Vehicle thermal management system, control method, and vehicle

Abstract

The present application provides a vehicle thermal management system, control method, and vehicle, which are applied to the field of vehicle thermal management. The system includes: a battery liquid cooling circuit and a battery direct cooling circuit; the battery liquid cooling circuit includes a dual-medium cold plate, a coolant branch, and a motor water pump and radiator in the motor liquid cooling system; the dual-medium cold plate is arranged at the battery module of the vehicle, including a refrigerant flow channel and a coolant flow channel; the first end of the coolant branch is respectively connected to the first end of the radiator and the first end of the coolant flow channel, the second end of the coolant branch is connected to the first end of the motor water pump, and the second end of the motor water pump is respectively connected to the second end of the radiator and the second end of the coolant flow channel; the battery direct cooling circuit includes a refrigerant flow channel and a refrigerant system; the refrigerant flow channel is connected to the refrigerant system. The present application can use the battery direct cooling circuit and the battery liquid cooling circuit to cool the battery module at the same time, which can ensure that the battery module is cooled quickly and evenly, and can extend the service life of the battery module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of vehicle thermal management technology, and in particular to a vehicle thermal management system, a control method, and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] The vehicle's thermal management system is a critical system that ensures the vehicle remains within an optimal or near-optimal temperature range under various operating conditions. The vehicle's thermal management system maintains the operating temperature of the engine, battery modules, motors, and other key components, helping to ensure their efficient operation and extended service life while also ensuring passenger cabin comfort.

[0003] In the related art, when thermally managing a vehicle's battery module, the refrigerant in the vehicle's air conditioner is usually used to cool the battery module. However, the inventors have found that although this method has a high cooling efficiency, it can easily lead to large temperature differences between the battery cells in the battery module, and cannot take into account both the high cooling efficiency of the battery module and the temperature uniformity of the battery module. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a vehicle thermal management system, a control method, and a vehicle to solve the problem in related technologies that, when cooling the battery modules of a vehicle, it is impossible to achieve both high cooling efficiency and temperature uniformity of the battery modules.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a vehicle thermal management system that may include a battery liquid cooling circuit and a battery direct cooling circuit;

[0006] The battery liquid cooling circuit includes a dual-medium cold plate, a coolant branch, and a motor water pump and radiator in the motor liquid cooling system; the dual-medium cold plate is set at the battery module of the vehicle and includes a refrigerant flow channel and a coolant flow channel;

[0007] The first end of the coolant branch is connected to the first end of the radiator and the first end of the coolant flow channel respectively, the second end of the coolant branch is connected to the first end of the motor water pump, and the second end of the motor water pump is connected to the second end of the radiator and the second end of the coolant flow channel respectively;

[0008] When the battery liquid cooling circuit is working, the coolant flowing out of the motor water pump passes through the coolant branch, one path is cooled by the radiator, and then returns to the motor water pump. The other path flows into the coolant flow channel, cools the battery module, and then returns to the motor water pump.

[0009] The battery direct cooling circuit includes a refrigerant flow channel and a refrigerant system; the refrigerant flow channel is connected to the refrigerant system.

[0010] The thermal management system of the vehicle provided in the embodiment of the present application uses a dual-medium cold plate provided at the battery module of the vehicle, so that both refrigerant and coolant can flow through the battery module. The battery module can be cooled by either a battery direct cooling circuit or a battery liquid cooling circuit. The battery module can also be cooled by both a battery direct cooling circuit and a battery liquid cooling circuit. The battery direct cooling circuit uses a refrigerant to cool the battery module. The refrigerant uses the principle of phase change heat exchange and has a high cooling efficiency. The battery liquid cooling circuit uses a coolant to cool the battery module. The coolant uses the principle of temperature difference heat exchange, and the coolant has a large specific heat capacity and good temperature uniformity. When the battery direct cooling circuit and the battery liquid cooling circuit cool the battery module at the same time, it can ensure that the battery module is cooled quickly and evenly, which can extend the service life of the battery module. At the same time, when using the battery liquid cooling circuit to cool the battery module, the coolant flowing out of the motor water pump passes through the coolant branch, one path directly to the radiator for cooling, and another path directly into the coolant flow channel to cool the battery module, without passing through the motor in between. This can reduce cold loss, improve the efficiency of battery liquid cooling, and ensure rapid thermal management of the battery module. In addition, when the battery module experiences thermal runaway, the battery direct cooling circuit will not operate. Therefore, the battery liquid cooling circuit can be used to cool the battery module, preventing performance degradation or failure of the battery module.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the vehicle's thermal management system further includes a battery temperature equalization circuit;

[0012] The battery temperature equalization circuit includes a motor water pump, a coolant branch, and a coolant flow channel;

[0013] When the battery temperature equalization circuit is working, the coolant flowing out of the motor water pump passes through the coolant branch and the coolant flow channel in sequence and then returns to the motor water pump to equalize the temperature of the battery module.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present application, the vehicle's thermal management system is provided with a separate battery temperature equalization circuit, which can equalize the temperature of the battery module and quickly cool it down, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the individual battery cells in the battery module and lowering the temperature of the battery module to avoid the battery module temperature being too high or the temperature difference being too large, which affects the performance and life of the battery module.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the vehicle's thermal management system further includes a first battery liquid thermal circuit; the motor liquid cooling system further includes a motor subsystem;

[0016] The first battery liquid heat circuit includes a motor water pump, a motor subsystem and a coolant flow channel; the motor subsystem is connected in parallel with the coolant branch;

[0017] When the first battery liquid heat circuit is working, the coolant flowing out of the motor water pump is heated by the motor subsystem, flows into the coolant flow channel, heats the battery module, and then returns to the motor water pump.

[0018] In an embodiment of the present application, the vehicle's thermal management system is provided with a first battery liquid thermal circuit. When the temperature of the battery module is low, the battery module can be heated by the first battery liquid thermal circuit to prevent the battery module temperature from being too low. The first battery liquid thermal circuit heats the battery module by waste heat or active heat generation of the motor subsystem. Compared with the method of heating the battery module by a heating film in the related art, the weight and cost of the vehicle can be reduced. At the same time, the first battery liquid thermal circuit only connects the motor subsystem and the coolant flow channel, and does not pass through other possible heat absorption equipment, which can reduce heat loss and improve the heating efficiency of the battery module.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the battery liquid cooling circuit and the first battery liquid heating circuit both further include a first three-way valve;

[0020] A first end of the first three-way valve is connected to a first end of the motor water pump, a second end of the first three-way valve is connected to the motor subsystem, and a third end of the first three-way valve is connected to a second end of the coolant branch;

[0021] When the first battery liquid heat circuit is in operation, the first end of the first three-way valve is in communication with the second end of the first three-way valve;

[0022] When the battery liquid cooling circuit is working, the first end of the first three-way valve and the third end of the first three-way valve are in communication.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the battery liquid cooling circuit and the first battery liquid heating circuit both further include a second three-way valve;

[0024] The first end of the second three-way valve is connected to the second end of the radiator, the second end of the second three-way valve is connected to the second end of the motor water pump, and the third end of the second three-way valve is connected to the second end of the coolant flow channel;

[0025] When the first battery liquid heat circuit is in operation, the second end of the second three-way valve is connected to the third end of the second three-way valve;

[0026] When the battery liquid cooling circuit is working, the first end of the second three-way valve is connected to the second end of the second three-way valve, and the second end of the second three-way valve is connected to the third end of the second three-way valve.

[0027] The embodiment of the present application adds a first three-way valve and a second three-way valve, so that the working state of each circuit can be conveniently controlled by controlling the state of the first three-way valve and the second three-way valve.

[0028] In a possible implementation, a PTC heater is provided on the coolant branch;

[0029] The vehicle's thermal management system also includes a second battery liquid thermal circuit; the second battery liquid thermal circuit includes a motor water pump, a coolant branch and a coolant flow channel;

[0030] When the second battery liquid heat circuit is working, the coolant flowing out of the motor water pump is heated by the PTC heater in the coolant branch, flows into the coolant flow channel, heats the battery module, and then returns to the motor water pump.

[0031] In an embodiment of the present application, the vehicle's thermal management system is provided with a second battery liquid thermal circuit. When the battery temperature is low, the battery module can be heated by the second battery liquid thermal circuit to prevent the battery module temperature from being too low. In addition, when the motor in the first battery liquid thermal circuit is not working and the battery module needs to be heated, the second battery liquid thermal circuit can be controlled to work, which can avoid affecting the motor life and energy efficiency, and the efficiency of heating the battery module is higher.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the refrigerant system includes an evaporator, a compressor, and a condenser;

[0033] The first end of the refrigerant flow channel and the first end of the evaporator are both connected to the first end of the condenser, the second end of the refrigerant flow channel and the second end of the evaporator are both connected to the first end of the compressor, and the second end of the compressor is connected to the second end of the condenser;

[0034] When the battery direct cooling circuit is working, the refrigerant flowing out of the compressor flows through the condenser, enters the refrigerant flow channel, cools the battery module, and then returns to the compressor.

[0035] The embodiment of the present application can quickly cool down the battery module through the battery direct cooling circuit, with high cooling efficiency, and can be suitable for working conditions with high battery temperature. In addition, the battery direct cooling circuit and the battery temperature equalization circuit can be controlled to work simultaneously, which can avoid excessive temperature difference among the battery modules while quickly cooling down the battery module.

[0036] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a control method for a vehicle thermal management system, which is applied to the vehicle thermal management system in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect. The control method may include:

[0037] Obtain the maximum cell temperature of the battery module and the coolant temperature of the motor liquid cooling system;

[0038] When the maximum battery cell temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature, if the coolant temperature is less than or equal to the target temperature, the battery liquid cooling circuit is controlled to operate; the target temperature is the difference between the second preset temperature and the first temperature difference; the first temperature difference is the difference between the maximum battery cell temperature and the first preset temperature; the second preset temperature is less than the first preset temperature;

[0039] When the maximum battery cell temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature, if the coolant temperature is greater than the target temperature, the battery direct cooling circuit is controlled to operate.

[0040] In the embodiment of the present application, when the maximum cell temperature of the battery module is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature, that is, when the maximum cell temperature of the battery module is higher than the upper limit of its normal operating temperature range, the temperature of the battery module can be reduced by controlling the operation of the battery liquid cooling circuit or the battery direct cooling circuit; in addition, since the temperature difference of the battery module may become larger when the battery direct cooling circuit is used to cool the battery module, and under the premise that the battery liquid cooling circuit can achieve the purpose of cooling the battery module, the battery liquid cooling circuit is used to cool the battery module, and the energy consumption is lower. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, when the battery module has a cooling demand and the coolant temperature can meet the conditions for cooling the battery module, the battery liquid cooling circuit is used to cool the battery module first, which can reduce the temperature difference between the cells in the battery module and reduce energy consumption; when the battery module has a cooling demand but the coolant temperature cannot meet the conditions, the battery direct cooling circuit is used to cool the battery module, which can improve the cooling efficiency.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the vehicle's thermal management system includes a battery temperature equalization circuit;

[0042] The control method of the vehicle thermal management system further includes:

[0043] When thermal runaway of the battery module is detected, the battery temperature equalization circuit is controlled to operate and the battery direct cooling circuit is prohibited from operating.

[0044] In an embodiment of the present application, if thermal runaway occurs in the battery module, if the battery direct cooling circuit is working, the thermal runaway of the battery module may become more serious and the risk of electrical failure may be increased. Therefore, when the battery module is thermally runaway, the battery direct cooling circuit is prohibited from working, and the battery temperature equalization circuit is controlled to work at the same time, so that the battery module can be cooled quickly and the temperature difference can be reduced.

[0045] In one possible implementation, the vehicle's thermal management system includes a battery temperature equalization circuit;

[0046] The control method of the vehicle thermal management system further includes:

[0047] When the battery direct cooling circuit is working, obtain the lowest cell temperature of the battery module;

[0048] Calculating a second temperature difference between the maximum battery cell temperature and the minimum battery cell temperature, and a third temperature difference between the minimum battery cell temperature and the coolant temperature;

[0049] If the second temperature difference is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature difference, and the third temperature difference is greater than or equal to the second preset temperature difference, the battery temperature equalization circuit is controlled to operate.

[0050] In the embodiment of the present application, since the battery direct cooling circuit may cause a large temperature difference in the battery module when it is working, it is necessary to detect whether the temperature difference of the battery module is too large when the battery direct cooling circuit is working. In addition, the battery direct cooling circuit is working, which means that the battery module needs to be cooled. Therefore, it is also necessary to detect whether the coolant temperature can meet the conditions for cooling the battery module. If the second temperature difference is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature difference, it means that the temperature difference of the battery module is too large. If the third temperature difference is greater than or equal to the second preset temperature difference, it means that the coolant temperature can meet the conditions for cooling the battery module. Then the battery temperature equalization circuit can be controlled to work, thereby reducing the temperature difference of the battery module while cooling the battery module.

[0051] In one possible implementation, a thermal management system for a vehicle includes a first battery fluid thermal loop;

[0052] The control method of the vehicle thermal management system further includes:

[0053] Get the minimum cell temperature of the battery module;

[0054] When the battery module is in a discharging state and the lowest battery cell temperature is less than or equal to a third preset temperature, calculating a third temperature difference between the coolant temperature and the lowest battery cell temperature; the third preset temperature is less than the first preset temperature;

[0055] If the third temperature difference is greater than or equal to the third preset temperature difference, and the coolant temperature is less than or equal to the fourth preset temperature, the first battery liquid heat circuit is controlled to operate; the fourth preset temperature is greater than the third preset temperature.

[0056] In an embodiment of the present application, when the battery module is in a discharging state and the lowest battery cell temperature is less than or equal to the third preset temperature, it means that the battery module is in a discharging and low-temperature state. At this time, if the third temperature difference is greater than or equal to the third preset temperature difference, it means that the coolant temperature at this time can meet the conditions for heating the battery module. At the same time, the coolant temperature is less than or equal to the fourth preset temperature, which means that the coolant temperature at this time will not be too high, avoiding damage to the battery module. The first battery liquid heat circuit can be controlled to work, and the waste heat of the motor subsystem can be used to heat the battery module, so as to realize waste heat recovery of the motor subsystem and avoid energy waste.

[0057] In a possible implementation, after obtaining the lowest cell temperature of the battery module, the method further includes:

[0058] When the battery module is in a charging state and the lowest battery cell temperature is less than or equal to a fifth preset temperature, the first battery liquid thermal circuit is controlled to operate and the motor in the first battery liquid thermal circuit is controlled to be blocked; the fifth preset temperature is greater than the third preset temperature, and the fifth preset temperature is less than the first preset temperature.

[0059] In an embodiment of the present application, when the battery module is in a charging state and the lowest battery cell temperature is less than or equal to the fifth preset temperature, it indicates that the battery module is in a charging and low-temperature state. At this time, the first battery liquid thermal circuit can be controlled to operate. Since the motor is in a non-working state when the battery module is in a charging state, the motor in the first battery liquid thermal circuit can be controlled to be blocked so that the motor actively generates heat, so that the coolant in the first battery liquid thermal circuit can absorb the heat generated by the motor, heat the battery module, and make the temperature of the battery module within a temperature range suitable for charging, thereby improving the charging efficiency.

[0060] In one possible implementation, the vehicle's thermal management system further includes a second battery liquid thermal circuit;

[0061] After obtaining the minimum cell temperature of the battery module, the following steps are also performed:

[0062] When the battery module is in a charging state and the lowest battery cell temperature is less than or equal to a fifth preset temperature, the second battery liquid thermal circuit is controlled to operate; the fifth preset temperature is greater than the third preset temperature, and the fifth preset temperature is less than the first preset temperature.

[0063] In the embodiment of the present application, in the embodiment of the present application, when the battery module is in a charging state and the lowest battery cell temperature is less than or equal to the fifth preset temperature, it indicates that the battery module is in a charging and low-temperature state. At this time, the second battery liquid thermal circuit can be controlled to operate, and the coolant is heated by the PTC heater in the second battery liquid thermal circuit to heat the battery module. Compared with the method of using a motor stalled to heat the battery module, using the second battery liquid thermal circuit to heat the battery module is more efficient.

[0064] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a control device for a vehicle thermal management system, which is applied to the vehicle thermal management system in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect. The control device may include:

[0065] An acquisition module is used to obtain the maximum cell temperature of the battery module and the coolant temperature of the motor liquid cooling system;

[0066] a first control module, configured to control the battery liquid cooling circuit to operate when the maximum battery cell temperature is greater than or equal to a first preset temperature and the coolant temperature is less than or equal to a target temperature; the target temperature is the difference between the second preset temperature and the first temperature difference; the first temperature difference is the difference between the maximum battery cell temperature and the first preset temperature; and the second preset temperature is less than the first preset temperature;

[0067] The second control module is used to control the battery direct cooling circuit to operate when the maximum battery cell temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature and the coolant temperature is greater than the target temperature.

[0068] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program that can be run on the processor, and when the processor executes the computer program, it implements the control method of the thermal management system of the vehicle as described in the second aspect or any possible implementation method of the second aspect.

[0069] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a vehicle, comprising a thermal management system of the vehicle as in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0070] In a possible implementation, the vehicle may further include the electronic device as described in the fourth aspect; the thermal management system of the vehicle is controlled by the electronic device.

[0071] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the control method of the thermal management system of the vehicle as described in the second aspect or any possible implementation method of the second aspect.

[0072] It can be understood that the beneficial effects of the third to sixth aspects mentioned above can be found in the relevant descriptions in the first and / or second aspects mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0073] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0074] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or descriptions of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0075] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle thermal management system provided by one embodiment of the present application;

[0076] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle thermal management system provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0077] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle thermal management system provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0078] Figure 4 1 is a flow chart of a method for controlling a thermal management system of a vehicle provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0079] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of a control device for a vehicle thermal management system provided by one embodiment of the present application;

[0080] Figure 6 It is a structural diagram of an electronic device provided in one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0081] The present application will be described more clearly below with reference to specific embodiments. The following embodiments will help those skilled in the art further understand the function of the present application, but are not intended to limit the present application in any form. It should be noted that those skilled in the art may make a number of modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present application. These all fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0082] It should be understood that when used in the present specification and the appended claims, the term "comprising" indicates the presence of described features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or collections thereof.

[0083] It will also be understood that the term "and / or" used in this specification and the appended claims refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0084] In the description of this application specification and the appended claims, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used to distinguish the descriptions and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0085] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in this specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment is included in one or more embodiments of the present application. Thus, phrases such as "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," and "in other embodiments" appearing in various places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more but not all embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "including," "comprising," "having," and variations thereof all mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0086] In addition, the “plurality” mentioned in the embodiments of the present application should be interpreted as two or more.

[0087] The vehicle's thermal management system can regulate the temperature of the vehicle's battery modules so that the battery modules can operate efficiently and extend their service life. In related technologies, only the refrigerant in the vehicle's air conditioner is used to perform thermal management on the vehicle's battery modules. The refrigerant can usually only cool the battery modules, and the principle of thermal management by the refrigerant is phase change heat transfer. When the refrigerant absorbs heat, it will undergo a phase change from liquid to gas. Although the cooling efficiency is high, the cooling capacity of the refrigerant will change significantly during this process. For example, when the refrigerant cools the battery module, it may be in a liquid state at the beginning and become a gas after absorbing heat, which may cause the cooling effect of the refrigerant at different positions of the battery module to be inconsistent, which may easily cause a large temperature difference between the battery cells in the battery module, which may easily affect the performance and life of the battery module. Among them, the battery module refers to the vehicle's power battery module, which may include multiple battery cells.

[0088] To address the above-mentioned issues, liquid cooling is used in related technologies to cool down battery modules. The principle of liquid cooling is heat exchange through temperature differences, and the specific heat capacity of the coolant is relatively large. When liquid cooling is used to cool down battery modules, it usually does not cause a large temperature difference in the battery modules. However, the inventors of this application discovered that in related technologies, when liquid cooling is used to cool down battery modules, the coolant must first pass through the motor, and the heat from the motor will be transferred to the passing coolant, causing the temperature of the coolant to rise, resulting in a certain amount of cold loss, which reduces the efficiency of liquid cooling of the battery modules.

[0089] Therefore, whether direct cooling or liquid cooling is used to cool the battery module, it is impossible to achieve both high cooling efficiency and temperature uniformity of the battery module, that is, it is impossible to achieve rapid and uniform cooling of the battery module.

[0090] In order to solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present application provides a vehicle thermal management system. By setting a dual-medium cold plate at the battery module of the vehicle, both refrigerant and coolant can flow through the battery module. The battery module can be cooled by using a battery direct cooling circuit or a battery liquid cooling circuit. The battery module can also be cooled by using a battery direct cooling circuit and a battery liquid cooling circuit at the same time to ensure that the battery module is cooled quickly and evenly, which can extend the service life of the battery module. When the battery liquid cooling circuit is used to cool the battery module, the coolant flowing out of the motor water pump passes through the coolant branch, and one path directly reaches the radiator for cooling, and the other path directly flows into the coolant flow channel to cool the battery module without passing through the motor in the middle, thereby reducing cold loss, improving the battery liquid cooling efficiency, and ensuring rapid thermal management of the battery module.

[0091] Reference below Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the thermal management system of the vehicle provided, combined with Figure 2 and Figure 3 To describe the thermal management system of a vehicle provided according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. Figures 1 to 3 The illustrations are only provided to facilitate understanding of the spirit and principles of the present application, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited in this regard.

[0092] See also Figure 1 , an embodiment of the present application provides a vehicle thermal management system, which may include a battery liquid cooling circuit and a battery direct cooling circuit;

[0093] The battery liquid cooling circuit includes a dual-medium cold plate 2, a coolant branch 4, and a motor water pump 3 and a radiator 5 in the motor liquid cooling system; the dual-medium cold plate 2 is arranged at the battery module 1 of the vehicle and includes a refrigerant flow channel and a coolant flow channel;

[0094] The first end of the coolant branch 4 is connected to the first end of the radiator 5 and the first end of the coolant flow channel respectively, the second end of the coolant branch 4 is connected to the first end of the motor water pump 3, and the second end of the motor water pump 3 is connected to the second end of the radiator 5 and the second end of the coolant flow channel respectively;

[0095] When the battery liquid cooling circuit is working, the coolant flowing out of the motor water pump 3 passes through the coolant branch 4, is cooled by the radiator 5 on one side, and then returns to the motor water pump 3. The other side flows into the coolant flow channel, cools the battery module 1, and then returns to the motor water pump 3.

[0096] The battery direct cooling circuit includes a refrigerant flow channel and a refrigerant system; the refrigerant flow channel is connected to the refrigerant system.

[0097] The dual-medium cold plate 2 includes a refrigerant flow channel and a coolant flow channel. The refrigerant flow channel flows through the refrigerant, while the coolant flow channel flows through the coolant. The refrigerant can be a refrigerant such as R134a or R1234yf. The coolant can be water, an ethylene glycol mixture, a propylene glycol mixture, or the like.

[0098] In the dual-medium cold plate 2, the refrigerant flow channels and the coolant flow channels can be arranged alternately. The refrigerant flow channels and the coolant flow channels can both be labyrinth flow channels, multiple U-shaped flow channels connected in sequence, wavy flow channels or S-shaped curved flow channels, etc.

[0099] The dual-medium cold plate 2 may be disposed at the battery module 1 of the vehicle to perform thermal management on the battery module 1 through the refrigerant and / or coolant flowing therethrough.

[0100] In the battery liquid cooling circuit, the second end of the coolant branch 4 can selectively communicate with the first end of the motor water pump 3, and the second end of the motor water pump 3 can selectively communicate with the second end of the radiator 5 and the second end of the coolant flow channel. When the second end of the coolant branch 4 is connected to the first end of the motor water pump 3, and the second end of the motor water pump 3 is connected to the second end of the radiator 5 and the second end of the coolant flow channel, the battery liquid cooling circuit is in operation, cooling the battery module 1. Whether each of the aforementioned components is connected can be controlled accordingly, and this will not be further described here.

[0101] When the battery liquid cooling circuit is working, the coolant can circulate in it. The motor water pump 3 can be used to promote the circulation of the coolant in the circuit and can adjust the flow rate of the coolant. The coolant flowing out of the motor water pump 3 is divided into two paths after passing through the coolant branch 4: one path of coolant is cooled by the radiator 5 and returns to the motor water pump 3. When the coolant flows through the radiator 5, it can exchange heat with the external air and dissipate heat; the other path of coolant flows into the coolant flow channel, cools the battery module 1, and then returns to the motor water pump 3. In the coolant flow channel, the coolant can exchange heat with the battery module 1, absorb the heat of the battery module 1, and reduce the temperature of the battery module 1. The temperature of the coolant passing through the coolant flow channel will increase, but after merging with the coolant passing through the radiator 5, the temperature will decrease. The radiator 5 can be a low-temperature radiator.

[0102] In the embodiment of the present application, the coolant branch 4 is a pipe through which the coolant flows, and the coolant branch 4 does not flow through any device.

[0103] See also Figure 1 The motor liquid cooling system may include the motor water pump 3, the radiator 5, and the motor subsystem. The motor liquid cooling system may also be referred to as a motor liquid cooling circuit, wherein the motor water pump 3, the motor subsystem, and the radiator 5 are connected in series to form a circuit. The motor subsystem may include an OBC three-in-one 6 and a motor 7 connected in series. The OBC three-in-one 6 may include an OBC (On-Board Charger), a PDU (Power Distribution Unit / High-Voltage Distribution Box), and a DC-DC (Direct Current-Direct Current) converter. Figure 1 A first temperature sensor 8 can be provided at the inlet of the motor 7 to collect the inlet temperature of the motor 7 .

[0104] The battery liquid cooling circuit provided in the embodiment of the present application is connected to the above-mentioned radiator 5 and does not pass through the above-mentioned motor subsystem. Therefore, it does not exchange heat with the motor subsystem, which can reduce cooling loss.

[0105] In some possible implementations, see Figure 1The motor liquid cooling system further includes a first overflow tank 9 connected between the radiator 5 and the motor water pump 3. Correspondingly, the battery liquid cooling circuit further includes the first overflow tank 9, and the second end of the radiator 5 is connected to the second end of the motor water pump 3 through the first overflow tank 9.

[0106] In the battery direct cooling circuit, the refrigerant flow channel can selectively connect to the refrigerant system. When connected, the battery direct cooling circuit circulates and operates, cooling the battery module 1. Whether the refrigerant flow channel is connected to the refrigerant system can be controlled through appropriate controls and will not be further explained here.

[0107] When the battery direct cooling circuit is in operation, refrigerant can flow through it. When the refrigerant flows through the refrigerant flow channel, it can cool the battery module 1.

[0108] In an embodiment of the present application, the battery module 1 can be cooled by a battery direct cooling circuit and / or a battery liquid cooling circuit. Under different working conditions, it can be determined which method to use to cool the battery module 1. For example, although the cooling efficiency of the battery direct cooling circuit is high, the battery direct cooling circuit is likely to cause a large temperature difference in the battery module 1. Therefore, under the working condition that the battery liquid cooling circuit can cool the battery module 1, the battery liquid cooling circuit is preferably used to cool the battery module 1. Under the working condition that the battery liquid cooling circuit cannot cool the battery module 1, the battery direct cooling circuit is used to cool the battery module 1, or the battery direct cooling circuit and the battery liquid cooling circuit are used together to cool the battery module 1. For example, when the battery module 1 is in a high-temperature environment, the battery liquid cooling circuit may not be able to lower the temperature of the battery module 1 or cannot quickly lower the temperature. At this time, the battery direct cooling circuit can be used, that is, the refrigerant system can be used to exchange heat with the external environment through the condenser 10 to achieve cooling of the battery module 1, or the battery direct cooling circuit and the battery liquid cooling circuit can be used to work together to achieve rapid and uniform cooling of the battery module 1; when the power battery is in a low-temperature and normal-temperature environment, if cooling is required, the battery liquid cooling circuit can be used for cooling, and heat is exchanged with the external environment through the radiator 5; when the temperature difference of the battery module 1 is large, if the battery direct cooling circuit is used for cooling, the temperature difference will be even greater, so the battery liquid cooling circuit can be used for cooling; and so on.

[0109] In situations where the direct battery cooling circuit is inoperable, the battery liquid cooling circuit can be used to cool the battery module 1. For example, if the battery module 1 experiences thermal runaway, the direct battery cooling circuit is not allowed to operate. In this case, the battery liquid cooling circuit can be activated to cool the battery module 1 and prevent performance degradation or failure of the battery module 1.

[0110] It should be noted that the above-mentioned working conditions are only examples. In actual applications, there may be more working conditions. You can choose a battery direct cooling circuit or a battery liquid cooling circuit according to actual needs.

[0111] The thermal management system of the vehicle provided in the embodiment of the present application uses a dual-medium cold plate 2 provided at the battery module 1 of the vehicle, so that both refrigerant and coolant can flow through the battery module 1. The battery module 1 can be cooled by either a battery direct cooling circuit or a battery liquid cooling circuit. The battery module 1 can also be cooled by both a battery direct cooling circuit and a battery liquid cooling circuit. The battery direct cooling circuit uses a refrigerant to cool the battery module 1. The refrigerant uses the principle of phase change heat exchange and has a high cooling efficiency. The battery liquid cooling circuit uses a coolant to cool the battery module 1. The coolant uses the principle of temperature difference heat exchange, and the coolant has a large specific heat capacity and good temperature uniformity. When the battery direct cooling circuit and the battery liquid cooling circuit cool the battery module 1 at the same time, it can ensure that the battery module is cooled quickly and evenly, which can extend the service life of the battery module. At the same time, when the battery liquid cooling circuit is used to cool the battery module 1, the coolant flowing out of the motor water pump 3 passes through the coolant branch 4, one path directly reaching the radiator 5 for cooling, and the other path directly flowing into the coolant flow channel to cool the battery module 1, without passing through the motor 7 in the middle. This can reduce cold loss, improve the battery liquid cooling efficiency, and ensure rapid thermal management of the battery module. Cooling the battery module 1 through the battery liquid cooling circuit can reduce the temperature difference of the battery module 1 and improve the performance and life of the battery module 1. In addition, when the battery module 1 experiences thermal runaway, the battery direct cooling circuit cannot operate. Therefore, the battery liquid cooling circuit can be used to cool the battery module 1 to avoid performance degradation or failure of the battery module 1.

[0112] In the above description, it is mentioned that there may be a large temperature difference between the battery cells in the battery module 1. In order to further reduce the temperature difference between the battery cells, the vehicle's thermal management system can also include a battery temperature equalization circuit for quickly reducing the temperature difference between the battery cells and quickly cooling them.

[0113] In some embodiments, see Figure 1 ,The vehicle’s thermal management system also includes a battery temperature equalization circuit;

[0114] The battery temperature equalization circuit includes a motor water pump 3, a coolant branch 4 and a coolant flow channel;

[0115] When the battery temperature equalization circuit is working, the coolant flowing out of the motor water pump 3 passes through the coolant branch 4 and the coolant flow channel in sequence and then returns to the motor water pump 3 to equalize the temperature of the battery module 1.

[0116] See also Figure 1In the battery temperature equalization circuit, the motor water pump 3, the coolant branch 4 and the coolant flow channel are connected in series to form a circuit. The motor water pump 3 and the coolant branch 4, as well as the motor water pump 3 and the coolant flow channel can be selectively connected. When the motor water pump 3 and the coolant branch 4, as well as the motor water pump 3 and the coolant flow channel are connected, the battery temperature equalization circuit is connected, and the battery temperature equalization circuit works to quickly equalize the temperature and / or quickly cool down the battery module 1. Among them, whether the above-mentioned motor water pump 3 and the coolant branch 4, as well as the motor water pump 3 and the coolant flow channel are connected can be achieved through corresponding control, which will not be repeated here.

[0117] When the battery temperature equalization circuit is operating, the motor water pump 3 can adjust the coolant flow rate, accelerating the coolant flow rate. Furthermore, when the battery temperature equalization circuit is operating, only the motor water pump 3 is operating in the entire circuit, and the coolant only exchanges heat with the battery modules 1, without any other heat exchange. Therefore, the temperature difference between the battery modules 1 can be quickly reduced, balancing the temperature of the battery modules 1. Furthermore, when the coolant temperature is lower than that of the battery modules 1, the battery modules 1 can be quickly cooled.

[0118] When thermal runaway occurs in the battery module 1 or when the temperature difference between the cells of the battery module 1 is large, the battery temperature equalization circuit can be controlled to operate to cool or equalize the temperature of the battery module 1.

[0119] In an embodiment of the present application, the vehicle's thermal management system is provided with a separate battery temperature equalization circuit, which can equalize the temperature of the battery module 1 and quickly cool it down, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the individual battery cells in the battery module 1 and lowering the temperature of the battery module 1, thereby avoiding the battery module 1 having a temperature that is too high or a temperature difference that is too large, which affects the performance and life of the battery module 1.

[0120] In addition to the requirements of cooling and temperature equalization, the battery module 1 may also need to be heated. For example, when the ambient temperature is low, the battery module 1 is charged. If the temperature of the battery module 1 is low, the charging efficiency is low. Therefore, the battery module 1 needs to be heated. However, in the related art, only the refrigerant in the vehicle's air conditioner is used to perform thermal management on the vehicle's battery module 1. The refrigerant can usually only cool the battery module 1, and the heating effect on the battery module 1 is not ideal. Therefore, a heating film needs to be installed. When the battery module 1 needs to be heated, the battery module 1 is heated by the heating film. However, this heating method will undoubtedly increase the weight and cost of the entire vehicle. In order to solve this problem, the thermal management system of the vehicle provided in the embodiment of the present application may also include a first battery liquid thermal circuit to achieve liquid thermal heating of the battery module 1.

[0121] In some embodiments, see Figure 1 , the vehicle's thermal management system also includes a first battery liquid thermal loop; the motor liquid cooling system also includes a motor subsystem;

[0122] The first battery liquid heat circuit includes a motor water pump 3, a motor subsystem and a coolant flow channel; the motor subsystem is connected in parallel with the coolant branch 4;

[0123] When the first battery liquid heat circuit is working, the coolant flowing out of the motor water pump 3 is heated by the motor subsystem, flows into the coolant flow channel, heats the battery module 1, and then returns to the motor water pump 3.

[0124] See also Figure 1 In the first battery liquid heat circuit, the motor water pump 3, the motor subsystem, and the coolant flow channel are connected in series to form a loop. The first end of the motor subsystem is connected to the first end of the coolant flow channel, and the second end of the motor subsystem is connected to the first end of the motor water pump 3.

[0125] The motor water pump 3 and the motor subsystem, as well as the motor water pump 3 and the coolant flow channel, can be selectively connected. When both the motor water pump 3 and the motor subsystem, and the motor water pump 3 and the coolant flow channel are connected, the first battery liquid thermal circuit is connected and operates, heating and raising the temperature of the battery module 1. Whether the motor water pump 3 and the motor subsystem, as well as the motor water pump 3 and the coolant flow channel are connected can be achieved through corresponding control, which will not be detailed here.

[0126] When the battery module 1 needs to be heated, for example, when the battery module 1 is in an extremely low temperature environment, it needs to be heated. At this time, the first battery liquid heat circuit can be controlled to operate. If the motor 7 in the first battery liquid heat circuit is in a working state, the coolant flowing out of the motor water pump 3 can absorb the waste heat (residual heat) generated by the motor 7 when it is working, recover the waste heat, and then pass through the coolant flow channel to heat the battery module 1. If the motor 7 in the first battery liquid heat circuit is not in a working state, the motor 7 can be controlled to actively block and generate heat for the coolant to absorb heat, thereby heating the battery module 1.

[0127] When the first battery liquid heat circuit is working, the coolant flowing out of the motor water pump 3 only flows through the motor subsystem to absorb heat, and then enters the coolant flow channel to heat the battery module 1. It does not pass through other heat-absorbing equipment in the middle, which can reduce heat loss and improve heating efficiency.

[0128] In an embodiment of the present application, the vehicle's thermal management system is provided with a first battery liquid thermal circuit. When the battery temperature is low, the battery module 1 can be heated by the first battery liquid thermal circuit to prevent the battery module 1 from being too cold. The first battery liquid thermal circuit heats the battery module 1 by waste heat from the motor subsystem or active heat generation. Compared with the method of using a heating film in the related art, the weight and cost of the vehicle can be reduced. At the same time, the first battery liquid thermal circuit only connects the motor subsystem and the coolant flow channel, and does not pass through other possible heat absorption equipment, which can reduce heat loss and improve the heating efficiency of the battery module 1.

[0129] The above embodiments introduce multiple circuits in the thermal management system of a vehicle. However, how to control whether each circuit is working needs to be achieved through valves, which is described in detail below.

[0130] In some embodiments, the battery liquid cooling circuit and the first battery liquid heating circuit both further include a first three-way valve 14;

[0131] A first end of the first three-way valve 14 is connected to a first end of the motor water pump 3 , a second end of the first three-way valve 14 is connected to the motor subsystem, and a third end of the first three-way valve 14 is connected to a second end of the coolant branch 4 ;

[0132] When the first battery liquid heat circuit is operating, the first end of the first three-way valve 14 and the second end of the first three-way valve 14 are in communication;

[0133] When the battery liquid cooling circuit is working, the first end of the first three-way valve 14 and the third end of the first three-way valve 14 are in communication.

[0134] The second end of the first three-way valve 14 is connected to the second end of the motor subsystem.

[0135] The battery temperature equalization circuit further includes the first three-way valve 14. When the battery temperature equalization circuit is in operation, the first end of the first three-way valve 14 is in communication with the third end of the first three-way valve 14.

[0136] In some embodiments, the battery liquid cooling circuit and the first battery liquid heating circuit both further include a second three-way valve 13;

[0137] A first end of the second three-way valve 13 is connected to the second end of the radiator 5 , a second end of the second three-way valve 13 is connected to the second end of the motor water pump 3 , and a third end of the second three-way valve 13 is connected to the second end of the coolant flow channel;

[0138] When the first battery liquid heat circuit is working, the second end of the second three-way valve 13 and the third end of the second three-way valve 13 are connected;

[0139] When the battery liquid cooling circuit is working, the first end of the second three-way valve 13 is connected to the second end of the second three-way valve 13, and the second end of the second three-way valve 13 is connected to the third end of the second three-way valve 13, that is, the coolant flowing into the first end of the second three-way valve 13 and the third end of the second three-way valve 13 converges to the second end of the second three-way valve 13 and then flows out to the motor water pump 3.

[0140] The battery temperature equalization circuit further includes the second three-way valve 13. When the battery temperature equalization circuit is in operation, the second end of the second three-way valve 13 is in communication with the third end of the second three-way valve 13.

[0141] The embodiment of the present application adds a first three-way valve 14 and a second three-way valve 13 , so that the working state of each circuit can be conveniently controlled by controlling the state of the first three-way valve 14 and the second three-way valve 13 .

[0142] The aforementioned embodiment describes a vehicle thermal management system including a first battery liquid heat circuit. However, the first battery liquid heat circuit requires the motor 7 to be in operation in order to absorb the waste heat of the motor 7 and heat the battery module 1. If the motor 7 is not in operation, the motor 7 must be actively locked to heat the battery module 1. This may reduce energy efficiency and may also cause the motor 7 to overheat and mechanically wear, shortening the life of the motor 7. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application also provides a second battery liquid heat circuit to heat the battery module 1 when the motor 7 is not in operation and the battery module 1 needs to be heated.

[0143] In some embodiments, see Figure 2 A PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient, positive temperature coefficient / positive temperature coefficient thermistor) heater 17 is provided on the coolant branch 4;

[0144] The vehicle's thermal management system also includes a second battery liquid thermal circuit; the second battery liquid thermal circuit includes a motor water pump 3, a coolant branch 4 and a coolant flow channel;

[0145] When the second battery liquid heat circuit is working, the coolant flowing out of the motor water pump 3 is heated by the PTC heater 17 of the coolant branch 4, flows into the coolant flow channel, heats the battery module 1, and then returns to the motor water pump 3.

[0146] See also Figure 2 In the second battery liquid heat circuit, the motor water pump 3, the coolant branch 4 and the coolant flow channel are connected in series to form a loop.

[0147] The motor water pump 3 and the coolant branch 4, as well as the motor water pump 3 and the coolant flow channel, can be selectively connected. When both the motor water pump 3 and the coolant branch 4, as well as the motor water pump 3 and the coolant flow channel, are connected, the first battery liquid thermal circuit is connected. At this time, the PTC heater 17 is controlled to operate, and the first battery liquid thermal circuit operates to heat and increase the temperature of the battery module 1. Whether the motor water pump 3 and the coolant branch 4, as well as the motor water pump 3 and the coolant flow channel are connected can be achieved through corresponding control, which will not be repeated here.

[0148] When the battery module 1 needs to be heated, for example, when the battery module 1 is in an extremely low temperature environment, it is necessary to heat it. At this time, if the motor 7 in the first battery liquid heat circuit is not operating, in order to avoid affecting the energy efficiency and the life of the motor 7, the second battery liquid heat circuit can be controlled to operate. The efficiency of heating the battery module 1 through the second battery liquid heat circuit is higher than that of heating the battery module 1 through the first battery liquid heat circuit by utilizing the locked rotor of the motor 7.

[0149] When the second battery liquid heat circuit is working, the coolant flowing out of the motor water pump 3 only flows through the PTC heater 17 for heating, and then enters the coolant flow channel to heat the battery module 1. It does not pass through other heat-absorbing equipment in the middle, which can reduce heat loss and improve heating efficiency.

[0150] In some possible implementations, see Figure 2 The second battery liquid heat circuit may further include the first three-way valve 14 and the second three-way valve 13 mentioned above.

[0151] When the second battery liquid heat circuit is working, the first end of the first three-way valve 14 is connected to the third end of the first three-way valve 14 , and the second end of the second three-way valve 13 is connected to the third end of the second three-way valve 13 .

[0152] exist Figure 2 In the illustrated architecture, the battery temperature equalization circuit and the second battery liquid heating circuit are the same circuit. However, when the battery temperature equalization circuit is operating, the PTC heater 17 is inoperative. When the second battery liquid heating circuit is operating, the PTC heater 17 is inoperative. Similarly, when the battery liquid cooling circuit is operating, the PTC heater 17 is also inoperative.

[0153] In an embodiment of the present application, the vehicle's thermal management system is provided with a second battery liquid thermal circuit. When the battery temperature is low, the battery module 1 can be heated by the second battery liquid thermal circuit to prevent the battery module 1 from being too cold. In addition, when the motor 7 in the first battery liquid thermal circuit is not working and the battery module 1 needs to be heated, the second battery liquid thermal circuit can be controlled to work, which can avoid affecting the life and energy efficiency of the motor 7, and the efficiency of heating the battery module 1 is higher.

[0154] In the aforementioned embodiments, the coolant flow path in the thermal management system of the vehicle is mainly introduced. The following is a detailed introduction to the refrigerant flow path in the thermal management system of the vehicle.

[0155] In some embodiments, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the refrigerant system includes an evaporator 12, a compressor 11 and a condenser 10;

[0156] The first end of the refrigerant flow channel and the first end of the evaporator 12 are both connected to the first end of the condenser 10, the second end of the refrigerant flow channel and the second end of the evaporator 12 are both connected to the first end of the compressor 11, and the second end of the compressor 11 is connected to the second end of the condenser 10;

[0157] When the battery direct cooling circuit is working, the refrigerant flowing out of the compressor 11 flows through the condenser 10 , enters the refrigerant flow channel, cools the battery module 1 , and then returns to the compressor 11 .

[0158] In an embodiment of the present application, the battery direct cooling circuit may include a compressor 11, a condenser 10, and a refrigerant flow channel. The compressor 11, condenser 10, and refrigerant flow channel are connected in series to form a circuit. The condenser 10 and the refrigerant flow channel can be selectively connected. When the condenser 10 and the refrigerant flow channel are connected, the battery direct cooling circuit is connected and operates, cooling the battery module 1.

[0159] In some possible implementations, the refrigerant system may further include a first valve 15 and a second valve 16. The first end of the refrigerant flow channel is connected to the first end of the condenser 10 via the first valve 15, and the first end of the evaporator 12 is connected to the first end of the condenser 10 via the second valve 16. The first valve 15 may be an electronic expansion valve, and the second valve 16 may include a thermal expansion valve or a shut-off valve.

[0160] When thermal runaway occurs in the battery module 1, the high-voltage compressor 11 is not allowed to work, because if the high-voltage compressor 11 continues to work, the thermal runaway of the battery module 1 may become more serious, which may increase the risk of electrical failure. Therefore, when thermal runaway occurs in the battery module 1, the high-voltage compressor 11 is not allowed to work, that is, the battery direct cooling circuit is not allowed to work, and the low-voltage motor water pump 3 can work, so the battery module 1 can be cooled by the coolant.

[0161] The embodiment of the present application can quickly cool down the battery module 1 through the battery direct cooling circuit, with high cooling efficiency, and can be suitable for working conditions with high battery temperature; in addition, the battery direct cooling circuit and the battery temperature equalization circuit can be controlled to work simultaneously, while quickly cooling down the battery module 1, it can avoid excessive temperature difference in the battery module 1.

[0162] It should be noted that the connection relationship between the various components in the vehicle's thermal management system refers to the connection between the pipes or spatial containers installed at each component through which coolant or refrigerant can flow. For example, the connection between motor 7 and OBC 3-in-1 6 refers to the connection between the pipe installed at motor 7 and the pipe installed at OBC 3-in-1 6, and so on.

[0163] In the aforementioned embodiment, the circuits related to the thermal management of the battery module 1 are mainly introduced. In addition, the thermal management system of the vehicle may also include a circuit for heating the passenger compartment, which is described in detail as follows.

[0164] See also Figure 3 , the vehicle's thermal management system may further include a first passenger compartment heating circuit;

[0165] The first passenger compartment heating circuit includes an air conditioning water pump 18, a WPTC heater 19, a heater core 20, a third three-way valve 27 and a second overflow tank 28;

[0166] The first end of the air conditioning water pump 18 is connected to the second end of the WPTC heater 19, the first end of the WPTC heater 19 is connected to the second end of the heater core 20, the first end of the heater core 20 is connected to the second end of the third three-way valve 27, the first end of the third three-way valve 27 is connected to the second end of the second overflow tank 28, and the first end of the second overflow tank 28 is connected to the second end of the air conditioning water pump 18.

[0167] When the first passenger compartment heating circuit is working, the coolant flowing out of the air-conditioning water pump 18 is heated by the WPTC heater 19 and flows into the heater core 20. After heating the passenger compartment, the coolant passes through the third three-way valve 27 and the second overflow tank 28 and returns to the air-conditioning water pump 18.

[0168] When the first passenger compartment heating circuit is working, the first end of the third three-way valve 27 is communicated with the second end of the third three-way valve 27 .

[0169] The WPTC heater 19 is a water-heating type PTC heater.

[0170] The vehicle's thermal management system may also include a second passenger compartment heating circuit;

[0171] The second passenger compartment heating circuit includes an engine water pump 22, an engine 21, a second overflow tank 28, an air conditioning water pump 18, a WPTC heater 19, a heater core 20, and a third three-way valve 27;

[0172] A first end of the engine water pump 22 is connected to the second end of the engine 21, the first end of the engine 21 is connected to the second end of the second overflow tank 28, the first end of the second overflow tank 28 is connected to the second end of the air conditioning water pump 18, the first end of the air conditioning water pump 18 is connected to the second end of the WPTC heater 19, the first end of the WPTC heater 19 is connected to the second end of the heater core 20, the first end of the heater core 20 is connected to the second end of the third three-way valve 27, the first end of the third three-way valve 27 is connected to the second end of the second overflow tank 28, and the third end of the third three-way valve 27 is connected to the second end of the engine water pump 22.

[0173] When the second passenger compartment heating circuit is working, the coolant flowing out of the engine water pump 22 is heated by the engine 21, flows through the second overflow tank 28, the air-conditioning water pump 18 and the WPTC heater 19 in sequence, enters the heater core 20, heats the passenger compartment, and then returns to the engine water pump 22 through the third three-way valve 27.

[0174] When the second passenger compartment heating circuit is working, the second end of the third three-way valve 27 is communicated with the third end of the third three-way valve 27 .

[0175] When the secondary passenger compartment heating circuit is operating, the WPTC heater 19 may or may not be operating. When the WPTC heater 19 is operating, the coolant absorbs both waste heat from the engine 21 and heat generated by the WPTC heater 19 to heat the passenger compartment. When the WPTC heater 19 is not operating, the coolant only absorbs waste heat from the engine 21 to heat the passenger compartment.

[0176] In some possible implementations, see Figure 3 The vehicle's thermal management system may further include a thermostat 25, a third overflow tank 26, a high-temperature radiator 23, and a fan 24. The connection relationship can be seen in Figure 3 , no more details.

[0177] When there is a need for heating in the passenger compartment, the embodiment of the present application can control the first passenger compartment heating circuit or the second passenger compartment heating circuit to operate to meet the heating demand of the passenger compartment.

[0178] For the thermal management system of the above vehicle, see Figure 4 The embodiments of the present application further provide a method for controlling a vehicle thermal management system, which is applicable to any of the above-mentioned vehicle thermal management systems. The method for controlling a vehicle thermal management system can be applied to electronic devices in the vehicle. That is, the electronic devices in the vehicle can be the executing body of the method for controlling the vehicle thermal management system. Specifically, the electronic devices can be controllers in the vehicle, such as vehicle controllers, domain controllers, or electronic control units, etc., without any specific limitation herein.

[0179] The following combination Figures 1 to 3The structure of the vehicle's thermal management system, refer to Figure 4 A method for controlling a thermal management system of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application will be described.

[0180] It should be noted that the control method of the thermal management system of a vehicle provided according to the exemplary embodiment of the present application can be executed on the same device or on different devices.

[0181] See also Figure 4 , the control method of the thermal management system of the above vehicle may include:

[0182] Step 401: Obtain the maximum cell temperature of the battery module and the coolant temperature of the motor liquid cooling system.

[0183] The maximum cell temperature of the battery module may be the maximum value among the temperatures of the individual cells in the battery module, or the maximum value among the temperatures at multiple locations in the battery module. For example, a temperature sensor may be placed in each cell in the battery module to collect the temperature of each cell, and the maximum value among the temperatures of each cell is used as the maximum cell temperature. Alternatively, to reduce the number of temperature sensors, temperature sensors may be evenly arranged at multiple locations in the battery module, and the temperature of each location where a temperature sensor is arranged is collected, and the maximum value among the temperatures at the multiple locations is used as the maximum cell temperature.

[0184] The coolant temperature of the motor liquid cooling system may specifically refer to the temperature of the coolant flowing out of the motor water pump. For example, a temperature sensor may be provided at the outlet of the motor water pump to collect the temperature of the coolant at the outlet of the motor water pump and use this as the coolant temperature of the motor liquid cooling system.

[0185] Step 402, when the maximum battery cell temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature, if the coolant temperature is less than or equal to the target temperature, control the battery liquid cooling circuit to operate; the target temperature is the difference between the second preset temperature and the first temperature difference; the first temperature difference is the difference between the maximum battery cell temperature and the first preset temperature; the second preset temperature is less than the first preset temperature.

[0186] The first preset temperature may be a minimum temperature corresponding to when the battery module has a cooling requirement.

[0187] When the maximum cell temperature is greater than or equal to a first preset temperature, the battery module requires cooling. The system then checks whether the coolant temperature meets the requirements for cooling the battery module. If so, the battery liquid cooling circuit is activated to cool the battery module.

[0188] Among them, the condition for the coolant temperature to cool the battery module is whether the coolant temperature is less than or equal to the target temperature. If so, the coolant temperature meets the condition for cooling the battery module, and the purpose of cooling the battery module can be achieved through the battery liquid cooling circuit. If not, the coolant temperature does not meet the condition for cooling the battery module, and the purpose of cooling the battery module cannot be achieved through the battery liquid cooling circuit. It can only work through the battery direct cooling circuit to cool the battery.

[0189] Because the maximum cell temperature varies, the cooling capacity required to cool the battery module varies. Therefore, the target temperature is not fixed but changes with the maximum cell temperature. The target temperature and maximum cell temperature are negatively correlated. That is, the higher the maximum cell temperature, the lower the target temperature; the lower the maximum cell temperature, the higher the target temperature.

[0190] Specifically, the target temperature can be calculated as follows: T0 = T2 - (T max -T1); T0 is the target temperature, T2 is the second preset temperature, T max is the maximum cell temperature, and T1 is the first preset temperature. max -T1 is the first temperature difference.

[0191] Since the battery module needs to be cooled, the coolant temperature needs to be lower than the maximum battery cell temperature. Based on this, the second preset temperature needs to be lower than the first preset temperature.

[0192] The specific values ​​of the first preset temperature and the second preset temperature can be set according to actual needs based on the above-mentioned restrictions on the two. For example, the first preset temperature can be 38 degrees and the second preset temperature can be 30 degrees; or the first preset temperature can be 40 degrees and the second preset temperature can be 32 degrees, and so on.

[0193] As previously mentioned, cooling the battery module using a direct battery cooling circuit may result in a large temperature difference between the cells in the battery module. Furthermore, if the battery liquid cooling circuit can achieve the purpose of cooling the battery module, using the battery liquid cooling circuit to cool the battery module will result in lower energy consumption. Therefore, in the embodiments of the present application, the battery liquid cooling circuit is given priority for cooling the battery module. The direct battery cooling circuit is only used to cool the battery module when the coolant temperature is too high to achieve the purpose of cooling the battery module.

[0194] Step 403 : When the maximum battery cell temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature and the coolant temperature is greater than the target temperature, the battery direct cooling circuit is controlled to operate.

[0195] As previously mentioned, when the maximum cell temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature, the battery module requires cooling. If the coolant temperature is greater than the target temperature, the battery liquid cooling circuit cannot cool the battery module. Therefore, the battery direct cooling circuit can be controlled to cool the battery module.

[0196] In some possible implementations, if the maximum battery cell temperature is lower than the first preset temperature, it indicates that the battery module does not need to be cooled, and there is no need to control the battery liquid cooling circuit or the battery direct cooling circuit to operate.

[0197] In the embodiment of the present application, when the maximum cell temperature of the battery module is greater than or equal to a first preset temperature, that is, when the maximum cell temperature of the battery module is higher than the upper limit of its normal operating temperature range, the battery module temperature can be reduced by controlling the battery liquid cooling circuit or the battery direct cooling circuit. In addition, since the temperature difference of the battery module may be increased when the battery direct cooling circuit is used to cool the battery module, and under the premise that the battery liquid cooling circuit can achieve the purpose of cooling the battery module, the battery liquid cooling circuit is used to cool the battery module, which has lower energy consumption. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, when the battery module needs to be cooled and the coolant temperature can meet the conditions for cooling the battery module, the battery liquid cooling circuit is preferentially used to cool the battery module, which can reduce the temperature difference between the cells in the battery module and reduce energy consumption. When the battery module needs to be cooled but the coolant temperature cannot meet the conditions, the battery direct cooling circuit is used to cool the battery module, which can improve cooling efficiency. The battery liquid cooling circuit and the battery direct cooling circuit can achieve cooling of the battery module in different situations.

[0198] In some possible implementations, when the maximum battery cell temperature is greater than or equal to a first preset temperature, if the coolant temperature is greater than a target temperature, the battery direct cooling circuit and the battery liquid cooling circuit may be controlled to operate simultaneously.

[0199] As previously mentioned, when the maximum battery cell temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature, the battery module requires cooling. At this point, if the coolant temperature is greater than the target temperature, cooling the battery module using the battery liquid cooling circuit alone is insufficient. However, while cooling the battery module using the battery direct cooling circuit alone can achieve rapid cooling, it can easily result in large temperature differences between the battery cells. Therefore, embodiments of the present application allow for simultaneous operation of the battery direct cooling circuit and the battery liquid cooling circuit to achieve rapid and uniform cooling of the battery module.

[0200] The above embodiments describe the circumstances under which the battery liquid cooling circuit or the battery direct cooling circuit is controlled to meet the cooling requirements of the battery module. The following describes the circumstances under which the battery temperature equalization circuit needs to be controlled.

[0201] In some embodiments, the vehicle's thermal management system includes a battery temperature equalization loop;

[0202] The control method of the vehicle thermal management system further includes:

[0203] When thermal runaway of the battery module is detected, the battery temperature equalization circuit is controlled to operate and the battery direct cooling circuit is prohibited from operating.

[0204] When a battery module experiences thermal runaway, the module temperature is very high and / or the temperature differences between the cells in the module are large. Because the battery temperature equalization circuit can quickly reduce the temperature or quickly balance the temperature differences between the cells, the battery temperature equalization circuit can be controlled to quickly reduce the battery module temperature and temperature differences.

[0205] When a battery module experiences thermal runaway, the high-voltage compressor must be disabled. This is because the internal temperature of the battery module may rise dramatically, potentially posing a fire or explosion. If the compressor continues to operate, the heat and potential sparks generated by the compressor could further intensify the fire, exacerbating the thermal runaway situation and increasing the risk. Furthermore, thermal runaway can cause unstable battery module voltage or even short circuits. Continued use of the compressor in this situation increases the risk of electrical failure, potentially leading to more serious short circuits, arcing, and other issues, posing a greater safety hazard. Therefore, the compressor must not be enabled when a battery module experiences thermal runaway. The compressor is a critical component in the battery direct cooling circuit. Its inability to operate effectively disables the direct cooling circuit. In other words, the direct cooling circuit must be disabled when a battery module experiences thermal runaway.

[0206] Among them, to detect whether the battery module has thermal runaway, mature technical means in the relevant technology can be used. For example, if the maximum battery cell temperature exceeds the sixth preset temperature, and the time when the maximum battery cell temperature exceeds the sixth preset temperature is longer than the first preset time, it is determined that the battery module has thermal runaway, wherein the sixth preset temperature is greater than the first preset temperature, for example, the sixth preset temperature can be 100 degrees, and the first preset time can be 5 minutes; or, if the maximum battery cell temperature exceeds the seventh preset temperature, and the growth rate of the maximum battery cell temperature is greater than the preset growth rate, it is determined that the battery module has thermal runaway, wherein the seventh preset temperature is greater than the first preset temperature and less than the sixth preset temperature, for example, it can be 70 degrees or 80 degrees, etc. The preset growth rate can be set according to actual needs; or, the maximum temperature difference between the battery cells of the battery module is greater than the fourth preset temperature difference, and the maximum temperature difference between the battery cells of the battery module is greater than the fourth preset temperature difference. If the time during which the temperature difference is greater than a fourth preset temperature difference is greater than a second preset time, it is determined that the battery module has thermal runaway, wherein the fourth preset temperature difference is greater than the first preset temperature difference, for example, it may be 15 degrees or 20 degrees, etc., and the second preset time may be 5 minutes; or, if the voltage drop of the battery module exceeds a preset percentage of its initial voltage, it is determined that the battery module has thermal runaway, wherein the preset percentage may be 25%; or, if the air pressure in the battery module exceeds a preset air pressure threshold, it is determined that the battery module has thermal runaway, wherein the preset air pressure threshold can be set according to actual needs; or, if the expansion force between any adjacent battery cells in the battery module exceeds a preset expansion force threshold, it is determined that the battery module has thermal runaway, wherein the preset expansion force threshold can be set according to actual needs; and so on.

[0207] In an embodiment of the present application, if thermal runaway occurs in the battery module, if the battery direct cooling circuit is working, the thermal runaway of the battery module may become more serious and the risk of electrical failure may be increased. Therefore, when the battery module is thermally runaway, the battery direct cooling circuit is prohibited from working, and the battery temperature equalization circuit is controlled to work at the same time, so that the battery module can be cooled quickly and the temperature difference can be reduced.

[0208] In some embodiments, the vehicle's thermal management system includes a battery temperature equalization loop;

[0209] The control method of the vehicle thermal management system further includes:

[0210] When the battery direct cooling circuit is working, obtain the lowest cell temperature of the battery module;

[0211] Calculating a second temperature difference between the maximum battery cell temperature and the minimum battery cell temperature, and a third temperature difference between the minimum battery cell temperature and the coolant temperature;

[0212] If the second temperature difference is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature difference, and the third temperature difference is greater than or equal to the second preset temperature difference, the battery temperature equalization circuit is controlled to operate.

[0213] The minimum cell temperature of the battery module can be the minimum of the temperatures of the individual cells in the battery module, or the minimum of the temperatures at multiple locations in the battery module. It corresponds to the maximum cell temperature of the battery module. If the maximum cell temperature is the maximum of the temperatures at multiple locations in the battery module, the minimum cell temperature is the minimum of the temperatures at multiple locations in the battery module. If the maximum cell temperature is the maximum of the temperatures at multiple locations in the battery module, the minimum cell temperature is the minimum of the temperatures at multiple locations in the battery module.

[0214] As mentioned above, when the battery direct cooling circuit cools the battery module, it is easy to cause a large temperature difference in the battery module. Therefore, when the battery direct cooling circuit is working, it can be detected whether the battery temperature equalization circuit needs to work at the same time.

[0215] Specifically, the second temperature difference can be monitored to determine whether it is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature difference. If the second temperature difference is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature difference, it indicates that the temperature difference between the battery cells in the battery module is large and requires temperature equalization. Otherwise, it indicates that the temperature difference between the battery cells in the battery module is small and does not require temperature equalization. Furthermore, since the battery direct cooling circuit is operating, the battery module needs to be cooled. Therefore, it is also necessary to detect whether the coolant temperature is sufficient to cool the battery module. Therefore, it is also necessary to monitor whether the third temperature difference is greater than or equal to the second preset temperature difference. If the third temperature difference is greater than or equal to the second preset temperature difference, it indicates that the coolant temperature is sufficient to cool the battery module. Otherwise, it indicates that the coolant temperature is insufficient to cool the battery module.

[0216] To sum up, when it is detected that the second temperature difference is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature difference, and the third temperature difference is greater than or equal to the second preset temperature difference, it means that the temperature difference between the battery cells in the battery module is large, and temperature equalization is required, and the coolant temperature can cool the battery module. Therefore, the battery temperature equalization circuit can be controlled to work at this time, that is, the battery direct cooling circuit and the battery temperature equalization circuit work together to cool the battery module and reduce the temperature difference between the battery cells in the battery module; otherwise, the battery temperature equalization circuit is not controlled to work.

[0217] The second temperature difference is the difference between the highest cell temperature and the lowest cell temperature, and the third temperature difference is the difference between the lowest cell temperature and the coolant temperature. Both the first and second preset temperature differences are greater than 0. The values ​​of the first and second preset temperature differences can be set according to actual needs. For example, both can be 10 degrees or 12 degrees, etc.

[0218] In the embodiment of the present application, since the battery direct cooling circuit may cause a large temperature difference in the battery module when it is working, it is necessary to detect whether the temperature difference of the battery module is too large when the battery direct cooling circuit is working. In addition, the battery direct cooling circuit is working, which means that the battery module needs to be cooled. Therefore, it is also necessary to detect whether the coolant temperature can meet the conditions for cooling the battery module. If the second temperature difference is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature difference, it means that the temperature difference of the battery module is too large. If the third temperature difference is greater than or equal to the second preset temperature difference, it means that the coolant temperature can meet the conditions for cooling the battery module. Then the battery temperature equalization circuit can be controlled to work, thereby reducing the temperature difference of the battery module while cooling the battery module.

[0219] The above embodiments describe the circumstances under which it is necessary to control the operation of the battery temperature equalization circuit. The following describes the circumstances under which it is necessary to control the operation of the first battery liquid heat circuit or the second battery liquid heat circuit.

[0220] In some embodiments, a thermal management system for a vehicle includes a first battery fluid thermal loop;

[0221] The control method of the vehicle thermal management system further includes:

[0222] Get the minimum cell temperature of the battery module;

[0223] When the battery module is in a discharging state and the lowest battery cell temperature is less than or equal to a third preset temperature, calculating a third temperature difference between the coolant temperature and the lowest battery cell temperature; the third preset temperature is less than the first preset temperature;

[0224] If the third temperature difference is greater than or equal to the third preset temperature difference, and the coolant temperature is less than or equal to the fourth preset temperature, the first battery liquid heat circuit is controlled to operate; the fourth preset temperature is greater than the third preset temperature.

[0225] The third preset temperature may be the maximum temperature corresponding to when the battery module is in a discharging state and requires heating. The third preset temperature is lower than the first preset temperature. The third preset temperature may be set based on actual needs, for example, 10 degrees Celsius or 12 degrees Celsius.

[0226] When the battery module is in the discharge state, the vehicle is in the start-up state, which can be the start-up and stationary state or the start-up and driving state, and the motor in the vehicle's motor subsystem is in the working state. At this time, if the lowest cell temperature of the battery module is less than or equal to the third preset temperature, it means that the battery module has a heating requirement at this time, and it is necessary to further determine whether the coolant temperature can meet the heating requirement of the battery module without damaging the battery module. Specifically, if the third temperature difference is greater than or equal to the third preset temperature difference, it means that the coolant temperature is high and can meet the heating requirement of the battery module; if the coolant temperature is less than or equal to the fourth preset temperature, it means that the coolant temperature is not too high and will not cause damage to the battery module. When both conditions are met, the first battery liquid heat circuit can be controlled to operate, and the waste heat generated by the motor subsystem can be used to heat the battery module.

[0227] The third temperature difference is the difference between the coolant temperature and the lowest cell temperature. The third preset temperature difference is greater than 0. The value of the third preset temperature difference can be set according to actual needs. For example, the third preset temperature difference can be 5 degrees or 7 degrees, etc.

[0228] The fourth preset temperature is greater than the third preset temperature, and may also be greater than the first preset temperature. The value of the fourth preset temperature can be set according to actual needs, for example, the fourth preset temperature can be 55 degrees or 60 degrees, and so on.

[0229] When the battery module is in a discharging state and the minimum cell temperature is less than or equal to a third preset temperature, if the third temperature difference is less than the third preset temperature difference, or if the coolant temperature is less than or equal to a fourth preset temperature, the first battery liquid heat circuit is deactivated, meaning the battery module is not heated at this time. Because the battery module does not require high heating requirements when the vehicle is in the startup state, the battery module can operate even when the minimum cell temperature is less than or equal to the third preset temperature. If heating is possible using waste heat from the motor subsystem, this is used; if not, heating is not performed.

[0230] In an embodiment of the present application, when the battery module is in a discharging state and the lowest battery cell temperature is less than or equal to the third preset temperature, it means that the battery module is in a discharging and low-temperature state. At this time, if the third temperature difference is greater than or equal to the third preset temperature difference, it means that the coolant temperature at this time can meet the conditions for heating the battery module. At the same time, the coolant temperature is less than or equal to the fourth preset temperature, which means that the coolant temperature at this time will not be too high, avoiding damage to the battery module. The first battery liquid heat circuit can be controlled to work, and the waste heat of the motor subsystem can be used to heat the battery module, so as to realize waste heat recovery of the motor subsystem and avoid energy waste.

[0231] In some embodiments, after obtaining the lowest cell temperature of the battery module, the method further includes:

[0232] When the battery module is in a charging state and the lowest battery cell temperature is less than or equal to a fifth preset temperature, the first battery liquid thermal circuit is controlled to operate and the motor in the first battery liquid thermal circuit is controlled to be blocked; the fifth preset temperature is greater than the third preset temperature, and the fifth preset temperature is less than the first preset temperature.

[0233] The fifth preset temperature may be the maximum temperature corresponding to when the battery module is in a charging state and requires heating. The fifth preset temperature is lower than the first preset temperature and higher than the third preset temperature. The fifth preset temperature may be set based on actual needs, for example, 20 degrees Celsius or 22 degrees Celsius, etc.

[0234] The power requirements of the battery module differ when it is in the discharging and charging states. When the battery module is in the discharging state, the power requirement is low; when the battery module is in the charging state, the power requirement is higher because higher power consumption shortens the charging time. In other words, the power requirement of the battery module in the discharging state is lower than that in the charging state. The temperature of the battery module affects the power requirement. Therefore, the maximum temperature corresponding to the heating requirement when the battery module is in the charging state is higher than the maximum temperature corresponding to the heating requirement when the battery module is in the discharging state. In other words, the fifth preset temperature is higher than the third preset temperature.

[0235] When the battery module is charging, the vehicle is not started, and the motor in the vehicle's motor subsystem is not operating. At this time, if the battery module's lowest cell temperature is less than or equal to the fifth preset temperature, it indicates that the battery module requires heating and the first battery liquid heat circuit must be controlled to operate. However, since the motor is not operating, waste heat cannot be used to heat the battery module. Therefore, the motor in the first battery liquid heat circuit must be locked. This means that the motor in the motor subsystem is actively locked to generate heat, heating the passing coolant, and thus heating the battery module through the coolant.

[0236] In an embodiment of the present application, when the battery module is in a charging state and the lowest battery cell temperature is less than or equal to the fifth preset temperature, it indicates that the battery module is in a charging and low-temperature state. At this time, the first battery liquid thermal circuit can be controlled to operate. Since the motor is in a non-working state when the battery module is in a charging state, the motor in the first battery liquid thermal circuit can be controlled to be blocked so that the motor actively generates heat, so that the coolant in the first battery liquid thermal circuit can absorb the heat generated by the motor, heat the battery module, and make the temperature of the battery module within a temperature range suitable for charging, thereby improving the charging efficiency.

[0237] In some embodiments, the vehicle's thermal management system further includes a second battery fluid thermal loop;

[0238] After obtaining the minimum cell temperature of the battery module, the following steps are also performed:

[0239] When the battery module is in a charging state and the lowest battery cell temperature is less than or equal to a fifth preset temperature, the second battery liquid thermal circuit is controlled to operate; the fifth preset temperature is greater than the third preset temperature, and the fifth preset temperature is less than the first preset temperature.

[0240] In an embodiment of the present application, the vehicle's thermal management system includes a first battery liquid thermal circuit and a second battery liquid thermal circuit, which can heat the battery module in two ways.

[0241] The above embodiment provides a control method for a vehicle thermal management system that only includes the first battery liquid thermal circuit, which can heat the battery module, when the battery module is in a charging state and has a heating requirement.

[0242] This embodiment is a control method for a vehicle thermal management system that includes a first battery liquid thermal circuit and a second battery liquid thermal circuit, which can heat the battery module, when the battery module is in a charging state and has a heating requirement.

[0243] When both a first battery liquid heat circuit and a second battery liquid heat circuit are present, if the battery module is in the charging state, the second battery liquid heat circuit takes priority over the first battery liquid heat circuit. This means that when a battery module requires heating, the second battery liquid heat circuit is used first to heat the battery module. This is primarily because the second battery liquid heat circuit is more efficient than the first battery liquid heat circuit in this situation, and therefore, the second battery liquid heat circuit is used first to heat the battery module.

[0244] As described in the previous embodiment, when the battery module is in a charging state and the lowest battery cell temperature is less than or equal to the fifth preset temperature, it indicates that the battery module has a heating requirement. At this time, the second battery liquid heat circuit can be controlled to operate, that is, the coolant is heated by the PTC heater, and then the battery module is heated by the coolant.

[0245] In an embodiment of the present application, when the battery module is in a charging state and the lowest battery cell temperature is less than or equal to the fifth preset temperature, it indicates that the battery module is in a charging and low-temperature state. At this time, the second battery liquid thermal circuit can be controlled to operate, and the coolant is heated by the PTC heater in the second battery liquid thermal circuit to heat the battery module. Compared with the method of using a stalled motor to heat the battery module, using the second battery liquid thermal circuit to heat the battery module is more efficient.

[0246] It should be understood that the size of the serial numbers of the steps in the above embodiments does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0247] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a control device for a vehicle thermal management system provided by an embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 As shown, the control device 500 of the vehicle thermal management system provided in this embodiment can be applied to any of the above vehicle thermal management systems, and can include: an acquisition module 501 , a first control module 502 and a second control module 503 .

[0248] The acquisition module 501 is used to obtain the maximum cell temperature of the battery module and the coolant temperature of the motor liquid cooling system;

[0249] a first control module 502 configured to control the battery liquid cooling circuit to operate when the maximum battery cell temperature is greater than or equal to a first preset temperature and the coolant temperature is less than or equal to a target temperature; the target temperature is the difference between the second preset temperature and the first temperature difference; the first temperature difference is the difference between the maximum battery cell temperature and the first preset temperature; and the second preset temperature is less than the first preset temperature;

[0250] The second control module 503 is configured to control the battery direct cooling circuit to operate when the maximum battery cell temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature and the coolant temperature is greater than the target temperature.

[0251] In one possible implementation, the vehicle's thermal management system includes a battery temperature equalization circuit;

[0252] The control device 500 of the vehicle's thermal management system may further include a first temperature control module.

[0253] The first temperature control module is used for:

[0254] When thermal runaway of the battery module is detected, the battery temperature equalization circuit is controlled to operate and the battery direct cooling circuit is prohibited from operating.

[0255] In one possible implementation, the vehicle's thermal management system includes a battery temperature equalization circuit;

[0256] The control device 500 of the vehicle's thermal management system may further include a second temperature control module.

[0257] The second temperature control module is used for:

[0258] When the battery direct cooling circuit is working, obtain the lowest cell temperature of the battery module;

[0259] Calculating a second temperature difference between the maximum battery cell temperature and the minimum battery cell temperature, and a third temperature difference between the minimum battery cell temperature and the coolant temperature;

[0260] If the second temperature difference is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature difference, and the third temperature difference is greater than or equal to the second preset temperature difference, the battery temperature equalization circuit is controlled to operate.

[0261] In one possible implementation, a thermal management system for a vehicle includes a first battery fluid thermal loop;

[0262] The control device 500 of the vehicle's thermal management system may further include a heating control module.

[0263] The heating control module is used to:

[0264] Get the minimum cell temperature of the battery module;

[0265] When the battery module is in a discharging state and the lowest battery cell temperature is less than or equal to a third preset temperature, calculating a third temperature difference between the coolant temperature and the lowest battery cell temperature; the third preset temperature is less than the first preset temperature;

[0266] If the third temperature difference is greater than or equal to the third preset temperature difference, and the coolant temperature is less than or equal to the fourth preset temperature, the first battery liquid heat circuit is controlled to operate; the fourth preset temperature is greater than the third preset temperature.

[0267] In one possible implementation, the heating control module is also used to: when the battery module is in a charging state and the lowest battery cell temperature is less than or equal to a fifth preset temperature, control the operation of the first battery liquid thermal circuit and control the motor in the first battery liquid thermal circuit to be blocked; the fifth preset temperature is greater than the third preset temperature, and the fifth preset temperature is lower than the first preset temperature.

[0268] In one possible implementation, the vehicle's thermal management system further includes a second battery liquid thermal circuit;

[0269] The heating control module is also used to: control the operation of the second battery liquid heat circuit when the battery module is in a charging state and the lowest battery cell temperature is less than or equal to a fifth preset temperature; the fifth preset temperature is greater than the third preset temperature, and the fifth preset temperature is less than the first preset temperature.

[0270] It should be noted that the information interaction, execution process, etc. between the above-mentioned devices / units are based on the same concept as the method embodiment of this application. Their specific functions and technical effects can be found in the method embodiment section and will not be repeated here.

[0271] The present application also provides a computer program product having program code, which, when executed in a corresponding processor, controller, computing device, or terminal, executes the steps of any of the above-mentioned vehicle thermal management system control method embodiments, such as Figure 4 Steps 401 to 403 are shown.

[0272] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the method and the equipment proposed in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in various forms of hardware, software, firmware, a dedicated processor or a combination thereof. The dedicated processor may include an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) and / or a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The proposed method and device are preferably implemented as a combination of hardware and software. The software is preferably installed on a program storage device as an application program. It is typically based on a machine with a computer platform having hardware, such as one or more central processing units (CPUs), random access memories (RAMs) and one or more input / output (I / O) interfaces. An operating system is also typically installed on the computer platform. The various processes and functions described herein may be part of an application program, or a part thereof may be executed by an operating system.

[0273] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 As shown, the electronic device 600 of this embodiment includes: a processor 610 and a memory 620, wherein the memory 620 stores a computer program 621 that can be run on the processor 610. When the processor 610 executes the computer program 621, the steps of any of the above-mentioned method embodiments are implemented, such as Figure 4 Alternatively, when the processor 610 executes the computer program 621, the functions of the modules / units in the above-mentioned device embodiments are realized, for example, Figure 5 The functions of each module are shown.

[0274] For example, the computer program 621 may be divided into one or more modules / units, one or more of which are stored in the memory 620 and executed by the processor 610 to complete the present application. The one or more modules / units may be a series of computer program instruction segments capable of completing specific functions, and the instruction segments are used to describe the execution process of the computer program 621 in the electronic device 600.

[0275] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 6 These are merely examples of electronic devices and do not constitute a limitation on the electronic device. The electronic device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or a combination of certain components, or different components, such as input and output devices, network access devices, buses, etc.

[0276] The processor 610 may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0277] The memory 620 can be an internal storage unit of the electronic device, such as a hard disk or memory of the electronic device, or an external storage device of the electronic device, such as a plug-in hard disk, a SmartMedia Card (SMC), a Secure Digital (SD) card, a flash memory card, etc. The memory 620 can also include both an internal storage unit of the electronic device and an external storage device. The memory 620 is used to store computer programs and other programs and data required by the electronic device. The memory 620 can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or is about to be output.

[0278] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional units and modules is used as an example for illustration. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be distributed and completed by different functional units and modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. The functional units and modules in the embodiment can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically alone, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units. In addition, the specific names of the functional units and modules are only for the convenience of distinguishing each other, and are not used to limit the scope of protection of this application. The specific working process of the units and modules in the above-mentioned system can refer to the corresponding process in the aforementioned method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0279] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a vehicle, comprising any one of the above-mentioned thermal management systems for vehicles, and having the beneficial effects of any one of the above-mentioned thermal management systems for vehicles.

[0280] In a possible implementation, the vehicle may further include the electronic device, and the thermal management system of the vehicle is controlled by the electronic device.

[0281] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the computer program implements any of the above-mentioned control methods for the thermal management system of the vehicle.

[0282] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own focus. For parts that are not described or recorded in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant description of other embodiments.

[0283] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professionals and technicians can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the present invention.

[0284] In the embodiments provided by the present invention, it should be understood that the disclosed devices / electronic devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device / electronic device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the modules or units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0285] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0286] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present invention may be integrated into a single processing unit, each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The aforementioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional units.

[0287] If the integrated module / unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the present invention implements all or part of the process in the above-mentioned embodiment method, and can also be completed by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, it can implement the steps of the above-mentioned various method embodiments. Wherein, the computer program includes computer program code, and the computer program code can be in source code form, object code form, executable file or some intermediate form. The computer-readable medium may include: any entity or device capable of carrying the computer program code, recording medium, U disk, mobile hard disk, magnetic disk, optical disk, computer memory, read-only memory (ROM, Read-Only Memory), random access memory (RAM, Random Access Memory), electrical carrier signal, telecommunication signal and software distribution medium, etc.

[0288] The embodiments described above are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit the same. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention, and should all be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A thermal management system for a vehicle, characterized in that: Including battery liquid cooling circuit and battery direct cooling circuit; The battery liquid cooling circuit includes a dual-medium cold plate, a coolant branch, and a motor water pump and a radiator in the motor liquid cooling system; the dual-medium cold plate is arranged at the battery module of the vehicle and includes a refrigerant flow channel and a coolant flow channel; The first end of the coolant branch is connected to the first end of the radiator and the first end of the coolant flow channel respectively, the second end of the coolant branch is connected to the first end of the motor water pump, and the second end of the motor water pump is connected to the second end of the radiator and the second end of the coolant flow channel respectively; When the battery liquid cooling circuit is working, the coolant flowing out of the motor water pump passes through the coolant branch, one path is cooled by the radiator, and then returns to the motor water pump, and the other path flows into the coolant flow channel, cools the battery module, and then returns to the motor water pump; The battery direct cooling circuit includes the refrigerant flow channel and the refrigerant system; the refrigerant flow channel is connected to the refrigerant system; The vehicle's thermal management system further includes a first battery liquid thermal circuit; the motor liquid cooling system further includes a motor subsystem; the first battery liquid thermal circuit includes the motor water pump, the motor subsystem, and the coolant flow channel; the motor subsystem is connected in parallel with the coolant branch; when the first battery liquid thermal circuit is in operation, the coolant flowing out of the motor water pump is heated by the motor subsystem, flows into the coolant flow channel, heats the battery module, and then returns to the motor water pump; The battery liquid cooling circuit and the first battery liquid thermal circuit both further include a first three-way valve; a first end of the first three-way valve is connected to a first end of the motor water pump, a second end of the first three-way valve is connected to the motor subsystem, and a third end of the first three-way valve is connected to a second end of the coolant branch; when the first battery liquid thermal circuit is operating, the first end of the first three-way valve is connected to the second end of the first three-way valve; when the battery liquid cooling circuit is operating, the first end of the first three-way valve is connected to the third end of the first three-way valve.

2. The vehicle thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle's thermal management system also includes a battery temperature equalization circuit; The battery temperature equalization circuit includes the motor water pump, the coolant branch and the coolant flow channel; When the battery temperature equalization circuit is working, the coolant flowing out of the motor water pump passes through the coolant branch and the coolant flow channel in sequence and then returns to the motor water pump to equalize the temperature of the battery module.

3. The vehicle thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery liquid cooling circuit and the first battery liquid heating circuit each further include a second three-way valve; The first end of the second three-way valve is connected to the second end of the radiator, the second end of the second three-way valve is connected to the second end of the motor water pump, and the third end of the second three-way valve is connected to the second end of the coolant flow channel; When the first battery liquid heat circuit is in operation, the second end of the second three-way valve is connected to the third end of the second three-way valve; When the battery liquid cooling circuit is working, the first end of the second three-way valve is connected to the second end of the second three-way valve, and the second end of the second three-way valve is connected to the third end of the second three-way valve.

4. The vehicle thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: A PTC heater is provided on the coolant branch; The vehicle's thermal management system further includes a second battery liquid thermal circuit; the second battery liquid thermal circuit includes the motor water pump, the coolant branch, and the coolant flow channel; When the second battery liquid heat circuit is working, the coolant flowing out of the motor water pump is heated by the PTC heater of the coolant branch, flows into the coolant flow channel, heats the battery module, and then returns to the motor water pump.

5. The vehicle thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The refrigerant system includes an evaporator, a compressor and a condenser; The first end of the refrigerant flow channel and the first end of the evaporator are both connected to the first end of the condenser, the second end of the refrigerant flow channel and the second end of the evaporator are both connected to the first end of the compressor, and the second end of the compressor is connected to the second end of the condenser; When the battery direct cooling circuit is in operation, the refrigerant flowing out of the compressor flows through the condenser, enters the refrigerant flow channel, cools the battery module, and then returns to the compressor.

6. A method for controlling a thermal management system of a vehicle, characterized in that: A thermal management system for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising: Obtain the maximum cell temperature of the battery module and the coolant temperature of the motor liquid cooling system; When the maximum battery cell temperature is greater than or equal to a first preset temperature, if the coolant temperature is less than or equal to a target temperature, the battery liquid cooling circuit is controlled to operate; the target temperature is the difference between a second preset temperature and the first temperature difference; the first temperature difference is the difference between the maximum battery cell temperature and the first preset temperature; and the second preset temperature is less than the first preset temperature; When the maximum battery cell temperature is greater than or equal to a first preset temperature, if the coolant temperature is greater than the target temperature, the battery direct cooling circuit is controlled to operate.

7. The method for controlling a vehicle thermal management system according to claim 6, wherein: The vehicle's thermal management system includes a battery temperature equalization circuit; The control method of the vehicle thermal management system further includes: When thermal runaway of the battery module is detected, the battery temperature equalization circuit is controlled to operate, and the battery direct cooling circuit is prohibited from operating.

8. The method for controlling a thermal management system of a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein: The vehicle's thermal management system includes a battery temperature equalization circuit; The control method of the vehicle thermal management system further includes: When the battery direct cooling circuit is in operation, obtaining the lowest cell temperature of the battery module; Calculating a second temperature difference between the maximum battery core temperature and the minimum battery core temperature, and a third temperature difference between the minimum battery core temperature and the coolant temperature; If the second temperature difference is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature difference, and the third temperature difference is greater than or equal to the second preset temperature difference, the battery temperature equalization circuit is controlled to operate.

9. The method for controlling a thermal management system of a vehicle according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that: The vehicle's thermal management system includes a first battery fluid thermal circuit; The control method of the vehicle thermal management system further includes: Obtaining the lowest cell temperature of the battery module; When the battery module is in a discharging state and the lowest battery cell temperature is less than or equal to a third preset temperature, calculating a third temperature difference between the coolant temperature and the lowest battery cell temperature; the third preset temperature is less than the first preset temperature; If the third temperature difference is greater than or equal to a third preset temperature difference, and the coolant temperature is less than or equal to a fourth preset temperature, the first battery liquid heat circuit is controlled to operate; and the fourth preset temperature is greater than the third preset temperature.

10. The method for controlling a thermal management system of a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein: After obtaining the lowest cell temperature of the battery module, the method further includes: When the battery module is in a charging state and the minimum battery cell temperature is less than or equal to a fifth preset temperature, the first battery liquid thermal circuit is controlled to operate and the motor in the first battery liquid thermal circuit is controlled to be blocked; the fifth preset temperature is greater than the third preset temperature, and the fifth preset temperature is less than the first preset temperature.

11. The method for controlling a vehicle thermal management system according to claim 9, wherein: The vehicle's thermal management system also includes a second battery fluid thermal circuit; After obtaining the lowest cell temperature of the battery module, the method further includes: When the battery module is in a charging state and the lowest battery cell temperature is less than or equal to a fifth preset temperature, the second battery liquid thermal circuit is controlled to operate; the fifth preset temperature is greater than the third preset temperature, and the fifth preset temperature is less than the first preset temperature.

12. A vehicle, characterized in that: A thermal management system for a vehicle comprising the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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