Thermal management system and energy storage equipment

Abstract

According to the heat management system and the energy storage equipment provided by the embodiment of the invention, the multiple flow channels on the refrigerant substrate are arranged on the same flow channel plate, and the first flow channel used for receiving the refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator and the second flow channel used for receiving the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser on the flow channel plate are adjacently arranged through the shared pipe wall in a targeted manner; the first flow channel and the second flow channel exchange heat through the shared pipe wall, so that the superheat degree of a refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator can be improved, the supercooling degree of a refrigerant flowing out of the condenser can be reduced, and the overall energy efficiency of the heat management system can be improved, for example, the refrigeration energy efficiency of a battery pack can be improved. Due to the fact that the first flow channel and the second flow channel are adjacently arranged through the shared pipe wall in a targeted mode, and the multiple flow channels on the refrigerant base plate are arranged on the same flow channel plate, the situation that the overall energy efficiency of the heat management system is affected due to heat mixing among the multiple flow channels on the refrigerant base plate can be avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of thermal management, and more particularly to a thermal management system and energy storage device. Background Technology

[0002] To improve the cooling efficiency of the thermal management system, an external interface is usually added to the refrigerant substrate of the thermal management system, and a regenerator is installed on the interface to reduce the subcooling of the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the thermal management system. However, this method results in a complex refrigerant substrate structure and a large volume due to space and component assembly issues.

[0003] In related technologies, there is also a method of making the refrigerant substrate into a multi-layer structure. The refrigerant substrate includes an upper flow channel plate, a lower flow channel plate, and a sealing plate located between the upper flow channel plate and the lower flow channel plate. Heat exchange is then carried out between the flow channels in the upper flow channel plate and the flow channels in the lower flow channel plate through the sealing plate. Since there are more flow channels in the upper flow channel plate, some flow channels that do not need to exchange heat will also exchange heat with the flow channels in the lower flow channel plate, resulting in heat transfer and a decrease in the cooling efficiency of the thermal management system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of this application provide a thermal management system and energy storage device to avoid heat transfer between multiple channels of a refrigerant substrate.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a thermal management system in which a single-layer refrigerant substrate has multiple flow channels for conveying refrigerant. The multiple flow channels include a first flow channel for conveying refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator of the thermal management system and a second flow channel for conveying refrigerant flowing out of the condenser of the thermal management system. At least a portion of the first flow channel and at least a portion of the second flow channel share a pipe wall. The shared pipe wall is used to separate the first flow channel and the second flow channel in the refrigerant transmission direction. The refrigerant in the first flow channel and the second flow channel exchanges heat through the shared pipe wall.

[0006] In this embodiment, since the refrigerant substrate is a single-layer structure, it is easy to make the refrigerant substrate thinner in its thickness direction. Because the refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator through the first flow channel is at a lower temperature than the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser through the second flow channel, and the shared pipe wall can be used for heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing through the first and second flow channels, the temperature of the refrigerant in the second flow channel can be lowered, thereby lowering the temperature of the refrigerant entering the expansion valve. This effectively lowers the temperature of the refrigerant after throttling by the expansion valve, thus improving the cooling effect of the evaporator on the battery pack, etc. The shared pipe wall can also be used for heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing through the first and second flow channels, and can also raise the temperature of the refrigerant in the first flow channel, thereby raising the temperature of the refrigerant entering the compressor. This not only avoids the risk of liquid refrigerant entering the compressor, but also effectively increases the temperature of the refrigerant after compression by the compressor, thereby improving the heating effect of the condenser on the battery pack, etc.

[0007] Furthermore, for other channels in the thermal management system besides the first and second channels, such as the channel used to transfer the refrigerant output from the compressor to the condenser, these channels are structurally independent of the first and second channels. In other words, these other channels are all at a certain distance from the first and second channels, and they do not share pipe walls with either the first or second channel. This effectively prevents the first and second channels from experiencing heat transfer with the refrigerant in other channels, thus avoiding any impact on the overall energy efficiency of the thermal management system. Additionally, since the first and second channels exchange heat through a shared pipe wall in this embodiment, and the refrigerant flowing through the second channel is a liquid, even a smaller channel size can still meet the flow rate requirements. Therefore, when only the structures of the first and second channels are designed for heat exchange, the impact on the overall size and structure of the condenser substrate can be effectively reduced, effectively preventing the refrigerant substrate from becoming too large.

[0008] In some embodiments, where the first and second flow channels share a common pipe wall, the first and second flow channels are located on opposite sides of the shared pipe wall and are adjacent to each other, with the directions of their adjacent arrangement perpendicular to the refrigerant transport direction and the thickness direction of the refrigerant substrate, respectively. In this embodiment, since the first and second flow channels are located on opposite sides of the shared pipe wall and are adjacent to each other, it is beneficial to miniaturize the refrigerant substrate in the thickness direction, allowing for a thinner and lighter design of the refrigerant substrate.

[0009] In some embodiments, where the first and second flow channels share a common tube wall, the second flow channel is divided into two sub-flow channels, both of which share a tube wall with the first flow channel; in a side-by-side adjacent direction, the first flow channel is located between the two sub-flow channels. In this embodiment, since both sub-flow channels and the first flow channel share a tube wall, and the first flow channel is located between the two sub-flow channels in a side-by-side adjacent direction, the effective heat exchange area of ​​the shared tube wall of the first and second flow channels can be effectively increased without increasing the length of the shared tube wall. Thus, while improving the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant in the first and second flow channels, it also avoids increasing the design complexity of multiple flow channels on the refrigerant substrate.

[0010] In some embodiments, the thickness of the shared pipe wall is 0.5mm-10mm. Within this range, the heat exchange efficiency of the shared pipe wall can be effectively guaranteed, thereby effectively reducing the subcooling of the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser and effectively increasing the superheat of the refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator, thus improving the overall energy efficiency of the thermal management system.

[0011] In some embodiments, the common tube wall has a long strip-like structure, and the thickness direction of the common tube wall is the same as the direction of adjacent side-by-side flow. In the thickness direction of the common tube wall, the first flow channel and the second flow channel are located on opposite sides of the common tube wall. In this embodiment, the first sub-flow channel and the third sub-flow channel can be located on opposite sides of the common tube wall in the thickness direction. This can effectively reduce the size of the refrigerant substrate in the thickness direction, which is beneficial for the miniaturization of the refrigerant substrate in this direction.

[0012] In some embodiments, the refrigerant substrate includes a flow channel plate and a sealing plate. The sealing plate is disposed on the flow channel plate and forms multiple flow channels with the flow channel plate. A common pipe wall and the flow channel plate are integrally formed. The sealing plate is welded to both the flow channel plate and the common pipe wall. In this embodiment, the common pipe wall and the flow channel plate are integrally die-cast or integrally injection molded to improve the sealing performance at the connection between the common pipe wall and the flow channel plate.

[0013] In some embodiments, at the shared wall of the first and second flow channels, one of the flow channels is nested within the other flow channel along the thickness direction of the refrigerant substrate. In this embodiment, because one of the first and second flow channels is nested within the other at the shared wall, the effective heat exchange area of ​​the shared wall can be effectively increased without increasing the length of the shared wall. Thus, while improving the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant in the first and second flow channels, the design complexity of multiple flow channels in the refrigerant substrate can be avoided.

[0014] In some embodiments, the refrigerant substrate includes a flow channel plate and a sealing plate. The sealing plate is disposed on the flow channel plate and forms multiple flow channels with the flow channel plate. The common pipe wall has an elongated structure with a semi-circular cross-section along its length. Both ends of the common pipe wall extend to the sealing plate in the circumferential direction. The surface of the common pipe wall away from the sealing plate is spaced apart from the inner wall of the flow channel plate. In this embodiment, since the common pipe wall can be disposed on the sealing plate, it can be disposed on the sealing plate first and then connected to the flow channel plate. This allows for more diverse designs for the common pipe wall and reduces the processing difficulty of the common pipe wall.

[0015] In some embodiments, the common pipe wall is integrally formed on the surface of the sealing plate facing the flow channel plate, and the sealing plate is welded to the flow channel plate. In this embodiment, because the common pipe wall is integrally formed on the surface of the sealing plate facing the flow channel plate, the sealing performance of the connection between the common pipe wall and the sealing plate can be improved.

[0016] In some embodiments, the refrigerant substrate is provided with a second interface for communicating with the evaporator outlet and a fourth interface for communicating with the condenser outlet. The first flow channel inlet is connected to the second interface, the second flow channel inlet is used to connect to the fourth interface, and the second interface is located at the second flow channel outlet. In this embodiment, since the refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator flows directly to the first sub-flow channel, it can exchange heat with the refrigerant in the third sub-flow channel in a timely manner, effectively avoiding heat loss during the process of the refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator flowing to the first sub-flow channel.

[0017] In some embodiments, the extension direction of the second sub-channel is set at an angle to the extension direction of the first sub-channel. In this embodiment, since the extension direction of the second sub-channel is set at an angle to the extension direction of the first sub-channel, the length of the refrigerant substrate in a certain direction can be avoided due to the first sub-channel being too long, that is, the usable area of ​​the refrigerant substrate can be reasonably and fully utilized.

[0018] In some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes a heat exchange structure integrally formed with the refrigerant substrate. The heat exchange structure is located between two surfaces in the thickness direction of the refrigerant substrate. Multiple flow channels also include channels for transferring refrigerant output from the compressor outlet to the heat exchange structure and channels for transferring refrigerant output from the heat exchange structure outlet to the condenser. In this embodiment, when passing through the heat exchange structure, the refrigerant can effectively exchange heat with the external atmosphere to reduce the superheat of the refrigerant, thereby reducing the superheat of the refrigerant entering the condenser inlet and improving the cooling efficiency of the thermal management system for the battery pack.

[0019] In some embodiments, the refrigerant substrate further includes multiple heat dissipation fins. The common tube wall includes two surfaces opposite each other in the thickness direction, and multiple heat dissipation fins are spaced apart on each of the two surfaces. The extending direction of the multiple heat dissipation fins is consistent with the extending direction of the common tube wall. In this embodiment, the multiple heat dissipation fins are disposed on the common tube wall, thereby increasing the contact area between the refrigerant in the first or second flow channel and the common tube wall, thus improving the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant in the first or second flow channel. Furthermore, since the extending direction of the common tube wall thickness is consistent with the extending direction of the multiple heat dissipation fins, it is also consistent with the extending direction of the refrigerant in the first and second flow channels, thus not obstructing the normal flow of the refrigerant and not affecting the flow efficiency of the refrigerant in the first or second flow channel.

[0020] In some embodiments, multiple heat dissipation fins are arranged perpendicularly to two surfaces, and the length of the heat dissipation fins in the extending direction is the same as the length of the common pipe wall in the extending direction. In this embodiment, the length of the heat dissipation fins in the extending direction is the same as the length of the common pipe wall in the extending direction, thereby making full use of the two surfaces of the common pipe wall, increasing the contact area between the heat dissipation fins and the refrigerant, and thus improving heat exchange efficiency.

[0021] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide an energy storage device, which includes a battery pack and a thermal management system according to any one of the first aspects, the thermal management system being used to regulate the temperature of the battery pack.

[0022] In some embodiments, the energy storage device is an energy storage cabinet or a vehicle powered by a battery pack. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below.

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a thermal management system for an energy storage device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a thermal management system is provided in the embodiment.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another thermal management system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerant substrate provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the front structure of the flow channel plate in the refrigerant substrate;

[0029] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the back structure of the flow channel plate in the embodiment;

[0030] Figure 7 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the common pipe wall in the refrigerant substrate in the embodiment;

[0031] Figure 8 Based on Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure with added heat dissipation fins in the embodiment;

[0032] Figure 9 for Figure 4 Another structural schematic diagram of the common pipe wall in the refrigerant substrate in the embodiment;

[0033] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of another flow channel plate structure provided in this application embodiment.

[0034] Figure label:

[0035] Z, the thickness direction of the refrigerant substrate;

[0036] 1. Thermal management system; 2. Evaporator; 3. Condenser; 4. Compressor; 5. Expansion valve; 6. Refrigerant base plate; 7. Water-cooled base plate; 8. Sensor; 9. Battery pack;

[0037] 11. First Interface; 12. Second Interface; 13. Third Interface; 14. Fourth Interface; 15. Fifth Interface; 16. Sixth Interface; 17. Seventh Interface; 18. Eighth Interface; 19. Ninth Interface; 20. Tenth Interface; 21. Eleventh Interface; 22. Twelfth Interface;

[0038] 31. First flow channel; 311. First sub-flow channel; 3111. Inlet of the first sub-flow channel; 3112. Outlet of the first sub-flow channel; 312. Second sub-flow channel; 32. Second flow channel; 3201. Sub-flow channel; 321. Third sub-flow channel; 3211. Inlet of the third sub-flow channel; 3212. Outlet of the third sub-flow channel; 322. Fourth sub-flow channel; 323. Fifth sub-flow channel; 33. Third flow channel; 34. Fourth flow channel; 35. Fifth flow channel; 36. Sixth flow channel; 37. Seventh flow channel;

[0039] 61. Flow channel plate; 611. Insulation hole; 612. Insulation hole; 62. Sealing plate; 63. Common pipe wall; 64. Heat dissipation fins; 65. Heat exchange structure. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The following section will first explain some of the terms used in the embodiments of this application.

[0041] The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented, for example, in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0042] In this specification, the terms "vertical" and "parallel" are explained.

[0043] Perpendicularity: The perpendicularity defined in this application is not limited to an absolute perpendicular intersection (with an included angle of 90 degrees). It is permissible for non-absolute perpendicular intersections caused by factors such as assembly tolerances, design tolerances, and structural flatness. It is permissible for errors within a small angular range, such as an assembly error range of 80 to 100 degrees, which can all be understood as a perpendicular relationship.

[0044] Parallelism: The parallelism defined in this application is not limited to absolute parallelism. This definition of parallelism can be understood as basic parallelism, allowing for situations where the parallelism is not absolute due to factors such as assembly tolerances, design tolerances, and structural flatness. These situations may lead to the sliding mating part and the first door panel not being absolutely parallel, but this application also defines such situations as parallelism.

[0045] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a thermal management system 1 for an energy storage device provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a thermal management system 1 provided in the embodiment.

[0046] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 This application provides an energy storage device, which can be an industrial or commercial energy storage cabinet, a power station energy storage cabinet, or a containerized energy storage cabinet, etc. The energy storage device can also be a vehicle, including but not limited to electric vehicles, pure electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, range-extended electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, new energy vehicles, etc. It can also be used in energy storage devices in data centers and charging devices in the charging field.

[0047] The energy storage device includes a battery pack 9 and a thermal management system 1. The thermal management system 1 is used to regulate the temperature of the battery pack 9, such as cooling or heating it. For some energy storage cabinets, such as industrial and commercial energy storage cabinets, the thermal management system 1 is also used for thermal management of the cabinet's internal cavity, such as dehumidifying, cooling, or heating it. Of course, for some energy storage cabinets, which also include power modules, the thermal management system 1 can also be used for thermal management of the power modules. For vehicles, the thermal management system 1 can also perform thermal management of the vehicle's passenger compartment to achieve heating and cooling of the cabin.

[0048] For example, in some embodiments, the thermal management system 1 includes a refrigerant substrate 6, a water-cooled substrate 7, a compressor 4, an evaporator 2, a condenser 3, an expansion valve 5, a radiator, and a multi-way valve, etc. The refrigerant substrate 6 is provided with multiple interfaces and multiple flow channels, and the water-cooled substrate 7 is provided with multiple interfaces and multiple flow channels. The input and output interfaces of the compressor 4, the refrigerant side input and output interfaces of the evaporator 2, the refrigerant side input and output interfaces of the condenser 3, the input and output interfaces of the expansion valve 5, etc. are connected to multiple interfaces on the refrigerant substrate 6, and the water-cooled side input and output interfaces of the evaporator 2, the water-cooled side input and output interfaces of the condenser 3, etc. are connected to multiple interfaces on the water-cooled substrate 7. In this embodiment, the thermal management system 1, compressor 4, refrigerant side of evaporator 2, refrigerant side of condenser 3, expansion valve 5, etc. are connected through multiple flow channels on refrigerant substrate 6, and water-cooled side of evaporator 2, water-cooled side of condenser 3, multi-way valve, etc. are connected through multiple flow channels on water-cooled substrate 7. Thus, the thermal management system 1 in this embodiment can heat the battery pack 9 through condenser 3, cool the battery pack 9 through evaporator 2, and dissipate heat naturally from the battery pack 9 through radiator.

[0049] It is understood that the thermal management system 1 may also include sensors 8, etc., disposed on the refrigerant substrate 6 or the water-cooled substrate 7.

[0050] For ease of description, the refrigerant base plate 6 is provided with multiple interfaces, including a first interface 11 connected to the inlet of the evaporator 2, a second interface 12 connected to the outlet of the evaporator 2, a third interface 13 connected to the inlet of the condenser 3, a fourth interface 14 connected to the outlet of the condenser 3, a fifth interface 15 connected to the inlet of the compressor 4, a sixth interface 16 connected to the outlet of the compressor 4, a seventh interface 17 connected to the inlet of the expansion valve 5, and an eighth interface 18 connected to the outlet of the expansion valve 5.

[0051] For ease of description, the flow path from the second interface 12 to the fifth interface 15 is designated as the first flow path 31, which connects the outlet of the evaporator 2 and the inlet of the compressor 4; the flow path from the sixth interface 16 to the third interface 13 is designated as the third flow path 33, which connects the outlet of the compressor 4 and the inlet of the condenser 3; the flow path from the fourth interface 14 to the seventh interface 17 is designated as the second flow path 32, which connects the outlet of the condenser 3 and the inlet of the expansion valve 5; and the flow path from the eighth interface 18 to the first interface 11 is designated as the fourth flow path 34, which connects the outlet of the expansion valve 5 and the inlet of the evaporator 2. The sensor 8 located at the first flow path 31 is used to detect the temperature of the superheated gas flowing out of the evaporator 2, and the sensor 8 located at the third flow path 33 is used to detect the temperature of the refrigerant flowing out of the compressor 4.

[0052] In this embodiment, the thermal management system 1 receives low-temperature gaseous refrigerant flowing from the evaporator 2 via the second interface 12 into the first flow channel 31, then flows through the first flow channel 31 to the fifth interface 15, and then through the fifth interface 15 to the compressor 4 inlet. After being processed by the compressor 4, high-temperature gaseous refrigerant flows out from the compressor 4 outlet via the sixth interface 16 into the third flow channel 33, then flows through the third flow channel 33 to the third interface 13, and then through the third interface 13 to the condenser 3 inlet. The high-temperature gaseous refrigerant then enters the condenser 3, where it releases heat to the outside to achieve heating. The refrigerant flows out of the condenser 3 outlet, then through the fourth port 14 to the second channel 32, and then through the second channel to the seventh port 17, and then to the inlet of the expansion valve 5. Under the action of the expansion valve 5, the low-temperature refrigerant flows out of the expansion valve 5, then through the eighth port 18 to the fourth channel 34, and then through the fourth channel 34 to the eighth port 18, and then from the eighth port 18 to the inlet of the evaporator 2, where it cools the outside. Then, the gaseous refrigerant flows out of the evaporator 2 outlet and flows back to the inlet of the compressor 4, and so on in a cycle. It can be understood that the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser 3 through the second channel 32 will have its temperature reduced after being throttled and expanded by the expansion valve 5. The refrigerant after the expansion valve 5 is directed to the evaporator 2, thus making the temperature of the refrigerant in the second channel 32 higher than the temperature of the refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator 2 through the first channel 31.

[0053] Specifically, the thermal management system 1 can perform heat exchange on the liquid cooling plate of its battery pack 9 to achieve thermal management of the battery pack 9.

[0054] To improve the cooling efficiency of the thermal management system 1 for the battery pack 9, some energy storage devices in related technologies typically add a regenerator to the refrigerant side of the thermal management system 1 to reduce the subcooling of the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser 3, thereby improving cooling efficiency. Therefore, the thermal management system 1 needs to add an external interface to the refrigerant substrate 6, and also needs to add a heat exchanger installed on the external interface. Due to space and component assembly issues, the refrigerant substrate 6 has a complex structure and large volume, resulting in an increase in the size and weight of the thermal management system 1, which is detrimental to the miniaturization of the thermal management system 1.

[0055] To improve the cooling efficiency of the thermal management system 1 for the battery pack 9, other energy storage devices in related technologies include a refrigerant substrate 6 with an additional flow channel plate added to the existing flow channel plate and stacked with it. A partition is provided between the two flow channel plates. The refrigerant in the flow channel on the new flow channel plate and the refrigerant in the flow channel on the original flow channel plate exchange heat through the partition. This allows the refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator 2 to cool the liquid refrigerant flowing out of the condenser 3, thereby reducing the subcooling of the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser 3 and increasing the superheat of the refrigerant flowing from the evaporator 2 to the compressor 4. This effectively improves the cooling efficiency of the thermal management system 1, thereby enhancing the cooling and heat dissipation capacity of the battery pack 9. However, this method has multiple flow channels on the original flow channel plate, such as the first flow channel 31 from the evaporator 2 to the compressor 4, the third flow channel 33 from the compressor 4 to the condenser 3, the second flow channel 32 from the condenser 3 to the expansion valve 5, the fourth flow channel 34 from the expansion valve 5 to the evaporator 2, and flow channels connecting to the radiator or other structural components (such as check valves, throttle valves, or sensors 8). The refrigerant in the new flow channel plate will not only exchange heat with the refrigerant in the first flow channel 31, but also with other flow channels, leading to heat transfer issues in the thermal management system 1 and reducing its thermal efficiency. Furthermore, this method results in excessively long flow channels within the refrigerant substrate 6, which not only increases heat consumption but also hinders the miniaturization of the refrigerant substrate 6. The addition of the new flow channel plate also negatively impacts the miniaturization of the refrigerant substrate 6.

[0056] To address the issues of poor cooling efficiency and large size of the thermal management system 1 for the battery pack 9, the energy storage device in this embodiment provides a novel thermal management system 1 architecture. By rationally designing the refrigerant substrate 6 of the thermal management system 1, heat exchange is designed only between the flow channels from the evaporator 2 to the compressor 4 and from the condenser 3 to the evaporator 2. This allows for heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator 2 and the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser 3, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the thermal management system 1. Furthermore, since the heat exchange design is only applied to the flow channels from the evaporator 2 to the compressor 4 and from the condenser 3 to the evaporator 2, the impact on other flow channels can be avoided, thus preventing heat transfer and ensuring the cooling efficiency of the thermal management system 1 is not affected. Meanwhile, in the embodiments of this application, the flow channels from the evaporator 2 to the compressor 4 and from the condenser 3 to the evaporator 2 are located in the same flow channel plate. This not only effectively reduces the length of the flow channels from the evaporator 2 to the compressor 4 and from the condenser 3 to the evaporator 2, but also reduces the overall thickness of the refrigerant substrate 6, which is beneficial for the miniaturization design of the thermal management system 1.

[0057] It should be noted that since multiple flow channels are all located on the same refrigerant substrate 6, heat exchange between the refrigerants in different flow channels is inevitable through the refrigerant substrate 6 itself. However, when the efficiency of heat exchange between the refrigerants in different flow channels is sufficiently low, such as when they have virtually no impact on each other, it can be considered that no heat exchange occurs between the refrigerants in different flow channels. In this application, "heat exchange" refers to heat exchange efficiency that is high enough to significantly affect the temperature of the refrigerants in different flow channels. For example, heat exchange between the refrigerants flowing out of the evaporator 2 and the refrigerants flowing out of the condenser 3 would cause significant temperature changes between them.

[0058] To improve the cooling efficiency of the thermal management system 1 for the battery pack and effectively reduce its volume, in some embodiments, heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant flowing through the first flow channel 31 and the refrigerant flowing through the second flow channel 32. This lowers the refrigerant temperature while simultaneously raising it, thereby improving the overall energy efficiency of the thermal management system 1 and consequently enhancing the cooling efficiency of the evaporator 2 for the battery pack. Furthermore, all other flow channels in the thermal management system 1, except for the first and second flow channels 31 and 32, are spaced apart from each other. These other flow channels do not share pipe walls with either the first or second flow channel 31. Therefore, since this embodiment allows heat exchange only between the first and second flow channels 31 and 32, heat transfer between them and the refrigerant in other flow channels can be effectively avoided, preventing heat transfer from affecting the overall energy efficiency of the thermal management system 1. In addition, since this embodiment can only perform heat exchange on the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32, and the refrigerant flowing through the second flow channel 32 is a liquid, the flow channel size can still meet the flow requirements even if it is small. Therefore, when only the structure of the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32 is designed for heat exchange, the impact on the overall size and structure of the condenser substrate can be effectively reduced, and the refrigerant substrate 6 can be effectively avoided from being too large.

[0059] It is understood that in some other embodiments, a structure for heat exchange between the refrigerant in the third flow channel 33 and the refrigerant in the first flow channel 31 can also be added, which can improve the overall energy efficiency of the thermal management system 1 and improve the cooling energy efficiency of the thermal management system 1 for the battery pack.

[0060] It is understood that in some other embodiments, the thermal management system 1 may also include other heat exchangers and valves, etc.

[0061] Reference Figure 2 In some embodiments, the arrangement direction of the coolant substrate 6 and the water-cooled substrate 7 is perpendicular to the thickness direction Z of the coolant substrate 6 and also perpendicular to the thickness direction of the water-cooled substrate 7. Of course, in other embodiments, such as... Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another thermal management system 1 provided in an embodiment of this application. (Refer to...) Figure 3 The arrangement direction of the refrigerant substrate 6 and the water-cooled substrate 7 is the thickness direction Z of the refrigerant substrate 6, which is also the thickness direction of the water-cooled substrate 7.

[0062] In order to effectively reduce the heat transfer from the first flow channel 31, the second flow channel 32, etc. in the refrigerant substrate 6 to other flow channels and effectively reduce the overall volume of the refrigerant substrate 6, a refrigerant substrate 6 that can solve the above problems is provided below, and the refrigerant substrate 6 is described in detail.

[0063] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerant substrate 6 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the front structure of the flow channel plate 61 in the refrigerant substrate 6; Figure 6 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the back structure of the flow channel plate 61 in the embodiment.

[0064] Reference Figure 2 , Figures 4-6 In some embodiments, the refrigerant substrate 6 includes a flow channel plate 61 and a sealing plate 62. The sealing plate 62 is fixed to the flow channel plate 61, for example, by welding or by fasteners. Multiple flow channels are formed between the flow channel plate 61 and the sealing plate 62, such as the first flow channel 31, the second flow channel 32, the third flow channel 33, and the fourth flow channel 34 mentioned above. In this embodiment, the flow channel plate 61 and the sealing plate 62 enable multiple flow channels to be formed on the same flow channel plate 61, thereby effectively reducing the thickness of the refrigerant substrate 6.

[0065] Reference Figure 2 , Figures 4-6 In some embodiments, both the flow channel plate 61 and the sealing plate 62 are generally flat. The surface of the flow channel plate 61 facing the sealing plate 62 has multiple flow channel grooves, and the sealing plate 62 covers the flow channel grooves, thereby forming multiple flow channels. It is understood that in other embodiments, the flow channel plate 61 and the sealing plate 62 may also have a certain curvature plate structure to adapt to different application scenarios.

[0066] Reference Figure 2 , Figures 4-6 In this embodiment, the refrigerant substrate 6 is the same as... Figure 2 Similarly, it also has a first interface 11 connected to the inlet of evaporator 2, a second interface 12 connected to the outlet of evaporator 2, a third interface 13 connected to the inlet of condenser 3, a fourth interface 14 connected to the outlet of condenser 3, a fifth interface 15 connected to the inlet of compressor 4, a sixth interface 16 connected to the outlet of compressor 4, a seventh interface 17 connected to the inlet of expansion valve 5, and an eighth interface 18 connected to the outlet of expansion valve 5. Multiple interfaces are used to connect to multiple flow channels, enabling connection to evaporator 2, condenser 3, expansion valve 5, and compressor 4 through multiple interfaces and multiple flow channels. For details, please refer to the preceding text. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The descriptions in the embodiments will not be repeated here.

[0067] In some embodiments, multiple interfaces are located on the surface of the flow channel plate 61 opposite to the sealing plate 62, while the sealing plate 62 has no interfaces, thereby facilitating the installation and arrangement of the refrigerant substrate 6 and the water-cooled substrate 7. It is understood that in other embodiments, some interfaces may be located on other sidewalls of the flow channel plate 61.

[0068] Reference Figure 2 , Figures 4-6 In some embodiments, the refrigerant substrate 6 is a single-layer structure, that is, the refrigerant substrate 6 includes only one flow channel plate 61. Since the refrigerant substrate 6 is a single-layer structure, it is easy to make the refrigerant substrate 6 thinner in its thickness direction Z.

[0069] At least a portion of the first flow channel 31 and at least a portion of the second flow channel 32 share a common pipe wall 63. This common pipe wall 63 separates the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32 in the refrigerant transport direction. The refrigerant flowing through the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32 exchanges heat through the common pipe wall 63. The refrigerant flowing through the first flow channel 31 has a lower temperature, while the refrigerant flowing through the second flow channel 32 has a higher temperature than the refrigerant in the first flow channel 31. The common pipe wall 63 allows for heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing through the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32, thereby lowering the temperature of the refrigerant in the second flow channel 32. This lowers the temperature of the refrigerant entering the expansion valve 5, effectively reducing the temperature of the refrigerant after throttling by the expansion valve 5, and thus improving the cooling effect of the evaporator 2 on the battery pack, etc. The shared pipe wall 63 can be used for heat exchange with the refrigerant flowing through the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32. It also increases the temperature of the refrigerant in the first flow channel 31, thereby raising the temperature of the refrigerant entering the compressor 4. This not only avoids the risk of liquid refrigerant entering the compressor 4 but also effectively increases the temperature of the refrigerant after compression by the compressor 4, thus improving the heating effect of the condenser 3 on the battery pack, etc. Furthermore, since this embodiment can perform heat exchange only at the shared pipe wall 63 of the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32, it effectively avoids heat transfer with the refrigerant in other flow channels, preventing the overall energy efficiency of the thermal management system 1 from being affected by heat transfer. In addition, since this embodiment can only perform heat exchange on the common pipe wall 63 of the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32, and the refrigerant flowing through the second flow channel 32 is a liquid, the flow channel size can still meet the flow requirements even if it is small. Therefore, when only the structure of the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32 is designed for heat exchange, the impact on the overall size and structure of the condenser substrate can be effectively reduced, and the refrigerant substrate 6 can be effectively avoided from being too large.

[0070] In some implementations, the thickness of the common pipe wall 63 is approximately the same at each location, which not only facilitates the processing of the common pipe wall 63, but also ensures the uniformity of heat exchange at each location of the common pipe wall 63. This is beneficial for the precise control of the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant in the first flow channel 31 and the refrigerant in the second flow channel 32 during the design phase.

[0071] Reference Figure 5In some embodiments, where the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32 share a common pipe wall 63, the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32 are located on both sides of the shared pipe wall 63 and are adjacent to each other, with the directions of their adjacent arrangement perpendicular to the refrigerant transport direction and the thickness direction of the refrigerant substrate 6, respectively. In this embodiment, since the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32 are located on both sides of the shared pipe wall 63 and are adjacent to each other, it is beneficial to miniaturize the thickness direction Z of the refrigerant substrate 6, allowing for a thinner and lighter design of the refrigerant substrate 6.

[0072] It is understood that, in some other embodiments, the side-by-side adjacent direction of the common pipe wall 63 of the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32 may also be consistent with the thickness direction Z of the refrigerant substrate 6.

[0073] In order to improve the efficiency of heat exchange between the refrigerant in the first flow channel 31 and the refrigerant in the second flow channel 32 through the common pipe wall 63, Figure 2 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, the thickness of the common pipe wall 63 is 0.5mm-10mm. Within this range, the heat exchange efficiency of the common pipe wall 63 can be effectively guaranteed, thereby effectively reducing the subcooling of the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser 3 and effectively increasing the superheat of the refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator 2, so as to improve the overall energy efficiency of the thermal management system 1.

[0074] Understandably, the longer the shared wall 63 of the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32, the better the heat exchange effect of the refrigerant in the first flow channel 31 and the refrigerant in the second flow channel 32. However, this correspondingly increases the design complexity of the multiple flow channels on the refrigerant substrate 6. Therefore, a reasonable and effective design of the shared wall 63 of the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32 can satisfy the heat exchange requirements of the refrigerant in the first flow channel 31 and the refrigerant in the second flow channel 32 without increasing the design complexity of the multiple flow channels on the refrigerant substrate 6.

[0075] To improve the design rationality of the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32, and to enhance the overall energy efficiency of the thermal management system 1, reference is made to... Figures 4-6 In some embodiments, the first flow channel 31 includes a first sub-flow channel 311 and a second sub-flow channel 312, and the second flow channel 32 includes a third sub-flow channel 321, a fourth sub-flow channel 322 and a fifth sub-flow channel 323. The first sub-flow channel 311 and the third sub-flow channel 321 share a common pipe wall 63, and the common pipe wall 63 of the first sub-flow channel 311 and the third sub-flow channel 321 is the same as the common pipe wall 63 of the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32.

[0076] Reference Figure 2 , Figures 4-6In some embodiments, the second sub-channel 312 connects the outlet 3112 of the first sub-channel 311 to the fifth interface 15, the fourth sub-channel 322 connects the inlet 3211 of the third sub-channel 321 to the fourth interface 14, and the fifth sub-channel 323 connects the outlet 3212 of the third sub-channel 321 to the seventh interface 17. In this embodiment, since the inlet 3111 of the first sub-channel 311 is connected to the second interface 12, it is connected to the outlet of the evaporator 2. The second sub-channel 312 is connected to the outlet 3112 of the first sub-channel 311 and the fifth interface 15. The fifth interface 15 is connected to the inlet of the compressor 4. Thus, the outlet of the evaporator 2 and the inlet of the compressor 4 are connected through the first sub-channel 311 and the second sub-channel 312, and the first sub-channel 311 and the second sub-channel 312 together constitute the first channel 31. Since the fourth sub-channel 322 connects the inlet 3211 of the third sub-channel 321 and the fourth interface 14, and the fourth interface 14 connects to the outlet of the condenser 3, and the fifth sub-channel 323 connects the outlet 3212 of the third sub-channel 321 and the seventh interface 17, and the seventh interface 17 connects to the inlet of the expansion valve 5, the outlet of the condenser 3 and the inlet of the expansion valve 5 are connected together through the fourth sub-channel 322, the third sub-channel 321 and the fifth sub-channel 323, thus forming the second channel 32. In this embodiment, since the first channel 31 is formed by the first sub-channel 311 and the second sub-channel 312, and the second channel 32 is formed by the third sub-channel 321, the fourth sub-channel 322 and the fifth sub-channel 323, it is convenient to design the first sub-channel 311 and the third sub-channel 321 into the required shape, such as setting the first sub-channel 311 and the third sub-channel 321 as straight channels.

[0077] It is understandable that the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32 are not connected. Similarly, the first sub-flow channel 311 and the third sub-flow channel 321 are also not connected. The inlet 3111 of the first sub-flow channel 311 is connected to the second interface 12, but the outlet 3212 of the third sub-flow channel 321 is not connected to the second interface 12. Figure 5 The middle view is a plan view and cannot fully show the connection between the second interface 12 and each flow channel, therefore... Figure 5 It appears that the outlet 3212 of the third sub-channel 321 is connected to the second interface 12, but in reality, the outlet 3212 of the third sub-channel 321 is not connected to the second interface 12. It is understood that the attached diagram is for illustrative purposes only, and any ambiguities in the diagram should be resolved by referring to the textual description.

[0078] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first sub-channel 311 constitutes a section of the first channel 31, and the third sub-channel 321 constitutes a section of the second channel 32. Since the evaporator 2, condenser 3, and compressor 4 all have a certain volume, it is difficult to place the inlet of the first channel 31 and the outlet of the second channel 32 at the same location, or to place the outlet of the first channel 31 and the inlet of the second channel 32 at the same location. Therefore, in this embodiment, a section of the first channel 31 is used as the first sub-channel 311 and a section of the second channel 32 is used as the third sub-channel 321. This not only facilitates the processing and manufacturing of the first sub-channel 311 and the third sub-channel 321, but also makes the design of multiple channels on the refrigerant substrate 6 more rational.

[0079] Reference Figure 2 , Figures 4-6 In some embodiments, the inlet 3111 of the first sub-channel 311 is connected to the second interface 12, the inlet 3211 of the third sub-channel 321 is used to connect to the fourth interface 14, and the second interface 12 is located at the outlet 3212 of the third sub-channel 321. In this embodiment, since the inlet 3111 of the first sub-channel 311 is connected to the second interface 12, and the second interface 12 is connected to the outlet of the evaporator 2, the refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator 2 can flow to the first sub-channel 311 immediately. The inlet 3211 of the third sub-channel 321 is used to connect to the fourth interface 14, and the fourth interface 14 is connected to the outlet of the condenser 3, so the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser 3 can flow to the third sub-channel 321. Moreover, since the second interface 12 is located at the outlet of the third sub-channel 321, and the extension directions of the first sub-channel 311 and the third sub-channel 321 are consistent, the flow direction of the refrigerant in the first sub-channel 311 and the third sub-channel 321 is opposite, thereby effectively improving the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant in the first sub-channel 311 and the refrigerant in the third sub-channel 321. In addition, since the refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator 2 flows directly to the first sub-channel 311, it can exchange heat with the refrigerant in the third sub-channel 321 in a timely manner, effectively avoiding heat loss during the process of the refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator 2 flowing to the first sub-channel 311.

[0080] It should be noted that the second interface 12 is located at the outlet 3212 of the third sub-channel 321, which means that the second interface 12 is located approximately at the outlet 3212 of the third sub-channel 321, and is very close to the outlet 3212 of the third sub-channel 321. However, the second interface 12 and the outlet 3212 of the third sub-channel 321 are not connected to each other.

[0081] It is understood that in some other embodiments, the entire flow channel of the first flow channel 31 may be the first sub-flow channel 311, or the entire flow channel of the second flow channel 32 may be the third sub-flow channel 321.

[0082] It is understandable that the outlet of the first sub-channel 311 is located at the inlet of the third sub-channel 321, that is, at the position on the second channel 32 between the second interface 12 and the fourth interface 14.

[0083] Reference Figure 2 , Figures 4-6 In some embodiments, the extension direction of the second sub-channel 312 is set at an angle to the extension direction of the first sub-channel 311. In this embodiment, since the extension direction of the second sub-channel 312 is set at an angle to the extension direction of the first sub-channel 311, the length of the refrigerant substrate 6 in a certain direction can be avoided due to the first channel 31 being too long, that is, the usable area of ​​the refrigerant substrate 6 can be reasonably and fully utilized.

[0084] Reference Figure 2 , Figures 4-6 In some embodiments, the fourth sub-channel 322 and the third sub-channel 321 extend in the same direction, and the fourth sub-channel 322 and the fifth sub-channel 323 are located at opposite ends of the extension direction of the third sub-channel 321. Because the refrigerant in the second channel 32 is liquid, aligning the extension directions of the fourth sub-channel 322 and the third sub-channel 321, and placing the fourth sub-channel 322 and the fifth sub-channel 323 at opposite ends of the extension direction of the third sub-channel 321, makes the second channel 32 relatively smooth overall, which is beneficial for the flow of liquid refrigerant. Furthermore, in this embodiment, placing the third sub-channel 321 in the middle portion of the second channel 32 avoids placing the second interface 12 and the seventh interface 17 too close together, thus making the layout of the evaporator 2 and the expansion valve 5 more reasonable.

[0085] In order to rationally design the first sub-flow channel 311 and the third sub-flow channel 321, refer to Figure 2 , Figures 4-6 In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of ​​the first sub-channel 311 perpendicular to the extension direction is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the third sub-channel 321 perpendicular to the extension direction, meaning the flow rate of the refrigerant in the first sub-channel 311 is greater than the flow rate of the refrigerant in the third sub-channel 321. In this embodiment, because the refrigerant in the first sub-channel 311 is gaseous and the refrigerant in the third sub-channel 321 is liquid, by making the cross-sectional area of ​​the first sub-channel 311 perpendicular to the extension direction larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the third sub-channel 321 perpendicular to the extension direction, sufficient heat exchange can be achieved between the gaseous refrigerant in the first sub-channel 311 and the liquid refrigerant in the third sub-channel 321. Furthermore, this facilitates the overall miniaturization of the refrigerant substrate 6.

[0086] The refrigerant located in the third flow channel 33 is a high-temperature gaseous refrigerant flowing from the compressor 4. In scenarios with low ambient temperatures, when the condenser 3 needs to heat the battery pack or vehicle compartment, the refrigerant in the third flow channel 33 needs to be fully utilized for external heating. To avoid ineffective loss of the refrigerant in the third flow channel 33 during transmission, refer to... Figures 4-6 In some embodiments, the flow channel plate 61 is further provided with heat insulation holes 611, which are located between the third flow channel 33 and the first flow channel 31 to isolate the third flow channel 33 and the first flow channel 31. This can effectively reduce heat exchange between the lower-temperature refrigerant in the first flow channel 31 and the higher-temperature refrigerant in the third flow channel 33, effectively preventing the refrigerant in the third flow channel 33 from being ineffectively lost during transmission, and allowing it to be fully used for external heating.

[0087] The refrigerant located in the fourth flow channel 34 is a low-temperature gaseous refrigerant flowing out from the expansion valve 5. When the condenser 3 needs to cool the battery pack or the vehicle compartment, the gaseous refrigerant in the fourth flow channel 34 needs to be fully utilized for external cooling. To avoid ineffective loss of the gaseous refrigerant in the fourth flow channel 34 during transmission, refer to... Figures 4-6 The flow channel plate 61 is also provided with heat insulation holes 612, which are located between the fourth flow channel 34 and the first flow channel 31 to isolate the fourth flow channel 34 and the first flow channel 31. This can effectively reduce the heat exchange between the refrigerant in the first sub-flow channel 311 and the third sub-flow channel 321 and the lower-temperature gaseous refrigerant in the fourth flow channel 34, effectively avoiding the ineffective loss of the gaseous refrigerant in the fourth flow channel 34 during transmission, and can be fully used for external cooling.

[0088] Reference Figure 2 , Figures 4-6 In some embodiments, the refrigerant substrate 6 is further provided with a ninth interface 19 connected to the inlet of the second expansion valve, a tenth interface 20 connected to the outlet of the second expansion valve, an eleventh interface 21 connected to the inlet of the heat exchanger, and a twelfth interface 22 connected to the outlet of the heat exchanger. Multiple flow channels also include a fifth flow channel 35, which connects the twelfth interface 22 and the fifth interface 15, i.e., connects the outlet of the heat exchanger and the inlet of the compressor 4. The refrigerant flowing through the heat exchanger is used for heat exchange with the atmosphere outside the heat exchanger, for example, by placing the heat exchanger inside the vehicle compartment or cabinet for heat exchange with the interior of the vehicle compartment or cabinet. The ninth interface 19 is used to connect to the second flow channel 32, meaning that the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser 3 can flow to the heat exchanger to heat the interior of the vehicle compartment or cabinet. This enables the application scenario of the thermal management system 1 in this embodiment.

[0089] Reference Figures 4-6In some implementations, the first flow channel 31 and the fifth flow channel 35 are connected, for example, the fifth flow channel 35 is connected to the second sub-flow channel 312. This allows for full utilization of a portion of the existing second sub-flow channel 312, effectively reducing the length of the fifth flow channel 35. It is understood that although the second sub-flow channel 312 and the fifth flow channel 35 are connected, during operation, the flow between the first flow channel 31 and the fifth flow channel 35 will not affect each other due to valve control. For example, when the first flow channel 31 needs to flow, the valve can be used to control the refrigerant flow in the fifth flow channel 35 to stop. Similarly, when the fifth flow channel 35 needs to flow, a portion of the first flow channel 31 can be controlled to stop refrigerant flow.

[0090] Figure 7 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure at the common tube wall 63 in the refrigerant substrate 6 in the embodiment.

[0091] To ensure effective heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing from evaporator 2 and condenser 3, while avoiding increased design complexity due to multiple flow channels on the refrigerant substrate, refer to... Figures 3-7 In some embodiments, the common tube wall 63 has a long strip-like structure, and its thickness direction is approximately perpendicular to the thickness direction Z of the refrigerant substrate 6. In the thickness direction Z of the refrigerant substrate 6, one end of the common tube wall 63 extends to the bottom wall of the flow channel, and the other end extends to the sealing plate 62. This allows the first sub-flow channel 311 and the third sub-flow channel 321 to be located on opposite sides of the common tube wall 63 in the thickness direction. That is, in the thickness direction Z perpendicular to the refrigerant substrate 6, the first sub-flow channel 311 and the third sub-flow channel 321 are located on opposite sides of the common tube wall 63, thereby effectively reducing the size of the refrigerant substrate 6 in the thickness direction Z, which is beneficial for miniaturization of the refrigerant substrate 6 in its thickness direction.

[0092] Reference Figure 2 , Figures 4-7 In some embodiments, where the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32 share a common pipe wall 63, the second flow channel 32 is divided into two sub-flow channels 3201, both of which share the pipe wall 63 with the first flow channel 31; in the side-by-side adjacent direction, the first flow channel 31 is located between the two sub-flow channels 3201. In this embodiment, since the two sub-flow channels 3201 and the first flow channel 31 share a common pipe wall, and the first flow channel 31 is located between the two sub-flow channels 3201 in the side-by-side adjacent direction, the effective heat exchange area of ​​the common pipe wall 63 of the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32 can be effectively increased without increasing the length of the common pipe wall 63. Thus, while improving the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant in the first flow channel 31 and the refrigerant in the second flow channel 32, the design difficulty of multiple flow channels on the refrigerant substrate 6 can also be avoided.

[0093] Reference Figure 2 , Figures 4-7 In some embodiments, there are two common pipe walls 63, which are spaced apart in the thickness direction of the common pipe walls 63, with the first sub-flow channel 311 located between the two sub-flow channels 3201. In this embodiment, the presence of two common pipe walls 63 increases the contact area between the refrigerant in the first flow channel 31 and the refrigerant in the second flow channel 32 and the common pipe walls 63, effectively improving the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant in the first flow channel 31 and the refrigerant in the second flow channel 32, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the thermal management system 1 for battery packs, etc. In some embodiments, the common pipe wall 63 and the flow channel plate 61 are integrally formed, and the sealing plate 62 is welded to both the flow channel plate 61 and the common pipe wall 63. In this embodiment, the common pipe wall 63 and the flow channel plate 61 can be integrally die-cast or integrally injection molded to improve the sealing performance at the connection between the common pipe wall 63 and the flow channel plate 61. It is understood that in other embodiments, the common pipe wall 63 may also be welded or bonded to the flow channel plate 61.

[0094] Understandable, Figure 8 Based on Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure with added heat dissipation fins 64 in the embodiment.

[0095] To further improve the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant in the first flow channel 31 and the refrigerant in the second flow channel 32, refer to Figure 8 In some embodiments, the refrigerant substrate 6 further includes a plurality of heat dissipation fins 64 disposed on a common pipe wall 63, thereby increasing the contact area between the refrigerant in the first flow channel 31 or the refrigerant in the second flow channel 32 and the common pipe wall 63, so as to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant in the first flow channel 31 and the refrigerant in the second flow channel 32.

[0096] Specifically, refer to Figure 8 In some embodiments, the common pipe wall 63 includes two surfaces opposite each other in the thickness direction. It is understood that one surface of the common pipe wall 63 in the thickness direction constitutes part of the inner wall of the first flow channel 31, and the other surface constitutes part of the inner wall of the second flow channel 32. Multiple heat dissipation fins 64 are spaced apart on both surfaces, thereby simultaneously increasing the contact area between the refrigerant in the first flow channel 31 and the refrigerant in the second flow channel 32 and the common pipe wall 63, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant in the first flow channel 31 and the refrigerant in the second flow channel 32.

[0097] To avoid the heat dissipation fins 64 affecting the flow efficiency of the refrigerant in the first flow channel 31 or the second flow channel 32, refer to Figure 8In some embodiments, the extending direction of the plurality of heat dissipation fins 64 is consistent with the extending direction of the common tube wall 63. In this embodiment, since the extending direction of the thickness of the common tube wall 63 is consistent with the extending direction of the plurality of heat dissipation fins 64, it is also consistent with the extending direction of the refrigerant in the first sub-channel 311 and the third sub-channel 321. Therefore, it will not obstruct the normal flow of the refrigerant, nor will it affect the flow efficiency of the refrigerant in the first sub-channel 311 or the third sub-channel 321.

[0098] Reference Figure 8 In some embodiments, multiple heat dissipation fins 64 are arranged perpendicularly to two surfaces, and the length of the heat dissipation fins 64 in the extending direction is the same as the length of the common pipe wall 63 in the extending direction. Because the multiple heat dissipation fins 64 are arranged perpendicularly to two surfaces, the manufacturing of the heat dissipation fins 64 is facilitated. Furthermore, since the length of the heat dissipation fins 64 in the extending direction is the same as the length of the common pipe wall 63 in the extending direction, the two surfaces of the common pipe wall 63 can be fully utilized, increasing the contact area between the heat dissipation fins 64 and the refrigerant, thereby improving heat exchange efficiency.

[0099] Figure 9 for Figure 4 Another structural schematic diagram of the common pipe wall 63 in the refrigerant substrate 6 in the embodiment.

[0100] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 9 In this embodiment, at the location where the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32 share a common tube wall 63, along the thickness direction Z of the refrigerant substrate 6, one of the flow channels 31 and 32 is nested within the other flow channel; that is, one of the first sub-flow channel 311 and the third sub-flow channel 321 is nested within the other flow channel. Because one of the flow channels 31 and 32 is nested within the other at the location where the first flow channel 31 and the second flow channel 32 share a common tube wall 63, the effective heat exchange area of ​​the common tube wall 63 can be effectively increased without increasing the length of the common tube wall 63. Thus, while improving the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant in the first flow channel 31 and the refrigerant in the second flow channel 32, the design complexity of multiple flow channels in the refrigerant substrate 6 can be avoided.

[0101] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 9In some embodiments, the cross-section of the common pipe wall 63 perpendicular to the extension direction is semi-circular, and both ends of the common pipe wall 63 extend to the sealing plate 62 in the circumferential direction. The surface of the common pipe wall 63 away from the sealing plate 62 is spaced apart from the inner wall of the flow channel plate 61. In this embodiment, the sealing plate 62 and the common pipe wall 63 can form a third sub-flow channel 321, and the common pipe wall 63, the sealing plate 62, and the flow channel plate 61 can together form a first sub-flow channel 311, with the third sub-flow channel 321 located below the first sub-flow channel 311. In this embodiment, since the common pipe wall 63 can be disposed on the sealing plate 62, it can be disposed on the sealing plate 62 first and then connected to the flow channel plate 61. This allows for more diverse designs for the common pipe wall 63 and reduces the processing difficulty of the common pipe wall 63.

[0102] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 9 In some embodiments, the common pipe wall 63 is integrally formed on the surface of the sealing plate 62 facing the flow channel plate 61, and the sealing plate 62 is welded to the flow channel plate 61. In this embodiment, since the common pipe wall 63 is integrally formed on the surface of the sealing plate 62 facing the flow channel plate 61, the sealing performance of the connection between the common pipe wall 63 and the sealing plate 62 can be improved. It is understood that in other embodiments, the common pipe wall 63 may also be welded or bonded to the sealing plate 62.

[0103] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of another flow channel plate 61 provided in this embodiment of the application. Figure 10 The embodiments are based on Figure 4 This is a new embodiment with an additional heat exchange structure 65 added to the previous embodiment. Therefore, it is similar to... Figure 4 The same features as in the previous embodiments will not be repeated here; please refer to the preceding text for details.

[0104] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 10In some embodiments, the refrigerant substrate 6 further includes a heat exchange structure 65 integrally formed with the flow channel plate 61. The heat exchange structure 65 is located between two surfaces in the thickness direction Z of the refrigerant substrate 6. Multiple flow channels also include a sixth flow channel 36 connecting the inlet of the heat exchange structure 65 and the outlet of the compressor 4, and a seventh flow channel 37 connecting the outlet of the heat exchange structure 65 and the inlet of the condenser 3. In this embodiment, since the refrigerant substrate 6 also includes a heat exchange structure 65 integrally formed with the flow channel plate 61, the sixth flow channel 36 connects the inlet of the heat exchange structure 65 and the outlet of the compressor 4, and the seventh flow channel 37 connects the outlet of the heat exchange structure 65 and the inlet of the condenser 3. This allows the refrigerant flowing out of the compressor 4 to sequentially pass through the sixth flow channel 36 and the seventh flow channel 37 to reach the inlet of the condenser 3. When passing through the heat exchange structure 65, the refrigerant can effectively exchange heat with the external atmosphere to reduce the superheat of the refrigerant, thereby reducing the superheat of the refrigerant at the inlet of the condenser 3 and improving the cooling efficiency of the thermal management system 1 for the battery pack. Since the heat exchange structure 65 is located between the two surfaces in the thickness direction Z of the refrigerant substrate 6, the heat exchange structure 65 can effectively avoid affecting the flatness of the refrigerant substrate 6.

[0105] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A thermal management system, characterized in that, The single-layer refrigerant substrate in the thermal management system has multiple flow channels for conveying refrigerant. The multiple flow channels include a first flow channel for conveying refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator of the thermal management system, and a second flow channel for conveying refrigerant flowing out of the condenser of the thermal management system. At least a portion of the first flow channel and at least a portion of the second flow channel share a common pipe wall. In the refrigerant transmission direction, the common pipe wall is used to separate the first flow channel and the second flow channel. The refrigerant flowing in the first flow channel and the second flow channel exchanges heat through the common pipe wall.

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, At the shared pipe wall of the first flow channel and the second flow channel, the first flow channel and the second flow channel are located on both sides of the shared pipe wall and are adjacent to each other, and the direction of the adjacent arrangement is perpendicular to the refrigerant transmission direction and the refrigerant substrate thickness direction, respectively.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 2, characterized in that, At the point where the first flow channel and the second flow channel share a pipe wall, the second flow channel is divided into two sub-flow channels, both of which share a pipe wall with the first flow channel; in the side-by-side adjacent direction, the first flow channel is located between the two sub-flow channels.

4. The thermal management system according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The common pipe wall has a long strip-shaped structure, and the thickness direction of the common pipe wall is the same as that of the adjacent side by side. In the thickness direction of the common pipe wall, the first flow channel and the second flow channel are located on opposite sides of the common pipe wall.

5. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The refrigerant substrate includes a flow channel plate and a sealing plate. The sealing plate is disposed on the flow channel plate and forms the multiple flow channels with the flow channel plate. The common pipe wall and the flow channel plate are integrally formed. The sealing plate is welded to the flow channel plate and the common pipe wall respectively.

6. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, At the location where the first flow channel and the second flow channel share a common pipe wall, in the thickness direction of the refrigerant substrate, one of the first flow channel and the second flow channel is nested inside the other flow channel.

7. The thermal management system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The refrigerant substrate includes a flow channel plate and a sealing plate. The sealing plate is disposed on the flow channel plate and forms the multiple flow channels with the flow channel plate. The common pipe wall has a long strip structure. The cross-section of the common pipe wall in the length direction is semi-circular. Both ends of the common pipe wall in the circumferential direction extend to the sealing plate. The surface of the common pipe wall away from the sealing plate is spaced apart from the inner wall of the flow channel plate.

8. The thermal management system according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The common pipe wall is integrally formed on the surface of the sealing plate facing the flow channel plate, and the sealing plate is welded to the flow channel plate.

9. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The thickness of the shared pipe wall is 0.5mm-10mm.

10. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The cross-sectional area of ​​the first flow channel is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the second flow channel.

11. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The thermal management system further includes a heat exchange structure integrally formed with the refrigerant substrate. The heat exchange structure is located between two surfaces in the thickness direction of the refrigerant substrate. The multiple flow channels also include a flow channel for transferring refrigerant output from the compressor outlet to the heat exchange structure and a flow channel for transferring refrigerant output from the heat exchange structure outlet to the condenser.

12. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 2-11, characterized in that, The refrigerant substrate also includes a plurality of heat dissipation fins. In the side-by-side adjacent direction, the common pipe wall includes two opposing surfaces, and a plurality of heat dissipation fins are spaced apart on each of the two surfaces.

13. The thermal management system according to claim 12, characterized in that, The plurality of heat dissipation fins are arranged perpendicularly to the two surfaces, and the length of the heat dissipation fins in the extending direction is the same as the length of the common tube wall in the extending direction.

14. An energy storage device, characterized in that, The energy storage device includes a battery pack and a thermal management system as described in any one of claims 1-13, the thermal management system being used to regulate the temperature of the battery pack.

15. The energy storage device according to claim 14, characterized in that, The energy storage device is an energy storage cabinet or a vehicle powered by the battery pack.

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