Thermal management system and vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses a heat management system and a vehicle, and the heat management system comprises an intermediate heat exchanger which is provided with a first heat exchange channel and a second heat exchange channel which can carry out heat exchange; a first refrigerant branch is connected with an outlet of the compressor and the in-vehicle heat exchanger, a second refrigerant branch is connected with the in-vehicle heat exchanger and the first heat exchange channel, and a third refrigerant branch is connected with the first heat exchange channel and an inlet of the compressor; the five-way valve is provided with a first interface, a second interface, a third interface, a fourth interface and a fifth interface, the first cooling liquid branch is connected with the first interface and the heater, the second heat exchange channel is connected between the second interface and the heater in series, and the battery is connected between the heater and the third interface in series; the fourth cooling liquid branch is connected with the fourth connector and the fifth connector, and the radiator is connected to the fourth cooling liquid branch in series. According to the thermal management system provided by the embodiment of the invention, switching of more working modes can be realized, the endurance mileage of the whole vehicle can be improved, and the integration level is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of thermal management, and more particularly to a thermal management system and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] With the improvement of environmental protection requirements, the new energy vehicle industry is developing at an increasingly faster speed, especially pure electric vehicles, which have become an important development direction of the modern automobile industry. The thermal management technology of new energy vehicles is also becoming more and more important.

[0003] Among the related technologies, the vehicle's thermal management system has low integration, limited working modes, and low vehicle range, which have become key research directions. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, one object of the present invention is to provide a thermal management system with high integration, diversified working modes and conducive to improving the cruising range of the whole vehicle.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle having the above thermal management system.

[0006] The thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: an intermediate heat exchanger, the intermediate heat exchanger having a first heat exchange channel and a second heat exchange channel for heat exchange; a first subsystem, the first subsystem including a compressor, an in-vehicle heat exchanger, a first refrigerant branch, a second refrigerant branch and a third refrigerant branch, the first refrigerant branch connecting the outlet of the compressor and the in-vehicle heat exchanger, the second refrigerant branch connecting the in-vehicle heat exchanger and the first heat exchange channel, the third refrigerant branch connecting the first heat exchange channel and the inlet of the compressor; a second subsystem, the second subsystem including a battery, a five-way valve, a heater, a radiator, The first coolant branch, the second coolant branch, the third coolant branch and the fourth coolant branch, the five-way valve has a first interface, a second interface, a third interface, a fourth interface and a fifth interface, the first coolant branch is connected to the first interface and the heater, the second coolant branch is connected to the second interface and the heater and the second heat exchange channel is connected in series to the second coolant branch, the third coolant branch is connected to the heater and the third interface and the battery is connected in series to the third coolant branch, the fourth coolant branch is connected to the fourth interface and the fifth interface and the radiator is connected in series to the fourth coolant branch.

[0007] According to the thermal management system of the embodiment of the present invention, the passenger compartment and the battery can be thermally managed by cooperating with the five-way valve and the intermediate heat exchanger, and more operating mode switching can be achieved. In addition, the number of valves required is small, which reduces the number of components required for the thermal management system, has high integration and saves costs. By cooling or heating the battery, the battery can be operated at a more suitable temperature, which is beneficial to saving battery power consumption and improving the cruising range of the entire vehicle.

[0008] In addition, the thermal management system according to the above embodiment of the present invention may also have the following additional technical features:

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal management system has a waste heat recovery mode. In the waste heat recovery mode, the heater is turned off, the second coolant branch and the third coolant branch are connected to form a circulation loop, and heat is exchanged with the in-vehicle heat exchanger through the intermediate heat exchanger.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal management system has a first battery cooling mode. In the first battery cooling mode, the heater is turned off, and the first coolant branch, the third coolant branch and the fourth coolant branch are connected to form a circulation loop.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal management system has a battery heating mode. In the battery heating mode, the heater is turned on, and the first coolant branch and the third coolant branch are connected to form a circulation loop.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the second subsystem also includes: a three-way valve, the three-way valve having a sixth interface, a seventh interface and an eighth interface, the sixth interface is connected to the heater, the third coolant branch connects the seventh interface and the third interface; a fifth coolant branch, the fifth coolant branch connects the eighth interface and the third interface.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal management system has a first passenger compartment heating mode. In the first passenger compartment heating mode, the heater is turned on, the sixth interface is connected to the eighth interface and disconnected from the seventh interface, so that the second coolant branch and the fifth coolant branch are connected to form a circulation loop, and heat is exchanged with the in-vehicle heat exchanger through the intermediate heat exchanger.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the three-way valve is a proportional three-way valve, and the proportional three-way valve is used to adjust the coolant flow of the seventh interface and the eighth interface.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the second subsystem further includes an expansion water tank, which is connected to the fourth coolant branch and is used to replenish coolant to the fourth coolant branch.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first subsystem includes an outdoor heat exchanger, a fourth refrigerant branch and a fifth refrigerant branch, the fourth refrigerant branch connects the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger, the fourth refrigerant branch is provided with a first expansion valve, the fifth refrigerant branch connects the outdoor heat exchanger and the inlet of the compressor, a second expansion valve is connected between the second refrigerant branch and the intermediate heat exchanger, the third refrigerant branch is provided with a first valve body unidirectionally conducting from the intermediate heat exchanger to the inlet of the compressor, and the fifth refrigerant branch is provided with a first stop valve.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal management system has a second passenger compartment heating mode. In the second passenger compartment heating mode, the first expansion valve is opened, the second expansion valve is closed, and the first refrigerant branch, the fourth refrigerant branch, and the fifth refrigerant branch are connected to form a circulation loop.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first expansion valve is a two-way valve, the first subsystem includes a sixth refrigerant branch and a seventh refrigerant branch, the sixth refrigerant branch is connected to the outlet of the compressor and the external heat exchanger, the seventh refrigerant branch is connected to the internal heat exchanger and the inlet of the compressor, the seventh refrigerant branch is provided with a second stop valve, the first refrigerant branch is provided with a third stop valve, and the sixth refrigerant branch is provided with a fourth stop valve.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal management system has a passenger compartment cooling mode. In the passenger compartment cooling mode, the first stop valve and the third stop valve are closed, the second stop valve and the fourth stop valve are opened, the first expansion valve is opened, the second expansion valve is closed, and the sixth refrigerant branch, the fourth refrigerant branch, and the seventh refrigerant branch are connected to form a circulation loop.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first subsystem includes an eighth refrigerant branch, the eighth refrigerant branch connects the off-board heat exchanger and the second expansion valve, the eighth refrigerant branch is provided with a second valve body for unidirectional conduction from the off-board heat exchanger to the second expansion valve, the second refrigerant branch is provided with a third valve body for unidirectional conduction from the in-vehicle heat exchanger to the second expansion valve, the thermal management system has a second battery cooling mode, in which the first stop valve, the second stop valve and the third stop valve are closed, the fourth stop valve is opened, the first expansion valve is closed, the second expansion valve is opened, the sixth refrigerant branch, the eighth refrigerant branch and the third refrigerant branch are connected to form a circulation loop, and the second coolant branch is connected to the third coolant branch to form a circulation loop.

[0021] A vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description and in part will be obvious from the following description, or will be learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and easily understood from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a thermal management system in a waste heat recovery mode according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a thermal management system in a first battery cooling mode according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a thermal management system in a battery heating mode according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a thermal management system in a first passenger compartment heating mode according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a thermal management system in a second passenger compartment heating mode according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a thermal management system in a vehicle interior cooling mode according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a thermal management system in a second battery cooling mode according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Reference numerals:

[0034] Thermal management system 100; vehicle 1000;

[0035] Intermediate heat exchanger 10;

[0036] Compressor 21; in-vehicle heat exchanger 22; out-vehicle heat exchanger 23; gas-liquid separator 24; first fan 25; second fan 26;

[0037] Battery 31; five-way valve 32; heater 33; radiator 34; three-way valve 35; expansion tank 36; water pump 37;

[0038] The first refrigerant branch 41; the second refrigerant branch 42; the third refrigerant branch 43; the fourth refrigerant branch 44; the fifth refrigerant branch 45; the sixth refrigerant branch 46; the seventh refrigerant branch 47; the eighth refrigerant branch 48;

[0039] A first coolant branch 51; a second coolant branch 52; a third coolant branch 53; a fourth coolant branch 54; and a fifth coolant branch 55;

[0040] first interface a; second interface b; third interface c; fourth interface d; fifth interface e; sixth interface f; seventh interface g; eighth interface h;

[0041] A first expansion valve 61; a second expansion valve 62;

[0042] A first valve body 71; a second valve body 72; a third valve body 73;

[0043] A first stop valve 81 ; a second stop valve 82 ; a third stop valve 83 ; and a fourth stop valve 84 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0045] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0046] In the description of the present invention, "first feature" and "second feature" may include one or more such features, "plurality" means two or more, a first feature "above" or "below" the second feature may include the first and second features being directly in contact, or may include the first and second features not being in direct contact but being in contact through another feature between them, and a first feature "above", "above" and "above" the second feature may include the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is horizontally higher than the second feature.

[0047] At present, from the perspective of market development, the application of thermal management systems is becoming more and more extensive. Thermal management systems are widely used in vehicles, ships and other means of transportation, as well as military equipment and aerospace and other fields. With the continuous expansion of the application field of thermal management systems, the market demand is also constantly expanding.

[0048] Among them, with the improvement of environmental protection requirements, the development speed of new energy vehicle industry is getting faster and faster, especially pure electric vehicles, which have become an important development direction of the modern automobile industry. The thermal management technology of new energy vehicles is also becoming more and more important.

[0049] Among the related technologies, the vehicle's thermal management system has low integration, limited working modes, and low vehicle range, which have become key research directions.

[0050] Based on this, the present application proposes a thermal management system 100 that can improve the integration and vehicle range, and can realize a variety of thermal management working modes to meet the thermal management of the passenger compartment and the battery 31.

[0051] The thermal management system 100 disclosed in the embodiment of the present application can be used in a device that needs to use the thermal management system 100 or a control system of the thermal management system 100. The device can be, but is not limited to, a vehicle 1000, a ship, a spacecraft, etc. Among them, the spacecraft can include an airplane, a rocket, a space shuttle, and a spacecraft.

[0052] Among them, vehicle 1000 can be a new energy vehicle. In some embodiments, the new energy vehicle can be a pure electric vehicle with a motor as the main driving force. In other embodiments, the new energy vehicle can also be a hybrid vehicle or an extended-range vehicle with an internal combustion engine and a motor as the main driving force. Regarding the internal combustion engine and motor mentioned in the above embodiments that provide driving power for the new energy vehicle, the internal combustion engine can use gasoline, diesel, hydrogen, etc. as fuel, and the way to provide electrical energy for the motor can use power batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, etc., which are not specifically limited here. It should be noted that this is only an exemplary description of the structure of new energy vehicles, etc., and it does not limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0053] The following describes a thermal management system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0054] Reference Figure 1 As shown, the thermal management system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include: an intermediate heat exchanger 10 , a first subsystem and a second subsystem.

[0055] Specifically, the intermediate heat exchanger 10 has a first heat exchange channel and a second heat exchange channel, and the first heat exchange channel and the second heat exchange channel can perform heat exchange to achieve heat exchange between a first subsystem connected to the first heat exchange channel and a second subsystem connected to the second heat exchange channel. The specific structure of the intermediate heat exchanger 10 is not particularly limited. For example, the intermediate heat exchanger 10 can be, but is not limited to, a plate heat exchanger or a tube heat exchanger, etc. The plate heat exchanger can be a chiller (refrigerator, cooler) plate heat exchanger or a WCC (water cooled condenser) plate heat exchanger.

[0056] The first subsystem includes a compressor 21, an in-vehicle heat exchanger 22, a first refrigerant branch 41, a second refrigerant branch 42, and a third refrigerant branch 43. The first refrigerant branch 41 connects the outlet of the compressor 21 and the in-vehicle heat exchanger 22, the second refrigerant branch 42 connects the in-vehicle heat exchanger 22 and the first heat exchange channel, and the third refrigerant branch 43 connects the first heat exchange channel and the inlet of the compressor 21.

[0057] The second subsystem includes a battery 31, a five-way valve 32, a heater 33, a radiator 34, a first coolant branch 51, a second coolant branch 52, a third coolant branch 53 and a fourth coolant branch 54. The five-way valve 32 has a first interface a, a second interface b, a third interface c, a fourth interface d and a fifth interface e. The first coolant branch 51 connects the first interface a and the heater 33, the second coolant branch 52 connects the second interface b and the heater 33 and the second heat exchange channel is connected in series to the second coolant branch 52, the third coolant branch 53 connects the heater 33 and the third interface c and the battery 31 is connected in series to the third coolant branch 53, the fourth coolant branch 54 connects the fourth interface d and the fifth interface e and the radiator 34 is connected in series to the fourth coolant branch 54.

[0058] The first subsystem here contains the flow path of the refrigerant (or coolant, such as high-pressure refrigerant, flammable refrigerant, etc.), and the refrigerant can circulate in the compressor 21 and each refrigerant branch. The second subsystem contains the flow path of the coolant (including but not limited to water, a mixed liquid of ethylene glycol and water, etc.), and the coolant can circulate in each coolant branch and exchange heat with the refrigerant on the refrigerant branch through the intermediate heat exchanger 10 to achieve heating or cooling of the coolant.

[0059] The compressor 21 is used to compress the refrigerant to obtain high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas. The in-vehicle heat exchanger 22 is used to exchange heat with the passenger compartment. For example, in cooling mode, it acts as an evaporator to absorb heat from the passenger compartment for cooling; in heating mode, it acts as a condenser to provide heat to the passenger compartment for heating.

[0060] For example, the first subsystem may also include a first fan 25, which includes but is not limited to a blower. The first fan 25 may be used to provide air volume to the passenger compartment to promote temperature control of the passenger compartment. The first fan 25 may be arranged adjacent to the in-vehicle heat exchanger 22 to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the in-vehicle heat exchanger 22.

[0061] The heater 33 can be used to heat the coolant flowing through, and then used to supplement the heat of the intermediate heat exchanger 10 or heat the battery 31. For example, the heater 33 can be an electric heater. The radiator 34 can exchange heat with the external environment to dissipate heat from the battery 31. The five-way valve 32 is used to switch modes to cooperate with the first subsystem to achieve diversified functions. In some embodiments, the five-way valve 32 can also be used to distribute the cold and hot water of the coolant circulation, so as to adjust the temperature regulation effect.

[0062] In some embodiments, Figure 1As shown, the thermal management system 100 may further include a water pump 37. The water pump 37 may be connected in series between the heater 33 and the intermediate heat exchanger 10, or between the heater 33 and the battery 31, or between the battery 31 and the five-way valve 32, as long as the water pump 37 can provide driving force to the coolant circuit and drive the coolant to flow.

[0063] The outlet of the compressor 21 is connected to the in-vehicle heat exchanger 22 through the first refrigerant branch 41, and the in-vehicle heat exchanger 22 is also connected to the first heat exchange channel of the intermediate heat exchanger 10 through the second refrigerant branch 42, and the first heat exchange channel is also connected to the inlet of the compressor 21 through the third refrigerant branch 43. The refrigerant discharged through the outlet of the compressor 21 can flow to the in-vehicle heat exchanger 22 through the first refrigerant branch 41 and exchange heat with the passenger compartment, then flow to the intermediate heat exchanger 10 through the second refrigerant branch 42 to exchange heat with the second subsystem, and finally flow to the inlet of the compressor 21 through the third refrigerant branch 43 and return to the compressor 21, forming a refrigerant loop.

[0064] The first interface a of the five-way valve 32 is connected to the third interface c, so that when the first coolant branch 51 and the third coolant branch 53 are connected, the coolant can flow through the heater 33 and the battery 31, so that the battery 31 is heated by the heater 33. The second interface b of the five-way valve 32 is connected to the third interface c, so that when the second coolant branch 52 and the third coolant branch 53 are connected, the coolant can flow through the battery 31, the heater 33 and the intermediate heat exchanger 10, and the battery 31 and the passenger compartment can be heated by the heater 33, or the passenger compartment can be heated by the battery 31, or the battery 31 can be heated by the passenger compartment, etc. The fourth interface d of the five-way valve 32 is connected to the fifth interface e, so that when the fourth coolant branch 54, the first coolant branch 51 and the third coolant branch 53 are connected, the battery 31 can be cooled by the radiator 34; or when the fourth coolant branch 54 and the second coolant branch 52 are connected, the passenger compartment can be cooled by the radiator 34, etc.

[0065] Therefore, according to the thermal management system 100 of the embodiment of the present invention, the five-way valve 32 cooperates with the intermediate heat exchanger 10 to perform thermal management on the passenger compartment and the battery 31, realize switching of more working modes, and require a small number of valves, thereby reducing the number of components required for the thermal management system 100, having a high degree of integration and saving costs; by cooling or heating the battery 31, the battery 31 operates at a more suitable temperature, which is beneficial to saving the power consumption of the battery 31 and improving the cruising range of the entire vehicle.

[0066] In some specific embodiments, Figure 2As shown, the thermal management system 100 has a waste heat recovery mode, wherein the solid line indicates that the corresponding branch is connected in the waste heat recovery mode, and the dotted line indicates that the corresponding branch is not connected in the waste heat recovery mode. In the waste heat recovery mode, the heater 33 is turned off, the second coolant branch 52 and the third coolant branch 53 are connected to form a circulation loop, and heat is exchanged with the in-vehicle heat exchanger 22 through the intermediate heat exchanger 10.

[0067] Specifically, the third interface c of the five-way valve 32 is connected to the second interface b, and the other interfaces are not connected. The coolant flows through the battery 31, the five-way valve 32, the second heat exchange channel of the intermediate heat exchanger 10 and the heater 33, and then returns to the battery 31, forming a coolant circulation loop. In this loop, the heater 33 only plays the role of circulating the coolant, and does not change the temperature of the coolant. When the coolant flows through the battery 31, it exchanges heat with the battery 31 and absorbs the residual heat of the battery 31, then flows through the second heat exchange channel of the intermediate heat exchanger 10, and exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the first heat exchange channel, so that the refrigerant can flow to the in-vehicle heat exchanger 22 to heat the passenger compartment after absorbing heat, which plays the role of recovering the residual heat of the battery 31, improving the utilization rate of the heat of the battery 31, and reducing heat waste. The coolant that has undergone heat exchange in the first heat exchange channel can also flow through the heater 33 and return to the battery 31 again to continue the cycle to achieve a continuous residual heat recovery effect.

[0068] In the above-mentioned waste heat recovery mode, the temperature of the battery 31 can be reduced to maintain the battery 31 in a more suitable working state; the waste heat of the battery 31 can be recycled to improve the heat utilization rate, and at the same time, the passenger compartment can be heated to improve the comfort of the passenger compartment.

[0069] In some specific embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, the thermal management system 100 has a first battery cooling mode. In the first battery cooling mode, the heater 33 is turned off, and the first coolant branch 51, the third coolant branch 53 and the fourth coolant branch 54 are connected to form a circulation loop.

[0070] Specifically, the third port c of the five-way valve 32 is connected to the fourth port d, and the fifth port e is connected to the first port a. The coolant flows through the battery 31, the five-way valve 32, the radiator 34, the five-way valve 32 and the heater 33 and then returns to the battery 31, forming a coolant circulation loop, in which the heater 33 only plays the role of circulating the coolant without changing the temperature of the coolant.

[0071] In low temperature conditions (i.e., low external temperature) when the battery 31 has a cooling requirement, the first battery cooling mode can be used. When the coolant flows through the radiator 34, it exchanges heat with the outside world through the radiator 34, and uses the low external temperature to reduce the temperature of the coolant; then it flows through the heater 33 and returns to the battery 31, so that the low-temperature coolant cools the battery 31; after the heat exchange, the high-temperature coolant flows to the radiator 34 again to continue the cycle to achieve a continuous cooling effect on the battery 31.

[0072] In the above-mentioned first battery cooling mode, the battery 31 is cooled by utilizing the external low temperature, with high cooling efficiency and without the need for additional refrigeration components, thereby reducing energy consumption and increasing the cruising range of the entire vehicle.

[0073] Furthermore, in some embodiments, Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the thermal management system 100 may also include an expansion water tank 36, which is connected to the fourth coolant branch 54. The expansion water tank 36 can be used to add coolant to the fourth coolant branch 54, remove bubbles in the coolant, and adjust the pressure of the coolant. This ensures that the coolant in the coolant circuit is sufficient and the pressure is appropriate, which is conducive to improving the temperature control efficiency. Of course, the expansion water tank 36 can add coolant in the first battery cooling mode, and can also add coolant in any other working mode, which is not limited in this application.

[0074] In some specific embodiments, Figure 4 As shown, the thermal management system 100 has a battery heating mode. In the battery heating mode, the heater 33 is turned on, and the first coolant branch 51 and the third coolant branch 53 are connected to form a circulation loop.

[0075] Specifically, the first interface a and the third interface c of the five-way valve 32 are connected, and the other interfaces are not connected. The coolant flows through the heater 33, and the heater 33 can heat the coolant; then the heated coolant flows to the battery 31 through the third coolant branch 53, and heats the battery 31 with the battery 31 to heat the battery 31, so that the battery 31 can be in a more suitable temperature range; the coolant after heat exchange with the battery 31 can return to the heater 33 through the first coolant branch 51, so as to continue to circulate and achieve a continuous heating effect of the battery 31.

[0076] In the battery heating mode, the heater 33 is used to keep the battery 31 in a suitable temperature range. For example, the battery 31 is heated when the ambient temperature is low to prevent the battery 31 from consuming power too quickly or suddenly dropping power, thereby affecting the vehicle's endurance, and to prevent the battery 31 from freezing and cracking, thereby causing a safety accident. In addition, the heating method of the heater 33 is not limited by the ambient temperature, has good heating efficiency, and the temperature control of the battery 31 is sensitive and efficient.

[0077] According to some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 1 As shown, the second subsystem may further include: a three-way valve 35 and a fifth coolant branch 55. The three-way valve 35 has a sixth interface f, a seventh interface g and an eighth interface h, the sixth interface f is connected to the heater 33, the third coolant branch 53 is connected to the seventh interface g and the third interface c. The fifth coolant branch 55 is connected to the eighth interface h and the third interface c.

[0078] Here, the three-way valve 35 may be a proportional three-way valve with a proportional adjustment function, capable of distributing cold and heat; the three-way valve 35 may also be an ordinary three-way valve without a proportional adjustment function.

[0079] The fifth coolant branch 55 and the third coolant branch 53 form a parallel branch. The fifth coolant branch 55 can directly deliver the coolant flowing through the heater 33 to the five-way valve 32 without flowing through the battery 31. In this way, the conduction state of the third coolant branch 53 and the fifth coolant branch 55 can be controlled by the three-way valve 35. When only the third coolant branch 53 is connected, all the coolant flows through the battery 31, and the heat exchange capacity with the battery 31 is the strongest; when only the fifth coolant branch 55 is connected, all the coolant does not flow through the battery 31, and no heat exchange occurs with the battery 31, thereby avoiding affecting the temperature of the battery 31; when the third coolant branch 53 and the fifth coolant branch 55 are connected at the same time, part of the coolant flows through the battery 31 to exchange heat with the battery 31 to a certain extent, thereby meeting the temperature regulation requirements of the battery 31 at different temperatures.

[0080] Moreover, in an embodiment where the three-way valve 35 is a proportional three-way valve, the proportional three-way valve can be used to adjust the coolant flow rate of the seventh interface g and the eighth interface h, and then adjust the coolant flow ratio of the third coolant branch 53 and the fifth coolant branch 55, so as to further accurately control the flow rate of the coolant for heat exchange with the battery 31, thereby more accurately controlling the temperature of the battery 31.

[0081] In some specific embodiments, Figure 5 As shown, the thermal management system 100 has a first passenger compartment heating mode. In the first passenger compartment heating mode, the heater 33 is turned on, the sixth interface f is connected to the eighth interface h and disconnected from the seventh interface g, so that the second coolant branch 52 and the fifth coolant branch 55 are connected to form a circulation loop, and heat is exchanged with the in-vehicle heat exchanger 22 through the intermediate heat exchanger 10.

[0082] Specifically, the second interface b of the five-way valve 32 is connected to the third interface c, and the other interfaces are not connected. The sixth interface f of the three-way valve 35 is connected to the eighth interface h and disconnected from the seventh interface g, so that the coolant flowing through the heater 33 does not flow through the battery 31 at all, so as to avoid causing the battery 31 to be overheated and affecting the stability of the battery 31; then the high-temperature coolant flows through the five-way valve 32 and enters the second heat exchange channel of the intermediate heat exchanger 10, and heat exchanges with the refrigerant in the first heat exchange channel in the second heat exchange channel. After the refrigerant absorbs heat, it can heat the passenger compartment through the in-vehicle heat exchanger 22. The coolant that has undergone heat exchange in the second heat exchange channel can return to the heater 33 again to continue circulating to achieve the continuous passenger compartment heating function.

[0083] In the above-mentioned first passenger compartment heating mode, the passenger compartment heating process is not affected by the ambient temperature. For example, in winter when the ambient temperature is below 0°C, the passenger compartment can be heated by the first passenger compartment heating mode to improve passenger comfort.

[0084] The specific structure of the first subsystem according to some embodiments of the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0085] According to some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 1 As shown, the first subsystem includes an off-vehicle heat exchanger 23, a fourth refrigerant branch 44, and a fifth refrigerant branch 45. The fourth refrigerant branch 44 connects the on-vehicle heat exchanger 22 and the off-vehicle heat exchanger 23, and the fourth refrigerant branch 44 is provided with a first expansion valve 61, the fifth refrigerant branch 45 connects the off-vehicle heat exchanger 23 and the inlet of the compressor 21, the second expansion valve 62 is connected between the second refrigerant branch 42 and the intermediate heat exchanger 10, the third refrigerant branch 43 is provided with a first valve body 71 that unidirectionally conducts from the intermediate heat exchanger 10 to the inlet of the compressor 21, and the fifth refrigerant branch 45 is provided with a first stop valve 81.

[0086] The vehicle exterior heat exchanger 23 is used to exchange heat with the external environment. For example, in cooling mode, it acts as a condenser to dissipate heat to the outside of the vehicle; in heating mode, it acts as an evaporator to absorb heat from the vehicle exterior environment. For example, the first subsystem may also include a second fan 26, which includes but is not limited to an electronic fan. The second fan 26 may provide air volume to the vehicle exterior heat exchanger 23 to promote heat exchange with the environment.

[0087] The expansion valve, such as the first expansion valve 61 and the second expansion valve 62, is used for throttling expansion of the refrigerant. In addition, the expansion valve can be opened and closed to control the on-off of the corresponding refrigerant branch, and the flow rate of the refrigerant can be controlled by adjusting the opening of the expansion valve. The stop valve, such as the first stop valve 81, can be opened and closed to control the conduction and blocking of the corresponding refrigerant branch.

[0088] The first valve body 71 can be a one-way valve to automatically realize one-way conduction of the refrigerant; the first valve body 71 can also be a stop valve, which can realize one-way conduction from the intermediate heat exchanger 10 to the inlet of the compressor 21 by controlling the switching of the on and off states of the stop valve.

[0089] In the above embodiment, by setting the outside heat exchanger 23, it can cooperate with the inside heat exchanger 22 to realize the heat exchange between the inside and outside of the vehicle, for example, to realize the heating or cooling function inside the vehicle. By setting the first stop valve 81 and the first expansion valve 61, they can be closed when heat exchange with the outside of the vehicle is not needed to ensure the normal operation of other working modes. For example, in the first passenger compartment heating mode, the first stop valve 81 and the first expansion valve 61 are closed, so that the refrigerant flowing through the inside heat exchanger 22 flows to the intermediate heat exchanger 10 through the second refrigerant branch 42, and does not flow to the outside heat exchanger 23; the refrigerant flowing through the first valve body 71 can flow back to the compressor 21 smoothly, and does not flow to the outside heat exchanger 23 through the fifth refrigerant branch 45. When heat exchange with the outside of the vehicle is required, the first stop valve 81 and the first expansion valve 61 can be turned on, and the second expansion valve 62 can be turned off, so that the refrigerant flowing through the in-vehicle heat exchanger 22 flows to the outside heat exchanger 23 through the first expansion valve 61, and the refrigerant flowing through the fifth refrigerant branch 45 flows back to the compressor 21 smoothly, and does not flow back through the first valve body 71. Through the cooperation of each valve body, the switching of multiple working modes is orderly, and the thermal management system 100 has a small number of parts and a simple structure.

[0090] In some embodiments, Figure 1 As shown, the first subsystem may further include a gas-liquid separator 24, which may be connected to the inlet of the compressor 21. For example, the refrigerants flowing out of the third refrigerant branch 43 and the fifth refrigerant branch 45 may flow through the gas-liquid separator 24 and then flow back to the compressor 21. The gas-liquid separator 24 may separate gaseous and liquid refrigerants and store excess liquid refrigerant.

[0091] In some specific embodiments, Figure 6 As shown, the thermal management system 100 has a second passenger compartment heating mode. In the second passenger compartment heating mode, the first expansion valve 61 is opened, the second expansion valve 62 is closed, and the first refrigerant branch 41, the fourth refrigerant branch 44 and the fifth refrigerant branch 45 are connected to form a circulation loop.

[0092] Specifically, the refrigerant flowing out of the compressor 21 flows through the in-vehicle heat exchanger 22 to exchange heat with the passenger compartment to heat the passenger compartment; then it flows through the first expansion valve 61 and the external heat exchanger 23, and exchanges heat with the external environment through the external heat exchanger 23 to absorb ambient heat; after the heat exchange, it flows through the fifth refrigerant branch 45 back to the compressor 21 to continue the cycle to achieve a continuous heating effect for the passenger compartment.

[0093] In the above-mentioned second passenger compartment heating mode, heat is absorbed from outside the vehicle without using the heater 33, which is beneficial to reducing energy consumption and increasing the cruising range of the whole vehicle. For example, the first passenger compartment heating mode and the second passenger compartment heating mode can be flexibly selected according to the outside temperature. When the outside temperature is greater than or equal to a preset temperature (such as 0 °C), the second passenger compartment heating mode can be adopted to reduce energy consumption; when the outside temperature is less than the preset temperature, the outside temperature is too low, and problems such as frosting may occur in the outside heat exchanger 23, affecting the heat absorption efficiency. The first passenger compartment heating mode can be adopted to ensure the heating effect of the passenger compartment.

[0094] In some embodiments, the first expansion valve 61 is a two-way valve. In other words, in the fourth refrigerant branch 44, the refrigerant can flow from the in-vehicle heat exchanger 22 to the outside heat exchanger 23, or from the outside heat exchanger 23 to the in-vehicle heat exchanger 22, so as to realize the switching between the refrigeration and heating functions of the passenger compartment.

[0095] Among them, as Figure 1 shown, the first subsystem includes a sixth refrigerant branch 46 and a seventh refrigerant branch 47. The sixth refrigerant branch 46 is connected to the outlet of the compressor 21 and the outside heat exchanger 23. The seventh refrigerant branch 47 is connected to the in-vehicle heat exchanger 22 and the inlet of the compressor 21. The seventh refrigerant branch 47 is provided with a second cut-off valve 82, the first refrigerant branch 41 is provided with a third cut-off valve 83, and the sixth refrigerant branch 46 is provided with a fourth cut-off valve 84.

[0096] The opening and closing combinations of the first cut-off valve 81, the second cut-off valve 82, the third cut-off valve 83, and the fourth cut-off valve 84 can control the flow direction of the refrigerant to realize the switching of more working modes. For example, when the third cut-off valve 83 is opened, the fourth cut-off valve 84 is closed, and the second cut-off valve 82 is closed, all the refrigerant flowing out of the compressor 21 flows through the first refrigerant branch 41 and flows to the in-vehicle heat exchanger 22; when the third cut-off valve 83 is closed, the fourth cut-off valve 84 is opened, and the first cut-off valve 81 is closed, all the refrigerant flowing out of the compressor 21 flows through the sixth refrigerant branch 46 and flows to the outside heat exchanger 23.

[0097] For example, in some specific embodiments, as Figure 7 shown, the thermal management system 100 has a passenger compartment refrigeration mode. In the passenger compartment refrigeration mode, the first cut-off valve 81 and the third cut-off valve 83 are closed, the second cut-off valve 82 and the fourth cut-off valve 84 are opened, the first expansion valve 61 is opened, the second expansion valve 62 is closed, and the sixth refrigerant branch 46, the fourth refrigerant branch 44, and the seventh refrigerant branch 47 are connected to form a circulation loop.

[0098] Specifically, the refrigerant flowing out of the compressor 21 flows to the outdoor heat exchanger 23 through the sixth refrigerant branch 46, and exchanges heat with the outdoor environment through the outdoor heat exchanger 23 to dissipate heat to the outside of the vehicle; the refrigerant after heat exchange flows to the indoor heat exchanger 22 through the fourth refrigerant branch 44, and exchanges heat with the passenger compartment through the indoor heat exchanger 22 to cool the passenger compartment. In this mode, the second expansion valve 62 can be closed to prevent the refrigerant from flowing to the intermediate heat exchanger 10 through the second refrigerant branch 42; after heat exchange with the passenger compartment, the refrigerant can flow back to the compressor 21 through the seventh refrigerant branch 47 to continue the circulation to achieve continuous passenger compartment cooling.

[0099] In some specific embodiments, Figure 8 As shown, the first subsystem includes an eighth refrigerant branch 48, and the eighth refrigerant branch 48 is connected to the off-vehicle heat exchanger 23 and the second expansion valve 62. The eighth refrigerant branch 48 is provided with a second valve body 72 that is unidirectionally connected from the off-vehicle heat exchanger 23 to the second expansion valve 62, and the second refrigerant branch 42 is provided with a third valve body 73 that is unidirectionally connected from the on-vehicle heat exchanger 22 to the second expansion valve 62.

[0100] The eighth refrigerant branch 48 allows the refrigerant flowing through the external heat exchanger 23 to flow directly to the intermediate heat exchanger 10 and exchange heat with the second subsystem to achieve more working modes. The second valve body 72 and the third valve body 73 can control the refrigerant flow direction of the corresponding branch to make the working mode go smoothly.

[0101] For example, the thermal management system 100 has a second battery cooling mode. In the second battery cooling mode, the first stop valve 81, the second stop valve 82 and the third stop valve 83 are closed, the fourth stop valve 84 is opened, the first expansion valve 61 is closed, the second expansion valve 62 is opened, the sixth refrigerant branch 46, the eighth refrigerant branch 48 and the third refrigerant branch 43 are connected to form a circulation loop. The second coolant branch 52 is connected to the third coolant branch 53 to form a circulation loop.

[0102] Specifically, the second interface b of the five-way valve 32 is connected to the third interface c, and the sixth interface f of the three-way valve 35 is connected to the seventh interface g. The refrigerant flowing out of the compressor 21 flows to the external heat exchanger 23 through the sixth refrigerant branch 46, and exchanges heat with the external environment through the external heat exchanger 23 to dissipate heat to the outside of the vehicle; the refrigerant after heat exchange flows through the floor refrigerant branch to the first heat exchange channel of the intermediate heat exchanger 10 to exchange heat with the coolant in the second heat exchange channel. After the coolant releases heat, it flows through the heater 33 (not working) and the battery 31, and exchanges heat with the battery 31 to reduce the temperature of the battery 31. The coolant after heat exchange can flow back to the intermediate heat exchanger 10 through the five-way valve 32 to continue the cycle to achieve continuous cooling of the battery 31; the refrigerant after heat exchange in the first heat exchange channel can flow back to the compressor 21 through the third refrigerant branch 43 to continue the cycle.

[0103] In the above embodiment, the vehicle exterior heat exchanger 23 is used to cool the battery 31 by the vehicle exterior environment. The battery 31 has a high cooling efficiency, which is conducive to achieving rapid cooling of the battery 31 under high temperature conditions.

[0104] It should be noted that, in the above-mentioned multiple working modes, "continuous waste heat recovery", "continuous battery 31 cooling", "continuous battery 31 heating", "continuous passenger compartment heating" and "continuous passenger compartment cooling" mean that the refrigerant and the coolant can circulate in the circuit, and can work continuously and uninterruptedly until the temperature of the battery 31 and the passenger compartment reaches the target temperature or is maintained within the target temperature range, or can work intermittently until the temperature of the battery 31 and the passenger compartment reaches the target temperature or is maintained within the target temperature range, all of which are within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0105] In some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal management system 100 may include an integrated flow channel plate, multiple branches of the first subsystem may be integrated into the same flow channel plate, multiple branches of the second subsystem may be integrated into the same flow channel plate, and the flow channel plates integrated by the first subsystem and the second subsystem may be the same flow channel plate or different flow channel plates. For example, in the first subsystem, except for the high-pressure refrigerant components (such as the compressor 21, the gas-liquid separator 24, and the off-vehicle heat exchanger 23) concentrated outside the vehicle, other components (such as the stop valve, the expansion valve, the valve body, etc.) are installed on the flow channel plate and the corresponding at least part of the branches can be integrated into the flow channel plate to achieve a modular design. For example, in the second subsystem, the heater 33, the water pump 37, the three-way valve 35, and the five-way valve 32 can be installed on the flow channel plate and the corresponding at least part of the branches can be integrated into the flow channel plate to achieve a modular design.

[0106] like Fig. 9 As shown, the vehicle 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the thermal management system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Since the thermal management system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention has the above-mentioned beneficial technical effects, the vehicle 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention can perform thermal management on the passenger compartment and the battery 31, realize the switching of more working modes, and the number of valves required is small, which reduces the number of parts required for the thermal management system 100, has high integration and saves costs; by cooling or heating the battery 31, the battery 31 works at a more suitable temperature, which is conducive to saving the power consumption of the battery 31 and improving the cruising range of the whole vehicle.

[0107] A thermal management system 100 of a vehicle 1000 according to a specific embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following description is only exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the invention.

[0108] like Figure 1As shown, a thermal management system 100 of a vehicle 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first subsystem, a second subsystem and an intermediate heat exchanger 10 .

[0109] The first subsystem includes a compressor 21, a gas-liquid separator 24, an in-vehicle heat exchanger 22, an out-vehicle heat exchanger 23, a first expansion valve 61, a second expansion valve 62, a first valve body 71, a second valve body 72, a third valve body 73, a first stop valve 81, a second stop valve 82, a third stop valve 83, a fourth stop valve 84, a first fan 25, and a second fan 26. The second subsystem includes a heater 33, a water pump 37, a three-way valve 35, a battery 31, a five-way valve 32, a radiator 34, and an expansion tank 36.

[0110] The inlet of the compressor 21 is connected to the outlet of the gas-liquid separator 24 , and the outlet of the compressor 21 is connected to the third stop valve 83 and the fourth stop valve 84 .

[0111] The first heat exchange channel of the intermediate heat exchanger 10 is connected to the second expansion valve 62 and the first valve body 71 through the refrigerant branch, and the second heat exchange channel is connected to the five-way valve 32 and the heater 33 through the coolant branch. It is used to condense or heat the refrigerant and transfer heat between the refrigerant side and the coolant side.

[0112] The inlet of the gas-liquid separator 24 is connected to the first stop valve 81, the second stop valve 82, and the first check valve through the refrigerant pipeline, and the outlet of the gas-liquid separator 24 is connected to the inlet of the compressor 21 through the refrigerant pipeline. It is used to separate the gaseous and liquid refrigerants in the system, store excess liquid refrigerant, and return the oil in the system to the compressor 21.

[0113] The in-vehicle heat exchanger 22 is connected to the second stop valve 82, the third stop valve 83, the first expansion valve 61, and the second valve body 72 through a refrigerant pipeline, and is used to cool or heat the passenger compartment.

[0114] The vehicle exterior heat exchanger 23 is connected to the first stop valve 81, the fourth stop valve 84, the first expansion valve 61, and the second valve body 72 through a refrigerant pipeline, and is used to absorb or dissipate heat from outside the vehicle.

[0115] The radiator 34 is a low-temperature radiator 34 , and the low-temperature radiator 34 is connected to the fourth port d and the fifth port e of the five-way valve 32 through a coolant pipeline.

[0116] The five-way valve 32 has five interfaces, namely, the first interface a to the fifth interface e, which are respectively connected to the outlet of the intermediate heat exchanger 10 / the inlet of the heater 33, the inlet of the intermediate heat exchanger 10, the outlet of the battery 31 / the three-way valve 35, the inlet of the low-temperature radiator 34, and the outlet of the low-temperature radiator 34. The thermal management mode is adjusted by the internal structure design of the five-way valve 32 and the switching of the position.

[0117] The first valve body 71 is a one-way valve. The inlet of the first valve body 71 is connected to the outlet of the intermediate heat exchanger 10 through the refrigerant pipeline. The outlet of the first valve body 71 is connected to the first stop valve 81, the second stop valve 82, and the inlet of the gas-liquid separator 24 through the refrigerant pipeline. The one-way valve opens in one direction to ensure the correct operation of the refrigerant circuit.

[0118] The second valve body 72 is a one-way valve. The inlet of the second valve body 72 is connected to the external heat exchanger 23 and the first expansion valve 61 through a refrigerant pipeline. The outlet of the second valve body 72 is connected to the outlet of the second valve body 72 and the inlet of the second expansion valve 62 through a refrigerant pipeline. The one-way valve is opened in one direction to ensure the correct operation of the refrigerant circuit.

[0119] The third valve body 73 is a one-way valve. The inlet of the third valve body 73 is connected to the in-vehicle heat exchanger 22 and the first expansion valve 61 through a refrigerant pipeline. The outlet of the third valve body 73 is connected to the outlet of the second valve body 72 and the inlet of the second expansion valve 62 through a refrigerant pipeline. The one-way valve is opened in one direction to ensure the correct operation of the refrigerant circuit.

[0120] The thermal management system 100 includes seven working modes, namely, waste heat recovery mode, first battery cooling mode, battery heating mode, first passenger compartment heating mode, second passenger compartment heating mode, passenger compartment cooling mode and second battery cooling mode. The above working modes can be executed separately or simultaneously if the functions of each component allow.

[0121] like Figure 2 The figure shows the waste heat recovery mode. The heater 33 is turned off, the water pump 37 is turned on, the six interface f of the three-way valve 35 is in and the seventh interface g is out, the third interface c of the five-way valve 32 is in and the second interface b is out, and the excess heat of the battery 31 is recovered to supplement the heat of the intermediate heat exchanger 10. The refrigerant circulation path is: compressor 21 → third stop valve 83 → in-vehicle heat exchanger 22 → third valve body 73 → second expansion valve 62 → intermediate heat exchanger 10 → first valve body 71 → gas-liquid separator 24 → compressor 21; the coolant circulation path is: water pump 37 → three-way valve 35 → battery 31 → five-way valve 32 → intermediate heat exchanger 10 → heater 33 → water pump 37.

[0122] like Figure 3 The first battery cooling mode is shown. Under low temperature conditions, the battery 31 needs to cool down, the heater 33 is turned off, the water pump 37 is turned on, the three-way valve 35 has the sixth interface f in and the seventh interface g out, the five-way valve 32 has the third interface c in and the fourth interface d out, and the fifth interface e in and the first interface a out, and the battery 31 is cooled by air through the low-temperature radiator 34. The coolant circulation path is: water pump 37 → three-way valve 35 → battery 31 → five-way valve 32 → radiator 34 → five-way valve 32 → heater 33 → water pump 37.

[0123] like Figure 4The battery heating mode is shown. The heater 33 and the water pump 37 are turned on, the three-way valve 35 has the sixth port f in and the seventh port g out, the five-way valve 32 has the third port c in and the first port a out, and the heater 33 heats the battery 31. The coolant circulation path is: water pump 37 → three-way valve 35 → battery 31 → five-way valve 32 → heater 33 → water pump 37.

[0124] like Figure 5 The first passenger compartment heating mode is shown. The intermediate heat exchanger 10 absorbs heat, the heater 33 and the water pump 37 are turned on to supplement the heat for the intermediate heat exchanger 10, and the three-way valve 35 enters the sixth interface f and exits the eighth interface h. The refrigerant circulation path is: compressor 21 → third stop valve 83 → in-vehicle heat exchanger 22 → third valve body 73 → second expansion valve 62 → intermediate heat exchanger 10 → first valve body 71 → gas-liquid separator 24 → compressor 21; the coolant circulation path is: water pump 37 → three-way valve 35 → five-way valve 32 → intermediate heat exchanger 10 → heater 33 → water pump 37.

[0125] like Figure 6 The second passenger compartment heating mode is shown. When the outside temperature is above 0°C, the outside heat exchanger 23 absorbs heat. If frost forms on the outside heat exchanger 23, the first passenger compartment heating mode is switched. The refrigerant circulation path is: compressor 21 → third stop valve 83 → inside heat exchanger 22 → first expansion valve 61 → outside heat exchanger 23 → first stop valve 81 → gas-liquid separator 24 → compressor 21.

[0126] like Figure 7 The figure shows the passenger compartment cooling mode. The first fan 25 is turned on, and the second fan 26 dissipates heat to the outside of the vehicle. The refrigerant circulation path is: compressor 21 → fourth stop valve 84 → outside heat exchanger 23 → first expansion valve 61 → inside heat exchanger 22 → second stop valve 82 → gas-liquid separator 24 → compressor 21.

[0127] like Figure 8 The second battery cooling mode is shown. The first fan 25 is turned off, the second fan 26 dissipates heat to the outside of the vehicle, the heater 33 is turned off, the three-way valve 35 has the sixth port f inlet and the seventh port g outlet, and the five-way valve 32 has the third port c inlet and the second port b outlet. The refrigerant circulation path is: compressor 21 → fourth stop valve 84 → external heat exchanger 23 → second valve body 72 → second expansion valve 62 → intermediate heat exchanger 10 → first valve body 71 → gas-liquid separator 24 → compressor 21; the coolant circulation path is: water pump 37 → three-way valve 35 → battery 31 → five-way valve 32 → intermediate heat exchanger 10 → heater 33 → water pump 37.

[0128] In the above embodiment, the thermal management system 100 has a high degree of integration and can perform thermal management on the passenger compartment and the battery 31 at the same time, realize a variety of thermal management working modes, and can meet the thermal management needs of the whole vehicle more economically and effectively. At the same time, a five-way valve 32 is designed on the coolant side to reduce the number of parts and save costs. By cooperating with the three-way valve 35 and the five-way valve 32, coolants of different temperatures can be mixed by adjusting the flow of cold and hot coolants, so as to achieve the water temperature required by the battery 31, realize thermal management of the battery 31, save the power consumption of the battery 31, improve the thermal management efficiency, and improve the cruising range of the whole vehicle. In addition, by setting a bidirectional first expansion valve 61, the cooling and heating functions of the passenger compartment are realized, the number of required heat exchangers is reduced, and the cost is reduced. By using an intermediate heat exchanger 10 to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the coolant and integrating the branch into the flow channel plate, the refrigerant pipelines and components can be greatly reduced, and the amount of refrigerant charged can be reduced. At the same time, the high-pressure refrigerant components can be centrally installed outside the vehicle, and the heat inside and outside the vehicle is transported by the coolant, so that the thermal management system 100 can be adapted to a variety of refrigerants, such as high-pressure refrigerants and combustible refrigerants, which is convenient for subsequent system upgrades and refrigerant replacements, and is more practical.

[0129] Other structures and operations of the vehicle 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention are known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0130] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0131] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "embodiment", "specific embodiment", "example", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0132] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A thermal management system, It is characterized in that include: An intermediate heat exchanger, wherein the intermediate heat exchanger has a first heat exchange channel and a second heat exchange channel capable of performing heat exchange; A first subsystem, the first subsystem comprising a compressor, an in-vehicle heat exchanger, a first refrigerant branch, a second refrigerant branch and a third refrigerant branch, the first refrigerant branch connecting the outlet of the compressor and the in-vehicle heat exchanger, the second refrigerant branch connecting the in-vehicle heat exchanger and the first heat exchange channel, and the third refrigerant branch connecting the first heat exchange channel and the inlet of the compressor; The second subsystem includes a battery, a five-way valve, a heater, a radiator, a first coolant branch, a second coolant branch, a third coolant branch and a fourth coolant branch, the five-way valve has a first interface, a second interface, a third interface, a fourth interface and a fifth interface, the first coolant branch connects the first interface and the heater, the second coolant branch connects the second interface and the heater and the second heat exchange channel is connected in series to the second coolant branch, the third coolant branch connects the heater and the third interface and the battery is connected in series to the third coolant branch, the fourth coolant branch connects the fourth interface and the fifth interface and the radiator is connected in series to the fourth coolant branch.

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The thermal management system has a waste heat recovery mode. In the waste heat recovery mode, the heater is turned off, the second coolant branch and the third coolant branch are connected to form a circulation loop, and heat is exchanged with the in-vehicle heat exchanger through the intermediate heat exchanger.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The thermal management system has a first battery cooling mode. In the first battery cooling mode, the heater is turned off, and the first coolant branch, the third coolant branch, and the fourth coolant branch are connected to form a circulation loop.

4. The thermal management system according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The thermal management system has a battery heating mode. In the battery heating mode, the heater is turned on, and the first coolant branch and the third coolant branch are connected to form a circulation loop.

5. The thermal management system according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The second subsystem also includes: A three-way valve, the three-way valve having a sixth interface, a seventh interface and an eighth interface, the sixth interface is connected to the heater, and the third coolant branch is connected to the seventh interface and the third interface; A fifth coolant branch, wherein the fifth coolant branch connects the eighth interface and the third interface.

6. The thermal management system according to claim 5, It is characterized in that The thermal management system has a first passenger compartment heating mode. In the first passenger compartment heating mode, the heater is turned on, the sixth interface is connected to the eighth interface and disconnected from the seventh interface, so that the second coolant branch and the fifth coolant branch are connected to form a circulation loop, and heat is exchanged with the in-vehicle heat exchanger through the intermediate heat exchanger.

7. The thermal management system according to claim 5, It is characterized in that The three-way valve is a proportional three-way valve, and the proportional three-way valve is used to adjust the coolant flow of the seventh interface and the eighth interface.

8. The thermal management system according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The second subsystem further includes an expansion water tank, which is connected to the fourth coolant branch and is used to replenish coolant to the fourth coolant branch.

9. The thermal management system according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The first subsystem includes an outdoor heat exchanger, a fourth refrigerant branch and a fifth refrigerant branch. The fourth refrigerant branch connects the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger. The fourth refrigerant branch is provided with a first expansion valve. The fifth refrigerant branch connects the outdoor heat exchanger and the inlet of the compressor. A second expansion valve is connected between the second refrigerant branch and the intermediate heat exchanger. The third refrigerant branch is provided with a first valve body that unidirectionally conducts from the intermediate heat exchanger to the inlet of the compressor. The fifth refrigerant branch is provided with a first stop valve.

10. The thermal management system according to claim 9, It is characterized in that The thermal management system has a second passenger compartment heating mode. In the second passenger compartment heating mode, the first expansion valve is opened, the second expansion valve is closed, and the first refrigerant branch, the fourth refrigerant branch, and the fifth refrigerant branch are connected to form a circulation loop.

11. The thermal management system according to claim 9, It is characterized in that The first expansion valve is a two-way valve, and the first subsystem includes a sixth refrigerant branch and a seventh refrigerant branch. The sixth refrigerant branch is connected to the outlet of the compressor and the external heat exchanger, and the seventh refrigerant branch is connected to the internal heat exchanger and the inlet of the compressor. The seventh refrigerant branch is provided with a second stop valve, the first refrigerant branch is provided with a third stop valve, and the sixth refrigerant branch is provided with a fourth stop valve.

12. The thermal management system according to claim 11, It is characterized in that The thermal management system has a passenger compartment cooling mode. In the passenger compartment cooling mode, the first stop valve and the third stop valve are closed, the second stop valve and the fourth stop valve are opened, the first expansion valve is opened, the second expansion valve is closed, and the sixth refrigerant branch, the fourth refrigerant branch and the seventh refrigerant branch are connected to form a circulation loop.

13. The thermal management system according to claim 11, It is characterized in that The first subsystem includes an eighth refrigerant branch, the eighth refrigerant branch is connected to the off-vehicle heat exchanger and the second expansion valve, the eighth refrigerant branch is provided with a second valve body that is unidirectionally connected from the off-vehicle heat exchanger to the second expansion valve, and the second refrigerant branch is provided with a third valve body that is unidirectionally connected from the in-vehicle heat exchanger to the second expansion valve. The thermal management system has a second battery cooling mode. In the second battery cooling mode, the first stop valve, the second stop valve and the third stop valve are closed, the fourth stop valve is opened, the first expansion valve is closed, the second expansion valve is opened, the sixth refrigerant branch, the eighth refrigerant branch and the third refrigerant branch are connected to form a circulation loop, and the second coolant branch is connected to the third coolant branch to form a circulation loop.

14. A vehicle, It is characterized in that Comprising a thermal management system according to any one of claims 1-13.

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