A method and system for automatic coolant filling

Abstract

This invention provides a method for automatically adding coolant using a vehicle controller, comprising: S1: A conduction module sends a conduction command to control the water injection three-way valve A-B to be open and port C to be closed; S2: A liquid injection module sends a liquid injection command to control the motor water pump to run at low speed, drawing coolant so that coolant flows in through port A of the water injection three-way valve; S3: When the coolant in the motor expansion tank reaches a first liquid level value, a liquid level sensor feeds back first information to the liquid level control module of the vehicle control unit. When the liquid level control module receives the first information, it sends a first command. The battery water pump receives the first command and starts running at low speed; S4: When the coolant in the motor expansion tank reaches a first liquid level value, a liquid level sensor feeds back first information to the liquid level control module of the vehicle control unit. When the liquid level control module receives the first information, it sends a first command. When the battery water pump receives the first command, it starts running at low speed; S4: When the motor expansion tank reaches a first liquid level value... When the coolant reaches the second level value, the level sensor feeds back the second information to the level control module. Upon receiving the second information, the level control module sends a second command to the water injection three-way valve. The water injection three-way valve opens C-B and closes A according to the second command. S5: The air venting module sends a venting command. The motor water pump and battery water pump run at high speed for time period T1 according to the venting command, and then close and stand for time period T2. S6: The detection module sends a detection command. The level sensor checks whether the coolant in the motor expansion tank has reached the required level according to the detection command. If not, it feeds back to the activation module and repeats steps S1-S5. If yes, the filling ends.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle coolant equipment technology, and in particular to a method and system for automatically adding coolant using a vehicle controller. Background Technology

[0002] Because the electric drive systems of hydrogen fuel cell trucks, as well as the battery and motor systems of electric vehicles, generally use liquid cooling for heat dissipation, manually adding coolant directly from a coolant tank requires filling the tank first, starting the vehicle, and waiting for the temperature to rise before the water pump runs to purge air and continue adding coolant. This method poses significant safety risks, is inefficient, and cannot provide precise real-time control of the added amount, easily leading to inaccurate filling or overflow, and is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Therefore, most vehicles currently use automatic coolant filling systems. However, most existing automatic filling technologies require additional hardware, such as venting switches and dedicated controllers. This necessitates additional equipment investment, increasing costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, this application provides a system for automatically adding coolant using a vehicle controller. This technical solution solves the problem of existing technologies requiring additional specialized hardware to achieve automatic coolant addition. The system includes: a vehicle controller, which includes: a conduction module for sending conduction commands; a coolant injection module for sending coolant injection commands; a coolant level control module for sending a first command upon receiving first information and a second command upon receiving second information; an air venting module for sending venting commands; a detection module for sending detection commands; a three-way water injection valve connected to the vehicle controller, used to open port AB and close port C according to the conduction command, and open port CB and close port A according to the second command; and a motor-driven water pump connected to the vehicle controller, used to operate at low speed to draw coolant according to the coolant injection command, operate at high speed for a time period T1 according to the venting command, and then close and remain stationary for a time period T2. The system consists of a coolant level sensor, located in the motor expansion tank and connected to the vehicle controller. When the coolant level in the expansion tank reaches a first value, it sends a first message to the level control module. When the coolant level reaches a second value, it sends a second message to the level control module. Upon receiving a detection command, it checks whether the coolant level in the expansion tank has reached the required level. If not, it sends a message to the conduction module to repeat the filling process; otherwise, it stops the filling process. The motor expansion tank holds the coolant. The battery water pump, connected to the vehicle controller, operates at low speed upon receiving a first command, runs at high speed for time period T1 upon receiving a discharge command, and then shuts off for time period T2.

[0004] Furthermore, the T1 time period is 1 minute, and the T2 time period is 3 minutes.

[0005] Furthermore, the system also includes: a four-way valve, connected to the vehicle controller, used to open four-way valves 3-4 and 1-2 according to the opening command; and a battery three-way valve, connected to the vehicle controller, used to open CB and close port A according to the opening command.

[0006] Furthermore, the conduction module is also used to receive an automatic coolant addition command sent through the central control screen when adding coolant for the first time or when a low coolant alarm is triggered.

[0007] This application also provides a method for automatically adding coolant, the method comprising: S1: controlling the water injection three-way valve AB to open and the C port to close; S2: controlling the motor water pump to run at low speed to draw coolant, so that the coolant flows in through the A port of the water injection three-way valve; S3: when the coolant in the motor expansion tank reaches the first liquid level value, turning on the battery water pump to run at low speed; S4: when the coolant in the motor expansion tank reaches the second liquid level value, opening the water injection three-way valve CB and closing the A port; S5: controlling the motor water pump and the battery water pump to run at high speed for a period of time T1 to expel air, then turning off the motor water pump and the battery water pump and letting it stand for a period of time T2; S6: checking whether the coolant in the motor expansion tank has reached the required liquid level, if not, repeating steps S1-S5, if yes, ending the adding process.

[0008] Furthermore, the method also includes: setting a virtual refueling button on the central control screen; when the virtual refueling button is pressed, the central control screen sends an automatic refueling command to the vehicle controller via the CAN bus.

[0009] Furthermore, the coolant flows into the motor expansion tank through the A port of the water injection three-way valve as follows: after entering, the coolant passes through the motor water pump, the 3-4 port of the four-way valve, the CB port of the battery three-way valve, the battery water pump, and the 1-2 port of the four-way valve.

[0010] The technical solution provided in this application coordinates and controls devices such as the battery water pump, motor water pump, battery three-way valve, water injection three-way valve, and four-way valve through the vehicle controller to achieve the purpose of automatically adding coolant. Since the battery water pump, motor water pump, battery three-way valve, water injection three-way valve, and four-way valve are all existing devices on the vehicle, there is no need to add other hardware devices, thus solving the problem of existing technologies requiring the addition of special hardware devices to achieve automatic coolant addition. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a method for automatically adding coolant using a vehicle controller, as provided in this application.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of another method for automatically adding coolant using a vehicle controller, as provided in this application.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of another method for automatically adding coolant using a vehicle controller, as provided in this application.

[0014] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal hardware structure of a vehicle provided in this application;

[0015] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between a vehicle controller and related hardware structure provided in this application;

[0016] Figure 6 This is a wired control diagram of a system for automatically adding coolant, as provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0018] Example 1:

[0019] like Figure 5 As shown, this application provides a method and system for automatically adding coolant. The system includes a vehicle controller, a three-way valve for water injection, a motor water pump, a level sensor, a motor expansion tank, and a battery water pump. The vehicle controller includes a conduction module, a coolant injection module, a level control module, an air venting module, and a detection module. Figure 1 As shown, the system operates as follows.

[0020] S1: The conduction module sends a conduction command to control the water injection three-way valve AB to conduct and port C to close;

[0021] S2: The liquid injection module sends a liquid injection command to control the motor water pump to run at low speed and draw out coolant, so that the coolant flows in through the A port of the water injection three-way valve.

[0022] S3: When the coolant in the motor expansion tank reaches the first level value, the level sensor feeds back the first information to the level control module of the vehicle control unit. When the level control module receives the first information, it sends the first command. When the battery water pump receives the first command, it starts to run at low speed.

[0023] S4: When the coolant in the motor expansion tank reaches the second liquid level value, the liquid level sensor feeds back the second information to the liquid level control module. When the liquid level control module receives the second information, it sends the second command to the water injection three-way valve. The water injection three-way valve opens CB and closes port A according to the second command.

[0024] S5: The air exhaust module sends an exhaust command. The motor water pump and battery water pump run at high speed for time period T1 according to the exhaust command, and then shut down and remain stationary for time period T2.

[0025] S6: The detection module sends a detection command. The liquid level sensor checks whether the coolant in the motor expansion tank has reached the required level according to the detection command. If not, it feeds back to the conduction module and repeats steps S1-S5. If yes, the filling ends.

[0026] The technical solution provided in this application achieves automatic coolant filling by utilizing a vehicle controller to control hardware devices such as the battery water pump, motor water pump, battery three-way valve, water injection three-way valve, and four-way valve on the vehicle. The entire implementation scheme requires no manual operation, and since the vehicle controller, battery water pump, motor water pump, battery three-way valve, water injection three-way valve, and four-way valve are all existing equipment on the vehicle, no new hardware needs to be added. This approach is highly efficient and low-cost, effectively solving the problem of requiring additional specialized hardware for automatic coolant filling in existing technologies.

[0027] Example 2:

[0028] like Figure 2 As shown, this application provides a system and method for automatically adding coolant, and the system operation steps are as follows.

[0029] S0: When adding coolant for the first time or when the coolant level is too low, an automatic coolant addition command is sent to the vehicle controller's activation module via the central control screen;

[0030] The Vehicle Control Unit (VCU) is the core controller of the entire vehicle. It manages the battery system, electric drive system, and thermal management system via CAN / LIN bus or hardwired connections. Specifically, this includes controlling gear shifting, accelerator pedal operation, and brake pedal operation; calculating the required torque output based on real-time battery charge; and controlling the low-voltage and high-voltage power supply and discharge, as well as energy recovery. The technical solution provided in this application is implemented using the Vehicle Control Unit.

[0031] When adding coolant for the first time, or when the coolant level is too low and the vehicle issues an alarm, the user can press the virtual add button on the central control screen. The central control screen will then send an automatic add command to the vehicle controller via the CAN bus. Upon receiving the automatic add command, the vehicle controller's communication module will activate the automatic add function.

[0032] S1: The conduction module sends a conduction command to control the water injection three-way valve AB to conduct and port C to close;

[0033] S2: The liquid injection module sends a liquid injection command to control the motor water pump to run at low speed and draw out coolant, so that the coolant flows in through the A port of the water injection three-way valve.

[0034] S3: When the coolant in the motor expansion tank reaches the first level value, the level sensor feeds back the first information to the level control module of the vehicle control unit. When the level control module receives the first information, it sends the first command. When the battery water pump receives the first command, it starts to run at low speed.

[0035] S4: When the coolant in the motor expansion tank reaches the second liquid level value, the liquid level sensor feeds back the second information to the liquid level control module. When the liquid level control module receives the second information, it sends the second command to the water injection three-way valve. The water injection three-way valve opens CB and closes port A according to the second command.

[0036] S5: The air exhaust module sends an exhaust command. The motor water pump and battery water pump run at high speed for time period T1 according to the exhaust command, and then shut down and remain stationary for time period T2.

[0037] S6: The detection module sends a detection command. The liquid level sensor checks whether the coolant in the motor expansion tank has reached the required level according to the detection command. If not, it feeds back to the conduction module and repeats steps S1-S5. If yes, the filling ends.

[0038] The technical solution provided in this application achieves automatic coolant filling by utilizing a vehicle controller to control hardware devices such as the battery water pump, motor water pump, battery three-way valve, water injection three-way valve, and four-way valve on the vehicle. The entire implementation scheme requires no manual operation and no additional hardware equipment, resulting in high efficiency and low cost. It effectively solves the problem of requiring additional specialized hardware equipment to achieve automatic coolant filling in existing technologies.

[0039] Example 3:

[0040] like Figure 3 As shown, this application provides a system and method for automatically adding coolant, and the system operation steps are as follows.

[0041] S1: The conduction module sends a conduction command to control the water injection three-way valve AB to conduct and port C to close, the four-way valve 3-4 to conduct and port 1-2 to conduct, and the battery three-way valve CB to conduct and port A to close.

[0042] like Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, since the battery water pump, motor water pump, battery three-way valve, water injection three-way valve, and four-way valve are all coordinated and controlled by the vehicle controller, when the vehicle controller receives the automatic coolant filling command mentioned above, it will control the opening and closing of each port of the battery three-way valve, water injection three-way valve, and four-way valve. The water injection three-way valve and battery three-way valve typically have three ports (A, B, and C), while the four-way valve has four ports (1, 2, 3, and 4). Before adding coolant, a connecting pipe is usually prepared. One end of this connecting pipe is connected to the coolant tank to draw coolant, and the other end is connected to port A of the water injection three-way valve.

[0043] S2: The liquid injection module sends a liquid injection command to control the motor water pump to run at low speed and draw out coolant. The coolant flows in through the A port of the water injection three-way valve. After entering, the coolant flows through the motor water pump, the 3-4 conduction port of the four-way valve, the CB conduction port of the battery three-way valve, the battery water pump, and the 1-2 conduction port of the four-way valve, and then into the motor expansion tank.

[0044] S3: When the coolant in the motor expansion tank reaches the first level value, the level sensor feeds back the first information to the level control module of the vehicle control unit. When the level control module receives the first information, it sends the first command. When the battery water pump receives the first command, it starts to run at low speed.

[0045] S4: When the coolant in the motor expansion tank reaches the second liquid level value, the liquid level sensor feeds back the second information to the liquid level control module. When the liquid level control module receives the second information, it sends the second command to the water injection three-way valve. The water injection three-way valve opens CB and closes port A according to the second command.

[0046] S5: The air exhaust module sends an exhaust command. The motor water pump and battery water pump run at high speed for time period T1 according to the exhaust command, and then shut down and remain stationary for time period T2.

[0047] As mentioned earlier, the battery water pump, motor water pump, battery three-way valve, water injection three-way valve, and four-way valve are generally connected by pipes. Since air may exist in these pipes, it is necessary to remove the air to ensure adequate coolant filling. Therefore, the vehicle controller needs to control the motor water pump and battery water pump to operate at high speed for a period of time to expel the air. Because the high-speed operation of the battery water pump and motor water pump previously intensified the flow of coolant into the vehicle, it affected the coolant level detection. Therefore, it needs to be allowed to stand for a period of time before subsequent coolant level checks.

[0048] In addition, the time periods T1 and T2 are preset, usually T1 is set to 1 minute and T2 to 3 minutes, but they can be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0049] S6: The detection module sends a detection command. The liquid level sensor checks whether the coolant in the motor expansion tank has reached the required level according to the detection command. If not, it feeds back to the conduction module and repeats steps S1-S5. If yes, the filling ends.

[0050] The technical solution provided in this application achieves automatic coolant filling by utilizing a vehicle controller to control hardware devices such as the battery water pump, motor water pump, battery three-way valve, water injection three-way valve, and four-way valve on the vehicle. The entire implementation scheme requires no manual operation and no additional hardware equipment, resulting in high efficiency and low cost. It effectively solves the problem of requiring additional specialized hardware equipment to achieve automatic coolant filling in existing technologies.

[0051] Example 4:

[0052] like Figure 4 As shown, this application provides a system for automatically adding coolant using a vehicle controller. The system further includes: a motor water pump, a four-way valve, a motor expansion tank, a water injection three-way valve, a battery water pump, and a battery three-way valve; the motor water pump, four-way valve, motor expansion tank, water injection three-way valve, battery water pump, and battery three-way valve are connected to the vehicle controller.

[0053] Figure 4 The document also shows multiple devices including a motor radiator fan assembly, a battery compressor, a battery condenser, a battery PTC, a battery expansion valve, a battery plate heat exchanger, a power battery, a motor, and electronic controls. Although these devices are connected via pipes to the aforementioned motor water pump, four-way valve, motor expansion tank, water injection three-way valve, battery water pump, and battery three-way valve, they are not described in detail here because their relevance to the technical solution provided in this application is not strong. The operating steps of the system are as follows.

[0054] S1: The conduction module sends a conduction command to control the water injection three-way valve AB to conduct and port C to close, the four-way valve 3-4 to conduct and port 1-2 to conduct, and the battery three-way valve CB to conduct and port A to close.

[0055] Among them, the battery water pump, motor water pump, battery three-way valve, water injection three-way valve, and four-way valve are all coordinated and controlled by the vehicle controller; the water injection three-way valve and battery three-way valve usually include three ports A, B, and C, and the four-way valve includes four ports 1, 2, 3, and 4.

[0056] S2: The liquid injection module sends a liquid injection command to control the motor water pump to run at low speed and draw out coolant, so that the coolant flows in through the A port of the water injection three-way valve.

[0057] Depend on Figure 4It is known that the electric drive cooling system includes a motor water pump, a four-way valve, a motor expansion tank, and a three-way water injection valve; the battery heating and cooling system includes a battery water pump and a three-way battery valve. The electric drive cooling system is connected to the battery heating and cooling system via the four-way valve. Coolant enters the electric drive cooling system through port A of the three-way water injection valve, then enters the battery heating and cooling system through ports 3-4 of the four-way valve, then flows out of the battery heating and cooling system through ports 1-2 of the four-way valve, and finally enters the motor expansion tank of the electric drive cooling system. A level sensor is installed in the motor expansion tank to detect the liquid level, and the level sensor is also controlled by the vehicle controller. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the vehicle sensor can detect the coolant level in the motor expansion tank through the liquid level sensor, as detailed in subsequent steps S3, S4, and S6.

[0058] S3: When the coolant in the motor expansion tank reaches the first level value, the level sensor feeds back the first information to the level control module of the vehicle control unit. When the level control module receives the first information, it sends the first command. When the battery water pump receives the first command, it starts to run at low speed.

[0059] S4: When the coolant in the motor expansion tank reaches the second liquid level value, the liquid level sensor feeds back the second information to the liquid level control module. When the liquid level control module receives the second information, it sends the second command to the water injection three-way valve. The water injection three-way valve opens CB and closes port A according to the second command.

[0060] Depend on Figure 4 As can be seen, one end of the motor expansion tank is connected to port C of the water injection three-way valve. When the vehicle controller opens the water injection three-way valve CB and closes port A, there is no need to worry about the coolant in the motor expansion tank flowing out from port A. Furthermore, the first and second liquid level values ​​mentioned here can be set according to actual usage conditions.

[0061] S5: The air exhaust module sends an exhaust command. The motor water pump and battery water pump run at high speed for time period T1 according to the exhaust command, and then shut down and remain stationary for time period T2.

[0062] S6: The detection module sends a detection command. The liquid level sensor checks whether the coolant in the motor expansion tank has reached the required level according to the detection command. If not, it feeds back to the conduction module and repeats steps S1-S5. If yes, the filling ends.

[0063] In summary, this invention provides a method and system for automatically adding coolant using a vehicle controller. This solution coordinates and controls various devices on the vehicle, including the battery water pump, motor water pump, battery three-way valve, water injection three-way valve, four-way valve, and level sensor, to achieve automatic coolant addition. Since the battery water pump, motor water pump, battery three-way valve, water injection three-way valve, four-way valve, and level sensor are all existing devices on the vehicle, no additional hardware is required. Compared to existing automatic coolant addition methods, this approach significantly reduces costs.

[0064] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of using a system for automatic refilling of coolant, the system comprising: The vehicle controller includes: a conduction module for sending conduction commands; a fluid injection module for sending fluid injection commands; a level control module for sending a first command upon receiving first information and a second command upon receiving second information; an air venting module for sending venting commands; a detection module for sending detection commands; a water injection three-way valve connected to the vehicle controller for opening ports A and B and closing port C according to the conduction command, and opening port CB and closing port A according to the second command; a motor-driven water pump connected to the vehicle controller for operating at low speed to draw coolant according to the fluid injection command, operating at high speed for time period T1 according to the venting command, and then closing and settling for time period T2; and a level sensor. In the motor expansion tank, connected to the vehicle controller, it is used to feed back first information to the level control module when the coolant in the motor expansion tank reaches a first level value, and to feed back second information to the level control module when the coolant in the motor expansion tank reaches a second level value. Upon receiving a detection command, it checks whether the coolant in the motor expansion tank has reached the required level. If not, it feeds back to the conduction module to repeat the filling process; if yes, it ends the filling process. The motor expansion tank is used to hold the coolant. The battery water pump, connected to the vehicle controller, is used to operate at low speed upon receiving the first command, and at high speed for a time period T1 upon receiving the discharge command, and then shut down and remain stationary for a time period T2. The method is characterized by comprising: S1: The conduction module sends a conduction command to control the water injection three-way valve AB to conduct and port C to close; S2: The liquid injection module sends a liquid injection command to control the motor water pump to run at low speed and draw out coolant, so that the coolant flows in through the A port of the water injection three-way valve. S3: When the coolant in the motor expansion tank reaches the first level value, the level sensor feeds back the first information to the level control module of the vehicle controller. When the level control module receives the first information, it sends the first command. When the battery water pump receives the first command, it starts to run at low speed. S4: When the coolant in the motor expansion tank reaches the second liquid level value, the liquid level sensor feeds back the second information to the liquid level control module. When the liquid level control module receives the second information, it sends the second command to the water injection three-way valve. The water injection three-way valve opens CB and closes port A according to the second command. S5: The air exhaust module sends an exhaust command. The motor water pump and battery water pump run at high speed for time period T1 according to the exhaust command, and then shut down and remain stationary for time period T2. S6: The detection module sends a detection command. The liquid level sensor checks whether the coolant in the motor expansion tank has reached the required level according to the detection command. If not, it feeds back to the conduction module and repeats steps S1-S5. If yes, the filling ends.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The T1 time period is 1 minute, and the T2 time period is 3 minutes.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes: The four-way valve is connected to the vehicle controller and is used to open the four-way valve 3-4 and 1-2 according to the opening command; The battery three-way valve is connected to the vehicle controller and is used to turn on the CB and close the A port according to the turn-on command.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The communication module is also used to receive an automatic coolant filling command sent through the central control screen when adding coolant for the first time or when a low coolant alarm is triggered.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: setting a virtual refueling button on the central control screen; when the virtual refueling button is pressed, the central control screen sends an automatic refueling command to the vehicle controller via the CAN bus.

6. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The coolant flows into the motor expansion tank through the A port of the water injection three-way valve. Specifically, after entering, the coolant passes through the motor water pump, the 3-4 port of the four-way valve, the CB port of the battery three-way valve, the battery water pump, and the 1-2 port of the four-way valve.

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