Cooling expansion tank and vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides a cooling expansion box and a vehicle, the cooling expansion box comprises an expansion box main body used for storing cooling liquid, two critical liquid level values different in size are arranged on the expansion box main body, and the smaller critical liquid level value is equal to the working limit liquid level value of the expansion box main body; the liquid level sensor is arranged on the expansion box main body and used for detecting the liquid level in the expansion box main body, and when the liquid level of the inner cavity of the expansion box main body is changed from being higher than or equal to each critical liquid level value to being lower than each critical liquid level value, the working state of the liquid level sensor is changed, and the liquid level in the inner cavity of the expansion box main body is changed to be lower than each critical liquid level value. The cooling expansion box can accurately recognize the liquid level missing state and is beneficial to judging the leakage speed, and then safe and stable operation of a cooling system of a vehicle and power components of the whole vehicle is guaranteed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of automobiles, and particularly relates to a cooling expansion tank and a vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the rapid development of automobiles, especially new energy vehicles, the reliability requirements of the cooling system of the three-electricity system (battery, motor, and electric control) and the traditional power system of the vehicle are significantly improved. The cooling system realizes heat control through cooling liquid circulation, and the cooling expansion tank is a core component for storing and regulating the pressure of the cooling liquid. The internal liquid level directly determines whether the cooling system can work normally. If the cooling liquid in the expansion tank is missing and not identified in time, it will lead to heat dissipation failure of the system, and may cause the power components to degrade in function, the vehicle to break down on the way, and even cause the motor to burn out, the battery to heat out of control, and other safety accidents. Therefore, accurate detection of the liquid level of the expansion tank is a key link to ensure the safe operation of the vehicle.

[0003] The current industry has obvious limitations in the detection scheme for the liquid level of the expansion tank. Some schemes rely only on the temperature sensor built in the power components to indirectly judge the liquid loss. However, the temperature change is not obvious at the initial stage of liquid loss, and the identification delay is easy to occur. Some schemes set liquid level sensors on the expansion tank, but most of them are single on-off type design, which can only detect whether there is liquid or not, and cannot distinguish the leakage degree.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a cooling expansion tank and a vehicle that can not only define multiple critical liquid levels but also help to judge the leakage speed to ensure the safety of automobile driving. SUMMARY

[0005] In view of the above technical problems existing in the prior art, the present application provides a cooling expansion tank and a vehicle. The cooling expansion tank can accurately identify the liquid loss state and help to judge the leakage speed, thereby ensuring the safe and stable operation of the cooling system and the power components of the vehicle.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present application, a cooling expansion tank is provided, comprising: an expansion tank body for storing cooling liquid, two different critical liquid level values are set on the expansion tank body, the smaller critical liquid level value is equal to the working limit liquid level value of the expansion tank body, a liquid level sensor arranged on the expansion tank body, the liquid level sensor is used to detect the liquid level in the expansion tank body, and the working state of the liquid level sensor changes when the liquid level in the cavity of the expansion tank body is from higher than or equal to each critical liquid level value to lower than each critical liquid level value.

[0007] In one embodiment, the liquid level sensor is configured as a probe type, the probe includes a negative probe and two positive probes, each of the positive probes is matched with the negative probe to form a detection loop, and the length of each of the positive probes is matched with the critical liquid level value.

[0008] In one embodiment, the critical liquid level value is two, and the other is equal to the minimum liquid level value of the expansion tank body at factory.

[0009] In one embodiment, a communication pipe is arranged on the expansion tank body, the bottom end of the communication pipe is in communication with the bottom end of the inner cavity of the expansion tank body, and the probe of the liquid level sensor extends downward into the inner cavity of the communication pipe.

[0010] In one embodiment, the communication pipe is arranged in the inner cavity of the expansion tank body.

[0011] In one embodiment, the top edge of the communication pipe corresponds to the maximum liquid level value of the expansion tank body at factory.

[0012] In one embodiment, a communication hole is arranged at the bottom end of the communication pipe, a flexible pipe is arranged in communication at the communication hole, and the other end of the flexible pipe is in communication with the bottom end of the inner cavity of the expansion tank body.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the present application, a vehicle is provided, comprising: the above-mentioned cooling expansion tank, a controller connected with the liquid level sensor, wherein the controller is configured to accept the signal of the liquid level sensor and feedback to the user according to the signal.

[0014] In one embodiment, after the vehicle is started, when the liquid level in the inner cavity of the expansion tank body is higher than or equal to the larger critical liquid level value, the working state of the liquid level sensor does not change, and the controller will normally feedback to the user; after the vehicle is started, when the liquid level in the inner cavity of the expansion tank body is higher than or equal to the working limit liquid level value, the controller accepts the signal until the liquid level detected by the liquid level sensor is lower than the working limit liquid level value to make the working state change, if the working state change occurs within a first time, a first safety warning is given, and if the working state change occurs within a second time, a second safety warning is given, wherein the length of the second time is greater than the length of the first time; after the vehicle is started, when the liquid level in the inner cavity of the expansion tank body is lower than the working limit liquid level value, the working state of the liquid level sensor has changed, the controller records the change, and a third safety warning is given.

[0015] In one embodiment, when the controller gives a second safety warning, the controller accepts a temperature value of the motor or engine of the vehicle, and if the temperature value of the motor or engine of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a safety threshold value, the controller gives a first safety warning.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the application has the advantages that by setting two different critical liquid level values in the expansion tank body, and the smaller critical liquid level value being equal to the working limit liquid level value, and combining with the liquid level sensor capable of sensing the liquid level change, the application realizes the grading detection of different liquid shortage degrees, accurately distinguishes the normal liquid level fluctuation from the abnormal liquid shortage, the grading detection also helps to assist in judging the leakage speed according to the time difference of the liquid level change, avoids the problems of recognition delay or inability to sense the leakage degree in the traditional scheme, greatly improves the timeliness and accuracy of the liquid shortage detection of the cooling system, and effectively guarantees the driving safety of the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] The preferred embodiments of the application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 An internal view of a cooling expansion tank according to one embodiment of the application is shown; Fig. 2 An internal view of a cooling expansion tank and a communication pipe according to one embodiment of the application is shown; Fig. 3 A cooling expansion tank according to one embodiment of the application is shown.

[0018] In the drawings, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals. The drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] In order to make the technical solutions and advantages of the application clearer, the exemplary embodiments of the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the application, not all the embodiments. And the embodiments in the application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0020] In the description of the application, the terms "first", "second", and the like in the specification and claims and the above drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and do not necessarily describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data thus used can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments of the application described herein can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein.

[0021] In the description of this invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances. This application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0022] Embodiments of the present invention provide a cooling expansion tank. For example... Figs. 1 to 3 As shown, the cooling expansion tank includes an expansion tank body 1 and a liquid level sensor 2. The expansion tank body 1 is primarily used to contain and store coolant. Two critical liquid level values ​​of different sizes are provided on the expansion tank body 1. The smaller critical liquid level value is equal to the working limit liquid level value of the expansion tank body 1. During operation, if the liquid level in the expansion tank body 1 is lower than the working limit liquid level value, it indicates a severe shortage of coolant within the expansion tank body 1, which may affect the overall vehicle function. The liquid level sensor 2 is located on the expansion tank body 1. The liquid level sensor 2 is used to detect the liquid level within the expansion tank body 1. When the liquid level inside the expansion tank body 1 changes, i.e., from above or equal to each critical liquid level value to below each critical liquid level value, the operating state of the liquid level sensor 2 changes, thereby identifying whether the liquid level within the expansion tank body 1 is above or below each critical liquid level value.

[0023] As can be seen, by setting two different critical liquid level values ​​in the expansion tank body 1, with the smaller critical liquid level value being equal to the working limit liquid level value, and combining it with a liquid level sensor 2 that can sense liquid level changes, different degrees of liquid shortage can be detected in a graded manner. This accurately distinguishes between normal liquid level fluctuations and abnormal liquid shortages, which helps to determine the liquid level condition within the expansion tank body 1, providing feedback to the user on the liquid level shortage status and ensuring vehicle safety. Simultaneously, this graded detection also helps to determine the leakage rate based on the time difference of liquid level changes, avoiding the problems of delayed identification or inability to detect the degree of leakage in traditional solutions. This significantly improves the timeliness and accuracy of cooling system liquid shortage detection, effectively ensuring vehicle driving safety.

[0024] The level sensor 2 is constructed as a probe. For example... Fig. 2As shown, the probes include a negative probe 21 and two positive probes 22. Each positive probe 22 is matched with the negative probe 21 to form a detection loop. The length of each positive probe 22 corresponds to a critical liquid level value. In this application, the probe liquid level sensor is used, and the detection loop formed by the positive and negative probes can directly determine whether the liquid level is below the corresponding critical liquid level value according to whether the positive probe 22 and the negative probe 21 of different heights are conductive, without complex signal conversion, and the response is faster. At the same time, the corresponding design of the length of the positive probe 22 and the critical liquid level value can accurately match the multi-grade detection requirements of the expansion tank body 1, avoid the detection deviation of the traditional sensor, and the probe structure is convenient to install and adapt to the installation scene of the expansion tank body 1, further improving the reliability and stability of multi-critical liquid level detection.

[0025] Specifically, during the working process of the liquid level sensor 2, when the liquid level is above the bottom end of the positive probe 22, the detection loop corresponding to the positive probe 22 is conductive, and when the liquid level is lowered below the critical liquid level value, the bottom end of the positive probe 22 of the corresponding length is exposed, and the corresponding detection loop is cut off. This change in liquid level causes the detection loop to change between on and off, which in turn can change the working state of the liquid level sensor and output the corresponding liquid level signal.

[0026] Another of the critical liquid level values is equal to the minimum liquid level value of the expansion tank body 1 at the factory. In the vehicle factory setting, the expansion tank body 1 needs to be filled with coolant, and the maximum amount of coolant filled, which is the upper limit of filling, is defined as the maximum liquid level value at the factory, and the minimum amount of coolant filled is defined as the minimum liquid level value at the factory. That is, in the initial state of the vehicle, the amount of coolant in the expansion tank body 1 will be between the minimum liquid level value at the factory and the maximum liquid level value at the factory, which is used to ensure the optimal operation of the vehicle. Setting one of the critical liquid level values to be equal to the minimum liquid level value at the factory can ensure that the liquid level sensor 2 can accurately monitor whether the coolant is below the minimum liquid level value at the factory in time. If the liquid level value in the liquid level sensor 2 is below the minimum liquid level value at the factory and above the working limit liquid level value, it means that the expansion tank body 1 cannot optimize the work, but can still work normally.

[0027] It should be noted that in this application, two critical liquid level values are taken as examples for illustration. One of the two critical liquid level values corresponds to a factory minimum liquid level value. When the liquid level sensor senses that the liquid level in the expansion tank body 1 is lower than the factory minimum liquid level value, the user is reminded of the liquid shortage, and the vehicle function is not affected, and the vehicle can run normally. The other of the two critical liquid level values corresponds to a working limit liquid level value. When the liquid level sensor senses that the liquid level in the expansion tank body 1 is lower than the working limit liquid level value, the user is reminded of the serious liquid shortage, and the vehicle function may be affected, and the user is reminded to operate differently according to the vehicle state. For example, if the vehicle state is just started, the user is reminded not to drive and wait for repair; if the vehicle state is in the process of driving, the user is reminded to park by the roadside or drive to the nearest service station according to the different degree of leakage. It can be seen that this setting can well indicate the liquid level shortage state, thereby effectively ensuring the safe working of the cooling expansion tank, and can also evaluate the leakage speed, thereby giving an effective response to avoid accidents.

[0028] A communication pipe 3 is arranged on the expansion tank body 1. The bottom end of the communication pipe 3 communicates with the inner cavity of the expansion tank body 1. The probes 21, 22 of the liquid level sensor 2 extend from top to bottom into the inner cavity of the communication pipe 3. The communication pipe 3 can avoid the interference of the cooling liquid in the expansion tank body 1 with the detection of the probes 21, 22, so that the liquid level detection is more stable. At the same time, the communication pipe 3 can accurately converge the liquid level change, so that the probes 21, 22 can more clearly capture different critical liquid levels.

[0029] Preferably, the communication pipe 3 is arranged in the inner cavity of the expansion tank body 1. Arranging the communication pipe 3 in the inner cavity of the expansion tank body 1 can avoid the interference of the external environment on the liquid level in the pipe, and also saves the external space of the expansion tank body 1, so that the probes 21, 22 can more accurately capture the liquid level change, and further improve the detection reliability.

[0030] Further preferably, a communication hole 31 is arranged at the bottom end of the communication pipe 3. A flexible pipe (not shown in the figure) is arranged in communication at the communication hole 31. The other end of the flexible pipe communicates with the bottom end of the inner cavity of the expansion tank body 1. That is, a flexible pipe is arranged between the bottom wall of the communication pipe 3 and the inner cavity of the expansion tank body 1 for communication. The inner cavity diameter size of the flexible pipe is 8 to 12 mm, which can slow down the cooling liquid flow speed by using a narrow channel, effectively weaken the violent shaking of the cooling liquid during vehicle driving (such as sudden acceleration, sudden deceleration, turning), avoid the liquid level in the communication pipe 3 to be high and low suddenly, and thereby prevent the liquid level sensor 2 from triggering the detection signal by mistake. In addition, as can be easily understood, the inner cavity size of the communication pipe 3 should be able to adapt to and facilitate the installation of the liquid level sensor 2 and be as small as possible for better avoiding the shaking of the liquid level therein.

[0031] The upper edge of the connecting pipe 3 corresponds to the factory maximum liquid level value of the expansion tank body 1. This setting helps to accurately define the upper limit of the initial filling of coolant, avoiding overflow caused by excessive filling at the factory. The liquid level sensor 2 in the connecting pipe 3, in conjunction with the critical liquid level design, also takes into account the lower limit warning of liquid level and covers abnormal states of coolant, further improving the integrity and reliability of the liquid level detection of the cooling system.

[0032] This application also relates to a vehicle. The vehicle includes the aforementioned cooling expansion tank and controller (not shown in the figure). The controller is connected to a liquid level sensor. The controller is configured to receive signals from the liquid level sensor 2 and provide feedback to the user based on the signal status.

[0033] During the operation of the cooling expansion tank and controller, the liquid level sensor 2 detects different liquid levels, and the controller then provides feedback to the user on different situations, including the following main situations.

[0034] In the first scenario, after the vehicle starts, if the liquid level inside the expansion tank body 1 is higher than or equal to a larger critical liquid level value (i.e., the liquid level inside the expansion tank body 1 is not lower than the factory minimum liquid level value), it indicates that the cooling expansion tank is currently in optimized operating condition, and the operating state of the liquid level sensor 2 remains unchanged. In this case, the controller receives the signal from the liquid level sensor 2 and feeds back to the customer: Normal operation.

[0035] In the second scenario, after the vehicle starts, if the coolant level inside the expansion tank body 1 is higher than or equal to the working limit level, it proves that the cooling expansion tank is working normally. Regardless of whether the vehicle is cold-started or during driving, if the coolant level inside the expansion tank body 1 falls below the factory minimum level, the level sensor 2 detects this change and transmits it to the controller. The controller receives this signal and alerts the user: low coolant level. This indicates that the expansion tank body 1 may be leaking, and further testing of the coolant state inside the expansion tank body 1 is required. It should be noted that whether the coolant level in the expansion tank body 1 drops below the working limit level at the beginning of a cold start or during driving due to a leak, the controller records the detection time of the level sensor 2.

[0036] As the vehicle is used and time goes on, the controller will need to further analyze the rate of coolant leakage in order to provide further instructions.

[0037] If the controller receives a signal indicating a change in the operating state of the liquid level sensor 2, and this change occurs within the first instant, a first safety warning is issued. That is, as the vehicle moves, the controller receives a signal from the liquid level sensor 2 indicating that the liquid level has dropped below the operating limit value. The controller records the corresponding time and subtracts it from the time recorded by the controller above (corresponding to the vehicle's cold start time or the time when the coolant drops below the operating limit value). If the time difference is small, it indicates a rapid leak, and in this case, the controller issues a first safety warning. For example, the first instant refers to within five minutes; that is, if the time difference calculated by the controller is greater than 0 and less than 5 minutes, the first safety warning could be to pull over and forcibly stop power output within 10 minutes, awaiting rescue.

[0038] If the controller receives a signal indicating a change in the operating state of the level sensor 2, and this change occurs within a second time period, a second safety warning is issued. That is, as the vehicle moves, the controller receives a signal from the level sensor 2 indicating that the coolant level has dropped to the operating limit value. The controller records the corresponding time and subtracts it from the time recorded by the controller above (corresponding to the vehicle's cold start time or the time when the coolant level drops below the operating limit value). If the time difference is large, it indicates a slow leak, and in this case, the controller issues a second safety warning. For example, the second time period refers to a period between five and twenty minutes, meaning the time difference calculated by the controller is greater than or equal to 5 minutes and less than 20 minutes. In this case, the second safety warning can be to proceed to the nearest service station for repair.

[0039] To ensure vehicle safety during operation, the controller also receives the temperature readings of the vehicle's motor or engine when issuing the second safety warning. If the temperature of the vehicle's motor or engine is equal to or greater than the safety threshold, the controller issues the first safety warning. In other words, if the coolant level in the expansion tank is below the operating limit during vehicle operation, even if the leakage is slow, the temperature of the vehicle's motor or engine may be too high, potentially preventing the coolant from providing sufficient cooling. In this case, to ensure vehicle safety, the controller will also issue the first safety warning, prompting the vehicle to pull over immediately. In the third scenario, when the vehicle is started, if the liquid level in the inner cavity of the expansion tank body 1 is lower than the working limit liquid level, the liquid level sensor 2 detects the liquid level status and transmits this detection as a signal to the controller. The controller receives the detection result and issues a third safety warning. This third safety warning is to not drive and wait for maintenance.

[0040] Installing the cooling expansion tank of this application in a vehicle allows for a more accurate assessment of the coolant level and the calculation of leakage rates via algorithms, ensuring the vehicle has sufficient response time and direction. Furthermore, by incorporating a connecting pipe, the accuracy of the coolant level sensor's detection is improved, making it less susceptible to fluctuations or influences from the vehicle's operating conditions. The coolant level sensor, in conjunction with the controller, forms a unique coolant level algorithm and decision-making logic, guaranteeing the vehicle's normal operation. Therefore, this application can accurately identify coolant level deficiencies and leakage rates across all automotive scenarios and operating conditions, fundamentally identifying and calculating effective responses based on these conditions, thus preventing collateral damage and safety accidents.

[0041] Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and / or modifications falling within the scope of the invention, and all changes and / or modifications made according to embodiments of the invention should be covered within the protection scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A cooling expansion tank, characterized in that, include: An expansion tank body for storing coolant has two critical liquid level values ​​of different sizes. The smaller critical liquid level value is equal to the working limit liquid level value of the expansion tank body. A liquid level sensor is installed on the expansion tank body. The liquid level sensor is used to detect the liquid level inside the expansion tank body. When the liquid level in the inner cavity of the expansion tank body changes from being higher than or equal to each of the critical liquid level values ​​to being lower than each of the critical liquid level values, the working state of the liquid level sensor changes.

2. The cooling expansion tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid level sensor is constructed as a probe, which includes a negative probe and two positive probes. Each positive probe is matched with the negative probe to form a detection loop, and the length of each positive probe is matched with the critical liquid level value.

3. The cooling expansion tank according to claim 2, characterized in that, Another of the critical liquid level values ​​is equal to the factory minimum liquid level value of the expansion tank body.

4. The cooling expansion tank according to claim 3, characterized in that, A connecting pipe is provided on the expansion tank body, the bottom end of the connecting pipe is connected to the bottom end of the inner cavity of the expansion tank body, and the probe of the liquid level sensor extends from top to bottom into the inner cavity of the connecting pipe.

5. The cooling expansion tank according to claim 4, characterized in that, The connecting pipe is disposed in the inner cavity of the expansion tank body.

6. The cooling expansion tank according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The top edge of the connecting pipe corresponds to the factory-set maximum liquid level value of the expansion tank body.

7. The cooling expansion tank according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that, A connecting hole is provided at the bottom end of the connecting pipe, and a flexible pipe is connected to the connecting hole. The other end of the flexible pipe is connected to the bottom end of the inner cavity of the expansion tank body.

8. A vehicle, characterized in that, include: The cooling expansion tank according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The controller is connected to the liquid level sensor. The controller is configured to receive signals from the liquid level sensor and provide feedback to the user based on the signals.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that, After the vehicle is started, when the liquid level in the inner cavity of the expansion tank body is higher than or equal to the larger critical liquid level value, the working state of the liquid level sensor does not change, and the controller will operate normally and provide feedback to the customer. After the vehicle is started, when the liquid level in the inner cavity of the expansion tank body is higher than or equal to the working limit liquid level value, the controller receives a signal until the liquid level detected by the liquid level sensor is lower than the working limit liquid level value, so as to cause a change in the working state. If the change in the working state occurs in the first time, a first safety warning is given. If the change in the working state occurs in the second time, a second safety warning is given. The duration of the second time is longer than the duration of the first time. After the vehicle is started, when the liquid level in the inner cavity of the expansion tank body is lower than the working limit liquid level, the working status of the liquid level sensor has changed, the controller records the change, and issues a third safety warning.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9, characterized in that, When the controller issues a second safety warning, the controller receives the temperature value of the vehicle's motor or engine. If the temperature value of the vehicle's motor or engine is equal to or greater than the safety threshold, the controller issues a first safety warning.

Images