Thermal management system, method and electric vehicle

Abstract

This invention discloses a thermal management system, method, and electric vehicle. The thermal management system includes an air conditioning thermal management circuit, an electric drive thermal management circuit, a heating circuit, and a battery thermal management circuit. By adopting direct battery cooling / heating technology, compared with traditional battery water cooling and water heating technologies, the refrigerant directly exchanges heat with the battery, resulting in higher efficiency. Battery cooling / heating does not require a water pump to provide a power source, reducing servo energy consumption. By adopting indirect heat pump air conditioning technology, the uniformity of warm air temperature can be ensured, reducing the difficulty of controlling the temperature zone in the passenger compartment, while also avoiding to some extent the problem of easy frosting of the heat exchanger in direct heat pump technology. By focusing on the refrigerant side design and reducing the use of water valves, the weight brought by coolant piping and coolant filling can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle thermal management system technology, and more particularly to a thermal management system, method, and electric vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Current mainstream electric vehicle thermal management designs can couple various systems to reduce energy waste and make the thermal management system more efficient. However, most existing technologies use water valves to achieve coupling and switching between different modes, focusing on water-side design. This design concept has drawbacks: if separate water valves are used, a large number are required, which increases the corresponding connecting water pipes and coolant filling volume, leading to an increase in overall vehicle cost and weight; if integrated water valves or integrated modules are used, it is difficult to balance the integrated module size with coolant flow resistance, hot and cold flow separation control, and coolant filling and venting.

[0003] Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned problems with the current use of water valves to achieve coupling and switching between different modes, it is an urgent technical problem to be solved to develop a method that can reduce the use of water valves and reduce the weight increase caused by cooling pipes and coolant filling. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a thermal management system, method, and electric vehicle to solve the problem that existing electric vehicle thermal management systems require a large number of water valves to achieve coupling and switching between different modes.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a thermal management system, including an air conditioning thermal management circuit, an electric drive thermal management circuit, a heating circuit and a battery thermal management circuit.

[0006] The air conditioning thermal management circuit includes a compressor, an air condenser, and a front / rear evaporator that are connected in sequence to form a circulation loop; the liquid inlet of the front / rear evaporator is equipped with a first electronic expansion valve.

[0007] The electric thermal management loop includes a low-temperature radiator, a first water pump, an electric drive module, a second water pump, and a chiillery chiller, which are connected in sequence to form a circulation loop. The water inlet of the chiillery chiller is connected to the outlet of the second water pump. The water outlet of the chiillery chiller is connected to the inlet of the low-temperature radiator via a three-way valve. The refrigerant side of the chiillery chiller is connected to the inlet of the first electronic expansion valve and the outlets of the front / rear evaporators, respectively. A third electronic expansion valve is provided at the end of the chiillery chiller connected to the inlet of the first electronic expansion valve. The first port of the three-way valve is connected to the inlet of the low-temperature radiator. The second port of the three-way valve is connected to the water outlet of the chiillery chiller. The third port of the three-way valve is connected to the inlet of the first water pump.

[0008] The heating circuit includes a water-cooled condenser, a front / rear heating air core, and a third water pump connected in sequence to form a circulation loop; the water side of the water-cooled condenser is connected to both the water-cooled condenser and the front / rear heating air core; the refrigerant side of the water-cooled condenser is connected in parallel with the air condenser, the inlet of the air condenser is equipped with a first shut-off valve, and the inlet of the refrigerant side of the water-cooled condenser is equipped with a second shut-off valve.

[0009] The battery thermal management circuit includes a battery pack. One end of the battery pack is connected to the liquid inlet of the first electronic expansion valve through the fourth electronic expansion valve and the fifth shut-off valve, respectively. The other end of the battery pack is connected to the liquid outlet of the front / rear evaporator through the battery cooling solenoid valve, and the other end of the battery pack is connected to the air outlet of the compressor through the battery heating solenoid valve.

[0010] Furthermore, the air conditioning thermal management circuit also includes a liquid receiver-drier, which is located on the pipeline between the water-cooled condenser and the front / rear evaporator. The liquid receiver-drier temporarily stores refrigerant, allowing the refrigerant flow rate to be adapted to the cooling load. It receives liquid refrigerant flowing from the condenser and retains it until the evaporator needs to discharge it. It also removes moisture and impurities from the refrigerant, separating the gas and liquid phases to ensure the circuit operates normally.

[0011] Furthermore, the air conditioning thermal management circuit also includes a first coaxial pipe and a second coaxial pipe. The first coaxial pipe is located on the pipeline between the water-cooled condenser and the front / rear evaporator, and the second coaxial pipe is located on the pipeline between the front / rear evaporator and the compressor. In the coaxial pipeline, the areas where high-temperature (hot) refrigerant gas and low-temperature (cold) refrigerant gas flow are separated and flow in opposite directions, which can improve the operating efficiency of the air conditioning system.

[0012] Furthermore, the air conditioning thermal management circuit also includes a gas-liquid separator connected to the compressor's inlet. The gas-liquid separator can separate the refrigerant entering the compressor into gas and liquid, thereby improving the compressor's operating efficiency.

[0013] Furthermore, the electric thermal management circuit also includes a first expansion tank connected to the low-temperature radiator. When the pressure in the electric thermal management circuit piping is too high, or there is an excess of refrigerant, the excess gas and refrigerant can flow out from the bypass channel of the first expansion tank to prevent the system pressure from becoming too high.

[0014] Furthermore, the heating circuit also includes a heater, which is located on the pipeline between the water outlet of the water-cooled condenser and the inlet of the pre-evaporator. The heater is used to heat the refrigerant in the heating circuit, and a temperature sensor is installed at the heater to monitor the temperature of the refrigerant at the heater.

[0015] Furthermore, the heating circuit also includes a second expansion tank, which is connected in parallel with the front evaporator. If the internal pressure of the heating system is too high, or there is an excess of refrigerant, the excess gas and refrigerant will flow out through the bypass channel of the first expansion tank to prevent the system pressure from becoming too high.

[0016] Furthermore, temperature and pressure sensors are installed at both the compressor's liquid outlet and the gas-liquid separator's liquid inlet. By monitoring the temperature and pressure at the compressor's liquid outlet and the gas-liquid separator's liquid inlet using these sensors, it is possible to obtain timely information on temperature and pressure changes in the pipeline, thereby ensuring stable pipeline operation.

[0017] Secondly, the present invention also provides a thermal management method, which utilizes the above-mentioned thermal management system for thermal management, and the thermal management method includes at least one of the following thermal management modes:

[0018] Mode 1: The first shut-off valve, battery cooling solenoid valve, first electronic expansion valve, and fourth electronic expansion valve are all open; the second shut-off valve, battery heating solenoid valve, fifth shut-off valve, and third electronic expansion valve are all closed, and the first port of the three-way valve is connected to the second port.

[0019] Mode 2: The second shut-off valve, battery heating solenoid valve, fifth shut-off valve, and third electronic expansion valve are all open; the first shut-off valve, battery cooling solenoid valve, first electronic expansion valve, and fourth electronic expansion valve are all closed, and the second and third ports of the three-way valve are connected.

[0020] Mode 3: The second shut-off valve, battery heating solenoid valve, fifth shut-off valve, and third electronic expansion valve are all open; the first shut-off valve, battery cooling solenoid valve, first electronic expansion valve, and fourth electronic expansion valve are all closed, and the first port and second port of the three-way valve are connected.

[0021] Mode 4: The second shut-off valve, the first electronic expansion valve, and the third electronic expansion valve are all open; the first shut-off valve, the battery cooling solenoid valve, the battery heating solenoid valve, the fifth shut-off valve, and the fourth electronic expansion valve are all closed; the first port of the three-way valve is connected to the second port.

[0022] Mode 5: The second shut-off valve and the first electronic expansion valve are both open; the first shut-off valve, the battery cooling solenoid valve, the battery heating solenoid valve, the fifth shut-off valve, the third electronic expansion valve, and the fourth electronic expansion valve are all closed, and the first port of the three-way valve is connected to the second port.

[0023] Thirdly, the present invention also provides an electric vehicle including the above-described thermal management system.

[0024] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: By adopting direct battery cooling / heating technology, compared with traditional battery water cooling and heating technologies, the refrigerant directly exchanges heat with the battery, resulting in higher efficiency; battery cooling / heating does not require a water pump to provide a power source, reducing servo energy consumption; by adopting indirect heat pump air conditioning technology, the uniformity of warm air temperature can be ensured, reducing the difficulty of controlling the temperature zone in the passenger compartment, while also avoiding to some extent the problem of easy frosting of the outdoor heat exchanger in direct heat pump technology; by focusing on the refrigerant side design and reducing the use of water valves, the weight brought by coolant piping and coolant filling can be reduced. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, use the same reference numerals to denote the same or similar parts. The illustrative embodiments of this application and their descriptions are used to explain this application and do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Wherein: 100, air conditioning thermal management circuit; 101, compressor; 102, air condenser; 103, liquid receiver drying bottle; 104, first coaxial tube; 105, front evaporator; 106, rear evaporator; 107, second coaxial tube; 108, gas-liquid separator;

[0028] 200. Electric drive thermal management circuit; 201. Low temperature radiator; 202. First water pump; 203. On-board charger; 204. Throttle valve; 205. On-board power supply; 206. Front drive motor; 207. Rear drive motor; 208. Second water pump; 209. Chiller; 210. First expansion tank;

[0029] 300. Heating circuit; 301. Refrigerant side of water-cooled condenser; 302. Water side of water-cooled condenser; 303. Heater; 304. Front heater core; 305. Rear heater core; 306. Third water pump; 307. Second expansion tank;

[0030] 400. Battery thermal management circuit; 401. Battery pack. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0032] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. This application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0033] Firstly, such as Figure 1 As shown, this invention discloses a thermal management system, including an air conditioning thermal management circuit 100, an electric drive thermal management circuit 200, a heating circuit 300, and a battery thermal management circuit 400; each circuit is described in detail below:

[0034] The air conditioning thermal management circuit 100 includes a compressor 101, an air condenser 102, and a front / rear evaporator 106 connected in sequence to form a circulation loop. The inlet of the front / rear evaporator 106 is equipped with a first electronic expansion valve (EXV1 / EXV2). The front / rear evaporator 106 includes a front evaporator 105 and a rear evaporator 106. The outlet of the front evaporator 105 is equipped with a temperature sensor, and the outlet of the rear evaporator 106 is equipped with a temperature and pressure sensor. The air condenser 102 can be a non-subcooled condenser. The compressor 101 has a temperature and pressure sensor at both its inlet and outlet for monitoring the inlet and outlet temperatures and pressures.

[0035] The electric thermal management circuit 200 includes a low-temperature radiator 201, a first water pump 202, an electric drive module, a second water pump 208, and a chiillery unit 209, which are sequentially connected to form a circulation loop. The water inlet of the chiillery unit 209 is connected to the outlet of the second water pump 208. The water outlet of the chiillery unit 209 is connected to the inlet of the low-temperature radiator 201 via a three-way valve. The refrigerant side of the chiillery unit 209 is connected to the inlet of the first electronic expansion valve (EXV1 / EXV2) and... The liquid outlets of the front / rear evaporators 106 are connected; a third electronic expansion valve EXV3 is installed at the end of the chiiller 209 where the refrigerant side is connected to the liquid inlet of the first electronic expansion valve (EXV1 / EXV2); the first port of the three-way valve is connected to the liquid inlet of the low-temperature radiator 201; the second port of the three-way valve is connected to the liquid outlet on the water side of the chiiller 209; the third port of the three-way valve is connected to the liquid inlet of the first water pump 202; the chiiller enables heat recovery from the electric drive system and ambient heat recovery at low temperatures. The function of the first water pump 202 and the second water pump 208 is to pressurize the refrigerant in the pipeline, ensuring its circulation in the electric drive thermal management circuit 200, thereby transferring heat. A temperature sensor is installed at the liquid inlet of the electric drive module. The electric drive module includes a front drive unit and a rear drive unit. The front drive unit includes an on-board charger 203, a throttle valve 204 and a front drive motor 206. The on-board charger 203 and the throttle valve 204 are connected in parallel and then connected in series with the front drive motor 206. The rear drive unit includes an on-board power supply 205 connected in series and a rear drive motor 207.

[0036] The heating circuit 300 includes a water-cooled condenser, a front / rear heating core 305, and a third water pump 306 connected in sequence to form a circulation loop; the water side 302 of the water-cooled condenser is connected to both the water-cooled condenser and the front / rear heating core 305; the refrigerant side 301 of the water-cooled condenser is connected in parallel with the air condenser 102, the liquid inlet of the air condenser 102 is equipped with a first shut-off valve SOV1, and the liquid inlet of the refrigerant side 301 of the water-cooled condenser is equipped with a fifth shut-off valve SOV2; the indirect heat pump air conditioning technology can ensure the uniformity of the heating air temperature, reduce the difficulty of controlling the temperature zone of the passenger compartment, and at the same time avoid the problem of easy frosting of the outdoor heat exchanger of the direct heat pump technology to a certain extent.

[0037] The battery thermal management circuit 400 includes a battery pack 401. One end of the battery pack 401 (inlet / outlet) is connected to the inlet of the first electronic expansion valve (EXV1 / EXV2) via the fourth electronic expansion valve EXV4 and the fifth shut-off valve SOV5, respectively. The other end of the battery pack 401 (inlet / outlet) is connected to the outlet of the front / rear evaporator 106 via the battery cooling solenoid valve SOV4, and the other end of the battery pack 401 is connected to the outlet of the compressor 101 via the battery heating solenoid valve SOV3. This battery thermal management circuit 400 adopts direct battery cooling / heating technology. Compared with traditional battery water cooling and water heating technology, the refrigerant directly exchanges heat with the battery, resulting in higher efficiency. Battery cooling / heating does not require a water pump to provide a power source, reducing servo energy consumption. A temperature sensor is provided at one end of the battery pack 401, and a temperature and pressure sensor is provided at the other end of the battery pack 401.

[0038] According to one embodiment of this application, the air conditioning thermal management circuit 100 further includes a liquid receiver drying bottle 103, which is located on the pipeline between the water-cooled condenser and the front / rear evaporator 106. The liquid receiver drying bottle 103 can temporarily store refrigerant, so that the refrigerant flow rate is adapted to the cooling load. That is, it receives the liquid refrigerant flowing out of the condenser and retains it until the evaporator needs to discharge it. It can also remove moisture and impurities from the refrigerant, so as to separate the gas and liquid and ensure the normal operation of the circuit.

[0039] According to one embodiment of this application, the air conditioning thermal management circuit 100 further includes a first coaxial pipe 104 and a second coaxial pipe 107. The first coaxial pipe 104 is located on the pipeline between the water-cooled condenser and the front / rear evaporator 106, and the second coaxial pipe 107 is located on the pipeline between the front / rear evaporator 106 and the compressor 101. In the coaxial pipeline, the areas where high-temperature (hot) refrigerant gas and low-temperature (cold) refrigerant gas flow are separated and flow in opposite directions, which can improve the working efficiency of the air conditioning system.

[0040] According to one embodiment of this application, the air conditioning thermal management circuit 100 further includes a gas-liquid separator 108 connected to the air inlet of the compressor 101; the gas-liquid separator 108 can perform gas-liquid separation on the refrigerant entering the compressor 101.

[0041] According to one embodiment of this application, the electric thermal management circuit 200 further includes a first expansion tank 210 connected to the low-temperature radiator 201. If the pressure in the electric thermal management circuit 200 is too high, or there is an excess of refrigerant, the excess gas and refrigerant will flow out from the bypass channel of the first expansion tank 210 to prevent the system pressure from becoming too high.

[0042] According to one embodiment of this application, the heating circuit 300 further includes a heater 303, which is located on the pipeline between the liquid outlet of the water-side 302 of the water-cooled condenser and the liquid inlet of the front evaporator 105. The heater 303 is used to heat the refrigerant in the heating circuit 300, and a temperature sensor is provided at the heater 303 to monitor the temperature of the refrigerant at the heater 303.

[0043] According to one embodiment of this application, the heating circuit 300 further includes a second expansion tank 307, which is connected in parallel with the front evaporator 105. If the pressure in the heating circuit 300 is too high, or there is an excess of refrigerant, the excess gas and refrigerant will flow out from the bypass channel of the first expansion tank 210 to prevent the system pressure from becoming too high.

[0044] According to one embodiment of this application, both the liquid outlet of the compressor 101 and the liquid inlet of the gas-liquid separator 108 are equipped with temperature and pressure sensors. By monitoring the temperature and pressure at the liquid outlet of the compressor and the liquid inlet of the gas-liquid separator using temperature and pressure sensors, it is beneficial to obtain the temperature and pressure changes in the pipeline in a timely manner, so as to ensure the stable operation of the pipeline.

[0045] Secondly, the present invention also provides a thermal management method, which utilizes the above-mentioned thermal management system for thermal management, and the thermal management method includes at least one of the following thermal management modes:

[0046] Mode 1: The first shut-off valve SOV1, battery cooling solenoid valve SOV4, first electronic expansion valve (EXV1 / EXV2), and fourth electronic expansion valve EXV4 are all open; the fifth shut-off valve SOV2, battery heating solenoid valve SOV3, fifth shut-off valve SOV5, and third electronic expansion valve EXV3 are all closed, and the first and second ports of the three-way valve are connected; Mode 1 is suitable for high temperatures in summer and mainly includes crew cabin cooling (single evaporation, dual evaporation), battery cooling, and electric drive cooling.

[0047] Crew compartment cooling (single evaporation, dual evaporation) & battery: Compressor 101 draws in low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant and discharges high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The refrigerant flows through air condenser 102 to exchange heat with ambient air, becoming high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The refrigerant flows through the first coaxial tube 104 to become liquid subcooled refrigerant, and then passes through the first electronic expansion valve (EXV1 / EXV2) and the fourth electronic expansion valve EXV4 to reduce pressure, becoming low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid mixed refrigerant. It evaporates and absorbs heat in the front / rear evaporators 106 and battery pack 401, becoming superheated gaseous refrigerant. It flows through the second coaxial tube 107 and gas-liquid separator 108, returning to compressor 101 to complete one cycle.

[0048] Electric drive cooling: The water pump pushes the coolant into the electric drive module for heat exchange, changing it from a low temperature to a high temperature. Then it flows through the chiller and three-way valve into the radiator to exchange heat with the ambient air, changing it from a high temperature to a low temperature and returning to the water pump, completing one cycle.

[0049] Mode 2: The fifth shut-off valve SOV2, battery heating solenoid valve SOV3, fifth shut-off valve SOV5, and third electronic expansion valve EXV3 are all open; the first shut-off valve SOV1, battery cooling solenoid valve SOV4, first electronic expansion valve (EXV1 / EXV2), and fourth electronic expansion valve EXV4 are all closed, and the second and third ports of the three-way valve are connected.

[0050] Mode 2 is suitable for low temperatures in winter and mainly includes air conditioning heat pump heating, battery cooling, and electric drive cooling:

[0051] Air conditioning heat pump heating + battery cooling: Compressor 101 draws in low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant and discharges high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant, which is divided into two paths. The first path of high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant flows through the water-cooled condenser and exchanges heat with the heating circuit 300. The heated air coolant is heated and flows through the front heating core 304 to exchange heat with the air. The hot air enters the passenger compartment to heat the passengers. At the same time, the refrigerant becomes high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant and flows through the first coaxial tube 104 to become liquid subcooled refrigerant. The second path of high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant enters the battery pack through the battery heating solenoid valve SOV3 and exchanges heat with the battery, becoming high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. It then flows through the fifth shut-off valve SOV5 and merges with the first path of refrigerant. After being throttled and depressurized by the electronic expansion valve, it becomes low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid mixed refrigerant. It exchanges heat with the electric drive module in the chiiller 209 and becomes superheated gaseous refrigerant. It then flows through the second coaxial tube 107 and the gas-liquid separator 108 and returns to the compressor 101, completing one cycle.

[0052] Electric drive cooling: The first water pump 202 pushes the coolant into the electric drive module for heat exchange, changing it from a low temperature to a high temperature. Then, it exchanges heat with the refrigerant through the chiller 209, changing it from a high temperature to a low temperature. Finally, it returns to the first water pump 202 through the three-way valve, completing one cycle.

[0053] Mode 3: The fifth shut-off valve SOV2, battery heating solenoid valve SOV3, fifth shut-off valve SOV5 and third electronic expansion valve EXV3 are all open; the first shut-off valve SOV1, battery cooling solenoid valve SOV4, first electronic expansion valve (EXV1 / EXV2) and fourth electronic expansion valve EXV4 are all closed, and the first port and the second port of the three-way valve are connected.

[0054] Mode 3 is suitable for low temperatures in spring and autumn, and mainly includes air conditioning heat pump heating, battery cooling, and electric drive cooling:

[0055] Air conditioning heat pump heating + battery cooling: Compressor 101 draws in low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant and discharges high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant, with the refrigerant divided into two paths. The first high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant flows through the water-cooled condenser and exchanges heat with the heating circuit 300. The heated air coolant is heated and flows through the front heating core 304 to exchange heat with the air. The hot air enters the passenger compartment to heat the passengers. At the same time, the refrigerant becomes a high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The refrigerant flows through the first coaxial tube 104 and becomes a liquid subcooled refrigerant. The second high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant enters the battery pack through the battery heating solenoid valve SOV3 and exchanges heat with the battery, becoming a high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. It then flows through the fifth shut-off valve SOV5 and merges with the first refrigerant. After being throttled and depressurized by the third electronic expansion valve EXV3, it becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid mixture refrigerant. In the chiiller refrigeration unit 209, it exchanges heat with the water circuit of the electric drive module and becomes a superheated gaseous refrigerant. It then flows through the second coaxial tube 107 and the gas-liquid separator 108 and returns to the compressor 101, completing one cycle.

[0056] Electric drive cooling: The first water pump 202 pushes the coolant into the electric drive module for heat exchange, changing it from low temperature to high temperature. Then, it exchanges heat with the refrigerant through the chiller 209, changing it from high temperature to low temperature. It then flows into the low temperature radiator 201 through the three-way valve, exchanges heat with the air to increase its temperature, and then returns to the first water pump 202 to complete one cycle.

[0057] Mode 4: The fifth shut-off valve SOV2, the first electronic expansion valve (EXV1 / EXV2) and the third electronic expansion valve EXV3 are all open; the first shut-off valve SOV1, the battery cooling solenoid valve SOV4, the battery heating solenoid valve SOV3, the fifth shut-off valve SOV5 and the fourth electronic expansion valve EXV4 are all closed, and the first port and the second port of the three-way valve are connected.

[0058] Mode 4 is suitable for low temperatures in spring and autumn, and mainly includes air conditioning heat pump low-temperature dehumidification and heating and electric drive cooling:

[0059] Air conditioning heat pump heating: Compressor 101 draws in low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant and discharges high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The refrigerant flows through the water-cooled condenser and exchanges heat with the heating circuit 300. The heating coolant is heated and flows through the front heating core 304 to exchange heat with the air. The hot air enters the passenger compartment to heat the passengers. At the same time, the refrigerant becomes high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The refrigerant flows through the first coaxial pipe 104 and becomes liquid subcooled refrigerant. The first refrigerant is throttled and depressurized by the first electronic expansion valve (EXV1 / EXV2) and becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid mixture. The first refrigerant exchanges heat and dehumidifies with the air in the front / rear evaporator (the passenger cabin air first passes through the evaporator and then through the heater core), becoming a superheated gaseous refrigerant. The second refrigerant is depressurized by the third electronic expansion valve EXV3, becoming a low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid mixture. It exchanges heat with the high-temperature coolant in the electric drive module in the chiller 209, becoming a superheated gaseous refrigerant that merges with the first refrigerant. It then flows through the second coaxial tube 107 and the gas-liquid separator 108, returning to the compressor 101 to complete one cycle.

[0060] Electric drive cooling: The first water pump 202 pushes the coolant into the electric drive module for heat exchange, changing it from a low temperature to a high temperature. Then, it exchanges heat with the refrigerant through the chiller 209, changing it from a high temperature to a low temperature. It then flows into the radiator through the three-way valve, exchanges heat with the air to increase its temperature, and then returns to the first water pump 202 to complete one cycle.

[0061] Mode 5: The fifth shut-off valve SOV2 and the first electronic expansion valve (EXV1 / EXV2) are both open; the first shut-off valve SOV1, the battery cooling solenoid valve SOV4, the battery heating solenoid valve SOV3, the fifth shut-off valve SOV5, the third electronic expansion valve EXV3, and the fourth electronic expansion valve EXV4 are all closed, and the first port and the second port of the three-way valve are connected.

[0062] Mode 5 mainly includes air conditioning heat pump medium-temperature dehumidification + electric drive cooling:

[0063] Air conditioning heat pump heating: Compressor 101 draws in low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant and discharges high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The refrigerant flows through the water-cooled condenser and exchanges heat with the heating circuit 300. The heating coolant is heated and flows through the front heating core 304 to exchange heat with the air. The hot air enters the passenger compartment to heat the passengers. At the same time, the refrigerant becomes high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The refrigerant flows through the first coaxial tube 104 and becomes liquid subcooled refrigerant. The refrigerant flows through the first electronic expansion valve (EXV1 / EXV2) and is depressurized, becoming low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid mixed refrigerant. It exchanges heat and dehumidifies with the air in the front / rear evaporator (the passenger compartment air first passes through the evaporator and then through the heating core), becoming superheated gaseous refrigerant. It then flows through the second coaxial tube 107 and the gas-liquid separator 108 and returns to the compressor 101, completing one cycle.

[0064] Electric drive cooling: The first water pump 202 pushes the coolant into the electric drive module for heat exchange, changing it from low temperature to high temperature. Then, it flows into the radiator through the chiiller 209 via a three-way valve, where it exchanges heat with the air to cool down. Finally, it returns to the first water pump 202 to complete one cycle.

[0065] Thirdly, the present invention also provides an electric vehicle that includes the aforementioned thermal management system.

[0066] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and an explanation of the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of the invention involved in this application is not limited to technical solutions formed by specific combinations of the above-described technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by arbitrary combinations of the above-described technical features or their equivalents without departing from the inventive concept. For example, technical solutions formed by substituting the above features with (but not limited to) technical features with similar functions disclosed in this application.

Claims

1. A thermal management system, characterized in that, This includes air conditioning thermal management circuits, electric drive thermal management circuits, heating circuits, and battery thermal management circuits; The air conditioning thermal management circuit includes a compressor, an air condenser, and a front / rear evaporator connected in sequence to form a circulation loop; the liquid inlet of the front / rear evaporator is equipped with a first electronic expansion valve; The electric thermal management circuit includes a low-temperature radiator, a first water pump, an electric drive module, a second water pump, and a chiillery chiller connected in sequence to form a circulation loop. The water inlet of the chiillery chiller is connected to the outlet of the second water pump, and the water outlet of the chiillery chiller is connected to the inlet of the low-temperature radiator via a three-way valve. The refrigerant side of the chiillery chiller is connected to the inlet of the first electronic expansion valve and the outlets of the front / rear evaporators, respectively. A third electronic expansion valve is provided at the end of the chiillery chiller connected to the inlet of the first electronic expansion valve. The first port of the three-way valve is connected to the inlet of the low-temperature radiator. The second port of the three-way valve is connected to the water outlet of the chiillery chiller. The third port of the three-way valve is connected to the inlet of the first water pump. The heating circuit includes a water-cooled condenser, a front / rear heating core, and a third water pump connected in sequence to form a circulation loop; the water side of the water-cooled condenser is connected to both the water-cooled condenser and the front / rear heating core; the refrigerant side of the water-cooled condenser is connected in parallel with the air condenser, the inlet of the air condenser is equipped with a first shut-off valve, and the inlet of the refrigerant side of the water-cooled condenser is equipped with a second shut-off valve. The battery thermal management circuit includes a battery pack. One end of the battery pack is connected to the liquid inlet of the first electronic expansion valve through a fourth electronic expansion valve and a fifth shut-off valve, respectively. The other end of the battery pack is connected to the liquid outlet of the front / rear evaporator through a battery cooling solenoid valve, and the other end of the battery pack is connected to the air outlet of the compressor through a battery heating solenoid valve.

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air conditioning thermal management circuit also includes a liquid storage and drying bottle, which is located on the pipeline between the water-cooled condenser and the front / rear evaporator.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air conditioning thermal management circuit also includes a first coaxial pipe and a second coaxial pipe. The first coaxial pipe is located on the pipeline between the water-cooled condenser and the front / rear evaporator, and the second coaxial pipe is located on the pipeline between the front / rear evaporator and the compressor.

4. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air conditioning thermal management circuit also includes a gas-liquid separator connected to the air inlet of the compressor.

5. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electric thermal management circuit also includes a first expansion tank connected to a low-temperature radiator.

6. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating circuit also includes a heater, which is located on the pipeline between the liquid outlet on the water side of the water-cooled condenser and the liquid inlet of the front evaporator.

7. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating circuit also includes a second expansion tank, which is connected in parallel with the front evaporator.

8. The thermal management system according to claim 4, characterized in that, Temperature and pressure sensors are installed at the liquid outlet of the compressor and the liquid inlet of the gas-liquid separator.

9. A thermal management method, characterized in that, Thermal management is performed using the thermal management system according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the thermal management method includes at least one of the following thermal management modes: Mode 1: The first shut-off valve, battery cooling solenoid valve, first electronic expansion valve, and fourth electronic expansion valve are all open; the second shut-off valve, battery heating solenoid valve, fifth shut-off valve, and third electronic expansion valve are all closed, and the first port and second port of the three-way valve are connected. Mode 2: The second shut-off valve, battery heating solenoid valve, fifth shut-off valve, and third electronic expansion valve are all open; the first shut-off valve, battery cooling solenoid valve, first electronic expansion valve, and fourth electronic expansion valve are all closed, and the second and third ports of the three-way valve are connected. Mode 3: The second shut-off valve, battery heating solenoid valve, fifth shut-off valve, and third electronic expansion valve are all open; the first shut-off valve, battery cooling solenoid valve, first electronic expansion valve, and fourth electronic expansion valve are all closed, and the first port of the three-way valve is connected to the second port. Mode 4: The second shut-off valve, the first electronic expansion valve, and the third electronic expansion valve are all open; the first shut-off valve, the battery cooling solenoid valve, the battery heating solenoid valve, the fifth shut-off valve, and the fourth electronic expansion valve are all closed, and the first port of the three-way valve is connected to the second port. Mode 5: The second shut-off valve and the first electronic expansion valve are both open; the first shut-off valve, the battery cooling solenoid valve, the battery heating solenoid valve, the fifth shut-off valve, the third electronic expansion valve, and the fourth electronic expansion valve are all closed, and the first port of the three-way valve is connected to the second port.

10. An electric vehicle, characterized in that, Includes the thermal management system described in any one of claims 1-8.

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