Thermal management system, energy storage container and control method of thermal management system

Abstract

The invention provides a heat management system, an energy storage container and a control method of the heat management system.The heat management system is used for conducting heat exchange on a plurality of batteries in an energy storage system and comprises a refrigerant loop, and the refrigerant loop comprises a compressor, a first heat exchanger conducting heat exchange with the environment and a second heat exchanger conducting heat exchange with the batteries; a first branch and a second branch which are arranged in series, a third branch connected with the first branch in parallel and a fourth branch connected with the second branch in parallel are arranged between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger. A first throttling element is arranged in the first branch, and a first one-way valve which only allows a refrigerant to flow from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger is arranged in the third branch; a second throttling element is arranged in the second branch, and a second one-way valve only allowing the refrigerant to flow from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger is arranged in the fourth branch. According to the system, throttling of refrigerants is achieved through different throttling pieces, and precise control of the system during refrigerating and heating under the working condition in the wide environment temperature range is met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of energy storage containers, and in particular to a thermal management system, an energy storage container, and a control method for the thermal management system. Background Art

[0002] In the field of energy storage systems, the batteries in energy storage systems have high requirements for the temperature they are in, and a thermal management system is required to ensure that the batteries are within a certain temperature range. In the process of realizing the present invention, the inventors found that there are at least the following technical features in the prior art: when using a refrigerant circuit to directly exchange heat with the battery, a throttling device is usually shared in the refrigerant mode and the heating mode to achieve throttling of the refrigerant. Since the working principle and adjustment requirements of the throttling device in different modes are different, setting only one throttling device increases the difficulty of adjusting the system; and due to the increased difficulty of adjustment, the system may not be able to reach the optimal operating state, resulting in reduced heat exchange efficiency. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of this, the present application provides a thermal management system that can at least solve the problem of difficulty in adjusting the cooling mode and heating mode of the thermal management system and low heat exchange efficiency. The present application also provides an energy storage container including the above thermal management system. The present application also provides a control method applicable to the above thermal management system.

[0004] In order to achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solutions:

[0005] A thermal management system for exchanging heat for multiple batteries in an energy storage system, comprising a refrigerant circuit, wherein the refrigerant circuit comprises a compressor, a first heat exchanger for exchanging heat with the environment, and a second heat exchanger for exchanging heat with the battery, which are connected in sequence; wherein:

[0006] The first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger include a first branch and a second branch arranged in series, a third branch connected in parallel with the first branch, and a fourth branch connected in parallel with the second branch;

[0007] A first throttling element is provided in the first branch, and a first one-way valve that only allows the refrigerant to flow from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger is provided in the third branch;

[0008] A second throttling device is provided in the second branch, and a second one-way valve which only allows the refrigerant to flow from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger is provided in the fourth branch.

[0009] Optionally, a multi-way valve is also included, which includes a first interface connected to the compressor, a second interface connected to the first heat exchanger, a third interface connected to the gas-liquid separator, and a fourth interface connected to the second heat exchanger, and in different modes, different interfaces among the first interface, the second interface, the third interface and the fourth interface are connected in pairs.

[0010] Optionally, the first throttling element and the second throttling element are electronic expansion valves.

[0011] Optionally, a filter is further included between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger.

[0012] Optionally, the liquid reservoir and the filter are arranged between the first branch and the second branch.

[0013] Optionally, also include:

[0014] A fifth branch, connecting the air supply port of the compressor and the filter;

[0015] a sixth branch, connected in parallel with the fifth branch, the sixth branch being connected to the compressor, and the first heat exchanger and the multi-way valve being disposed on the sixth branch;

[0016] A third heat exchanger includes a first heat exchange portion and a second heat exchange portion that exchanges heat with the first heat exchange portion;

[0017] The first heat exchange part is arranged in the fifth branch, the second heat exchange part is arranged in the sixth branch, and a third throttling element is arranged on the inlet side of the second heat exchange part in the sixth branch.

[0018] Optionally, a first stop valve is provided between the second heat exchanger and the first heat exchanger, and a second stop valve is provided between the second heat exchanger and the gas-liquid separator.

[0019] Optionally, it also includes a liquid storage device disposed between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, a machine unit is located between the first stop valve and the second stop valve, and the liquid storage device can store all refrigerants in the refrigerant circuit other than the machine unit.

[0020] An energy storage container comprises any one of the thermal management systems described above.

[0021] A control method for a thermal management system, applicable to any of the thermal management systems described above, comprises the following steps:

[0022] In heating mode:

[0023] Control the first interface and the fourth interface of the multi-way valve to be connected and the second interface and the third interface to be connected, control the first throttle and the third throttle to be opened, control the second throttle to be closed, and control the compressor to start; so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows through the first interface of the multi-way valve, the fourth interface of the multi-way valve, and the second heat exchanger in sequence and is divided into two parts; one part of the refrigerant flows through the third throttle and the second heat exchange part of the third heat exchanger and then flows to the air supply port of the compressor; the other part of the refrigerant flows through the first heat exchange part of the third heat exchanger, the first throttle, the first heat exchanger, the second interface of the multi-way valve, the third interface of the multi-way valve, and the gas-liquid separator and then flows back to the compressor;

[0024] In cooling mode:

[0025] Control the first interface and the second interface of the multi-way valve to be connected and the third interface and the fourth interface to be connected, control the second throttling device and the third throttling device to open, control the first throttling device to close, and control the compressor to start; so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows through the first interface of the multi-way valve, the second interface of the multi-way valve, the first heat exchanger, and the first heat exchange part of the third heat exchanger in sequence, and then the refrigerant is divided into two parts; one part of the refrigerant flows through the third throttling device and the second heat exchange part of the third heat exchanger and then flows to the air supply port of the compressor; the other part of the refrigerant flows through the second throttling device, the second heat exchanger, the fourth interface of the multi-way valve, the third interface of the multi-way valve, and the gas-liquid separator and then flows back to the compressor.

[0026] The thermal management system provided by the present application is provided with a refrigerant circuit, wherein the refrigerant circuit includes a compressor, a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger connected in sequence, and the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger include a first branch and a second branch arranged in series, a third branch connected in parallel with the first branch, and a fourth branch connected in parallel with the second branch, and a first throttling device is provided in the first branch, and a second throttling device is provided in the second branch. In this way, when the refrigerant circuit is in a cooling mode, the refrigerant flowing out of the compressor flows through the first heat exchanger, the second throttling device and the second heat exchanger in sequence and then flows back to the compressor; when the refrigerant circuit is in a heating mode, the refrigerant flowing out of the compressor flows through the second heat exchanger, the first throttling device and the first heat exchanger in sequence and then flows back to the compressor. In this way, a first one-way valve that only allows the refrigerant to flow from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger is provided in the third branch, and a second one-way valve that only allows the refrigerant to flow from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger is provided in the fourth branch. With such an arrangement, the cooling mode and the heating mode can be conveniently adjusted by only controlling the opening or closing of the first throttle member and the second throttle member, which can simplify the control logic of the refrigerant circuit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, 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 embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without paying any creative work.

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the thermal management system provided in this embodiment;

[0029] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the thermal management system in cooling mode;

[0030] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the thermal management system in heating mode.

[0031] Figure 1-Figure 3 middle:

[0032] 1-compressor, 2-first heat exchanger, 3-liquid storage tank, 4-second heat exchanger, 5-gas-liquid separator, 6-multi-way valve, 7-first branch, 8-second branch, 9-third branch, 10-fourth branch, 11-first throttling device, 12-second throttling device, 13-first one-way valve, 14-second one-way valve, 15-filter, 16-fifth branch, 17-sixth branch, 18-third heat exchanger, 19-third throttling device, 20-pressure sensor, 21-temperature sensor, 22-first stop valve, 23-second stop valve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The present application provides a thermal management system. The present application also provides an energy storage container including the thermal management system. The present application also provides a control method applicable to the thermal management system.

[0034] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0035] like Figure 1-Figure 3As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a thermal management system, which is a component of an energy storage container and is used to exchange heat for batteries, that is, the thermal management system is used to cool or heat multiple batteries of the energy storage system so that the batteries are at a suitable operating temperature. The thermal management system includes a refrigerant circuit, which includes a compressor connected in sequence, a first heat exchanger for heat exchange with the environment, and a second heat exchanger for heat exchange with the battery; wherein the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger include a first branch and a second branch arranged in series, a third branch connected in parallel with the first branch, and a fourth branch connected in parallel with the second branch; a first throttling device is provided in the first branch, and a first one-way valve that only allows the refrigerant to flow from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger is provided in the third branch; a second throttling device is provided in the second branch, and a second one-way valve that only allows the refrigerant to flow from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger is provided in the fourth branch.

[0036] Specifically, in this embodiment, an optional implementation is provided. When the battery temperature is high and the battery needs to be cooled, the refrigerant circuit is adjusted to the cooling mode. Figure 2 The specific working mode is as follows: first, the compressor 1 works to compress the refrigerant into high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant, and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows to the first heat exchanger 2. At this time, the first heat exchanger 2 is a condenser, and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant exchanges heat with the external environment in the first heat exchanger 2, and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant becomes a medium-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant; then, the medium-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchanger 2 flows to the second throttling device 12, and the throttling device throttles the medium-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant into a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant, and the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flows to the second heat exchanger 4; the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flowing through the second heat exchanger 4 exchanges heat with the battery, and transfers the cold in the refrigerant to the battery to achieve cooling of the battery; finally, the refrigerant flows back to the compressor 1, thereby completing a cooling cycle for the battery.

[0037] In this embodiment, another optional implementation is provided. When the battery temperature is high and the battery needs to be heated, the refrigerant circuit is adjusted to the heating mode. Figure 3 The specific working mode is as follows: first, the compressor 1 works to compress the refrigerant into high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant, and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows to the second heat exchanger 4. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flowing through the second heat exchanger 4 exchanges heat with the battery, and the refrigerant transfers heat to the battery to heat the battery; then, the high-pressure refrigerant with reduced temperature flowing out of the second heat exchanger 4 flows to the first throttling device 11, and the first throttling device 11 throttles the high-pressure refrigerant with reduced temperature into low-pressure refrigerant; then, the low-pressure refrigerant flows to the first heat exchanger 2, at this time the first heat exchanger 2 is an evaporator, and the low-pressure refrigerant absorbs heat from the environment through the first heat exchanger 2, and the temperature of the refrigerant increases; finally, the refrigerant flows back to the compressor 1, thereby completing a heating cycle for the battery.

[0038] In this way, when the battery temperature is high, the multi-way valve 6 is adjusted to connect the first interface with the second interface, and the third interface with the fourth interface, and the first throttle 11 is controlled to be closed, and the second throttle 12 is controlled to be opened, so that the thermal management system is adjusted to a mode for cooling the battery; when the battery temperature is low, the multi-way valve 6 is adjusted to connect the first interface with the fourth interface, and the second interface with the third interface, and the first throttle 11 is controlled to be opened, and the second throttle 12 is controlled to be closed, so that the thermal management system is conveniently adjusted to a mode for heating the battery.

[0039] In addition, the first one-way valve 13 in the third branch 9 and the second one-way valve 14 in the fourth branch 10 can be omitted, and electromagnetic valves can be respectively provided in the third branch 9 and the fourth branch 10, and the opening and closing of the electromagnetic valves can be controlled by the controller to realize the on-off of the third branch 9 and the fourth branch 10. Compared with providing on-off valves in the third branch and the fourth branch, providing the above two one-way valves can make the control logic of the refrigerant circuit simpler.

[0040] In some embodiments, the first throttle member 11 and the second throttle member 12 can both be electronic expansion valves. Specifically, the electronic expansion valve can use electrical signals to accurately control the opening, and efficiently adjust the opening while achieving energy saving. In addition, the electronic expansion valve has strong adaptability and can accurately adjust the opening in different environments.

[0041] In addition, the first throttle member 11 and the second throttle member 12 can both be a throttle valve or a capillary tube.

[0042] It should also be noted that the battery can be a battery in all electrical energy fields such as photovoltaic power generation, tidal power generation, thermal power generation, nuclear power generation, geothermal power generation, hydropower generation, biomass power generation or wind power generation.

[0043] In the above-mentioned thermal management system, when the refrigerant circuit is in cooling mode, the refrigerant flowing out of the compressor 1 flows through the first heat exchanger 2, the second throttling device 12 and the second heat exchanger 4 in sequence and then flows back to the compressor 1; when the refrigerant circuit is in heating mode, the refrigerant flowing out of the compressor 1 flows through the second heat exchanger 4, the first throttling device 11 and the first heat exchanger 2 in sequence and then flows back to the compressor 1. In this way, the above-mentioned refrigerant circuit uses different throttling devices to achieve throttling of the refrigerant in the cooling mode and the heating mode, which can reduce the difficulty of adjusting the system so that the system can reach the best operating state, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the system. In addition, a first one-way valve 13 that only allows the refrigerant to flow from the first heat exchanger 2 to the second heat exchanger 4 is set in the third branch 9, and a second one-way valve 14 that only allows the refrigerant to flow from the second heat exchanger 4 to the first heat exchanger 2 is set in the fourth branch 10. With such arrangement, the cooling mode and the heating mode can be conveniently adjusted by only controlling the opening or closing of the first throttle member 11 and the second throttle member 12, which can simplify the control logic of the refrigerant circuit.

[0044] In some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes a multi-way valve 6, which includes a first interface ( Figure 1 a port in the middle), and a second port connected to the first heat exchanger 2 ( Figure 1 b port), and a third port connected to the gas-liquid separator 5 ( Figure 1 c port), and the fourth interface with the second heat exchanger 4 ( Figure 1 d port in the middle), and in different modes, different interfaces among the first interface, the second interface, the third interface and the fourth interface are connected in pairs. Exemplarily, when the first interface and the second interface are connected, and the third interface and the fourth interface are connected, the refrigerant circuit is in cooling mode; that is, when the battery needs to be cooled, the first interface and the second interface are connected, and the third interface and the fourth interface are connected; when the first interface and the fourth interface are connected, and the second interface and the third interface are connected, the refrigerant circuit is in cooling and heating mode; that is, when the battery needs to be heated, the first interface and the fourth interface are connected, and the second interface and the third interface are connected.

[0045] It should be noted that different interfaces among the first interface, the second interface, the third interface and the fourth interface are connected in pairs, which means that when the first interface and the second interface are connected, the third interface and the fourth interface are connected; when the first interface and the fourth interface are connected, the second interface and the third interface are connected.

[0046] Here, by setting a multi-way valve 6 respectively connected to the compressor 1, the first heat exchanger 2, the gas-liquid separator 5 and the second heat exchanger 4, the connection relationship between the compressor 1, the first heat exchanger 2, the gas-liquid separator 5 and the second heat exchanger 4 in the refrigerant circuit can be adjusted by connecting different interfaces of the multi-way valve 6, thereby realizing the switching of different modes of the refrigerant circuit.

[0047] In some embodiments, a reservoir 3 is provided between the first heat exchanger 2 and the second heat exchanger 4 in the refrigerant circuit, and the reservoir 3 is used to store refrigerant to ensure that the system can adjust and stabilize the circulation amount of the refrigerant when the working conditions change. When the system needs to increase the refrigerant supply, the reservoir 3 can provide sufficient refrigerant; when the system needs to reduce the refrigerant supply, the reservoir 3 can store excess refrigerant. Here, it is ensured that the reservoir 3 can store all the refrigerants in the refrigerant circuit, which can facilitate the recycling of the refrigerant when the refrigerant circuit is not in working state, and can provide guarantee for the normal operation of the refrigerant circuit. In the refrigerant circuit of the prior art, such as the air-conditioning system, the refrigerant flow rate on the customer side is less than the refrigerant flow rate on the unit side. Under normal circumstances, the capacity of the reservoir 3 is less than the total refrigerant in the refrigerant system, which can also ensure the normal operation of the refrigerant system. Here, it is ensured that there is a unit between the first stop valve 22 and the second stop valve 23, and the reservoir 3 can store all the refrigerants outside the unit in the refrigerant circuit, so that the refrigerant circuit in this application can operate normally.

[0048] In addition, the liquid reservoir 3 can store excess refrigerant in the system during cooling and heating. The entire thermal management system includes the unit, external pipelines, and the second heat exchanger 4. Refrigerant exists in these three places. During maintenance, we need to recover the refrigerant and collect all the refrigerant in the external pipelines and the second heat exchanger 4 into the unit. When the customer performs maintenance (such as replacing the second heat exchanger 4), after the refrigerant is recovered, the replaced second heat exchanger 4 will inevitably carry a small amount of refrigerant. The liquid reservoir 3 has been designed with the margin in mind, and the redundant refrigerant can cover the refrigerant lost due to multiple maintenance.

[0049] In some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes a filter 15 disposed between the first heat exchanger 2 and the second heat exchanger 4. The filter 15 is used to filter impurities in the refrigerant and protect the compressor. In the electric air-conditioning compressor 1, the filter 15 is used to filter impurities and particles in the refrigerant to prevent the throttling device from being blocked and causing system abnormalities.

[0050] It should be noted that the positions of the reservoir 3 and the filter 15 are not limited here. In order to improve the filtering effect of the filter 15 on the refrigerant, the filter 15 is set at the downstream position of the reservoir 3 in the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit. However, in the thermal management system of the present application, the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit is opposite in the cooling mode and the heating mode. In this case, the filter 15 is set at the downstream position of the reservoir 3 in one of the cooling mode and the heating mode, and in the other mode, the filter 15 is set at the downstream position of the reservoir 3. However, since a large amount of refrigerant is stored in the reservoir 3, the impurities carried in the process of flowing through the reservoir 3 will be deposited at the bottom of the reservoir 3, so the filtering effect can also be achieved.

[0051] In some embodiments, the liquid reservoir 3 and the filter 15 are disposed between the first branch 7 and the second branch 8. In this way, whether the thermal management system is in the battery cooling mode or the battery heating mode, the liquid reservoir 3 and the filter 15 are disposed between the first branch 7 and the second branch 8, so that the refrigerant in the process liquid reservoir 3 and the filter 15 is high-pressure refrigerant, which can improve the filtering capacity of the refrigerant.

[0052] In some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes a fifth branch 16, a sixth branch 17 and a third heat exchanger 18, wherein the fifth branch 16 is connected to the air supply port of the compressor 1 and the filter 15; the sixth branch 17 is connected in parallel with the fifth branch 16, and the first heat exchanger 2 and the multi-way valve 6 are arranged on the sixth branch 17; the third heat exchanger 18 includes a first heat exchange part and a second heat exchange part that exchanges heat with the first heat exchange part; wherein the first heat exchange part is arranged in the fifth branch 16, the second heat exchange part is arranged in the sixth branch 17, and the third throttling device 19 is arranged on the inlet side of the second heat exchange part in the sixth branch 17. wherein the sixth branch 17 is used as a main circuit circulation, and the fifth branch 16 is used as an auxiliary circuit circulation.

[0053] Specifically, in the cooling mode, the compressor 1 starts to compress the refrigerant into high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant, and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows to the first heat exchanger 2 of the sixth branch 17, and exchanges heat with the external environment in the first heat exchanger 2 to become medium-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant, and the medium-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows to the first heat exchange part of the third heat exchanger 18, and the refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchange part is divided into two parts; one part of the refrigerant flows to the third throttling device 19 of the fifth branch 16, and the opening of the third throttling device 19 is adjusted to throttle this part of the refrigerant into a relatively low-temperature medium-pressure refrigerant, and the relatively low-temperature medium-pressure refrigerant flows to the second heat exchange part of the third heat exchanger 18, and the flow The lower temperature and medium pressure refrigerant passing through the second heat exchange part exchanges heat with the medium temperature and high pressure refrigerant passing through the first heat exchange part to reduce the temperature of the refrigerant passing through the first heat exchange part, and then the refrigerant passing through the second heat exchange part flows to the air supply port of the compressor 1; another part of the refrigerant flows to the second throttling device 12, and the second throttling device 12 throttles the medium temperature and high pressure refrigerant into low temperature and low pressure refrigerant, and the low temperature and low pressure refrigerant flows to the second heat exchanger 4 and transfers the cold to the battery, and the refrigerant flowing out of the second heat exchanger 4 flows through the gas-liquid separator 5 and then flows back to the compressor 1; the above two parts of refrigerant both flow back to the compressor 1 to complete a cooling cycle for the battery. Here, the medium-temperature and medium-pressure refrigerant is directed to the air supply port of the compressor 1 by setting the fifth branch 16, so as to realize air supply and enthalpy increase for the compressor 1 in the cooling mode, and divide the original single-stage compression process into a quasi-two-stage compression process, thereby increasing the unit cooling capacity, reducing the exhaust temperature at the outlet of the compressor 1, expanding the cooling temperature range, enhancing the cooling effect, and significantly improving the energy utilization rate of the compressor 1 in the cooling mode, thereby improving the efficiency of the compressor 1 and the performance of the cooling mode.

[0054] In the heating mode, the compressor 1 starts to compress the refrigerant into high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant, and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows to the second heat exchanger 4, and transfers heat to the battery in the second heat exchanger 4. The refrigerant after flowing through the second heat exchanger 4 is divided into two parts; among them, one part of the refrigerant flows to the third throttling device 19 of the fifth branch 16, and the opening of the third throttling device 19 is adjusted to throttle this part of the refrigerant into medium-pressure refrigerant, and the medium-pressure refrigerant flows to the second heat exchange part of the third heat exchanger 18, and the medium-pressure refrigerant flowing through the second heat exchange part flows to The air supply port of compressor 1; another part of the refrigerant flows to the first heat exchange part of the third heat exchanger 18 of the sixth branch 17, and exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing through the second heat exchange part, and then the refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchange part flows to the first throttling member 11 and is throttled to a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant, and then the refrigerant flows to the first heat exchanger 2 to exchange heat with the external environment and heat up, and the refrigerant with increased temperature flows through the gas-liquid separator 5 and then flows back to compressor 1; the above two parts of refrigerant both flow back to compressor 1 to complete a heating cycle for the battery. Here, the fifth branch 16 is set to guide the medium-temperature and medium-pressure refrigerant to the air supply port of compressor 1, so as to realize air supply and enthalpy increase for compressor 1 in the heating mode, and increase the exhaust volume of compressor 1 in a low-temperature environment, thereby increasing the heating amount of the battery and expanding the heating temperature range.

[0055] In some embodiments, a first stop valve 22 is provided between the second heat exchanger 4 and the first heat exchanger 2, and a second stop valve 23 is provided between the second heat exchanger 4 and the gas-liquid separator 5. With such a configuration, when the refrigerant circuit in the working state needs to be stopped, the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit needs to be gradually recovered. Here, the opening and closing of the first stop valve 22 and the second stop valve 23 are adjusted so that the liquid storage 3 gradually recovers the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit, thereby improving the convenience of terminal maintenance and greatly reducing the refrigerant loss when disassembling and assembling the second heat exchanger 4.

[0056] Of course, at least one of the first stop valve 22 and the second stop valve 23 can also be replaced with a solenoid valve. This configuration can control the opening and closing of the solenoid valve by the controller to adjust the on-off of the refrigerant circuit and improve the convenience of system adjustment. Of course, the first stop valve 22 and the second stop valve 23 are both set as solenoid valves to achieve one-button automatic recovery of refrigerant.

[0057] An energy storage container includes any one of the above mentioned thermal management systems. Since the energy storage container includes the above mentioned thermal management system, the beneficial effects of the thermal management system on the energy storage container can be found in the above mentioned contents and will not be described in detail here.

[0058] A control method for a thermal management system, applicable to any of the above thermal management systems, comprises the following steps:

[0059] In heating mode:

[0060] The first interface (port a) and the fourth interface (port d) of the multi-way valve 6 are controlled to be connected, and the second interface (port b) and the third interface (port c) are controlled to be connected, the first throttling device 11 and the third throttling device 19 are controlled to be opened, the second throttling device 12 is controlled to be closed, and the compressor 1 is controlled to start; so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows through the first interface of the multi-way valve 6, the fourth interface of the multi-way valve 6, and the second heat exchanger 4 in sequence and is divided into two parts; one part of the refrigerant flows through the third throttling device 19 and the second heat exchange part of the third heat exchanger 18 and then flows to the air supply port of the compressor 1; the other part of the refrigerant flows through the first heat exchange part of the third heat exchanger 18, the first throttling device 11, the first heat exchanger 2, the second interface of the multi-way valve 6, the third interface of the multi-way valve 6, and the gas-liquid separator 5 and then flows back to the compressor 1;

[0061] In cooling mode:

[0062] Control the first interface and the second interface of the multi-way valve 6 to be connected and the third interface and the fourth interface to be connected, control the second throttling device 12 and the third throttling device 19 to be opened, control the first throttling device 11 to be closed, and control the compressor 1 to start; so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows through the first interface of the multi-way valve 6, the second interface of the multi-way valve 6, the first heat exchanger 2, and the first heat exchange part of the third heat exchanger 18 in sequence, and the refrigerant is divided into two parts; one part of the refrigerant flows through the third throttling device 19 and the second heat exchange part of the third heat exchanger 18 and then flows to the air supply port of the compressor 1; the other part of the refrigerant flows through the second throttling device 12, the second heat exchanger 4, the fourth interface of the multi-way valve 6, the third interface of the multi-way valve 6, and the gas-liquid separator 5 and then flows back to the compressor 1.

[0063] Such a setting can facilitate the switching of the thermal management system between different modes and improve the degree of automation of the thermal management system, so that the thermal management system can realize heat exchange of the battery in different temperature modes to ensure that the battery is at a suitable operating temperature.

[0064] The basic principles of the present application are described above in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, strengths, effects, etc. mentioned in the present application are only examples and not limitations, and it cannot be considered that these advantages, strengths, effects, etc. are required by each embodiment of the present application. In addition, the specific details disclosed above are only for the purpose of illustration and ease of understanding, not for limitation, and the above details do not limit the present application to being implemented by adopting the above specific details.

[0065] The block diagrams of the devices, apparatuses, equipment, and systems involved in this application are only illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, and configured in the manner shown in the block diagram. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, these devices, apparatuses, equipment, and systems can be connected, arranged, and configured in any manner. Words such as "including", "comprising", "having", etc. are open words, referring to "including but not limited to", and can be used interchangeably with them. The words "or" and "and" used here refer to the words "and / or" and can be used interchangeably with them, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The words "such as" used here refer to the phrase "such as but not limited to", and can be used interchangeably with them.

[0066] It should also be noted that in the apparatus, device and method of the present application, each component or each step can be decomposed and / or recombined. Such decomposition and / or recombination should be regarded as equivalent solutions of the present application.

[0067] The above description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present application. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0068] It should be understood that the qualifiers "first", "second", "third", "fourth", "fifth" and "sixth" used in the description of the embodiments of the present application are only used to more clearly explain the technical solutions and cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

[0069] The above description has been given for the purpose of illustration and description. In addition, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present application to the forms disclosed herein. Although multiple example aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, changes, additions and sub-combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A thermal management system, characterized in that: Used for exchanging heat between multiple batteries in an energy storage system, comprising a refrigerant circuit, wherein the refrigerant circuit comprises a compressor, a first heat exchanger for exchanging heat with the environment, and a second heat exchanger for exchanging heat with the battery, which are connected in sequence; wherein, The first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger include a first branch and a second branch arranged in series, a third branch connected in parallel with the first branch, and a fourth branch connected in parallel with the second branch; A first throttling element is provided in the first branch, and a first one-way valve that only allows the refrigerant to flow from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger is provided in the third branch; A second throttling device is provided in the second branch, and a second one-way valve which only allows the refrigerant to flow from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger is provided in the fourth branch.

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a multi-way valve, which includes a first interface connected to the compressor, a second interface connected to the first heat exchanger, a third interface connected to the gas-liquid separator, and a fourth interface connected to the second heat exchanger, and in different modes, different interfaces among the first interface, the second interface, the third interface and the fourth interface are connected in pairs.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first throttling element and the second throttling element are electronic expansion valves.

4. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also included is a filter disposed between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger.

5. The thermal management system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The liquid reservoir and the filter are arranged between the first branch and the second branch.

6. The thermal management system according to claim 5, characterized in that: Also includes: A fifth branch, connecting the air supply port of the compressor and the filter; a sixth branch, connected in parallel with the fifth branch, the sixth branch being connected to the compressor, and the first heat exchanger and the multi-way valve being disposed on the sixth branch; A third heat exchanger includes a first heat exchange portion and a second heat exchange portion that exchanges heat with the first heat exchange portion; The first heat exchange part is arranged in the fifth branch, the second heat exchange part is arranged in the sixth branch, and a third throttling element is arranged on the inlet side of the second heat exchange part in the sixth branch.

7. The thermal management system according to claim 2, characterized in that: A first stop valve is arranged between the second heat exchanger and the first heat exchanger, and a second stop valve is arranged between the second heat exchanger and the gas-liquid separator.

8. The thermal management system according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes a liquid storage device disposed between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, a machine unit is disposed between the first stop valve and the second stop valve, and the liquid storage device can store all refrigerants in the refrigerant circuit other than the machine unit.

9. An energy storage container, characterized in that: A thermal management system comprising any one of claims 1-8.

10. A control method for a thermal management system, characterized in that: A thermal management system applicable to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising the following steps: In heating mode: Control the first interface and the fourth interface of the multi-way valve to be connected and the second interface and the third interface to be connected, control the first throttle and the third throttle to be opened, control the second throttle to be closed, and control the compressor to start; so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows through the first interface of the multi-way valve, the fourth interface of the multi-way valve, and the second heat exchanger in sequence and is divided into two parts; one part of the refrigerant flows through the third throttle and the second heat exchange part of the third heat exchanger and then flows to the air supply port of the compressor; the other part of the refrigerant flows through the first heat exchange part of the third heat exchanger, the first throttle, the first heat exchanger, the second interface of the multi-way valve, the third interface of the multi-way valve, and the gas-liquid separator and then flows back to the compressor; In cooling mode: Control the first interface and the second interface of the multi-way valve to be connected and the third interface and the fourth interface to be connected, control the second throttling device and the third throttling device to open, control the first throttling device to close, and control the compressor to start; so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows through the first interface of the multi-way valve, the second interface of the multi-way valve, the first heat exchanger, and the first heat exchange part of the third heat exchanger in sequence, and then the refrigerant is divided into two parts; one part of the refrigerant flows through the third throttling device and the second heat exchange part of the third heat exchanger and then flows to the air supply port of the compressor; the other part of the refrigerant flows through the second throttling device, the second heat exchanger, the fourth interface of the multi-way valve, the third interface of the multi-way valve, and the gas-liquid separator and then flows back to the compressor.

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