Power assembly integrated with compressor and vehicle with power assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to a power assembly integrated with a compressor and a vehicle with the power assembly. The powertrain also includes a traction motor connected to the gearbox and configured to provide power to the gearbox. The power assembly also includes a compressor including a compressor motor and a scroll, the compressor motor connected to the scroll and configured to provide power to the scroll. The powertrain also includes an inverter connected to the power supply, the traction motor, and the compressor motor. Through the mode, the working efficiency of the compressor can be improved, the space occupied by the power assembly and the compressor can be reduced, and the cost can be saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of vehicles, and more particularly, to a powertrain integrated with a compressor and a vehicle having the powertrain. Background Art

[0002] The powertrain and air conditioning compressor of an electric vehicle are typically two separate components. The powertrain is the system that provides power for the vehicle's movement and may include a battery pack, traction motor, traction inverter, transmission, and other auxiliary systems. The battery pack is a power supply device that stores electrical energy and supplies it to the traction motor. The traction inverter converts the direct current (DC) from the battery pack into the AC power required by the traction motor. The powertrain also includes a cooling system that cools the traction inverter and traction motor to ensure the powertrain operates at an appropriate temperature.

[0003] The air conditioning compressor compresses refrigerant to provide cooling for the vehicle. An electric compressor may include a compressor inverter, a compressor motor, and a scroll. The compressor inverter converts direct current (DC) from the power supply into the AC power required by the compressor motor. The compressor motor converts the electrical energy from the compressor inverter into power, which drives the scroll to compress the refrigerant. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a powertrain and a vehicle equipped with the powertrain. In these embodiments, the vehicle's air conditioning compressor can be integrated into the powertrain, and the compressor inverter can be merged into the traction inverter. The merged inverter can provide power to both the traction motor and the compressor motor. Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the powertrain's cooling circuit can be utilized to cool the traction motor and the merged inverter. In this way, since the compressor inverter is integrated into the traction inverter and cooled by the powertrain's cooling circuit, the impact of heat generated by the inverter on the refrigerant in the compressor is reduced, thereby improving the compressor's cooling efficiency. Furthermore, since the traction inverter and compressor inverter are merged, the overall space of the powertrain and compressor can be reduced, and the number of inverter components can be reduced, thereby reducing costs. Furthermore, integrating the compressor with the powertrain allows for a more compact layout of both, thereby saving space in the vehicle.

[0005] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a powertrain with an integrated compressor is provided. The powertrain includes a gearbox. The powertrain also includes a traction motor connected to the gearbox and configured to provide power to the gearbox. The powertrain also includes a compressor, the compressor including a compressor motor and a scroll, the compressor motor connected to the scroll and configured to provide power to the scroll. The powertrain also includes an inverter connected to a power supply, the traction motor, and the compressor motor.

[0006] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided, comprising a powertrain with an integrated compressor. The powertrain further comprises a traction motor connected to a gearbox and configured to provide power to the gearbox. The powertrain further comprises a compressor, comprising a compressor motor and a scroll, the compressor motor connected to the scroll and configured to provide power to the scroll. The powertrain further comprises an inverter connected to the power supply, the traction motor, and the compressor motor.

[0007] It should be understood that the contents described in the Summary of the Invention section are not intended to limit the key or important features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The above and other features, advantages and aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent with reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements, wherein:

[0009] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating an example vehicle in which various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0010] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a powertrain with an integrated compressor according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0011] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating a powertrain with an integrated compressor in which the inverter includes a portion dedicated to the traction motor and a portion dedicated to the compressor motor according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating a powertrain with an integrated compressor in which an inverter includes a dedicated portion for a traction motor, a dedicated portion for a compressor motor, and a common portion according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating a powertrain with an integrated compressor in which a cooling circuit includes a compressor motor of the compressor according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0014] Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of a compressor having coolant passages in a housing wall for cooling a compressor motor according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrating a powertrain of an integrated compressor in which a cooling circuit includes a scroll of the compressor according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0016] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a compressor having coolant passages in a housing wall for cooling a compressor motor and scroll according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0017] Figure 9 A schematic diagram illustrating a compressor having a coolant channel with a spiral structure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0018] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a compressor having a coolant channel with a fold-back structure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The following will describe embodiments of the present disclosure in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although certain embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein. Instead, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of the present disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure. The embodiments of the present disclosure described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only.

[0020] In electric vehicles, the powertrain and electric compressor are typically two separate components. The powertrain system can include components such as the traction inverter, traction motor, and transmission. The traction inverter converts direct current (DC) electricity into alternating current (AC) electricity for the traction motor, which then converts the electrical energy into power to drive the transmission. The traction inverter and traction motor generate heat during operation. To prevent overheating and malfunction, the traction inverter and traction motor need to be cooled. For example, a coolant can be passed through the traction inverter and traction motor to cool them, where the coolant serves as a medium for transferring and dissipating heat.

[0021] An electric compressor may include components such as a compressor inverter, a compressor motor, and a scroll. The compressor inverter converts direct current (DC) electricity into alternating current (AC) for the compressor motor, which then converts the electrical energy into power to drive the scroll. The scroll compresses the refrigerant and distributes it to other parts of the vehicle to achieve cooling. The compressor inverter and compressor motor also generate heat during operation and pose a risk of overheating. In some traditional solutions, refrigerant is cooled by passing it through the compressor inverter and motor before the scroll compresses the refrigerant. However, in this solution, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the inverter and motor, heating it while cooling them. This heating reduces compressor efficiency. Furthermore, in some cases, the refrigerant mass flow rate may be insufficient to remove the heat generated by the inverter. Consequently, the electronic components within the inverter may not be able to withstand the high temperatures and malfunction.

[0022] To this end, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a solution for integrating the compressor with the powertrain. In this solution, the vehicle's air-conditioning compressor can be integrated into the powertrain, and the compressor inverter can be merged into the traction inverter. The merged inverter can provide electrical energy to both the traction motor and the compressor motor. Since the traction inverter and the compressor inverter are merged, the overall space of the powertrain and the compressor can be saved, and the components of the inverter can be reduced to reduce costs. Integrating the compressor with the powertrain can also make the arrangement of the two more compact, thereby saving space in the vehicle. In some embodiments, the cooling circuit of the powertrain can be used to cool the traction motor and the merged inverter. In this way, since the compressor inverter is merged into the traction inverter and cooled by the cooling circuit of the powertrain, the impact of the heat generated by the inverter on the refrigerant in the compressor is reduced, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the refrigerant.

[0023] Figure 1 1 shows a schematic diagram of an example vehicle 100 in which various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. Figure 1As shown, vehicle 100 includes a powertrain 102, which includes a gearbox 104, a traction motor 106, an inverter 108, a power supply 110, and a compressor 112. The powertrain 102 may also include a radiator 118 and a pump 120. In vehicle 100, power supply 110 may be, for example, a battery pack, which stores electrical energy and provides electrical energy to traction motor 106 and compressor 112. Inverter 108 is connected to power supply 110, traction motor 106, and compressor motor 114 in compressor 112. Inverter 108 may convert direct current (DC) from power supply 110 into AC for use by traction motor 106 and compressor motor 114.

[0024] The traction motor 106 can convert electrical energy into power and transmit the power to the transmission 104 via a drive shaft. The transmission 104 can change the torque and speed of the output shaft by switching different gears, thereby driving the wheels 122 to rotate and propel the vehicle 100 forward. In the vehicle 100, the compressor motor 114 can also convert electrical energy into power to drive the scroll 116 of the compressor 112. Typically, refrigerant enters the compressor 112 from the refrigerant inlet, and the scroll 116 draws in and compresses the refrigerant through its vortex motion. The refrigerant is then compressed into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas and discharged from the refrigerant outlet of the compressor 112.

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle 100 also includes a radiator 118 and a pump 120. In order to ensure that components such as the inverter 108 and the traction motor 106 can operate within an appropriate temperature range, the coolant will flow through each component to absorb the heat generated by them, thereby achieving a cooling effect. After absorbing the heat, the coolant will flow to the radiator 118. The coolant can dissipate the absorbed heat in the radiator 118, for example, by heat exchange with the outside air. After the coolant is cooled in the radiator 118, it can be extracted by the pump 120 and returned to the cooling channel. This process can be circulated to ensure that the coolant in the cooling system can effectively absorb and dissipate heat, thereby maintaining the appropriate temperature of key components such as the inverter 108 and the traction motor 106 to prevent overheating.

[0026] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a powertrain 200 with an integrated compressor according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2As shown, powertrain 200 includes a gearbox 204. Gearbox 204 can change the torque and speed of the output shaft by switching different gears, thereby driving the wheels to rotate and propel the vehicle forward. Powertrain 200 also includes a traction motor 206. Traction motor 206 is connected to gearbox 204 and is configured to provide power to gearbox 204. Powertrain 200 also includes a compressor 212. Compressor 212 includes a compressor motor 214 and a scroll 216. Compressor motor 214 is connected to scroll 216 and is configured to provide power to scroll 216.

[0027] like Figure 2 As shown, the powertrain 200 includes a power supply device 210, which can be, for example, a battery pack or other device that can provide direct current. In the powertrain 200, the compressor 212 does not include a compressor inverter that provides alternating current to the compressor motor 214. Instead, the compressor inverter is merged into the traction inverter that provides alternating current to the traction motor 206 to obtain an inverter 208. The inverter 208 is connected to the power supply device 210, the traction motor 206, and the compressor motor 214, and provides electrical energy to the traction motor 206 and the compressor motor 214. For example, in Figure 2 In the electrical circuit 220 shown by the dotted arrow, the inverter 208 can convert the direct current from the power supply device 210 into alternating current, and provide the electrical energy to the traction motor 206 and the compressor motor 214 respectively, so that the traction motor 206 can drive the gearbox 204, and the compressor motor 214 can drive the scroll plate 216.

[0028] In some embodiments, the powertrain 200 may further include a cooling circuit 218 (e.g., Figure 2 (As indicated by the solid arrows in the middle), the inverter 208 and the traction motor 206 are located in a cooling circuit 218. The coolant in the cooling circuit 218 can flow through the inverter 208 and the traction motor 206 to absorb the heat generated during operation, thereby enabling the inverter 208 and the traction motor 206 to operate at an appropriate temperature. Furthermore, the compressor motor 214 and the scroll 216 can be directly cooled by the refrigerant, thereby also enabling them to operate at an appropriate temperature.

[0029] In this way, since refrigerant is no longer required to cool the compressor inverter in compressor 212, the impact of heat generated by the compressor inverter on the refrigerant is reduced, thereby improving the operating efficiency of compressor 212. Furthermore, since the traction inverter and compressor inverter are combined into inverter 208, the overall space of powertrain 200 and compressor 212 can be saved, and the number of inverter components can be reduced, thereby reducing costs. Furthermore, the integrated powertrain 200 with compressor 212 can also achieve a more compact layout, thereby saving space in the vehicle.

[0030] In some embodiments, the inverter may include an output port for the traction motor (also referred to as a first output port), which is connected to the traction motor, and the inverter is configured to provide electrical energy to the traction motor via the output port. Furthermore, the inverter may include an output port for the compressor motor (also referred to as a second output port), which is connected to the compressor motor, and the inverter is configured to provide electrical energy to the compressor motor via the output port. In some embodiments, the inverter may include a traction motor-specific portion and a compressor motor-specific portion, wherein the output port for the traction motor is located on the traction motor-specific portion, and the output port for the compressor motor is located on the compressor motor-specific portion.

[0031] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of a powertrain 300 with an integrated compressor in which the inverter includes a dedicated portion for the traction motor and a dedicated portion for the compressor motor according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3 As shown, powertrain 300 includes a gearbox 304, a traction motor 306, an inverter 308, a power supply 310, a compressor 312, and a cooling circuit 318, wherein compressor 312 includes a compressor motor 314 and a scroll 316. Traction motor 306 is connected to gearbox 304 and is configured to provide power to gearbox 304. Compressor motor 314 is connected to scroll 316 and is configured to provide power to scroll 316.

[0032] like Figure 3As shown, inverter 308 includes a traction motor-specific portion 320 and a compressor motor-specific portion 324, and both traction motor-specific portion 320 and compressor motor-specific portion 324 may be housed in a common inverter housing. After receiving DC power from power supply 310, inverter 308 provides the DC power to traction motor-specific portion 320 and compressor motor-specific portion 324, respectively. Traction motor-specific portion 320 converts the received DC power into AC power suitable for traction motor 306 and then provides electrical energy to traction motor 306 via output port 322. Compressor motor-specific portion 324 converts the received DC power into AC power suitable for compressor motor 314 and then provides electrical energy to compressor motor 314 via output port 326.

[0033] In some embodiments, the powertrain 300 may further include a cooling circuit 318. Coolant in the cooling circuit 318 may flow through the inverter 308 and the traction motor 306 to absorb heat generated during operation, thereby enabling the inverter 308 and the traction motor 306 to operate at an appropriate temperature. Furthermore, the compressor motor 314 and the scroll 316 may be directly cooled by the refrigerant, thereby also enabling them to operate at an appropriate temperature.

[0034] In this way, the inverter 308 can provide electrical energy to both the traction motor 306 and the compressor motor 314, thereby reducing the impact of heat generated by the inverter on the refrigerant in the compressor 312, thereby improving the operating efficiency of the compressor 312. In addition, because the traction motor dedicated portion 320 and the compressor motor dedicated portion 324 share the same housing of the inverter 308, space and cost are saved.

[0035] exist Figure 3 Based on the illustrated powertrain 300, to further reduce the size of the inverter and the number of components within the inverter, the traction motor-specific portion and the compressor motor-specific portion of the inverter can share some functional modules or components. In some embodiments, the inverter can include a traction motor-specific portion for providing power to the traction motor and the compressor motor, as well as a compressor motor-specific portion. In some embodiments, the inverter can include a portion shared by the traction motor and the compressor motor for providing power to the traction motor and the compressor motor.

[0036] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of a powertrain 400 with an integrated compressor in which the inverter includes a dedicated portion for the traction motor, a dedicated portion for the compressor motor, and a common portion according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4As shown, powertrain 400 includes a gearbox 404, a traction motor 406, an inverter 408, a power supply 410, a compressor 412, and a cooling circuit 418, wherein compressor 412 includes a compressor motor 414 and a scroll 416. Traction motor 406 is connected to gearbox 404 and is configured to provide power to gearbox 404. Compressor motor 314 is connected to scroll 316 and is configured to provide power to scroll 316.

[0037] like Figure 4 As shown, inverter 408 includes a traction motor-specific portion 420, a compressor motor-specific portion 424, and a shared portion 428, which can be housed in a common inverter housing. Shared portion 428 is a portion that can be shared by the traction inverter and the compressor inverter. In some embodiments, shared portion 428 may include power circuitry, which may include power electronic components such as thyristors, insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), and metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs). By utilizing these power electronic components, the power circuitry can convert direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC). In some embodiments, shared portion 428 may include control circuitry, which is responsible for controlling and regulating the power electronic components to ensure proper operation of the inverter. The control circuitry may include a microprocessor or logic gate circuitry, which controls the switching states of the power electronic components by receiving input signals and performing corresponding processing. Traction motor-specific portion 420 and compressor motor-specific portion 424 may include components that are not shared by the traction inverter and the compressor inverter. The AC output may be provided to the traction motor 406 via output port 422 or to the compressor motor 414 via output port 426 .

[0038] In some embodiments, powertrain 400 may further include a cooling circuit 418. Coolant in cooling circuit 418 may flow through inverter 408 and traction motor 406 to absorb heat generated during operation, thereby enabling inverter 408 and traction motor 406 to operate at an appropriate temperature. Furthermore, compressor motor 414 and scroll 416 may be directly cooled by the refrigerant, thereby also enabling them to operate at an appropriate temperature.

[0039] In this way, the traction inverter and the compressor inverter can share some circuits and electronic components, which can save space and cost of the inverter 408 by further reducing the size of the inverter 408 and reducing the electronic components of the inverter 408.

[0040] In some embodiments, to further improve the operating efficiency of the compressor, the coolant in the cooling circuit of the powertrain may also flow through the compressor motor. Figure 5Schematic diagram of a powertrain 500 with an integrated compressor in which the cooling circuit includes a compressor motor according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 5 As shown, powertrain 500 includes a gearbox 504, a traction motor 506, an inverter 508, a power supply 510, a compressor 512, and a cooling circuit 518, wherein compressor 512 includes a compressor motor 514 and a scroll 516. Traction motor 506 is connected to gearbox 504 and is configured to provide power to gearbox 504. Compressor motor 514 is connected to scroll 516 and is configured to provide power to scroll 516. Inverter 508 is connected to power supply 510, traction motor 506, and compressor motor 514, and converts direct current from power supply 510 into alternating current and outputs it to traction motor 506 and compressor motor 514.

[0041] like Figure 5 As shown, cooling circuit 518 includes inverter 508, traction motor 506, and compressor motor 514. Coolant in cooling circuit 518 can flow through inverter 508, traction motor 506, and compressor motor 514 to absorb heat generated during operation, thereby enabling them to operate at an appropriate temperature. In these embodiments, since compressor motor 514 is already cooled by cooling circuit 518, it no longer needs to be cooled by refrigerant. The refrigerant can only cool scroll 516, thereby enabling scroll 516 to also operate at an appropriate temperature.

[0042] In this way, since the compressor motor 514 no longer needs to be cooled by the refrigerant, the heat absorbed by the refrigerant can be further reduced, thereby further improving the working efficiency of the compressor 512.

[0043] In some embodiments, to enable a cooling circuit to flow through the compressor motor, the compressor may include a compressor housing, the compressor housing including a compressor housing wall, a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet disposed in the compressor housing wall, and a coolant channel disposed in the compressor housing wall connecting the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet, wherein the coolant channel is part of the cooling circuit, and at least a portion of the coolant channel is adjacent to the compressor motor for cooling the compressor motor. In some embodiments, the compressor housing is provided with a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet, the refrigerant inlet being adjacent to the scroll plate so that refrigerant enters through the refrigerant inlet and exits through the refrigerant outlet without passing through the compressor motor. In some embodiments, the distance between the inverter and the refrigerant inlet is greater than a predetermined threshold.

[0044] Figure 6Schematic diagram of a compressor 600 having coolant passages in the housing wall for cooling the compressor motor according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 6 As shown, the compressor 600 includes a housing 602, and the housing 602 includes a compressor motor 606 and a scroll plate 608. The housing 602 includes a housing wall 604, a coolant inlet 612 and a coolant outlet 614 provided on the housing wall 604, and a coolant channel 610 provided in the housing wall to connect the coolant inlet 612 and the coolant outlet 614, wherein the coolant channel 610 is a cooling circuit (e.g., Figure 5 , and the coolant passage 610 is adjacent to the compressor motor 606.

[0045] like Figure 6 As shown, the coolant inlet 612 can be disposed on the side of the housing wall 604 near the bottom of the housing 602, so that the coolant inlet 612 is adjacent to the side of the compressor motor 606 near the bottom of the housing 602. In addition, the coolant outlet 614 can be disposed in the middle of the housing wall 604, so that the coolant outlet 614 is adjacent to the side of the compressor motor 606 near the top of the housing 602. In this way, when the coolant flows in from the coolant inlet 612, passes through the coolant channel 610, and then flows out from the coolant outlet 614, since the coolant channel 610 is adjacent to the compressor motor 606, the coolant in the coolant channel 610 can absorb the heat generated by the compressor motor 606, thereby cooling the compressor motor 606 and enabling the compressor motor 606 to operate at a suitable temperature to prevent overheating.

[0046] In the conventional scheme, the refrigerant inlet is arranged at a position close to the bottom of the compressor housing so that the refrigerant can pass through the compressor motor to absorb the heat of the compressor motor before being sucked into the scroll. Figure 6 In the illustrated compressor 600, since the compressor motor 606 can be cooled by the coolant in the coolant passage 610, the refrigerant inlet 616 can be disposed on the housing wall 604 adjacent to the scroll 608. This allows the refrigerant to enter the housing 602 through the refrigerant inlet 616 and then directly enter the scroll 608 under the suction force of the scroll 608 without passing through the compressor motor 606. The compressed refrigerant can then be discharged from the compressor 600 through the refrigerant outlet 618 (e.g., Figure 6 In addition, the inverter (for example, Figure 5 The inverter 508 in the embodiment is arranged at a position where the distance between the inverter and the refrigerant inlet 616 is greater than a predetermined threshold value, so that the heat generated by the inverter does not affect the refrigerant.

[0047] In this way, the coolant in coolant channel 610 can cool the compressor motor 606, allowing the refrigerant inlet 616 to be positioned away from the compressor motor 606 and preventing the refrigerant from passing through the compressor motor 606. Furthermore, the refrigerant can be separated from the inverter by a certain distance. This approach can reduce the impact of heat generated by the compressor motor 606 and inverter on the refrigerant, thereby improving the operating efficiency of the compressor 600.

[0048] In some embodiments, in order to further improve the operating efficiency of the compressor, the coolant in the cooling circuit may also flow through the scroll plate. Figure 7 Schematic diagram of a powertrain 700 of an integrated compressor in which the cooling circuit includes a scroll of the compressor according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 7 As shown, powertrain 700 includes a gearbox 704, a traction motor 706, an inverter 708, a power supply 710, a compressor 712, and a cooling circuit 718, wherein compressor 712 includes a compressor motor 714 and a scroll 716. Traction motor 706 is connected to gearbox 704 and is configured to provide power to gearbox 704. Compressor motor 714 is connected to scroll 716 and is configured to provide power to scroll 716. Inverter 708 is connected to power supply 710, traction motor 706, and compressor motor 714, and converts direct current from power supply 710 into alternating current and outputs it to traction motor 706 and compressor motor 714.

[0049] like Figure 7 As shown, cooling circuit 718 includes inverter 708, traction motor 706, compressor motor 714, and scroll 716. Coolant in cooling circuit 718 can flow through inverter 708, traction motor 706, compressor motor 714, and scroll 716 to absorb heat generated during operation, thereby enabling them to operate at an appropriate temperature. In these embodiments, since compressor motor 714 and scroll 716 are cooled by cooling circuit 718, the effect of the heat generated by them on the refrigerant in compressor 712 can be reduced.

[0050] In this way, the compression process of the refrigerant can be controlled within a narrow temperature range, making the compression process closer to isothermal compression. Compared with non-isothermal compression, isothermal compression requires less electrical power, which can further improve the working efficiency of compressor 712.

[0051] In some embodiments, to enable coolant in the cooling circuit to flow through the scroll, at least a portion of the coolant passage on the compressor housing wall may be adjacent to the scroll. Figure 8Schematic diagram of a compressor 800 having coolant passages in the housing wall for cooling the compressor motor and scroll according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 8 As shown, the compressor 800 includes a housing 802, and the housing 802 includes a compressor motor 806 and a scroll plate 808. The housing 802 includes a housing wall 804, a coolant inlet 812 and a coolant outlet 814 provided on the housing wall 804, and a coolant channel 810 provided in the housing wall to connect the coolant inlet 812 and the coolant outlet 814, wherein the coolant channel 810 is a cooling circuit (e.g., Figure 7 Part of the coolant circuit 718 in.

[0052] like Figure 8 As shown, the coolant inlet 812 can be disposed on the side of the housing wall 804 near the bottom of the housing 802, such that the coolant inlet 812 is adjacent to the side of the compressor motor 806 near the bottom of the housing 802. In addition, the coolant outlet 814 can be disposed on the side of the housing wall 804 near the top of the housing 802, such that the coolant outlet 814 is adjacent to the side of the scroll 808 near the top of the housing 802. In this way, when coolant flows in from the coolant inlet 812, passes through the coolant passage 810, and then flows out from the coolant outlet 814, since the coolant passage 810 is adjacent to the compressor motor 806 and the scroll 808, the coolant in the coolant passage 810 can absorb heat generated by the compressor motor 806 and the scroll 808, thereby cooling the compressor motor 806 and the scroll 808 and enabling the compressor motor 806 and the scroll 808 to operate at a suitable temperature to prevent overheating.

[0053] like Figure 8 As shown, in the compressor 800, the refrigerant inlet 816 can be arranged on the housing wall 804 adjacent to the scroll 808, so that after the refrigerant enters the housing 802 through the refrigerant inlet 816, it can directly enter the scroll 808 under the suction force of the scroll 808 without passing through the compressor motor 806, and then the compressed refrigerant can be discharged from the compressor 800 through the refrigerant outlet 818. In addition, the inverter (for example, Figure 7 The inverter 708 in the embodiment is arranged at a position where the distance between the inverter and the refrigerant inlet 816 is greater than a predetermined threshold value, so that the heat generated by the inverter does not affect the refrigerant.

[0054] In this way, the coolant in the coolant channel 810 can cool the compressor motor 806 and the scroll plate 808, so that the refrigerant does not pass through the compressor motor 808, thereby reducing the impact of the heat generated by the compressor motor 806 on the refrigerant. In addition, the refrigerant and the inverter are separated by a certain distance, which can reduce the impact of the heat generated by the inverter on the refrigerant. In addition, since the scroll plate 808 is cooled by the cooling circuit of the powertrain, the impact of the heat generated by the scroll plate 808 on the refrigerant can be reduced. In this way, compared with the traditional solution of using refrigerant to cool the compressor inverter, the compressor motor, and the scroll plate, the solution provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure can use the cooling circuit of the powertrain to cool the compressor motor and the scroll plate, and merge the compressor inverter into the traction inverter, so that the refrigerant does not need to cool these components, so that the compression process of the refrigerant can be controlled within a narrower temperature range to be closer to isothermal compression, thereby improving the working efficiency of the compressor.

[0055] In some embodiments, the coolant passage in the compressor housing wall may include a spiral structure from the coolant inlet to the coolant outlet. Figure 9 FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a compressor 900 having a coolant channel with a spiral structure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 9 As shown, the compressor 900 includes a housing 902, a housing wall 904, a coolant channel 910, a coolant inlet 912, and a coolant outlet 914. The coolant flows in from the coolant inlet 912 located at the bottom of the housing wall 904, spirals upward along the coolant channel 910 inside the housing wall 904, and then flows out from the coolant outlet 914 located at the top of the housing wall 904. In this way, the resistance encountered by the coolant when flowing in the coolant channel 910 can be reduced. In addition, this method can also improve the heat dissipation capacity of the coolant. In some embodiments, the housing wall 904 may include an interlayer inside, and the coolant channel 910 may be located in the interlayer inside the housing wall 904.

[0056] In some embodiments, the coolant passages in the compressor housing wall may include structures that alternately turn back between the compressor housing wall near the bottom side of the compressor housing and near the top side of the compressor housing. Figure 10 FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a compressor 1000 having a coolant channel with a folded structure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 10As shown, the compressor 1000 includes a housing 1002, a housing wall 1004, a coolant passage 1010, a coolant inlet 1012, and a coolant outlet 1014. The coolant flows from the coolant inlet 1012 located at the bottom of the housing wall 1004 into the coolant passage 1010 within the housing wall 1004 and flows along the coolant passage 1010 toward the top of the housing wall 1004. After reaching a position near the top of the housing wall 1004, the coolant turns back to flow toward the bottom of the housing wall 1004, then turns back again to flow toward the top of the housing wall 1004, and so on. Finally, the coolant flows out of the coolant passage 1010 through the coolant outlet 1014. In some embodiments, the alternatingly folded coolant passages 1010 may be arranged in a partial circumferential region of the annular circumference of the housing wall 1004 (for example, the coolant passages 1010 may be arranged in a half circumferential region, more than a half circumferential region, or less than a half circumferential region of the annular circumference of the housing wall 1004). In some embodiments, to improve the cooling effect, the alternatingly folded coolant passages 1010 may be arranged along a full circumference of the annular circumference of the housing wall 1004 (i.e., the entire circumferential region) so that the components within the housing 1002 can be adequately cooled. In some embodiments, the interior of the housing wall 1004 may include an interlayer, and the coolant passages 1010 may be located in the interlayer within the housing wall 1004. In this way, the casting process of the compressor housing wall 1004 may be simplified, improving versatility and saving costs.

[0057] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "including" and similar terms should be understood as open inclusion, that is, "including but not limited to." The term "based on" should be understood as "based at least in part on." The term "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment." The terms "first," "second," etc. may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0058] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological logical acts, it should be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are merely example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A powertrain (200, 300, 400, 500, 700) with an integrated compressor, comprising: Gearbox (204, 304, 404, 504, 704); a traction motor (206, 306, 406, 506, 706) connected to the gearbox (204, 304, 404, 504, 704) and configured to provide power to the gearbox (204, 304, 404, 504, 704); A compressor (212, 312, 412, 512, 600, 712, 800, 900, 1000) includes a compressor motor (214, 314, 414, 514, 606, 714, 806) and a scroll (216, 316, 416 , 516, 608, 716, 808), the compressor motor (214, 314, 414, 514, 606, 714, 806) is connected to the scroll (216, 316, 416, 516, 608, 716, 808) and is configured to provide power to the scroll (216, 316, 416, 516, 608, 716, 808); as well as The inverter (208, 308, 408, 508, 708) is connected to the power supply (210, 310, 410, 510, 710), the traction motor (206, 306, 406, 506, 706), and the compressor motor (214, 314, 414, 514, 606, 714, 806).

2. The powertrain (200, 300, 400, 500, 700) of claim 1, wherein the inverter (208, 308, 408, 508, 708) and the traction motor (206, 306, 406, 506, 706) are located in a cooling circuit (218, 318, 418, 518, 718).

3. The powertrain of claim 1 , wherein the inverter comprises a first output port connected to the traction motor and configured to provide electrical energy to the traction motor via the first output port.

4. The powertrain (200, 300, 400, 500, 700) of claim 3, wherein the inverter (208, 308, 408, 508, 708) further comprises a second output port (326, 426), the second output port (326, 426) being connected to the compressor motor (214, 314, 414, 514, 606, 714, 806), and the inverter (208, 308, 408, 508, 708) being configured to provide electrical energy to the compressor motor (214, 314, 414, 514, 606, 714, 806) via the second output port (326, 426).

5. The powertrain of claim 4, wherein the inverter includes a traction motor-specific portion (420) for providing electrical energy to the traction motor and the compressor motor, and a compressor motor-specific portion (424).

6. The powertrain of claim 5, wherein the inverter further comprises a common portion (428) of the traction motor and the compressor motor for providing electrical energy to the traction motor and the compressor motor.

7. The powertrain (200, 300, 400, 500, 700) of claim 2, wherein coolant in the cooling circuit (218, 318, 418, 518, 718) flows through the compressor motor (214, 314, 414, 514, 606, 714, 806).

8. The powertrain (200, 300, 400, 500, 700) of claim 7, wherein the compressor (212, 312, 412, 512, 600, 712, 800, 900, 1000) comprises a compressor housing (602, 802, 902, 1002), and the compressor housing (602, 802, 902, 1002) comprises: compressor housing wall (604, 804, 904, 1004); A coolant inlet (612, 812, 912, 1012) and a coolant outlet (614, 814, 914, 1014) are provided on the compressor housing wall (604, 804, 904, 1004); A coolant passage (610, 810, 910, 1010) is provided in the compressor housing wall (604, 804, 904, 1004) and connects the coolant inlet (612, 812, 912, 1012) and the coolant outlet (614, 814, 914, 1014), wherein the coolant passage (610, 810, 910, 1010) is part of the cooling circuit (218, 318, 418, 518, 718), and at least a portion of the coolant passage (610, 810, 910, 1010) is adjacent to the compressor motor (214, 314, 414, 514, 606, 714, 806) for cooling the compressor motor (214, 314, 414, 514, 606, 714, 806).

9. The powertrain (200, 300, 400, 500, 700) of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the coolant passage is adjacent to the scroll plate so that the coolant in the cooling circuit (218, 318, 418, 518, 718) also flows through the scroll plate.

10. The powertrain (200, 300, 400, 500, 700) of claim 8, wherein the coolant passage comprises a spiral structure from the coolant inlet to the coolant outlet.

11. The powertrain assembly (200, 300, 400, 500, 700) of claim 8, wherein the coolant passage comprises a structure that alternately turns back between a bottom side of the compressor housing and a top side of the compressor housing.

12. The power assembly (200, 300, 400, 500, 700) of claim 8, wherein a refrigerant inlet (616, 816) and a refrigerant outlet (618, 818) are provided on the compressor housing (602, 802, 902, 1002), the refrigerant inlet (616, 816) being adjacent to the scroll (216, 316, 416, 516, 608, 716, 808) so that refrigerant enters from the refrigerant inlet (616, 816) and is discharged from the refrigerant outlet (618, 818) without passing through the compressor motor (214, 314, 414, 514, 606, 714, 806).

13. The powertrain (200, 300, 400, 500, 700) of claim 12, wherein a distance between the inverter (208, 308, 408, 508, 708) and the refrigerant inlet (616, 816) is greater than a predetermined threshold.

14. A vehicle (100) comprising a powertrain (200, 300, 400, 500, 700) according to claims 1-13.

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