Refrigerant superheat degree determination method, device, vehicle, equipment, medium and product

Abstract

The application discloses a refrigerant superheat degree determination method, device, vehicle, equipment, medium and product. The method comprises the following steps: obtaining a first pressure at the compressor outlet measured by a pressure sensor; calculating a second pressure at the battery cooling plate outlet according to the first pressure, pressure loss of the condenser and a first opening degree of the electronic expansion valve; and calculating the superheat degree of the refrigerant according to the second pressure and an actual temperature measured by a temperature sensor. The refrigerant pressure at the battery cooling plate outlet is calculated by the first pressure collected by the pressure sensor, and the superheat degree of the refrigerant is calculated according to the refrigerant pressure at the battery cooling plate outlet. Since the refrigerant pressure at the battery cooling plate outlet is calculated, the pressure sensor does not need to be arranged at the battery cooling plate outlet to collect the pressure, so that the hardware cost of the battery cooling system can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of battery cooling technology, and in particular relates to a method, apparatus, vehicle, equipment, medium and product for determining refrigerant superheat. Background Technology

[0002] During the use of new energy vehicles, the battery temperature rises due to charging and discharging. Currently, some manufacturers use refrigerant direct cooling systems to cool the battery, ensuring that the battery operates within a suitable temperature range and guaranteeing the battery's charging and discharging performance and safety.

[0003] In battery cooling systems, a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor are typically installed at the battery cooling outlet to detect refrigerant superheat. Generally, the refrigerant superheat should be 3-5°C. A value that is too high indicates the battery is not being adequately cooled, affecting the battery's temperature uniformity; a value that is too low may indicate the presence of liquid refrigerant at the battery cooling outlet, affecting the compressor's lifespan. Determining the refrigerant superheat is crucial. Because a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor are required at the battery cooling outlet, a high-precision pressure sensor is needed to ensure accurate refrigerant superheat measurement, resulting in higher hardware costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a method, apparatus, vehicle, equipment, medium, and product for determining refrigerant superheat, which can reduce the hardware cost of battery cooling systems.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a method for determining refrigerant superheat. The method is applied to a battery cooling system, which includes a compressor, a condenser, an electronic expansion valve, and a battery cooling plate. The compressor, condenser, electronic expansion valve, and battery cooling plate are sequentially connected via refrigerant pipelines to form a cooling circuit. Refrigerant flows through the refrigerant pipelines. The compressor is used to heat and pressurize the refrigerant flowing from the outlet of the battery cooling plate. A pressure sensor is installed at the compressor outlet, and a temperature sensor is installed at the battery cooling plate outlet. The method includes:

[0006] The first pressure at the compressor outlet, measured by the pressure sensor, is obtained.

[0007] The second pressure is calculated based on the first pressure, the pressure loss of the condenser, and the first opening of the electronic expansion valve. The second pressure is the refrigerant pressure at the outlet of the battery cooling plate.

[0008] The superheat of the refrigerant is calculated based on the second pressure and the actual temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

[0009] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a refrigerant superheat determination device. The device is applied to a battery cooling system, which includes a compressor, a condenser, an electronic expansion valve, and a battery cooling plate. The compressor, condenser, electronic expansion valve, and battery cooling plate are sequentially connected via refrigerant pipelines to form a cooling circuit. Refrigerant flows through the refrigerant pipelines. The compressor is used to heat and pressurize the refrigerant flowing from the battery cooling plate outlet. A pressure sensor is installed at the compressor outlet, and a temperature sensor is installed at the battery cooling plate outlet. The device includes:

[0010] The acquisition module is used to acquire the first pressure at the compressor outlet measured by the pressure sensor;

[0011] The first calculation module is used to calculate the second pressure based on the first pressure, the pressure loss of the condenser and the first opening of the electronic expansion valve. The second pressure is the refrigerant pressure at the outlet of the battery cooling plate.

[0012] The second calculation module is used to calculate the superheat of the refrigerant based on the second pressure and the actual temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

[0013] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device, including: a processor and a memory storing computer program instructions; the processor, when executing the computer program instructions, implements the refrigerant superheat determination method as described in the first aspect.

[0014] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a vehicle that includes the electronic equipment described in the third aspect.

[0015] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing computer program instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the refrigerant superheat determination method as described in the first aspect.

[0016] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product in which instructions, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the refrigerant superheat determination method as described in the first aspect.

[0017] In this embodiment, the refrigerant pressure (i.e., the second pressure) at the battery cooling plate outlet is calculated by the first pressure collected by the pressure sensor, and the excessive heat of the refrigerant is calculated based on the refrigerant pressure at the battery cooling plate outlet and the actual temperature measured by the temperature sensor. Since the refrigerant pressure at the battery cooling plate outlet is obtained by calculation, it is not necessary to install a pressure sensor at that location to collect the pressure, thereby reducing the hardware cost of the battery cooling system. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the battery cooling system in related technologies;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining refrigerant superheat provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 3 This is another flowchart illustrating the method for determining refrigerant superheat provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigerant superheat determination device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of this application will be described in detail below. To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only intended to explain this application and not to limit it. For those skilled in the art, this application can be implemented without some of these specific details. The following description of the embodiments is merely to provide a better understanding of this application by illustrating examples.

[0025] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0026] In all specific embodiments of this application, when processing data related to user identity or characteristics, such as user information, user behavior data, user historical data, and user location information, user permission or consent is obtained first. Furthermore, the collection, use, and processing of this data comply with relevant laws, regulations, and standards. Additionally, when embodiments of this application require access to sensitive personal information, separate permission or consent from the user is obtained through pop-ups or redirects to confirmation pages. Only after obtaining the user's separate permission or consent is the necessary user-related data required for the proper functioning of these embodiments obtained.

[0027] New energy vehicles use refrigerant in the battery cooling system to directly cool the battery during use, ensuring that the battery operates within a suitable temperature range and guaranteeing the battery's charging and discharging performance and safety.

[0028] In related technologies, such as Figure 1 As shown, the battery cooling system includes a compressor, a condenser, an electronic expansion valve, and a battery cooling plate. The battery can be mounted on the battery cooling plate. The compressor, condenser, electronic expansion valve, and battery cooling plate are sequentially connected via refrigerant piping to form a cooling circuit. Refrigerant flows through the refrigerant piping, and the compressor is used to heat and pressurize the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant flowing from the battery cooling plate outlet. Figure 1 (The middle arrow indicates the refrigerant flow direction.) A high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant is obtained. A pressure sensor 1 is installed at the compressor outlet to detect the pressure, ensuring stable system operation. The system will shut down for protection if the pressure is too high or too low. The normal operating range is 3 bar to 28 bar. The condenser is the heat exchange medium between the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant and air. A cooling fan is also installed next to the condenser to accelerate the airflow and increase the heat transfer coefficient between the air and the refrigerant. The electronic expansion valve has a flow-blocking function, converting the high-pressure, medium-temperature refrigerant into a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant. This low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant enters the battery cooling plate to cool the battery. A pressure sensor 2 and a temperature sensor 3 are installed at the battery cooling plate outlet. Temperature sensor 3 monitors the refrigerant temperature at the battery cooling plate outlet, and pressure sensor 2 monitors the refrigerant pressure at the battery cooling plate outlet. The refrigerant superheat is calculated by combining the detected refrigerant temperature and pressure sensor 2. Generally, the refrigerant superheat should be 3-5°C. If this value is too high, it means that the battery is not being cooled sufficiently, which will affect the uniformity of battery cooling. If it is too low, there may be liquid refrigerant at the battery cooling outlet, which will affect the lifespan of the compressor.

[0029] In the above, the refrigerant state is measured by the refrigerant superheat. This requires the simultaneous use of pressure and temperature sensors to collect data. To ensure the accuracy of the refrigerant superheat, the pressure sensor used must have high accuracy requirements. The higher the accuracy, the more expensive the pressure sensor, resulting in higher hardware costs and increasing the complexity and installation difficulty of the system.

[0030] To address the problems of existing technologies, embodiments of this application provide a method, apparatus, vehicle, equipment, medium, and product for determining refrigerant superheat. This method eliminates the need for a pressure sensor at the battery cooling plate outlet and instead uses calculation to determine the refrigerant pressure at the battery cooling plate outlet, thereby calculating the refrigerant superheat and reducing hardware costs. The method for determining refrigerant superheat provided in this application embodiment is described below.

[0031] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a method for determining refrigerant superheat according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 2 As shown, the refrigerant superheat determination method provided in this application embodiment is applied to a battery cooling system. This battery cooling system can be used to cool the battery in a vehicle. The battery cooling system includes a compressor, a condenser, an electronic expansion valve, and a battery cooling plate. The compressor, condenser, electronic expansion valve, and battery cooling plate are sequentially connected via refrigerant pipelines to form a cooling circuit. Refrigerant flows through the refrigerant pipelines. The compressor is used to heat and pressurize the refrigerant flowing from the battery cooling plate outlet. A pressure sensor is installed at the compressor outlet, and a temperature sensor is installed at the battery cooling plate outlet. No pressure sensor is installed at the battery cooling plate outlet. The method includes the following steps 101-103, wherein:

[0032] Step 101: Obtain the first pressure at the compressor outlet as measured by the pressure sensor.

[0033] In this embodiment, the battery cooling system is equipped with a pressure sensor only at the compressor outlet. This pressure sensor is used to detect the pressure at the compressor outlet to ensure stable system operation. The system will shut down for protection if the pressure is too high or too low. The normal operating range is 3 bar to 28 bar. Since the compressor heats and pressurizes the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant flowing from the battery cooling plate outlet to obtain high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant, the initial pressure will be relatively high.

[0034] Step 102: Calculate the second pressure based on the first pressure, the pressure loss of the condenser, and the first opening degree of the electronic expansion valve. The second pressure is the refrigerant pressure at the outlet of the battery cooling plate.

[0035] Since no pressure sensor is installed at the battery cooling plate outlet, in this embodiment, the refrigerant pressure P at the battery cooling plate outlet is determined by calculation. 低 As shown in equation (1):

[0036] P 低 =P 高 -ΔP (1)

[0037] P 高 The primary pressure;

[0038] P 低 For the second pressure;

[0039] ΔP is the calculated pressure loss of the refrigerant pipeline from the compressor outlet to the battery cooling plate outlet;

[0040] Step 103: Calculate the superheat of the refrigerant based on the second pressure and the actual temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

[0041] Specifically, based on the second pressure, the saturation temperature corresponding to the second pressure is obtained from a correspondence, which includes multiple refrigerant pressures and the saturation temperature corresponding to each refrigerant pressure; the difference between the actual temperature and the saturation temperature is taken as the superheat of the refrigerant.

[0042] In this embodiment, the refrigerant pressure (i.e., the second pressure) at the battery cooling plate outlet is calculated by the first pressure collected by the pressure sensor, and the overheating of the refrigerant is calculated based on the refrigerant pressure at the battery cooling plate outlet and the actual temperature measured by the temperature sensor. Since the refrigerant pressure at the battery cooling plate outlet is calculated, it is not necessary to collect the pressure by setting a pressure sensor at that location, thereby reducing the hardware cost of the battery cooling system.

[0043] In one embodiment of this application, the second pressure is calculated based on the first pressure, the pressure drop of the condenser, and the first opening degree of the electronic expansion valve, including:

[0044] The calculated value of the pressure loss of the cooling circuit is obtained based on the first pressure, the pressure loss of the condenser, and the first opening degree of the electronic expansion valve. The pressure loss of the condenser is determined according to the physical structure of the condenser.

[0045] The second pressure is obtained by subtracting the calculated pressure loss of the cooling circuit from the first pressure.

[0046] Specifically, the calculated pressure loss ΔP of the refrigerant piping from the compressor outlet to the battery cooling plate outlet (also known as the calculated pressure loss of the cooling circuit) is derived from the condenser pressure loss ΔP. 冷凝器 Electronic expansion valve pressure loss ΔP膨胀阀 and the battery cooling plate pressure loss ΔP 电池 It consists of three parts, as shown in equation (2):

[0047] ΔP=ΔP 冷凝器 +ΔP 膨胀阀 +ΔP 电池 (2)

[0048] Among them, the condenser pressure loss ΔP 冷凝器 and battery cooling plate pressure loss ΔP 电池 All are related to their own physical structure, can be measured experimentally, and are fixed values. Electronic expansion valve pressure loss ΔP 膨胀阀 With respect to the opening degree η of the electronic expansion valve 开 Relevant. Specifically, the calculated pressure loss value ΔP is shown in equation (3):

[0049] ΔP=ΔP 冷凝器 +f(P 高 -ΔP 冷凝器 ,η 开度 )+ΔP 电池 (3)

[0050] Using the above method, it is only necessary to know the condenser pressure loss ΔP. 冷凝器 Battery cooling plate pressure loss ΔP 电池 and the first opening degree η of the electronic expansion valve 开 (To facilitate differentiation of the electronic expansion valve opening under different conditions, this is referred to as the first opening), the second pressure can then be calculated, and the condenser pressure loss ΔP 冷凝器 and battery cooling plate pressure loss ΔP 电池 The value can be measured experimentally and is a fixed value. A single measurement can be used multiple times. The first opening degree of the electronic expansion valve can be obtained by the controller that controls the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve. No new hardware is required, and no additional hardware expenditure will be incurred.

[0051] In another embodiment of this application, the step of calculating the pressure loss value of the cooling circuit based on the first pressure, the pressure loss of the condenser, and the first opening degree of the electronic expansion valve includes:

[0052] The difference between the first pressure and the pressure loss of the condenser is taken as the first value;

[0053] The product of the first coefficient and the first value is taken as the second value;

[0054] The second coefficient and the first opening degree of the electronic expansion valve are used as the third value;

[0055] The sum of the second value, the third value, and the third coefficient is used as the calculated pressure loss value of the cooling circuit.

[0056] The first coefficient, the second coefficient, and the third coefficient are obtained through data fitting.

[0057] Specifically, due to the condenser pressure loss ΔP 冷凝器 and battery cooling plate pressure loss ΔP 电池 All of these are related to their own physical structure and can be measured experimentally. They are fixed values. Based on this, equation (3) can be expressed as equation (4):

[0058] ΔP=A×(P 高 -ΔP 冷凝器 )+B×η 开度 +C (4)

[0059] Among them, the first coefficient A, the second coefficient B, and the third coefficient C are all constants. A represents the pressure loss of the electronic expansion valve and the inlet pressure of the electronic expansion valve (the inlet pressure of the electronic expansion valve is P). 高 -ΔP 冷凝器 The relationship between the value and the specification of the electronic expansion valve is related; the value can be determined by fitting the value through preliminary test calibration.

[0060] B represents the relationship between the pressure loss of the electronic expansion valve and the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve. It is related to the specifications of the electronic expansion valve. This value can be determined by fitting the test calibration in the early stage.

[0061] C is the sum of the fitting constants that characterize the pressure loss of the condenser, the pressure loss of the battery cooling plate, and the pressure loss of the electronic expansion valve.

[0062] In the above-described manner, the pressure loss of the cooling circuit is calculated, and the refrigerant pressure at the battery cooling plate outlet is calculated based on the pressure loss. This eliminates the need to install a pressure sensor at the battery cooling plate outlet to collect the refrigerant pressure, thereby reducing the hardware cost of the battery cooling system.

[0063] In the above formula (4), the first coefficient, the second coefficient, and the third coefficient can be determined by pre-collecting multiple sets of test data of the battery cooling system and by performing data fitting on multiple sets of test data. Specifically, the process of obtaining the first coefficient, the second coefficient, and the third coefficient includes:

[0064] In the test scenario, multiple sets of test data of the battery cooling system are acquired. Each set of test data includes a third pressure, a second opening of the electronic expansion valve, a pressure drop of the condenser, and a pressure drop measurement of the cooling circuit. The third pressure is obtained by the pressure sensor at the compressor outlet.

[0065] The first coefficient, the second coefficient, and the third coefficient are obtained by fitting the data based on the third pressure, the second opening of the electronic expansion valve, the pressure loss of the condenser, and the pressure loss measurement of the cooling circuit in each set of test data.

[0066] Specifically, in the test scenario, data can be collected from the battery cooling system to obtain multiple sets of test data. Each set of test data includes the third pressure measured by a pressure sensor at the compressor outlet, the second opening of the electronic expansion valve, the pressure loss of the condenser (the pressure loss of the condenser is related to the physical structure of the condenser. If the condenser is fixed, the pressure loss of the condenser is also a fixed value. Therefore, the pressure loss of the condenser in the test scenario is the same as the pressure loss of the condenser in the actual application scenario), and the measured value of the pressure loss of the cooling circuit. These values ​​are substituted into equation (4) as known values, where the third pressure is P. 高 The second opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is η 开度 The pressure loss of the condenser is expressed as ΔP. 冷凝器 The pressure loss measurement value of the cooling circuit is taken as ΔP, and A, B, and C are unknown values. They can be calculated using MATLAB software. Multiple sets of test data are used for iterative training to achieve data fitting, and finally the values ​​of A, B, and C are obtained.

[0067] In this embodiment, multiple sets of test data are collected in the test scenario, and the first coefficient, the second coefficient, and the third coefficient are obtained by data fitting of the multiple sets of test data. This facilitates the subsequent determination of the pressure loss of the cooling circuit through calculation, thereby calculating the refrigerant pressure at the battery cooling plate outlet. This eliminates the need to install a pressure sensor at the battery cooling plate outlet to collect the pressure, thus reducing the hardware cost of the battery cooling system.

[0068] In one embodiment of this application, a method for adjusting the opening of an electronic expansion valve based on superheat feedback is provided. Specifically, after calculating the superheat of the refrigerant based on the second pressure and the actual temperature measured by the temperature sensor, the method further includes:

[0069] If the superheat is greater than the upper preset threshold, the difference between the upper preset threshold and the superheat is taken as the first saturation temperature; or, if the superheat is less than the lower preset threshold, the difference between the superheat and the lower preset threshold is taken as the first saturation temperature.

[0070] Based on the first saturation temperature, the refrigerant pressure corresponding to the first saturation temperature is obtained from the correspondence, and the refrigerant pressure corresponding to the first saturation temperature is used as the refrigerant pressure at the outlet of the battery cooling plate. The correspondence includes multiple refrigerant pressures and the saturation temperature corresponding to each refrigerant pressure.

[0071] The third opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is calculated based on the first pressure, the pressure loss of the condenser, and the refrigerant pressure corresponding to the first saturation temperature.

[0072] If the superheat is greater than the upper limit preset threshold, the electronic expansion valve is adjusted to a smaller third opening based on the first opening; or, if the superheat is less than the upper limit preset threshold, the electronic expansion valve is adjusted to a larger third opening based on the first opening.

[0073] In the above, the upper and lower preset thresholds can be set according to the actual situation, and are not limited here. For example, the upper preset threshold is 5℃ and the lower preset threshold is 3℃. The correspondence includes multiple refrigerant pressures and the saturation temperature corresponding to each refrigerant pressure. The correspondence can be obtained in advance, for example, by adopting the correspondence between refrigerant pressure and saturation temperature in related technologies. After determining the first saturation temperature, the correspondence is searched, and the refrigerant pressure corresponding to the first saturation temperature is obtained from the correspondence. This refrigerant pressure is then used as the refrigerant pressure at the outlet of the battery cooling plate. The pressure loss of the cooling circuit is obtained by subtracting the refrigerant pressure corresponding to the first saturation temperature from the first pressure. According to equation (4), the pressure loss of the cooling circuit is taken as ΔP, and the first pressure is taken as P. 高 The pressure loss of the condenser is taken as ΔP 冷凝器 These parameters are all known parameters, η 开度 Since it is an unknown parameter, η can be obtained by solving it. 开度 This value is the third opening degree of the electronic expansion valve.

[0074] If the overheating is greater than the upper limit preset threshold, the electronic expansion valve is adjusted to a smaller third opening based on the first opening; or, if the overheating is less than the upper limit preset threshold, the electronic expansion valve is adjusted to a larger third opening based on the first opening, to ensure the uniformity of temperature during the charging and discharging process of the battery.

[0075] In this embodiment, the opening of the electronic expansion valve is adjusted according to the calculated superheat feedback through the above steps to ensure the temperature uniformity of the battery charging and discharging process.

[0076] In another embodiment of this application, a method for adjusting the opening of an electronic expansion valve based on superheat feedback is also provided. Specifically, after calculating the superheat of the refrigerant based on the second pressure and the actual temperature measured by the temperature sensor, the method further includes:

[0077] If the superheat is greater than the upper preset threshold or less than the lower preset threshold, then the preset temperature is taken as the second saturation temperature. The preset temperature is less than or equal to the upper preset threshold and greater than or equal to the lower preset threshold.

[0078] Based on the second saturation temperature, the pressure corresponding to the second saturation temperature is obtained from the correspondence, and the pressure corresponding to the second saturation temperature is used as the refrigerant pressure at the outlet of the battery cooling plate. The correspondence includes multiple refrigerant pressures and the saturation temperature corresponding to each refrigerant pressure.

[0079] The fourth opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is calculated based on the first pressure, the pressure loss of the condenser, and the pressure corresponding to the second saturation temperature.

[0080] The electronic expansion valve is adjusted from the first opening degree to the fourth opening degree.

[0081] In this embodiment, if the superheat exceeds the upper preset threshold, the opening of the electronic expansion valve is directly adjusted according to the preset temperature. The preset temperature can be set according to actual conditions, as long as it is between the upper and lower preset thresholds, for example, 4°C.

[0082] Subtract the refrigerant pressure corresponding to the second saturation temperature from the first pressure to obtain the pressure loss of the cooling circuit; according to equation (4), the pressure loss of the cooling circuit is taken as ΔP, and the first pressure is taken as P. 高 The pressure loss of the condenser is taken as ΔP 冷凝器 These parameters are all known parameters, η 开度 Since it is an unknown parameter, η can be obtained by solving it. 开度 This value is the fourth opening degree of the electronic expansion valve. Adjusting the electronic expansion valve from the first opening degree to the fourth opening degree ensures the temperature uniformity during the charging and discharging process of the battery.

[0083] In this embodiment, the opening of the electronic expansion valve is adjusted according to the calculated superheat feedback through the above steps to ensure the temperature uniformity of the battery charging and discharging process.

[0084] The following provides an example of the method for determining refrigerant superheat provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0085] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of an audio playback system provided in an embodiment of this application. This audio playback system can implement the refrigerant superheat determination method provided in an embodiment of this application. (Refer to...) Figure 3 The method for determining refrigerant superheat provided in this application includes the following steps:

[0086] Step 201: Obtain the current opening degree of the electronic expansion valve;

[0087] Step 202: Calculate the pressure loss of the cooling circuit based on the current opening of the electronic expansion valve;

[0088] Step 203: Calculate the refrigerant pressure (i.e., the second pressure) at the battery cooling plate outlet;

[0089] Step 204: Find the corresponding relationship to obtain the saturation temperature corresponding to the second pressure;

[0090] Step 205: Subtract the saturation temperature corresponding to the second pressure from the actual temperature measured by the temperature sensor to obtain the superheat of the refrigerant.

[0091] Step 206: Determine if the superheat of the refrigerant is greater than 5°C. If yes, proceed to step 207; otherwise, proceed to step 208.

[0092] Step 207: Adjust the opening of the electronic expansion valve.

[0093] Step 208, triggers the execution of step 206 once every 30 seconds.

[0094] The method for determining refrigerant superheat provided in this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0095] Cost reduction: The refrigerant pressure at the battery cooling plate outlet is calculated, thereby eliminating the need for a low-pressure sensor and reducing hardware costs;

[0096] Simplified structure: After the algorithm replaces the low-pressure sensor, the corresponding installation, testing, and maintenance procedures can be eliminated, reducing the complexity of the system and the difficulty of installation;

[0097] Easy to expand: If there are system upgrades or functional expansions that require the addition of more functions (such as intelligent thermal management), it can be achieved by optimizing the algorithm without redesigning the hardware.

[0098] Figure 4 A structural diagram of the refrigerant superheat determination device provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 4 As shown, a refrigerant superheat determination device 500 is applied to a battery cooling system. The battery cooling system includes a compressor, a condenser, an electronic expansion valve, and a battery cooling plate. The compressor, condenser, electronic expansion valve, and battery cooling plate are sequentially connected via refrigerant pipelines to form a cooling circuit. Refrigerant flows through the refrigerant pipelines. The compressor is used to heat and pressurize the refrigerant flowing from the battery cooling plate outlet. A pressure sensor is installed at the compressor outlet, and a temperature sensor is installed at the battery cooling plate outlet. The refrigerant superheat determination device 500 includes:

[0099] The first acquisition module 501 is used to acquire the first pressure at the compressor outlet measured by the pressure sensor;

[0100] The first calculation module 502 is used to calculate the second pressure based on the first pressure, the pressure loss of the condenser and the first opening degree of the electronic expansion valve, wherein the second pressure is the refrigerant pressure at the outlet of the battery cooling plate;

[0101] The second calculation module 503 is used to calculate the superheat of the refrigerant based on the second pressure and the actual temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

[0102] In one embodiment of this application, the first computing module 502 includes:

[0103] The first calculation submodule is used to calculate the pressure loss of the cooling circuit based on the first pressure, the pressure loss of the condenser, and the first opening degree of the electronic expansion valve. The pressure loss of the condenser is determined according to the physical structure of the condenser.

[0104] The second calculation submodule is used to obtain the second pressure by subtracting the calculated pressure loss value of the cooling circuit from the first pressure.

[0105] In one embodiment of this application, the first calculation submodule is specifically used for:

[0106] The difference between the first pressure and the pressure loss of the condenser is taken as the first value;

[0107] The product of the first coefficient and the first value is taken as the second value;

[0108] The second coefficient and the first opening degree of the electronic expansion valve are used as the third value;

[0109] The sum of the second value, the third value, and the third coefficient is used as the calculated pressure loss value of the cooling circuit.

[0110] The first coefficient, the second coefficient, and the third coefficient are obtained through data fitting.

[0111] In one embodiment of this application, the process of obtaining the first coefficient, the second coefficient, and the third coefficient includes:

[0112] In the test scenario, multiple sets of test data of the battery cooling system are acquired. Each set of test data includes a third pressure, a second opening of the electronic expansion valve, a pressure drop of the condenser, and a pressure drop measurement of the cooling circuit. The third pressure is obtained by the pressure sensor at the compressor outlet.

[0113] The first coefficient, the second coefficient, and the third coefficient are obtained by fitting the data based on the third pressure, the second opening of the electronic expansion valve, the pressure loss of the condenser, and the pressure loss measurement of the cooling circuit in each set of test data.

[0114] In one embodiment of this application, the refrigerant superheat determination device 500 further includes:

[0115] The third calculation module is used to take the difference between the upper limit preset threshold and the superheat as the first saturation temperature if the superheat is greater than the upper limit preset threshold, or to take the difference between the superheat and the lower limit preset threshold as the first saturation temperature if the superheat is less than the lower limit preset threshold.

[0116] The second acquisition module is used to acquire the refrigerant pressure corresponding to the first saturation temperature from the correspondence based on the first saturation temperature, and use the refrigerant pressure corresponding to the first saturation temperature as the refrigerant pressure at the outlet of the battery cooling plate. The correspondence includes multiple refrigerant pressures and the saturation temperature corresponding to each refrigerant pressure.

[0117] The fourth calculation module is used to calculate the third opening degree of the electronic expansion valve based on the first pressure, the pressure loss of the condenser, and the refrigerant pressure corresponding to the first saturation temperature.

[0118] The first adjustment module is used to, if the superheat is greater than the upper limit preset threshold, reduce the third opening of the electronic expansion valve based on the first opening, or, if the superheat is less than the upper limit preset threshold, increase the third opening of the electronic expansion valve based on the first opening.

[0119] In one embodiment of this application, the refrigerant superheat determination device 500 further includes:

[0120] The third acquisition module is used to take the preset temperature as the second saturation temperature if the superheat is greater than the upper preset threshold or less than the lower preset threshold. The preset temperature is less than or equal to the upper preset threshold and greater than or equal to the lower preset threshold.

[0121] The fourth acquisition module is used to acquire the pressure corresponding to the second saturation temperature from the correspondence based on the second saturation temperature, and use the pressure corresponding to the second saturation temperature as the refrigerant pressure at the outlet of the battery cooling plate. The correspondence includes multiple refrigerant pressures and the saturation temperature corresponding to each refrigerant pressure.

[0122] The fifth calculation module is used to calculate the fourth opening degree of the electronic expansion valve based on the first pressure, the pressure loss of the condenser, and the pressure corresponding to the second saturation temperature.

[0123] The second adjustment module is used to adjust the electronic expansion valve from the first opening degree to the fourth opening degree.

[0124] The refrigerant superheat determination device 500 provided in this application embodiment can realize the various processes implemented in the aforementioned refrigerant superheat determination method embodiment and achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0125] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of the electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0126] The electronic device may include a processor 601 and a memory 602 storing computer program instructions.

[0127] Specifically, the processor 601 may include a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits that can be configured to implement the embodiments of this application.

[0128] Memory 602 may include mass storage for data or instructions. For example, and not limitingly, memory 602 may include a hard disk drive (HDD), floppy disk drive, flash memory, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, magnetic tape, or Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive, or a combination of two or more of these. Where appropriate, memory 602 may include removable or non-removable (or fixed) media. Where appropriate, memory 602 may be internal or external to the integrated gateway disaster recovery device. In a particular embodiment, memory 602 is non-volatile solid-state memory.

[0129] Memory may include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), disk storage media devices, optical storage media devices, flash memory devices, and electrical, optical, or other physical / tangible memory storage devices. Therefore, typically, memory includes one or more tangible (non-transitory) computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory devices) encoded with software including computer-executable instructions, and when the software is executed (e.g., by one or more processors), it is operable to perform the operations described with reference to the methods according to the first or second aspect of this disclosure.

[0130] The processor 601 implements any of the information auditing methods described in the above embodiments by reading and executing computer program instructions stored in the memory 602.

[0131] In one example, the electronic device may also include a communication interface 603 and a bus 610. For example, Figure 5 As shown, the processor 601, memory 602, and communication interface 603 are connected through bus 610 and complete communication with each other.

[0132] The communication interface 603 is mainly used to realize communication between various modules, devices, units and / or equipment in the embodiments of this application.

[0133] Bus 610 includes hardware, software, or both, that couples components of an information auditing method or verification device together. For example, and not as a limitation, the bus may include an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) or other graphics bus, an Enhanced Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, a Front Side Bus (FSB), HyperTransport (HT) interconnect, an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, an Infinite Bandwidth Interconnect, a Low Pin Count (LPC) bus, a memory bus, a Microchannel Architecture (MCA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, a PCI-Express (PCI-X) bus, a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) bus, a Video Electronics Standards Association Local (VLB) bus, or other suitable buses, or combinations of two or more of these. Where appropriate, bus 610 may include one or more buses. Although specific buses are described and illustrated in embodiments of this application, any suitable bus or interconnect is contemplated herein.

[0134] Furthermore, in conjunction with the refrigerant superheat determination method in the above embodiments, this application embodiment can provide a computer storage medium for implementation. This computer storage medium stores computer program instructions; when these computer program instructions are executed by a processor, they implement any of the refrigerant superheat determination methods in the above embodiments.

[0135] This application provides a computer program product in which the instructions are executed by the processor of an electronic device, causing the electronic device to perform any of the refrigerant superheat determination methods described in the above embodiments.

[0136] This application also provides a computer program product, wherein the instructions in the computer program product, when executed by the processor of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform any of the refrigerant superheat determination methods described in the above embodiments.

[0137] It should be clarified that this application is not limited to the specific configurations and processes described above and shown in the figures. For the sake of brevity, detailed descriptions of known methods are omitted here. In the above embodiments, several specific steps are described as examples. However, the method process of this application is not limited to the specific steps described. Those skilled in the art can make various changes, modifications, and additions, or change the order of steps, after understanding the spirit of this application.

[0138] The functional blocks shown in the above-described structural diagram can be implemented as hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. When implemented in hardware, they can be, for example, electronic circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), appropriate firmware, plug-ins, function cards, etc. When implemented in software, the elements of this application are programs or code segments used to perform the required tasks. Programs or code segments can be stored on a machine-readable medium or transmitted over a transmission medium or communication link via data signals carried on a carrier wave. "Machine-readable medium" can include any medium capable of storing or transmitting information. Examples of machine-readable media include electronic circuits, semiconductor memory devices, ROM, flash memory, erasable ROM (EROM), floppy disks, CD-ROMs, optical disks, hard disks, fiber optic media, radio frequency (RF) links, etc. Code segments can be downloaded via computer networks such as the Internet, intranets, etc.

[0139] It should also be noted that the exemplary embodiments mentioned in this application describe methods or systems based on a series of steps or apparatus. However, this application is not limited to the order of the above steps; that is, the steps can be performed in the order mentioned in the embodiments, or in a different order, or several steps can be performed simultaneously.

[0140] The foregoing flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) according to embodiments of the present disclosure have described various aspects of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each block in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to create a machine such that these instructions, executable via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, enable the implementation of the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. Such a processor can be, but is not limited to, a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, a special application processor, or a field-programmable logic circuit. It is also understood that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, can also be implemented by special-purpose hardware performing the specified functions or actions, or can be implemented by a combination of special-purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0141] The above description is merely a specific implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, modules, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here. It should be understood that the protection scope of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for determining refrigerant superheat, characterized in that, The method is applied to a battery cooling system, which includes a compressor, a condenser, an electronic expansion valve, and a battery cooling plate. The compressor, condenser, electronic expansion valve, and battery cooling plate are sequentially connected via refrigerant piping to form a cooling circuit. Refrigerant flows through the refrigerant piping. The compressor is used to heat and pressurize the refrigerant flowing from the outlet of the battery cooling plate. A pressure sensor is installed at the compressor outlet, and a temperature sensor is installed at the battery cooling plate outlet. The method includes: The first pressure at the compressor outlet, measured by the pressure sensor, is obtained. The calculated value of the pressure loss of the cooling circuit is obtained based on the first pressure, the pressure loss of the condenser, and the first opening degree of the electronic expansion valve. The pressure loss of the condenser is determined according to the physical structure of the condenser. The second pressure is obtained by subtracting the calculated pressure loss of the cooling circuit from the first pressure. The second pressure is the refrigerant pressure at the outlet of the battery cooling plate. The superheat of the refrigerant is calculated based on the second pressure and the actual temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

2. The method for determining refrigerant superheat according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of calculating the pressure loss of the cooling circuit based on the first pressure, the pressure loss of the condenser, and the first opening degree of the electronic expansion valve includes: The difference between the first pressure and the pressure loss of the condenser is taken as the first value; The product of the first coefficient and the first value is taken as the second value; The second coefficient and the first opening degree of the electronic expansion valve are used as the third value; The sum of the second value, the third value, and the third coefficient is used as the calculated pressure loss value of the cooling circuit. The first coefficient, the second coefficient, and the third coefficient are obtained through data fitting.

3. The method for determining refrigerant superheat according to claim 2, characterized in that, The process of obtaining the first coefficient, the second coefficient, and the third coefficient includes: In the test scenario, multiple sets of test data of the battery cooling system are acquired. Each set of test data includes a third pressure, a second opening of the electronic expansion valve, a pressure drop of the condenser, and a pressure drop measurement of the cooling circuit. The third pressure is obtained by the pressure sensor at the compressor outlet. The first coefficient, the second coefficient, and the third coefficient are obtained by fitting the data based on the third pressure, the second opening of the electronic expansion valve, the pressure loss of the condenser, and the pressure loss measurement of the cooling circuit in each set of test data.

4. The method for determining refrigerant superheat according to claim 1, characterized in that, After calculating the superheat of the refrigerant based on the second pressure and the actual temperature measured by the temperature sensor, the method further includes: If the superheat is greater than the upper preset threshold, the difference between the upper preset threshold and the superheat is taken as the first saturation temperature; or, if the superheat is less than the lower preset threshold, the difference between the superheat and the lower preset threshold is taken as the first saturation temperature. Based on the first saturation temperature, the refrigerant pressure corresponding to the first saturation temperature is obtained from the correspondence, and the refrigerant pressure corresponding to the first saturation temperature is used as the refrigerant pressure at the outlet of the battery cooling plate. The correspondence includes multiple refrigerant pressures and the saturation temperature corresponding to each refrigerant pressure. The third opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is calculated based on the first pressure, the pressure loss of the condenser, and the refrigerant pressure corresponding to the first saturation temperature. If the superheat is greater than the upper limit preset threshold, the electronic expansion valve is adjusted to a smaller third opening based on the first opening; or, if the superheat is less than the upper limit preset threshold, the electronic expansion valve is adjusted to a larger third opening based on the first opening.

5. The method for determining refrigerant superheat according to claim 1, characterized in that, After calculating the superheat of the refrigerant based on the second pressure and the actual temperature measured by the temperature sensor, the method further includes: If the superheat is greater than the upper preset threshold or less than the lower preset threshold, then the preset temperature is taken as the second saturation temperature. The preset temperature is less than or equal to the upper preset threshold and greater than or equal to the lower preset threshold. Based on the second saturation temperature, the pressure corresponding to the second saturation temperature is obtained from the correspondence, and the pressure corresponding to the second saturation temperature is used as the refrigerant pressure at the outlet of the battery cooling plate. The correspondence includes multiple refrigerant pressures and the saturation temperature corresponding to each refrigerant pressure. The fourth opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is calculated based on the first pressure, the pressure loss of the condenser, and the pressure corresponding to the second saturation temperature. The electronic expansion valve is adjusted from the first opening degree to the fourth opening degree.

6. A device for determining the superheat of a refrigerant, characterized in that, The device is applied to a battery cooling system, which includes a compressor, a condenser, an electronic expansion valve, and a battery cooling plate. The compressor, condenser, electronic expansion valve, and battery cooling plate are sequentially connected via refrigerant piping to form a cooling circuit. Refrigerant flows through the refrigerant piping. The compressor is used to heat and pressurize the refrigerant flowing from the outlet of the battery cooling plate. A pressure sensor is installed at the compressor outlet, and a temperature sensor is installed at the battery cooling plate outlet. The device includes: The acquisition module is used to acquire the first pressure at the compressor outlet measured by the pressure sensor; The first calculation module is used to calculate the pressure loss of the cooling circuit based on the first pressure, the pressure loss of the condenser, and the first opening degree of the electronic expansion valve. The pressure loss of the condenser is determined according to the physical structure of the condenser. The second pressure is obtained by subtracting the pressure loss of the cooling circuit from the first pressure. The second pressure is the refrigerant pressure at the outlet of the battery cooling plate. The second calculation module is used to calculate the superheat of the refrigerant based on the second pressure and the actual temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

7. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: Processor and memory storing computer program instructions; When the processor executes the computer program instructions, it implements the refrigerant superheat determination method as described in any one of claims 1-5.

8. A vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicle includes the electronic equipment as described in claim 7.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer program instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the refrigerant superheat determination method as described in any one of claims 1-5.

10. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the instructions in the computer program product are executed by the processor of the electronic device, the electronic device performs the refrigerant superheat determination method as described in any one of claims 1-5.

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