Method for vehicle thermal management, thermal management system and vehicle

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, a thermal management system and a vehicle for vehicle thermal management. The method for vehicle thermal management comprises: in response to a request for switching a vehicle thermal management mode, determining a switching type from a first thermal management mode currently set by the vehicle to a second thermal management mode to be set, the second thermal management mode being different from the first thermal management mode; determining a switching strategy of the thermal management mode according to the determined switching type; and switching the vehicle thermal management mode by controlling at least one of a valve and a compressor of a thermal management system of the vehicle according to the switching strategy. By classifying the thermal management modes and performing corresponding switching strategies according to the classification to which the switching belongs, the switching logic of the thermal management system is simplified, and the stability and reliability of the thermal management system are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to the field of vehicles, and particularly to methods, thermal management systems and vehicles for vehicle thermal management. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, the automotive industry has faced increasingly stringent requirements for energy conservation and emission reduction. New energy vehicles, such as electric vehicles, are gaining popularity due to their superior energy-saving and environmentally friendly characteristics, and are gradually becoming a focus of attention for the future development of the automotive industry. Electric vehicles differ from traditional gasoline-powered vehicles; their power source is solely provided by batteries, and their thermal management systems also differ from those of traditional vehicles.

[0003] The primary function of automotive thermal management is to provide a suitable temperature environment for passengers in the cabin and to ensure that all vehicle components operate within appropriate temperature ranges. Broadly speaking, automotive thermal management includes the management of the air conditioning system and other heat-generating devices on the vehicle. Reduced driving range in winter is one of the biggest pain points for pure electric vehicles. How to balance a suitable temperature environment with minimizing winter range reduction is one of the key issues that the thermal management system for new energy vehicles needs to address. Some automakers use heat pump air conditioning as a solution. Unlike traditional air conditioning, the different heat sources in heat pumps complicate the entire thermal management system. For example, the heat source can be outdoor air, the motor's cooling system, or the battery's cooling system; this variety and complexity makes mode switching complicated. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a method for vehicle thermal management is provided. The method includes: in response to a request to switch a vehicle thermal management mode, determining a switching type from a currently set first thermal management mode to a second thermal management mode to be set, the second thermal management mode being different from the first thermal management mode; determining a switching strategy for the thermal management mode based on the determined switching type; and switching the vehicle thermal management mode according to the switching strategy by controlling at least one of a valve and a compressor of the vehicle's thermal management system.

[0005] In some embodiments, determining the switching type includes: in response to determining that one of the first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode is a mode in which the thermal management system is in a closed state, determining the switching type as a switch mode switching.

[0006] In some embodiments, the electric drive branch includes: determining the switching type includes: in response to determining that one of the first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode is a heat pump heating mode and the other is a heat pump cooling mode, determining the switching type as a large mode switch.

[0007] In some embodiments, determining the switching type further includes: determining the operating target temperature of the compressor, the operating target temperature including at least one of the target temperature of the evaporator and the target inlet water temperature of the battery thermal management circuit; and determining the switching type based on the operating target temperature of the compressor.

[0008] In some embodiments, switching the vehicle thermal management mode includes: if the first thermal management mode is a heat pump cooling mode and the second management mode is a heat pump heating mode, then turning off the compressor and increasing the opening of at least one of the valves for a predetermined time; or if the first thermal management mode is a heat pump heating mode and the second management mode is a heat pump cooling mode, then reducing the speed of the compressor to a first predetermined speed and increasing the opening of at least one of the valves for a predetermined time.

[0009] In some embodiments, determining the switching type further includes: if both the first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode are heat pump heating mode or heat pump cooling mode, and one of the first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode includes both passenger cabin thermal management requirements and battery thermal management requirements, and the other includes either passenger cabin thermal management requirements or battery thermal management requirements, then the switching type is determined to be a single / dual mode switching.

[0010] In some embodiments, switching the thermal management mode includes: in response to determining that the switching type is a single / dual mode switching, determining a target operating state of an expansion valve upstream of the evaporator in the second thermal management mode; and in response to determining that the target operating state of the expansion valve is an open state, controlling a valve associated with the first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode at a predetermined switching rate.

[0011] In some embodiments, switching the thermal management mode includes: in response to determining that the switching type is a single / dual mode switch, determining the initial heat pump state of the heat pump in the first thermal management mode and the target heat pump state of the heat pump in the second thermal management mode; and controlling the speed of the compressor according to the initial heat pump state and the target heat pump state.

[0012] In some embodiments, controlling the compressor speed includes: if the initial heat pump state includes both an air source heat pump on state and a water source heat pump on state, and the target heat pump state includes either an air source heat pump on state or a water source heat pump on state, then reducing the compressor speed to a second predetermined speed; or if the initial heat pump state includes a dehumidifying heat pump supplemental heating state, and the target heat pump state includes either an air source heat pump on state or a water source heat pump on state, then reducing the compressor speed to a third predetermined speed.

[0013] In some embodiments, determining the switching type further includes: if it is determined that the switching type does not belong to switch mode switching, large mode switching, or single / dual mode switching based on the first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode, then the switching type is determined to be a special type switching; and in response to the switching type being a special type switching, the thermal management system is shut down and remains shut down for a predetermined time before switching to the second thermal management mode.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a thermal management system for a vehicle is provided. The thermal management system includes: a compressor and a plurality of valves; one or more processors; and a storage device for storing one or more programs that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method described in the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0015] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a thermal management system as described in the second aspect above. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The above and other features, advantages, and aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements, wherein: Figure 1 A simplified schematic diagram of a thermal management system for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 2 A logical schematic diagram of a method for vehicle thermal management according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; and Figure 3 A schematic flowchart of a method for vehicle thermal management according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0017] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0018] The term "comprising" and its variations as used herein signify open inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". Unless otherwise stated, the term "or" means "and / or". The term "based on" means "at least partially based on". The terms "one example embodiment" and "one embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment". The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc., may refer to different or the same objects.

[0019] Furthermore, the term "in response to" as used herein refers to the state in which a corresponding event occurs or a condition is satisfied. It will be understood that the timing of subsequent actions performed in response to such an event or condition is not necessarily strongly correlated with the time when the event occurs or the condition is met. For example, in some cases, subsequent actions may be performed immediately upon the occurrence of the event or the fulfillment of the condition; while in others, they may be performed some time after the occurrence of the event or the fulfillment of the condition.

[0020] The development of new energy vehicles has received increasing attention globally in recent years, as they are expected to solve the environmental pollution problems caused by traditional fuel vehicles. The biggest difference between new energy vehicles and traditional fuel vehicles lies in their power systems, leading to significant changes in thermal management and air conditioning systems. Heat pump technology has become a future development trend in the field of new energy vehicles. The development of new energy vehicles is driving the rapid transformation of traditional automotive air conditioning companies, with both domestic and foreign companies accelerating their deployment of air conditioning heat pump systems in hopes of gaining a larger market share in the future.

[0021] A heat pump air conditioner is an air conditioning device that forcibly transfers heat energy from a lower heat source to a higher heat source. In a heat pump system, the evaporator and condenser functions can be interchanged, changing the direction of heat transfer to achieve cooling in summer and heating in winter. Based on the heat source medium, heat pumps can be divided into air-source heat pumps and water-source heat pumps. The different heat sources of heat pumps complicate the entire vehicle's thermal management system. For example, the heat source can be outdoor air, the motor's cooling system, or the battery's cooling system. The numerous and complex modes lead to complex mode switching in the thermal management system. Current mode switching methods require listing all system modes, determining all possible mode switches based on permutations and combinations, and specifying a concrete strategy for each mode switch. This strategy modeling is extremely complex, further complicating the control method of the vehicle's thermal management system, making it prone to instability and difficult to update and iterate.

[0022] The embodiments of this disclosure provide a method and a thermal management system for vehicle thermal management to solve, and at least partially solve, the aforementioned problems or other potential problems existing in conventional thermal management systems and vehicle thermal management methods. Figure 1A simplified schematic block diagram of a thermal management system for a new energy vehicle according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. The entire thermal management system includes multiple circuits such as an air conditioning heating circuit, a cooling circuit, a battery thermal management circuit, and a motor thermal management circuit. The battery thermal management circuit manages the thermal performance of the power battery, enabling it to cool or heat the battery under appropriate conditions to ensure that the power battery is charged and discharged at a safe temperature. The motor thermal management circuit manages the thermal performance of the electric drive system, enabling it to cool or heat the electric drive components to ensure the stability of the electric drive system. The electric drive system may include a motor controller, a DC-DC converter, and an onboard charger (OBC), etc.

[0023] The thermal management system also includes compressors distributed in the air conditioning circuits, and multiple valves in each circuit, including pumps, expansion valves, solenoid valves, and multi-way valves. By controlling the on / off states of the compressors, pumps, and various ports of the multiple valves, the thermal management system can switch between multiple operating modes. As mentioned earlier, for heat pump air conditioners, due to the different heat sources of the heat pump and the multiple circuits requiring cooling and heating, there are multiple thermal management modes. Table 1 below lists some common thermal management modes in the thermal management system according to embodiments of this disclosure. Of course, it should be understood that these modes are only a part of the thermal management system modes, and there may be modes not listed in Table 1. The following will mainly use the switching of these modes in Table 1 as examples to describe how the method for vehicle thermal management according to embodiments of this disclosure can achieve a streamlined and significantly simplified mode switching process.

[0024] Table 1

[0025] Table 1 illustrates 19 exemplary thermal management modes. It should be noted that Mode 1 corresponds to a mode where neither the passenger compartment nor the battery requires heating or cooling; that is, Mode 1 refers to the mode where the thermal management system is in a closed state. In traditional solutions, switching from one of these 19 thermal management modes to another requires specifying a corresponding switching strategy. This results in hundreds of thermal management switching strategies being generated for switching between these 19 modes. For the thermal management system, each switching strategy requires corresponding algorithm instructions, thus complicating the thermal management system and hindering its stability and subsequent updates. Of course, it should be understood that these 19 thermal management modes are not exhaustive; other thermal management modes may exist within the thermal management system. The embodiments of this disclosure will primarily use the thermal management modes shown in Table 1 as examples to describe the inventive concept according to this disclosure. It should be understood that the same applies to cases involving other thermal management modes, which will not be described in detail below.

[0026] The method for vehicle thermal management according to embodiments of this disclosure categorizes mode switching into several types based on the characteristics of the current mode (hereinafter referred to as the first thermal management mode) and the mode to be set or switched (hereinafter referred to as the second thermal management mode), and enters different switching strategies according to different types, thereby significantly simplifying the mode switching process. Figure 2 A logical schematic diagram of a vehicle thermal management method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0027] like Figure 2 As shown, when it is necessary to switch the air conditioning mode, such as switching from mode 1 in Table 1 above to mode 7 or any other suitable mode, the switching type of the first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode to be set will be determined first. In some embodiments, the request to switch the air conditioning mode may be issued in response to the operation of a user in the vehicle. For example, the user turns on the air conditioning in the vehicle to cool the passenger compartment (e.g., corresponding to switching from mode 1 to mode 7). Of course, it should be understood that the request to switch the air conditioning mode may also include other situations. For example, in some alternative embodiments, the air conditioning mode may also be switched automatically by the vehicle system or thermal management system when predetermined conditions are met. For example, if the vehicle system or thermal management system detects that the battery temperature is higher than a predetermined threshold, the thermal management mode can be switched from mode 1 to mode 2 to cool the battery.

[0028] In summary, regardless of whether the mode switch is user-initiated or automatically initiated by the system, the thermal management system first determines the switching type. After determining the switching type, it determines the corresponding switching strategy based on the determined switching type. For example, in some embodiments, the switching type may include on / off mode switching. On / off mode refers to a situation where one of the current first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode to be set is in the thermal management system off state (e.g., mode 1), while the other is another mode. That is, if one of the first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode is mode 1 as shown in Table 1, while the other is another mode, then the switching type can be determined as on / off mode switching.

[0029] In some embodiments, switching mode switching is further divided into ON-OFF switching. For example, switching from any mode other than mode 1 in Table 1 to mode 1 is an ON-OFF switching. When the switching type is determined to be ON-OFF switching, to avoid discomfort to the user and impact on the thermal management system caused by the sudden closure of the compressor and valves, the switching strategy can be set as an ON-OFF switching strategy, that is, shutting down the compressor and / or the corresponding valves within a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds).

[0030] Correspondingly, the switching mode can also include OFF-ON mode. For example, switching from mode 1 in Table 1 to other modes besides mode 1 is considered OFF-ON mode. Corresponding strategies can also be specified according to the characteristics of the switching to control at least one of the compressor and / or the corresponding valve, thereby improving the stability of the thermal management system and the user experience.

[0031] If the switching type is determined not to be an on / off mode switch—for example, if neither the current first thermal management mode nor the second thermal management mode to be set is mode 1 in Table 1—then the switching type can be determined to be an ON-ON switch. In this case, it can be further determined whether the switching type is a major mode switch. A major mode switch can refer to a switch from compressor cooling mode to heat pump heating mode or a switch from heat pump heating mode to heat pump cooling mode. That is, if it is determined that one of the current first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode to be set is a heat pump heating mode, and the other is a heat pump cooling mode, then the switching type can be determined to be a major mode switch. For example, switching from mode 3 in Table 1 to mode 2 is equivalent to switching from battery heating to battery cooling.

[0032] For major mode switching, since it involves changes in the high and low pressure circuits of the thermal management system, the thermal management system needs to be depressurized before switching to the new second thermal management mode to maintain the system's temperature. When the switching type is determined to be a major mode switch, a switching strategy corresponding to the major mode switch will be used to control the compressor and / or various valves in the thermal management system to complete the depressurization.

[0033] In some embodiments, the switching mode can be determined based on the compressor's target operating water temperature. The compressor's target operating water temperature includes the evaporator's target water temperature and the battery's inlet water temperature. The battery's inlet water temperature is the target water temperature at the port entering the battery in the battery thermal management circuit, referred to here simply as the battery's inlet water temperature. This can include determining the compressor's target operating water temperature in the current first thermal management mode and the compressor's target operating water temperature in the second thermal management mode to be set. For example, if the compressor's target operating water temperature in the current first thermal management mode is determined to be within a threshold range of cooling temperature, and the compressor's target operating water temperature in the second thermal management mode to be set is determined to be within a threshold range of heating temperature, then the switching type can be determined to be a large-mode switching from cooling to heating, and vice versa.

[0034] When the first thermal management mode is determined to be heat pump cooling mode and the second thermal management mode to be heat pump heating mode, pressure relief is required to ensure the stable operation of the thermal management system. Therefore, the switching strategy at this time can be to shut down the compressor and open one or more corresponding valves (i.e., increase the valve opening) for a certain period of time (e.g., 10 to 30 seconds) to release system pressure. After the pressure has been released to a predetermined threshold or after a certain period of time, the thermal management system can be switched to the second thermal management mode.

[0035] If the first thermal management mode is determined to be heat pump heating mode and the second thermal management mode is heat pump cooling mode, the switching strategy can be to first reduce the compressor speed to a predetermined speed range (hereinafter referred to as the first predetermined speed) and increase the opening of the corresponding valve, and maintain this for a certain period of time (e.g., 10 to 30 seconds) to release system pressure. Similar to the switching from cooling to heating described above, after the pressure has been released to a predetermined threshold or has been maintained for a certain period of time, the thermal management system can be switched to the second thermal management mode.

[0036] If it is determined that the switching type is not a major mode switch, i.e., both the first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode are heat pump heating mode or heat pump cooling mode, then it is necessary to further determine whether the switching type is a single-dual mode switch. In some embodiments, a single-dual mode switch may mean that one of the current first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode to be set includes both passenger cabin thermal management requirements and battery thermal management requirements, while the other includes only one of them, i.e., either passenger cabin thermal management requirements or battery thermal management requirements.

[0037] For example, switching from Mode 10 to Mode 12 in Table 1 represents a switch from a first thermal management mode that only includes passenger cabin thermal management requirements to a second thermal management mode that includes both passenger cabin thermal management requirements and battery thermal management requirements; this is a switch from a single mode to a dual mode. A similar switch includes, for example, switching from Mode 7 to Mode 8. Conversely, switching from Mode 12 to Mode 10 represents a switch from a dual mode to a single mode.

[0038] If the switching type is determined to be a single / dual mode switch, the next step is to determine whether the switching type is evaporator-sensitive switching, compressor speed-reducing switching, or a direct switch. Evaporator-sensitive switching indicates a mode switch where the evaporator in the passenger compartment will continue to operate after the mode switch, for example, switching from mode 7 to mode 8 in Table 1. Because the electronic expansion valve in the battery circuit needs to be opened, refrigerant needs to be diverted to the battery thermal management circuit, which will affect the temperature of the evaporator in the passenger compartment. If not controlled, this may cause discomfort to the occupants in the passenger compartment, thus affecting the user experience.

[0039] To determine whether the switching type is evaporator-sensitive switching, it is necessary to determine the target operating state of the expansion valve upstream of the evaporator under the second thermal management mode to be set. If the target operating state of the expansion valve under the second thermal management mode is determined to be open, the switching type can be identified as evaporator-sensitive switching, and the valve needs to be controlled according to the switching strategy corresponding to evaporator-sensitive switching. Specifically, if the switching type is evaporator-sensitive switching, the valves associated with the first thermal management mode before the switch and the second thermal management mode to be set will be controlled at a predetermined rate, thereby causing the valve opening to transition from the first thermal management mode to the opening in the second thermal management mode at a predetermined rate.

[0040] If the switching type is determined not to be an evaporator-sensitive switching based on the target operating state of the expansion valve upstream of the evaporator, it can then be determined whether it is a compressor speed reduction switching. Specifically, in some embodiments, the switching type is determined to be a compressor speed reduction switching based on the initial heat pump state of the first thermal management mode before switching and the target heat pump state of the second thermal management mode to be set. Compressor speed reduction switching takes into account the situation where the electronic expansion valve cannot close completely due to the compressor speed being too high during some mode switching, thus requiring a reduction in compressor speed.

[0041] For example, in some embodiments, if the initial heat pump state includes both the air source heat pump and the water source heat pump being on (e.g., mode 18 in Table 1), and the target heat pump state is only one of them, i.e., the air source heat pump or the water source heat pump being on (e.g., mode 17 in Table 1), then the compressor speed will be reduced to a second predetermined speed to prevent the electronic expansion valve from being unable to close properly due to a higher compressor speed, thereby affecting the stability of the thermal management system.

[0042] In some embodiments, if the initial heat pump state includes an initial heat pump supplemental heating state (e.g., mode 16 in Table 1), and the target heat pump state includes an air source heat pump or water source heat pump in operation (e.g., mode 17 in Table 1), then the compressor speed also needs to be reduced to a third predetermined speed to improve the stability of the thermal management system. It should be understood that the first, second, and third predetermined speeds of the compressor mentioned above can represent the same speed range or different speeds.

[0043] If the switching type is determined to be a single / dual mode switch, but not one of the evaporator-sensitive switching or engine speed reduction switching mentioned above, then the switching type can be determined to be a direct switching type. In this case, the switching from the first thermal management mode to the second thermal management mode can adopt a direct switching strategy, that is, directly switching the initial state of the compressor and the initial state of the valve in the first thermal management mode to the target state in the second thermal management mode.

[0044] If the switching type is determined based on the first and second thermal management modes not to fall under the categories of switch-mode switching, large-mode switching, or single-dual-mode switching mentioned above, then the switching type can be identified as a special type switching. For example, switching from mode 12 to mode 13 in Table 1 is a special type switching. For special type switching, in some embodiments, before switching to the second thermal management mode, it is possible to first switch to mode 1 (i.e., shut down the thermal management system) and maintain this switch for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) to allow the pressure in each loop to equalize before switching to the second thermal management mode, thereby ensuring the reliability of the thermal management system.

[0045] Based on the above description Figure 2 It can be determined that the method according to the embodiments of this disclosure categorizes mode switching types into several major categories, namely, on / off mode switching, large mode switching, single / dual mode switching, evaporator-sensitive switching, and compressor speed reduction switching, etc. When formulating switching strategies, it is only necessary to formulate corresponding strategies according to the type of switching. Compared with the traditional method of setting corresponding switching strategies for every two mode switchings, this significantly simplifies the entire mode switching process and reduces complexity, thereby making the thermal management system easier to maintain.

[0046] Figure 3 A flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. In some embodiments, the method may be implemented by a control device in a thermal management system or by a vehicle infotainment system. Figure 3 As shown, in this method, in block 310, the control device responds to a request to switch the vehicle's thermal management mode by determining the switching type from the currently set first thermal management mode to the second thermal management mode to be set. The second thermal management mode differs from the first thermal management mode, and both the first and second thermal management modes can include a mode where the thermal management system is in a closed state. A closed thermal management system means that neither the passenger compartment nor the battery requires thermal management. Switching types can include the on / off mode switching, large mode switching, single / dual mode switching, evaporator sensitivity switching, and compressor speed reduction switching mentioned above.

[0047] Next, in box 320, the switching strategy for the thermal management mode is determined based on the identified switching type. In box 330, according to the determined switching strategy, the vehicle's thermal management mode is switched by controlling at least one of the valves and compressors in the thermal management system. In this way, the switching strategy can be set specifically according to the different characteristics of each switching type, which significantly reduces the complexity of the mode switching strategy and algorithm while ensuring the stable operation of the thermal management system, thereby improving the reliability of the thermal management system.

[0048] In some embodiments, in response to determining that one of the first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode is a thermal management system off state (i.e., mode 1 in Table 1, where neither the passenger compartment nor the battery requires thermal management), while the other is another mode, the switching type can be determined to be a switch mode switching. In this case, it is only necessary to switch the thermal management mode according to the switching strategy corresponding to the switch mode switching type.

[0049] In some embodiments, in response to determining that one of the first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode is a heat pump heating mode and the other is a heat pump cooling mode, the switching type is determined to be a large mode switch. In some embodiments, the switching type can be determined based on the compressor's target operating temperature. For example, if it is determined that in the first thermal management mode, at least one of the target temperature of the evaporator and the target inlet water temperature of the battery thermal management circuit is within a threshold range of the heat pump heating temperature, and in the second thermal management mode, at least one of the target temperature of the evaporator and the target inlet water temperature of the battery thermal management circuit is within a threshold range of the heat pump cooling temperature, then the switching type is determined to be a large mode switch, and vice versa.

[0050] In some embodiments, when a major mode switch is determined, if the first thermal management mode is a heat pump cooling mode and the second thermal management mode is a heating mode, the compressor is shut down and the opening of the valves associated with the two thermal management modes is increased, and this process is continued for a predetermined time to depressurize the thermal management system. Similarly, if the first thermal management mode is a heat pump heating mode and the second thermal management mode is a cooling mode, the compressor speed is reduced to a first predetermined speed and the opening of the valves associated with the two thermal management modes is increased, and this process is continued for a predetermined time to depressurize the thermal management system.

[0051] In some embodiments, if both the first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode are heat pump heating mode or heat pump cooling mode, and one of the first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode includes both passenger compartment thermal management needs and battery thermal management needs, while the other includes only one of them, then the switching type can be determined as a single-dual mode switching. Single-dual mode switching indicates a switch from both passenger compartment and battery having thermal management needs to only one having thermal management needs, or a switch from one of passenger compartment and battery having thermal management needs to both having thermal management needs.

[0052] In such an embodiment, the target operating state of the expansion valve upstream of the evaporator in the second thermal management mode is first determined. If the target operating state of the expansion valve upstream of the evaporator in the second thermal management mode is determined to be open, it falls under the evaporator sensitive switching mentioned above. It is necessary to control the valves related to the first and second thermal management modes to open or close at a predetermined rate, thereby reducing the discomfort caused to users in the passenger compartment due to mode switching and thus improving the user experience.

[0053] In some embodiments, single-dual mode switching also refers to switching the heat pump from dual-mode to single-mode. For example, in a first thermal management mode, the heat pump operates simultaneously as an air-source heat pump and a water-source heat pump, while in the second thermal management mode to be switched to, only one of the air-source and water-source heat pumps operates. In some alternative embodiments, single-dual mode switching also refers to the first thermal management mode being a dehumidification-heat pump supplementary heating mode, while the second thermal management mode is a single heat pump mode.

[0054] In the embodiment where the single-dual mode switching represents the switching of the heat pump from dual mode to single mode, the initial heat pump state of the heat pump in the first thermal management mode and the target heat pump state of the heat pump in the second thermal management mode are first determined, and the compressor speed is controlled according to the determined initial heat pump state and target heat pump state.

[0055] Specifically, in some embodiments, if the initial heat pump state includes both the air-source heat pump on and the water-source heat pump on, and the target heat pump state includes either the air-source heat pump on or the water-source heat pump on, then the compressor speed is reduced to a second predetermined speed. In some alternative embodiments, if the initial heat pump state includes the dehumidifying heat pump supplemental heating state, and the target heat pump state includes either the air-source heat pump on or the water-source heat pump on, then the compressor speed is reduced to a third predetermined speed. This ensures that the electronic expansion valve can close completely, thereby ensuring the stability and reliability of the thermal management system.

[0056] In some embodiments, if the determined switching type does not belong to switch mode switching, large mode switching, or single / dual mode switching, then the switching type is determined to be a special type switching. In this case, the thermal management system will be shut down (i.e., switched to mode 1) and remain so for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) before switching to the second thermal management mode. The method according to embodiments of this disclosure simplifies the switching logic of the thermal management system and improves the stability and reliability of the thermal management system by classifying the thermal management modes and applying corresponding switching strategies based on the classification at the time of switching.

[0057] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a vehicle including the above-described thermal management system is also provided. By using the thermal management system, the vehicle has higher energy efficiency, lower energy consumption, and the thermal management system is more stable and reliable.

[0058] The various embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, and are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or technical improvements to the embodiments in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for vehicle thermal management, characterized in that, include: In response to a request to switch vehicle thermal management modes, a switching type is determined from the vehicle's currently set first thermal management mode to a second thermal management mode to be set, wherein the second thermal management mode is different from the first thermal management mode; The switching strategy for thermal management mode is determined based on the identified switching type; as well as According to the switching strategy, the vehicle thermal management mode is switched by controlling at least one of the valves and compressors of the vehicle's thermal management system. Switching the thermal management mode includes: In response to determining that the switching type is a single / dual mode switch, the initial heat pump state of the heat pump in the first thermal management mode and the target heat pump state of the heat pump in the second thermal management mode are determined; and The compressor speed is controlled according to the initial heat pump state and the target heat pump state; Determining the switching type also includes: If both the first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode are heat pump heating mode or heat pump cooling mode, and one of the first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode includes both passenger cabin thermal management requirements and battery thermal management requirements, and the other includes either passenger cabin thermal management requirements or battery thermal management requirements, then the switching type is determined to be single / dual mode switching. Determining the switching type also includes: If, based on the first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode, it is determined that the switching type does not belong to switch-on mode switching, large mode switching, or single / dual mode switching, then the switching type is determined to be a special type of switching; and In response to the switching type being a special type switch, the thermal management system is shut down and remains shut down for a predetermined time before switching to the second thermal management mode.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining the switching type includes: In response to determining that one of the first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode is a mode in which the thermal management system is in a closed state, the switching type is determined to be a switch mode switching.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining the switching type includes: In response to determining that one of the first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode is a heat pump heating mode and the other is a heat pump cooling mode, the switching type is determined to be a large mode switch.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining the switching type also includes: Determine the target operating temperature of the compressor, the target operating temperature including at least one of the target temperature of the evaporator and the target inlet water temperature of the battery thermal management circuit; and The switching type is determined based on the compressor's target operating temperature.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Switching the vehicle thermal management mode includes: If the first thermal management mode is a heat pump cooling mode and the second management mode is a heat pump heating mode, then the compressor is turned off and the opening of at least one of the valves is increased for a predetermined time; or If the first thermal management mode is a heat pump heating mode and the second management mode is a heat pump cooling mode, then the speed of the compressor is reduced to a first predetermined speed and the opening of at least one of the valves is increased for a predetermined time.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Switching the thermal management mode includes: In response to determining that the switching type is a single / dual mode switch, the target operating state of the expansion valve upstream of the evaporator in the second thermal management mode is determined; and In response to determining that the target operating state of the expansion valve is open, the valve associated with the first thermal management mode and the second thermal management mode is controlled at a predetermined switching rate.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Controlling the speed of the compressor includes: If the initial heat pump state includes both the air source heat pump on state and the water source heat pump on state, and the target heat pump state includes either the air source heat pump on state or the water source heat pump on state, then the compressor speed is reduced to a second predetermined speed; or If the initial heat pump state includes a dehumidifying heat pump supplemental heating state, and the target heat pump state includes an air source heat pump on state or a water source heat pump on state, then the compressor speed is reduced to a third predetermined speed.

8. A thermal management system for a vehicle, characterized in that, include: Compressor and multiple valves; as well as One or more processors; as well as A storage device for storing one or more programs, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-7.

9. A vehicle comprising the thermal management system according to claim 8.

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