Vehicle thermal management liquid flow circulation system and vehicle

Abstract

The present invention discloses a vehicle thermal management liquid flow circulation system and a vehicle, belonging to the field of vehicle thermal management. The liquid flow circulation system includes at least two liquid flow circulation subsystems, which are connected to each other through a connecting valve. One of the liquid flow circulation subsystems is provided with an expansion water tank, and the liquid flow circulation subsystem without an expansion water tank is provided with an exhaust valve. The liquid outlet pipe of the expansion water tank is connected to the liquid flow circulation subsystem without an expansion water tank through a corresponding pipeline. The connection of multiple liquid flow circulation subsystems is achieved by connecting the valve, that is, the effect of multiple liquid flow circulation subsystems being supplied with liquid and exhausted with one expansion water tank is achieved. A liquid flow circulation subsystem includes an expansion water tank, and an exhaust valve is provided in the liquid flow circulation subsystem without an expansion water tank. The liquid supply of all liquid flow circulation subsystems relies on one expansion water tank, thereby achieving the effect of saving space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of vehicle thermal management, and in particular relates to a vehicle thermal management fluid circulation system and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] The vehicle thermal management system includes the vehicle's independent air-conditioning system, electric drive cooling system, battery thermal management system, engine thermal management system and other thermal management systems. In order to save space and energy loss, the existing technology connects the coolant of each subsystem, that is, the coolant circulation system is an important guarantee for the realization of the vehicle thermal management system function. The two main factors affecting the liquid circulation function are the replenishment when the system is lacking coolant and the automatic exhaust when the air inside the system increases.

[0003] Existing vehicle thermal management systems use expansion tanks for both refilling and exhaust. This single expansion tank connects multiple thermal management coolant circulation subsystems. To prevent exhaust anomalies, the expansion tank must be located at the highest point among all the subsystems. This makes refilling the expansion tank difficult for taller vehicles like buses and heavy trucks. The overflow and refill pipes of multiple thermal management coolant circulation subsystems are all connected to the same expansion tank, resulting in a relatively slow exhaust rate, which impacts vehicle thermal management performance.

[0004] In summary, the existing thermal management system has the following technical problems: the expansion tank is located high, which makes it inconvenient to add liquid, and the exhaust rate is low. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle thermal management liquid flow circulation system and a vehicle, so as to solve the technical problems of the high position of the expansion water tank, which is inconvenient for adding liquid, and the low exhaust rate caused by sharing an expansion water tank.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a technical solution for a vehicle thermal management fluid circulation system:

[0007] A vehicle thermal management liquid circulation system includes at least two liquid circulation subsystems, which are connected via a connecting valve. One of the liquid circulation subsystems is provided with an expansion water tank, and the liquid circulation subsystem without an expansion water tank is provided with an exhaust valve. The liquid outlet pipe of the expansion water tank is connected to the liquid circulation subsystem without an expansion water tank via a corresponding pipeline.

[0008] The beneficial effect is that multiple liquid circulation subsystems are connected by connecting valves, that is, multiple liquid circulation subsystems are able to exchange heat through heat exchange by supplying liquid and exhausting air from a single expansion water tank. One liquid circulation subsystem includes an expansion water tank, and an exhaust valve is provided in each of the other liquid circulation subsystems except for this liquid circulation subsystem. In this way, the liquid supply of all liquid circulation subsystems relies on the single expansion water tank, achieving a space-saving effect. The exhaust valves are provided in the other liquid circulation subsystems, that is, only the liquid circulation subsystem including the expansion water tank relies on the expansion water tank for exhaust. The liquid circulation subsystem without the expansion water tank is equipped with an exhaust valve, so that the connection with the expansion water tank can be temporarily cut off after the expansion water tank is filled with liquid or when heat exchange is not required. The liquid circulation subsystems can then independently circulate liquid and replenish liquid through the corresponding pipelines.

[0009] As a further improvement, the corresponding pipeline is a balancing pipe, one end of which is connected to the liquid outlet pipe of the expansion water tank, and the other end is connected to the liquid inlet pipe of the water pump of the liquid circulation subsystem without an expansion water tank.

[0010] The beneficial effect is that the balancing pipe is used to replenish coolant in the liquid circulation subsystem including the exhaust valve. After the expansion tank adds a large amount of liquid or heat exchange to the liquid circulation subsystem through the connecting valve, the multi-port valve is temporarily closed. When a small amount of coolant is needed during the internal circulation of the liquid circulation subsystem, the liquid is added through the balancing pipe, ensuring that the liquid circulation subsystem will not be short of liquid and that the liquid in the liquid circulation subsystem circulates only within the system.

[0011] As a further improvement, the balancing pipe string is provided with a one-way valve and a throttle valve.

[0012] The beneficial effect is: by installing a one-way valve in series, the liquid can only flow from one end connected to the expansion water tank to the other end, and the throttle valve is used to control the water flow rate from the expansion water tank to the water pump in the liquid circulation subsystem.

[0013] As a further improvement, the exhaust valve includes: a cavity, an exhaust valve liquid inlet pipe, and an exhaust valve liquid outlet pipe. The cavity is connected to the exhaust valve liquid inlet pipe and the exhaust valve liquid outlet pipe respectively. The exhaust valve liquid inlet pipe is set higher than the exhaust valve liquid outlet pipe. An exhaust port is opened at the upper part of the cavity. When the pressure in the exhaust valve reaches a set value, the pressure cover automatically opens.

[0014] The beneficial effect is that the circulating liquid in the above-mentioned liquid circulation subsystem enters the cavity through the high-position exhaust valve liquid inlet pipe, the air carried by the circulating liquid accumulates in the upper part of the cavity and the liquid accumulates in the lower part, and the liquid then flows into the circulation pipeline through the exhaust valve liquid outlet pipe, and the air accumulated in the upper part of the cavity is discharged through the exhaust port after reaching a certain amount.

[0015] As a further improvement, the cavity is divided into an air storage cavity, a float cavity and an air-liquid separation cavity from top to bottom. The air storage cavity and the float cavity are separated by a float partition. A float is placed inside the float cavity, a float protrusion is provided on the upper end of the float, and a float through hole is opened on the float partition in conjunction with the float protrusion.

[0016] The beneficial effect is that the above-mentioned circulating liquid enters the gas-liquid separation chamber through the liquid inlet pipe, the accumulated gas passes through the float chamber to reach the gas storage chamber, and the gas in the gas storage chamber is discharged through the exhaust port. When the accumulated liquid exceeds the size of the gas-liquid separation chamber, the accumulated liquid causes the float in the float chamber to float up, and the protrusion of the float is plugged into the float through hole of the float partition to play a sealing role.

[0017] As a further improvement, the gas-liquid separation chamber and the float chamber are separated by a gas filter partition, and the gas filter partition is provided with a gas filter hole.

[0018] The beneficial effect is that the air in the coolant entering through the liquid inlet pipe passes through the air filter holes of the air filter partition and then reaches the air storage chamber.

[0019] As a further improvement, a spring is further included, one end of the spring is connected to the pressure cover, and the other end is arranged at the exhaust port through a fixing member. The spring makes the pressure cover close to the exhaust port.

[0020] The beneficial effect is that when too much gas accumulates in the gas chamber, the gas pushes open the pressure cover to exhaust. When the gas is less, that is, the pressure is reduced, the pressure cover is reset under the action of the spring and covers the exhaust port to achieve a sealing effect.

[0021] As a further improvement, when the liquid circulation system includes three or more liquid circulation subsystems, the connecting valve is a multi-port valve.

[0022] The beneficial effect is that three or more liquid circulation subsystems can be connected by using one multi-port valve, thereby reducing the valve bodies required by the system.

[0023] As a further improvement, the expansion water tank is located at the highest point of the liquid circulation subsystem.

[0024] The beneficial effect is that the expansion water tank is located at the highest point to avoid abnormal internal gas accumulation. The expansion water tank only needs to be at the highest point of the liquid circulation subsystem in which it is located, and does not need to be at the highest point of all liquid circulation subsystems, which further reduces the liquid filling height of the expansion water tank. A cooling module is set in a liquid circulation subsystem, and the cooling module can replace the heat carried by the liquid in the circulation pipe. The liquid circulating in the pipe in the liquid circulation subsystem takes away the heat in the heat dissipation module, and the liquid circulating in the pipe brings the heat to the cooling module, that is, the cooling module absorbs the heat of the heat dissipation module, thereby achieving the effect of system thermal management.

[0025] The present invention also provides a vehicle, which includes the vehicle thermal management liquid flow circulation system provided by any one of the embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of a vehicle thermal management fluid circulation system of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of an exhaust valve of a vehicle thermal management fluid circulation system according to the present invention;

[0028] Description of reference numerals:

[0029] 1. Expansion tank; 2. Exhaust valve; 3. Multi-port valve; 4. Check valve; 5. Throttle valve; 6. Water pump;

[0030] 7. Heat dissipation module; 8. Cooling module;

[0031] 21. Exhaust valve liquid inlet pipe; 22. Exhaust valve liquid outlet pipe; 23. Gas-liquid separation chamber; 24. Gas filter baffle;

[0032] 25. Float chamber; 26. Float; 27. Float partition; 28. Air storage chamber; 29. ​​Spring; 210. Exhaust port;

[0033] 211. Pressure cover. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only intended to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. That is, the embodiments described herein are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and illustrated in the drawings herein may be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0035] Vehicle thermal management fluid circulation system embodiment:

[0036] The vehicle thermal management fluid circulation system includes multiple fluid circulation subsystems, each of which is connected by a connecting valve. Each fluid circulation subsystem includes a water pump, a cooling module and a heat dissipation module. The present invention supports the use of two or more fluid circulation subsystems. Figure 1 (Only the relevant modules of subsystem three are marked in the figure, and subsystem one and subsystem two can refer to the markings) The vehicle thermal management liquid circulation system shown includes three liquid circulation subsystems, and the pipeline of subsystem three includes a series-connected water pump 6, a cooling module 8 and a heat dissipation module 7.

[0037] Among them, subsystem one also includes an expansion water tank 1, subsystem three also includes an exhaust valve 2, and subsystem two is also provided with an exhaust valve.

[0038] The expansion tank 1 needs to be located at the highest point of the system to facilitate exhaust and prevent accumulation. Expansion tank 1 is now only responsible for exhausting subsystem 1. Subsystems 2 and 3 are exhausted via exhaust valve 2. Therefore, expansion tank 1 only needs to be located at the highest point of subsystem 1. For taller vehicles such as heavy trucks and buses, expansion tank 1 can be placed at a relatively low position to facilitate filling.

[0039] like Figure 2 As shown, the exhaust valve 2 comprises a cavity, an exhaust valve liquid inlet pipe 21, and an exhaust valve liquid outlet pipe 22. The cavity is connected to the exhaust valve liquid inlet pipe 21 and the exhaust valve liquid outlet pipe 22, respectively. The exhaust valve liquid inlet pipe 21 is arranged higher than the exhaust valve liquid outlet pipe 22. An exhaust port 210 is provided at the top of the cavity, and a pressure cap 211 is provided on the exhaust port 210. When the pressure in the exhaust valve 2 reaches a predetermined value, the pressure cap 211 automatically opens. From top to bottom, the cavity is divided into an air storage chamber 28, a float chamber 25, and a gas-liquid separation chamber 23. The gas-liquid separation chamber 23 and the float chamber 25 are separated by an air filter baffle 24, and the air storage chamber 28 and the float chamber 25 are separated by a float baffle 27. The air filter baffle 24 has an air filter hole. A float 26 is placed inside the float chamber 25. The upper end of the float 26 is provided with a float protrusion, and the float baffle 27 has a float hole in conjunction with the float protrusion. A spring 29 is provided in the pressure cover 211. One end of the spring 29 is connected to the pressure cover 211, and the other end is connected to the exhaust port 210 through a fixing member. The spring 29 makes the pressure cover 211 close to the exhaust port 210. The fixing member can be a plate mounted in the middle of the exhaust port 210.

[0040] To facilitate heat exchange between the subsystems, the three subsystems are connected via a multi-port valve 3, allowing coolant to circulate between them. The heat dissipation module for subsystem one is the battery, while the heat dissipation modules 7 for subsystems two and three are the electronic control and engine, respectively. The heat dissipation module could also be other vehicle modules requiring thermal management, such as the motor.

[0041] When heat exchange is not required or independent circulation is required within the subsystem, the multi-port valve 3 can be closed. A balancing pipe is connected between subsystem one and subsystems two and three. One end of the two balancing pipes is connected to the outlet pipe of the expansion water tank 1, and the other end is connected to the water pumps on subsystem two and subsystem three respectively. Cooling liquid will inevitably be lost during system operation, and the balancing pipe is used to replenish subsystem two and subsystem three. A one-way valve 4 and a throttle valve 5 are serially arranged on the balancing pipe. The one-way valve 4 is used to control the flow direction of the coolant so that it can only flow from the outlet pipe of the expansion water tank 1 to the water pump inlet pipe on subsystem two and subsystem three; the throttle valve 5 is used to control the flow rate of the coolant.

[0042] The internal circulation process of subsystem 1 is as follows: the coolant in expansion tank 1 flows into the water pump of subsystem 1 through the outlet pipe, then flows into the cooling module for heat exchange, flows through the heat dissipation module to cool the cooling module, flows through the next cooling module for heat exchange, and the coolant returns to the expansion tank for exhaust.

[0043] When other subsystems need to be replenished, for example, when subsystem three needs to be replenished, the coolant in the expansion tank 1 flows into the balancing pipe through the outlet pipe, and then enters the water pump 6 in subsystem three for replenishment. The coolant flows out from the outlet pipe of the water pump 6, passes through the heat dissipation module 7, takes away the heat of the heat dissipation module 7, then flows through the exhaust valve for exhaust, and then flows through the cooling module 8 to replace the heat in the coolant. Then, the heat in the coolant is further replaced by the cooling module 8 and returns to the water pump 6 to complete the cycle.

[0044] When subsystem 2 needs to be replenished: the coolant in the expansion tank 1 flows into the balancing pipe through the outlet pipe, and then flows into the water pump in subsystem 2 for replenishment. The coolant flows from the outlet pipe of the water pump through the cooling module for heat exchange, flows through the heat dissipation module, takes away the heat from the heat dissipation module, flows through the exhaust valve for exhaust, and then further replaces the heat in the coolant through the cooling module, returns to the water pump, and completes the cycle.

[0045] When subsystems 2 and 3 need to be vented, taking subsystem 3 as an example, the coolant mixed with gas flows into the exhaust valve 2 through the exhaust valve inlet pipe 21. A portion of the coolant flows out of the valve body through the gas-liquid separation chamber 23 and the exhaust valve outlet pipe 22. After the coolant completes the liquid-gas separation in the gas-liquid separation chamber 23, it floats up in the form of bubbles. The bubbles burst in the float chamber 25, and the gas inside is released to the upper part of the float chamber 25. Another portion of the coolant enters the float chamber 25 directly through the air filter baffle 24. The air filter baffle 24 is provided with fine air filter holes. When the coolant mixed with gas passes through the air filter baffle 24, the air filter holes facilitate better liquid-gas separation. After the air passes through the air filter baffle 24, it floats up in the form of bubbles. The bubbles burst in the float chamber 25, and the air inside is released to the upper part of the float chamber 25. The gas in the upper part of the float chamber will generate a downward pressure N on the upper surface of the float. When the pressure N generated by the gas + the weight of the float G > the buoyancy F of the coolant on the float, the float sinks. When the float detaches from the float through hole of the float partition, the gas enters the air storage chamber 28. After the air in the upper part of the float chamber enters the air storage chamber 28, the pressure above the float decreases, and the float floats again. The float protrusion blocks the float through hole and completes the seal. The gas enters the air storage chamber 28 to increase its internal pressure. When the pressure in the air storage chamber 28 is greater than the elastic force of the spring 29, the pressure cover 211 is pushed open by the gas, and the gas overflows the valve body, completing the exhaust of the system. After the gas is discharged, the elastic force of the spring 29 resets the pressure cover 211, covering the exhaust port 210 again to prevent the coolant from overflowing.

[0046] When a subsystem is short of liquid and needs to be quickly refilled with coolant or when each subsystem needs to perform heat exchange, the multi-port valve 3 is controlled to adjust to the state where each subsystem is connected. At this time, the multi-port valve 3 can be used to replenish the liquid to other subsystems. The process is as follows: the coolant in the expansion tank 1 enters the water pump in subsystem one through the outlet pipe of the expansion tank 1, and then flows through the various modules of the system through the water pump outlet pipe. The coolant returns to the expansion tank 1 for exhaust, and the subsystem one completes the cycle; the coolant in the expansion tank passes through the outlet pipe of the expansion tank 1 and the multi-port valve and enters the water pump 6 in subsystem two and subsystem three respectively, and then flows through the water pump outlet pipe of water 6 to circulate inside each subsystem.

[0047] During normal system operation, and without the subsystems connected via multi-port valve 3, a small amount of coolant will be lost during subsystem operation. When a small amount of coolant is needed, this can be replenished through the balancing pipe. For example, in subsystem 2, when the internal pressure of subsystem 2 is low, the pressure drops, disrupting the pressure balance at both ends of the balancing pipe connected to subsystem 1. When both the water pumps in subsystem 1 and subsystem 2 are turned on, the coolant, driven by the pressure differential, flows through the balancing pipe and into the inlet pipe of subsystem 2, replenishing the missing coolant.

[0048] Vehicle Example:

[0049] The vehicle includes a vehicle thermal management fluid circulation system. This embodiment refers to the embodiment of the vehicle thermal management fluid circulation system, and will not be described in detail here.

[0050] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments without inventive effort, or replace some of the technical features therein with equivalents. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle thermal management fluid circulation system, comprising at least two fluid circulation subsystems, wherein the fluid circulation subsystems are connected via a connecting valve, characterized in that: Only one of the liquid circulation subsystems is equipped with an expansion water tank, while the other liquid circulation subsystems are not equipped with an expansion water tank but are equipped with an exhaust valve. The liquid outlet pipe of the expansion water tank is connected to the liquid circulation subsystem without the expansion water tank through a corresponding pipeline. The liquid circulation subsystem with the expansion water tank relies on the expansion water tank for exhaust, while the liquid circulation subsystem without the expansion water tank relies on the exhaust valve for exhaust.

2. The vehicle thermal management fluid circulation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The corresponding pipeline is a balancing pipe, one end of which is connected to the liquid outlet pipe of the expansion water tank, and the other end is connected to the liquid inlet pipe of the water pump of the liquid circulation subsystem without the expansion water tank.

3. The vehicle thermal management fluid circulation system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The balancing pipe string is provided with a one-way valve and a throttle valve.

4. The vehicle thermal management fluid circulation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The exhaust valve includes: a cavity, an exhaust valve liquid inlet pipe, and an exhaust valve liquid outlet pipe. The cavity is respectively connected to the exhaust valve liquid inlet pipe and the exhaust valve liquid outlet pipe. The exhaust valve liquid inlet pipe is arranged higher than the exhaust valve liquid outlet pipe. An exhaust port is opened at the upper part of the cavity, and a pressure cover is provided on the exhaust port. When the pressure in the exhaust valve reaches a set value, the pressure cover automatically opens.

5. The vehicle thermal management fluid circulation system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The cavity is divided into an air storage cavity, a float cavity and an air-liquid separation cavity from top to bottom. The air storage cavity and the float cavity are separated by a float partition. A float is placed inside the float cavity. A float protrusion is provided on the upper end of the float. A float through hole is opened on the float partition to cooperate with the float protrusion.

6. The vehicle thermal management fluid circulation system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The gas-liquid separation chamber and the float chamber are separated by an air filtering partition plate, and the air filtering partition plate is provided with an air filtering through hole.

7. The vehicle thermal management fluid circulation system according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a spring, one end of which is connected to the pressure cover, and the other end is arranged at the exhaust port through a fixing piece. The spring makes the pressure cover close to the exhaust port.

8. The vehicle thermal management fluid circulation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the liquid circulation system includes three or more liquid circulation subsystems, the connecting valve is a multi-port valve.

9. The vehicle thermal management fluid circulation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The expansion water tank is located at the highest point of the liquid circulation subsystem.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that: A vehicle thermal management liquid flow circulation system comprising the vehicle thermal management liquid flow circulation system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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