Thermal management system and energy storage container

Abstract

The invention provides a heat management system and an energy storage container, the heat management system is used for carrying out heat exchange on a plurality of batteries in the system, the heat management system comprises a refrigerant loop, the refrigerant loop comprises a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a graded throttling assembly and a second heat exchanger which are connected in sequence, and the second heat exchanger exchanges heat with the batteries; wherein the multiple second heat exchangers are arranged in parallel, each second heat exchanger exchanges heat with the corresponding battery, the graded throttling assembly can conduct at least two times of throttling on a refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchanger, and at least one throttling piece is arranged on the inlet side of each second heat exchanger; and the throttled refrigerant uniformly flows to the plurality of second heat exchangers. According to the arrangement, the graded throttling assembly can conduct at least two times of throttling on the refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchanger, the refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchanger can be completely throttled into the liquid refrigerant, and then the throttled refrigerant evenly flows to the second heat exchangers. Therefore, temperature equalization of different batteries is realized.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In the field of energy storage, batteries have high requirements on the temperature they are in, and a thermal management system is needed to ensure that the batteries are within a certain temperature range. In the process of implementing this application, the inventors found that the prior art has at least the following technical problems: when using a refrigerant circuit to directly exchange heat for multiple batteries, it is impossible to accurately control the refrigerant to flow evenly to different cold plates, resulting in poor temperature uniformity of different batteries, which in turn affects the heat dissipation effect of the entire system. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of this, the present application provides a thermal management system that at least effectively improves the uniformity of the cooling medium flow to the heat exchanger in the thermal management system, thereby improving the temperature uniformity of multiple batteries exchanging heat with the heat exchanger, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect of the system. The present application also provides an energy storage container including 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 a plurality of batteries in an energy storage system, comprising a refrigerant circuit, the refrigerant circuit comprising a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a staged throttling assembly and a second heat exchanger connected in sequence, the second heat exchanger exchanging heat with the plurality of batteries, wherein:

[0006] A plurality of the second heat exchangers are arranged in parallel, and each of the second heat exchangers exchanges heat with the corresponding battery respectively. The graded throttling component can throttle the refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchanger at least twice, and at least one throttling device is arranged on the inlet side of each of the second heat exchangers, and the throttled refrigerant is made to flow to the plurality of the second heat exchangers respectively.

[0007] Optionally, the graded throttling component includes:

[0008] a first throttling element connected to the first heat exchanger;

[0009] A first distribution head is connected to the first throttling member and has a plurality of first tapping ports, wherein the plurality of first tapping ports are respectively connected to a plurality of the second heat exchangers connected in parallel;

[0010] A second throttling member is arranged one-to-one with the plurality of second heat exchangers and is arranged at the inlet side of the second heat exchanger;

[0011] The second distribution head has a plurality of second tapping ports, and the plurality of second tapping ports are respectively connected to a plurality of the second heat exchangers connected in parallel.

[0012] Optionally, the second throttling member is a mechanical valve.

[0013] Optionally, at least two of the first distribution heads and the second distribution heads are provided, and the graded throttling assembly further comprises:

[0014] A first branch pipe is connected to the first throttling member and has at least two third branch ports, wherein the at least two third branch ports are respectively connected to the at least two first distribution heads;

[0015] The second branch pipe is connected to the second throttling member and has at least two fourth branch interfaces, and the at least two fourth branch interfaces are respectively connected to the at least two second distribution heads.

[0016] Optionally, the first heat exchanger and the graded throttling assembly are connected via a first branch, the second heat exchanger and the compressor are connected via a second branch, the refrigerant circuit also includes a third heat exchanger, the third heat exchanger includes a first heat exchange part and a second heat exchange part that exchanges heat with the first heat exchange part, and the first heat exchange part is located in the first branch, and the second heat exchange part is located in the second branch.

[0017] Optionally, the graded throttling component includes:

[0018] a third throttling element connected to the first heat exchanger;

[0019] a fourth throttling element connected in series with the third throttling element;

[0020] A first distribution head connected to the fourth throttling element and having a plurality of first tap ports, wherein the plurality of first tap ports are respectively connected to the plurality of second heat exchangers connected in parallel;

[0021] Proportional valves are arranged one-to-one with the plurality of second heat exchangers and are respectively arranged between the second heat exchangers and the first tapping ports;

[0022] The second distribution head has a plurality of second tapping ports, and the plurality of second tapping ports are respectively connected to the plurality of second heat exchangers connected in parallel.

[0023] 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 third heat exchanger, and in different modes, the first interface, the second interface, the third interface and the fourth interface are connected in pairs.

[0024] Optional, including:

[0025] The third branch is provided with the compressor and the gas-liquid separator;

[0026] a fourth branch, connected in parallel with the third branch, and a fifth throttling element is arranged in the fourth branch;

[0027] The fifth branch is connected in parallel with the first heat exchanger, and a solenoid valve is arranged on the fifth branch.

[0028] Optionally, a liquid reservoir and a filter are sequentially arranged between the first heat exchanger and the graded throttling assembly.

[0029] An energy storage container comprises the thermal management system described in any one of the above items.

[0030] The thermal management system provided by the present application is provided with a refrigerant circuit, and the refrigerant circuit includes a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a graded throttling component and a second heat exchanger connected in sequence. Among them, the first heat exchanger is used for heat exchange with the environment, and the second heat exchanger is used for heat exchange with the battery. The refrigerant flows from the compressor to the first heat exchanger, the graded throttling component and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circuit in sequence to cool the battery; the refrigerant flows from the compressor to the second heat exchanger, the graded throttling component and the first heat exchanger in the refrigerant circuit in sequence to heat the battery. In this way, the graded throttling component can throttle the refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchanger at least twice, and can throttle all the refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchanger into liquid refrigerant, and then make the throttled refrigerant flow evenly to multiple second heat exchangers. In this way, the throttled refrigerant can be evenly distributed among multiple batteries in the cooling mode, so that multiple batteries can be cooled more evenly, so that the temperature between multiple batteries can be uniform. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] 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.

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the thermal management system provided in this embodiment;

[0033] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the thermal management system in cooling mode;

[0034] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the thermal management system in the heating mode;

[0035] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the thermal management system in the heating mode at extremely low temperature;

[0036] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of a graded throttling component in another embodiment;

[0037] Figure 6 The figure is a schematic diagram of the structure of the thermal management system of the graded throttling component in another mode.

[0038] Figure 1-Figure 6 middle:

[0039] 1- compressor, 2- first heat exchanger, 3- second heat exchanger, 4- gas-liquid separator, 5- graded throttling assembly, 6- first branch pipe, 7- second branch pipe, 8- first branch, 9- second branch, 10- third heat exchanger, 11- multi-way valve, 12- third branch, 13- fourth branch, 14- fifth branch, 15- fifth throttling element, 16- solenoid valve, 17- liquid reservoir, 18- filter;

[0040] 501 - first throttle, 502 - first distribution head, 503 - second throttle, 504 - second distribution head, 505 - third throttle, 506 - fourth throttle, 507 - proportional valve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The present application provides a thermal management system and a vehicle including the thermal management system.

[0042] 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. Among them, Figures 2 to 4 The dashed arrow in the middle indicates the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit, and for ease of viewing, Figures 2 to 4 Delete the components and pipes through which the refrigerant does not flow.

[0043] like Figure 1-Figure 6 As 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 multiple batteries in the energy storage system. That is to say, the thermal management system is used to cool or heat the batteries so that the batteries are at a suitable operating temperature. The thermal management system includes a refrigerant circuit, which includes a compressor 1, a first heat exchanger 2, a graded throttling component 5 and a second heat exchanger 3 connected in sequence, wherein the first heat exchanger 2 is used to exchange heat with the environment, and the second heat exchanger 3 is used to exchange heat with multiple batteries. The thermal management system is mainly used to cool the battery. Specifically, when the temperature of the battery is higher than a preset value, the thermal management system needs to be used to cool the battery. Please refer to Figure 2The 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 graded throttling component 5, and the graded throttling component 5 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 3; the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flowing through the second heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat with the battery, and transfers the cold in the refrigerant to the battery to achieve cooling of the battery; then, the refrigerant with increased temperature flowing out of the second heat exchanger 3 flows back to the compressor 1, thereby completing a cooling cycle for the battery.

[0044] Here, a plurality of second heat exchangers 3 are arranged in parallel, and each second heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat with the corresponding battery, that is, each second heat exchanger 3 needs to convert the same amount of heat as the battery. Since when using a thermal management system to cool or heat the battery, it is necessary to ensure that the heat of each battery is within an appropriate temperature range, and each battery is in working condition at the same time, the temperature difference of each battery is not large. In this way, as long as the flow rate and temperature of the refrigerant flowing through each second heat exchanger 3 are the same, uniform cooling or heating of multiple batteries can be ensured, so that the temperature of each battery is within an appropriate range.

[0045] Specifically, the graded throttling component 5 can throttle the refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchanger 2 at least twice, and at least one throttling device is provided on the inlet side of each second heat exchanger 3, and the throttled refrigerant flows evenly to multiple second heat exchangers 3. Here, by providing the graded throttling component 5, it is possible to throttle the refrigerant after passing through the first heat exchanger 2 multiple times. On the one hand, it is possible to adjust the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing to each second heat exchanger 3 so that the flow rate and temperature of the refrigerant flowing through each second heat exchanger 3 are basically the same; on the other hand, the temperature of the refrigerant can be further reduced by throttling twice, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the second heat exchanger 3 and the heat storage battery.

[0046] Here, it is ensured that at least one throttling device is provided on the inlet side of each second heat exchanger 3, so as to ensure that the opening of the throttling device on the inlet side of each parallel second heat exchanger 3 is the same, so as to ensure that the refrigerant can flow evenly to each parallel second heat exchanger 3.

[0047] It should be noted that each second heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat with the same battery, which means that each second heat exchanger 3 is connected to the same number of batteries for heat exchange. For example, the second heat exchanger 3 and the battery are set one-to-one, or the second heat exchanger 3 and the battery are set one-to-many, that is, the number of batteries that need to be cooled or heated by each second heat exchanger 3 is the same.

[0048] It should also be noted that refrigerant, also known as refrigerant or refrigerant, is a working fluid used to transfer heat energy and produce a refrigeration effect in systems such as refrigeration and air conditioning. Refrigerant is a substance that easily absorbs heat to become a gas and easily releases heat to become a liquid, and achieves heat transfer through the process of evaporation and condensation. Refrigerants include but are not limited to Freon, alkanes, ammonia or carbon dioxide.

[0049] 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.

[0050] The thermal management system is provided with a graded throttling component 5, which can throttle the refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchanger 2 at least twice, and make the throttled refrigerant flow evenly to the plurality of second heat exchangers 3. Such a configuration can achieve uniform distribution of the throttled refrigerant among the plurality of batteries in the cooling mode, so that the plurality of batteries can be heated or cooled evenly, and the cooling or heating of the plurality of batteries can be achieved accurately.

[0051] In some embodiments, Figures 1 to 4As shown, the graded throttling assembly 5 includes a first throttling piece 501, a first distribution head 502, a second throttling piece 503 and a second distribution head 504, the first throttling piece 501 is connected to the first heat exchanger 2; the first distribution head 502 is connected to the first throttling piece 501, and has a plurality of first branch interfaces, and the plurality of first branch interfaces are respectively connected to a plurality of second heat exchangers 3 in parallel; the second throttling piece 503 is arranged one-to-one with the plurality of second heat exchangers 3, and are all arranged on the inlet side of the second heat exchanger 3; the second distribution head 504 has a plurality of second branch interfaces, and the plurality of second branch interfaces are respectively connected to a plurality of second heat exchangers 3 in parallel. Specifically, when the battery temperature is high and the battery needs to be cooled, the compressor 1 compresses the refrigerant into a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows to the first heat exchanger 2 and then exchanges heat with the environment to become a medium-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant. The medium-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows to the first throttling device 501. The first throttling device 501 throttles the medium-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant to change the refrigerant into a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant. Then, it flows to multiple second heat exchangers 3 arranged in parallel through multiple first branch interfaces of the first distribution head 502. Since a second throttling device 503 is arranged on the inlet side of each second heat exchanger 3, the second throttling device 503 is adjusted so that the refrigerant at the inlet of each second heat exchanger 3 The opening degrees of the second throttling members 503 on the port side are the same, so that the refrigerant flowing out of the first distribution head 502 can be evenly directed to a plurality of second heat exchangers 3 arranged in parallel, so that each second heat exchanger 3 obtains the same flow rate, and then the refrigerant flowing through each second heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat with the corresponding battery, so as to transfer approximately the same cold energy to different batteries respectively, and then the refrigerant flowing through different second heat exchangers 3 is collected to the second distribution head 504 through a plurality of second branch interfaces of the second distribution head 504, and then the refrigerant flows through the gas-liquid separator 4 and returns to the compressor 1, thereby completing a refrigeration cycle for the battery.

[0052] By setting the above-mentioned graded throttling component 5, the graded throttling of the refrigerant can be conveniently achieved, so that the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through each second heat exchanger 3 is the same. Since the amount of cold or heat carried by the refrigerant is approximately the same, and the working state of each battery is the same, the temperature of each battery is approximately the same. Such a setting can evenly achieve heat exchange for multiple batteries, improve the heat exchange effect of the batteries, and achieve uniform cooling or heating of the batteries first.

[0053] It should be noted that the number of times of graded throttling of the graded throttling component 5 is not limited here, and the graded throttling component 5 can also perform throttling three or more times.

[0054] Exemplarily, the first throttling element 501 and the second throttling element 503 may be one of an electronic expansion valve, a throttling valve or a capillary tube.

[0055] It should also be noted that the number of first sub-interfaces of the first distribution head 502 and the number of second sub-interfaces of the second distribution head 504 are not limited herein, and multiple first sub-interfaces and second sub-interfaces can be set, but the number of first sub-interfaces and second sub-interfaces must be equal, so as to achieve uniform diversion and collection of the refrigerant.

[0056] In some embodiments, the second throttle 503 is a mechanical valve. It should be noted that the second throttle 503 is set as a mechanical valve, that is, the opening of the second throttle 503 is adjusted by manual control of the operator. It should be noted that the second throttle 503 is the same orifice plate structure, and no adjustment operation is required to ensure the consistency of the opening of multiple second throttles 503 and reduce the difficulty of adjustment. Since the second heat exchanger 3 and the second throttle 503 are located on the customer side, that is, the area where the battery is located, and the compressor 1, the first heat exchanger 2, the gas-liquid separator 4 and the first throttle 501 are located on the unit side, the second throttle 503 is set as a mechanical valve, which can avoid setting a control component on the customer side, can make the overall control system of the entire thermal management system more streamlined, and can reduce the probability of failure of the thermal management system in the working process.

[0057] It should be noted that the second throttle 503 is set as a mechanical valve, wherein, when the refrigerant circuit is in the cooling mode, the second throttle 503 which is a mechanical valve can throttle the refrigerant flowing out of the first throttle 501 again, so as to throttle the refrigerant into liquid refrigerant and make the refrigerant flow evenly to different second heat exchangers 3, so as to achieve the effect of secondary throttling in the cooling mode; and, when the refrigerant circuit is in the heating mode, the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit is opposite to the flow direction of the refrigerant in the cooling mode, and the refrigerant flowing out of the second heat exchanger 3 flows through the second throttle 503 to the first heat exchanger 2. Since the second throttle 503 is a mechanical valve, the second throttle 503 is in a fully open state at this time, which will not affect the flow rate of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit. With such a setting, when the cooling mode is switched to the heating mode, there is no need to adjust the second throttle 503, which can improve the convenience of switching between the cooling mode and the heating mode, and can make the control logic of the thermal management circuit more streamlined.

[0058] In some embodiments, see Figure 5The first distribution head 502 and the second distribution head 504 are each provided with at least two, and the graded throttling assembly 5 also includes a first branch pipe 6 and a second branch pipe 7, wherein the first branch pipe 6 is connected to the first throttling member 501, and has at least two third branch interfaces, and the at least two third branch interfaces are respectively connected to at least two first distribution heads 502; the second branch pipe 7 is connected to the second throttling member 503, and has at least two fourth branch interfaces, and the at least two fourth branch interfaces are respectively connected to at least two second distribution heads 504. In this way, the low-temperature refrigerant after throttling by the first throttling device 501 flows to the first branch pipe 6, and respectively flows the refrigerant to at least two first distribution heads 502 through at least two third branch interfaces. Then, each distribution head flows the refrigerant to multiple parallel second heat exchangers 3 through multiple first branch interfaces. The refrigerant in the second heat exchanger 3 cools the corresponding batteries. Then, the refrigerant flowing through the multiple parallel second heat exchangers 3 flows to the second distribution head 504. At least two distribution heads collect the refrigerant to the second branch pipe 7 through at least two fourth connecting heads. Finally, the refrigerant flows through the gas-liquid separator 4 and then flows back to the compressor 1.

[0059] It should be noted that the number of the third branch interface of the first branch pipe 6 and the number of the fourth branch interface of the second branch pipe 7 are not limited here. Multiple third branch interfaces and fourth branch interfaces can be set, but the number of third branch interfaces and fourth branch interfaces must be equal, so as to achieve uniform diversion and collection of the refrigerant.

[0060] With such arrangement, when a large number of batteries are arranged, the refrigerant can be initially diverted through the first branch pipe 6 and the second branch pipe 7, and then diverted again through the first distribution head 502 and the second distribution head 504, so that the refrigerant can flow evenly to more second heat exchangers 3 arranged in parallel, so as to achieve heat exchange for a larger number of batteries. This can make the refrigerant flow more reasonable and improve the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant.

[0061] In some embodiments, the first heat exchanger 2 and the graded throttling assembly 5 are connected through a first branch 8, the second heat exchanger 3 and the compressor 1 are connected through a second branch 9, and the refrigerant circuit further includes a third heat exchanger 10, the third heat exchanger 10 includes a first heat exchange part and a second heat exchange part that exchanges heat with the first heat exchange part, and the first heat exchange part is located in the first branch 8, and the second heat exchange part is located in the second branch 9. In this way, in the cooling mode, the medium-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant after heat exchange with the environment in the first heat exchanger 2 flows to the first heat exchange part, and the lower-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant after heat exchange with the battery in the second heat exchanger 3 flows to the second heat exchange part and exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing through the first heat exchange part, so as to cool the refrigerant flowing to the first heat exchange part, thereby reducing the temperature of the refrigerant flowing to the graded throttling assembly 5, thereby making the dryness of the refrigerant flowing to the second heat exchanger 3 smaller, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the battery.

[0062] In some embodiments, see Figure 6 The graded throttling assembly 5 includes a third throttling member 505, a fourth throttling member 506, a first distribution head 502, a proportional valve 507 and a second distribution head 504. The third throttling member 505 is connected to the first heat exchanger 2; the fourth throttling member 506 is connected to the third throttling member 505 in series; the first distribution head 502 is connected to the fourth throttling member 506 and has a plurality of first tap interfaces, which are respectively connected to a plurality of second heat exchangers 3 in parallel; the proportional valve 507 is arranged one-to-one with the plurality of second heat exchangers 3, and is respectively arranged between the second heat exchanger 3 and the first tap interface; the second distribution head 504 has a plurality of second tap interfaces, which are respectively connected to a plurality of second heat exchangers 3 in parallel. Specifically, in the cooling mode, the first heat exchanger 2 exchanges heat between the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant and the external environment, and after the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant is exchanged with the medium-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant, the refrigerant is throttled to a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant through the third throttling member 505 and the fourth throttling member 506 connected in series for two-stage throttling. Then, the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flows to the first distribution head 502 and flows to the multiple first heat exchangers 2 through multiple first branch interfaces. Since a proportional valve 507 is provided on the inlet side of each first heat exchanger 2, the refrigerant can flow evenly to the multiple first heat exchangers 2 arranged in parallel by adjusting the opening of each proportional valve 507 to be the same. Then, the refrigerant flowing through each first heat exchanger 2 exchanges heat with the battery, and the refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchanger 2 is collected at the second branch interface until it flows back to the compressor 1. In addition, in the heating mode, the proportional valve 507 is controlled to be fully open, so that the switching between the heating mode and the cooling mode can be conveniently realized.

[0063] Exemplarily, the third throttling element 505 and the fourth throttling element 506 may be one of an electronic expansion valve, a throttling valve or a capillary tube.

[0064] In some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes a multi-way valve 11, the multi-way valve 11 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 4 ( Figure 1 c port), and a fourth port ( Figure 1d port), and in different modes, 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.

[0065] It should be noted that the first interface, the second interface, the third interface and the fourth interface are connected in pairs, which means that any two of the above four interfaces can be connected, and the remaining two can also be connected, so that the refrigerant circuit forms a closed loop.

[0066] It should also be noted that the multi-way valve 11 is a four-way valve, but it can also be a five-way valve, a six-way valve, etc.

[0067] Here, by setting a multi-way valve 11 respectively connected to the compressor 1, the first heat exchanger 2, the gas-liquid separator 4 and the second heat exchanger 3, the connection relationship between the compressor 1, the first heat exchanger 2, the gas-liquid separator 4 and the second heat exchanger 3 in the refrigerant circuit can be adjusted by connecting different interfaces of the multi-way valve 11, thereby realizing the switching of the cooling mode and the heating mode of the refrigerant circuit.

[0068] When the thermal management system works in an extremely low temperature environment, such as an environment of about -30°C, the refrigerant cannot obtain heat from the external environment through the first heat exchanger 2. Based on the above, in some embodiments, the thermal management system includes a third branch 12, a fourth branch 13 and a fifth branch 14, wherein the third branch 12 is provided with a compressor 1 and a gas-liquid separator 4; the fourth branch 13 is connected in parallel with the third branch 12, and a fifth throttling device 15 is provided in the fourth branch 13; the fifth branch 14 is connected in parallel with the first heat exchanger 2, and a solenoid valve 16 is provided on the fifth branch 14. Specifically, when the thermal management system is working in an extremely low temperature environment, the compressor 1 starts and closes the solenoid valve 16 located on the fifth branch 14. The compressor 1 compresses the refrigerant into a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant. The refrigerant flowing out of the compressor 1 will be divided into two parts; among them, a part of the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows to the second heat exchange part of the third heat exchanger 10 through the multi-way valve 11, flows to the second distribution head 504 after passing through the second heat exchange part, and flows to multiple second distribution heads 504 through multiple second branch interfaces of the second distribution head 504. The multiple second heat exchangers 3 respectively transfer heat to the corresponding batteries to achieve heating of the batteries. After that, the refrigerant flows to the first heat exchange part of the third heat exchanger 10, and exchanges heat with the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flowing through the second heat exchange part, thereby reducing the refrigerant flowing through the second heat exchange part. The refrigerant flowing through the first heat exchange part flows through the fifth branch 14 and then flows to the multi-way valve 11; the other part of the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows to the fourth branch 13, and the fifth throttling member 15 located in the fourth branch 13 throttles the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant to throttle the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant to medium-temperature and medium-pressure refrigerant. The medium-temperature and medium-pressure refrigerant merges with a part of the refrigerant flowing out of the multi-way valve 11, and the medium-temperature and medium-pressure refrigerant exchanges heat with a part of the refrigerant flowing out of the multi-way valve 11 to heat the refrigerant flowing out of the multi-way valve 11 and vaporize it into gas. In this way, the proportion of gaseous refrigerant in the refrigerant flowing into the gas-liquid separator 4 can be increased, thereby ensuring that the merged refrigerant flows through the gas-liquid separator 4 and then flows back to the compressor 1 in the form of gas, thereby avoiding damage to the compressor 1 due to the influx of liquid, thereby increasing the service life of the compressor 1.

[0069] Through the above settings, the human management system can work in extremely low temperature environments, improving the applicability of the thermal management system so that it can ensure that the battery is at a suitable operating temperature even in low-end environments.

[0070] In some embodiments, a accumulator 17 and a filter 18 are sequentially arranged between the first heat exchanger 2 and the graded throttling assembly 5. Specifically, the accumulator 17 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 accumulator 17 can provide sufficient refrigerant; when the system needs to reduce the refrigerant supply, the accumulator 17 can store excess refrigerant. The filter 18 is used to filter impurities in the refrigerant and protect the compressor 1: in the electric air-conditioning compressor 1, the filter 18 is used to filter impurities and particles in the refrigerant to prevent these impurities from entering the compressor 1, thereby preventing the compressor 1 from being blocked or damaged by impurities and failing to work properly. The filter 18 ensures that the refrigerant entering the compressor 1 is clean by filtering the refrigerant, avoiding the sudden impact of liquid refrigerant and circuit oil, thereby protecting the electric air-conditioning compressor 1 from damage. To ensure the normal operation of the thermal management system and the long-term stable use of the equipment.

[0071] In addition, it should be noted that a plurality of one-way valves are provided in the thermal management system to realize the control of the flow direction of the refrigerant. In addition, the flow direction of the refrigerant can also be adjusted by providing components such as on-off valves or solenoid valves.

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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.

[0075] 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] 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.

[0078] 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 to exchange heat for multiple batteries in an energy storage system, including a refrigerant circuit, the refrigerant circuit includes a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a graded throttling component and a second heat exchanger connected in sequence, the second heat exchanger exchanges heat with the multiple batteries, wherein: A plurality of the second heat exchangers are arranged in parallel, and each of the second heat exchangers exchanges heat with the corresponding battery respectively. The graded throttling component can throttle the refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchanger at least twice, and at least one throttling device is arranged on the inlet side of each of the second heat exchangers, so that the throttled refrigerant can flow evenly to the plurality of the second heat exchangers.

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The graded throttling component comprises: a first throttling element connected to the first heat exchanger; A first distribution head is connected to the first throttling member and has a plurality of first tapping ports, wherein the plurality of first tapping ports are respectively connected to a plurality of the second heat exchangers connected in parallel; A second throttling member is arranged one-to-one with the plurality of second heat exchangers and is arranged at the inlet side of the second heat exchanger; The second distribution head has a plurality of second tapping ports, and the plurality of second tapping ports are respectively connected to a plurality of the second heat exchangers connected in parallel.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second throttling element is a mechanical valve.

4. The thermal management system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first distribution head and the second distribution head are each provided with at least two, and the graded throttling assembly further comprises: A first branch pipe is connected to the first throttling member and has at least two third branch ports, wherein the at least two third branch ports are respectively connected to the at least two first distribution heads; The second branch pipe is connected to the second throttling member and has at least two fourth branch interfaces, and the at least two fourth branch interfaces are respectively connected to the at least two second distribution heads.

5. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first heat exchanger and the graded throttling assembly are connected via a first branch, the second heat exchanger and the compressor are connected via a second branch, the refrigerant circuit also includes a third heat exchanger, the third heat exchanger includes a first heat exchange part and a second heat exchange part that exchanges heat with the first heat exchange part, and the first heat exchange part is located in the first branch, and the second heat exchange part is located in the second branch.

6. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The graded throttling component comprises: a third throttling element connected to the first heat exchanger; a fourth throttling element connected in series with the third throttling element; A first distribution head connected to the fourth throttling element and having a plurality of first tap ports, wherein the plurality of first tap ports are respectively connected to the plurality of second heat exchangers connected in parallel; Proportional valves are arranged one-to-one with the plurality of second heat exchangers and are respectively arranged between the second heat exchangers and the first tapping ports; The second distribution head has a plurality of second tapping ports, and the plurality of second tapping ports are respectively connected to the plurality of second heat exchangers connected in parallel.

7. The thermal management system according to claim 5, 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 third heat exchanger, and in different modes, the first interface, the second interface, the third interface and the fourth interface are connected in pairs.

8. The thermal management system according to claim 7, characterized in that: include: The third branch is provided with the compressor and the gas-liquid separator; a fourth branch, connected in parallel with the third branch, and a fifth throttling element is arranged in the fourth branch; The fifth branch is connected in parallel with the first heat exchanger, and a solenoid valve is arranged on the fifth branch.

9. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A liquid reservoir and a filter are arranged in sequence between the first heat exchanger and the graded throttling assembly.

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

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