Thermal Management Systems and Automobiles

Abstract

The present invention discloses a thermal management system and an automobile. The thermal management system includes a refrigerant circuit and a water circuit. The refrigerant circuit contains liquid refrigerant and includes multiple components, including a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a condenser, a first evaporator, a second evaporator, a first expansion valve, a second expansion valve, and a third expansion valve, forming a corresponding circuit as needed. The water circuit contains coolant and includes multiple components, including the first heat exchanger, a first water pump, a drive assembly, a first four-way valve, a second four-way valve, a battery assembly, a second water pump, a three-way valve, and the second heat exchanger, forming a corresponding circuit as needed. The technical solution of the present invention simplifies the thermal management system and reduces overall vehicle energy consumption.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automobile technology, and in particular to a thermal management system and an automobile. Background Art

[0002] At present, the thermal comfort and heating functions of new energy vehicles are relatively large problems compared to traditional fuel vehicles. Most of the current industry uses heat pump systems and PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heaters to solve this problem.

[0003] However, thermal management systems using heat pumps and PTC heaters still have some drawbacks. For example, current heat pump systems are complex in switching between cooling and heating the passenger compartment, requiring the compressor to stop and adjusting the on-off valve and various electronic expansion valves to achieve the desired function. PTC heaters are also required for supplemental heat. However, since PTC heaters have a heating efficiency of less than 1, their activation increases vehicle energy consumption and thus reduces range. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main purpose of the present invention is to propose a thermal management system, aiming to simplify the thermal management system and reduce the energy consumption of the entire vehicle.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the thermal management system proposed in the present invention includes:

[0006] A refrigerant circuit having liquid refrigerant therein, the refrigerant circuit comprising a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a condenser, a first evaporator, a second evaporator, a first expansion valve, a second expansion valve, and a third expansion valve, each of which forms a corresponding circuit according to needs;

[0007] A water circuit, wherein the water circuit contains coolant, and the water circuit includes the first heat exchanger, the first water pump, the drive assembly, the first four-way valve, the second four-way valve, the battery assembly, the second water pump, the three-way valve, and the second heat exchanger, wherein the plurality of components form a corresponding circuit according to needs.

[0008] Optionally, the thermal management system further includes an air conditioning host, the air conditioning host including a first heat exchange duct, a second heat exchange duct and a circulation air duct, the first heat exchange duct having a built-in condenser, and the first heat exchange duct having a first air inlet end and a first air outlet end, the first air inlet end including a first air inlet connected to a circulation air inlet and a second air inlet connected to the outside of the vehicle, and the first air outlet end respectively connected to a first air outlet connected to the inside of the vehicle and a second air outlet connected to the outside of the vehicle;

[0009] The second heat exchange air duct has a built-in first evaporator, and the second heat exchange air duct has a second air inlet end and a second air outlet end, the second air inlet end includes a third air inlet connected to the circulating air inlet and a fourth air inlet connected to the outside of the vehicle, and the second air outlet end is respectively connected to the third air outlet connected to the inside of the vehicle and the fourth air outlet connected to the outside of the vehicle;

[0010] The circulating air duct is used to recover the gas after heat exchange through the first heat exchange air duct and circulate it to the first air inlet.

[0011] Optionally, the refrigerant circuit includes a first circuit and a second circuit, the first circuit is a closed circuit formed by the compressor, the second heat exchanger, the condenser, the first expansion valve, and the first heat exchanger connected in series in sequence, and the second circuit is a closed circuit formed by the first evaporator, the second expansion valve, the third expansion valve, and the second evaporator connected in series in sequence, and the flow channel between the second evaporator and the first evaporator is connected in series with the flow channel between the compressor and the first heat exchanger, and the flow channel between the second expansion valve and the third expansion valve is connected in series with the flow channel between the condenser and the first expansion valve.

[0012] Optionally, the thermal management system has a first heating state. In the first heating state, the water circuit includes a motor circuit and a battery circuit, and the motor circuit and the battery circuit are connected in parallel through the first four-way valve and the second four-way valve, the motor circuit and the refrigerant circuit are connected in parallel through the first heat exchanger, and the battery circuit and the refrigerant circuit are connected in parallel through the second heat exchanger.

[0013] The motor circuit is a closed circuit formed by the first water pump, the drive assembly, the first four-way valve, the first heat exchanger, the second four-way valve, and the three-way valve connected in series in sequence;

[0014] The battery circuit is a closed circuit formed by the first four-way valve, the second heat exchanger, the second four-way valve, the second water pump, and the battery assembly connected in series.

[0015] Optionally, in the first heating state, the first air inlet, the second air inlet, the third air inlet, the fourth air outlet and the circulating air duct are all connected, and the in-vehicle circulating air inlet, the first air outlet, the second air outlet, the third air outlet and the fourth air inlet are all blocked, so that the gas outside the vehicle enters the first heat exchange duct for heat exchange and passes through the first circulating air duct. After that, part of the gas enters the first air inlet to continue circulation, and the other part of the gas passes through the third air inlet and flows into the second heat exchange duct for heat exchange and is discharged outside the vehicle.

[0016] Optionally, the thermal management system has a second heating state. In the second heating state, the water circuit is connected in parallel with the refrigerant circuit through the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger respectively, and the water circuit is configured as a closed circuit formed by the first water pump, the drive assembly, the first four-way valve, the second heat exchanger, the second four-way valve, the second water pump, the battery assembly, the first four-way valve, the first heat exchanger, the second four-way valve, and the three-way valve connected in series in sequence.

[0017] Optionally, in the second heating state, the vehicle's circulating air inlet, the first air inlet, the second air inlet, the fourth air inlet, the first air outlet and the fourth air outlet are all connected, and the third air inlet, the second air outlet, the third air outlet and the circulating air duct are all blocked, so that the gas after heat exchange through the first heat exchange duct is discharged into the vehicle and circulated to the first heat exchange duct again together with the gas in the vehicle.

[0018] Optionally, the drive component includes a first drive motor, a first control component, a second drive motor and a second control component, and the water circuit includes a first branch and a second branch arranged in parallel, the first drive motor and the first control component are connected in series to the first branch, and the second drive motor and the second control component are connected in series to the second branch.

[0019] Optionally, the thermal management system further comprises a first liquid storage device, the first liquid storage device being connected to the refrigerant circuit to replenish the refrigerant circuit; and / or,

[0020] The thermal management system further includes a second liquid storage device, which is connected to the water circuit to replenish liquid for the water circuit.

[0021] The present invention also provides an automobile comprising the thermal management system described above.

[0022] The technical solution of the present invention is to set up a refrigerant circuit and a water circuit. The refrigerant circuit includes multiple components of the compressor, the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, the condenser, the first evaporator, the second evaporator, the first expansion valve, the second expansion valve, and the third expansion valve, forming corresponding circuits according to needs; the water circuit contains coolant, and the water circuit includes multiple components of the first heat exchanger, the first water pump, the drive component, the first four-way valve, the second four-way valve, the battery component, the second water pump, the three-way valve, and the second heat exchanger, forming corresponding circuits according to needs. Compared with the thermal management system using a heat pump system and a heater in the prior art, the refrigerant circuit and water circuit in this embodiment are simpler and do not require an additional heater. The heat generated by the drive component is recovered by the first heat exchanger, thereby heating the liquid refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit, allowing the compressor, condenser, the first evaporator, the second evaporator, etc. to start smoothly, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] 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 only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Structural principle diagram of the medium heat management system in the first heating state;

[0026] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0027] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Structural principle diagram of the heat management system in the second heating state;

[0028] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A partial enlarged view of point B in the middle.

[0029] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0030]

[0031]

[0032] The purpose, features and advantages of the present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with the embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] 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. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0035] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, the meaning of "and / or" appearing in the full text is to include three parallel solutions. Taking "A and / or B as an example", it includes solution A, or solution B, or solutions that satisfy both A and B. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0036] The present invention provides a thermal management system 10 .

[0037] In the embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1 As shown, the thermal management system 10 includes a refrigerant circuit 20 and a water circuit 30. The refrigerant circuit 20 contains liquid refrigerant, and the refrigerant circuit 20 includes a compressor 21, a first heat exchanger 22, a second heat exchanger 23, a condenser 24, a first evaporator 25, a second evaporator 26, a first expansion valve 27, a second expansion valve 28, and a third expansion valve 29, which form corresponding circuits according to needs; the water circuit 30 contains coolant, and the water circuit 30 includes a first heat exchanger 22, a first water pump 31, a drive component 32, a first four-way valve 33, a second four-way valve 34, a battery component 35, a second water pump 36, a three-way valve 37, and a second heat exchanger 23, which form corresponding circuits according to needs.

[0038] Specifically, in the refrigerant circuit 20, the first expansion valve 27, the second expansion valve 28, and the third expansion valve 29 are all used to throttle the refrigerant circuit 20, thereby reducing the temperature of the liquid refrigerant. The first evaporator 25, the second evaporator 26, and the condenser 24 are all used to regulate the temperature within the vehicle's passenger compartment. The first evaporator 25 and the condenser 24 are used to regulate the temperature within the front passenger compartment, while the second evaporator 26 is used to regulate the temperature within the rear passenger compartment. The first heat exchanger 22 is connected in parallel with the water circuit 30 to recover heat generated by the drive assembly 32. The second heat exchanger 23 is also connected in parallel with the water circuit 30 to heat the battery assembly 35. The first and second heat exchangers 22, 23 can be water heat exchangers or chiller heat exchangers. The compressor 21 is used to heat the refrigerant circuit 20. In the water circuit 30, the drive assembly 32 heats the water circuit 30 or the refrigerant circuit 20. The first water pump 31 and the second water pump 36 are both used to drive and regulate the flow of coolant in the water circuit 30. The first four-way valve 33, the second four-way valve 34, and the three-way valve 37 are all used to change the flow direction of the coolant in the water circuit 30. The refrigerant circuit 20 and the water circuit 30 are each equipped with multiple control valves to form corresponding circuits according to the requirements of different thermal management modes and interact with each other to achieve the preset effect. Among them, the first four-way valve 33, the second four-way valve 34, and the three-way valve 37 used in the thermal management system are all multi-way control valves, which can not only control the flow direction of the water circuit 30, but also control the flow rate of the coolant, so that the thermal management system 10 can freely distribute the flow according to actual needs, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the system and the stability of the system control. Of course, in other embodiments, the multi-way control valve can also be replaced with a control valve group to control the flow direction of the coolant in the water circuit 30.

[0039] In the prior art, due to the low temperature in cold winter, it is difficult to start the refrigerant circuit 20 by itself, so a heater is often needed for supplementary heating. When the thermal management system 10 is working, the heater is first turned on to heat the refrigerant circuit 20, thereby ensuring that the compressor 21, condenser 24, first evaporator 25 and second evaporator 26 are smoothly turned on. The heater can be a PCT heater. Since the heating efficiency of the PTC heater is lower than 1, the activation of the PTC heater will increase the energy consumption of the entire vehicle and thus affect the cruising range. In this solution, there is no need to set up an additional heater. The heat generated by the drive component 32 is recovered by the first heat exchanger 22, thereby heating the liquid refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 20, so that the compressor 21, condenser 24, first evaporator 25 and second evaporator 26 are smoothly turned on, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the vehicle.

[0040] The technical solution of the present invention is to set up a refrigerant circuit 20 and a water circuit 30. The refrigerant circuit 20 includes a compressor 21, a first heat exchanger 22, a second heat exchanger 23, a condenser 24, a first evaporator 25, a second evaporator 26, a first expansion valve 27, a second expansion valve 28, and a third expansion valve 29, which form corresponding circuits according to needs; the water circuit 30 contains coolant, and the water circuit 30 includes a first heat exchanger 22, a first water pump 31, a drive component 32, a first four-way valve 33, a second four-way valve 34, a battery component 35, a second water pump 36, a three-way valve 37, and a second heat exchanger 23, which form corresponding circuits according to needs. Compared with the thermal management system 10 using a heat pump system and a heater in the prior art, the refrigerant circuit 20 and the water circuit 30 in this embodiment are simpler, and no additional heater is required. The heat generated by the drive component 32 is recovered through the first heat exchanger 22, thereby heating the liquid refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 20, so that the compressor 21, the condenser 24, the first evaporator 25 and the second evaporator 26 can be opened smoothly, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the vehicle.

[0041] Reference Figures 1 to 5 In one embodiment, the thermal management system 10 further includes an air conditioning main unit 40, which includes a first heat exchange duct 41, a second heat exchange duct 42, and a circulation duct 43. The first heat exchange duct 41 has a built-in condenser 24, and the first heat exchange duct 41 has a first air inlet end 411 and a first air outlet end 412. The first air inlet end 411 includes a first air inlet 414 connected to a circulation air inlet and a second air inlet 415 connected to the outside of the vehicle. The first air outlet end 412 is respectively connected to a first air outlet 416 connected to the inside of the vehicle and a second air outlet 417 connected to the outside of the vehicle.

[0042] The second heat exchange air duct 42 has a built-in first evaporator 25 and has a second air inlet end 421 and a second air outlet end 422. The second air inlet end 421 includes a third air inlet 423 connected to the circulating air inlet and a fourth air inlet 424 connected to the outside of the vehicle. The second air outlet end 422 is respectively connected to a third air outlet 425 connected to the inside of the vehicle and a fourth air outlet 426 connected to the outside of the vehicle.

[0043] The circulation air duct 43 is used to recover the gas after heat exchange through the first heat exchange air duct 41 and circulate it to the first air inlet 414.

[0044] Specifically, the circulating air inlet includes an interior circulating air inlet 413, one end of which communicates with the interior of the vehicle, and the other end of which communicates with the first air inlet 414 and the third air inlet 423. The inlet end of the circulating air duct 43 communicates with the first air outlet 412. The outlet end of the circulating air duct 43 can be connected to the first air inlet 411 and thus to the first air inlet 414, or connected between the interior circulating air inlet 413 and the first air inlet 414. The first heat exchange duct 41 is provided with a condenser 24, which heats the gas in the first heat exchange duct 41. Therefore, in the heating mode, the fresh air formed after the external air is filtered by the automobile air filtration system enters the first heat exchange duct 41 through the second air inlet 415, and the gas heated by the first heat exchange duct 41 passes through the first air outlet 412 and is discharged into the car through the first air outlet 416, thereby heating the interior of the car; the fresh air formed after the external air is filtered by the automobile air filtration system enters the second heat exchange duct 42 through the fourth air inlet 424, and the gas cooled by the second heat exchange duct 42 passes through the second air outlet 422 and is discharged outside the car through the fourth air outlet 426, thus completing the gas flow in the heating mode to heat the interior of the car. It should be noted that the "connectivity" indicated in the present invention only indicates the connection relationship between different ventilation ducts, and does not represent their connectivity status. Whether they are specifically connected or whether each air duct is blocked is controlled by the corresponding control switch. For example, the first air outlet end 412 is respectively connected to the first air outlet 416 inside the vehicle and the second air outlet 417 outside the vehicle. The first air outlet end 412 can be connected only to the first air outlet 416, or only to the second air outlet 417, or connect the first air outlet 416 and the second air outlet 417 at the same time. In this embodiment, the first air outlet 412 represents a section of the air duct from the location of the condenser 24 to the first air outlet 416 and the second air outlet 417. The fact that the first air outlet 412 is connected to the first air outlet 416 and the second air outlet 417 can mean that the first air outlet 412 is directly connected to the first air outlet 416 and the second air outlet 417, that is, the first air outlet 416 and the second air outlet 417 are directly opened at the end of the first air outlet 412 away from the condenser 24; or the first air outlet 412 is indirectly connected to the first air outlet 416 and the second air outlet 417, such as the first air outlet 412 is connected to the first air outlet 416 and the second air outlet 417 through a predetermined air duct. The first evaporator 25 is located within the second heat exchange duct 42, and the first evaporator 25 cools the gas in the second heat exchange duct 42.In this embodiment, the second air outlet end 422 represents a section of the air duct from the position of the first evaporator 25 to the third air outlet 425 and the fourth air outlet 426, and the second air outlet end 422 is respectively connected to the third air outlet 425 and the fourth air outlet 426, which means that the second air outlet end 422 is directly connected to the third air outlet 425 and the fourth air outlet 426, that is, the third air outlet 425 and the fourth air outlet 426 are directly opened at the second air outlet end 422; or, the second air outlet end 422 is indirectly connected to the third air outlet 425 and the fourth air outlet 426, such as the second air outlet end 422 is respectively connected to the third air outlet 425 and the fourth air outlet 426 through a preset air duct.

[0045] However, in actual operation, especially in extremely cold or hot seasons, such as the cold winter, the outdoor ambient temperature is very low. Therefore, the temperature of the fresh air inhaled from the outside by the first heat exchange duct 41 is also very low, which may cause the suction temperature and suction pressure of the compressor 21 to be too low, which is not conducive to the heat exchange of the condenser 24, resulting in the thermal management system 10 being difficult to quickly enter the working state and the heating rate being slowed down. Therefore, a circulation duct 43 is provided to recover the gas after heat exchange through the first heat exchange duct 41, so as to increase the inlet temperature of the first evaporator 25 within a period of time after the air-conditioning host 40 is just started, thereby promoting the air-conditioning system to quickly enter the working state. The circulation duct 43 can recover the gas heated by the condenser 24 to the second heat exchange duct 42, increase the temperature of the gas entering the second heat exchange duct 42, thereby assisting the first evaporator 25 in heat exchange, and increase the temperature of the liquid refrigerant in the first evaporator 25. The temperature of the liquid refrigerant is increased as a whole through the flow of the liquid refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 20, thereby promoting the air-conditioning host 40 to quickly enter the working state. By controlling the opening and closing of the circulating air duct 43, the switching between different operating modes or states of the air conditioner main unit 40 can be adapted. Furthermore, the opening and closing of the first air inlet 414, the second air inlet 415, the third air inlet 423, the fourth air inlet 424, the first air outlet 416, the second air outlet 417, the third air outlet 425, the fourth air outlet 426, and the circulating air inlet can be adjusted accordingly according to the switching between different operating modes or states of the thermal management system 10.

[0046] In one embodiment, in conjunction with reference Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 4The refrigerant circuit 20 includes a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit is a closed circuit formed by the compressor 21, the second heat exchanger 23, the condenser 24, the first expansion valve 27, and the first heat exchanger 22 connected in series. The second circuit is a closed circuit formed by the first evaporator 25, the second expansion valve 28, the third expansion valve 29, and the second evaporator 26 connected in series. The flow path between the second evaporator 26 and the first evaporator 25 is connected in series with the flow path between the compressor 21 and the first heat exchanger 22, and the flow path between the second expansion valve 28 and the third expansion valve 29 is connected in series with the flow path between the condenser 24 and the first expansion valve 27. Specifically, the flow direction of the liquid refrigerant will be described below using the first heat exchanger 22 as the starting point of the refrigerant as an example. In the first circuit, the first heat exchanger 22 recovers the heat generated by the drive assembly 32, raising the temperature of the liquid refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant is then further heated by the compressor 21, passes through the second heat exchanger 23, and transfers the heat to the battery assembly 35, thereby heating the battery assembly 35 and improving the working efficiency of the battery assembly 35. The liquid refrigerant then flows through the condenser 24 to heat the passenger compartment, is throttled again by the first expansion valve 27, and flows back to the first heat exchanger 22. In the second circuit, the liquid refrigerant passes through the first evaporator 25 and is further cooled by the second expansion valve 28. It then flows through the third expansion valve 29, is throttled again, and flows into the second evaporator 26 for temperature adjustment before returning to the first evaporator 25. The first circuit and the second circuit undergo two liquid refrigerant convergence and divergence processes, thereby neutralizing the temperature of the liquid refrigerant. The first convergence and divergence occurs when the coolant in the first circuit flows through the first heat exchanger 22 and the compressor 21, and the coolant in the second circuit flows through the second evaporator 26 and the first evaporator 25, that is, the flow channel between the first heat exchanger 22 and the compressor 21 and the flow channel between the second evaporator 26 and the first evaporator 25 are connected by a four-way pipe, thereby mixing the liquid refrigerants and neutralizing the heat of the liquid refrigerants; the second convergence and divergence occurs when the coolant in the first circuit flows through the condenser 24 and the first expansion valve 27, and the coolant in the second circuit flows through the second expansion valve 28 and the third expansion valve 29, that is, the flow channel between the condenser 24 and the first expansion valve 27 and the flow channel between the second expansion valve 28 and the third expansion valve 29 are connected by a four-way pipe, thereby mixing the liquid refrigerants and neutralizing the heat of the liquid refrigerants.

[0047] Reference Figure 2 In one embodiment, the thermal management system 10 has a first heating state. In the first heating state, the water circuit 30 includes a motor circuit 50 and a battery circuit 60, and the motor circuit 50 and the battery circuit 60 are connected in parallel via the first four-way valve 33 and the second four-way valve 34. The motor circuit 50 and the refrigerant circuit 20 are connected in parallel via the first heat exchanger 22, and the battery circuit 60 and the refrigerant circuit 20 are connected in parallel via the second heat exchanger 23.

[0048] The motor circuit 50 is a closed circuit formed by the first water pump 31, the drive assembly 32, the first four-way valve 33, the first heat exchanger 22, the second four-way valve 34, and the three-way valve 37 connected in series in sequence;

[0049] The battery circuit 60 is a closed circuit formed by the first four-way valve 33 , the second heat exchanger 23 , the second four-way valve 34 , the second water pump 36 , and the battery assembly 35 connected in series.

[0050] Specifically, in the first heating state, the flow direction of the liquid refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 20 is configured as the above-mentioned flow direction. Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the thermal management system 10 in its first heating state. The arrows in the figure indicate the direction of coolant flow in the motor circuit 50 and the battery circuit 60. The motor circuit 50 and the battery circuit 60 are connected in parallel via the first four-way valve 33 and the second four-way valve 34, meaning that no heat exchange occurs between them. In the motor circuit 50, the coolant, driven by the first water pump 31, flows back and forth between the drive assembly 32 and the first heat exchanger 22, continuously passing through the first four-way valve 33, the second four-way valve 34, and the three-way valve 37, thereby recovering heat from the drive assembly 32. In the battery circuit 60, the coolant, driven by the second water pump 36, flows back and forth between the battery assembly 35 and the second heat exchanger 23, continuously passing through the first four-way valve 33 and the second four-way valve 34, thereby heating the battery assembly 35 and improving its operating efficiency. The first heating state is the working state when the automobile thermal management system 10 is just started. At this time, the air-conditioning main unit 40 is turned on first, so that the wind wheels in the first heat exchange duct 41 and the second heat exchange duct 42 rotate at a low speed. Then the first water pump 31 controls the flow of a small flow in the motor circuit 50, thereby quickly heating the coolant and transferring the temperature to the refrigerant circuit 20 through the first heat exchanger 22. After the temperature of the liquid refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 20 reaches the first temperature, the compressor 21 starts to work to further heat the liquid refrigerant, so that the relevant devices in the refrigerant circuit 20 work stably, and increase the wind wheel speed, so that the refrigerant circuit 20 works normally, so that the air-conditioning main unit 40 does not need to use a heater to supplement heat, and can quickly achieve normal operation of the refrigerant circuit 20.

[0051] Further, refer to Figure 3In the first heating state, the first air inlet 414, the second air inlet 415, the third air inlet 423, the fourth air outlet 426 and the circulating air duct 43 are all connected, and the vehicle's circulating air inlet 413, the first air outlet 416, the second air outlet 417, the third air outlet 425 and the fourth air inlet 424 are all blocked, so that the air outside the vehicle enters the first heat exchange air duct 41 for heat exchange and passes through the first circulating air duct 43. After that, part of the air enters the first air inlet 414 to continue to circulate, and the other part of the air passes through the third air inlet 423 and flows into the second heat exchange air duct 42 for heat exchange before being discharged outside the vehicle. Specifically, Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the air conditioning unit 40 when the thermal management system 10 is in the first heating state. The arrows in the figure indicate the direction of airflow within the air conditioning unit 40. Fresh air from outside the vehicle enters the first heat exchange duct 41 through the second air inlet 415. After being heated by the condenser 24, it enters the circulation duct 43. The outlet of the circulation duct 43 is connected to both the first air inlet 414 and the third air inlet 423. This allows a portion of the air entering through the first air inlet 414 to be neutralized with the fresh air entering through the second air inlet 415 before flowing into the first heat exchange duct 41. This neutralizes and raises the inlet temperature of the fresh air, thereby increasing the inlet temperature of the first heat exchange duct 41, reducing heat waste and the power required to operate the condenser 24. The remaining portion of the air flows through the third air inlet 423 into the second heat exchange duct 42 for heat exchange, further increasing the inlet temperature of the second heat exchange duct 42. The first evaporator 25 recovers waste heat, assisting the first evaporator 25 in heat exchange and helping the thermal management system 10 quickly enter its operating state. Furthermore, due to the increased inlet air temperature of the second heat exchange duct 42, the liquid refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 20 can be further heated, thereby increasing the refrigerant temperature of the entire refrigerant circuit 20 and improving the heating efficiency. Furthermore, in this embodiment, due to the presence of the circulating air duct 43, the gas temperature recovery is entirely completed by the circulating air duct 43 and does not pass through the interior of the vehicle. This not only achieves high heat recovery efficiency, but also does not pass through the interior of the vehicle, thereby preventing the generation of additional water vapor. This allows the gas within the air conditioning main unit 40 to be introduced as fresh air from the interior of the vehicle and discharged from the exterior of the vehicle. This not only effectively recovers heat, but also reduces the water vapor content of the fresh air outside the vehicle, thereby reducing the possibility of fogging in the vehicle.

[0052] Reference Figure 4In one embodiment, the thermal management system 10 has a second heating state. In the second heating state, the water circuit 30 is connected in parallel with the refrigerant circuit 20 through the first heat exchanger 22 and the second heat exchanger 23 respectively. The water circuit 30 is configured as a closed circuit formed by the first water pump 31, the drive component 32, the first four-way valve 33, the second heat exchanger 23, the second four-way valve 34, the second water pump 36, the battery component 35, the first four-way valve 33, the first heat exchanger 22, the second four-way valve 34, and the three-way valve 37 connected in series in sequence. Specifically, in the first heating state, the flow direction of the liquid refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 20 is configured as the above-mentioned flow direction. Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 The schematic diagram of the heat management system 10 in the second heating state shows the direction of the coolant flow in the water circuit 30. The water circuit 30 is a series of water circuits 30. The flow of the coolant will be described below using the first heat exchanger 22 as the starting point of the coolant. Driven by the first water pump 31, the coolant transfers the heat generated by the drive assembly 32 to the refrigerant circuit 20 through the first heat exchanger 22. The coolant then flows through the drive assembly 32 again, absorbing the heat from the drive assembly 32. The coolant then flows through the first four-way valve 33 and the second heat exchanger 23 to further heat the coolant. The coolant then flows through the second four-way valve 34 and, driven by the second water pump 36, flows through the battery assembly 35, heating the battery assembly 35. The coolant then flows through the first four-way valve 33 and the second four-way valve 34 again in sequence. The coolant then flows back to the first heat exchanger 22, where the first heat exchanger 22 recovers the waste heat from the second heat exchanger 23 and the drive assembly 32. The second heating state is when the thermal management system 10 is in a stable state. At this time, it is necessary to improve the heat utilization rate in the thermal management system 10 as much as possible. The heat generated by the second heat exchanger 23 and the drive component 32 is recycled and utilized for a second time through the first heat exchanger 22, thereby reducing the heat waste in the thermal management system 10, thereby improving the heat utilization rate and reducing the overall energy consumption of the vehicle.

[0053] Furthermore, in the second heating state, the vehicle's circulating air inlet 413, the first air inlet 414, the second air inlet 415, the fourth air inlet 424, the first air outlet 416 and the fourth air outlet 426 are all connected, and the third air inlet 423, the second air outlet 417, the third air outlet 425 and the circulating air duct 43 are all blocked, so that the gas after heat exchange through the first heat exchange duct 41 is discharged into the vehicle and circulates back to the first heat exchange duct 41 together with the gas in the vehicle. Specifically, Figure 5 As shown, Figure 51 is a structural principle diagram of the air-conditioning host 40 when the thermal management system 10 is in the second heating state. The direction indicated by the arrow in the figure is the flow direction of the air flow in the air-conditioning host 40. After the thermal management system 10 has been working for a period of time, the first evaporator 25 enters the working state normally, and adjusts to open the vehicle's circulating air inlet 413, the fourth air inlet 424, and the first air outlet 416, and closes the third air inlet 423 and the second air outlet 417, and blocks the first circulating air duct 43, switching the first heating state to the second heating state, so that the fresh air outside the vehicle enters the first heat exchange air duct 41 from the second air inlet 415, and the gas heated by the condenser 24 flows into the vehicle from the first air outlet 416. After the temperature in the vehicle is raised, it flows into the first air inlet 414 again from the vehicle's circulating air inlet 413, so that the gas is neutralized with the fresh air entering from the second air inlet 415 and flows into the first heat exchange air duct 41 together, thereby neutralizing and increasing the inlet temperature of the fresh air, and then increasing the inlet temperature of the first heat exchange air duct 41, reducing heat waste, and reducing the power required for the condenser 24 to work. In addition, fresh air outside the vehicle enters the second heat exchange air duct 42 through the fourth air inlet 424 , and the first evaporator 25 is normally operated to exchange heat and then discharges the gas through the fourth air outlet 426 .

[0054] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 4 In one embodiment, the drive assembly 32 includes a first drive motor 321, a first control assembly 322, a second drive motor 323, and a second control assembly 324. The water circuit 30 includes a first branch and a second branch arranged in parallel. The first drive motor 321 and the first control assembly 322 are connected in series to the first branch, and the second drive motor 323 and the second control assembly 324 are connected in series to the second branch. Specifically, the first drive motor 321 is the front drive motor, the second drive motor 323 is the rear drive motor, and the first branch and the second branch are arranged in parallel. Compared with the first branch and the second branch being connected in series, this solution can increase the coolant flow in the water circuit 30, increase the heat recovery efficiency of the drive assembly 32, and reduce heat loss. Of course, in other embodiments, the first branch and the second branch can also be arranged in parallel.

[0055] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 1 The thermal management system 10 further includes a first liquid storage device 70 , which is connected to the refrigerant circuit 20 to replenish the refrigerant circuit 20. Specifically, the first liquid storage device 70 can be disposed at any position in the refrigerant circuit 20 . In this embodiment, the first liquid storage device 70 is disposed after the condenser 24 to facilitate subsequent heat neutralization between the first circuit and the second circuit.

[0056] In another embodiment, the thermal management system 10 further includes a second liquid storage device 80 , which is connected to the water circuit 30 to replenish the water circuit 30. The second liquid storage device 80 can be located anywhere in the water circuit 30. In this embodiment, the second liquid storage device 80 is connected to the vicinity of the first water pump 31 and the second water pump 36 , respectively. Because both the first water pump 31 and the second water pump 36 can accelerate water flow, the replenishment efficiency is improved.

[0057] The present invention also proposes a car, which includes a thermal management system 10. The specific structure of the thermal management system 10 refers to the above-mentioned embodiment. Since this car adopts all the technical solutions of all the above-mentioned embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above-mentioned embodiments, which will not be described one by one here.

[0058] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made by using the contents of the present invention description and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect application in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A thermal management system, characterized in that: include: A refrigerant circuit having liquid refrigerant therein, the refrigerant circuit comprising a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a condenser, a first evaporator, a second evaporator, a first expansion valve, a second expansion valve, and a third expansion valve, each of which forms a corresponding circuit according to needs; a water circuit having a coolant therein, the water circuit comprising a plurality of components selected from the group consisting of the first heat exchanger, the first water pump, the drive assembly, the first four-way valve, the second four-way valve, the battery assembly, the second water pump, the three-way valve, and the second heat exchanger, forming a corresponding circuit as required; The refrigerant circuit includes a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit is a closed circuit formed by the compressor, the second heat exchanger, the condenser, the first expansion valve, and the first heat exchanger connected in series in sequence. The second circuit is a closed circuit formed by the first evaporator, the second expansion valve, the third expansion valve, and the second evaporator connected in series in sequence, and the flow channel between the second evaporator and the first evaporator is connected in series with the flow channel between the compressor and the first heat exchanger, and the flow channel between the second expansion valve and the third expansion valve is connected in series with the flow channel between the condenser and the first expansion valve.

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein: The thermal management system also includes an air conditioning main unit, the air conditioning main unit including a first heat exchange duct, a second heat exchange duct and a circulation air duct, the first heat exchange duct having a built-in condenser, and the first heat exchange duct having a first air inlet end and a first air outlet end, the first air inlet end including a first air inlet connected to a circulation air inlet and a second air inlet connected to the outside of the vehicle, and the first air outlet end respectively connected to the first air outlet connected to the inside of the vehicle and the second air outlet connected to the outside of the vehicle; The second heat exchange air duct has a built-in first evaporator, and the second heat exchange air duct has a second air inlet end and a second air outlet end, the second air inlet end includes a third air inlet connected to the circulating air inlet and a fourth air inlet connected to the outside of the vehicle, and the second air outlet end is respectively connected to the third air outlet connected to the inside of the vehicle and the fourth air outlet connected to the outside of the vehicle; The circulating air duct is used to recover the gas after heat exchange through the first heat exchange air duct and circulate it to the first air inlet.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 2, wherein: The thermal management system has a first heating state. In the first heating state, the water circuit includes a motor circuit and a battery circuit, and the motor circuit and the battery circuit are connected in parallel through the first four-way valve and the second four-way valve. The motor circuit and the refrigerant circuit are connected in parallel through the first heat exchanger, and the battery circuit and the refrigerant circuit are connected in parallel through the second heat exchanger. The motor circuit is a closed circuit formed by the first water pump, the drive assembly, the first four-way valve, the first heat exchanger, the second four-way valve, and the three-way valve connected in series in sequence; The battery circuit is a closed circuit formed by the first four-way valve, the second heat exchanger, the second four-way valve, the second water pump, and the battery assembly connected in series.

4. The thermal management system according to claim 3, wherein: In the first heating state, the first air inlet, the second air inlet, the third air inlet, the fourth air outlet and the circulating air duct are all connected, and the in-vehicle circulating air inlet, the first air outlet, the second air outlet, the third air outlet and the fourth air inlet are all blocked, so that the gas outside the vehicle enters the first heat exchange duct for heat exchange and passes through the circulating air duct. After that, part of the gas enters the first air inlet to continue circulation, and the other part of the gas passes through the third air inlet and flows into the second heat exchange duct for heat exchange and is discharged outside the vehicle.

5. The thermal management system according to claim 2, wherein: The thermal management system has a second heating state. In the second heating state, the water circuit is connected in parallel with the refrigerant circuit through the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger respectively. The water circuit is configured as a closed circuit formed by the first water pump, the drive assembly, the first four-way valve, the second heat exchanger, the second four-way valve, the second water pump, the battery assembly, the first four-way valve, the first heat exchanger, the second four-way valve, and the three-way valve connected in series in sequence.

6. The thermal management system according to claim 5, wherein: In the second heating state, the vehicle's circulating air inlet, the first air inlet, the second air inlet, the fourth air inlet, the first air outlet and the fourth air outlet are all connected, and the third air inlet, the second air outlet, the third air outlet and the circulating air duct are all blocked, so that the gas after heat exchange through the first heat exchange duct is discharged into the vehicle and circulated to the first heat exchange duct again together with the gas in the vehicle.

7. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein: The drive assembly includes a first drive motor, a first control assembly, a second drive motor and a second control assembly. The water circuit includes a first branch and a second branch arranged in parallel. The first drive motor and the first control assembly are connected in series to the first branch, and the second drive motor and the second control assembly are connected in series to the second branch.

8. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The thermal management system further includes a first liquid storage device, the first liquid storage device being connected to the refrigerant circuit to replenish the refrigerant circuit; and / or, The thermal management system further includes a second liquid storage device, which is connected to the water circuit to replenish liquid for the water circuit.

9. An automobile, characterized in that: Comprising a thermal management system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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