Waste heat utilization control system and method of vehicle-mounted refrigerator

Abstract

A waste heat utilization control system of a vehicle-mounted refrigerator comprises the vehicle-mounted refrigerator; a first heat exchanger acting on the vehicle-mounted refrigerator is arranged on the heat exchange loop; cooling liquid heated by the vehicle-mounted driving motor flows in the motor cooling liquid loop; the motor cooling liquid loop is communicated with the heat exchange loop through a first loop switching valve to form a motor waste heat heating loop, so that cooling liquid flows through a first heat exchanger to realize heating of the vehicle-mounted refrigerator; the semiconductor chip is arranged in the vehicle-mounted refrigerator and used for cooperating with the first heat exchanger to heat the vehicle-mounted refrigerator. The motor cooling liquid loop is communicated with the refrigerator heat exchange loop, the refrigerator is heated through the waste heat of the motor, and energy consumption is remarkably reduced. And meanwhile, a semiconductor chip is additionally arranged in the refrigerator, so that the semiconductor chip and the heat exchanger work cooperatively, the heating response speed and the control precision are improved, it is ensured that the stable heating capacity is still achieved when the waste heat of the motor is insufficient, and efficient energy saving and reliable temperature control are achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle thermal management technology, specifically to a waste heat utilization control system and method for a vehicle refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of electric and intelligent vehicles, users are increasingly demanding convenience in their in-car lives, expecting in-car refrigerators to not only cool but also provide efficient heating functions to meet diverse needs such as heating food and beverages.

[0003] Currently, to achieve the heating function of in-vehicle refrigerators, the industry generally adopts a technology based on the Peltier effect (i.e., semiconductor heating). The core of this solution is to utilize a semiconductor thermopile; when a direct current passes through in a specific direction, heat is transferred from one end to the other, thus achieving the refrigerator's heating effect. However, this existing technology has the following drawbacks: (1) The energy efficiency is relatively low, usually between 0.2 and 0.8. This means that less heat is generated when the same amount of electrical energy is consumed. Especially when the ambient temperature is low, the efficiency of “absorbing” heat from the external environment will drop sharply, resulting in high heating power consumption. (2) Secondly, the heating performance of semiconductors is heavily dependent on the ambient temperature. The maximum heating temperature is limited by the external temperature. In the cold winter, the refrigerator may only be able to reach a level slightly higher than the ambient temperature, making it difficult to achieve high-temperature heating and failing to meet the user's demand for high-temperature heating. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a waste heat utilization control system and method for a vehicle refrigerator, which solves the technical problems that the vehicle refrigerator has high heating power consumption due to the low energy efficiency ratio of semiconductor heating, which makes it difficult to achieve high-temperature heating in cold environments because it relies entirely on semiconductor heating.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a waste heat recovery control system for a vehicle-mounted refrigerator, comprising: Car refrigerator; A heat exchange circuit is provided with a first heat exchanger that acts on the vehicle refrigerator; The motor coolant circuit contains coolant heated by the vehicle drive motor; the motor coolant circuit is connected to the heat exchange circuit through the first circuit switching valve to form a motor waste heat heating circuit, which is used to heat the vehicle refrigerator by passing the coolant through the first heat exchanger. A semiconductor chip, located inside the vehicle refrigerator, is used in conjunction with a first heat exchanger to heat the vehicle refrigerator.

[0006] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, it further includes an over-temperature protection circuit, on which a low-temperature radiator is provided; The motor coolant circuit is connected to the over-temperature protection circuit through the second circuit switching valve to form a cooling circuit, which is used to cool the coolant by allowing it to flow through the low-temperature radiator.

[0007] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, it further includes a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor; The first temperature sensor is located in the motor coolant circuit near the vehicle drive motor; the second temperature sensor is located inside the vehicle refrigerator.

[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the first heat exchanger includes a water-air heat exchanger and a blower; The water-air heat exchanger is located on the heat exchange circuit and inside the vehicle refrigerator; the blower is located around the water-air heat exchanger and the air outlet acts on the water-air heat exchanger so that after the heated coolant flows through the water-air heat exchanger, the blower blows the hot air on the surface of the water-air heat exchanger into the vehicle refrigerator.

[0009] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a method for controlling the waste heat utilization of a vehicle-mounted refrigerator, comprising: The motor coolant circuit is disconnected from the heat exchange circuit, the semiconductor chip is turned on to heat the vehicle refrigerator, and the coolant temperature and the internal temperature of the refrigerator are acquired in real time. When the coolant temperature is not lower than the target temperature, the control motor coolant circuit is connected to the heat exchange circuit, the first heat exchanger is used to heat the vehicle refrigerator, and the heating power of the semiconductor chip is gradually reduced until it is turned off. When the temperature difference between the inside of the car refrigerator and the target temperature exceeds the preset temperature difference threshold and continues for a duration exceeding the first preset duration, the semiconductor chip is activated to provide auxiliary heating.

[0010] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one embodiment, a motor heat storage strategy is also included, which comprises the following steps: When the coolant temperature is lower than the target temperature, the control motor coolant circuit and heat exchange circuit are disconnected, and the vehicle drive motor continuously heats the coolant. At this time, the heating power of the semiconductor chip is adjusted in real time according to the difference between the temperature inside the vehicle refrigerator and the target temperature.

[0011] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one embodiment, the heating power of the semiconductor chip is adjusted in real time based on the difference between the internal temperature of the vehicle refrigerator and the target temperature, which includes the following steps: If the temperature inside the car refrigerator is lower than the target temperature, the heating power of the semiconductor chip will be gradually increased until the temperature difference between the inside of the car refrigerator and the target temperature is no greater than the first temperature threshold. If the temperature inside the car refrigerator is higher than the target temperature, the heating power of the semiconductor chip will be gradually reduced until the temperature difference between the inside of the car refrigerator and the target temperature is no greater than the first temperature threshold.

[0012] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one embodiment, it further includes an over-temperature protection circuit, on which a low-temperature radiator is provided; The motor coolant circuit is connected to the over-temperature protection circuit through the second circuit switching valve to form a cooling circuit, which is used to cool the coolant by allowing it to flow through the low-temperature radiator. If the coolant temperature is higher than the target temperature, and the difference between the coolant temperature and the target temperature exceeds the second temperature threshold, then the motor coolant circuit will be connected to the over-temperature protection circuit.

[0013] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one embodiment, an electronic water pump is installed on the motor coolant circuit; When adding coolant and degassing the motor coolant circuit, the heating power of the control semiconductor chip is set to zero, and the electronic water pump is started. Control the first circuit switching valve and the second circuit switching valve to make the entire circuit periodically switch between the first state and the second state; wherein, in the first state, the motor coolant circuit is connected to the heat exchange circuit and the over-temperature protection circuit, and in the second state, the motor coolant circuit is connected to the heat exchange circuit and disconnected from the over-temperature protection circuit. The duration of both the first and second states is a preset duration, and this cycle continues until the refilling is complete.

[0014] In conjunction with the second aspect, one implementation also includes a fault response strategy, which comprises the following steps: If the coolant temperature or the temperature inside the refrigerator exceeds the preset safety threshold and the duration exceeds the second preset duration, the heating power of the control semiconductor chip will be reduced to zero, and the motor coolant circuit, heat exchange circuit, and overheat protection circuit will all be disconnected.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the technical solutions provided in this application include: A waste heat recovery control system for an onboard refrigerator is proposed. Since semiconductor chips have low heating efficiency, using them for heating throughout the entire process leads to high power consumption. Therefore, when the coolant temperature is sufficiently high while the vehicle's onboard drive motor is operating, the system activates a heat exchange circuit to maximize the utilization of the onboard drive motor's waste heat. At this point, the semiconductor chip's power can be reduced or even turned off. This directly transforms the heating process from high-power semiconductor electric heating to zero-power utilization of the onboard drive motor's waste heat, reducing overall energy consumption. Furthermore, when waste heat is insufficient, the semiconductor chip activates to assist heating. This coordinated control ensures the stability of the onboard refrigerator's internal temperature, avoiding drastic temperature fluctuations caused by heat source switching, while also optimizing energy efficiency while maintaining performance. Secondly, semiconductor chip heating extracts heat from a low-temperature environment, and its maximum temperature is limited by the ambient temperature, making it difficult to achieve high-temperature heating in cold environments. However, this application introduces an on-board drive motor as a heat source. The coolant temperature generated by the on-board drive motor during operation can easily reach temperatures above the ambient temperature. This is a stable high-temperature heat source, far exceeding the ambient temperature. The heat from the coolant of the on-board drive motor is transferred to the interior of the on-board refrigerator through a first heat exchanger, enabling the on-board refrigerator to obtain high-temperature heating capabilities even in extremely cold environments. This breaks the limitation of ambient temperature on the upper limit of heating. It solves the technical problems that the low energy efficiency ratio of semiconductor heating leads to high power consumption in the on-board refrigerator, and that its small heating temperature difference and dependence on ambient temperature make it difficult to achieve high-temperature heating in cold environments. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall framework of the waste heat utilization control system for a vehicle-mounted refrigerator provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the overall framework of the waste heat utilization control system for a vehicle refrigerator provided in this application embodiment, in which the semiconductor chip heats the vehicle refrigerator individually under the heat storage state. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the overall framework of the waste heat utilization control system for a vehicle refrigerator provided in this application embodiment, in which the first heat exchanger and the semiconductor chip simultaneously heat the vehicle refrigerator. Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the overall frame of the first heat exchanger of the waste heat utilization control system for the vehicle refrigerator provided in this application embodiment, which heats the vehicle refrigerator separately. Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the overall framework of the waste heat utilization control system for a vehicle refrigerator provided in this application embodiment, which cools the coolant when the first heat exchanger is heating the vehicle refrigerator alone and causes the coolant temperature to be too high. Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the overall frame of the waste heat utilization control system for a vehicle refrigerator in the first state during liquid injection and degassing, as provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the overall framework of the waste heat utilization control system for a vehicle refrigerator in the second state during liquid injection and degassing, as provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 8 A simplified flowchart illustrating the waste heat utilization control method for a vehicle-mounted refrigerator provided in this application embodiment.

[0017] In the diagram: 1. Vehicle refrigerator; 101. Semiconductor chip; 2. Heat exchange circuit; 21. First heat exchanger; 211. Water-air heat exchanger; 212. Blower; 3. Motor coolant circuit; 4. Over-temperature protection circuit; 41. Low-temperature radiator; 5. Vehicle drive motor; 6. First circuit switching valve; 7. Second circuit switching valve; 8. First temperature sensor; 9. Second temperature sensor; 10. Electronic water pump. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0019] To make the technical problem that this application aims to solve clearer, the causes of the technical problem will be analyzed in detail below: One issue is high power consumption, directly caused by the low energy efficiency ratio (EER) of semiconductor heating technology, typically between 0.2 and 0.8. The underlying reason is that semiconductor heating essentially uses electrical energy to drive charge carriers to move within the semiconductor, thus "transferring" heat from one end to the other. This process itself consumes a significant amount of electrical energy to overcome material resistance and generates additional losses such as Joule heating. Therefore, the input electrical energy is not fully converted into effective heat transfer, resulting in low efficiency. Furthermore, the heating capacity of the semiconductor heating element heavily depends on the heat dissipation efficiency of its hot end (installed outside the vehicle refrigerator 1). If the hot end cannot dissipate the transferred heat into the environment in time, its temperature will rise, reducing the temperature difference between the hot and cold ends, further decreasing efficiency, creating a vicious cycle. To maintain a certain heating power, the input electrical power must be increased, leading to increased power consumption.

[0020] On the other hand, there's the issue of small heating temperature difference and dependence on ambient temperature. This problem is closely related to high power consumption, the core reason being that the semiconductor heating element itself does not generate heat, but rather transfers it. The maximum achievable heating temperature (internal temperature of the car refrigerator 1) is theoretically limited by its hot-end temperature. In cold environments, the ambient temperature is very low, and the highest internal temperature of the car refrigerator 1 that the chip can reach will inevitably be very low. In heating mode, the semiconductor heating element absorbs heat from the external environment (hot end) and then releases it into the interior of the car refrigerator 1 (cold end). When the ambient temperature is already low, the density of heat that can be effectively absorbed from the environment is low, limiting its heating performance and making it difficult to achieve high-temperature heating in cold environments.

[0021] In summary, high power consumption and small heating temperature difference are two sides of the same coin in the physical limitations of semiconductor heating technology. In low-temperature environments, in order to compensate for performance degradation, a larger electrical power input is often required (leading to higher power consumption), but the effect is minimal and cannot fundamentally overcome the limitations of ambient temperature.

[0022] Firstly, reference Figures 1 to 7 This application provides a waste heat utilization control system for a vehicle refrigerator 1, which includes: a vehicle refrigerator 1; a heat exchange circuit 2, on which a first heat exchanger 21 acting on the vehicle refrigerator 1 is provided; The motor coolant circuit 3 contains coolant heated by the vehicle drive motor 5; the motor coolant circuit 3 is connected to the heat exchange circuit 2 through the first circuit switching valve 6 to form a motor waste heat heating circuit, which is used to heat the vehicle refrigerator 1 by passing the coolant through the first heat exchanger 21. A semiconductor chip 101 is disposed inside the vehicle refrigerator 1 for use in conjunction with the first heat exchanger 21 to heat the vehicle refrigerator 1.

[0023] By configuring this system, the semiconductor chip 101, which has a low heating efficiency, would consume a lot of power if used for heating throughout the entire process. Therefore, when the coolant temperature is high enough under the operation of the vehicle's onboard drive motor 5, the system connects the heat exchange circuit 2 to maximize the use of the waste heat from the onboard drive motor 5. At this time, the power of the semiconductor chip 101 can be reduced or even turned off. This directly transforms the heating process from high-power semiconductor electric heating to zero-power utilization of the waste heat from the onboard drive motor 5, reducing the total energy consumption. Furthermore, when the waste heat is insufficient, the semiconductor chip 101 is activated to assist in heating. This coordinated control ensures the stability of the internal temperature of the vehicle refrigerator 1, avoids drastic temperature fluctuations caused by heat source switching, and optimizes energy efficiency while ensuring performance. Secondly, the semiconductor chip 101 heats from a low-temperature environment, and its maximum temperature is limited by the ambient temperature. It is difficult to achieve high-temperature heating in cold environments. However, this application introduces an on-board drive motor 5 as a heat source. The coolant temperature generated by the on-board drive motor 5 during operation can easily reach a temperature above the ambient temperature. This is a stable high-temperature heat source that is much higher than the ambient temperature. The heat of the coolant of the on-board drive motor 5 is transferred to the interior of the on-board refrigerator 1 through the first heat exchanger 21, so that the on-board refrigerator 1 can obtain high-temperature heating capability even in severe cold environments, breaking the limitation of ambient temperature on the upper limit of heating. This solves the technical problems that the low energy efficiency ratio of semiconductor heating leads to high heating power consumption of the on-board refrigerator 1 due to its reliance on it for heating, and that its small heating temperature difference and dependence on ambient temperature make it difficult to achieve high-temperature heating in cold environments.

[0024] In one embodiment, it also includes an over-temperature protection circuit 4, on which a low-temperature heat sink 41 is provided; The motor coolant circuit 3 is connected to the overheat protection circuit 4 through the second circuit switching valve 7 to form a cooling circuit, which is used to cool the coolant by allowing it to flow through the low-temperature radiator 41.

[0025] In this embodiment, by adding an overheat protection circuit 4 and setting a low-temperature radiator 41, an independent and efficient heat dissipation path is provided for the motor coolant. When the motor coolant temperature is too high, the second circuit switching valve 7 can be instructed to switch the path, allowing the coolant to flow through the low-temperature radiator 41 for forced cooling, thereby ensuring that the vehicle drive motor 5 always operates within a safe temperature range. This model clearly demonstrates how the system ensures the safety of core components by switching valves when the motor needs cooling.

[0026] In one embodiment, it further includes a first temperature sensor 8 and a second temperature sensor 9; The first temperature sensor 8 is located in the motor coolant circuit 3 near the vehicle drive motor 5; the second temperature sensor 9 is located inside the vehicle refrigerator 1.

[0027] In this embodiment, by independently setting the first temperature sensor 8 (such as a water temperature sensor) and the second temperature sensor 9, the two key parameters of heat source status and heating target (whether heating is needed and how the heating effect is) can be obtained simultaneously and independently, which facilitates the acquisition of subsequent data.

[0028] In one embodiment, the first heat exchanger 21 includes a water-air heat exchanger 211 and a blower 212; The water-air heat exchanger 211 is located on the heat exchange circuit 2 and inside the vehicle refrigerator 1; the blower 212 is located around the water-air heat exchanger 211 and its outlet acts on the water-air heat exchanger 211 so that after the heated coolant flows through the water-air heat exchanger 211, the blower 212 blows the hot air from the surface of the water-air heat exchanger 211 into the vehicle refrigerator 1.

[0029] In this embodiment, the water-air heat exchanger 211 itself provides a large heat exchange area, while the forced convection of the blower 212 greatly enhances the heat transfer coefficient on the air side, improving the overall heat exchange efficiency. Without the blower 212, heat would accumulate around the heat exchanger, causing uneven temperature distribution inside the vehicle refrigerator 1, resulting in localized overheating and insufficient heating in other areas. The blower 212 blows hot air out and circulates it within the refrigerator, effectively promoting a uniform temperature distribution.

[0030] What needs to be known is that Figures 1 to 7 In the diagram, a dashed line indicates a broken circuit, while a solid line indicates a closed circuit. Furthermore, the first circuit switching valve 6 is a proportional three-way valve, and the second circuit switching valve 7 is a two-position three-way valve. To make the solution clearer, the on / off states of the motor coolant circuit 3 and heat exchange circuit 2, as well as the on / off states of the motor coolant circuit 3 and overheat protection circuit 4, are as follows: When the motor coolant circuit 3 is connected to the heat exchange circuit 2, referring to the position of the proportional three-way valve in the attached diagram, the A to C direction indicated by the proportional three-way valve is closed, and the A to B direction indicated by the proportional three-way valve is open; conversely, when the motor coolant circuit 3 is disconnected from the heat exchange circuit 2, the A to B direction indicated by the proportional three-way valve is closed, and the A to C direction indicated by the proportional three-way valve is open. The motor coolant circuit 3 is connected to the overheat protection circuit 4, i.e., referring to the position of the two-position three-way valve in the attached diagram. At this time, the A to C positions indicated by the two-position three-way valve are open, and the A to B positions indicated by the two-position three-way valve are closed. Conversely, the motor coolant circuit 3 is disconnected from the overheat protection circuit 4. At this time, the A to C positions indicated by the two-position three-way valve are closed, and the A to B positions indicated by the two-position three-way valve are open.

[0031] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a method for controlling the waste heat utilization of a vehicle-mounted refrigerator, comprising: S100: Disconnect the motor coolant circuit 3 from the heat exchange circuit 2, turn on the semiconductor chip to heat the vehicle refrigerator 1, and obtain the coolant temperature and the temperature inside the refrigerator in real time. S200. When the coolant temperature is not lower than the target temperature, the motor coolant circuit 3 is connected to the heat exchange circuit 2, and the first heat exchanger 21 is used to heat the vehicle refrigerator 1, and the heating power of the semiconductor chip 101 is gradually reduced until it is turned off. S300: When the temperature difference between the interior temperature of the vehicle refrigerator 1 and the target temperature exceeds the preset temperature difference threshold and continues to exceed the first preset time, the semiconductor chip 101 is activated to perform auxiliary heating.

[0032] By gradually reducing and eventually shutting down the heating power of the semiconductor chip 101, the system energy consumption can be reduced to an extremely low level when the coolant temperature heated by the vehicle drive motor 5 is sufficiently high. This represents a significant reduction in energy consumption compared to using the semiconductor chip 101 for heating throughout the entire process. This method prioritizes energy saving without sacrificing performance. By setting a trigger condition that activates the semiconductor chip 101 for auxiliary heating only when residual heat is insufficient, a safety net is established for the internal temperature of the vehicle refrigerator 1, ensuring the reliability and stability of the heating effect. There is no need to worry about significant temperature fluctuations in the vehicle refrigerator 1 due to changes in vehicle operating conditions (affecting the coolant temperature of the vehicle drive motor 5), ensuring the expected heating effect is always achieved. Gradually reducing the heating power of the semiconductor chip 101, rather than shutting it down directly, allows for a smooth transition from heating with residual heat combined with the semiconductor chip 101 to a pure residual heat heating mode, avoiding sudden temperature changes within the vehicle refrigerator 1 and improving the user experience.

[0033] Furthermore, in one embodiment, a motor heat storage strategy is also included, which comprises the following steps: When the coolant temperature is lower than the target temperature, the control motor coolant circuit 3 is disconnected from the heat exchange circuit 2, and the vehicle drive motor 5 continuously heats the coolant. At this time, the heating power of the semiconductor chip 101 is adjusted in real time according to the difference between the internal temperature of the vehicle refrigerator 1 and the target temperature.

[0034] In this embodiment, the strategy explicitly activates the semiconductor chip 101 to heat the vehicle refrigerator 1 immediately when the motor's residual heat is insufficient. This ensures that the heating function of the vehicle refrigerator 1 never experiences a downtime under any operating condition, guaranteeing a positive user experience and achieving seamless heating service. The diagram illustrates the semiconductor chip 101's operation as the primary heat source in this mode; while maintaining the temperature of the vehicle refrigerator 1, the semiconductor chip 101 allows the vehicle drive motor 5 to continuously heat the coolant (i.e., store heat). This enables the system to proactively prepare for switching to a more energy-efficient residual heat mode. Once the coolant temperature reaches the target, it seamlessly transitions to the high-efficiency state described in the previous embodiment. This strategy of parallel heat storage and heat preservation makes mode switching more natural and smooth, avoiding temperature fluctuations.

[0035] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the heating power of the semiconductor chip 101 is adjusted in real time based on the difference between the internal temperature of the vehicle refrigerator 1 and the target temperature, which includes the following steps: If the temperature inside the vehicle refrigerator 1 is lower than the target temperature, the heating power of the semiconductor chip 101 is gradually increased until the temperature difference between the inside of the vehicle refrigerator 1 and the target temperature is not greater than the first temperature threshold. If the internal temperature of the vehicle refrigerator 1 is higher than the target temperature, the heating power of the semiconductor chip 101 is gradually reduced until the temperature difference between the internal temperature of the vehicle refrigerator 1 and the target temperature is no greater than the first temperature threshold.

[0036] In this embodiment, the highlight of the strategy lies in adjusting the heating power of the semiconductor chip 101 in real time based on the difference between the internal temperature of the vehicle refrigerator 1 and the target temperature. That is, the semiconductor chip 101 does not simply operate at a fixed power, but rather performs precise PID-based adjustment: when the temperature of the vehicle refrigerator 1 is significantly lower than the target temperature, it rapidly heats up at a higher power. When the temperature of the vehicle refrigerator 1 approaches the target temperature, it automatically reduces the power to avoid overshoot. Through a gradual adjustment method of increasing and decreasing power, combined with a termination condition until the temperature difference is no greater than a first temperature threshold, the idea of ​​a closed-loop PID control algorithm is described. This control method allows the internal temperature of the vehicle refrigerator 1 to approach and stabilize within a very small range near the target temperature; it avoids sudden acceleration and braking of the thermal inertia system, achieving smooth temperature changes and improving control quality.

[0037] Furthermore, in one embodiment, it also includes an over-temperature protection circuit 4, on which a low-temperature heat sink 41 is provided; The motor coolant circuit 3 is connected to the over-temperature protection circuit 4 through the second circuit switching valve 7 to form a cooling circuit, which is used to cool the coolant by allowing it to flow through the low-temperature radiator 41. If the coolant temperature is higher than the target temperature, and the difference between the coolant temperature and the target temperature exceeds the second temperature threshold, then the motor coolant circuit 3 will be connected to the over-temperature protection circuit 4.

[0038] In this embodiment, by setting a clear temperature trigger condition "coolant temperature is higher than target temperature, and the difference exceeds the second temperature threshold", the two-position three-way valve can be automatically commanded to switch, and the high-temperature coolant can be introduced into the low-temperature radiator 41 of the overheat protection circuit 4 for forced cooling. The purpose of this mode is to prevent the motor from overheating. This mechanism ensures that the vehicle drive motor 5 always operates within a safe temperature range, improving the reliability and durability of the entire system; and it does not come at the cost of completely sacrificing the heating function. In the preferred system architecture, such as the system including the heat exchange circuit 2 and the overheat protection circuit 4 as defined above, even if the cooling mode is activated, the coolant can still continue to flow through the first heat exchanger 21 to provide heat to the vehicle refrigerator 1 after flowing through the low-temperature radiator 41. This means that while providing necessary cooling for the vehicle drive motor 5, the residual heat heating function of the vehicle refrigerator 1 is not completely cut off. Only the intensity of the heat source is adjusted due to the pre-cooling, maintaining the continuity of heating of the vehicle refrigerator 1.

[0039] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the electronic water pump 10 is installed on the motor coolant circuit 3; When adding coolant and degassing to the motor coolant circuit 3, the heating power of the control semiconductor chip 101 is zero, and the electronic water pump 10 is started. Control the first circuit switching valve 6 and the second circuit switching valve 7 to periodically switch the entire circuit between the first state and the second state; wherein, in the first state, the motor coolant circuit 3 is connected to the heat exchange circuit 2 and to the overheat protection circuit 4, and in the second state, the motor coolant circuit 3 is connected to the heat exchange circuit 2 and disconnected from the overheat protection circuit 4. The duration of both the first and second states is a preset duration, and this cycle continues until the refilling is complete.

[0040] In this embodiment, by controlling a two-position three-way valve and a proportional three-way valve, the on / off state of the motor coolant circuit 3, heat exchange circuit 2, and overheat protection circuit 4 is periodically switched between a first state and a second state. This essentially actively and repeatedly alters the flow path of the coolant in the system. This flushing process flushes out air accumulated in different pipe branches and at high points, guiding it to the system's expansion tank and other venting structures, thereby achieving efficient and thorough venting. In this mode, the heating power of the semiconductor chip 101 is controlled to zero, i.e., heating is prohibited. This is a crucial safety measure. Starting heating before venting is complete and coolant flow may be obstructed can easily lead to localized overheating, damaging the semiconductor chip 101 or the heat exchanger. This provision ensures that high-risk heating functions are disabled when the system is in an unstable state, protecting valuable components. Furthermore, in one embodiment, a fault response strategy is also included, which comprises the following steps: If the temperature of the coolant or the temperature inside the refrigerator exceeds the preset safety threshold and the duration exceeds the second preset duration, the heating power of the control semiconductor chip 101 will be zero, and the motor coolant circuit 3, the heat exchange circuit 2, and the overheat protection circuit 4 will all be disconnected.

[0041] In this embodiment, when an anomaly is detected, i.e., the temperature exceeds a preset safety threshold and persists for a certain period of time, power is immediately reduced to zero (switching off semiconductor chip 101) and physical isolation is implemented (disconnecting the motor coolant circuit 3 from the heat exchange circuit 2 and the over-temperature protection circuit 4). This puts the system into a state of minimum power consumption and maximum safety, cutting off the connection between potential hazards and potentially damaged components and the fault source, effectively preventing chain reactions and equipment damage caused by a single fault point. The design avoids malfunctions of the protection system due to transient signal interference or normal fluctuations, ensuring stable operation of the system under most normal operating conditions. Protection action is only triggered when a real and sustained anomaly is confirmed.

[0042] The beneficial effects of this invention include: A waste heat utilization control system for an onboard refrigerator is proposed. The semiconductor chip 101 has a low heating efficiency, and using it for heating throughout the entire process would result in high power consumption. Therefore, when the coolant temperature is sufficiently high while the vehicle's onboard drive motor 5 is operating, the system activates the heat exchange circuit 2 to maximize the utilization of the waste heat from the onboard drive motor 5. At this time, the power of the semiconductor chip 101 can be reduced or even turned off. This directly transforms the heating process from high-power semiconductor electric heating to zero-power waste heat utilization from the onboard drive motor 5, reducing total energy consumption. Furthermore, it does not simply switch two heat sources on and off, but rather adjusts the heating power of the semiconductor chip 101 and selectively connects the heat exchange circuit 2. That is, when waste heat is introduced, the heating power of the semiconductor chip 101 gradually decreases; when waste heat is insufficient, the semiconductor chip 101 activates to assist heating. This refined coordinated control ensures the stability of the internal temperature of the onboard refrigerator 1, avoiding drastic temperature fluctuations caused by heat source switching, while also optimizing energy efficiency while maintaining performance. Secondly, the semiconductor chip 101 heats from a low-temperature environment, and its maximum temperature is limited by the ambient temperature. It is difficult to achieve high-temperature heating in cold environments. However, this application introduces an on-board drive motor 5 as a heat source. The coolant temperature generated by the on-board drive motor 5 during operation can easily reach a temperature above the ambient temperature. This is a stable high-temperature heat source that is much higher than the ambient temperature. The heat of the coolant of the on-board drive motor 5 is transferred to the interior of the on-board refrigerator 1 through the first heat exchanger 21, so that the on-board refrigerator 1 can obtain high-temperature heating capability even in severe cold environments, breaking the limitation of ambient temperature on the upper limit of heating. This solves the technical problems that the low energy efficiency ratio of semiconductor heating leads to high heating power consumption of the on-board refrigerator 1 due to its reliance on it for heating, and that its small heating temperature difference and dependence on ambient temperature make it difficult to achieve high-temperature heating in cold environments.

[0043] It should be noted that the sequence numbers of the embodiments in this application are for descriptive purposes only and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments.

[0044] The terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus. The terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used to distinguish different objects, etc., and do not indicate a sequence, nor do they limit "first," "second," and "third" to different types.

[0045] In the description of the embodiments of this application, terms such as "exemplary," "for example," or "for instance" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary," "for example," or "for instance" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary," "for example," or "for instance" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0046] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or". For example, A / B can mean A or B. The "and / or" in the text is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, in the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more.

[0047] In some processes described in the embodiments of this application, multiple operations or steps are included in a specific order. However, it should be understood that these operations or steps may not be executed in the order they appear in the embodiments of this application, or they may be executed in parallel. The sequence number of the operation is only used to distinguish different operations, and the sequence number itself does not represent any execution order. In addition, these processes may include more or fewer operations, and these operations or steps may be executed sequentially or in parallel, and these operations or steps may be combined.

[0048] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) as described above, and includes several instructions to cause a terminal device to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0049] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and do not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of this application's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A waste heat recovery control system for a vehicle-mounted refrigerator, characterized in that, It includes: Car refrigerator (1); A heat exchange circuit (2) is provided with a first heat exchanger (21) that acts on the vehicle refrigerator (1). The motor coolant circuit (3) contains coolant heated by the vehicle drive motor (5); the motor coolant circuit (3) is connected to the heat exchange circuit (2) through the first circuit switching valve (6) to form a motor waste heat heating circuit, which is used to heat the vehicle refrigerator (1) by passing the coolant through the first heat exchanger (21); A semiconductor chip (101) is disposed inside the vehicle refrigerator (1) for use in conjunction with the first heat exchanger (21) to heat the vehicle refrigerator (1).

2. The waste heat recovery control system for a vehicle-mounted refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an overheat protection circuit (4), on which a low-temperature radiator (41) is provided. The motor coolant circuit (3) is connected to the overheat protection circuit (4) through the second circuit switching valve (7) to form a cooling circuit, which is used to cool the coolant by allowing it to flow through the low-temperature radiator (41).

3. The waste heat recovery control system for a vehicle-mounted refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a first temperature sensor (8) and a second temperature sensor (9); The first temperature sensor (8) is located in the motor coolant circuit (3) near the vehicle drive motor (5); the second temperature sensor (9) is located inside the vehicle refrigerator (1).

4. The waste heat recovery control system for a vehicle-mounted refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The first heat exchanger (21) includes a water-air heat exchanger (211) and a blower (212); The water-air heat exchanger (211) is located on the heat exchange circuit (2) and inside the vehicle refrigerator (1); the blower (212) is located on the periphery of the water-air heat exchanger (211) and the air outlet acts on the water-air heat exchanger (211) so that after the heated coolant flows through the water-air heat exchanger (211), the blower (212) blows the hot air on the surface of the water-air heat exchanger (211) into the vehicle refrigerator (1).

5. A method for controlling waste heat utilization in a vehicle-mounted refrigerator, characterized in that, It includes: Provide a waste heat utilization control system for the vehicle refrigerator as described in claim 1; Disconnect the motor coolant circuit (3) from the heat exchange circuit (2), turn on the semiconductor chip to heat the vehicle refrigerator (1), and obtain the coolant temperature and the temperature inside the refrigerator in real time; When the coolant temperature is not lower than the target temperature, the motor coolant circuit (3) is connected to the heat exchange circuit (2), the first heat exchanger (21) is used to heat the vehicle refrigerator (1), and the heating power of the semiconductor chip (101) is gradually reduced until it is turned off. When the temperature difference between the inside of the vehicle refrigerator (1) and the target temperature exceeds the preset temperature difference threshold and continues for a duration exceeding the first preset duration, the semiconductor chip (101) is activated to perform auxiliary heating.

6. The waste heat utilization control method for a vehicle-mounted refrigerator as described in claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes a motor heat storage strategy, which comprises the following steps: When the coolant temperature is lower than the target temperature, the motor coolant circuit (3) is disconnected from the heat exchange circuit (2), and the vehicle drive motor (5) continuously heats the coolant. At this time, the heating power of the semiconductor chip (101) is adjusted in real time according to the difference between the temperature inside the vehicle refrigerator (1) and the target temperature.

7. The waste heat utilization control method for a vehicle-mounted refrigerator as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The heating power of the semiconductor chip (101) is adjusted in real time based on the difference between the internal temperature of the vehicle refrigerator (1) and the target temperature, which includes the following steps: If the temperature inside the vehicle refrigerator (1) is lower than the target temperature, the heating power of the semiconductor chip (101) is gradually increased until the temperature difference between the inside of the vehicle refrigerator (1) and the target temperature is not greater than the first temperature threshold. If the temperature inside the vehicle refrigerator (1) is higher than the target temperature, the heating power of the semiconductor chip (101) is gradually reduced until the temperature difference between the inside of the vehicle refrigerator (1) and the target temperature is not greater than the first temperature threshold.

8. The waste heat utilization control method for a vehicle-mounted refrigerator as described in claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes an overheat protection circuit (4), on which a low-temperature radiator (41) is provided. The motor coolant circuit (3) is connected to the overheat protection circuit (4) through the second circuit switching valve (7) to form a cooling circuit, which is used to cool the coolant by allowing it to flow through the low-temperature radiator (41); If the coolant temperature is higher than the target temperature, and the difference between the coolant temperature and the target temperature exceeds the second temperature threshold, then the motor coolant circuit (3) is connected to the over-temperature protection circuit (4).

9. The waste heat utilization control method for a vehicle-mounted refrigerator as described in claim 8, characterized in that: An electronic water pump (10) is installed on the motor coolant circuit (3); When adding coolant and degassing to the motor coolant circuit (3), the heating power of the semiconductor chip (101) is controlled to be zero, and the electronic water pump (10) is started. Control the first circuit switching valve (6) and the second circuit switching valve (7) to periodically switch the entire circuit between the first state and the second state; wherein, the first state is that the motor coolant circuit (3) is connected to the heat exchange circuit (2) and connected to the overheat protection circuit (4), and the second state is that the motor coolant circuit (3) is connected to the heat exchange circuit (2) and disconnected from the overheat protection circuit (4); The duration of both the first state and the second state is a first preset duration, and this cycle continues until the refilling is completed.

10. The waste heat utilization control method for a vehicle-mounted refrigerator as described in claim 8, characterized in that, It also includes a fault response strategy, which comprises the following steps: If the temperature of the coolant or the temperature inside the refrigerator exceeds the preset safety threshold and the duration exceeds the second preset duration, the heating power of the semiconductor chip (101) is controlled to be zero, and the motor coolant circuit (3), the heat exchange circuit (2), and the overheat protection circuit (4) are all disconnected.

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