Vehicle thermal management system vehicle-mounted refrigerator refrigerating device, vehicle and control method

Abstract

The invention provides a vehicle thermal management system vehicle-mounted refrigerator refrigerating device, a vehicle and a control method. The vehicle thermal management system vehicle-mounted refrigerator refrigerating device comprises a first electronic throttle valve, a second electronic throttle valve, a refrigerator evaporator, a micro booster pump, a switching valve and a controller. The first electronic throttle valve and the second electronic throttle valve are connected in parallel between an outlet of a vehicle condenser and an inlet of a refrigerator evaporator; an outlet of the refrigerator evaporator is connected with the input end of the switching valve, the first output end of the switching valve is connected with the common air return pipeline, the second output end of the switching valve is connected with the pressurization air return pipeline, and the miniature booster pump is arranged on the pressurization air return pipeline. And the output ends of the common air return pipeline and the pressurized air return pipeline are converged and then connected to a low-pressure air return port of the vehicle compressor. According to the vehicle-mounted refrigerator refrigerating device of the vehicle thermal management system, the vehicle and the control method, the comprehensive effects of energy conservation, noise reduction, weight reduction, cost reduction and reliability improvement can be achieved while rapid cooling of the refrigerator is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle thermal management technology, and more specifically, to a vehicle thermal management system, an on-board refrigerator refrigeration device, a vehicle, and a control method. Background Technology

[0002] As the automotive consumer market demands increased comfort and convenience in driving, in-car refrigerators have become an increasingly popular feature in vehicles.

[0003] However, most of the current mainstream car refrigerators use independent refrigeration systems, which have many defects in practical applications: (1) Low refrigeration efficiency. Independent compressors are limited by vehicle space and power supply, resulting in low power and slow cooling speed in high-temperature environments, making it difficult to quickly reach the preset temperature; (2) High energy consumption of the whole vehicle. Independent refrigeration systems require separate driving of compressors and cooling fans, which consumes additional vehicle power and reduces the range of new energy vehicles or the economy of fuel vehicles; (3) Large space occupation. Independent systems include compressors, condensers, fans and other components, which increases the complexity of vehicle layout and squeezes the driving or storage space; (4) Obvious noise and vibration. The mechanical noise and vibration of independent compressors are directly transmitted to the cabin, affecting driving comfort; (5) High overall cost. The design, assembly and maintenance costs of independent system components are all high.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, existing technologies attempt to integrate vehicle refrigerators into the vehicle's air conditioning system. However, most of these solutions employ only simple parallel connections, failing to adequately consider core issues such as refrigerant distribution rationality, system pressure balance, adaptability to multiple operating conditions, and compressor protection. Consequently, these solutions lack practicality and are difficult to scale up.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a technical solution that can address the aforementioned technical pain points and achieve efficient collaboration between the vehicle refrigerator and the original vehicle air conditioning system. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to solve the technical problems mentioned in the background art and provides a vehicle thermal management system, an on-board refrigerator refrigeration device, a vehicle, and a control method. In particular, it relates to a technical solution that integrates the on-board refrigerator refrigeration function with the original vehicle air conditioning refrigerant circulation system into a unified design and intelligent control system.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a vehicle thermal management system on-board refrigerator refrigeration device, comprising: a first electronic throttle valve, a second electronic throttle valve, a refrigerator evaporator, a micro booster pump, a switching valve, and a controller; The first electronic throttle valve and the second electronic throttle valve are connected in parallel between the outlet of the vehicle condenser and the inlet of the refrigerator evaporator; The outlet of the refrigerator evaporator is connected to the input end of the switching valve, the first output end of the switching valve is connected to the ordinary return gas pipeline, the second output end of the switching valve is connected to the booster return gas pipeline, and the micro booster pump is installed on the booster return gas pipeline. The output ends of the ordinary return air pipe and the booster return air pipe merge and are connected to the low-pressure return air port of the vehicle compressor. The controller is electrically connected to the first electronic throttle valve, the second electronic throttle valve, the switching valve, and the micro booster pump, and is used to control the operation of each component according to the ambient temperature and the working status of the vehicle's air conditioning.

[0008] Furthermore, the flow port diameter of the first electronic throttle valve is smaller than that of the second electronic throttle valve.

[0009] Furthermore, the micro booster pump has a vortex-type structure.

[0010] Furthermore, the controller is configured to: when the ambient temperature is higher than 32°C and the vehicle air conditioning is on, control the first electronic throttle valve to open and control the switching valve to connect to the normal return air pipe; after running continuously for 1 to 3 minutes, control the switching valve to switch to connect to the boost return air pipe and control the micro boost pump to start.

[0011] Furthermore, the controller is configured to: when the ambient temperature is between 20°C and 32°C and the vehicle air conditioning is on, control the first electronic throttle valve to open and control the switching valve to remain connected to the normal return air pipe.

[0012] Furthermore, the controller is configured to: when the vehicle air conditioning is off, control the second electronic throttle valve to open and control the switching valve to connect to the normal return air pipe.

[0013] A vehicle includes an onboard refrigerator refrigeration unit as described above.

[0014] A method for controlling a vehicle-mounted refrigerator refrigeration device as described above includes the following steps: S1: Detects ambient temperature and the operating status of the vehicle's air conditioning; S2: When the ambient temperature is higher than 32℃ and the vehicle air conditioner is on, execute the high temperature rapid cooling control process: control the first electronic throttle valve to open, and control the switching valve to connect to the ordinary return air pipe; S3: After running continuously for 1 to 3 minutes, control the switching valve to switch to the connection with the booster return gas pipeline, and control the micro booster pump to start.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: The vehicle thermal management system of the present invention has a vehicle refrigerator refrigeration device, vehicle and control method. It adopts a combination architecture of parallel liquid supply with dual throttle valves and dual return gas path selection to achieve efficient and flexible integration with the original vehicle air conditioning system. Based on the adaptive multi-mode control logic of multi-parameter recognition, it takes into account the refrigeration performance, energy efficiency and system protection. It introduces a small scroll booster pump to solve the problem of low refrigeration efficiency under low pressure conditions. At the same time, it optimizes NVH performance. Through strategies such as delayed start of booster pump and superheat monitoring, it avoids damage to compressor and booster pump caused by refrigerant liquid reflux and improves system reliability. Compared with the existing independent vehicle refrigerator, the present invention has the following significant advantages: (1) High temperature In the environment, the time for beverages to cool from room temperature to below 10°C is shortened by more than 60%, and the cooling performance is excellent; (2) The new energy consumption comes only from the micro booster pump of about 40W, which is far lower than the independent compressor system (more than 150W), and the energy saving effect is obvious; (3) The independent compressor, condenser and other components are eliminated, the total weight of the system is reduced by 3~5 kg, and the structure is compact and lightweight; (4) The cost is greatly reduced, the number of parts is reduced, and the production, assembly and maintenance costs are reduced; (4) The noise of the micro booster pump is far lower than that of the traditional compressor, there is no cooling fan noise, the car is quieter, and the NVH performance is excellent; (5) The high temperature and high pressure risks of the independent compressor are avoided, the system is more stable, the life is longer, and the reliability is high; In summary, this invention supplies refrigerant to the refrigerator by connecting dual throttle valves in parallel after the original vehicle condenser, and returns the refrigerant to the compressor through a switchable dual return gas path (normal / boost). The control system intelligently selects high-temperature rapid cooling, comfort and energy saving, or independent basic cooling mode based on the ambient temperature and air conditioning conditions. While achieving rapid cooling of the refrigerator, it also achieves comprehensive effects of energy saving, noise reduction, weight reduction, cost reduction, and improved reliability. This invention integrates the vehicle refrigerator and the vehicle air conditioning system, and has great practical and promotional value. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only drawings of some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings. In addition, the drawings in the following description can be regarded as schematic diagrams and are not intended to limit the actual size of the product, the actual flow of the method, the actual timing of the signals, etc. involved in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the system structure principle and control system logic flow of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the temperature change curve under the high-temperature rapid cooling mode of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cooling curve of a typical car refrigerator.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the miniature vortex booster pump of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the micro vortex booster pump of the present invention.

[0022] In the picture: 1. Inlet pipe; 2. Low-pressure chamber; 3. Drive motor; 4. Pressurization assembly; 5. High-pressure chamber; 6. Outlet pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown in the figure, an embodiment of the present invention provides a vehicle thermal management system on-board refrigerator refrigeration device, including: a first electronic throttle valve, a second electronic throttle valve, a refrigerator evaporator, a micro booster pump, an electric three-way switching valve, a controller, and matching temperature sensors and pressure sensors; their connection relationship is as follows: The first electronic throttle valve and the second electronic throttle valve are connected in parallel between the outlet of the vehicle condenser and the inlet of the refrigerator evaporator. The outlet of the vehicle condenser is divided into two paths through a three-way connector: one path is connected to the original vehicle air conditioning expansion valve, and the other path is connected in parallel to the inlets of the first electronic throttle valve and the second electronic throttle valve. The outlets of the first electronic throttle valve and the second electronic throttle valve are merged and connected to the inlet of the refrigerator evaporator. The outlet of the refrigerator evaporator is connected to the input end of the electric three-way switching valve, the first output end of the switching valve is connected to the ordinary return gas pipeline, the second output end of the switching valve is connected to the booster return gas pipeline, and the micro booster pump is installed on the booster return gas pipeline. The output ends of the ordinary return gas pipe and the booster return gas pipe merge and are connected to the low-pressure return gas port of the original vehicle compressor. The controller is electrically connected to the first electronic throttle valve, the second electronic throttle valve, the switching valve, and the micro booster pump. It is used to control the operation of each component according to the ambient temperature and the working status of the vehicle's air conditioning. The controller communicates with each valve, booster pump, and sensor through electrical connection to achieve intelligent control. The controller can be integrated into the vehicle body controller (BCM) or set up independently. It obtains vehicle status information through the CAN bus to achieve multi-parameter adaptive control.

[0025] In one embodiment, the flow diameter of the first electronic throttle valve is smaller than that of the second electronic throttle valve. The first and second electronic throttle valves have fast response speeds and their opening degrees can be precisely adjusted, thereby achieving fine control of the refrigerant flow.

[0026] Please see Figure 1 The vehicle thermal management system includes a compressor, condenser, dryer filter, air conditioning indoor unit, and electronic expansion valve, which is the core component of the original vehicle's air conditioning refrigerant circulation. The refrigerator system includes a small-diameter expansion valve / capillary tube, a large-diameter expansion valve / capillary tube, a vehicle refrigerator, and a miniature booster pump, which is a newly added integrated refrigeration module. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the original vehicle compressor is cooled by the condenser and filtered by the dryer filter, and then split into two paths: one path flows to the original vehicle air conditioning electronic expansion valve to supply cooling to the air conditioning indoor unit, and the other path is connected in parallel to the small / large-diameter expansion valve / capillary tube of the refrigerator system to supply refrigerant to the vehicle refrigerator (the small or large valve is selected to open depending on the operating conditions); the refrigerant flows through the small / large-diameter... After being throttled by the expansion valve / capillary tube, the refrigerant enters the vehicle refrigerator to complete the cooling process, and then returns to the original vehicle compressor through a dual return gas path. Path one is the normal return gas path, where the refrigerant flows directly back to the compressor's low-pressure return gas port. Path two is the pressurized return gas path, where the refrigerant is pressurized by a micro booster pump and then flows back to the compressor's low-pressure return gas port (improving the return gas pressure and cooling efficiency under high-temperature conditions). This invention, through deep integration with the original vehicle air conditioning system, not only solves the problems of high energy consumption, large size, and high noise of traditional independent vehicle refrigerators, but also adapts to the needs of different operating conditions (high-temperature rapid cooling, comfort and energy saving, independent cooling) through the dual-valve liquid supply and dual-path return gas design, achieving a highly efficient, energy-saving, and compact cooling effect.

[0027] Please see Figure 4-5In one embodiment, the miniature booster pump has a scroll-type structure. The miniature scroll-type booster pump adopts a horizontal scroll structure with a built-in anti-liquid slugging design, controllable speed, and a power of 30-60W. It features a compact structure and low noise and vibration. The miniature booster pump includes: an inlet pipe 1, a low-pressure chamber 2, a drive motor 3, a booster assembly 4, a high-pressure chamber 5, and an outlet pipe 6. The inlet pipe 1 is located at one end of the pump body and serves as the refrigerant input channel, with its outlet connected to the low-pressure chamber 2. The low-pressure chamber 2 is located on the side of the pump body closest to the inlet pipe 1 and serves as a temporary storage space for the refrigerant before it enters the booster assembly 4. It internally accommodates part of the drive motor 3. The drive motor 3 is integrated between the low-pressure chamber 2 and the booster assembly 4. It is a power output component, whose output end is connected to the booster assembly 4 to provide power for boosting; the booster assembly 4 is located in the middle of the pump body, adjacent to the low-pressure chamber 2 on one side and connected to the high-pressure chamber 5 on the other side, and is the core component for realizing refrigerant boosting (compressing the refrigerant through a vortex structure); the high-pressure chamber 5 is located on the side of the pump body near the discharge pipe 6, and is used to temporarily store the high-pressure refrigerant after being compressed by the booster assembly 4; the discharge pipe 6 is located at the other end of the pump body, and its inlet is connected to the high-pressure chamber 5, which is the output channel for the boosted refrigerant; the components are arranged in sequence along the path of the inlet pipe 1, low-pressure chamber 2, drive motor 3, booster assembly 4, high-pressure chamber 5, and discharge pipe 6, forming a complete flow channel for the refrigerant from input, boosting to output.

[0028] The system automatically switches between the following three operating modes based on parameters such as ambient temperature and vehicle air conditioning status: (1) High temperature rapid cooling mode Applicable conditions: Ambient temperature ≥ 32℃, vehicle air conditioning on, refrigerator requires rapid cooling; Control process: a) Open the first electronic throttle valve to supply liquid to the refrigerator evaporator; b) For the first 2 minutes, the electric three-way valve connects to the normal return gas path, and the refrigerant flows back naturally; c) After 2 minutes, the switching valve switches to the booster return gas path, starts the micro booster pump, and increases the return gas pressure and flow rate; d) Adjust the opening of the expansion valve dynamically according to the superheat at the evaporator outlet to maintain efficient refrigeration.

[0029] In one embodiment, the controller is configured to: when the ambient temperature is higher than 32°C and the vehicle air conditioning is on, control the first electronic throttle valve to open and control the switching valve to connect to the normal return air pipe; after running continuously for 1 to 3 minutes, control the switching valve to switch to connect to the boost return air pipe and control the micro boost pump to start.

[0030] (2) Comfort and energy-saving mode Applicable conditions: Ambient temperature 20℃~30℃, vehicle air conditioning on; Control process: If the refrigerator only needs to keep warm or slightly cool down, open the first electronic throttle valve to maintain the normal return gas path, and the booster pump will not work. If faster cooling is required, the normal return gas path will automatically switch to the booster return gas path and start the booster pump after running for a period of time.

[0031] In one embodiment, the controller is configured to: control the first electronic throttle valve to open and control the switching valve to remain connected to the normal return air pipe when the ambient temperature is between 20°C and 32°C and the vehicle air conditioning is on.

[0032] 3) Independent base cooling mode Applicable conditions: Vehicle air conditioning is off, refrigerator needs to cool; Control process: a) Open the second electronic throttle valve to provide basic refrigerant flow; b) Maintain the normal return gas path, and do not start the booster pump; c) This mode has a mild cooling capacity and is suitable for spring and autumn or short-term heat preservation.

[0033] In one embodiment, the controller is configured to: control the second electronic throttle valve to open and control the switching valve to connect the normal return air pipe when the vehicle air conditioning is off.

[0034] A vehicle includes an onboard refrigerator refrigeration unit as described above.

[0035] A method for controlling a vehicle-mounted refrigerator refrigeration device as described above includes the following steps: S1: Detects ambient temperature and the operating status of the vehicle's air conditioning; S2: When the ambient temperature is higher than 32℃ and the vehicle air conditioner is on, execute the high temperature rapid cooling control process: control the first electronic throttle valve to open, and control the switching valve to connect to the ordinary return air pipe; S3: After running continuously for 1 to 3 minutes, control the switching valve to switch to the connection with the booster return gas pipeline, and control the micro booster pump to start. Example

[0036] Let's take an SUV equipped with automatic air conditioning as an example for modification. Installation components: Weld a three-way connector to the original vehicle's condenser outlet high-pressure pipe, connect the first electronic throttle valve (φ1.2mm) and the second electronic throttle valve (φ2.0mm), connect the refrigerator evaporator integrated into the 18L refrigerator body to the pipe, install an electric three-way valve at the evaporator outlet, and connect the ordinary return gas pipe and the booster return gas pipe with a miniature booster pump (8cc / r), and install the temperature sensor and pressure sensor inside the refrigerator and at the evaporator outlet.

[0037] Control configuration: Write control software to embed into the vehicle controller, set mode judgment thresholds (high temperature mode >32℃, comfort mode 20-32℃), and set the booster pump delay start time to 120 seconds.

[0038] Operational performance: After the user turns on the refrigerator, the system runs automatically. In the summer when it is hot, it automatically enters the quick cooling mode to quickly chill beverages; in the spring and autumn seasons, it automatically runs in the energy-saving mode, which is quiet and saves electricity.

[0039] Please see Figure 2-3 The cooling effects of a conventional car refrigerator and the high-temperature rapid cooling mode of this invention were compared. The conventional car refrigerator (CH12 refrigerator center) started cooling from about 18°C ​​and only reached about -3°C within the sampling time (30 minutes). The cooling slope was relatively gentle, and the cooling speed was slow in the early stage (first 10 minutes). The cooling trend slowed down further after approaching 0°C. The overall cooling efficiency was low and the cooling capacity was limited, making it unable to quickly reach a low temperature. The high-temperature rapid cooling mode of this invention (CH11 refrigerator center) also started cooling from about 18°C ​​and reached about -20°C within a similar sampling time (30 minutes). The cooling slope was steeper in the early stage (rapidly dropping from 18°C ​​to below 0°C in the first 10 minutes) and continued to cool steadily in the later stage. The final temperature was much lower than that of the conventional refrigerator, demonstrating the core advantage of high-temperature rapid cooling. It not only cools quickly but also achieves a lower target temperature. As can be seen, the high-temperature rapid cooling mode of the present invention solves the defects of ordinary car refrigerators in terms of slow cooling and weak low-temperature capability through the design of dual-valve liquid supply and pressurized gas return. Especially in high-temperature environments, it can achieve rapid cooling and deep cooling more efficiently.

[0040] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle thermal management system on-board refrigerator refrigeration device, characterized in that, include: First electronic throttle valve, second electronic throttle valve, refrigerator evaporator, micro booster pump, switching valve and controller; The first electronic throttle valve and the second electronic throttle valve are connected in parallel between the outlet of the vehicle condenser and the inlet of the refrigerator evaporator; The outlet of the refrigerator evaporator is connected to the input end of the switching valve, the first output end of the switching valve is connected to the ordinary return gas pipeline, the second output end of the switching valve is connected to the booster return gas pipeline, and the micro booster pump is installed on the booster return gas pipeline. The output ends of the ordinary return air pipe and the booster return air pipe merge and are connected to the low-pressure return air port of the vehicle compressor. The controller is electrically connected to the first electronic throttle valve, the second electronic throttle valve, the switching valve, and the micro booster pump, and is used to control the operation of each component according to the ambient temperature and the working status of the vehicle's air conditioning.

2. The vehicle thermal management system on-board refrigerator refrigeration device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow diameter of the first electronic throttle valve is smaller than that of the second electronic throttle valve.

3. The vehicle thermal management system on-board refrigerator refrigeration device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The micro booster pump has a vortex-type structure.

4. The vehicle thermal management system on-board refrigerator refrigeration device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is configured to: when the ambient temperature is higher than 32°C and the vehicle air conditioning is on, control the first electronic throttle valve to open and control the switching valve to connect to the normal return air pipe; after running continuously for 1 to 3 minutes, control the switching valve to switch to connect to the boost return air pipe and control the micro boost pump to start.

5. The vehicle thermal management system on-board refrigerator refrigeration device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is configured to: when the ambient temperature is between 20°C and 32°C and the vehicle air conditioning is on, control the first electronic throttle valve to open and control the switching valve to keep connected to the normal return air pipe.

6. The vehicle thermal management system on-board refrigerator refrigeration device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is configured to: when the vehicle air conditioning is off, control the second electronic throttle valve to open and control the switching valve to connect to the normal return air pipe.

7. A vehicle, characterized in that: Includes the vehicle-mounted refrigerator refrigeration device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A method for controlling the refrigeration device of a vehicle-mounted refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1: Detects ambient temperature and the operating status of the vehicle's air conditioning; S2: When the ambient temperature is higher than 32℃ and the vehicle air conditioner is on, execute the high temperature rapid cooling control process: control the first electronic throttle valve to open, and control the switching valve to connect to the ordinary return air pipe; S3: After running continuously for 1 to 3 minutes, control the switching valve to switch to the connection with the booster return gas pipeline, and control the micro booster pump to start.

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