A PTC liquid heater suitable for battery thermal management of commercial vehicles

Abstract

The application discloses a PTC liquid heater suitable for battery thermal management of commercial vehicles, which comprises an upper shell, a lower shell, a heating body, a temperature control assembly, a controller assembly, a wiring harness assembly, a waterproof assembly and a waterproof air permeable valve, the heating body, the temperature control assembly, the controller assembly and the wiring harness assembly are fixedly installed in the upper shell and the lower shell, one end of the upper shell and the lower shell is provided with a water inlet pipe, the other end is provided with a water outlet pipe, one end of the water inlet pipe is connected with a water inlet tank, one end of the water tank is connected with the heating body, one end of the heating body is connected with a water outlet tank, and one end of the water outlet tank is fixedly connected with the water outlet pipe. The application has the beneficial effects that the PTC heating module is combined into two or more modules by using limited space, the heating modules are flexibly connected through the wiring harness, the grouping of the multiple PTC heating modules is more flexible, 18 heating modules are divided into 6 groups, space is saved, and the safety of high-voltage line wiring is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of PTC water heater structures, and in particular to a PTC liquid heater suitable for thermal management of commercial vehicle batteries. Background Technology

[0002] The PTC liquid heater in the thermal management assembly of commercial vehicle batteries is used to heat the antifreeze in the battery box. Under low-temperature conditions, it quickly raises the temperature of the antifreeze to a certain point, so that the battery is at the optimal charging or discharging temperature, which is beneficial to improving the battery charging and discharging efficiency and extending battery life. Existing heaters use PWM IGBT control or simple PTC heaters, all of which have a flat structure. This structure occupies a lot of space and is not convenient to integrate into the thermal management assembly of commercial vehicle batteries. In addition, the inlet and outlet are located on the same side, occupying even more space. Therefore, the existing heaters have the following defects and need to be improved:

[0003] 1. It occupies a large space and cannot be integrated into the battery thermal management assembly of commercial vehicles. The current practice is to place it on the top or side of the battery thermal management assembly, which greatly reduces the integration level of the battery thermal management assembly product, has certain deficiencies in vibration resistance, and affects the reliability of the overall battery thermal management system.

[0004] 2. Self-contained and lacking compatibility. Although its internal configuration is complete, it is more expensive, and some functions overlap with the overall system, which poses certain obstacles to further simplification, upgrading, and integration of the controller into the commercial vehicle battery thermal management assembly.

[0005] 3. The length of the PTC heating module is similar to that of the flat tube. However, in battery thermal management products, the product length is greater than 400mm. When the length is too long, it is difficult to ensure the flatness of the heating module. Poor contact may lead to arcing, breakdown and other faults, causing safety hazards.

[0006] 4. Connecting small terminal blocks together with wire harnesses or copper busbars via wiring creates numerous branch harnesses, resulting in a messy and confined space that significantly increases the risk of short circuits between positive and negative terminals. This poses a safety hazard.

[0007] 5. IGBTs are often arranged in a single row. However, due to specific application scenarios, the conventional single-row IGBT arrangement would occupy a significant amount of space.

[0008] 6. High-voltage or low-voltage connectors are often used at the outgoing terminals, resulting in high product costs; or PG connectors (waterproof flange connectors) are used, but PG connectors take up a lot of space and their waterproof effect is not ideal.

[0009] 7. It has fixed mounting feet. It occupies a relatively large space and cannot be unfolded within the thermal management system of a commercial vehicle. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The purpose of this invention is to solve the above problems by designing a PTC liquid heater suitable for thermal management of commercial vehicle batteries.

[0011] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of this invention is a PTC liquid heater suitable for thermal management of commercial vehicle batteries, comprising an upper housing, a lower housing, a heating element, a temperature control component, a controller component, a terminal block component, a waterproof component, and a waterproof and breathable valve. The heating element, temperature control component, controller component, and terminal block component are fixedly installed inside the upper and lower housings. A waterproof silicone ring is provided at the connection between the upper and lower housings. The upper and lower housings are fixedly connected by screws at the fixing holes. A water inlet pipe is provided at one end of the upper and lower housings, and a water outlet pipe is provided at the other end. One end of the water inlet pipe is connected to a water inlet tank, one end of the water inlet tank is connected to the heating element, one end of the heating element is connected to the water outlet tank, and one end of the water outlet tank is fixedly connected to the water outlet pipe.

[0012] As a further explanation of the present invention, the heating element includes a heating module one, a heating module two, a heating module three, and an IGBT heat sink. A terminal block assembly is provided between the heating module one, the heating module two, and the heating module three. The IGBT heat sink is fixedly installed on the side of the water inlet tank.

[0013] As a further explanation of the present invention, the heating module one, heating module two and heating module three are all composed of a PTC heating module and a reinforced sheet metal assembly, and one end of the reinforced sheet metal assembly is connected to a reinforced sheet metal cover plate.

[0014] As a further explanation of the present invention, the wiring harness assembly between the water inlet tank and the heating module is a large wiring harness, on which 4-12 PTC heating modules are connected.

[0015] As a further explanation of the present invention, the wiring harness assembly between the first heating module and the second heating module is a small wiring harness, and 2-4 PTC heating modules are connected to the small wiring harness.

[0016] As a further explanation of the present invention, the wiring harness assembly between the second heating module and the third heating module is a shared wiring harness between the two modules, and 12 heating modules are connected to the shared wiring harness between the two modules.

[0017] As a further explanation of the present invention, the inlet tank and the outlet tank include a water chamber and a flat tube, the flat tube is connected to the PTC heating module, the IGBT heat sink is made of aluminum alloy, and the IGBT heat sink is welded or screwed to the water chamber of the inlet tank.

[0018] As a further explanation of the present invention, the temperature control component includes a temperature sensor and a temperature controller, the temperature sensor and the temperature controller are fixedly installed on the side of the water chamber of the water outlet tank, and the controller component is fixedly installed on the IGBT heat sink by screws. The controller component includes a control circuit board and a circuit board housing.

[0019] As a further explanation of the present invention, the waterproof component is fixedly installed at the interface of the water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe on the upper housing and the lower housing. The waterproof component includes a waterproof plug, a waterproof pressure plate and a waterproof silicone ring. A porous silicone plug is also provided at one end of the upper housing.

[0020] As a further explanation of the present invention, the waterproof and breathable valve is fixedly installed on one side of the upper housing, and the lower housing has equally spaced mounting holes at the upper and lower edges of the bottom surface.

[0021] Its beneficial effects are as follows: 1. By utilizing extremely limited space, PTC heating modules can be combined into two or more modules, and the heating modules can be flexibly connected through terminal blocks. This allows for more flexible grouping of multiple PTC heating modules, dividing 18 heating modules into 6 groups. The advantage of this approach is that it saves space and improves the safety of high-voltage line wiring.

[0022] 2. Secure the IGBT to the IGBT heatsink using combination screws. The liquid in the inlet chamber cools the IGBT, while simultaneously recovering and reusing the heat generated by the IGBT.

[0023] 3. Dividing multiple PTC heating modules into three equally divided groups can reduce the risk of arcing and ensure the flatness of the PTC heating modules. It also facilitates the standardized production of PTC heating modules.

[0024] 4. Maximize the sharing of the same pole. The terminal block design allows multiple PTC heating modules to share either the positive or negative pole, saving space and material costs, and enabling flexible grouping of PTC heating modules. Two or more, even a dozen or more, PTC heating modules can be connected together, greatly improving connection efficiency and safety. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of one state of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is another schematic diagram of the state structure of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is another schematic diagram of the state structure of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram after the top cover has been removed;

[0029] Figure 5 This is another structural diagram after removing the top cover;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 7 This is another structural diagram of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 8 This is another structural diagram of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 9 This is a structural diagram of the waterproof component at the water inlet;

[0034] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of PTC plates in the heating element;

[0035] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the heating element grid;

[0036] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the vertical structure of the heating element grid.

[0037] In the diagram: 1. Upper housing; 2. Lower housing; 3. Heating element; 301. Heating module one; 302. Heating module two; 303. Heating module three; 304. IGBT heat sink; 305. PTC heating module; 4. Temperature control assembly; 401. Temperature sensor; 402. Temperature controller; 5. Controller assembly; 501. Control circuit board; 502. Circuit board housing; 6. Terminal block assembly; 601. Large terminal block; 602. Small terminal block; 603, Common terminal block for modular rooms; 7, Waterproof components; 701, Waterproof pressure plate; 702, Waterproof silicone ring; 703, Multi-hole silicone plug; 8, Inlet pipe; 9, Outlet pipe; 10, Inlet tank; 11, Outlet tank; 12, Water chamber; 13, Reinforced sheet metal components; 14, Reinforced sheet metal cover plate; 15, Waterproof vent valve; 16, Mounting hole; 17, Fixing hole; 18, PTC sheet; 19, Grille; 20, Groove. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, such as... Figure 1-9As shown, a PTC liquid heater suitable for thermal management of commercial vehicle batteries is described. The overall structure of the invention includes an upper housing 1, a lower housing 2, a heating element 3, a temperature control component 4, a controller component 5, a terminal block component 6, a waterproof component 7, and a waterproof vent valve 15. The heating element 3, temperature control component 4, controller component 5, and terminal block component are fixedly installed inside the upper housing 1 and lower housing 2. A waterproof silicone ring 702 is provided at the connection between the upper housing 1 and lower housing 2. The upper housing 1 and lower housing 2 are fixedly connected by screws at the fixing holes 17. One end of the upper housing 1 and lower housing 2 is provided with a water inlet pipe 8, and the other end is provided with a water outlet pipe 9. One end of the water inlet pipe 8 is connected to a water inlet tank 10, one end of the water tank is connected to the heating element 3, one end of the heating element 3 is connected to a water outlet tank 11, and one end of the water outlet tank 11 is fixedly connected to the water outlet pipe 9.

[0039] The various structural components of the present invention will now be described in detail.

[0040] The IGBT heat sink 304, preferably made of aluminum alloy, is welded or screwed to the water chamber 12 of the water tank. The water tank consists of three parts: inlet / outlet, water chamber 12, and flat tube.

[0041] The PTC heating module 305 is inserted between the flat tubes. Multiple PTC heating modules 305 located in the same column can form a PTC heating module. The heating element consists of 3 parts containing 3 heating modules. Each heating module contains 6 heating modules.

[0042] Terminal block assembly 6 includes a terminal block insulating housing, the terminal block itself, screws, etc. The terminal block is used to connect to the PTC heating module 305.

[0043] This invention utilizes extremely limited space to combine PTC heating modules 305 into two or more modules, and the heating modules are flexibly connected through wiring harnesses, enabling more flexible grouping of multiple PTC heating modules 305, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the 18 heating modules are divided into 6 groups. This approach saves space and improves the safety of high-voltage wiring.

[0044] The reinforced sheet metal assembly 13 consists of a reinforced sheet metal body, a reinforced sheet metal cover plate 14, and reinforced sheet metal screws. The reinforced sheet metal body and the reinforced sheet metal cover plate 14 are connected by a staggered connection through elongated holes. Then, tools are used to deform the mounting feet of the reinforced sheet metal body to prevent the reinforced sheet metal cover plate 14 from falling off during vibration. This design structure saves more space.

[0045] The temperature control component 4 includes a temperature controller 402 and a temperature sensor 401.

[0046] The controller assembly 5 includes a control circuit board 501 and a circuit board housing 502, etc. The control circuit board 501 contains IGBTs arranged in a square matrix.

[0047] The IGBT is secured to the IGBT heatsink 304 using combination screws. The liquid in the inlet chamber 12 is used to cool the IGBT, while simultaneously recovering and reusing the heat dissipated by the IGBT.

[0048] The waterproof component 7 includes a waterproof plug, a waterproof pressure plate 701, and a waterproof silicone ring 702.

[0049] Waterproof plugs for the inlet and outlet are inserted through the inlet and outlet, installed on the aluminum casing, and then pressed by the waterproof pressure plate 701, causing deformation to achieve a waterproof effect.

[0050] Dividing multiple PTC heating modules 305 into three equally divided modules can reduce the risk of arcing and ensure the flatness of the PTC heating modules 305. It also facilitates the standardized production of PTC heating modules 305.

[0051] The terminal block design maximizes the sharing of the same polarity. Multiple PTC heating modules 305 can share either the positive or negative terminal, saving space and material costs, and allowing for flexible grouping of the PTC heating modules 305. Two or more, even a dozen or more, PTC heating modules 305 can be connected together, significantly improving connection efficiency and safety.

[0052] Arranging IGBTs in multiple rows can effectively reduce the space occupied by IGBTs and greatly improve space utilization efficiency.

[0053] The multi-hole waterproof plug design at the cable outlet reduces costs and improves waterproof performance.

[0054] Mounting hole 16 is embedded in the bottom of the housing, greatly saving installation space.

[0055] like Figure 10 As shown, the PTC sheet 18 in the heating element is 20mm long and arranged in three rows. Large PTC sheets 18 have some reliability issues in terms of voltage withstand performance; smaller PTC sheets 18 offer better voltage withstand performance. Furthermore, they increase the heat output per unit area, improve voltage withstand performance, have a smaller overall length, and can increase the upper power limit of the heater.

[0056] like Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, the edges of the grille 19 surrounding the heating element 3 are flat and without edging, making the entire grille straighter and improving production efficiency. Furthermore, grooves 20 are added to both sides of the grille 19 to reduce the amount of silicone material used and lower costs.

[0057] Working Principle: The PTC heating module 305 is distributed parallel to the flat tubes of the inlet tank 10 and outlet tank 11, and is clamped by sheet metal components, resulting in a tight fit and higher heat transfer efficiency. When the PTC heating module 305 is powered on, it heats the water in the flat tubes of the tanks to the specified temperature. The heating control principle is as follows: the temperature sensor controller feeds back water temperature information to the control circuit board 501. The control circuit board 501 controls the heating power of the PTC heating element through the output voltage of its own IGBT and the control relay. When the temperature sensor 401 fails, the heater loses its temperature detection function. Therefore, an additional temperature controller 402 is added for auxiliary temperature control. When the temperature sensor 401 fails, the temperature controller 402 disconnects, thereby disconnecting the relay and cutting off the high-voltage power supply, thus realizing the control of the high-voltage power supply when the temperature sensor 401 fails.

[0058] The above technical solutions only embody the preferred technical solutions of the present invention. Any modifications that may be made by those skilled in the art to certain parts thereof embody the principles of the present invention and fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A PTC liquid heater suitable for battery thermal management of commercial vehicles, comprising an upper shell (1), a lower shell (2), a heating body (3), a temperature control assembly (4), a controller assembly (5), a wiring harness assembly (6), a waterproof assembly (7) and a waterproof breather valve (15), characterized in that, The heating body (3), temperature control assembly (4), controller assembly (5) and wiring harness assembly are fixedly installed in the upper shell (1) and lower shell (2), the connecting part of the upper shell (1) and lower shell (2) is provided with a waterproof silica gel ring (702), the upper shell (1) and lower shell (2) are fixedly connected by screws at the position of the fixing hole (17), one end of the upper shell (1) and lower shell (2) is provided with a water inlet pipe (8), the other end is provided with a water outlet pipe (9), one end of the water inlet pipe (8) is connected with a water inlet tank (10), one end of the water inlet tank (10) is connected with a heating body (3), one end of the heating body (3) is connected with a water outlet tank (11), one end of the water outlet tank (11) is fixedly connected with the water outlet pipe (9); The heating body (3) comprises a heating module one (301), a heating module two (302), a heating module three (303) and an IGBT heat sink (304), a wiring harness assembly (6) is arranged between the heating module one (301), the heating module two (302) and the heating module three (303), and the IGBT heat sink (304) is fixedly installed on the side of the water inlet tank (10); the heating module one (301), the heating module two (302) and the heating module three (303) are each composed of a PTC heating module (305) and a reinforced sheet metal assembly (13), one end of the reinforced sheet metal assembly (13) is connected with a reinforced sheet metal cover plate (14); the wiring harness assembly (6) between the water inlet tank (10) and the heating module one (301) and between the water outlet tank (11) and the heating module three (303) is a large wiring harness (601), and 4-12 PTC heating modules (305) are connected on the large wiring harness (601); the water inlet tank (10) and the water outlet tank (11) comprise a water chamber (12) and a flat pipe, the flat pipe is connected with the PTC heating module (305), the IGBT heat sink (304) is made of aluminum alloy, and the IGBT heat sink (304) is welded or fixedly connected with the water chamber (12) of the water inlet tank (10); The waterproof assembly (7) is fixedly installed at the interfaces of the water inlet pipe (8) and the water outlet pipe (9) on the upper shell (1) and the lower shell (2), the waterproof assembly (7) comprises a waterproof plug, a waterproof pressing plate (701) and a waterproof silica gel ring (702), one end of the upper shell (1) is further provided with a porous silica gel plug (703); the waterproof breather valve (15) is fixedly installed on one side of the upper shell (1), and the upper and lower edges of the bottom surface of the lower shell (2) are provided with equidistant mounting holes (16).

2. A PTC liquid heater suitable for battery thermal management of commercial vehicles as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The wiring harness assembly (6) between the heating module one (301) and the heating module two (302) is a small wiring harness (602), and 2-4 PTC heating modules (305) are connected on the small wiring harness (602).

3. A PTC liquid heater suitable for battery thermal management of commercial vehicles as claimed in claim 2, wherein, The wiring strip assembly (6) between the heating module two (302) and the heating module three (303) is a combined inter-shared wiring strip (603), and 12 heating modules are connected on the combined inter-shared wiring strip (603).

4. The PTC liquid heater suitable for battery thermal management of commercial vehicles as claimed in claim 3 wherein, The temperature sensor (401) and the temperature controller (402) are fixedly installed on the side of the water chamber (12) of the water outlet tank (11), the controller assembly (5) is fixedly installed on the IGBT heat sink (304) through a screw, and the controller assembly (5) comprises a control circuit board (501) and a circuit board shell (502).

5. A PTC liquid heater suitable for battery thermal management of commercial vehicles as claimed in claim 4 wherein, The PTC sheet (18) in the heating body (3) is 20mm long and arranged in three rows; the edges of the grating (19) around the heating body (3) are flat, and a plurality of grooves (20) are arranged on the front and back surfaces of the grating (19).

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