Control method of a thermal management system, thermal management system and vehicle

Abstract

The application discloses a control method of a thermal management system, a thermal management system and a vehicle. The control method of the thermal management system comprises the following steps: determining whether a thermal management demand signal is received under the condition that a main control valve is in a fault state and a battery of the vehicle is in a charging state, wherein the thermal management demand signal at least comprises one or more of a battery pack cooling demand signal, a battery pack heating demand signal and a passenger cabin heating demand signal; and if yes, controlling a heating working state of a heater and an opening and closing state of a heater water pump according to the thermal management demand signal. By using the control method, partial effective thermal management functions can be realized when the main control valve is in a fault state, and vehicle lying problems and passenger cabin heating failure problems caused by component faults can be avoided or delayed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of thermal management technology, and in particular to a control method for a thermal management system, a thermal management system, and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, the vehicle thermal management system uses a main control valve to regulate the flow of coolant in the thermal management circulation loop. Based on this, when the main control valve fails during thermal management control, from a functional safety perspective, in order to prevent unintended high-temperature coolant from entering the battery pack heater, the activation of the PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) and the heater pump will be restricted, thereby ensuring that hot water heated by the PTC and hot water from the engine do not enter the battery pack.

[0003] However, if the battery pack needs cooling and the passenger compartment needs heating, turning on the PTC and heater pump will allow high-temperature coolant to enter the battery pack heater, affecting the battery pack cooler. If the battery pack cooling is insufficient, the vehicle's output power will be limited, eventually causing the vehicle to break down, and in severe cases, potentially leading to battery pack overheating and damage. Furthermore, when the battery pack needs cooling and the passenger compartment needs heating, the above strategy will cause the passenger compartment heating to fail, leading to user complaints; when the battery pack needs heating, the heating will also fail, resulting in reduced range when the vehicle is driving in low temperatures. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. Therefore, one objective of this invention is to provide a control method for a thermal management system that can achieve partially effective thermal management functions when the main control valve fails, thereby avoiding or delaying vehicle breakdowns and passenger compartment heating failures caused by component failures.

[0005] The second objective of this invention is to provide a thermal management system.

[0006] The third objective of this invention is to provide a vehicle.

[0007] To address the aforementioned problems, a first aspect of the present invention provides a control method for a thermal management system. The thermal management system includes a thermal management loop, a main control valve, a heater, and a heater pump. The main control valve is used to adjust the flow direction of the medium within the thermal management loop. The control method includes: under the condition that the main control valve is in a fault state and the vehicle's battery is in a charging state, determining whether a thermal management demand signal is received, wherein the thermal management demand signal includes at least one or more of a battery pack cooling demand signal and a passenger compartment heating demand signal; if so, controlling the heating operation state of the heater and the on / off state of the heater pump according to the thermal management demand signal.

[0008] According to the control method of the thermal management system of the present invention, after determining that the main control valve is in a fault state, the system no longer directly restricts the opening of the heater and the warm air pump. Instead, under the condition that the vehicle battery is in a charging state, the system controls the heating state of the heater and the opening and closing state of the warm air pump according to the thermal management demand signal to achieve effective thermal management function and meet some effective thermal management functions. This prevents all thermal management functions from completely failing, thereby avoiding or delaying vehicle breakdown and passenger compartment heating failure caused by component failure, and improving the safety of battery pack use and passenger compartment comfort.

[0009] In some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes a battery pack water pump and a battery pack cooler, and controls the heating operation state of the heater and the on / off state of the warm air water pump according to the thermal management demand signal, including: determining that the thermal management demand signal is a battery pack cooling demand signal; acquiring the cell temperature of the battery pack; controlling the battery pack water pump to turn on and controlling the battery pack cooler to turn on to cool the battery pack; and controlling the on / off state of the warm air water pump and the heating operation state of the heater according to the cell temperature.

[0010] In some embodiments, controlling the on / off state of the heater pump and the heating operation state of the heater based on the battery cell temperature includes: if the battery cell temperature is less than or equal to a first temperature threshold, controlling the heating operation state of the heater to allow heating and controlling the on / off state of the heater pump to allow it to be turned on; if the battery cell temperature is greater than the first temperature threshold, controlling the heating operation state of the heater to allow heating and controlling the heating temperature of the heater to be lower than a preset temperature threshold, and controlling the on / off state of the heater pump to allow it to be turned on.

[0011] In some embodiments, controlling the on / off state of the heater pump and the heating operation state of the heater based on the battery cell temperature further includes: if the battery cell temperature is greater than a second temperature threshold, controlling the on / off state of the heater pump to be closed, and controlling the heating operation state of the heater to be closed, wherein the second temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold.

[0012] In some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes an engine water pump and an auxiliary control valve. One end of the engine water pump is connected to the engine's water inlet, a first valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the engine's water outlet, a second valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the other end of the engine water pump, and a third valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the main control valve. The control method further includes: determining whether the thermal management demand signal includes the passenger compartment heating demand signal; if yes, controlling the first valve port of the auxiliary control valve to be connected to the third valve port of the auxiliary control valve, and controlling the opening degree of the auxiliary control valve to be a first opening degree; if no, controlling the first valve port of the auxiliary control valve to be connected to the second valve port of the auxiliary control valve, and controlling the opening degree of the auxiliary control valve to be a second opening degree, wherein the first opening degree is greater than the second opening degree.

[0013] In some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes a battery pack water pump and a battery pack heat exchanger, controlling the heating operation state of the heater and the on / off state of the warm air water pump according to the thermal management demand signal, including: determining that the thermal management demand signal is a battery pack heating demand signal; controlling the battery pack water pump to turn on and controlling the battery pack heat exchanger to turn on to heat the battery pack; controlling the heating operation state of the heater to allow heating and controlling the on / off state of the warm air water pump to allow on; until the cell temperature of the battery pack is greater than a third temperature threshold, controlling the battery pack water pump to stop operating and controlling the battery pack heat exchanger to turn off.

[0014] In some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes an engine water pump and an auxiliary control valve. One end of the engine water pump is connected to the engine's water inlet, the first valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the engine's water outlet, the second valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the other end of the engine water pump, and the third valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the main control valve. During the heating of the battery pack, the control method further includes: acquiring the cell temperature of the battery pack; determining whether the battery pack is in a temperature rising state based on the cell temperature; if the battery pack is in a temperature rising state, controlling the first valve port of the auxiliary control valve to be connected to the third valve port of the auxiliary control valve, and controlling the opening degree of the auxiliary control valve to a first opening degree; if the battery pack is not in a temperature rising state, controlling the auxiliary control valve according to the passenger compartment heating demand signal.

[0015] A second aspect of the present invention provides a thermal management system, comprising: a thermal management circuit, a main control valve, a heater, and a warm air pump, wherein the main control valve is used to adjust the flow direction of the medium in the thermal management circuit; and a controller is connected to the main control valve, the heater, and the warm air pump respectively, for executing the control method of the thermal management system described in the above embodiment.

[0016] According to the thermal management system of the present invention, by adopting the control method of the above-described thermal management system, a partially effective thermal management function can be realized when the main control valve fails, thereby avoiding or delaying vehicle breakdown and passenger compartment heating failure caused by component failure.

[0017] In some embodiments, the thermal management circuit includes a battery pack thermal management circuit, and the thermal management system further includes a battery pack water pump, which is disposed on the battery pack thermal management circuit; an engine water pump, one end of which is connected to the inlet of the engine; and an auxiliary control valve, the first valve port of which is connected to the outlet of the engine, the second valve port of which is connected to the other end of the engine water pump, and the third valve port of which is connected to the main control valve.

[0018] A third aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle including the thermal management system described in the above embodiments.

[0019] According to the vehicle of the present invention, by adopting the above-described thermal management system, a partially effective thermal management function can be achieved when the main control valve fails, thereby avoiding or delaying vehicle breakdown and passenger compartment heating failure caused by component failure.

[0020] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a control method for a thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a control method for a thermal management system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. The embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary. The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below.

[0027] To address the aforementioned problems, a first aspect of the present invention provides a control method for a thermal management system. This control method enables partial effective thermal management functions when the main control valve malfunctions, thereby avoiding or delaying vehicle breakdowns and passenger compartment heating failures caused by component failures.

[0028] The following is for reference. Figures 1-2 The control method of the thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0029] Among them, reference Figure 1 As shown, the thermal management system 10 includes a thermal management loop 1, a main control valve 2, a heater 3, a heater water pump 4, an engine 5, a heater core 6, a battery pack water pump 7, a battery pack heat exchanger 8, a battery pack cooler 9, and an engine water pump 11, based on... Figure 1 The system architecture shown includes a thermal management circuit 1, which mainly comprises a battery pack thermal management circuit, an engine small circulation circuit, and a passenger compartment heating circuit. The battery pack thermal management circuit includes a battery pack cooling circuit and a battery pack heating circuit. The main control valve 2 is used to adjust the flow direction of the medium within the thermal management circuit 1; specifically, the main control valve 2 controls and schedules the battery pack heating / cooling, passenger compartment heating (heater), passenger compartment heating (engine waste heat), and engine coolant self-circulation functions. The heater can be a PTC heater.

[0030] based on Figure 1 The system architecture shown is as follows: Figure 2 As shown, the control method of the thermal management system in this embodiment of the invention includes at least steps a-b.

[0031] Step a: Under the condition that the main control valve is in a fault state and the vehicle battery is in a charging state, determine whether a thermal management demand signal is received, wherein the thermal management demand signal includes at least one or more of the battery pack cooling demand signal and the passenger compartment heating demand signal.

[0032] Specifically, the vehicle's overall controller can acquire vehicle parameters in real time, such as the operating parameters of the main control valve, vehicle speed, engine speed, etc., and determine whether the main control valve is faulty and the battery's working status through these vehicle parameters, without imposing any restrictions.

[0033] For example, for battery pack cooling demand signals, cooling demand conditions can be set, such as triggering the signal when the battery pack cell temperature exceeds a certain threshold; for battery pack heating demand signals, heating demand conditions can be set, such as triggering the signal when the battery pack cell temperature falls below a certain threshold; for passenger compartment heating demand signals, corresponding activation units can be set, and users can choose whether to trigger the activation unit according to actual needs. Once the activation unit is triggered, a passenger compartment heating demand signal will be sent. The above are just examples, and the triggering method for thermal management demand signals is not limited.

[0034] If so, in step b, the heating operation status of the heater and the on / off status of the warm air pump are controlled according to the thermal management demand signal.

[0035] The heating operation status of the heater includes at least three states: heating is allowed to be turned on, heating is turned on, and heating is turned off; the on / off status of the warm air water pump includes at least three states: turning on, turning on, and turning off.

[0036] Specifically, when the main control valve malfunctions, it may cause the battery pack to fail to heat up or cause the battery pack to heat up when it is not needed. The existing technology usually addresses this by disabling the battery pack heating, disabling the battery pack cooling, and disabling the heater pump. This not only causes the thermal management function to fail completely, but also fails to make full use of the engine's waste heat. In this application, after determining that the main control valve is in a faulty state, the application no longer directly restricts the operation of the heater and the warm air pump. Instead, it comprehensively considers various scenarios after the main control valve malfunctions to formulate a parallel control strategy for multi-functional needs. Specifically, considering that the engine's starting status affects the battery's heating or cooling status, but the engine will not start during charging, this application can directly control the heating status of the heater and the opening / closing status of the warm air pump based on the thermal management demand signal when the battery is determined to be in a charging state. This expands the availability of the main control valve after a fault under limited conditions, fully utilizes the effective functions of the thermal management system, and satisfies some effective thermal management functions. This prevents all thermal management functions from completely failing, thereby avoiding or delaying vehicle breakdowns and passenger compartment heating failures caused by component failures, and improving the safety of the battery pack and the comfort of the passenger compartment.

[0037] For example, based on Figure 1The system architecture shown can have a three-way valve as the main control valve. In this embodiment, because the specific opening position of the main control valve cannot be located after a failure, the failure position may be that the first valve port a of the main control valve is connected to the second valve port b, or the first valve port a of the main control valve is connected to the third valve port c, or the third valve port c of the main control valve is connected to the second valve port b, or the first valve port a, the second valve port b, and the third valve port c of the main control valve are connected. Among the above four failure scenarios, there is a possibility that even if the valve port is open... Even if there is a connection failure, it will not affect some thermal management functions. That is, some thermal management functions can still be realized. For example, when there is a connection failure between the third valve port c and the second valve port b of the main control valve, it will not affect the heating function of the battery pack. Therefore, taking into account various situations after the main control valve failure, under the condition that the vehicle battery is in the charging state, the heating operation of the heater and the opening and closing state of the heater water pump are controlled according to the thermal management demand signal to meet some effective thermal management functions, improve the safety of battery pack use and the comfort of the passenger compartment.

[0038] According to the control method of the thermal management system of the present invention, after determining that the main control valve is in a fault state, the system no longer directly restricts the opening of the heater and the warm air pump. Instead, under the condition that the vehicle battery is in a charging state, the system controls the heating state of the heater and the opening and closing state of the warm air pump according to the thermal management demand signal to achieve effective thermal management function and meet some effective thermal management functions. This prevents all thermal management functions from completely failing, thereby avoiding or delaying vehicle breakdown and passenger compartment heating failure caused by component failure, and improving the safety of battery pack use and passenger compartment comfort.

[0039] The following is for reference. Figure 1 The system architecture shown provides a detailed explanation of how the heating status of the heater and the on / off status of the warm air pump are controlled according to the thermal management demand signal.

[0040] In some embodiments, if the thermal management demand signal is determined to be a battery pack cooling demand signal, the cell temperature of the battery pack is obtained; the battery pack water pump and the battery pack cooler are controlled to turn on to cool the battery pack; and the opening and closing status of the heater and the heating operation status of the heater are controlled according to the cell temperature.

[0041] The cell temperature of the battery pack can be the highest cell temperature of the battery pack, and there are no restrictions on this.

[0042] Specifically, when the battery pack needs cooling, this application prioritizes the cooling performance of the battery pack to ensure its normal operation. Referring to Figure 1, if the battery pack needs cooling, it is necessary to ensure that no high-temperature coolant flows through the battery pack heat exchanger. When the main control valve is faulty, the specific fault location cannot be determined, which may cause hot water from the heater outlet to enter the battery pack heat exchanger, affecting the cooling effect of the battery pack, increasing the energy required for cooling, and even causing continuous heating of the battery pack. Therefore, when cooling the battery pack, the heater and heater pump are not directly prohibited from operation. Instead, the temperature change of the battery pack is monitored by the battery cell temperature to reasonably control the heating operation of the heater and the opening and closing of the heater pump. This avoids the problem of the battery pack overheating due to insufficient or poor cooling, and also prevents all thermal management functions from completely failing, thus satisfying some effective thermal management functions and avoiding or delaying vehicle breakdowns caused by component failures.

[0043] In some embodiments, if the cell temperature is less than or equal to a first temperature threshold, it indicates that the battery pack temperature is low and the hot water outlet of the heater does not affect the cooling effect of the battery pack. Therefore, the heating operation state of the heater is controlled to allow heating, and the heating temperature of the heater is not limited. The on / off state of the heater pump is also controlled to allow operation. If the cell temperature is greater than the first temperature threshold, in order to prevent the hot water outlet of the heater from flowing into the battery pack heat exchanger and affecting the cooling effect of the battery pack, the heating operation state of the heater is controlled to allow heating, and the heating temperature of the heater is controlled to be lower than a preset temperature threshold. The on / off state of the heater pump is also controlled to allow operation, so as to prioritize the cooling performance of the battery pack and avoid or delay vehicle breakdowns caused by component failures. If the cell temperature exceeds the second temperature threshold, it indicates that the battery pack temperature is too high. The hot water from the heater outlet is severely affecting the cooling effect of the battery pack. Therefore, to prevent the battery pack overheating problem from spreading, the on / off state of the heater water pump is controlled to be off, and the heating state of the heater is controlled to be off. This is to avoid the problem of the battery pack overheating due to insufficient cooling or poor cooling effect, and to improve the safety of battery pack use.

[0044] It should be noted that, for controlling the heating status of the heater to be "allowed to be heated," it means that there are no restrictions on the heating status of the heater, such as whether it is on or off, or the heating temperature. In other words, the system can choose whether to send a heating start signal according to the needs of the thermal management system. The heater will start heating in response to the heating start signal and will turn off heating in response to the heating stop signal. Similarly, for controlling the on / off status of the warm air water pump to be "allowed to be on," it means that there are no restrictions on the status of the warm air water pump, such as whether it is on or off. In other words, the system can choose to turn the warm air water pump on or off according to the needs of the thermal management system.

[0045] The first and second temperature thresholds can be pre-calibrated based on actual conditions, and there are no restrictions on this. For example, the first temperature threshold can be 43℃, and the second temperature threshold can be 45℃. Similarly, the preset temperature thresholds can also be pre-calibrated based on actual conditions, and there are no restrictions on this. For example, the preset temperature threshold can be 45℃.

[0046] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the thermal management system 10 also includes an engine water pump 11 and an auxiliary control valve 12.

[0047] Among them, one end of the engine water pump 11 is connected to the water inlet of the engine 5, the first valve port a of the auxiliary control valve 12 is connected to the water outlet of the engine 5, the second valve port b of the auxiliary control valve 12 is connected to the other end of the engine water pump 11, and the third valve port c of the auxiliary control valve 12 is connected to the first valve port a of the main control valve 2.

[0048] In the prior art, when the main control valve 2 malfunctions, the auxiliary control valve 12 is also prohibited from being used, thus failing to achieve effective thermal management. In this application, after receiving the battery pack cooling demand signal, the auxiliary control valve is not restricted. Instead, the valve port state and opening degree of the auxiliary control valve are controlled according to the functional requirements, battery cooling and / or battery heating conditions. This allows for prioritizing the cooling performance of the battery pack while reasonably adjusting the auxiliary control valve to meet some effective thermal management functions.

[0049] In some embodiments, determining the thermal management demand signal also includes a passenger compartment heating demand signal; controlling the heater to operate in the heating state and controlling the hot air pump to operate in the on state to heat the passenger compartment. That is, when both the battery pack cooling demand signal and the passenger compartment heating demand signal are received simultaneously, instead of directly restricting the heater and hot air pump from operating, the heater is allowed to operate and the hot air pump is allowed to start, prioritizing battery pack cooling performance, to meet the passenger compartment's heating needs and reduce user complaints caused by passenger compartment heating failure.

[0050] In some embodiments, when the main control valve fails, priority is given to ensuring the cooling performance of the battery pack, and secondly, the passenger compartment heating is allowed to be turned on to ensure that the passenger compartment heating function does not fail. That is, when the three-way valve fails and the battery pack needs to be cooled and the passenger compartment needs to be heated at the same time, the impact of the main control valve failure is considered. Under the premise of ensuring the cooling performance of the battery pack, the passenger compartment heating is achieved by controlling the valve port state and opening size of the auxiliary control valve, so as to avoid user complaints caused by the failure of passenger compartment heating and improve the safety and comfort of the passenger compartment. To ensure that the passenger compartment heating function does not fail and does not affect the cooling of the battery pack, this application determines whether the thermal management demand signal includes a passenger compartment heating demand signal. If so, the first valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the third valve port of the auxiliary control valve, and the opening degree of the auxiliary control valve is controlled to be the first opening degree, so as to connect the circulation loop for heating the passenger compartment using the heater. If not, the first valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the second valve port of the auxiliary control valve, and the opening degree of the auxiliary control valve is controlled to be the second opening degree, wherein the first opening degree is greater than the second opening degree.

[0051] The first and second opening degrees can be pre-calibrated based on actual conditions, and there are no restrictions on this. For example, the first opening degree can be 88%, and the second opening degree can be 12%.

[0052] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 1, if the battery pack requires heating when the engine is not running, a heater pump and a heater are used to achieve the battery pack heating function. Specifically, if it is determined that the engine start / stop state is not started, the battery is in a charging state, and the thermal management demand signal is a battery pack heating demand signal, then the battery pack water pump and the battery pack heat exchanger are controlled to start to heat the battery pack. The heater's heating operation state is controlled to allow heating, and the heater pump's on / off state is controlled to allow operation until the battery pack cell temperature meets the conditions for stopping heating. Then, the battery pack water pump stops operating, and the battery pack heat exchanger is shut down. Thus, by using the above method, while ensuring the heating performance of the battery pack, some other effective thermal management functions can still be met. This prevents all thermal management functions from completely failing, thereby avoiding or delaying vehicle breakdowns and passenger compartment heating failures caused by component failures, improving the safety of battery pack use and passenger compartment comfort.

[0053] The conditions for stopping heating can be set according to actual conditions, and there are no restrictions on them. For example, the conditions for stopping heating can be that the cell temperature is greater than a third temperature threshold, such as 30°C.

[0054] In some embodiments, when the engine is in a non-started state, the battery is in a charging state, and the thermal management demand signal is a battery pack heating demand signal, the control method of this application further includes: acquiring the cell temperature of the battery pack, determining whether the battery pack is in a temperature rising state based on the cell temperature, and if it is determined that the battery pack is in a temperature rising state, it indicates that the battery pack heating function is effective. Therefore, the first valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the third valve port of the auxiliary control valve, and the opening degree of the auxiliary control valve is controlled to be the first opening degree. If it is determined that the battery pack is not in a temperature rising state, it indicates that the hot water outlet of the heater cannot enter the battery pack heat exchanger due to the failure of the main control valve, and the heating function of the battery pack cannot be realized. Therefore, the components in the thermal management system can be restored to normal state to execute according to the normal strategy, that is, controlling the auxiliary control valve according to the passenger compartment heating demand signal, while not restricting the on state of the heater pump and the heating state of the heater. Therefore, by means of the above method, even if the heating function of the battery pack cannot be realized after the main control valve fails, the heating function of the passenger compartment will not fail and the heating needs of the passenger compartment can still be met.

[0055] Table 1

[0056]

[0057] In some embodiments, the control method further includes: if no thermal management demand signal is received, controlling the on / off state of the warm air pump to allow it to be turned on, and controlling the heating operation state of the heater to not limit the heating temperature of the heater.

[0058] Refer to Table 1 below and Figure 3 The control method of the thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be illustrated by example, and the specific steps are as follows. Table 1 is a fault handling strategy table of the thermal management system in the charging state.

[0059] Step S1: Apply high voltage to the entire vehicle.

[0060] Step S2: Determine if the main control valve is faulty. If not, proceed to step S3; if yes, proceed to step S4.

[0061] Step S3: Battery pack heating & cooling and crew cabin heating are performed according to normal strategies.

[0062] Step S4: Determine if the vehicle is charging. If not, continue to determine the battery's operating status; if yes, proceed to step S5.

[0063] Step S5: Determine if the battery pack requires cooling. If not, proceed to step S15; if yes, proceed to step S6.

[0064] Step S6: Determine if the highest cell temperature of the battery pack is ≤43℃. If not, proceed to step S8; if yes, proceed to step S7.

[0065] Step S7: Allow the warm air water pump to start, do not restrict the outlet water temperature of the PTC heater, and allow the battery pack water pump to start.

[0066] Step S8: Determine whether the temperature meets the condition 43℃ < maximum cell temperature of the battery pack ≤ 45℃. If not, proceed to step S10; if yes, proceed to step S9.

[0067] Step S9: Allow the warm air water pump to start, limit the outlet water temperature of the PTC heater to ≤45℃, and allow the battery pack water pump to start.

[0068] Step S10: Determine whether the highest cell temperature of the battery pack is >45℃. If not, proceed to step S5; if yes, proceed to step S11.

[0069] Step S11: Disable the heater pump, restrict the PTC heater from starting, allow the battery pack pump to start, and set the auxiliary control valve opening to 12%.

[0070] Step S12: Determine if the crew cabin requires heating. If not, proceed to step S14; if yes, proceed to step S13.

[0071] Step S13: If applicable, control the opening degree of the auxiliary control valve to 88%.

[0072] Step S14: If not, control the opening degree of the auxiliary control valve to 12%.

[0073] Step S15: Allow the heating water pump to start, without limiting the outlet water temperature of the PTC heater. The battery pack water pump will only operate according to the uniform temperature requirements of the battery pack. The auxiliary control valve will determine whether to execute the opening request based on the crew cabin heating demand signal.

[0074] Step S16: Determine if the battery pack requires heating. If not, proceed to step 15; if yes, proceed to step S17.

[0075] Step S17: Allow the warm air water pump to start, do not restrict the outlet water temperature of the PTC heater, allow the battery pack water pump to start, and set the auxiliary control valve opening to 88%.

[0076] Step S18: Determine whether the highest cell temperature of the battery pack is trending upward. If not, proceed to step S15; if yes, proceed to step S17.

[0077] A second aspect of the present invention provides a computer storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the control method of the thermal management system provided in the above embodiments.

[0078] A third aspect of the present invention provides a thermal management system, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the thermal management system 10 includes a thermal management loop 1, a main control valve 2, a heater 3, a warm air pump 4, and a controller 13 (not shown in the figure).

[0079] The main control valve 2 is used to adjust the flow direction of the medium in the thermal management circuit 1; the controller 13 is connected to the main control valve 2, the heater 3 and the warm air pump 4 respectively, and is used to execute the control method of the thermal management system in the above embodiment.

[0080] It should be noted that the specific implementation of the thermal management system 10 in this embodiment of the invention is similar to the specific implementation of the control method of the thermal management system in any of the above embodiments of the invention. For details, please refer to the description of the control method of the thermal management system. To reduce redundancy, it will not be repeated here.

[0081] It should be noted that the thermal management system 10 of this embodiment does not impose any restrictions on engine type, battery pack type, control valve type, size, structure, model, power, pipe diameter, material, etc. of each component and connecting pipe.

[0082] According to the thermal management system 10 of the present invention, by adopting the control method of the above-described thermal management system, a partially effective thermal management function can be realized when the main control valve fails, thereby avoiding or delaying vehicle breakdown and passenger compartment heating failure caused by component failure.

[0083] In some embodiments, the thermal management system 10 further includes a battery pack water pump 7, and the thermal management circuit 1 includes a battery pack thermal management circuit, with the battery pack water pump 7 disposed on the battery pack thermal management circuit.

[0084] In some embodiments, the thermal management system 10 further includes an engine water pump 11 and an auxiliary control valve 12.

[0085] One end of the engine water pump 11 is connected to the water inlet of the engine 5; the first valve port of the auxiliary control valve 12 is connected to the water outlet of the engine 5; the second valve port of the auxiliary control valve 12 is connected to the other end of the engine water pump 11; and the third valve port of the auxiliary control valve 12 is connected to the main control valve 2.

[0086] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle, such as Figure 4 As shown, the vehicle 20 includes the thermal management system 10 of the above embodiment.

[0087] According to the vehicle 10 of the present invention, by adopting the above-described thermal management system 10, a partially effective thermal management function can be realized when the main control valve fails, thereby avoiding or delaying vehicle breakdown and passenger compartment heating failure caused by component failure.

[0088] In the description of this specification, any process or method described in the flowcharts or otherwise herein may be understood as representing a module, segment, or portion of code comprising one or more executable instructions for implementing custom logic functions or processes, and the scope of the preferred embodiments of the invention includes additional implementations in which functions may be performed not in the order shown or discussed, including substantially simultaneously or in reverse order according to the functions involved, as will be understood by those skilled in the art to which embodiments of the invention pertain.

[0089] The logic and / or steps represented in the flowchart or otherwise described herein, for example, can be considered as a sequenced list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions, and can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device (such as a computer-based system, a processor-included system, or other system that can fetch and execute instructions from, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device). For the purposes of this specification, "computer-readable medium" can be any means that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transmit programs for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable media include: an electrical connection having one or more wires (electronic device), a portable computer disk drive (magnetic device), random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable and editable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), fiber optic devices, and portable optical disc read-only memory (CDROM). Alternatively, the computer-readable medium may be paper or other suitable media on which the program can be printed, since the program can be obtained electronically, for example, by optically scanning the paper or other medium, followed by editing, interpreting, or otherwise processing as necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.

[0090] It should be understood that various parts of the present invention can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above embodiments, multiple steps or methods can be implemented in software or firmware stored in memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented in hardware as in another embodiment, it can be implemented using any of the following techniques known in the art, or a combination thereof: discrete logic circuits having logic gates for implementing logical functions on data signals, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) having suitable combinational logic gates, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0091] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the methods in the above embodiments can be implemented by a program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, the program includes one or a combination of the steps of the method embodiments.

[0092] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this invention can be integrated into a single processing module, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into a single module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. If the integrated module is implemented as a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium mentioned above can be a read-only memory, a hard disk, or an optical disk, etc.

[0093] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

[0094] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.

[0095] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A control method for a thermal management system, characterized in that, The thermal management system includes a thermal management circuit, a main control valve, a heater, and a warm air pump. The thermal management circuit includes a battery pack thermal management circuit, an engine small circulation circuit, and a passenger compartment heating circuit. The main control valve is used to adjust the flow direction of the medium within the thermal management circuit. The control method includes: Under the condition that the main control valve is in a fault state and the vehicle battery is in a charging state, it is determined whether a thermal management demand signal is received, wherein the thermal management demand signal includes at least one or more of the following: battery pack cooling demand signal, battery pack heating demand signal, and passenger compartment heating demand signal. If so, the heating operation status of the heater and the on / off status of the warm air water pump are controlled according to the thermal management demand signal. The thermal management system also includes a battery pack water pump and a battery pack heat exchanger, and controls the heating operation status of the heater and the on / off status of the warm air water pump according to the thermal management demand signal, including: The thermal management demand signal is determined to be a battery pack heating demand signal; The battery pack water pump and the battery pack heat exchanger are controlled to start to heat the battery pack. The heater's heating operation state is controlled to allow heating, and the warm air water pump's on / off state is controlled to allow it to be turned on; Until the cell temperature of the battery pack exceeds a third temperature threshold, the battery pack water pump is stopped and the battery pack heat exchanger is shut down.

2. The control method for the thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thermal management system also includes a battery pack water pump and a battery pack cooler, and controls the heating operation status of the heater and the on / off status of the warm air water pump according to the thermal management demand signal, including: The thermal management demand signal is determined to be a battery pack cooling demand signal; Obtain the cell temperature of the battery pack; The battery pack water pump and the battery pack cooler are controlled to start to cool the battery pack. The opening and closing status of the heater and the heating operation status of the heater are controlled according to the temperature of the battery cell.

3. The control method for the thermal management system according to claim 2, characterized in that, Controlling the on / off state of the warm air pump and the heating operation state of the heater based on the battery cell temperature includes: If the cell temperature is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold, then the heating operation state of the heater is controlled to allow heating, and the opening and closing state of the warm air water pump is controlled to allow opening. If the cell temperature is greater than the first temperature threshold, the heater is controlled to allow heating and the heater temperature is controlled to be lower than the preset temperature threshold, and the warm air pump is controlled to allow operation.

4. The control method for the thermal management system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method of controlling the on / off state of the warm air pump and the heating operation state of the heater based on the battery cell temperature also includes: If the cell temperature is greater than the second temperature threshold, the opening and closing state of the heating water pump is controlled to be off, and the heating operation state of the heater is controlled to be off, wherein the second temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold.

5. The control method for the thermal management system according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The thermal management system further includes an engine water pump and an auxiliary control valve. One end of the engine water pump is connected to the engine's water inlet. The first valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the engine's water outlet. The second valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the other end of the engine water pump. The third valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the main control valve. The control method further includes: Determine whether the thermal management demand signal includes the crew cabin heating demand signal; If so, the first valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the third valve port of the auxiliary control valve, and the opening degree of the auxiliary control valve is controlled to be the first opening degree. If not, the first valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the second valve port of the auxiliary control valve, and the opening degree of the auxiliary control valve is controlled to be the second opening degree, wherein the first opening degree is greater than the second opening degree.

6. The control method for the thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thermal management system further includes an engine water pump and an auxiliary control valve. One end of the engine water pump is connected to the engine's water inlet. The first valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the engine's water outlet. The second valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the other end of the engine water pump. The third valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the main control valve. During the heating of the battery pack, the control method further includes: Obtain the cell temperature of the battery pack; Determine whether the battery pack is in a state of temperature rise based on the cell temperature; If it is determined that the battery pack is in a state of temperature rise, then the first valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the third valve port of the auxiliary control valve, and the opening degree of the auxiliary control valve is controlled to be the first opening degree. If it is determined that the battery pack is not in a state of temperature rise, the auxiliary control valve is controlled according to the crew cabin heating demand signal.

7. A thermal management system, characterized in that, include: The thermal management circuit includes a main control valve, a heater, and a warm air pump, wherein the main control valve is used to adjust the flow direction of the medium within the thermal management circuit. The controller is connected to the main control valve, the heater, and the warm air pump respectively, and is used to execute the control method of the thermal management system according to any one of claims 1-6.

8. The thermal management system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The thermal management circuit includes a battery pack thermal management circuit, and the thermal management system further includes: A battery pack water pump is installed on the battery pack thermal management circuit; An engine water pump, one end of which is connected to the engine's water inlet; An auxiliary control valve is provided, wherein the first valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the water outlet of the engine, the second valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the other end of the engine water pump, and the third valve port of the auxiliary control valve is connected to the main control valve.

9. A vehicle, characterized in that, Includes the thermal management system described in claim 7 or 8.

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