Battery temperature control method, device and system, vehicle and storage medium

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of batteries, and provides a battery and a temperature control method, device and system thereof, a vehicle and a storage medium. The system comprises a refrigerating circuit, a heat exchanger, a heat exchange circuit and a controller, the refrigerating circuit exchanges heat with the heat exchange circuit through the heat exchanger, the heat exchange circuit comprises more than two cooling channels, controllable valves are arranged at the cooling channels, the control ends of the controllable valves are connected with the controller, and the controller is connected with the heat exchanger. And the controller is used for controlling the opening and closing of the controllable valve according to the temperature of the battery. According to the battery cooling system, the working states of the cooling channels are independently controlled through the controller, differential cooling control can be performed on the batteries corresponding to the cooling channels, so that the temperature difference between the batteries can be reduced while the batteries are cooled, and the system performance can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of batteries, and in particular to batteries and temperature control methods, devices, systems, vehicles and storage media thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the development of battery energy storage technology, the energy density of batteries has been significantly improved. At the same time, it also brings potential problems. For example, during the use of the battery, due to the influence of environmental factors or the influence of operating power, the temperature of the battery may rise to a higher temperature, which is not conducive to the safe and stable operation of the battery.

[0003] In order to reduce the damage caused by overheating of the battery, the battery can be cooled by a thermal management unit. However, for equipment such as heavy trucks or construction machinery, the battery demand is large, and multiple thermal management units are usually used to cool different battery compartments simultaneously. Due to the uneven flow of different thermal management units and the difference in initial battery temperature, the temperature difference of the battery is easily aggravated during the synchronous cooling process, which in turn affects the system performance. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, the embodiments of the present application provide a battery and its temperature control method, device, system, vehicle and storage medium to solve the problem in the prior art that due to the uneven flow of different thermal management units and the difference in initial battery temperature, the battery temperature difference is easily aggravated during the synchronous cooling process, thereby affecting the system performance.

[0005] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a temperature control system for a battery, the temperature control system comprising a refrigeration circuit, a heat exchanger, a heat exchange circuit and a controller, the refrigeration circuit performs heat exchange with the heat exchange circuit through the heat exchanger, the heat exchange circuit comprises more than two cooling channels, a controllable valve is provided at the cooling channel, a control end of the controllable valve is connected to the controller, and the controller is used to control the opening and closing of the controllable valve according to the temperature of the battery.

[0006] The refrigeration circuit exchanges heat with the heat exchange circuit through the heat exchanger, which can make the refrigerant flowing out of the heat exchanger in the heat exchange circuit at a lower temperature, thereby cooling the battery. By setting multiple cooling channels in the heat exchange circuit, and setting a controllable valve in the cooling channel, and connecting the control end of the controllable valve to the controller. Therefore, the working state of the cooling channel can be controlled separately by the controller, which can be used to perform differentiated temperature control on the batteries corresponding to each cooling channel, so that the battery can be cooled while reducing the temperature difference between the batteries, which is beneficial to improving system performance.

[0007] In combination with the first aspect, in a first possible implementation of the first aspect, a flow regulating valve for regulating a flow velocity of the refrigerant is further provided in the cooling channel.

[0008] The flow regulating valve provided at the cooling channel can be used to adjust the flow rate of the refrigerant at the cooling channel. By adjusting the size of the opening of the flow regulating valve, the cooling requirements of different batteries can be met. For example, for batteries that are more easily heated up or difficult to cool down due to environmental influences, a larger opening can be set; for batteries that are more difficult to heat up or less difficult to cool down due to environmental influences, a smaller opening can be set. The flow regulating valve can be a mechanical regulating valve or an electronic regulating valve. When the flow regulating valve is an electronic regulating valve, the control end of the flow regulating valve is connected to the controller, and the opening of the flow regulating valve can be automatically adjusted by the controller.

[0009] In combination with the first aspect or the first possible implementation of the first aspect, in a second possible implementation of the first aspect, the heat exchange circuit includes a circulation pump, a control end of the circulation pump is connected to the controller, and the controller is used to control the opening and closing of the circulation pump according to the temperature of the battery.

[0010] A circulating pump is provided in the heat exchange circuit, and the circulating pump is used to transport the refrigerant (such as water) after heat exchange in the heat exchanger to the cooling channel in the heat exchange circuit. When each cooling channel is in a cut-off state, that is, the temperature of each battery is in a normal state and does not need to be cooled, the circulating pump can be shut down to put the temperature control system in a lower power operating state. When one or more battery temperatures are abnormal and the cooling channel needs to be cooled, the controllable valves at the cooling channel corresponding to the circulating pump and the battery can be opened to put the circulating pump in a normal operating state, and the cooled refrigerant can be transported to the cooling channel to cool the battery.

[0011] In combination with the second possible implementation of the first aspect, in a third possible implementation of the first aspect, the controller is further used to determine the flow rate required by the cooling channel according to the temperature of the battery, and control the power of the circulation pump according to the flow rate.

[0012] The heat exchange circuit includes more than two cooling channels. When different numbers of batteries need to be cooled, the controllable valves at the cooling channels corresponding to the batteries can be connected accordingly to transport the refrigerant to the batteries and cool them down. When cooling different numbers of batteries, the required refrigerant flow rate is also different. In order to match the refrigerant flow rate required by the cooling channel, the operating power of the circulating pump can be adjusted to match the power of the circulating pump with the batteries that currently need to be cooled, thereby ensuring the effective operation of the system while improving the energy utilization efficiency of the system.

[0013] In combination with the first possible implementation of the first aspect, in a fourth possible implementation of the first aspect, the controller is also used to determine the flow rate required by the cooling channel corresponding to the battery according to the temperature difference of the battery, and control the opening of the flow regulating valve according to the flow rate.

[0014] In order to more effectively adjust the battery temperature, the temperature of each battery can be obtained, and the opening of the flow control valve corresponding to the battery can be reached accordingly according to the size of each battery temperature. For example, the higher the battery temperature, the larger the opening of the flow control valve at the corresponding position, and the lower the battery temperature, the lower the opening of the flow control valve at the corresponding position. By adjusting the opening of the flow control valve, the battery temperature can be more consistent, thereby more effectively improving the system performance.

[0015] In combination with any one of the first aspects to the third possible implementation of the first aspect, in a fifth possible implementation of the first aspect, the controller is used to control the opening and closing of the controllable valve according to the temperature of the battery, including: the controller is used to connect the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the battery when the temperature of the battery is greater than a predetermined first temperature threshold, and to close the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the battery when the temperature of the battery is less than a predetermined second temperature threshold, and the second temperature threshold is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold.

[0016] When the temperature of the battery is controlled, each battery temperature can be compared with a pre-set temperature threshold. If the battery temperature is greater than the first temperature threshold, it means that the battery temperature is high and needs to be cooled. Then, the controllable valve of the cooling channel at the battery can be connected to allow the refrigerant to be delivered to the battery. If the battery temperature drops to less than the second temperature threshold, it means that the battery has been cooled, and the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the battery can be closed. Among them, the first temperature threshold is greater than or equal to the second temperature threshold. When the first temperature threshold is greater than the second temperature threshold, the probability of the controllable valve repeatedly jumping when the temperature is at a critical position can be reduced.

[0017] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a battery temperature control method, which is applied to the battery temperature control system described in the first aspect, and the method includes: obtaining the battery temperature; when the temperature is greater than a preset first temperature threshold, connecting a controllable valve at a cooling channel corresponding to the battery; when the temperature is less than a preset second temperature threshold, closing the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the battery, wherein the second temperature threshold is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold.

[0018] After obtaining the battery temperature, compare it with the preset first temperature threshold. If it is greater than the first temperature threshold, it means that the battery temperature is high and needs to be cooled. While the battery is in the process of cooling, monitor the change in battery temperature. When the battery temperature drops to less than the preset second temperature threshold, stop cooling it. The first temperature threshold is greater than the second temperature threshold, which can effectively reduce the probability of repeated triggering of the controllable valve. By individually controlling the cooling channels at each battery position through the controllable valve, the battery temperature that is too high can be effectively reduced, making the battery temperature more consistent, which is beneficial to improving the system performance of the battery.

[0019] In combination with the second aspect, in a first possible implementation of the second aspect, when the temperature is greater than a preset first temperature threshold, after closing the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the battery, the method also includes: determining the number of cooling channels that need to be connected, or determining the flow rate of refrigerant required to cool the battery; determining the power of the circulating pump in the heat exchange circuit according to the number or flow rate of the cooling channels.

[0020] In order to make full use of the power of the circulation pump and improve the energy efficiency of the system, the number of cooling channels that need to be connected can be determined according to the temperature of each battery. According to the number of cooling channels that need to be connected, combined with the power corresponding to all cooling channels, the power required by the circulation pump at the current moment can be determined. For example, the number of cooling channels is N, the corresponding power when all cooling channels are connected is P, and the number of batteries that currently need to be cooled is N-1, then the power of the circulation pump can be expressed as: P*(N-1) / N. Alternatively, the power of the circulation pump can also be determined based on the current required flow rate of the refrigerant. For example, the flow rate required by each battery is X, and the number of batteries that currently need to be cooled is N-1, then the total flow rate that needs to be output by the circulation pump is (N-1)*X. According to the corresponding relationship between the power and flow rate of the circulation pump, the power of the circulation pump can be determined.

[0021] In combination with the second aspect, in a second possible implementation of the first aspect, after obtaining the battery temperature, the method further includes: determining a temperature difference between a first temperature of the first battery and a second temperature of the second battery, the first temperature being higher than the second temperature; and when the temperature difference is greater than a preset first temperature difference threshold, connecting a controllable valve at a cooling channel corresponding to the first battery.

[0022] In order to further reduce the temperature difference between batteries and improve system performance, the temperatures of any two batteries can be compared. For example, the batteries used for comparison include a first battery and a second battery. If the first temperature of the first battery is higher than that of the second battery, and the temperature difference between the two is greater than a preset first temperature difference threshold, the first battery with a higher temperature can be cooled down so that the first temperature after cooling is closer to the second temperature, thereby improving the system performance of the battery.

[0023] In combination with the second possible implementation of the second aspect, in a third possible implementation of the first aspect, after connecting the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the first battery, the method further includes: when the first temperature is lower than a preset second temperature threshold, or the temperature difference is lower than a preset second temperature difference threshold, closing the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the first battery.

[0024] When cooling the first battery with a high temperature difference, the temperature change information of the first battery can be collected in real time to prevent the temperature of the first battery from being too low. When the temperature of the first battery is less than a preset second temperature threshold, it can be indicated that the temperature of the battery has dropped to the expected value, and further cooling can be stopped. Alternatively, the cooling of the first battery can also be monitored based on the temperature difference. For example, when the temperature difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is less than the preset second temperature difference threshold, the temperatures of the first battery and the second battery are relatively close, which can effectively meet the temperature consistency requirements of the batteries, and further cooling can be stopped.

[0025] In combination with the third possible implementation of the second aspect, in a fourth possible implementation of the second aspect, after determining the temperature difference between the first temperature of the first battery and the second temperature of the second battery, the method further includes: when the temperature difference is less than a preset second temperature difference threshold and the first temperature is greater than the first temperature threshold, connecting a controllable valve at a cooling channel corresponding to the first temperature and a controllable valve at a cooling channel corresponding to the second temperature.

[0026] In order to improve the cooling efficiency of the battery, the battery that needs to be cooled can be determined based on the battery temperature difference and the battery temperature. When the temperature difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is less than the predetermined second temperature difference threshold, it means that the temperatures of the two are relatively close. When the first temperature is greater than the predetermined first temperature threshold, it means that the first temperature is higher. In this case, if the first battery is cooled alone, the temperature difference between the first battery and the second battery may gradually increase, affecting the system performance of the battery. And when the temperature difference between the first battery and the second battery reaches a certain level, such as greater than the first temperature difference threshold, the second battery needs to be further cooled, which is not conducive to improving the cooling efficiency. Therefore, when it is monitored that the temperature difference is less than the second temperature threshold and the first temperature is greater than the first temperature threshold, cooling the first battery and the second battery can effectively improve the cooling efficiency of the battery.

[0027] In combination with any possible implementation method of the second aspect to the fourth possible implementation method of the second aspect, in the fifth possible implementation method of the second aspect, a flow regulating valve for adjusting the flow speed of the refrigerant is also provided in the cooling channel. After obtaining the battery temperature, the method further includes: determining the opening of the flow regulating valve in the cooling channel corresponding to the battery according to the temperature of the battery.

[0028] In order to more effectively adjust the battery temperature, each battery temperature can be obtained, and the opening of the flow regulating valve corresponding to the battery can be achieved according to the size of each battery temperature. For example, the higher the battery temperature, the larger the opening of the flow regulating valve at the corresponding position, and the lower the battery temperature, the lower the opening of the flow regulating valve at the corresponding position. By adjusting the opening of the flow regulating valve, the battery temperature can be more consistent, thereby more effectively improving the system performance. Among them, the opening of the energy regulating valve can also be related to the operating state of the battery. For example, the battery may correspond to different openings when it is in different discharge rates or charging rates. The relationship between different openings and the temperature changes of the battery in different states can be determined through statistical data.

[0029] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a temperature control device for a battery, wherein the temperature control method for the battery is applied to the temperature control system of the battery according to claim 1, and the device comprises: a temperature acquisition unit for acquiring the battery temperature; a connection unit for connecting a controllable valve at a cooling channel corresponding to the battery when the temperature is greater than a preset first temperature threshold; and a shutoff unit for shutting off the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the battery when the temperature is less than a preset second temperature threshold, wherein the second temperature threshold is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold.

[0030] A third aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a battery temperature control system, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor implements the steps of any method described in the first aspect when executing the computer program.

[0031] A fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a vehicle, comprising two or more batteries, wherein the temperature of the batteries is adjusted by the battery temperature control method described in any one of the second aspects.

[0032] A fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method described in any one of the first aspects are implemented.

[0033] It can be understood that the beneficial effects of the second to fifth aspects mentioned above can be found in the relevant description of the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0035] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a commonly used battery temperature control system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a battery temperature control system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the implementation flow of a battery temperature control method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of an implementation flow of determining the power of a circulation pump provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a process for implementing cooling control based on temperature difference provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a battery temperature control device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of a temperature control system of a battery provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] In the following description, specific details such as specific system structures, technologies, etc. are provided for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation, so as to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that the present application may also be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other cases, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, devices, circuits, and methods are omitted to prevent unnecessary details from obstructing the description of the present application.

[0043] In order to illustrate the technical solution described in this application, a specific embodiment is provided below for illustration.

[0044] When controlling the temperature of the power battery of a new energy vehicle, a battery thermal management unit is usually used to cool the battery. Figure 1 In the structural diagram of the thermal management unit shown, the thermal management unit includes a refrigeration circuit 1 and a heat exchange circuit 2, and the refrigeration circuit 1 is connected to the heat exchange circuit 2 through a heat exchanger 3. The refrigeration circuit 1 can compress the refrigerant to a lower temperature state through the expansion valve 11, the condenser 12 and the compression pump 13. When the refrigerant passes through the heat exchanger 3, it can absorb the heat of the refrigerant in the heat exchange circuit 2 and cool the refrigerant in the heat exchange circuit. The refrigerant after the cooling treatment is controlled by the controller 4 to control the water pump 21, and it is transported to the battery to cool the battery.

[0045] For heavy trucks or other engineering machinery with high power demand, the power batteries therein may include multiple battery packs, each of which includes one or more batteries. In order to cool down multiple battery packs, multiple thermal management units are usually configured for synchronous cooling. During the synchronous cooling process, the temperature difference of the battery system may be aggravated, affecting battery performance. In addition, the integration of multiple thermal management units is low, and the vehicle occupies a large space, which is not conducive to reducing the cost of the vehicle.

[0046] In order to solve the above problems, the present application embodiment proposes a battery temperature control system, which is described in detail as follows:

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, the temperature control system of the battery includes: a refrigeration circuit 1, a heat exchanger 3, a heat exchange circuit 2 and a controller 4. The refrigeration circuit 1 exchanges heat with the heat exchange circuit 2 through the heat exchanger 3. The heat exchange circuit 2 includes more than two cooling channels 22. A controllable valve 23 is provided at the cooling channel 22. The control end of the controllable valve 23 is connected to the controller 4. The controller 4 is used to control the opening and closing of the controllable valve 23 according to the collected temperature of the battery 5.

[0048] The temperature control system in the embodiment of the present application includes more than two batteries. Each battery corresponds to a cooling channel. The corresponding manner can be one-to-one correspondence, or more than two batteries can correspond to one cooling channel. The battery can include a battery pack or battery pack formed by two or more battery cells connected in series or in parallel.

[0049] The refrigeration circuit 1 is used to generate a refrigerant with a lower temperature, so as to absorb the heat of the refrigerant in the heat exchange circuit at the heat exchanger 3. The refrigerant in the refrigeration circuit 1 may include R410A, R22 and R32. The refrigerant in the heat exchange circuit may include a liquid with a large specific heat capacity such as water. The refrigeration circuit 1 may include devices such as an expansion valve 11, a condenser 12 and a compression pump 13. Through the throttling and pressure reduction effect of the expansion valve 11, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flowing out of the refrigeration circuit 1 through the heat exchanger 3 becomes a low-temperature state through the throttling effect of the expansion valve 11, and the flow rate of the refrigerant entering the heat exchanger 3 can be controlled to control its flow rate. The condenser 12 dissipates heat and cools the refrigerant flowing out of the expansion valve 11, so that it condenses into a liquid high-pressure refrigerant. After being compressed by the compression pump 13, the refrigerant is compressed into a low-temperature and high-pressure state and flows to the heat exchanger 3 for heat exchange.

[0050] The heat exchanger 3 is used for heat exchange between the refrigeration circuit 1 and the heat exchange circuit 2. Through the heat exchange treatment of the heat exchanger 3, the low-temperature refrigerant in the refrigeration circuit 1 can be heat exchanged with the high-temperature refrigerant in the heat exchange circuit, so that the temperature of the refrigerant in the heat exchange circuit 2 is reduced. By adjusting the opening of the expansion valve and / or adjusting the power of the compression pump, the refrigeration efficiency of the refrigeration circuit can be adjusted and the temperature of the refrigerant flowing to the heat exchanger 3 can be changed. For example, the power of the compression pump can be increased to reduce the temperature of the refrigerant used for heat exchange in the refrigeration circuit 1, thereby changing the heat exchange efficiency in the heat exchange circuit 2.

[0051] The heat exchange circuit 2 is used to transport the refrigerant with a lower temperature, such as water with a lower temperature, after heat exchange treatment by the heat exchanger 3 to more than two cooling channels 22 via a circulating pump 21. A controllable valve 23 is provided at the cooling channel 22, and the controllable valve 23 may include an electronic switch such as a solenoid valve that can be controlled by a controller 4. By controlling the opening and closing of the controllable valve 23 by the controller 4, differentiated control of the flow rates of different cooling channels can be achieved accordingly. For example, for a battery 5 with a higher temperature, the controllable valve 23 on the cooling channel at the battery 5 can be turned off to cool it down, so that the system temperature of the battery is more consistent, thereby improving the system performance of the battery. In addition, the use of multiple cooling channels 22 for cooling can effectively reduce the number of thermal management units and reduce the cost of the battery temperature control system.

[0052] When the controller 4 performs cooling management on the battery 5, the first temperature threshold and the second temperature threshold can be pre-set. Among them, the first temperature threshold is greater than or equal to the second temperature threshold. The first temperature threshold is used to determine the timing of starting cooling, and the second temperature threshold is used to determine the timing of ending cooling. That is, when the temperature of the battery 5 is greater than the first temperature threshold, the battery 5 is cooled. When the battery temperature is less than the second temperature threshold, the cooling process of the battery 5 is ended. By setting the first temperature threshold to be greater than the second temperature threshold, it is possible to avoid the temperature of the battery 5 fluctuating around the first temperature threshold, and the probability of repeatedly triggering and closing the controllable valve 23 can be reduced.

[0053] In possible implementations, such as Figure 2 As shown, a flow regulating valve 24 is also provided at the cooling channel. The flow regulating valve 24 can be adjusted to different openings to set the flow of the refrigerant flowing to the cooling channel 22, thereby achieving different degrees of cooling treatment.

[0054] For example, two batteries 5 with different temperatures include a first battery and a second battery, wherein the temperature of the first battery is greater than the temperature of the second battery, a first cooling channel is provided at the first battery, and a second cooling channel is provided at the second battery, and through detection, it is obtained that the temperature of the first battery is the first temperature, and the temperature of the second battery is the second temperature, a first controllable valve and a first flow regulating valve are provided on the first cooling channel, and a second controllable valve and a second flow regulating valve are provided on the second cooling channel.

[0055] The openings of the first flow regulating valve and the second flow regulating valve can be set accordingly according to the temperature of the first battery and the second battery. For the first battery with a higher temperature, the first flow regulating valve on the first cooling channel at the corresponding position can be set to a larger opening, so that a larger flow passes through the first flow regulating valve, and the first battery is cooled at a faster speed. For the second battery with a lower temperature, the second flow regulating valve on the second cooling channel at the corresponding position can be set to a smaller opening, so that a smaller flow passes through the second flow regulating valve, and the second battery is cooled at a slower speed.

[0056] In a possible implementation, the opening of the flow regulating valve 24 corresponding to different temperatures can also be determined in combination with the operating state of the battery 5. For example, the operating state of the battery 5 may include states corresponding to parameters such as different charging rates and discharge rates. According to the operating state of the battery 5 and in combination with the temperature difference of the battery 5, the opening of the flow regulating valve 24 corresponding to different batteries is determined. Among them, when determining the corresponding relationship between the operating state of the battery 5, the temperature of the battery 5 and the opening of the flow regulating valve 24, the battery temperature consistency can be determined based on historical statistical data, or the corresponding relationship determined when the battery temperature consistency meets the preset requirements.

[0057] Among them, the circulation pump 21 in the heat exchange loop 2 may include a power device such as a water pump, which can be used to transport the cooling after the heat exchange and cooling treatment of the heat exchanger 3 to the required cooling channel 22. The operating state of the circulation pump 21 can determine whether the circulation pump 21 needs to be turned on or off according to the temperature of the battery 5. When each battery 5 is in a normal working state, including the temperature of the battery 5 is lower than the predetermined temperature threshold, and the temperature difference between each battery 5 is less than the first temperature difference threshold, at this time, the controllable valve 23 on each cooling channel 22 can be closed, and the circulation pump 21 is in a closed state. When the temperature of one or more batteries 5 is detected to be abnormal and needs to be cooled, the circulation pump can be turned on to cool the battery 5.

[0058] In order to improve the control accuracy of the circulation pump 21, the number of controllable valves 23 that need to be opened can be further obtained, and the operating power of the circulation pump 21 at the current moment can be determined according to the number of controllable valves 23 that need to be opened, the total number of controllable valves 23, and the power of the circulation pump 21 when all the controllable valves 23 are connected. For example, the total number of cooling channels 22 is N, the corresponding power when all the cooling channels 22 are connected is P, and the number of cooling channels 22 that need to flow refrigerant is N-1, then the operating power of the circulation pump 21 at the current moment is: P*(N-1) / N.

[0059] Alternatively, the operating power of the circulating pump 21 may be determined based on the corresponding relationship between the flow rate and the power of the circulating pump 21. For example, the flow rate X of a single cooling channel 22 when it is in the off state (i.e., cooling flow is allowed) may be determined, and combined with the number N-1 of the off cooling channels 22, the required total flow rate may be calculated as (N-1)*X, and the operating power corresponding to the flow rate (N-1)*X may be determined based on the corresponding relationship between the flow rate and the operating power of the circulating pump 21.

[0060] In order to further improve the temperature consistency of the battery, the controller 4 in the embodiment of the present application (which may include a processor with a battery temperature control function such as a battery control unit or a battery management system of a vehicle) can control the temperature of the battery according to the detected temperature difference between the batteries 5. That is, the controller can compare the detected temperature difference with a predetermined first temperature difference threshold. If the temperature difference is greater than the first temperature difference threshold, it means that the temperature difference between the batteries is large under the current situation, and the battery with a larger temperature among the batteries with a larger temperature difference can be cooled down to reduce the temperature difference between the batteries 5. During the cooling process, if the temperature difference is less than the third temperature difference threshold, it means that the temperature difference between the batteries 5 has been reduced to a state where there is a small temperature difference between the batteries 5, and the further cooling of the battery 5 can be stopped.

[0061] In order to improve the control efficiency of the controller 4, the controller may detect that the temperature difference between the first battery and the second battery is less than the second temperature difference threshold value, at which time the temperatures between the first battery and the second battery are relatively close. In this case, if the first temperature of the first battery further detected is greater than the first temperature threshold value, the first battery and the second battery need to be cooled down to reduce the need to further cool down the second battery after cooling down the first battery alone, resulting in the temperature difference between the second battery and the first battery being greater than the first temperature threshold value. By determining to directly cool down the first battery and the second battery, the efficiency of the battery cooling process is improved.

[0062] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a battery temperature control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 The battery temperature control system shown in the figure, the execution subject of the method can be Figure 2 The controller in the battery temperature control system shown is as follows Figure 3 As shown, the method includes:

[0063] In S301 , the battery temperature is acquired.

[0064] The battery in the embodiment of the present application may include more than two. One or more cooling channels are provided at the battery to determine the correspondence between the battery and the cooling channel. The correspondence between the battery and the cooling channel means that the cooling channel is provided at the battery. For example, if the first cooling channel is provided at the first battery, it means that the first battery corresponds to the first cooling channel.

[0065] It is understandable that, although the object of detection and adjustment in the present application is a battery, the same strategy can be used to detect and control the temperature of a battery pack or other battery targets.

[0066] In a possible implementation, the temperature at the battery may include a single temperature, or include more than two temperatures. When the temperature at the battery includes more than two temperatures, an average value of the more than two temperatures may be calculated as the battery temperature.

[0067] In S302 , when the temperature is greater than a preset first temperature threshold, a controllable valve at a cooling channel corresponding to the battery is turned on.

[0068] The collected temperature at the battery is compared with a preset first temperature threshold. If the temperature is greater than the first temperature threshold, it means that the battery temperature is high and needs to be cooled. When cooling the battery, a controllable valve on the cooling channel corresponding to the battery can be turned on to allow the refrigerant to flow to the battery through the controllable valve to cool the battery.

[0069] Among them, turning on the controllable valve means that the controllable valve is in a conducting state, and the refrigerant can be transported to the battery by the circulation pump.

[0070] In S303, when the temperature is lower than a preset second temperature threshold, the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the battery is turned off.

[0071] The second temperature threshold is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold.

[0072] When the battery temperature is lower than the preset second temperature threshold, it indicates that the battery temperature is relatively low. If the battery is currently in a cooling state, the cooling process may be stopped.

[0073] Among them, shutting off the controllable valve means that the controllable valve is in the cut-off state, and the battery does not need to be cooled. At this time, the refrigerant cannot be transported to the battery through the circulation pump.

[0074] By setting cooling channels at the corresponding positions of each battery, and each cooling channel can be controlled by the controller to control the controllable valve separately, the battery with over-high temperature can be effectively cooled down, so that the temperature consistency of the batteries in the system is better. In addition, when cooling multiple batteries, the consistency of the temperature of the refrigerant flowing to each battery is better than the consistency of the temperature of the refrigerant of multiple thermal management units, so the consistency of the temperature of the battery during the cooling process can be more reliably maintained.

[0075] In a possible implementation, it can be determined whether cooling needs to be started according to the temperature of each battery. When any one of the multiple batteries needs to be cooled, the circulation pump can be started so that the refrigerant can be delivered to the battery to cool the battery. When all batteries are operating normally and cooling is not required, the circulation pump can be turned off.

[0076] In order to improve the power control accuracy of the circulation pump and improve the energy efficiency of the system, the embodiment of the present application can further control the power of the circulation pump, such as Figure 4 As shown, the power control method of the circulation pump may include:

[0077] In S401, the number of cooling channels that need to be connected is determined, or the flow rate of refrigerant required for cooling the battery is determined.

[0078] When determining the number of cooling channels that need to be connected, the temperature of each battery can be compared with a preset first temperature threshold to determine the number of batteries that need to be cooled. The number of cooling channels that need to be connected is determined based on the correspondence between the battery and the cooling channel. For example, when the battery and the cooling channel are in a one-to-one correspondence, that is, when the first battery corresponds to the first cooling channel, the number of cooling channels that need to be connected is the number of batteries whose temperature exceeds the first temperature threshold.

[0079] When determining the flow rate of the refrigerant required for battery cooling, the flow rate required for cooling a single battery can be determined in advance. For example, through statistical analysis or empirical data, it can be determined that the flow rate required for cooling a single battery is X, and the number of batteries that need to be cooled is determined to be N-1, then the flow rate of the refrigerant required for battery cooling is X*(N-1).

[0080] It is understandable that the cooling flow rates corresponding to the batteries may also be different. The required flow rate of the refrigerant may be obtained by summing the batteries to be cooled and the cooling flow rates corresponding to the batteries.

[0081] In S402, the power of the circulation pump in the heat exchange loop is determined according to the number or flow rate of the cooling channels.

[0082] After determining the number of cooling channels that need to be cooled, the current operating power of the circulating pump can be determined in combination with the total number of cooling channels and the power of the circulating pump corresponding to the total cooling channels. For example, if the number of cooling channels that currently need to be cooled is N-1, the total number of cooling channels is N, and the power of the circulating pump corresponding to the total cooling channels is P, then the current operating power is: P*(N-1) / N.

[0083] When the current required refrigerant flow rate is determined, the circulating pump power corresponding to the current required refrigerant flow rate can be determined according to the predetermined correspondence between the circulating pump power and the flow rate. The correspondence can be obtained by statistical analysis based on predetermined historical data.

[0084] In order to further improve the temperature consistency between batteries, such as Figure 5 As shown, the temperature difference between the batteries can also be controlled, including:

[0085] In S501 , a temperature difference between a first temperature of a first battery and a second temperature of a second battery is determined.

[0086] Wherein, the first temperature is higher than the second temperature.

[0087] The second temperature may be the minimum value of the temperatures of the multiple batteries. The first temperature may be other temperatures of the multiple battery temperatures except the minimum value, and the first temperature may include multiple battery temperatures. By comparing the other battery temperatures with the second temperature, one or more temperature differences may be determined. That is, the temperature differences between the multiple battery temperatures and the minimum temperature may be determined.

[0088] In S502 , when the temperature difference is greater than a preset first temperature difference threshold, a controllable valve at a cooling channel corresponding to the first battery is turned on.

[0089] When the temperature difference is greater than the first temperature threshold, it indicates that the temperature difference between the two is large and needs to be reduced to improve the temperature consistency of the battery. The first temperature of the battery with a larger temperature can be cooled to reduce the first temperature of the battery so that the battery temperature has better consistency.

[0090] In a possible implementation, when cooling the battery, it may also include S503, when the first temperature is less than a preset second temperature threshold, or the temperature difference is less than a preset second temperature difference threshold, closing the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the first battery.

[0091] That is, when cooling the first temperature, the battery can be stopped from cooling when the first temperature is less than a preset second temperature threshold through the judgment method of the temperature threshold. That is, the second temperature threshold can be the temperature threshold at which the battery stops cooling.

[0092] In a possible implementation, the timing to stop cooling can also be determined according to the change of the temperature difference between the first temperature and the second temperature. For example, the change of the temperature difference between the first temperature and the second temperature can be monitored, and when the temperature difference is less than the second temperature difference threshold, the cooling process of the first temperature can be stopped, so that the first temperature and the second temperature are in a relatively close state, thereby improving the temperature consistency of the battery.

[0093] For example, the preset first temperature threshold is 30 degrees Celsius, the second temperature threshold is 26 degrees Celsius, the first temperature difference threshold is 3 degrees Celsius, and the second temperature difference threshold is 2 degrees Celsius. If the first temperature is detected to be 30 degrees and the second temperature is 26 degrees, since the temperature difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is 4 degrees Celsius, the first battery corresponding to the first temperature needs to be cooled down. If the second temperature threshold is used to monitor the cooling process, the cooling can be stopped when the first temperature drops to less than 26 degrees Celsius. If the second temperature difference threshold is used for monitoring, the cooling can be stopped when the first battery corresponding to the first temperature drops to less than 28 degrees Celsius.

[0094] In order to improve the cooling efficiency, the embodiment of the present application can also detect the timing of synchronous cooling. For example, when it is detected that the temperature difference is less than the preset second temperature difference threshold and the first temperature is greater than the first temperature threshold, the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the first temperature and the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the second temperature are turned on.

[0095] That is, for a first battery and a second battery having similar temperatures, when it is detected that the temperature of the first battery is greater than a first temperature threshold and needs to be cooled, the first battery and the second battery are cooled at the same time, thereby effectively reducing the probability that after the first battery is cooled, the temperature difference between the first battery and the second battery increases, and the second battery needs to be cooled further, thereby effectively improving the efficiency of the cooling process.

[0096] When cooling two or more batteries simultaneously, the opening of the flow regulating valve can be controlled according to the different battery temperatures to further reduce the temperature difference between the batteries, improve the consistency of the battery temperature, and improve the system performance of the battery.

[0097] It should be understood that the size of the serial numbers of the steps in the above embodiments does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0098] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a battery temperature control device provided in an embodiment of the present application, the device is based on Figure 2 The battery temperature control system shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown, the device comprises:

[0099] The temperature acquisition unit 603 is used to acquire the battery temperature.

[0100] The connecting unit 602 is used to connect the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the battery when the temperature is greater than a preset first temperature threshold.

[0101] The shutoff unit 601 is used to shut off the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the battery when the temperature is less than a preset second temperature threshold, wherein the second temperature threshold is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold.

[0102] Figure 6 The battery temperature control device shown, with Figure 3 The battery temperature control method shown corresponds to this.

[0103] Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery temperature control system provided by an embodiment of the present application. Figure 7As shown, the battery temperature control system 7 of this embodiment includes: a processor 70, a memory 71, and a computer program 72 stored in the memory 71 and executable on the processor 70, such as a battery temperature control program. When the processor 70 executes the computer program 72, the steps in the above-mentioned various battery temperature control method embodiments are implemented. Alternatively, when the processor 70 executes the computer program 72, the functions of each module / unit in the above-mentioned various device embodiments are implemented.

[0104] Exemplarily, the computer program 72 may be divided into one or more modules / units, which are stored in the memory 71 and executed by the processor 70 to complete the present application. The one or more modules / units may be a series of computer program instruction segments capable of completing specific functions, which are used to describe the execution process of the computer program 72 in the battery temperature control system 7.

[0105] The battery temperature control system may include, but is not limited to, a processor 70 and a memory 71. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that Figure 7 It is only an example of the battery temperature control system 7 and does not constitute a limitation of the battery temperature control system 7. It may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or a combination of certain components, or different components. For example, the battery temperature control system may also include input and output devices, network access devices, buses, etc.

[0106] The processor 70 may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0107] The memory 71 may be an internal storage unit of the battery temperature control system 7, such as a hard disk or memory of the battery temperature control system 7. The memory 71 may also be an external storage device of the battery temperature control system 7, such as a plug-in hard disk, a smart memory card (Smart Media Card, SMC), a secure digital (Secure Digital, SD) card, a flash card (Flash Card), etc. equipped on the battery temperature control system 7. Further, the memory 71 may also include both an internal storage unit and an external storage device of the battery temperature control system 7. The memory 71 is used to store the computer program and other programs and data required for the battery temperature control system. The memory 71 may also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or is to be output.

[0108] The present application also provides a vehicle, which includes more than two batteries. Figure 3 The temperature control method of the battery shown regulates the temperature thereof.

[0109] The technicians in the relevant field can clearly understand that for the convenience and simplicity of description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional units and modules is used as an example for illustration. In practical applications, the above-mentioned function allocation can be completed by different functional units and modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. The functional units and modules in the embodiment can be integrated in a processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or more than two units can be integrated in one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units. In addition, the specific names of the functional units and modules are only for the convenience of distinguishing each other, and are not used to limit the scope of protection of this application. The specific working process of the units and modules in the above-mentioned system can refer to the corresponding process in the aforementioned method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0110] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described or recorded in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0111] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0112] In the embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices / terminal equipment and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device / terminal equipment embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the modules or units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0113] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0114] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit. The above integrated unit may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units.

[0115] If the integrated module / unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the present application implements all or part of the process in the above-mentioned embodiment method, and can also be completed by hardware related to computer program instructions. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and the computer program can implement the steps of the above-mentioned various method embodiments when executed by the processor. Among them, the computer program includes computer program code, and the computer program code can be in source code form, object code form, executable file or some intermediate form. The computer-readable medium may include: any entity or device capable of carrying the computer program code, recording medium, U disk, mobile hard disk, disk, optical disk, computer memory, read-only memory (ROM, Read-Only Memory), random access memory (RAM, Random Access Memory), electric carrier signal, telecommunication signal and software distribution medium. It should be noted that the content contained in the computer-readable medium can be appropriately increased or decreased according to the requirements of legislation and patent practice in the jurisdiction. For example, in some jurisdictions, according to legislation and patent practice, computer-readable media do not include electric carrier signals and telecommunication signals.

[0116] The embodiments described above are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, a person skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments may still be modified, or some of the technical features may be replaced by equivalents. Such modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and should all be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A battery temperature control system, characterized in that: The temperature control system includes a refrigeration circuit, a heat exchanger, a heat exchange circuit and a controller. The refrigeration circuit exchanges heat with the heat exchange circuit through the heat exchanger. The heat exchange circuit includes more than two cooling channels. A controllable valve is provided at the cooling channel. The control end of the controllable valve is connected to the controller. The controller is used to control the opening and closing of the controllable valve according to the temperature of the battery.

2. The battery temperature control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A flow regulating valve for regulating the flow speed of the refrigerant is also provided in the cooling channel.

3. The battery temperature control system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The heat exchange loop includes a circulation pump, a control end of the circulation pump is connected to the controller, and the controller is used to control the opening and closing of the circulation pump according to the temperature of the battery.

4. The battery temperature control system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The controller is also used to determine the flow rate required by the cooling channel according to the temperature of the battery, and control the power of the circulation pump according to the flow rate.

5. The battery temperature control system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The controller is also used to determine the flow rate required by the cooling channel corresponding to the battery according to the temperature difference of the battery, and control the opening of the flow regulating valve according to the flow rate.

6. The battery temperature control system according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 4, characterized in that: The controller is used to control the opening and closing of the controllable valve according to the temperature of the battery, including: The controller is used to connect the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the battery when the temperature of the battery is greater than a predetermined first temperature threshold, and to close the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the battery when the temperature of the battery is less than a predetermined second temperature threshold, and the second temperature threshold is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold.

7. A method for controlling the temperature of a battery, characterized in that: The battery temperature control method is applied to the battery temperature control system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and the method comprises: Get battery temperature; When the temperature is greater than a preset first temperature threshold, a controllable valve at a cooling channel corresponding to the battery is turned on; When the temperature is less than a preset second temperature threshold, the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the battery is turned off, wherein the second temperature threshold is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that When the temperature is greater than a preset first temperature threshold, after closing the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the battery, the method further includes: Determining the number of cooling channels that need to be connected, or determining the flow rate of refrigerant required to cool the battery; The power of the circulation pump in the heat exchange loop is determined according to the number or flow rate of the cooling channels.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that: After obtaining the battery temperature, the method further includes: determining a temperature difference between a first temperature of a first battery and a second temperature of a second battery, the first temperature being higher than the second temperature; When the temperature difference is greater than a preset first temperature difference threshold, a controllable valve at a cooling channel corresponding to the first battery is turned on.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that After the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the first battery is turned on, the method further includes: When the first temperature is less than a preset second temperature threshold, or the temperature difference is less than a preset second temperature difference threshold, the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the first battery is closed.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that After determining the temperature difference between the first battery first temperature and the second battery second temperature, the method further includes: When the temperature difference is less than a preset second temperature difference threshold and the first temperature is greater than the first temperature threshold, the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the first temperature and the controllable valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the second temperature are turned on.

12. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 11, characterized in that: A flow regulating valve for regulating the flow speed of the refrigerant is also provided at the cooling channel. After obtaining the battery temperature, the method further includes: According to the temperature of the battery, the opening degree of the flow regulating valve at the cooling channel corresponding to the battery is determined accordingly.

13. A battery temperature control device, characterized in that: A temperature control system for a battery according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the device comprising: A temperature acquisition unit, used to acquire the battery temperature; a connecting unit, configured to connect a controllable valve at a cooling channel corresponding to the battery when the temperature is greater than a preset first temperature threshold; A shutoff unit is used to shut off a controllable valve at a cooling channel corresponding to the battery when the temperature is less than a preset second temperature threshold, wherein the second temperature threshold is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold.

14. A battery temperature control system, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that: When the processor executes the computer program, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 7 to 12 are implemented.

15. A vehicle comprising two or more batteries, characterized in that: The battery is temperature-regulated by the battery temperature control method according to any one of claims 7 to 12.

16. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 7 to 12 are implemented.

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