Thermal management system, thermal management control method, and thermal management controller

Abstract

The invention provides a thermal management system, a thermal management control method and a thermal management controller. The thermal management system comprises a cooling loop configured to cool a battery system and an electric drive system, a first temperature sensor used for detecting the temperature of a cooling liquid outlet is arranged at an outlet of a cooling liquid flow channel of the battery system, and a second temperature sensor used for detecting the temperature of a cooling liquid inlet is arranged at an inlet of the cooling liquid flow channel; a first refrigeration circuit configured to exchange heat with the cooling circuit; a second refrigeration circuit configured to exchange heat with the cooling circuit; and the heat management controller is configured to determine the inlet and outlet temperature difference according to the cooling liquid outlet temperature and the cooling liquid inlet temperature, and control the working states of the first compressor in the first refrigerating loop and the second compressor in the second refrigerating loop according to the inlet and outlet temperature difference.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In a vehicle's thermal management system, the maximum cooling capacity provided by the compressor must meet the needs of both battery liquid cooling and cabin cooling. However, with the accelerated development of new energy vehicles, the energy density of power batteries continues to increase, and the charging rate continues to rise, which has led to a continuous increase in the demand for battery liquid cooling. The load ratio between battery liquid cooling and cabin cooling has also been increasing, currently reaching 4:1. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The inventors note that in related technologies, the minimum cooling requirement for a vehicle is to provide cabin cooling in low-temperature environments, while the maximum cooling requirement is to provide both battery liquid cooling and cabin cooling in high-temperature environments. The cooling performance of traditional thermal management systems can be adjusted from a minimum to a maximum cooling capacity, but their maximum cooling capacity often cannot meet the vehicle's maximum cooling requirement, especially when using fast charging mode in high-temperature environments.

[0004] Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a thermal management system that can increase the maximum cooling capacity, thereby expanding the dynamic adjustment range of the cooling capacity and meeting the cooling needs of the vehicle under different conditions.

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a thermal management system is provided, including: a cooling circuit configured to cool a battery system and an electric drive system, wherein a first temperature sensor for detecting the coolant outlet temperature is provided at the outlet of a coolant flow channel of the battery system, and a second temperature sensor for detecting the coolant inlet temperature is provided at the inlet of the coolant flow channel; a first refrigeration circuit configured to perform heat exchange with the cooling circuit; a second refrigeration circuit configured to perform heat exchange with the cooling circuit; and a thermal management controller configured to determine an inlet and outlet temperature difference based on the coolant outlet temperature and the coolant inlet temperature, and to control the operating states of a first compressor in the first refrigeration circuit and a second compressor in the second refrigeration circuit based on the inlet and outlet temperature difference.

[0006] In some embodiments, a first heat exchanger, a first compressor and a water-cooled condenser are sequentially arranged on the first refrigeration circuit, the first heat exchanger is used to perform heat exchange with the cooling circuit at a first position of the cooling circuit, and the water-cooled condenser is used to perform heat exchange with the cooling circuit at a second position of the cooling circuit.

[0007] In some embodiments, the second refrigeration circuit includes a refrigeration sub-circuit and a refrigeration branch, and the refrigeration sub-circuit is sequentially provided with an evaporator, a second compressor and a condenser, wherein the evaporator is used to cool the cockpit; one end of the refrigeration branch is connected to one end of the evaporator, and the other end of the refrigeration branch is connected to the other end of the evaporator, and a second heat exchanger is provided on the refrigeration branch, and the second heat exchanger is used to exchange heat with the cooling circuit at a third position of the cooling circuit.

[0008] In some embodiments, the thermal management controller is configured to determine whether the inlet and outlet temperature difference is less than or equal to a first temperature threshold. If the inlet and outlet temperature difference is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold, check whether the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met. If the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met, start the second compressor and turn off the first compressor.

[0009] In some embodiments, the start-up conditions of the second compressor include: the second compressor is not faulty, the second refrigeration circuit is not faulty, and the vehicle controller allows the start-up of the second compressor.

[0010] In some embodiments, the thermal management controller is further configured to determine whether the inlet and outlet temperature difference is greater than a second temperature threshold when the inlet and outlet temperature difference is greater than a first temperature threshold; and to check whether the start-up conditions of the first compressor and the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met when the inlet and outlet temperature difference is greater than the second temperature threshold; and to start the first compressor when the start-up conditions of the first compressor are met, and to start the second compressor when the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met, wherein the second temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold.

[0011] In some embodiments, the start-up conditions of the first compressor include: the first compressor is not faulty, the first refrigeration circuit is not faulty, and the vehicle controller allows the start-up of the first compressor.

[0012] In some embodiments, the thermal management controller is also configured to check whether the start-up conditions of the first compressor and the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met when the inlet and outlet temperature difference is greater than a first temperature threshold and less than or equal to a second temperature threshold; if the start-up conditions of the first compressor are met, the current working state of the first compressor is maintained; if the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met, the current working state of the second compressor is maintained.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first temperature threshold is a difference between a preset temperature and a redundancy parameter.

[0014] In some embodiments, the second temperature threshold is the sum of a preset temperature and a redundancy parameter.

[0015] In some embodiments, the inlet / outlet temperature difference is the difference between the coolant outlet temperature and the coolant inlet temperature.

[0016] In some embodiments, the thermal management controller is further configured to detect whether a fault occurs in the first compressor and the second compressor. When the first compressor is in an off state and the second compressor is in an on state, if the second compressor fails, the first compressor is turned on; or, when the first compressor is in an on state and the second compressor is in an off state, if the first compressor fails, the second compressor is turned on.

[0017] In some embodiments, the thermal management controller is further configured to detect whether a fault occurs in the first refrigeration circuit and the second refrigeration circuit. When the first compressor is in an off state and the second compressor is in an on state, if the second refrigeration circuit fails, the first compressor is turned on; or, when the first compressor is in an on state and the second compressor is in an off state, if the first refrigeration circuit fails, the second compressor is turned on.

[0018] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a thermal management control method for a thermal management system involved in any of the above embodiments is provided, including: obtaining a coolant outlet temperature from a first temperature sensor located at the outlet of a coolant flow channel of a battery system, and obtaining a coolant inlet temperature from a second temperature sensor located at the inlet of the coolant flow channel; determining an inlet and outlet temperature difference based on the coolant outlet temperature and the coolant inlet temperature; and controlling the operating states of a first compressor in a first refrigeration circuit and a second compressor in a second refrigeration circuit based on the inlet and outlet temperature difference.

[0019] In some embodiments, controlling the operating status of the first compressor in the first refrigeration circuit and the second compressor in the second refrigeration circuit based on the inlet and outlet temperature difference includes: determining whether the inlet and outlet temperature difference is less than or equal to a first temperature threshold; if the inlet and outlet temperature difference is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold, checking whether the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met; if the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met, starting the second compressor and turning off the first compressor.

[0020] In some embodiments, the start-up conditions of the second compressor include: the second compressor is not faulty, the second refrigeration circuit is not faulty, and the vehicle controller allows the start-up of the second compressor.

[0021] In some embodiments, controlling the operating status of the first compressor in the first refrigeration circuit and the second compressor in the second refrigeration circuit based on the inlet and outlet temperature difference also includes: when the inlet and outlet temperature difference is greater than the first temperature threshold, judging whether the inlet and outlet temperature difference is greater than the second temperature threshold, wherein the second temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold; when the inlet and outlet temperature difference is greater than the second temperature threshold, checking whether the start-up conditions of the first compressor and whether the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met; when the start-up conditions of the first compressor are met, starting the first compressor; when the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met, starting the second compressor.

[0022] In some embodiments, the start-up conditions of the first compressor include: the first compressor is not faulty, the first refrigeration circuit is not faulty, and the vehicle controller allows the start-up of the first compressor.

[0023] In some embodiments, controlling the operating status of the first compressor in the first refrigeration circuit and the second compressor in the second refrigeration circuit based on the inlet and outlet temperature difference also includes: when the inlet and outlet temperature difference is greater than the first temperature threshold and less than or equal to the second temperature threshold, checking whether the start-up conditions of the first compressor and whether the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met; when the start-up conditions of the first compressor are met, maintaining the current operating status of the first compressor; when the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met, maintaining the current operating status of the second compressor.

[0024] In some embodiments, the first temperature threshold is a difference between a preset temperature and a redundancy parameter.

[0025] In some embodiments, the second temperature threshold is the sum of a preset temperature and a redundancy parameter.

[0026] In some embodiments, determining the inlet and outlet temperature difference based on the coolant outlet temperature and the coolant inlet temperature includes: calculating the difference between the coolant outlet temperature and the coolant inlet temperature to determine the inlet and outlet temperature difference.

[0027] In some embodiments, it is detected whether the first compressor and the second compressor are faulty; when the working state of the first compressor is off and the working state of the second compressor is on, if the second compressor is faulty, the first compressor is turned on.

[0028] In some embodiments, when the working state of the first compressor is on and the working state of the second compressor is off, if the first compressor fails, the second compressor is turned on.

[0029] In some embodiments, whether the first refrigeration circuit and the second refrigeration circuit are faulty is detected; when the working state of the first compressor is off and the working state of the second compressor is on, if the second refrigeration circuit is faulty, the first compressor is turned on.

[0030] In some embodiments, when the working state of the first compressor is on and the working state of the second compressor is off, if the first refrigeration circuit fails, the second compressor is turned on.

[0031] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a thermal management controller is provided, comprising: a memory; a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to execute the thermal management control method involved in any of the above embodiments based on instructions stored in the memory.

[0032] According to a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and when the instructions are executed by a processor, a thermal management control method as involved in any of the above embodiments is implemented.

[0033] According to a fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising computer instructions, wherein when the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the thermal management control method involved in any of the above embodiments is implemented.

[0034] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a flow chart of a thermal management control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a flow chart of a thermal management control method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a thermal management controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all the embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is actually only illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure and its application or use. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0041] Unless specifically stated otherwise, the relative arrangement of components and steps, the numerical expressions and numerical values ​​set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0042] At the same time, it should be understood that for the convenience of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship.

[0043] Technologies, methods and equipment known to ordinary technicians in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such technologies, methods and equipment should be considered part of the authorization specification.

[0044] In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not limiting. Therefore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0045] It should be noted that like reference numerals and letters refer to like items in the following figures, and therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0046] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, the thermal management system includes a cooling circuit 11 , a first refrigeration circuit 12 , a second refrigeration circuit 13 and a thermal management controller (not shown in the figure).

[0048] The cooling circuit 11 is configured to cool the battery system 101 and the electric drive system 102, wherein a first temperature sensor 112 for detecting the coolant outlet temperature is provided at the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery system 101, and a second temperature sensor 111 for detecting the coolant inlet temperature is provided at the inlet of the coolant flow channel.

[0049] The cooling circuit 11 is further provided with a battery cooling water pump 113 , a temperature sensor 114 , a temperature sensor 115 , a temperature sensor 116 , an electric drive cooling water pump 117 , a low temperature radiator (LTR) 118 , and a four-way water valve 119 .

[0050] It should be noted here that the four-way water valve 119 has four connection ports for realizing the series and parallel mode switching of the coolant flow channels of the battery system 101 and the electric drive system 102.

[0051] The first refrigeration circuit 12 is configured to perform heat exchange with the cooling circuit 11 .

[0052] The first refrigeration circuit 12 is sequentially provided with a first heat exchanger 122, a first compressor (Electronic Air Control, EAC) 124, and a liquid-cooled condenser (LCC, LCC) 126. The first heat exchanger 122 is used to exchange heat with the cooling circuit 11 at a first position within the cooling circuit 11. The liquid-cooled condenser 126 is used to exchange heat with the cooling circuit 11 at a second position within the cooling circuit 11.

[0053] It should be noted that heat in the cooling circuit 11 can be transferred to the first heat exchanger 122 through heat exchange, achieving evaporative heat absorption from the cooling circuit 11. Heat in the water-cooled condenser 126 can also be transferred to the cooling circuit 11 through heat exchange, and dissipated to the outside environment via the low-temperature radiator 118 on the cooling circuit 11.

[0054] In some embodiments, the first refrigeration circuit 12 is further provided with an electronic expansion valve (EXV) 121 , a pressure-temperature sensor 123 , and a pressure-temperature sensor 125 .

[0055] It should be noted here that the first refrigeration circuit 12 can be an optional component of the vehicle and can be installed after purchasing the vehicle to improve the refrigeration performance of existing vehicles on the market.

[0056] The second refrigeration circuit 13 is configured to perform heat exchange with the cooling circuit 11 .

[0057] The second refrigeration circuit 13 includes a refrigeration sub-circuit and a refrigeration branch. The refrigeration sub-circuit is provided with an evaporator 1313, a second compressor 1316, and a condenser 1318 in sequence, wherein the evaporator 1313 is used to cool the cockpit.

[0058] In some embodiments, the refrigeration sub-circuit is further provided with a solenoid operated valve (SOV) 1311 , a thermal expansion valve (TXV) 1312 , a pressure and temperature sensor 1314 , an accumulator 1315 and a pressure and temperature sensor 1317 .

[0059] One end of the cooling branch is connected to one end of the evaporator 1313, and the other end of the cooling branch is connected to the other end of the evaporator 1313 via the electromagnetic shut-off valve 1311 and the thermal expansion valve 1312. A second heat exchanger 1322 is provided on the cooling branch, and is used to exchange heat with the cooling circuit 11 at the third position of the cooling circuit 11.

[0060] It should be noted here that the heat in the cooling circuit 11 can be transferred to the second heat exchanger 1322 through heat exchange, thereby achieving evaporation and heat absorption from the cooling circuit 11.

[0061] In some embodiments, an electronic expansion valve 1321 and a temperature sensor 1323 are further provided on the refrigeration branch.

[0062] It should be noted that the second refrigeration circuit 13 dissipates heat to the outside environment of the vehicle via the condenser 1318 .

[0063] It should be noted that the refrigerant pipes of the first refrigeration circuit 12 and the second refrigeration circuit 13 can be connected through a flow channel plate and a manifold to form independent closed circuits, and refrigerant filling can be completed before loading.

[0064] In some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes a high-voltage heater (Air Positive Temperature Coefficient, APTC for short) 103 , a blower 104 , and an electronic fan 105 .

[0065] The high-voltage heater 103, the blower 104 and the evaporator 1313 are used together for heating. The electronic fan 105 is used to assist the low-temperature radiator 118 and the condenser 1318 in air cooling and heat dissipation.

[0066] It should be noted that the thermal management system structure can be divided into the air conditioning box module, front-end cooling module, integrated thermal management module, and supercharge liquid cooling module according to their location. The modules are connected through standardized interfaces to improve versatility. This modular design improves product versatility and integration, and simplifies the assembly process.

[0067] The thermal management controller is configured to determine an inlet and outlet temperature difference according to the coolant outlet temperature and the coolant inlet temperature, and control the operating state of the first compressor in the first refrigeration circuit and the second compressor in the second refrigeration circuit according to the inlet and outlet temperature difference.

[0068] In some embodiments, the inlet / outlet temperature difference is the difference between the coolant outlet temperature and the coolant inlet temperature.

[0069] In some embodiments, the thermal management controller is also configured to determine whether the inlet and outlet temperature difference is less than or equal to a first temperature threshold. If the inlet and outlet temperature difference is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold, check whether the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met. If the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met, start the second compressor and turn off the first compressor.

[0070] In some embodiments, the first temperature threshold is a difference between a preset temperature and a redundancy parameter.

[0071] In some embodiments, the start-up conditions of the second compressor include that the second compressor is not faulty, the second refrigeration circuit is not faulty, and the vehicle controller allows the start-up of the second compressor.

[0072] In some embodiments, the thermal management controller is further configured to determine whether the inlet and outlet temperature difference is greater than a second temperature threshold when the inlet and outlet temperature difference is greater than a first temperature threshold; and to check whether the start-up conditions of the first compressor and the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met when the inlet and outlet temperature difference is greater than the second temperature threshold; and to start the first compressor when the start-up conditions of the first compressor are met, and to start the second compressor when the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met, wherein the second temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold.

[0073] In some embodiments, the second temperature threshold is the sum of a preset temperature and a redundancy parameter.

[0074] In some embodiments, the start-up conditions of the first compressor include that the first compressor is not faulty, the first refrigeration circuit is not faulty, and the vehicle controller allows starting the first compressor.

[0075] In some embodiments, the thermal management controller is also configured to check whether the start-up conditions of the first compressor and the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met when the inlet and outlet temperature difference is greater than a first temperature threshold and less than or equal to a second temperature threshold; if the start-up conditions of the first compressor are met, the current working state of the first compressor is maintained; if the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met, the current working state of the second compressor is maintained.

[0076] The thermal management system described in the above embodiment can increase the maximum cooling capacity, thereby expanding the dynamic adjustment range of the cooling capacity and meeting the cooling needs of the vehicle under different conditions.

[0077] In some embodiments, the thermal management controller is further configured to detect whether the first compressor and the second compressor fail. When the first compressor is in an off state and the second compressor is in an on state, if the second compressor fails, the first compressor is turned on.

[0078] In some embodiments, the thermal management controller is further configured to detect whether the first compressor and the second compressor fail. When the first compressor is in the on state and the second compressor is in the off state, if the first compressor fails, the second compressor is turned on.

[0079] It should be noted here that the first compressor and the second compressor communicate with the thermal management controller via CAN (Controller Area Network). The first compressor and the second compressor can receive control signals from the thermal management controller and can also send corresponding fault codes to the thermal management controller when a compressor fails.

[0080] In some embodiments, the thermal management controller is also configured to detect whether the first refrigeration circuit and the second refrigeration circuit have faults. When the working state of the first compressor is off and the working state of the second compressor is on, if the second refrigeration circuit has faults, the first compressor is turned on.

[0081] In some embodiments, the thermal management controller is further configured to detect whether a fault occurs in the first refrigeration circuit and the second refrigeration circuit. When the working state of the first compressor is on and the working state of the second compressor is off, if a fault occurs in the first refrigeration circuit, the second compressor is turned on.

[0082] It should be noted that the thermal management controller can use multiple pressure and temperature sensors in the first refrigeration circuit to collect the pressure and temperature within the pipes of the first refrigeration circuit to detect whether the first refrigeration circuit has a fault. Similarly, the thermal management controller can use multiple pressure and temperature sensors in the second refrigeration circuit to collect the pressure and temperature within the pipes of the second refrigeration circuit to detect whether the second refrigeration circuit has a fault.

[0083] The thermal management system involved in the above embodiment can start another compressor to continue to provide cooling for the battery system when a single compressor or refrigeration circuit fails, which can improve the emergency processing function of the thermal management system and thus improve the reliability of the thermal management system.

[0084] Figure 2 This is a flow chart of a thermal management control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which is used for Figure 1 In some embodiments, the following thermal management control method is executed by a thermal management controller in the thermal management system, including steps 21-23.

[0085] In step 21 , the coolant outlet temperature is acquired from a first temperature sensor located at the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery system, and the coolant inlet temperature is acquired from a second temperature sensor located at the inlet of the coolant flow channel.

[0086] In step 22, the inlet and outlet temperature difference is determined according to the coolant outlet temperature and the coolant inlet temperature.

[0087] In some embodiments, the difference between the coolant outlet temperature and the coolant inlet temperature is calculated to determine the inlet and outlet temperature difference.

[0088] For example, assuming the coolant outlet temperature is , the coolant inlet temperature is , then the inlet and outlet temperature difference As shown in formula (1).

[0089] (1)

[0090] In step 23, the operating states of the first compressor in the first refrigeration circuit and the second compressor in the second refrigeration circuit are controlled according to the inlet and outlet temperature difference.

[0091] It should be noted that the inlet and outlet temperature difference, determined by the battery system's coolant outlet and inlet temperatures, can reflect the battery system's cooling requirements. When the inlet and outlet temperature difference is low, the battery system's cooling requirements are low, and only one compressor needs to be turned on, or no compressor needs to be turned on. When the inlet and outlet temperature difference is large, the battery system's cooling requirements are high, and both compressors need to be turned on simultaneously to cool the battery system.

[0092] It should be noted here that when the two compressors are turned on at the same time, the cooling capacity provided by the thermal management system can meet the maximum cooling demand of the vehicle when charging in fast charging mode in a high-temperature environment, including cooling the cockpit and cooling the battery system and electric drive system.

[0093] Through the thermal management control method involved in the above embodiment, the operating status of two compressors located in different refrigeration circuits in the thermal management system is controlled by the temperature difference between the coolant inlet and outlet of the battery system, which can dynamically adjust the cooling capacity of the thermal management system and increase the maximum cooling capacity, thereby expanding the adjustment range of the cooling capacity and meeting the cooling needs of the vehicle under different conditions.

[0094] Figure 3 This is a flow chart of a thermal management control method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, which is used for Figure 1 In some embodiments, the following thermal management control method is executed by a thermal management controller in the thermal management system, including steps 301-312.

[0095] In step 301, determine the inlet and outlet temperature difference Is it less than or equal to the first temperature threshold? .

[0096] In some embodiments, the first temperature threshold The difference between the preset temperature and the redundant parameter.

[0097] For example, if the preset temperature is , the redundant parameters are , then the first temperature threshold As shown in formula (2).

[0098] (2)

[0099] In some embodiments, the redundant parameters for .

[0100] If the inlet and outlet temperature difference Less than or equal to the first temperature threshold , then execute step 302.

[0101] In step 302 , it is checked whether a start condition of the second compressor is satisfied.

[0102] In some embodiments, the start-up conditions of the second compressor include that the second compressor is not faulty, the second refrigeration circuit is not faulty, and the vehicle controller allows the start-up of the second compressor.

[0103] If the start-up condition of the second compressor is met, step 303 is executed.

[0104] In step 303, the second compressor is turned on and the first compressor is turned off.

[0105] It should be noted here that if the inlet and outlet temperature difference Less than or equal to the first temperature threshold , indicating that the vehicle's battery system cooling requirements are low, and only the second compressor needs to be turned on to meet the vehicle's cooling needs. Therefore, to save resources, only the second compressor is turned on and the first compressor is turned off.

[0106] If the inlet and outlet temperature difference Greater than the first temperature threshold , then execute step 304.

[0107] In step 304, determine the inlet and outlet temperature difference Is it greater than the second temperature threshold? .

[0108] In some embodiments, the second temperature threshold Greater than the first temperature threshold .

[0109] In some embodiments, the second temperature threshold It is the sum of preset temperature and redundant parameters.

[0110] For example, if the preset temperature is , the redundant parameters are , then the second temperature threshold As shown in formula (3).

[0111] (3)

[0112] If the inlet and outlet temperature difference Greater than the second temperature threshold , then execute step 305.

[0113] In step 305 , it is checked whether a start condition of the first compressor is satisfied.

[0114] In some embodiments, the start-up conditions of the first compressor include that the first compressor is not faulty, the first refrigeration circuit is not faulty, and the vehicle controller allows starting the first compressor.

[0115] It should be noted here that the inlet and outlet temperature difference is one of the factors controlling the working status of the first compressor and the second compressor. If the first compressor or the second compressor is to be turned on, the above-mentioned start-up conditions of the first compressor or the second compressor must also be met.

[0116] If the start-up condition of the first compressor is met, steps 306 - 307 are executed.

[0117] If the start-up condition of the first compressor is not met, step 307 is directly executed.

[0118] At step 306 , the first compressor is turned on.

[0119] In step 307 , it is checked whether a start condition of the second compressor is satisfied.

[0120] If the start-up condition of the second compressor is met, step 308 is executed.

[0121] At step 308 , the second compressor is turned on.

[0122] It should be noted here that if the inlet and outlet temperature difference Greater than the second temperature threshold , indicating that the vehicle's battery system has a large cooling demand, and a single compressor cannot meet the cooling needs of the battery system and the electric drive system. Therefore, the first compressor and the second compressor need to be turned on at the same time to provide cooling for the vehicle.

[0123] If the inlet and outlet temperature difference Greater than the first temperature threshold , and is less than or equal to the second temperature threshold , then execute step 309.

[0124] In step 309 , it is checked whether a start condition of the first compressor is satisfied.

[0125] If the start-up condition of the first compressor is met, steps 310 - 311 are executed.

[0126] If the start-up condition of the first compressor is not met, step 311 is directly executed.

[0127] In step 310 , the current operating state of the first compressor is maintained.

[0128] In step 311 , it is checked whether a start condition of the second compressor is satisfied.

[0129] If the start-up condition of the second compressor is met, step 312 is executed.

[0130] In step 312, the current operating state of the second compressor is maintained.

[0131] It should be noted here that, in theory, when the inlet and outlet temperatures are greater than the preset temperature, it indicates that the battery system has a large cooling demand and both compressors should be turned on. When the inlet and outlet temperatures are less than the preset temperature, it indicates that the battery system has a small cooling demand and only the second compressor should be turned on. However, the coolant outlet temperature and coolant inlet temperature collected by the sensor often fluctuate, and the calculated inlet and outlet temperature difference also usually fluctuate within a small range. In order to avoid repeatedly turning the compressor on or off during normal data fluctuations, redundant parameters are added. The range between the first temperature threshold and the second temperature threshold determined by the preset temperature and the redundant parameters is the buffer range. When the inlet and outlet temperature difference is within this range, the working status of the first compressor and the second compressor will not be changed.

[0132] Through the thermal management control method involved in the above embodiment, the first temperature threshold and the second temperature threshold are determined according to the preset temperature and redundant parameters. By comparing the temperature difference between the coolant inlet and outlet of the battery system with the first and second temperature thresholds, when the inlet and outlet temperature difference is high, both compressors are turned on at the same time to provide cooling, and when the inlet and outlet temperature difference is low, only one compressor is turned on. This can achieve precise adjustment of the cooling capacity, increase the maximum cooling capacity of the thermal management system, meet the cooling needs of the vehicle in different situations, and save resources.

[0133] In some embodiments, it is detected whether the first compressor and the second compressor fail. In the event that one of the first compressor and the second compressor fails, the other compressor can be started to continue to provide cooling for the battery system.

[0134] For example, when the working state of the first compressor is the off state and the working state of the second compressor is the on state, if the second compressor fails, the first compressor is turned on.

[0135] For example, when the working state of the first compressor is on and the working state of the second compressor is off, if the first compressor fails, the second compressor is turned on.

[0136] In some embodiments, it is detected whether the first refrigeration circuit and the second refrigeration circuit fail. In the event that one of the first refrigeration circuit and the second refrigeration circuit fails, the other compressor can be started to continue to provide cooling for the battery system.

[0137] For example, when the working state of the first compressor is the off state and the working state of the second compressor is the on state, if a fault occurs in the second refrigeration circuit, the first compressor is turned on.

[0138] For example, when the first compressor is in an on state and the second compressor is in an off state, if the first refrigeration circuit fails, the second compressor is turned on.

[0139] Through the method involved in the above embodiment, when a single compressor or refrigeration circuit fails, another compressor is started to continue to provide cooling for the battery system, which can improve the emergency processing function of the thermal management system and thus improve the reliability of the thermal management system.

[0140] Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a thermal management controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 As shown, thermal management controller 40 includes a memory 41 , a processor 42 , and a bus 43 connecting various system components.

[0141] The memory 41 may include, for example, system memory, non-volatile storage media, and the like. The system memory may store, for example, an operating system, application programs, a boot loader, and other programs. The system memory may include volatile storage media, such as random access memory (RAM) and / or cache memory. The non-volatile storage media may store, for example, instructions corresponding to at least one embodiment of the thermal management control method being executed. Non-volatile storage media include, but are not limited to, disk storage, optical storage, and flash memory.

[0142] The processor 42 may be implemented using a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, or discrete hardware components such as discrete gates or transistors. Accordingly, the method in any of the above embodiments may be implemented by a central processing unit (CPU) executing instructions in a memory that execute the corresponding steps, or by dedicated circuits that execute the corresponding steps.

[0143] For example, the processor 42 is configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to implement the following Figure 2 or Figure 3 The thermal management control method involved in any embodiment.

[0144] The bus 43 may use any of a variety of bus architectures, including, but not limited to, an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, and a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.

[0145] The input / output interface 44, network interface 45, storage interface 46 of the thermal management controller 40, as well as the memory 41 and processor 42, can be connected via a bus 43. The input / output interface 44 provides a connection interface for input / output devices such as a display, mouse, and keyboard. The network interface 45 provides a connection interface for various networked devices. The storage interface 46 provides a connection interface for external storage devices such as floppy disks, USB flash drives, and SD cards.

[0146] Here, various aspects of the present disclosure are described with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, devices, and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each block of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0147] These computer-readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable device to produce a machine, so that the processor executes the instructions to produce means for implementing the functions specified in one or more blocks in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams.

[0148] These computer-readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory, which cause the computer to operate in a specific manner to produce an article of manufacture, including instructions for implementing the functions specified in one or more blocks in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams.

[0149] The present disclosure can take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects.

[0150] The present disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the following Figure 2 or Figure 3 The thermal management control method involved in any embodiment.

[0151] The present disclosure also provides a computer program product, including computer instructions, wherein when the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the following is achieved: Figure 2 or Figure 3 The thermal management control method involved in any embodiment.

[0152] In some embodiments, the functional units described above may be implemented as general-purpose processors, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, or any appropriate combination thereof, for performing the functions described in the present disclosure.

[0153] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps to implement the above embodiments may be accomplished by hardware, or by a program to instruct the relevant hardware, and the program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, which may be a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk, etc.

[0154] The description of the present disclosure is provided for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the disclosed form. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The embodiments are selected and described in order to better illustrate the principles and practical applications of the present disclosure and to enable those skilled in the art to understand the present disclosure and design various embodiments with various modifications suitable for specific applications.

Claims

1. A thermal management system comprising: a cooling circuit configured to cool the battery system and the electric drive system, wherein a first temperature sensor for detecting the coolant outlet temperature is provided at the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery system, and a second temperature sensor for detecting the coolant inlet temperature is provided at the inlet of the coolant flow channel; a first refrigeration circuit configured to exchange heat with the cooling circuit; a second refrigeration circuit configured to exchange heat with the cooling circuit; The thermal management controller is configured to determine an inlet and outlet temperature difference based on the coolant outlet temperature and the coolant inlet temperature, and control the operating states of the first compressor in the first refrigeration circuit and the second compressor in the second refrigeration circuit based on the inlet and outlet temperature difference.

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein: A first heat exchanger, a first compressor and a water-cooled condenser are sequentially arranged on the first refrigeration circuit. The first heat exchanger is used to perform heat exchange with the cooling circuit at a first position of the cooling circuit, and the water-cooled condenser is used to perform heat exchange with the cooling circuit at a second position of the cooling circuit.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein: The second refrigeration circuit includes a refrigeration sub-circuit and a refrigeration branch, and the refrigeration sub-circuit is sequentially provided with an evaporator, the second compressor, and a condenser, wherein the evaporator is used to cool the cockpit; One end of the refrigeration branch is connected to one end of the evaporator, and the other end of the refrigeration branch is connected to the other end of the evaporator. A second heat exchanger is provided on the refrigeration branch, and the second heat exchanger is used to perform heat exchange with the cooling circuit at a third position of the cooling circuit.

4. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein: The thermal management controller is configured to determine whether the inlet and outlet temperature difference is less than or equal to a first temperature threshold. If the inlet and outlet temperature difference is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold, check whether the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met. If the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met, start the second compressor and turn off the first compressor.

5. The thermal management system according to claim 4, wherein: The start-up conditions of the second compressor include: the second compressor is not faulty, the second refrigeration circuit is not faulty, and the vehicle controller allows the second compressor to be started.

6. The thermal management system according to claim 4, wherein: The thermal management controller is also configured to, when the inlet / outlet temperature difference is greater than the first temperature threshold, determine whether the inlet / outlet temperature difference is greater than a second temperature threshold; and, when the inlet / outlet temperature difference is greater than the second temperature threshold, check whether the start-up conditions of the first compressor and the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met; and, when the start-up conditions of the first compressor are met, start the first compressor; and, when the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met, start the second compressor, wherein the second temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold.

7. The thermal management system according to claim 6, wherein: The start-up conditions of the first compressor include: the first compressor is not faulty, the first refrigeration circuit is not faulty, and the vehicle controller allows the first compressor to be started.

8. The thermal management system according to claim 6, wherein: The thermal management controller is also configured to check whether the start-up conditions of the first compressor and the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met when the inlet and outlet temperature difference is greater than the first temperature threshold and less than or equal to the second temperature threshold; if the start-up conditions of the first compressor are met, maintain the current working state of the first compressor; if the start-up conditions of the second compressor are met, maintain the current working state of the second compressor.

9. The thermal management system according to claim 8, wherein: The first temperature threshold is the difference between the preset temperature and the redundancy parameter; The second temperature threshold is the sum of the preset temperature and the redundancy parameter.

10. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein: The inlet and outlet temperature difference is the difference between the coolant outlet temperature and the coolant inlet temperature.

11. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein: The thermal management controller is further configured to detect whether a fault occurs in the first compressor and the second compressor. When the first compressor is in an off state and the second compressor is in an on state, if the second compressor fails, the first compressor is turned on; or, when the first compressor is in an on state and the second compressor is in an off state, if the first compressor fails, the second compressor is turned on.

12. The thermal management system according to claim 11, wherein: The thermal management controller is also configured to detect whether the first refrigeration circuit and the second refrigeration circuit have faults. When the working state of the first compressor is off and the working state of the second compressor is on, if the second refrigeration circuit has faults, the first compressor is turned on; or, when the working state of the first compressor is on and the working state of the second compressor is off, if the first refrigeration circuit has faults, the second compressor is turned on.

13. A thermal management control method for a thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, executed by a thermal management controller in the thermal management system, comprising: obtaining a coolant outlet temperature from a first temperature sensor located at an outlet of a coolant flow channel of the battery system, and obtaining a coolant inlet temperature from a second temperature sensor located at an inlet of the coolant flow channel; Determining an inlet and outlet temperature difference according to the coolant outlet temperature and the coolant inlet temperature; The operating states of the first compressor in the first refrigeration circuit and the second compressor in the second refrigeration circuit are controlled according to the inlet and outlet temperature difference.

14. The thermal management control method according to claim 13, wherein: The controlling the operating state of the first compressor in the first refrigeration circuit and the second compressor in the second refrigeration circuit according to the inlet and outlet temperature difference comprises: Determining whether the inlet and outlet temperature difference is less than or equal to a first temperature threshold; When the inlet and outlet temperature difference is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold, checking whether a start condition of the second compressor is met; When the start-up condition of the second compressor is met, the second compressor is turned on and the first compressor is turned off.

15. The thermal management control method according to claim 14, wherein: The start-up conditions of the second compressor include: the second compressor is not faulty, the second refrigeration circuit is not faulty, and the vehicle controller allows the second compressor to be started.

16. The thermal management control method according to claim 14, wherein: The controlling the operating state of the first compressor in the first refrigeration circuit and the second compressor in the second refrigeration circuit according to the inlet and outlet temperature difference further comprises: When the inlet and outlet temperature difference is greater than the first temperature threshold, determining whether the inlet and outlet temperature difference is greater than a second temperature threshold, wherein the second temperature threshold is greater than the first temperature threshold; When the inlet and outlet temperature difference is greater than the second temperature threshold, checking whether a start-up condition of the first compressor and a start-up condition of the second compressor are met; When a start condition of the first compressor is met, starting the first compressor; When a start-up condition of the second compressor is met, the second compressor is started.

17. The thermal management control method according to claim 16, wherein: The start-up conditions of the first compressor include: the first compressor is not faulty, the first refrigeration circuit is not faulty, and the vehicle controller allows the first compressor to be started.

18. The thermal management control method according to claim 16, wherein: The controlling the operating state of the first compressor in the first refrigeration circuit and the second compressor in the second refrigeration circuit according to the inlet and outlet temperature difference further comprises: When the inlet and outlet temperature difference is greater than the first temperature threshold and less than or equal to the second temperature threshold, checking whether a start-up condition of the first compressor and a start-up condition of the second compressor are met; When the start-up condition of the first compressor is met, maintaining the current working state of the first compressor; When the start-up condition of the second compressor is met, the current working state of the second compressor is maintained.

19. The thermal management control method according to claim 18, wherein: The first temperature threshold is the difference between the preset temperature and the redundancy parameter; The second temperature threshold is the sum of the preset temperature and the redundancy parameter.

20. The thermal management control method according to claim 13, wherein: Determining the inlet and outlet temperature difference according to the coolant outlet temperature and the coolant inlet temperature includes: The difference between the coolant outlet temperature and the coolant inlet temperature is calculated to determine the inlet and outlet temperature difference.

21. The thermal management control method according to claim 13, further comprising: detecting whether the first compressor and the second compressor are faulty; When the working state of the first compressor is the off state and the working state of the second compressor is the on state, if the second compressor fails, the first compressor is turned on.

22. The thermal management control method according to claim 21, further comprising: When the working state of the first compressor is on and the working state of the second compressor is off, if the first compressor fails, the second compressor is turned on.

23. The thermal management control method according to claim 22, further comprising: detecting whether the first refrigeration circuit and the second refrigeration circuit have any faults; When the first compressor is in an off state and the second compressor is in an on state, if the second refrigeration circuit fails, the first compressor is turned on.

24. The thermal management control method according to claim 23, further comprising: When the first compressor is in an on state and the second compressor is in an off state, if the first refrigeration circuit fails, the second compressor is turned on.

25. A thermal management controller, comprising: Memory; A processor is coupled to the memory, and the processor is configured to execute the thermal management control method according to any one of claims 13 to 24 based on instructions stored in the memory.

26. A computer-readable storage medium, wherein: The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and when the instructions are executed by a processor, the thermal management control method according to any one of claims 13 to 24 is implemented.

27. A computer program product comprising computer instructions, wherein when the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the thermal management control method according to any one of claims 13 to 24 is implemented.

Images