Cooling system and vehicle

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a cooling system and a vehicle. The cooling system comprises a radiator; a water pump; a valve module, a valve module; the controller is electrically connected with the valve module, and the controller is configured to execute the following steps that when it is determined that the vehicle is in a running mode, the valve module is controlled to be switched to a first flow guide mode, so that the cooling liquid is driven by the water pump to circularly pass through an intelligent control module and a driving module in the vehicle, a radiator and the water pump; and when it is determined that the vehicle is in the sentry mode, the valve module is controlled to be switched to the second flow guide mode, so that the cooling liquid is driven by the water pump to circularly pass through the intelligent control module, the radiator and the water pump. According to the technical scheme, the intelligent control module and the driving module in the vehicle can be cooled.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] With the rapid development of automobile technology, smart cars account for an increasingly larger share of the market.

[0003] In related technologies, in order to enhance vehicle safety, prevent potential threats and provide real-time monitoring, manufacturers usually set a sentinel mode on the vehicle, and the intelligent control module set inside it senses, plans and makes decisions on relevant data, so as to monitor and record the surrounding damage to the vehicle when the vehicle is in the parking state. The intelligent control module will continue to generate heat during operation. If the intelligent control module is not cooled in time, it may cause the intelligent control module to stop working due to excessive temperature, or even cause the intelligent control module to be completely damaged.

[0004] However, the cooling system of a vehicle usually only cools the driving module of the vehicle. Therefore, how to effectively apply it to reduce the temperature of the intelligent control module has become a problem that technicians in this field are currently facing. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, an embodiment of the present application provides a cooling system and a vehicle.

[0006] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a cooling system is provided, which includes: a radiator for cooling the coolant in the cooling system; a water pump for driving the coolant to flow in the cooling system; a valve module for adjusting the flow path of the coolant in the cooling system; and a controller, wherein the controller is electrically connected to the valve module, and the controller is configured to perform the following steps: when it is determined that the vehicle is in a driving mode, the valve module is controlled to switch to a first diversion mode, so that the coolant circulates through an intelligent control module and a drive module as well as a radiator and a water pump in the vehicle under the drive of the water pump; when it is determined that the vehicle is in a sentinel mode, the valve module is controlled to switch to a second diversion mode, so that the coolant circulates through the intelligent control module, the drive module, the radiator and the water pump under the drive of the water pump.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present application, based on the aforementioned scheme, the controller is further configured to perform the following steps: obtaining a sentry mode enable signal generated by the vehicle; determining whether the current gear of the vehicle is switched to the parking gear in response to the sentry mode enable signal; if the judgment is yes, then when the vehicle door is switched to a locked state, determining that the vehicle is in sentry mode.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present application, based on the aforementioned scheme, the cooling system also includes: a temperature sensor for collecting the coolant temperature value of the coolant output by the water pump; the valve module is also used to guide the coolant to be cooled by the radiator to the water pump; the controller is electrically connected to the temperature sensor, and the controller is also configured to perform the following steps: determine whether the coolant temperature value is lower than the low temperature threshold; if the judgment is yes, control the valve module to switch to the third diversion mode, so that the coolant, under the drive of the water pump, guides the coolant to be cooled by the radiator to the water pump.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present application, based on the aforementioned scheme, the controller is further configured to perform the following steps: determine whether the coolant temperature value exceeds the high temperature threshold; if it is determined to be yes, control the valve module to switch to the fourth diversion mode, so that the coolant is driven by the water pump to guide the coolant to be cooled by the radiator to the radiator.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present application, based on the aforementioned scheme, the controller is electrically connected to the water pump, and the controller is also configured to perform the following steps: obtaining the coolant temperature value collected by the temperature sensor in the cooling system; and adjusting the operating duty cycle of the water pump according to the coolant temperature value.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present application, based on the aforementioned scheme, the operating duty cycle of the water pump is adjusted according to the coolant temperature value, including: determining the corresponding water pump working range according to the coolant temperature value; obtaining the water pump duty cycle corresponding to the water pump working range; and adjusting the operating duty cycle of the water pump to the water pump duty cycle.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present application, based on the above-mentioned scheme, the water pump duty cycle corresponding to the water pump working interval is obtained, including: when the valve module is in the third diversion mode, the duty cycle corresponding to the water pump working interval in the third diversion mode is used as the water pump duty cycle; when the valve module is in the fourth diversion mode, the duty cycle corresponding to the water pump working interval in the fourth diversion mode is used as the water pump duty cycle.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present application, based on the aforementioned solution, the radiator includes a fan; the controller is electrically connected to the fan: obtains the coolant temperature value collected by the temperature sensor in the cooling system; and adjusts the fan's operating duty cycle according to the coolant temperature value.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present application, based on the aforementioned scheme, the cooling system also includes a throttle valve; the water inlet of the throttle valve is connected to the water outlet of the water pump, and the water outlet of the throttle valve is connected to the water inlet of the drive module.

[0015] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a vehicle is provided, comprising: an intelligent control module for controlling driving functions in the vehicle; a drive module for driving the vehicle using driving energy in the vehicle; and a cooling system such as any of the above embodiments, the cooling system being used to cool the intelligent control module and the drive module.

[0016] In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, when the controller determines that the vehicle is in the driving mode, the controller can control the valve module to switch to the first diversion mode, so that the coolant in the cooling system circulates through the water pump, the intelligent control module, the drive module, the valve module and the radiator under the drive of the water pump, thereby achieving the purpose of cooling the intelligent control module and the drive module in the vehicle and avoiding damage to the intelligent control module and the drive module under the influence of their own temperature; and when it is determined that the vehicle is in the sentinel mode, the valve module is controlled to switch to the second diversion mode, so that the coolant in the cooling system circulates through the water pump, the intelligent control module, the valve module and the radiator under the drive of the water pump, so that when the drive module is not continuously heating up, the coolant directly skips the drive module, so as to shorten the overall transmission length of the coolant while cooling the intelligent control module, thereby reducing the power consumption of the cooling system and improving user satisfaction with the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification, showing embodiments consistent with the present application, and together with the specification, are used to explain the principles of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and for those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work. In the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a cooling system provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a radiator in a cooling system provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 3 is a control flow diagram of a controller in a cooling system provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 4 is a connection diagram of a valve module in a cooling system provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 5 is a connection diagram of a valve module in a cooling system provided by another exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 6is a connection diagram of a driving module in a cooling system provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a cooling system provided by another exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a cooling system provided by another exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a control flow when a controller is electrically connected to a temperature sensor provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Fig.10 is Figure 4 A connection diagram of a valve module in a cooling system provided on the basis of FIG.

[0028] Fig.11 is Figure 5 A connection diagram of a valve module in a cooling system provided on the basis of FIG.

[0029] Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of a control flow when a controller is electrically connected to a temperature sensor provided by another exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Fig.13 It is a schematic diagram of a control flow when a controller is electrically connected to a water pump provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Fig.14 It is a schematic diagram of a control flow when a controller is electrically connected to a fan provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this application will be more comprehensive and complete and fully convey the concept of example embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0033] In addition, described feature, structure or characteristic can be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. In the following description, many specific details are provided to provide a full understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the technical scheme of the present application can be put into practice without one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, devices, steps, etc. can be adopted. In other cases, known methods, devices, realizations or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid blurring the various aspects of the application.

[0034] The block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are merely functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically independent entities. That is, these functional entities may be implemented in software form, or in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different networks and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0035] The flowcharts shown in the accompanying drawings are only exemplary and do not necessarily include all the contents and operations / steps, nor must they be executed in the order described. For example, some operations / steps can be decomposed, and some operations / steps can be combined or partially combined, so the actual execution order may change according to actual conditions.

[0036] It should be noted that the "multiple" mentioned in this article refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0037] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a cooling system 100 provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0038] like Figure 1 As shown, the cooling system 100 may include a radiator 101. The radiator 101 is used to cool the coolant in the cooling system 100. Specifically, after the coolant in the cooling system 100 enters the radiator 101, the coolant contacts the radiator 101, so that the temperature of the coolant is transferred to the radiator 101 under the action of the heat conduction principle. At the same time, the air flowing outside the radiator 101 contacts the radiator 101, so that the temperature of the radiator 101 is transferred to the external air, thereby achieving the purpose of cooling the coolant in the cooling system 100.

[0039] In some embodiments of the present application, reference Figure 2 As shown, the radiator 101 may include heat dissipation fins 201. The heat dissipation fins 201 may expand the heat transfer area between the external air and the radiator 101, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the radiator 101 for the coolant.

[0040] In some embodiments of the present application, reference Figure 2As shown, the radiator 101 may include a fan 202. The fan 202 can speed up the flow rate of the external air around the radiator 101 to increase the frequency of heat exchange between the external air and the radiator 101, thereby increasing the heat exchange capacity of the external air for the radiator 101, thereby further improving the cooling efficiency of the radiator 101 for the coolant.

[0041] Continue to refer to Figure 1 As shown, the cooling system 100 may include a water pump 102. The water pump 102 is used to drive the coolant in the cooling system 100 to flow, so that the coolant in the cooling system 100 has fluidity, ensures that the coolant can be transported to each component of the cooling system 100, and improves the reliability of the cooling system 100.

[0042] Reference Figure 1 As shown, the cooling system 100 may include a valve module 103. The valve module 103 is used to adjust the flow path of the coolant in the cooling system 100. The valve module 103 is connected to the intelligent control module 104 and the driving module 105 in the vehicle.

[0043] The intelligent control module 104 is used to control the driving functions in the vehicle, and the intelligent control module 104 will continuously generate heat in the process of processing the control tasks of various driving functions. When the temperature of the intelligent control module 104 itself is high, the intelligent control module 104 cannot perform the control tasks normally, and even its internal parts are completely damaged. Therefore, the cooling system 100 is needed to reduce the temperature.

[0044] Secondly, the driving module 105 is used to drive the vehicle using the driving energy in the vehicle. The driving module 105 will continuously generate heat in the process of using the driving energy to drive the vehicle. As the temperature of the driving module 105 itself increases, the probability of the driving module 105 being damaged will also continue to increase. Therefore, the driving module 105 in the vehicle also needs the cooling system 100 to cool down.

[0045] Continue to refer to Figure 1 As shown, the cooling system 100 may include a controller 104. The controller 104 is electrically connected to the valve module 103, so as to control the valve module 103 so that the coolant in the cooling system 100 enters the intelligent control module 104 and the driving module 105 in the vehicle, thereby enabling the cooling system 100 to reduce the temperature of the driving module 105 and the intelligent control module 104 in the vehicle.

[0046] Exemplarily, in order to execute a preset control program on the controller, a storage module for storing the control program will be set inside the controller, and the storage module may include a built-in memory and an external memory, the built-in memory is arranged inside the controller, and the external memory is electrically connected to the controller. Among them, the external memory and the built-in memory are used for writing and reading the control program, and storing the execution parameters. For example, the built-in memory is generally directly connected to the MCU (Micro Control Unit) corresponding to the controller, and its storage capacity is generally small, but due to the direct connection with the MCU, its speed is relatively fast. In this application, the built-in memory is used to store the instructions and data of the current running program, and directly exchange information with the MCU. Among them, the built-in memory is composed of many storage units, each unit can store a binary number or an instruction represented by a binary code. The internal memory is composed of a random access memory and a read-only memory. The external memory refers to a memory other than the memory configured by the controller and the MCU cache. Such a memory can still save data after power failure, such as a hard disk, a floppy disk, an optical disk, a U disk, etc.

[0047] It should be understood that Figure 1 This is only an exemplary schematic diagram of the cooling system structure, and does not limit the structure of the cooling system. In actual application scenarios, the cooling system may include Figure 1 The different components of the structure shown include Figure 1 The structures shown may have more or fewer components, which is not intended to be limiting.

[0048] Reference Figure 3 In some embodiments of the present application, the controller may also be configured to perform the following steps:

[0049] Step S110, when it is determined that the vehicle is in the driving mode, the valve module is controlled to switch to the first diversion mode, so that the coolant circulates through the intelligent control module, the drive module, the radiator and the water pump under the drive of the water pump;

[0050] Step S120, when it is determined that the vehicle is in the sentinel mode, the valve module is controlled to switch to the second diversion mode, so that the coolant circulates through the intelligent control module, the radiator and the water pump under the drive of the water pump.

[0051] The driving mode indicates that the vehicle is in a normal driving state, that is, the drive module that drives the vehicle and the intelligent control module that controls the driving function of the vehicle are both in a continuous heating state. The sentinel mode indicates that the vehicle is in a parking state and monitors and records the damage caused to the vehicle by the surrounding environment, that is, the drive module in the vehicle is not in a continuous heating state, but the intelligent control module is still in a continuous heating state.

[0052] In the above process, when the controller determines that the vehicle is in driving mode, it indicates that both the drive module and the intelligent control module are continuously heating up, and the valve module can be controlled to switch to the first diversion mode, so that the coolant circulates through the intelligent control module, the drive module, the radiator and the water pump under the drive of the water pump, thereby achieving the purpose of cooling the intelligent control module and the drive module in the vehicle at the same time, and avoiding damage to the intelligent control module and the drive module due to the influence of their own temperature.

[0053] Secondly, when the controller determines that the vehicle is in sentinel mode, it indicates that the drive module is not continuously heating up, but the intelligent control module is continuously heating up. Then, the controller can control the valve module to switch to the second diversion mode, so that the coolant circulates through the intelligent control module, radiator and water pump under the drive of the water pump. Therefore, when the drive module is not continuously heating up, the coolant directly skips the drive module to shorten the overall transmission length of the coolant, thereby reducing the power consumption of the cooling system.

[0054] Among them, the method of determining whether the vehicle is in driving mode can be flexibly set as needed. In one example, the current rotation speed of the vehicle can be obtained. If the current driving speed reaches a preset speed value, it indicates that the vehicle is in a normal driving state, and it can be determined that the vehicle is in driving mode.

[0055] In another example, when the user requires the vehicle to enter the driving mode, the user will inevitably step on the accelerator to generate a throttle signal to make the vehicle drive on the road. Based on this, it can be determined that the vehicle is in the driving mode in response to the vehicle's throttle signal.

[0056] The method for determining whether the vehicle is in sentinel mode can also be flexibly set as needed. In one example, when the driving module of the vehicle stops running, it indicates that the user has stopped driving the vehicle, that is, the vehicle is currently in a parked state. The vehicle can generate a sentinel mode enable signal for starting the sentinel mode, so that the damaging behavior caused to surrounding vehicles by the sentinel mode can be monitored and recorded when the vehicle is in the parked state. In order to determine whether the vehicle is in sentinel mode, the sentinel mode signal generated by the vehicle can be obtained first, and then the vehicle can be determined to be in sentinel mode in response to the sentinel mode enable signal.

[0057] In another example, a sentinel mode enable signal generated by the vehicle can be obtained first, and then a determination can be made in response to the sentinel mode enable signal as to whether the vehicle's current gear has been switched to the parking gear, so as to determine whether the user is currently parking temporarily. If the determination is yes, it indicates that the user is not currently parking temporarily, and the vehicle can be determined to be in sentinel mode when the vehicle's door is switched to a locked state, i.e., the vehicle can be determined to be in sentinel mode after the user has left the vehicle, thereby avoiding switching the diversion mode of the valve module when the vehicle is parked temporarily, thereby reducing the switching frequency of the diversion mode of the valve module, and thereby extending the service life of the cooling system.

[0058] In addition, in order to enable the valve module to switch to the first flow diversion mode and the second flow diversion mode, in some embodiments of the present application, the valve module may include a first control valve. The connection method of the first control valve can refer to Figure 4 As shown, the first channel port of the first control valve 301 is connected to the water outlet of the water pump 102, the second channel port is connected to the water inlet of the intelligent control module 104, and the third channel port is connected to the water inlet of the drive module 105; the water outlet of the intelligent control module 104 and the water outlet of the drive module 105 are both connected to the water inlet of the radiator 101; the water outlet of the radiator 101 is connected to the water inlet of the water pump 102.

[0059] Based on the first control valve, the coolant circulates through the intelligent control module, the drive module, the radiator and the water pump under the drive of the water pump. The first control valve can be controlled to open the first channel port, the second channel port and the third channel port at the same time, that is, the first diversion mode of the valve module is to open the first channel port, the second channel port and the third channel port of the first control valve.

[0060] Correspondingly, based on the first control valve, the coolant circulates through the intelligent control module, the radiator and the water pump under the drive of the water pump. The first control valve can be controlled to open the first channel port and the second channel port, and close the third channel port. That is, the second diversion mode of the valve module is to open the first channel port and the second channel port of the first control valve, and close the third channel port of the first control valve.

[0061] In some embodiments of the present application, the valve module may include a second control valve. The connection method of the second control valve may refer to Figure 5 As shown, the first channel port of the second control valve 401 is connected to the water inlet of the radiator 101, the second channel port is connected to the water outlet of the driving module 105, and the third channel port is respectively connected to the water inlet of the driving module 105 and the water outlet of the intelligent control module 104; in addition, the water outlet of the intelligent control module 104 is connected to the water inlet of the driving module 105, and the water inlet of the intelligent control module 104 is connected to the water outlet of the water pump 102; the water inlet of the water pump 102 is connected to the water outlet of the radiator 101.

[0062] Based on the second control valve, the coolant circulates through the intelligent control module, the drive module, the radiator and the water pump under the drive of the water pump. The second control valve can be controlled to open the first channel port and the second channel port at the same time, and close the third channel port. That is, the first diversion mode of the valve mode is to open the first channel port and the second channel port of the second control valve, and close the third channel port of the second control valve.

[0063] Correspondingly, based on the second control valve, the coolant circulates through the intelligent control module, the radiator and the water pump under the drive of the water pump. The second control valve can be controlled to open the first channel port and the third channel port at the same time and close the second channel port. That is, the second diversion mode of the valve mode is to open the first channel port and the third channel port of the second control valve, and close the second channel port of the second control valve.

[0064] Furthermore, it should be understood that the heat generated by the drive module is higher than that generated by the intelligent control module. Figure 5 In the cooling system shown, by interconnecting the water outlet of the intelligent control module and the water inlet of the drive module, it can also be ensured that the coolant after cooling the intelligent control module can flow to the drive module, so that the coolant can further absorb the heat dissipated by the drive module, thereby fully squeezing the heat absorption capacity of the coolant, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the cooling system.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present application, the valve module may further include multiple one-way valves to achieve the first diversion mode and the second diversion mode as described above through multiple one-way valves. The specific connection method can be adjusted with reference to the connection method when the above-mentioned valve module is a three-way valve, and will not be repeated here.

[0066] Furthermore, considering that the heat generated by the driving module is higher than that of the intelligent control module, in order to improve the cooling capacity of the cooling system for the driving module, on the basis of the above embodiment, the water inlet of the driving module can also be directly connected to the water outlet of the water pump, for specific reference Figure 6 As shown, the intelligent control module and the water pump simultaneously deliver coolant to the drive module, thereby increasing the cooling system's ability to cool the drive module.

[0067] Based on this embodiment, the cooling system may further include a throttle valve. Figure 7 As shown, the water inlet of the throttle valve 501 is connected to the water outlet of the water pump 102, and the water outlet of the throttle valve 501 is connected to the water inlet of the driving module 105, so as to adjust the flow rate of the coolant delivered by the water pump 102 directly to the driving module 105 through the throttle valve 501, thereby preventing the water pump 102 from causing hydraulic shock to the driving module 105 when delivering coolant to the driving module 105, thereby improving the safety of the cooling system 100.

[0068] In some embodiments of the present application, it is considered that the drive module of some vehicles may include a front drive unit and a rear drive unit. Similarly, the front drive unit and the rear drive unit also need to be cooled by the cooling system. Therefore, the valve module can allow the coolant to circulate through the intelligent control module, the front drive unit, the rear drive unit, the radiator and the water pump under the drive of the water pump to cool the front drive unit and the rear drive unit. In addition, it is convenient for the intelligent control module to select a drive unit that is closer to be incorporated into the cooling system, thereby avoiding the extension of the pipeline used to connect the intelligent control module in the cooling system, thereby reducing the installation cost of the cooling system.

[0069] In some embodiments of the present application, the cooling system can also cool down other heat-generating components in the vehicle, or further add an extended radiator to improve the practicality of the cooling system. For example, the water inlet of the extended radiator is connected to the water outlet of the water pump, the water inlet of other heat-generating components is connected to the water outlet of the extended radiator, and the water outlet of other heat-generating components is connected to the valve module, so that after the water pump in the cooling system drives the coolant, the coolant can also flow through the extended radiator and other heat-generating components under the control of the valve module, thereby circulating and cooling other heat-generating components in the vehicle, so as to achieve the purpose of improving the practicality of the cooling system.

[0070] Through the above implementation, when the controller determines that the vehicle is in the driving mode, the controller can control the valve module to switch to the first diversion mode, so that the coolant in the cooling system circulates through the water pump, the intelligent control module, the drive module, the valve module and the radiator under the drive of the water pump, thereby achieving the purpose of cooling the intelligent control module and the drive module in the vehicle, and avoiding damage to the intelligent control module and the drive module under the influence of their own temperature; and when it is determined that the vehicle is in the sentinel mode, the valve module is controlled to switch to the second diversion mode, so that the coolant in the cooling system circulates through the water pump, the intelligent control module, the valve module and the radiator under the drive of the water pump, so that when the drive module is not continuously heating, the coolant directly skips the drive module, so as to shorten the overall transmission length of the coolant while cooling the intelligent control module, thereby reducing the power consumption of the cooling system, and achieving the purpose of improving user satisfaction with the use of the vehicle.

[0071] See also Figure 8 , Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cooling system shown in another exemplary embodiment. Figure 8 As shown, the cooling system 100 may further include a temperature sensor 601. The temperature sensor 601 is used to collect the temperature value of the coolant at the water outlet of the water pump 102.

[0072] The specific arrangement of the temperature sensor can be arranged in the pipe connected to the water outlet of the water pump or in the water outlet of the water pump, and is not limited here. The temperature sensor can be a thermistor, a thermocouple, a semiconductor temperature sensor, and the like.

[0073] In addition, the valve module can also be used to direct the coolant to be cooled by the radiator to the water pump.

[0074] The controller can be electrically connected to the temperature sensor. Fig. 9 As shown, the controller can also be configured to perform the following steps:

[0075] Step S210, determining whether the coolant temperature is lower than a low temperature threshold;

[0076] Step S220: If the answer is yes, the valve module is controlled to switch to the third flow diversion mode, so that the coolant to be cooled by the radiator is directed to the water pump under the drive of the water pump.

[0077] In the above process, considering that after the coolant absorbs the heat dissipated by the intelligent control module and the drive module, in addition to cooling through the radiator, the coolant can also exchange heat with the air using the pipeline as a heat conduction medium to achieve the purpose of cooling. Based on this, the cooling system in the present application can use the valve module to allow the coolant to skip the radiator when the heat generated by the intelligent control module and the drive module is low, so as to reduce the overall transmission resistance of the coolant, thereby reducing the power consumption of the cooling system.

[0078] Specifically, in some embodiments of the present application, the valve module is in the first diversion mode or the second diversion mode, which means that in order to drive the coolant in the cooling system to achieve the purpose of circulating cooling, when the water pump pumps the coolant out of the water outlet, the coolant needs to pass through the radiator and then return to the water inlet of the water pump. At this time, if it is judged that the coolant temperature value collected by the temperature sensor is lower than the low temperature threshold, it indicates that the current total heat generation of each heating module (intelligent control module, drive module) in the vehicle is low, and the valve module can be controlled to switch to the third diversion mode to avoid the coolant from entering the radiator, thereby guiding the coolant to be cooled by the radiator to the water pump, so that after the water pump pumps the coolant out of the water outlet, the coolant can return to the water inlet of the water pump without passing through the radiator, so that the cooling system can effectively cool down each heating module in the vehicle, so that the coolant skips the radiator, thereby reducing the power consumption of the cooling system and improving the user's satisfaction with the vehicle.

[0079] Among them, the low temperature threshold can be flexibly set according to the corresponding operating temperature ranges of the drive module and the intelligent control module or the developer's requirements for safety, and is not restricted here.

[0080] In order to enable the valve module to switch to the third diversion mode, based on Figure 4 In combination with the above embodiment, under the condition that the valve module includes the first control valve, the valve module can also include a third control valve. The connection method of the third control valve can refer to Fig.10 As shown, the first channel port of the third control valve 701 is connected to the water outlet of the intelligent control module 104 and the water outlet of the driving module 105, the second channel port is connected to the water inlet of the water pump 102, and the third channel port is connected to the water inlet of the radiator 101.

[0081] In the process of guiding the coolant to be cooled by the radiator to the water pump under the drive of the water pump based on the third control valve, the third control valve can be controlled to open the first channel port and the second channel port, and close the third channel port, that is, the third diversion mode of the valve module is to open the first channel port and the second channel port of the third control valve, and close the third channel port of the third control valve.

[0082] based on Figure 5 In combination with the above embodiment, under the condition that the valve module includes the second control valve, the second control valve may further include a fourth channel port, and the connection method of the fourth channel port may refer to Fig.11 As shown, the fourth channel port of the second control valve 401 is connected to the water inlet of the water pump 102 .

[0083] Based on the second control valve, the coolant to be cooled by the radiator is guided to the water pump under the drive of the water pump. The second control valve can be controlled to open the fourth channel port and close the first channel port. That is, the third diversion mode of the valve module is to open the fourth channel port of the second control valve and close the first channel port of the second control valve.

[0084] In addition, considering that the heat dissipated by the heating module in the vehicle is volatile, the coolant temperature value after the coolant absorbs the heat of the heating module is also volatile. Based on this, in the above process, the timing can be started after the coolant temperature value is lower than the low temperature threshold. When the timing time reaches the preset time, the valve module is controlled to switch to the third diversion mode to avoid the influence of the short-term fluctuation of the heat dissipated by the heating module on the coolant temperature value, and switch the current diversion mode of the valve module, thereby further reducing the switching frequency of the valve module diversion mode, thereby extending the service life of the cooling system.

[0085] In another exemplary embodiment, referring to Fig.12 As shown, the controller can also be configured to perform the following steps:

[0086] Step S310, determining whether the coolant temperature value exceeds a high temperature threshold;

[0087] Step S320: If the answer is yes, the valve module is controlled to switch to the fourth flow diversion mode, so that the coolant to be cooled by the radiator is directed to the radiator under the drive of the water pump.

[0088] In some embodiments of the present application, after the valve module switches to the third diversion mode, it means that when the water pump pumps the coolant out of the water outlet, the coolant directly returns to the water inlet of the water pump without passing through the radiator. If the coolant temperature value is judged to exceed the high temperature threshold, it indicates that the current total heat generation of each heating module in the vehicle is high, and the valve module can be controlled to switch to the fourth diversion mode to drive the coolant to flow toward the radiator for cooling and heat dissipation, so that after the water pump pumps the coolant out of the water outlet, the coolant passes through the radiator again during the circulation process, thereby ensuring that the cooling system can quickly cool down after the intelligent control module and the drive module are heated up.

[0089] The high temperature threshold may be greater than the low temperature threshold to avoid switching the diversion mode of the valve module based on the coolant temperature value when the coolant temperature value fluctuates slightly, thereby reducing the switching frequency of the diversion mode of the valve module. Similarly, the setting method of the high temperature threshold may refer to the setting method of the low temperature threshold, which will not be described in detail here.

[0090] In addition, in the above process, taking into account the volatility of the coolant temperature value, timing can be started after the coolant temperature value exceeds the high temperature threshold. When the timing time reaches the preset time, the first channel port is controlled to be opened and the fourth channel port is controlled to be closed. In the process of judging whether the coolant temperature value exceeds the high temperature threshold, it is not easy to directly switch the current diversion mode of the valve module due to the influence of the short-term fluctuation of the heat generated by the heating module on the coolant temperature value, thereby further reducing the switching frequency of the cooling system for the valve module diversion mode, thereby extending the service life of the cooling system.

[0091] In another exemplary embodiment, the controller 104 may be electrically connected to the water pump 102. Fig.13 As shown, the controller can also be configured to perform the following steps:

[0092] In step S410, a coolant temperature value collected by a temperature sensor in the cooling system is obtained;

[0093] In step S420, the operation duty cycle of the water pump is adjusted according to the coolant temperature value.

[0094] The water pump's operating duty cycle represents the water pump's ability to drive the coolant. The lower the water pump's operating duty cycle, the stronger the water pump's driving ability is, and the faster the coolant circulates in the cooling system, but the corresponding power consumption of the water pump is higher.

[0095] In the above process, the controller can obtain the coolant temperature value collected by the temperature sensor in the cooling system, and then adjust the operating duty cycle of the water pump according to the coolant temperature value, so that in the process of the water pump driving the coolant to circulate in the cooling system, the power consumption of the water pump can be adjusted with the coolant temperature value, thereby avoiding the water pump still maintaining a high power consumption to drive the coolant to circulate when the temperature emitted by the heating module or the ambient temperature is low, thereby reducing the invalid power consumption generated by the water pump, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing the overall power consumption of the cooling system.

[0096] The method of adjusting the operating duty cycle of the water pump according to the coolant temperature value can be flexibly set as needed. In one example, the water pump duty cycle associated with the coolant temperature value can be directly obtained from the preset memory, and then the operating duty cycle of the water pump can be adjusted to the obtained water pump duty cycle. That is to say, the water pump duty cycles corresponding to different coolant temperature values ​​can be pre-associated and stored in the preset memory to shorten the time for adjusting the operating duty cycle of the water pump based on the coolant temperature value.

[0097] In another example, since the coolant temperature value is volatile, based on this, the corresponding water pump working range can be determined according to the coolant temperature value, and then the water pump duty cycle corresponding to the water pump working range can be obtained, and then the water pump operating duty cycle can be adjusted to the water pump duty cycle. This can reduce the amount of data required to determine the water pump operating duty cycle while ensuring that the coolant in the water pump drives the cooling system to circulate and the coolant can effectively cool the heat generating module. It can also reduce the frequency of adjusting the water pump operating duty cycle according to the coolant temperature value, thereby extending the service life of the water pump.

[0098] For example, in the case where the first water pump working interval, the second water pump working interval and the third water pump working interval are preset, and the temperature ranges corresponding to the first water pump working interval, the second water pump working interval and the third water pump working interval are higher than 0°C, 0°C to -10°C and lower than -10°C, respectively, and the water pump duty cycles corresponding to the first water pump working interval, the second water pump working interval and the third water pump working interval are 20%, 25% and 30%, respectively. If the current coolant temperature value is -5°C, it can be determined that the coolant temperature value is in the second water pump working interval, and correspondingly, the water pump operation duty cycle can be adjusted to 25%, thereby ensuring that the cooling system can effectively cool the heating module, and reducing the ineffective power consumption generated by the water pump.

[0099] In addition, considering that the circulation flow path of the coolant is completely different when the valve module in the cooling system is in the third diversion mode or the fourth diversion mode, the corresponding transmission resistance is also different. Based on this, the method of obtaining the water pump duty cycle corresponding to the water pump working range can be adjusted according to the diversion mode of the valve module, that is, when the valve module is in the third diversion mode, the duty cycle corresponding to the water pump working range in the third diversion mode can be used as the water pump duty cycle; and when the valve module is in the fourth diversion mode, the duty cycle corresponding to the water pump working range in the fourth diversion mode can be used as the water pump duty cycle, so that the water pump in the same water pump working range can adopt different water pump duty cycles according to the different diversion modes of the valve module to overcome the transmission resistance when driving the coolant to circulate, thereby ensuring that the cooling system can meet the current cooling requirements.

[0100] Referring to the above example, when the current coolant temperature value is -5°C, it is determined that the coolant temperature value is in the second water pump working range. If the corresponding duty cycle of the second water pump working range when the valve module is in the third diversion mode is 20%, and the corresponding duty cycle when the valve module is in the fourth diversion mode is 25%. When the valve module is in the third diversion mode, the obtained water pump duty cycle corresponding to the second water pump working range is 20%, and after the valve module is in the fourth diversion mode, in order to overcome the transmission resistance increased by the radiator when driving the coolant circulation, the obtained water pump duty cycle of the second water pump working range is changed to 25%.

[0101] In another exemplary embodiment, when the heat sink includes a fan, the controller may be electrically connected to the fan. Fig.14 As shown, the controller can also be configured to perform the following steps:

[0102] In step S510, a coolant temperature value collected by a temperature sensor in the cooling system is obtained;

[0103] In step S520, the operating duty cycle of the fan is adjusted according to the coolant temperature value.

[0104] The fan's operating duty cycle represents the fan's cooling ability for the coolant. The lower the fan's operating duty cycle, the stronger the fan's cooling ability is, and the faster the coolant in the cooling system cools, but the corresponding fan power consumption is higher.

[0105] In the above process, the controller can obtain the coolant temperature value collected by the temperature sensor in the cooling system, and then adjust the fan's operating duty cycle according to the coolant temperature value, so that in the process of the fan cooling the coolant in the cooling system, the fan's power consumption can be adjusted along with the coolant temperature value, thereby avoiding the fan still maintaining a high power consumption to cool the coolant when the temperature emitted by the heating module or the ambient temperature is low, thereby reducing the ineffective power consumption generated by the fan, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing the overall power consumption of the cooling system.

[0106] The method of adjusting the fan's operating duty cycle according to the coolant temperature value can refer to the above-mentioned method of adjusting the water pump's operating duty cycle according to the coolant temperature value, that is, the fan duty cycle associated with the coolant temperature value can be directly obtained from the preset memory, and then the fan's operating duty cycle is adjusted to the obtained fan duty cycle; or, the corresponding fan operating range is determined according to the coolant temperature value, and then the fan duty cycle corresponding to the fan operating range is obtained, and then the fan's operating duty cycle is adjusted to the fan duty cycle, so as to reduce the amount of data required to determine the fan's operating duty cycle while ensuring that the fan can effectively cool the coolant in the cooling system, and the frequency of adjusting the fan's operating duty cycle according to the coolant temperature value can be reduced, thereby extending the service life of the fan.

[0107] In addition, considering that the circulation flow path of the coolant is completely different when the valve module in the cooling system is in the first diversion mode or the second diversion mode, the heat generation module it passes through is different, which causes the cooling liquid to have different heating rates when absorbing the heat generated by the heat generation module. Based on this, the method of obtaining the fan duty cycle corresponding to the fan working interval can be adjusted according to the diversion mode of the valve module, that is, when the valve module is in the first diversion mode, the duty cycle corresponding to the fan working interval in the first diversion mode can be used as the fan duty cycle; and when the valve module is in the second diversion mode, the duty cycle corresponding to the fan working interval in the second diversion mode can be used as the fan duty cycle, so that the fan in the same fan working interval can adopt different fan duty cycles according to the different diversion modes of the valve module, so that the fan can effectively cool the coolant at different heating rates, thereby ensuring that the cooling system meets the current cooling requirements.

[0108] In some embodiments of the present application, the present application also provides a vehicle, which may include: an intelligent control module for controlling driving functions in the vehicle, a driving module for driving the vehicle using driving energy in the vehicle; and a cooling system as disclosed in any of the above embodiments, the cooling system is used to cool the intelligent control module and the driving module.

[0109] Among them, the vehicle can be various types of motor vehicles used for daily travel and transportation. For example, the vehicle can be a passenger car: it can include sedans, SUVs, MPVs, etc., mainly used for personal and family travel. The vehicle can be a commercial vehicle: this type of vehicle is mainly used for cargo transportation or personnel transfer, such as trucks, buses, school buses, etc. It can also include vans, pickup trucks, special work vehicles, etc. The above is only an exemplary description and does not make specific restrictions.

[0110] When it is determined that the vehicle is in the driving mode, the cooling system can control the first channel port and the second channel port of the valve module in the cooling system to be opened, and the third channel port to be closed, so that the coolant in the cooling system is driven by the water pump to circulate through the water pump, the intelligent control module, the drive module, the valve module and the radiator in sequence, thereby achieving the purpose of the cooling system to cool down the intelligent control module and the drive module in the vehicle, and avoiding the intelligent control module and the drive module from stopping working or being damaged due to the influence of their own temperature; and when it is determined that the vehicle is in the sentinel mode, the first channel port and the third channel port are controlled to be opened, and the second channel port is closed, so that the coolant in the cooling system is driven by the water pump to circulate through the water pump, the intelligent control module, the valve module and the radiator in sequence, so that when the drive module is not continuously heated, the coolant directly skips the drive module, so as to reduce the overall transmission length of the coolant while cooling the intelligent control module, thereby reducing the power consumption of the cooling system, and achieving the purpose of improving user satisfaction with the use of the vehicle.

[0111] For the drawings of the present application in the above-mentioned various embodiments, it should be noted that the flowcharts and block diagrams in the drawings illustrate the possible architecture, functions and operations of the systems, methods and computer program products according to the various embodiments of the present application. Among them, each box in the flowchart or block diagram can represent a module, a program segment, or a part of the code, and the above-mentioned module, program segment, or a part of the code contains one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the box can also occur in a different order from the order marked in the drawings. For example, two boxes represented in succession can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each box in the block diagram or flowchart, and the combination of boxes in the block diagram or flowchart, can be implemented with a dedicated hardware-based system that performs a specified function or operation, or can be implemented with a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0112] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit it. Although the present application 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 replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

[0113] For the convenience of explanation, the above description has been made in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, the above exemplary discussion is not intended to be exhaustive or limit the embodiments to the specific forms disclosed above. Based on the above teachings, various modifications and variations can be obtained. The selection and description of the above embodiments are to better explain the principles and practical applications, so that those skilled in the art can better use the embodiments and various different variations of the embodiments suitable for specific use considerations.

Claims

1. A cooling system, characterized in that: The cooling system comprises: A radiator, used to cool the coolant in the cooling system; A water pump, used to drive the coolant in the cooling system to flow; A valve module, used to adjust the flow path of the coolant in the cooling system; wherein the valve module is connected to the intelligent control module and the drive module in the vehicle; A controller is electrically connected to the valve module, and the controller is configured to perform the following steps: When it is determined that the vehicle is in the driving mode, the valve module is controlled to switch to the first diversion mode, so that the coolant circulates through the intelligent control module, the drive module, the radiator and the water pump under the drive of the water pump; When it is determined that the vehicle is in the sentinel mode, the valve module is controlled to switch to the second diversion mode, so that the coolant circulates through the intelligent control module, the radiator and the water pump under the drive of the water pump.

2. The cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is further configured to perform the following steps: obtaining a sentry mode enable signal generated by the vehicle; determining, in response to the sentry mode enable signal, whether a current gear position of the vehicle is switched to a parking gear; If the determination is yes, then when the vehicle door is switched to a locked state, it is determined that the vehicle is in the sentry mode.

3. The cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cooling system further comprises: A temperature sensor, used to collect the coolant temperature value of the coolant output by the water pump; The valve module is also used to guide the coolant to be cooled by the radiator to the water pump; The controller is electrically connected to the temperature sensor, and the controller is further configured to perform the following steps: Determining whether the coolant temperature value is lower than a low temperature threshold; If the judgment is yes, the valve module is controlled to switch to the third diversion mode, so that the coolant to be cooled by the radiator is directed to the water pump under the drive of the water pump.

4. The cooling system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The controller is also configured to perform the following steps: Determining whether the coolant temperature value exceeds a high temperature threshold; If the judgment is yes, the valve module is controlled to switch to the fourth diversion mode, so that the coolant to be cooled by the radiator is guided to the radiator under the drive of the water pump.

5. The cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The controller is electrically connected to the water pump, and the controller is further configured to perform the following steps: Acquiring a coolant temperature value collected by a temperature sensor in the cooling system; The operation duty cycle of the water pump is adjusted according to the coolant temperature value.

6. The cooling system according to claim 5, characterized in that The step of adjusting the operating duty cycle of the water pump according to the coolant temperature value includes: Determine the corresponding water pump working range according to the coolant temperature value; Obtaining a water pump duty cycle corresponding to the water pump working range; The operation duty cycle of the water pump is adjusted to the water pump duty cycle.

7. The cooling system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The obtaining of the water pump duty cycle corresponding to the water pump working interval includes: When the valve module is in the third flow diversion mode, the duty cycle of the water pump working interval corresponding to the third flow diversion mode is used as the water pump duty cycle; When the valve module is in the fourth flow diversion mode, the duty cycle of the water pump working interval in the fourth flow diversion mode is used as the water pump duty cycle.

8. The cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat sink includes a fan; The controller is electrically connected to the fan: Acquiring a coolant temperature value collected by a temperature sensor in the cooling system; The operating duty cycle of the fan is adjusted according to the coolant temperature value.

9. The cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cooling system also includes a throttle valve; The water inlet of the throttle valve is connected to the water outlet of the water pump, and the water outlet of the throttle is connected to the water inlet of the driving module.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that: include: Intelligent control module, used to control driving functions in the vehicle; A driving module, used to drive the vehicle using driving energy in the vehicle; And, according to the cooling system as described in any one of claims 1-9, the cooling system is used to cool the intelligent control module and the driving module.

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