section. The first tube section is connected to the side of the small diameter section, the second tube section is connected to the side of the large diameter section, and the third tube section is connected to the side of the large diameter section. The extension line of the outer wall of the second tube section toward the small diameter section passes through the cover plate area, and the projection of the cover plate along the axial direction of the valve core component falls into the small diameter section.

9. A thermal management system comprising a battery heat exchange circuit, the battery heat exchange circuit comprising a fluid control component according to any one of claims 1-8, the fluid control component comprising at least one coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, the coolant inlet being connected to the coolant outlet via the valve core component and the impeller, and the coolant inlet and coolant outlet being connected to a pipeline in the battery heat exchange circuit.

10. A thermal management system comprising an engine cooling circuit, the engine cooling circuit comprising a fluid control component according to any one of claims 1-8, the fluid control component comprising at least one coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, the coolant inlet being connected to the coolant outlet via the valve core component and the impeller, and the coolant inlet and coolant outlet being connected to a pipeline in the engine cooling circuit.

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