A thermal management system, a heating method, a device, a vehicle and a storage medium

Abstract

A heat management system, a heating method, a device, a vehicle and a storage medium. The heat management system comprises: a compressor, an internal condenser and a heat exchanger; the compressor, the internal condenser and the heat exchanger are connected in series through pipelines to form a heat transfer circuit; a refrigerant medium for transferring heat is arranged in the heat transfer circuit; the compressor is used to drive the refrigerant medium to flow in the heat transfer circuit; the internal condenser is arranged in a passenger cabin, and the internal condenser is used to transfer heat carried by the refrigerant medium to the passenger cabin; the heat exchanger is connected with a heat source, and the heat source is used to transfer heat to the refrigerant medium passing through the heat exchanger; and the heat source at least comprises a battery pack.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle thermal management technology, and in particular to a thermal management system, heating method, device, vehicle, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Energy conservation and environmental protection are themes advocated worldwide. With the global energy crisis and increasing environmental pollution, electric vehicles are becoming a future development trend. The emergence of pure electric vehicles can, to some extent, effectively alleviate the problems of the oil crisis and severe environmental pollution. Electric vehicles have opened up the market for clean energy vehicles, and many users are choosing them as their primary mode of transportation. However, due to limitations in space and battery technology, electric vehicles have limited battery capacity. Poor battery range is currently a major problem restricting the development of the electric vehicle industry.

[0003] Currently, in existing electric vehicle air conditioning and heating systems, heat pump energy-saving technology relies on the external low-temperature ambient air as the heat source. At such low temperatures, the heat pump system needs to maintain a relatively low system pressure to ensure it can absorb sufficient heat from the cold air. This results in relatively low energy efficiency and relatively high power consumption for the heat pump system. Passenger cabin heating consumes a significant amount of electrical energy in electric vehicles, severely impacting their driving range. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem that this invention aims to solve is that existing heat pump energy-saving technologies are based on the heat source being the external low-temperature ambient air, resulting in relatively high power consumption.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, in a first aspect, embodiments of this application disclose a thermal management system for an electric vehicle, comprising: a compressor, an internal condenser, and a heat exchanger;

[0006] The compressor, the internal condenser, and the heat exchanger are connected in series via pipelines to form a heat transfer loop;

[0007] The heat transfer circuit is equipped with a cold medium for transferring heat;

[0008] The compressor is used to drive the refrigerant to flow in the heat transfer circuit;

[0009] The internal condenser is located in the passenger compartment and is used to transfer the heat carried by the cooling medium into the passenger compartment.

[0010] The heat exchanger is connected to a heat source, which is used to transfer heat to the cold medium passing through the heat exchanger;

[0011] The heat source includes at least a battery pack.

[0012] Furthermore, the thermal management system also includes a battery pack heat storage circuit, which is used to transfer the heat generated by the high-voltage components to the battery pack, and the battery pack stores the heat.

[0013] Furthermore, the battery pack thermal storage circuit includes a water pump, a high-voltage component, and the battery pack;

[0014] The water pump, the high-pressure component, and the battery pack are connected in series via pipelines to form the battery pack heat storage circuit.

[0015] The battery pack heat storage circuit is equipped with a coolant for transferring heat.

[0016] The water pump is used to drive the coolant to flow in the battery pack heat storage circuit.

[0017] Furthermore, the thermal management system also includes a cooling circuit for cooling the high-voltage components and the battery pack;

[0018] The cooling circuit includes a first cooling circuit and a second cooling circuit formed by the water pump, the high-pressure component, the three-way valve, the battery pack, and the radiator;

[0019] The water pump, the high-pressure component, the first and second ports of the three-way valve, and the radiator are connected in series through pipes to form the first cooling circuit;

[0020] The water pump, the high-pressure component, the first and third ports of the three-way valve, and the radiator are connected in series through pipes to form the second cooling circuit.

[0021] Furthermore, the heat source also includes a heat exchanger for absorbing heat from the outside air and transferring the heat to the cooling medium flowing through the heat exchanger.

[0022] Furthermore, the thermal management system also includes an expansion valve, which is connected to the heat transfer circuit;

[0023] The expansion valve is located between the internal condenser and the heat exchanger, and the refrigerant flows from the internal condenser through the expansion valve to the heat exchanger.

[0024] Secondly, embodiments of this application disclose a method for heating the passenger compartment of an electric vehicle, the method being applied to the thermal management system of the electric vehicle as described above;

[0025] The method includes:

[0026] Receive heating requests from the passenger cabin;

[0027] The heat storage temperature of the battery pack is determined based on the heating request.

[0028] If the heat storage temperature is greater than the threshold, the heat exchanger uses the battery pack as a heat source to transfer the heat of the battery pack to the passenger cabin.

[0029] Thirdly, embodiments of this application disclose a passenger compartment heating device for an electric vehicle, the device comprising:

[0030] The receiving module is used to receive heating requests from the passenger cabin.

[0031] The determination module is used to determine the heat storage temperature of the battery pack based on the heating request;

[0032] The control module is configured to, if the heat storage temperature is greater than a threshold, use the battery pack as a heat source to transfer the heat from the battery pack to the passenger compartment.

[0033] Fourthly, embodiments of this application disclose a vehicle that includes the thermal management system of an electric vehicle as described above.

[0034] Fifthly, embodiments of this application disclose a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one instruction or at least one program, which is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the passenger compartment heating method for an electric vehicle as described above.

[0035] The thermal management system, heating method, device, vehicle, and storage medium provided in this application have the following technical effects:

[0036] The electric vehicle thermal management system described in this application utilizes the battery pack's excellent insulation performance and high mass and specific heat, treating the battery pack as a heat storage and insulation component to recover and store the heat generated by the high-voltage components. When there is a heating demand in the passenger compartment, the heat pump system uses the battery pack as a heat source to absorb heat and supply it to the passenger compartment for heating. This improves the energy-saving efficiency of the heat pump system and reduces the overall vehicle's electricity consumption. It also avoids the risk of the heat exchanger frosting and malfunctioning when the heat pump system absorbs heat from the outside air. Furthermore, using the battery pack as a heat source improves the energy-saving efficiency of the electric vehicle's heat pump system, prevents the waste of heat generated by the high-voltage components, reduces the electric vehicle's power consumption in low-temperature environments, and increases the vehicle's low-temperature driving range. Attached Figure Description

[0037] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions and advantages in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a thermal management system for an electric vehicle provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a battery pack heat storage and cooling circuit provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a cooling circuit provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart of a passenger compartment heating method for an electric vehicle provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a passenger compartment heating device for an electric vehicle provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0044] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or server that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0045] Electric vehicles are rapidly developing and gradually replacing traditional gasoline-powered cars, with more and more companies investing significant human and material resources in their research and production. However, the battery capacity of electric vehicles is limited. In winter, the air conditioning system consumes a considerable amount of electricity to heat the passenger compartment. Considering the range limitations of electric vehicles, this makes it even more crucial for the air conditioning system to be energy-efficient. Furthermore, the heat generated by the high-voltage components in current pure electric vehicles is primarily utilized only when the battery requires heating. This results in the heat generated by the high-voltage components being lost through the radiator when the battery is not in need of heating, leading to energy waste.

[0046] This application provides a thermal management system for an electric vehicle. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a thermal management system for an electric vehicle provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 1 As shown, the system includes a compressor, an internal condenser, and a heat exchanger. The compressor, internal condenser, and heat exchanger are connected in series via piping to form a heat transfer loop. A refrigerant medium for transferring heat is present in the heat transfer loop. The compressor drives the refrigerant medium to flow through the heat transfer loop. The internal condenser is located in the passenger compartment and is used to transfer the heat carried by the refrigerant medium into the passenger compartment. The heat exchanger is connected to a heat source, which transfers heat to the refrigerant medium passing through the heat exchanger. The heat source includes at least a battery pack.

[0047] The electric vehicle thermal management system described in this application utilizes the battery pack's excellent insulation performance and high mass and specific heat, treating the battery pack as a heat storage and insulation component to recover and store the heat generated by the high-voltage components. When there is a heating demand in the passenger compartment, the heat pump system uses the battery pack as a heat source to absorb heat and supply it to the passenger compartment for heating. This improves the energy-saving efficiency of the heat pump system and reduces the overall vehicle's electricity consumption. It also avoids the risk of the heat exchanger frosting and malfunctioning when the heat pump system absorbs heat from the outside air. Furthermore, using the battery pack as a heat source improves the energy-saving efficiency of the electric vehicle's heat pump system, prevents the waste of heat generated by the high-voltage components, reduces the electric vehicle's power consumption in low-temperature environments, and increases the vehicle's low-temperature driving range.

[0048] In this embodiment, the thermal management system is mainly an improvement on the existing thermal management system for passenger compartment heating, aiming to enhance the energy efficiency of the heat pump system. For example... Figure 1As shown, in this thermal management system, the compressor, internal condenser, and heat exchanger are connected in series through pipes to form a heat transfer loop. A circulating refrigerant is carried in the pipes, which is used to transfer heat. The refrigerant needs to have excellent thermodynamic properties to achieve high circulation efficiency within a given temperature range. Specifically, the refrigerant should have a critical temperature higher than its condensation temperature, a saturation pressure corresponding to the condensation temperature that is not too high, a low standard boiling point, a low specific heat capacity, a low adiabatic index, and a high heat capacity per unit volume. Optional refrigerants include dichlorofluoromethane, tetrafluoroethane, isobutane, ammonia, and Freon.

[0049] In the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 1 As shown, the compressor is the power unit of the heat transfer loop. The compressor starts when the heat pump system is working to drive the flow of the refrigerant within the heat transfer loop. The internal condenser is located in the passenger compartment of the vehicle to facilitate heat exchange with the passenger compartment. The heat exchanger is connected to a heat source, thereby transferring the heat emitted by the heat source to the refrigerant within the loop. The preferred method of heat transfer between the heat exchanger and the heat source is conduction or radiation. As an optional implementation, the heat exchanger is connected to the heat source via a pipeline containing a coolant, such as water or ethylene glycol. The coolant absorbs heat from the heat source and then exchanges heat at the heat exchanger, transferring the heat to the refrigerant within the heat transfer loop. In some embodiments, the heat source can also be directly connected to the heat transfer loop via a pipeline, thereby reducing heat loss during the heat transfer process. In other embodiments, the thermal management system also includes an expansion valve connected to the heat transfer loop. The expansion valve is located between the internal condenser and the heat exchanger, and the refrigerant flows from the internal condenser through the expansion valve to the heat exchanger. After passing through the internal condenser, the refrigerant flows to the expansion valve. The expansion valve throttles the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant in the heat transfer circuit, turning it into low-temperature, low-pressure wet steam. This allows the refrigerant to absorb heat at the heat exchanger and then carry the heat back to the internal condenser, thus achieving the effect of heating the passenger cabin.

[0050] In this embodiment, the heat source connected to the heat exchanger includes a battery pack. From a thermal perspective, the battery pack has excellent temperature characteristics. First, the battery pack comprises multiple shell layers and has an internal liquid cooling plate, providing good insulation. Second, the battery pack has a high thermal conductivity and specific heat, allowing it to store a significant amount of heat while maintaining normal operation. Furthermore, the battery pack also generates heat during operation. Based on these characteristics, by connecting the liquid cooling plate of the battery pack to the heat exchanger via piping, the heat stored within the battery pack is transferred from the battery cells to the coolant through the liquid cooling plate, and then to the heat exchanger. This allows the battery pack to serve as an auxiliary heat source for passenger compartment heating. When the battery pack meets the heating requirements, it can provide heating to the passenger compartment, avoiding heat waste and reducing battery power consumption for passenger compartment heating, thus improving the efficiency of the electric vehicle's thermal management system.

[0051] In this embodiment, the cooling medium absorbs heat transferred from the battery pack as it passes through the heat exchanger. Under the operation of the cooling medium, the heat is carried to the internal condenser and released, providing hot air to the passenger cabin and achieving the purpose of heating the passenger cabin to meet its heating needs. Actual testing shows that 2 kW·h of equivalent heat can supply the passenger cabin for continuous operation for 1 hour. Furthermore, the efficiency of heat absorption from the battery pack side in the entire thermal management system can be improved from 1.5 to 2.5. The entire system can save 0.6 kW·h of electricity per hour of operation. It also avoids the risk of surface frost formation on the heat exchanger due to heat absorption from a low-temperature environment, which could cause the entire thermal management system to malfunction.

[0052] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a battery pack heat storage and cooling circuit provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, the thermal management system also includes a battery pack heat storage circuit, which is used to transfer the heat generated by the high-voltage components to the battery pack, where the battery pack stores the heat.

[0053] In this embodiment, since the battery pack serves as a heat source to provide heat for the passenger compartment, the heat generated by the battery pack itself may not be sufficient to maintain the passenger compartment's heating for an extended period. However, the motor and other high-voltage components in an electric vehicle generate heat during operation. In existing technologies, this heat is not effectively utilized but is dissipated directly or through the cooling system, resulting in energy waste. Based on the aforementioned characteristics of the battery pack, it can be used as a heat-storing insulation component to store the heat generated by the high-voltage components. In this embodiment, a battery pack heat storage circuit is used to transfer the heat generated by the high-voltage components to the battery pack for storage.

[0054] As an optional implementation, the battery pack heat storage circuit includes a water pump, a high-voltage component, and a battery pack. The water pump, high-voltage component, and battery pack are connected in series via pipelines to form the battery pack heat storage circuit. A coolant for transferring heat is provided in the battery pack heat storage circuit. The water pump drives the coolant to flow within the battery pack heat storage circuit. In this embodiment, the coolant can be a single liquid or a mixture of liquids. The coolant can be water, ethylene glycol, or other liquids with a high specific heat. The water pump provides power to the entire circulation circuit, driving the coolant to circulate throughout the circuit. The high-voltage component includes a motor, a charging system, etc. The coolant flows through the high-voltage component, carrying away the heat generated during its operation. Then, driven by the water pump, the coolant circulates to the battery pack for release, thereby storing the heat in the battery pack.

[0055] In this embodiment, the primary function of the high-voltage system and battery pack in the vehicle is to ensure normal vehicle operation. When the temperature exceeds their suitable operating range, the high-voltage system and battery pack will malfunction. To ensure the normal operation of the electric vehicle, the thermal management system also includes a cooling circuit for cooling the high-voltage components and battery pack. The cooling circuit regulates the temperature of the high-voltage system and battery pack. When the heat stored in the battery pack exceeds its limit, the cooling circuit cools the high-voltage system and battery pack to ensure vehicle safety.

[0056] As an optional implementation method, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a cooling circuit provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 3 As shown, the cooling circuit includes a first cooling circuit and a second cooling circuit formed by a water pump, a high-voltage component, a three-way valve, a battery pack, and a radiator. The water pump, the high-voltage component, the first and second ports of the three-way valve, and the radiator are connected in series through pipes to form the first cooling circuit. The water pump, the high-voltage component, the first and third ports of the three-way valve, and the radiator are connected in series through pipes to form the second cooling circuit. In this embodiment, the battery pack and the high-voltage component may have different cooling requirements during actual operation. Therefore, the first cooling circuit and the second cooling circuit are set up to provide separate cooling for the different cooling requirements of the high-voltage component and the battery pack. Preferably, the first cooling circuit and the second cooling circuit can be connected in parallel through a three-way valve. This arrangement allows the first and second cooling circuits to share a radiator, reducing the use of a radiator and lowering costs. Furthermore, the first and second cooling circuits can share some pipes, reducing the number of pipes and simplifying the cooling circuit structure.

[0057] As another alternative implementation, the existing battery pack cooling circuit can be modified to simultaneously meet the needs of battery pack heat storage and cooling of both the high-voltage system and the battery pack. For example... Figure 2As shown, the circuit includes a water pump, a high-voltage component, a radiator, a battery pack, a first three-way valve, and a second three-way valve. The water pump, high-voltage component, radiator, and battery pack are sequentially connected via pipelines to form a closed loop. The first three-way valve is located between the high-voltage component and the radiator, and the second three-way valve is located between the radiator and the battery pack. The first and second ports of the first three-way valve are connected to the high-voltage component and the radiator, respectively, and the third port of the first three-way valve is connected to the first port of the second three-way valve. The first port of the second three-way valve is also connected to the radiator, the second port of the second three-way valve is connected to the battery pack, and the third port of the second three-way valve is connected to the water pump. In this embodiment, the water pump, high-voltage component, the first and second ports of the first three-way valve, the radiator, the first and second ports of the second three-way valve, and the battery pack constitute a loop when both the high-voltage component and the battery pack require cooling. The water pump, high-voltage component, the first and second ports of the first three-way valve, the radiator, and the first and third ports of the second three-way valve constitute a loop when only the high-voltage component requires cooling. The water pump, high-pressure components, the first and third ports of the first three-way valve, the first and second ports of the second three-way valve, and the battery pack constitute the circulation loop for heat storage in the battery pack.

[0058] like Figure 2 As shown in the above embodiment, the heat generated by the motor and other high-voltage components during vehicle operation, while ensuring that the temperature does not exceed the allowable temperature, bypasses the radiator by flowing through the bypass water path via the first three-way valve, thus avoiding heat loss when passing through the radiator. Simultaneously, the second three-way valve is kept open, allowing heat to flow through the battery pack water path. This carries the heat generated by the high-voltage components into the battery pack, causing the battery pack temperature to rise and absorbing and storing the heat internally. This heat is then readily available for use by the thermal management system to provide heating for the passenger compartment. The water pump primarily provides flow control for the entire circuit, ensuring the coolant circulates. Actual testing showed that the entire battery pack can store up to 2 kW·h of equivalent heat when the temperature rise is 5°C, indicating a very large amount of heat can be stored within the acceptable temperature rise range of the battery pack.

[0059] like Figure 2 As shown, the heat source also includes a heat exchanger, which is used to absorb heat from the outside air and transfer the heat to the cold medium flowing through the heat exchanger.

[0060] In this embodiment, when the heat provided by the battery pack heat source is insufficient to meet the heating needs of the passenger cabin, other heat sources can be provided to improve the user experience. In this embodiment, a heat exchanger is used to absorb heat from the external environment to ensure passenger cabin heating. In some embodiments, a PTC heater can also be used as a heat source to provide heat for the passenger cabin.

[0061] The electric vehicle thermal management system described in this application treats the battery pack as a heat storage and insulation component based on its temperature characteristics, rather than simply managing the battery pack's thermal performance based on its heating and cooling needs. This allows the thermal management system to absorb heat from the higher-temperature battery pack's heat storage circuit and supply it to the passenger compartment for heating. This results in higher energy efficiency for the thermal management system, thereby reducing the electric vehicle's energy consumption and increasing its driving range.

[0062] Based on the above-described electric vehicle thermal management system, this application embodiment also provides a method for heating the passenger compartment of an electric vehicle, which is applied to the electric vehicle thermal management system described above. Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for heating the passenger compartment of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of this application. This specification provides the method operation steps as shown in the embodiments or flowcharts, but based on conventional or non-inventive labor, more or fewer operation steps may be included. The order of steps listed in the embodiments is merely one possible execution order among many and does not represent the only execution order. In actual system or server product execution, the method can be executed sequentially according to the embodiments or drawings, or in parallel (e.g., in a parallel processor or multi-threaded processing environment). Specifically, as shown... Figure 4 As shown, the method may include:

[0063] S401: Receives heating request from passenger cabin.

[0064] In this embodiment, when there is a heating demand in the passenger compartment, the user sends a heating request through the human-machine interface device in the passenger compartment. The control system then receives the heating request and controls the thermal management system accordingly. Typically, in the thermal management system, the battery pack is used as a heat storage and insulation component to collect the heat generated by the vehicle's operation when certain conditions are met. These conditions refer to the battery pack's temperature not exceeding its normal operating temperature range.

[0065] S403: Determine the heat storage temperature of the battery pack based on the heating request.

[0066] In this embodiment, the control system first determines the heat storage temperature of the battery pack based on the heating request, in order to determine whether the battery pack stores a large amount of heat and meets the conditions to serve as a heat source.

[0067] S405: Is the heat storage temperature of the battery pack greater than the threshold?

[0068] In this embodiment, the most intuitive way to determine whether the battery pack meets the conditions to act as a heat source is to determine whether the heat storage temperature of the battery pack is greater than a threshold. Optionally, this threshold is the minimum temperature at which the battery pack operates normally.

[0069] S407: If the heat storage temperature is greater than the threshold, the heat exchanger uses the battery pack as a heat source to transfer the heat from the battery pack to the passenger compartment.

[0070] In this embodiment of the application, if the battery pack has the conditions to serve as a heat source, then the battery pack is preferentially used as a heat source to heat the passenger cabin.

[0071] S409: If the heat storage temperature is less than or equal to the threshold, the heat exchanger uses the heat exchanger as the heat source to transfer the heat from the heat exchanger to the passenger cabin.

[0072] In this embodiment of the application, if the battery pack does not meet the requirements to serve as a heat source, then in order to meet the user's needs, only a heat exchanger can be used as a heat source to heat the passenger cabin.

[0073] Based on the description of the above-mentioned method for heating the passenger compartment of an electric vehicle, the following is an optional implementation method:

[0074] In the overall operation strategy of the thermal management system, the ambient temperature is first detected by an external temperature sensor. This external temperature signal is then transmitted to the Battery Management System (BMS) controller. The BMS controller uses the temperature of the battery cells in the battery pack to determine whether the cells need heating under the current ambient temperature. If heating is required, the battery pack is heated via a PTC heater; otherwise, the battery pack enters a waste heat utilization mode for the motor and high-voltage components to heat the battery. During this process, the controller controls a three-way valve to transfer heat to the battery pack and store heat. When there is a heating requirement in the passenger compartment, the thermal management system activates and determines whether the heat storage in the battery pack meets the heat absorption requirements of the heat pump. If it does, it enters a high-efficiency energy-saving mode utilizing the waste heat of the battery pack to achieve the aforementioned energy-saving effect. Otherwise, the thermal management system enters an air heat source mode, absorbing heat from the cold air to heat the passenger compartment. While this heating mode is less efficient than the battery heat source mode because it absorbs heat from a colder environment, it meets the heating needs when the battery heat source is unavailable.

[0075] This application also discloses a passenger compartment heating device for an electric vehicle. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a passenger compartment heating device for an electric vehicle provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 5 As shown, the device includes:

[0076] The receiving module 501 is used to receive heating requests from the passenger cabin.

[0077] The determination module 503 is used to determine the heat storage temperature of the battery pack based on the heating request.

[0078] The control module 505 is used to transfer the heat from the battery pack to the passenger compartment by using the battery pack as a heat source if the heat storage temperature is greater than a threshold.

[0079] In this embodiment of the application, the control module 505 is further configured to, if the heat storage temperature is less than or equal to a threshold, use the heat exchanger as a heat source to conduct the heat from the heat exchanger to the passenger compartment.

[0080] This application also discloses a vehicle that includes a thermal management system for electric vehicles as described above.

[0081] In this embodiment, the vehicle is an electric vehicle and is equipped with a thermal management system. For details on the implementation of the thermal management system, please refer to all the methods described above for the thermal management system.

[0082] Embodiments of this application also provide an electronic device including a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores at least one instruction, at least one program, code set, or instruction set, the at least one instruction, the at least one program, the code set, or the instruction set being loaded and executed by the processor to implement the passenger compartment heating method for an electric vehicle as described above.

[0083] The embodiments of this application also provide a storage medium that can be disposed in an on-board computer to store at least one instruction, at least one program, code set, or instruction set related to implementing a data transmission method in the method embodiments. The at least one instruction, the at least one program, the code set, or the instruction set is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the above-described electric vehicle passenger compartment heating method.

[0084] Optionally, in this embodiment, the storage medium may include, but is not limited to, various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), portable hard drives, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0085] The thermal management system, heating method, device, vehicle, and storage medium provided in this application recover more of the heat generated by high-voltage components and store it in the battery pack for reuse. This allows the battery pack to serve as a heat source for heating the passenger compartment, avoiding the risk of heat exchangers freezing and malfunctioning when the thermal management system absorbs heat from the outside air. The thermal management system absorbs heat from the higher-temperature battery pack circuit to heat the passenger compartment, resulting in higher energy efficiency, lower overall vehicle power consumption, and improved low-temperature driving range.

[0086] It should be noted that the order of the embodiments described above is merely for descriptive purposes and does not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments. Furthermore, specific embodiments have been described above. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps described in the claims can be performed in a different order than that shown in the embodiments and still achieve the desired result. Additionally, the processes depicted in the drawings do not necessarily require a specific or sequential order to achieve the desired result. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0087] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, the device embodiments are basically similar to the method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions of the method embodiments.

[0088] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above embodiments can be implemented by hardware or by a program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk.

[0089] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A thermal management system for an electric vehicle, characterized in that, include: Compressor, internal condenser, and heat exchanger; The compressor, the internal condenser, and the heat exchanger are connected in series via pipelines to form a heat transfer loop; The heat transfer circuit is equipped with a cold medium for transferring heat; The compressor is used to drive the refrigerant to flow in the heat transfer circuit; The internal condenser is located in the passenger compartment and is used to transfer the heat carried by the cooling medium into the passenger compartment. The heat exchanger is connected to a heat source, which is used to transfer heat to the cold medium passing through the heat exchanger; The heat source includes at least a battery pack; The thermal management system further includes a water pump, a high-pressure component, a radiator, a battery pack, a first three-way valve, and a second three-way valve. The water pump, the high-pressure component, the radiator, and the battery pack are connected in sequence through pipelines to form a closed loop. The first three-way valve is located between the high-pressure component and the radiator, and the second three-way valve is located between the radiator and the battery pack. The first and second ports of the first three-way valve are respectively connected to the high-pressure component and the radiator. The third port of the first three-way valve is connected to the first port of the second three-way valve. The first port of the second three-way valve is also connected to the radiator. The second port of the second three-way valve is connected to the battery pack. The third port of the second three-way valve is connected to the water pump. The water pump, the high-pressure component, the first and second ports of the first three-way valve, the radiator, the first and second ports of the second three-way valve, and the battery pack constitute a common cooling loop for the high-pressure component and the battery pack. The water pump, the high-pressure component, the first and second ports of the first three-way valve, the radiator, and the first and third ports of the second three-way valve constitute a circulation loop when the high-pressure component needs to be cooled individually. The water pump, the high-pressure component, the first and third ports of the first three-way valve, the first and second ports of the second three-way valve, and the battery pack constitute the circulation loop for heat storage in the battery pack.

2. The thermal management system for electric vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat source also includes a heat exchanger for absorbing heat from the outside air and transferring the heat to the cooling medium flowing through the heat exchanger.

3. The thermal management system for electric vehicles according to claim 2, characterized in that, The thermal management system also includes an expansion valve, which is connected to the heat transfer circuit. The expansion valve is located between the internal condenser and the heat exchanger, and the refrigerant flows from the internal condenser through the expansion valve to the heat exchanger.

4. A method for heating the passenger compartment of an electric vehicle using the thermal management system of an electric vehicle as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive heating requests from the passenger cabin; The heat storage temperature of the battery pack is determined based on the heating request. If the heat storage temperature is greater than the threshold, the heat exchanger uses the battery pack as a heat source to transfer the heat of the battery pack to the passenger cabin.

5. A passenger compartment heating device for an electric vehicle employing the passenger compartment heating method of an electric vehicle as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The device includes: The receiving module is used to receive heating requests from the passenger cabin. The determination module is used to determine the heat storage temperature of the battery pack based on the heating request; The control module is configured to, if the heat storage temperature is greater than a threshold, use the battery pack as a heat source to transfer the heat from the battery pack to the passenger compartment.

6. A vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicle includes the thermal management system of the electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1-3.

7. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores at least one instruction or at least one program, which is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the passenger compartment heating method for an electric vehicle as described in claim 4.

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