Thermal management system control method and device and vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses a thermal management system control method and device and a vehicle, and relates to the technical field of new energy automobile thermal management, and the method comprises the steps that a heat pump working mode is determined according to thermal management requirements of operation of all systems of the current vehicle; based on the heat pump working mode, determining an available heat source, and based on the available heat source, determining a nine-way valve element target angle and a three-way valve opening position which are preset in a heat management system waterway; determining a control strategy of the thermal management system according to the target angle of the nine-way valve core and the opening position of the three-way valve; the thermal management system is controlled through the control strategy and a predetermined closed-loop control algorithm, coordinated utilization of multiple heat sources can be achieved, stable mode management and energy balance are achieved, the response speed and stability of thermal management of the whole vehicle are improved, the assembly difficulty and cost are reduced, and meanwhile the sealing reliability of the system is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of thermal management technology for new energy vehicles, and in particular to thermal management system control methods, thermal management system control devices, and vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of new energy vehicles, vehicle thermal management systems need to simultaneously meet the comfort requirements of passenger cabin air conditioning as well as the temperature control requirements of power batteries, electric drives, and electronic control components.

[0003] Currently, pure electric vehicles generally use heat pump air conditioning for thermal management, but most of these are air-source heat pump systems that utilize ambient air for heat exchange. Research and application of water-source heat pumps that utilize liquid-cooled circuits for heat exchange are relatively limited. In typical electric vehicle thermal management systems, subsystems such as water cooling, battery heating, and passenger compartment air conditioning are often controlled by multiple independent circuits and valves.

[0004] However, thermal management strategies are usually controlled by each subsystem independently, making it difficult to dynamically coordinate multiple heat sources under different environments and operating conditions. Furthermore, the working modes supported by thermal management are limited, making it impossible to finely divide complex scenarios. This results in complex control logic and untimely response when multiple demands overlap (such as fast charging the battery while turning on the air conditioner), which may lead to unreasonable energy distribution or system fluctuations. It is difficult to simultaneously meet the thermal management needs of multiple systems in the vehicle while also ensuring low energy consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a thermal management system control method, thermal management system control device, electronic device, storage medium, and vehicle, at least to solve the technical problem of how to coordinate multiple heat sources and how to meet the thermal management needs of multiple systems in a vehicle while also taking into account low energy consumption.

[0006] This invention provides the following solution:

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a thermal management system control method is provided, comprising:

[0008] The heat pump operating mode is determined based on the current thermal management requirements of various vehicle systems.

[0009] Based on the heat pump operating mode, the available heat source is determined, and based on the available heat source, the target angle of the nine-way valve core and the opening position of the three-way valve, which are pre-set in the water circuit of the heat management system, are determined.

[0010] The control strategy of the thermal management system is determined based on the target angle of the nine-way valve core and the opening position of the three-way valve.

[0011] The thermal management system is controlled by the aforementioned control strategy and a pre-determined closed-loop control algorithm.

[0012] Furthermore, controlling the thermal management system through the control strategy and the pre-determined closed-loop control algorithm includes:

[0013] According to the control strategy, the components of the thermal management system are controlled to operate in the specified working state, and the system enters the stable control stage of the heat pump working mode.

[0014] The closed-loop control algorithm is used to maintain the working state of each component during the stable control phase and control the thermal management system.

[0015] Furthermore, determining the heat pump operating mode based on the current thermal management requirements of various vehicle systems includes:

[0016] In response to vehicle startup, signals from various temperature sensors are collected in real time, and the thermal management requirements of each system in the vehicle are determined based on these signals.

[0017] Based on the stated thermal management requirements, determine the combination of the thermal management requirements;

[0018] The heat pump operating mode is determined based on the combination of conditions.

[0019] Furthermore, the thermal management requirements include passenger compartment thermal management requirements set by the user and vehicle component temperature control thermal management requirements.

[0020] The thermal management requirements of the passenger compartment are determined based on the energy of heat exchange between the environment and the air inside the vehicle, the energy of sunlight, the energy emitted by the human body, and the energy emitted by the working parts inside the vehicle.

[0021] The thermal management requirements for temperature control of vehicle components are determined based on the set temperature thresholds for each vehicle component.

[0022] Furthermore, the method also includes:

[0023] Based on the thermal management requirements of the passenger compartment, calculate the air volume and air temperature of the passenger compartment air conditioning system.

[0024] Based on the air volume and the air temperature, determine the response mode and circulation mode of the passenger cabin air conditioning system, as well as the steady-state energy required for the passenger cabin to enter a steady state;

[0025] Calculate the current transient energy of the vehicle;

[0026] In the determined response mode and cycle mode of the air conditioning system, the steady-state energy and the transient energy are superimposed to determine the conditioning energy required by the passenger cabin air conditioning system;

[0027] Based on the regulating energy, the control parameters of the crew cabin air conditioning system are determined.

[0028] Furthermore, determining the control strategy of the thermal management system based on the target angle of the nine-way valve core and the opening position of the three-way valve includes:

[0029] The operating status of the other components of the thermal management system is determined based on the temperature thresholds corresponding to the other components of the thermal management system.

[0030] The control strategy of the thermal management system is determined based on the operating status, the target angle of the nine-way valve core, and the opening position of the three-way valve.

[0031] Furthermore, after controlling the thermal management system, the method further includes:

[0032] In response to switching the heat pump operating mode, determine the switched heat pump operating mode;

[0033] Compare the operating status of each component in the current heat pump operating mode with the operating status of the heat pump operating mode after switching, and determine the corresponding switching management strategy;

[0034] According to the switching management strategy, the switching of the heat pump operating mode is completed.

[0035] Furthermore, after controlling the thermal management system, the method further includes:

[0036] In response to an anomaly in the thermal management system, the thermal management system is controlled to enter a safety protection mode.

[0037] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a thermal management system control device is provided, comprising:

[0038] The operating mode determination module is used to determine the heat pump operating mode based on the thermal management requirements of various systems in the current vehicle.

[0039] The water valve determination module is used to determine the available heat source based on the heat pump operating mode, and to determine the target angle of the nine-way valve core and the opening position of the three-way valve in the water circuit of the heat management system based on the available heat source.

[0040] The control strategy determination module is used to determine the control strategy of the thermal management system based on the target angle of the nine-way valve core and the opening position of the three-way valve.

[0041] A control thermal management system module is used to control the thermal management system through the control strategy and a pre-determined closed-loop control algorithm.

[0042] According to three aspects of the present invention, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a processor, a communication interface, a memory, and a communication bus, wherein the processor, the communication interface, and the memory communicate with each other through the communication bus;

[0043] The memory stores a computer program, which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the steps of the thermal management system control method.

[0044] According to four aspects of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, comprising: storing a computer program executable by an electronic device, wherein when the computer program is run on the electronic device, the electronic device performs the steps of a thermal management system control method.

[0045] According to five aspects of the present invention, a vehicle is provided, comprising:

[0046] Electronic equipment used to implement the steps of a thermal management system control method;

[0047] The processor runs a program, and when the program runs, it executes the steps of the thermal management system control method based on data output from the electronic device.

[0048] A storage medium for storing a program that, when running, executes the steps of a thermal management system control method based on data output from an electronic device.

[0049] The above solution achieves the following beneficial technical effects:

[0050] This application, based on the thermal management requirements of various systems in the current vehicle, can determine the most appropriate heat pump operating mode, which can both meet the thermal management requirements of each part and avoid resource waste.

[0051] This application uses a heat pump operating mode to determine the target angle of the nine-way valve core and the opening position of the three-way valve, thereby controlling the most flow path combinations with the fewest valve components, reducing assembly difficulty and cost, and improving the system's sealing reliability.

[0052] This application determines the control strategy of the thermal management system by using the target angle of the nine-way valve core and the opening position of the three-way valve, thereby eliminating unnecessary logical judgments and repetitive actions and improving the response speed and stability of the vehicle's thermal management.

[0053] This application controls the thermal management system through a control strategy and a pre-determined closed-loop control algorithm, which can achieve coordinated utilization of multiple heat sources, stable mode management, and energy balance. Attached Figure Description

[0054] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a thermal management system control method provided by one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of heat source selection for a heat pump operating mode provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of heat pump operating mode selection provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of transient energy calculation provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the energy adjustment calculation provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of a thermal management system control device provided in one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0060] Figure 7 This is a block diagram of an electronic device structure for a thermal management system control method provided in one or more embodiments of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0061] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. 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.

[0062] In related technologies, using multiple separate valves and pipelines leads to complex water system structures and a large number of components, increasing overall vehicle cost and assembly difficulty. For example, using independent three-way valves to control the battery and passenger compartment circuits occupies space and increases the risk of leakage and malfunction. Moreover, thermal management strategies typically involve each subsystem controlling its own heat, making it difficult to dynamically coordinate multiple heat sources under different environments and operating conditions. For instance, when heating the battery and passenger compartment simultaneously in low-temperature environments, positive temperature coefficient (PTC) electric heaters are often used to heat the battery and passenger compartment separately, failing to fully utilize the waste heat from the electric drive or the capacity of the heat pump system, resulting in high energy consumption.

[0063] Generally, current thermal management systems support a limited number of operating modes (such as simple air conditioning cooling or simple battery cooling), failing to provide precise division for complex scenarios. This makes the control logic complex and untimely when multiple demands overlap (e.g., fast charging the battery while the air conditioning is on), potentially leading to unreasonable energy distribution or system fluctuations. Furthermore, due to a lack of integrated optimization, related technologies require the use of high-pressure PTC auxiliary heating or prolonged high-load operation of the compressor to meet extreme operating conditions, resulting in increased vehicle energy consumption and impacting driving range. At extremely low ambient temperatures, the performance of the air-source heat pump deteriorates significantly, necessitating reliance on PTC, further exacerbating energy consumption.

[0064] Therefore, current thermal management solutions for heat pump vehicles are insufficient in terms of hardware integration, collaborative control capabilities, and energy efficiency, making it difficult to simultaneously meet the thermal management needs of multiple vehicle systems while maintaining low energy consumption. Simplifying the thermal management water circuit structure, achieving dynamic collaboration among multiple heat sources, and improving control stability under complex operating conditions have become key challenges in the current technological field.

[0065] Based on this, this application proposes a thermal management system control method, device, and vehicle, which solves the problems of complex multi-valve control, lack of coordination, and high energy consumption in related technologies. It combines hardware simplification with intelligent software optimization, improving the performance of the thermal management system while reducing the energy consumption of the entire vehicle. It provides a highly efficient and intelligent heat pump control method for pure electric vehicles, and its specific implementation is as follows.

[0066] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a thermal management system control method provided by one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0067] like Figure 1 The control methods of the thermal management system shown include:

[0068] Step S1: Determine the heat pump operating mode based on the current thermal management requirements of various vehicle systems.

[0069] In this embodiment, a nine-way valve and a three-way valve can be pre-installed in the water circuit of the thermal management system. Multiple heat exchange branches are connected via a nine-way electronic water valve, and a three-way valve is connected in series to distribute the flow of key branches. The nine-way valve has nine ports, allowing different pipelines to be connected at different valve core angles, thus enabling flexible switching and mixing between multiple circuits. For example, at one valve core angle, the battery cooling circuit can be connected to the chiller heat exchanger; switching to another angle allows the battery circuit to dissipate heat directly through the radiator. The three-way valve is mainly used to divert or merge the hot water generated during heating between the passenger compartment heating circuit and the battery circuit as needed. The entire water circuit also includes an electronic water pump, a water-cooled condenser (LCC, used as part of the heat pump condenser or radiator), a warm air heat exchanger (warm air core, used for passenger compartment heating), and a chiller (used for heat exchange between the battery / motor and refrigerant). Through the coordination of the nine-way valve and the three-way valve, a variety of different water flow path combinations can be formed, corresponding to different heat pump operating modes. In this embodiment, at least 17 heat pump operating modes can be implemented.

[0070] Based on the current thermal management requirements of various vehicle systems (such as passenger cabin comfort requirements, power battery temperature requirements, electric drive system cooling requirements, etc.), the operating mode of the heat pump is determined among multiple heat pump operating modes.

[0071] In this embodiment, a similar flow path integration function can also be achieved by using a combination of multi-way valves with equivalent functions (e.g., two five-way valves or one ten-way valve).

[0072] By integrating multiple cooling / heating circuits into a single nine-way electronic water valve, supplemented by a three-way valve for branch distribution, the system achieves control of the most flow path combinations with the fewest valves, significantly reducing the complexity of multi-valve and multi-pipe connections. This integrated multi-way valve design reduces assembly difficulty and cost while improving system sealing reliability, enabling unified control under various operating conditions and greatly enhancing the integration of the thermal management system.

[0073] Step S2: Based on the heat pump operating mode, determine the available heat source, and based on the available heat source, determine the target angle of the nine-way valve core and the opening position of the three-way valve that are pre-set in the water circuit of the heat management system.

[0074] In this embodiment, the thermal management system is divided into functional modules such as HMI interface, crew compartment control, battery circuit, motor circuit, heat pump control, water circuit management, and diagnostic protection, so as to form a clear software architecture. Each module has its own division of labor and cooperation, which further enhances the robustness and scalability of the system.

[0075] Specifically, this includes: an HMI status processing module, which can acquire user commands such as air conditioning on / temperature setting; a passenger compartment control module, which can determine cooling or heating needs based on passenger compartment temperature sensors and comfort requirements; a sensor status judgment module, which can monitor sensor data such as ambient temperature, battery and motor temperature in real time to determine whether each part has thermal management needs; a battery circuit control module, which can manage the heating, cooling and heat preservation modes of the battery, and start PTC heating or Chiller cooling when needed; a motor circuit control module, which can manage the cooling and waste heat utilization of the drive motor and electronic control, such as adjusting the water pump flow to introduce motor waste heat into the Chiller; a heat pump strategy module, which can determine the operating status of refrigeration circuit components such as compressor and electronic expansion valve according to current needs, and realize the switching of refrigerant circuit between cooling / heating / dehumidification modes; a water circuit and system status judgment module, which can determine the opening and closing combination of the nine-way valve and three-way valve, i.e., the current water circuit mode, based on the requests of various modules, and determine whether it is necessary to switch modes or enter the default standby state; and a diagnostics and protection module, which can monitor the working status of each component and execute fault diagnosis and safety protection strategies. This modular design makes the control logic clear, and each module is relatively independent yet coordinated through communication, thereby ensuring the reliable operation of the entire thermal management system and facilitating functional expansion.

[0076] Obtain the predefined mapping relationship between the heat pump operating mode, the target angle of the nine-way valve spool, and the opening position of the three-way valve. Based on the determined heat pump operating mode, identify the available heat sources, and based on the available heat sources and the mapping relationship, determine the corresponding target angle of the nine-way valve spool and the opening position of the three-way valve to coordinate multiple heat sources to adapt to specific scenarios.

[0077] For example, when only the passenger compartment needs cooling, the corresponding mode is "single passenger compartment cooling." In this mode, the nine-way valve switches to a path that cools the passenger compartment cooling water only through the front radiator, shutting off the battery cooling branch. When the battery also needs cooling simultaneously, it enters the "passenger compartment and battery combined cooling" mode. The nine-way valve switches to a path that simultaneously connects the evaporator and chiller of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, ensuring cooling supply to both the battery and the passenger compartment. When the ambient temperature is low and the passenger compartment needs heating, while the battery needs cooling during fast charging, it enters the "passenger compartment heating and battery cooling" combined mode. In this mode, the compressor operates in heating mode, and the nine-way valve and three-way valve work together to allow some of the hot water from the refrigerant condensation to flow through the warm air core to heat the passenger compartment. The other part absorbs waste heat from the battery through the chiller and is then guided to the radiator through the nine-way valve to cool the battery.

[0078] Step S3: Determine the control strategy of the thermal management system based on the target angle of the nine-way valve core and the opening position of the three-way valve.

[0079] Furthermore, based on the target angle of the nine-way valve core, the opening position of the three-way valve, and the corresponding temperature thresholds of other components in the thermal management system, the operating status of other components in the thermal management system can be determined. This further determines the operating status of other components in the thermal management system, thereby determining the control strategy of the thermal management system based on the operating status, the target angle of the nine-way valve core, and the opening position of the three-way valve.

[0080] The operating status of other components in the thermal management system can include compressor start / stop and target speed, electronic expansion valve (front evaporator E-EXV and Chiller circuit B-EXV) opening, water pump speed, and auxiliary heating PTC start / stop.

[0081] For example, the compressor uses PID speed control based on the outlet water temperature of the water-cooled condenser or the temperature of the front evaporator, the electronic expansion valve adjusts its opening based on the superheat, and the water pump adjusts its flow rate based on the heat dissipation requirements of each circuit.

[0082] Step S4: Control the thermal management system through a control strategy and a pre-determined closed-loop control algorithm.

[0083] Thus, by controlling each component of the thermal management system according to the specified working state through a defined control strategy, the system enters the stable control stage of the heat pump working mode. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating heat source selection for a heat pump operating mode according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, usable and unusable heat sources are identified, and a closed-loop control algorithm is used to maintain the operating state of each component during the stable control phase, thereby controlling the thermal management system to maintain the required temperature / pressure parameters. This solves the problems of complex multi-valve control, lack of coordination, and high energy consumption, achieving a combination of hardware simplification and intelligent software optimization, improving the performance of the thermal management system while reducing overall vehicle energy consumption. For example, Figure 2 The cooling of the battery includes active cooling and natural cooling, while the heating includes active heating and natural heating. It also includes the thermal management requirements of the passenger compartment. By selecting a suitable heat source and determining the working mode of the thermal management system, the system can be decomposed into sub-circuits to meet the thermal management requirements of various systems in the current vehicle.

[0084] For scenarios involving low temperatures, high loads, and multiple demands, a control scheme that coordinates heat pumps, waste heat, and auxiliary heating achieves stable operation and efficient energy balance even under extreme conditions. For example, at low temperatures, waste heat from the motor and a three-way valve are used to proportionally distribute heat, ensuring that both the passenger compartment and the battery benefit simultaneously. Furthermore, in the process of multi-heat source coordination, strategies to maintain system stability can be implemented through multi-heat source allocation, such as introducing auxiliary heat storage devices and using phase change materials to buffer temperature fluctuations.

[0085] Based on the current thermal management requirements of various vehicle systems, the implementation method of the heat pump operating mode is determined as follows.

[0086] In response to vehicle startup, the vehicle's signal acquisition and HMI processing module collects signals from various temperature sensors in real time to determine the current temperature of various parts of the vehicle, such as ambient temperature, passenger compartment temperature, power battery temperature, drive motor and power electronics (water-cooled plate) temperature, and refrigerant system pressure / temperature.

[0087] The HMI status processing module reads user-set signals such as AC switch, temperature setting, and high-voltage PTC scheduled activation, and combines these with collected temperature sensor signals to determine the current thermal management requirements of various vehicle systems. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the selection of a heat pump operating mode according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, for example, when the passenger compartment temperature is higher than the set temperature and the AC is on, it is determined that there is a need for passenger compartment cooling. When the battery temperature is higher than its cooling threshold, it is determined that there is a need for battery cooling; when the ambient temperature is low and the battery temperature is lower than the minimum operating temperature, there is a need for battery heating.

[0088] Based on the thermal management requirements, the combination of thermal management requirements is determined, and further, based on the combination, the heat pump operating mode is determined.

[0089] Thermal management requirements include user-defined passenger compartment thermal management requirements and vehicle component temperature control thermal management requirements. Passenger compartment thermal management requirements are determined based on the energy of heat exchange between the environment and the vehicle interior air, the energy of sunlight, the energy emitted by the human body, and the energy emitted by the operation of vehicle components. Vehicle component temperature control thermal management requirements are determined based on the set temperature thresholds for each vehicle component.

[0090] The thermal management requirements of the passenger cabin can be determined by calculating passenger cabin comfort, as shown in the following formula:

[0091]

[0092] in, This indicates the regulating energy provided by the HVAC system. This represents the energy of heat exchange between the environment and the air inside the vehicle. It represents the energy brought by sunlight. It represents the energy emitted by the human body. This indicates the energy emitted by other parts inside the vehicle.

[0093] The formulas for calculating each energy level are as follows:

[0094]

[0095] Where Q represents energy, C represents heat, and M represents mass. This indicates the temperature difference.

[0096] Calibration allows for the accurate acquisition of energy from sunlight exposure (with or without), energy emitted by the human body, energy emitted by other components inside the vehicle, and the heat exchange energy between the environment and the air inside the vehicle. This enables the calculation of the energy provided by the HVAC system, and the determination of the passenger compartment's thermal management requirements based on the energy provided by the HVAC system.

[0097] Furthermore, based on the thermal management requirements of the passenger cabin and the energy calculation formula, the airflow rate and outlet temperature of the passenger cabin air conditioning system are determined. Based on these airflow rate and temperature, the response mode and circulation mode of the passenger cabin air conditioning system, as well as the steady-state energy required for the passenger cabin to reach a steady state, are determined. The outlet temperature determines the airflow rate, and the circulation mode includes internal and external circulation, which are set by the user. The location of the circulation mode is determined by the extreme operating conditions of the passenger cabin air conditioning system.

[0098] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating transient energy calculation provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the transient energy (Q1) of the current vehicle is calculated, and the transient temperature and transient air volume are determined based on the transient energy. Under the determined response mode and circulation mode of the air conditioning system, the steady-state energy (Q) and Q1 are superimposed, that is, the air volume and transient air volume are superimposed, and the air temperature and transient temperature are superimposed, so as to determine the conditioning energy required by the passenger compartment air conditioning system.

[0099] Furthermore, based on the regulating energy required by the passenger cabin air conditioning system, the control parameters of the passenger cabin air conditioning system are determined so that the system can be controlled to regulate the passenger cabin temperature and achieve the target temperature set by the user. That is, as... Figure 4 As shown, when Q1 decays from the initial state to 0 (at time T1), the system enters a steady state.

[0100] It should be noted that the transient energy and its corresponding decay curvature can also be directly determined through calibration to accurately control the curve of temperature change inside the vehicle, thereby improving comfort during transient processes.

[0101] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the regulation energy calculation provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5As shown, during the process of regulating the passenger compartment temperature through the passenger compartment air conditioning system, the real-time temperature of the passenger compartment can be calculated to maintain the interior temperature within the required range. Furthermore, by calibrating different interior temperatures, this process can obtain the linear relationship between the set temperature deviation and the energy deviation. By increasing or decreasing the set temperature and calculating different energy outputs in real time, the entire air conditioning system can be controlled to maintain the interior temperature within the required range.

[0102] During the current heat pump operation, if certain conditions change, such as the battery temperature dropping to the target range or the passenger compartment temperature reaching a set value, the thermal management system will reassess the thermal management needs of each system and switch to a new heat pump operation mode if necessary. For example, when the battery cooling requirement disappears and only the passenger compartment needs cooling, the controller will instruct the nine-way valve to switch back to passenger compartment-only cooling mode and simultaneously close the Chiller branch to avoid unnecessary energy loss. The implementation method is as follows:

[0103] In response to switching heat pump operating modes, the system determines the new operating mode, compares the current and new operating modes to determine the operating status of each component, and establishes a corresponding switching management strategy. Based on this strategy, the system completes the switch. This switching strategy prevents system instability caused by sudden changes. For example, when switching between cooling and heating cycles, the system pre-reduces the compressor speed and adjusts the electronic expansion valve to the intermediate opening to balance refrigerant pressure. For water-side switching, such as from cooling to heating mode, the system first starts the warm air pump to establish coolant flow, then quickly rotates the nine-way valve to the target angle. Throughout this process, coolant flow to the condenser is maintained, preventing pressure spikes. The nine-way valve itself can rotate arbitrarily within the range of 0° to 325° and adjust the opening of each passage. Therefore, the controller can also gradually change the valve core angle during switching to achieve proportional switching—gradually changing the flow distribution ratio of each branch to avoid thermal shock caused by sudden opening and closing. This precise switching control strategy significantly reduces logical redundancy waiting time and component pressure fluctuations, avoids redundant operations and shocks, ensures rapid and smooth mode transitions, and improves energy efficiency and response speed.

[0104] This embodiment dynamically determines the current primary thermal management tasks through a control algorithm, identifies thermal management requirements, and automatically switches between various heat pump operating modes to ensure the required temperature environment for each subsystem. The heat pump operating modes cover single passenger compartment cooling, single battery cooling, combined passenger compartment and battery cooling, passenger compartment heating (heat pump mode), combined passenger compartment and battery heating, independent motor cooling, battery self-circulation insulation, and dehumidification / defrosting modes, comprehensively covering all operating conditions the vehicle may experience. The system can promptly select the optimal mode based on real-time sensor data and HMI commands, thereby avoiding manual intervention and improving the intelligence level of thermal management and user experience.

[0105] Furthermore, under harsh conditions such as low ambient temperature, high power load, and multiple overlapping heat demands, stable mode management and energy balance are achieved through the coordinated utilization of multiple heat sources. When the ambient temperature is extremely low, the system enters heat pump heating mode, shuts down the evaporator in front of the passenger compartment, and uses the chiller as an evaporator to absorb waste heat from the battery / motor. The compressor then amplifies the heat and releases it to the coolant (water circuit) through the water-cooled condenser. The released hot water is then distributed through a three-way valve and a nine-way valve, and sent to the passenger compartment heating circuit and the battery circuit in a certain proportion, achieving simultaneous passenger compartment heating and battery heating. Even under low operating conditions such as vehicle idling, the control strategy can actively utilize the heat generated by the electric drive system (e.g., through heat generated by motor lag) to increase the chiller inlet water temperature, thereby improving the heat pump heating capacity and ensuring the heating effect of the passenger compartment. Under high-load conditions (such as high-speed driving in summer), the motor and power module generate a large amount of waste heat. A nine-way valve switches to the appropriate path to efficiently dissipate the heat from the motor cooling circuit into the environment or to other subsystems requiring heat sources, preventing overheating of individual components and maintaining optimal overall energy distribution. Therefore, even under extreme environmental and operating conditions, the temperature of each circuit can be kept under control, ensuring safe and reliable system operation.

[0106] Other controller prediction methods or different transition state designs can also be used to achieve the same effect.

[0107] In this embodiment, the thermal management system can also continuously monitor key components and parameters, such as compressor motor current, refrigerant high and low pressure, temperature sensor readings, and the drive status of water pumps and valves. Once an anomaly is detected (e.g., sensor failure or pressure exceeding limits), the system will enter a safety protection mode: it may take measures such as limiting compressor speed, returning to the default valve position, or directly shutting down the system, and will notify maintenance via fault codes. For example, when the ambient temperature is high and the system is stationary, if an abnormally low refrigerant static pressure is detected, the system will predict a possible refrigerant shortage, thus limiting the compressor's maximum speed or even preventing it from starting. In any mode, if the subcooling at the water-cooled condenser outlet increases abnormally, and the high-pressure is also too high, it will be judged as refrigerant overcharging or a heat exchange fault, and the system will automatically limit the compressor output to protect components. Continuous diagnostics and protection strategies ensure that the safety of the thermal management system is not neglected even under complex control strategies, safeguarding the reliable operation of the entire vehicle.

[0108] This embodiment, based on integrated hardware and employing a clever software control strategy, organically combines the thermal management of multiple subsystems, including the passenger compartment air conditioning, power battery, electric drive, and electronically controlled DC-DC converter. By uniformly scheduling heat and cold sources, multiple heat load demands can be efficiently handled by the heat pump, while also fully recovering and utilizing available residual heat. This dynamic adjustment under different operating conditions ensures the vehicle always operates in a state of optimized thermal efficiency. The following embodiments will further illustrate the complex thermal management requirements of this embodiment in conjunction with specific operating conditions.

[0109] Example 1: In hot summer weather, both the passenger compartment and the battery require cooling. In a hot environment, assume the passenger compartment temperature exceeds a set value and the battery temperature also exceeds its ideal upper limit. At this time, the demand for both passenger compartment and battery cooling is detected. The HMI command (air conditioning on, cooling mode) triggers the passenger compartment module to request cooling, and the sensor judgment module confirms that the battery temperature is too high and needs cooling. Based on this, the water circuit status judgment module selects the "passenger compartment and battery joint cooling" mode. At the execution level, the compressor starts and runs at an appropriately high speed. The refrigerant circuit simultaneously connects to the HVAC evaporator and the pre-chiller evaporator to evaporate and absorb heat, providing cool air to the passenger compartment. The chiiller expansion valve opens, and the refrigerant evaporates in the chiiller, absorbing heat from the battery coolant and lowering the battery water circuit temperature. In the water circuit, the nine-way valve rotates to the corresponding angle, allowing the battery coolant to be cooled via the chiiller heat exchanger and then returned to the battery circuit through the corresponding channel of the nine-way valve. Simultaneously, the hot water generated by the water-cooled condenser is directed to the front radiator to dissipate the heat absorbed by the passenger compartment into the atmosphere. The three-way valve keeps the battery circuit separate from the heating circuit (heating circuit closed). Throughout the process, the controller maintains the passenger compartment outlet air temperature and battery inlet water temperature within the target range through closed-loop regulation of the electronic expansion valve and compressor speed. When the passenger compartment temperature or battery temperature drops to near the set value first, the corresponding module will notify the system to reduce the cooling capacity. For example, the compressor speed may be reduced or the Chiller branch may be temporarily shut down to avoid overcooling. When the ambient temperature or driving conditions change (e.g., the battery cooling requirement is relieved), the system will smoothly switch back to a single passenger compartment cooling mode, shutting down branches that are no longer needed to maximize energy conservation.

[0110] Example 2: In severe winter conditions, both the passenger compartment and the battery require heating. In low-temperature environments (e.g., ambient temperature -10°C), the passenger compartment needs warm air heating, while the power battery also requires heating to maintain its discharge performance. In this case, it is determined that the passenger compartment heating and battery heating needs coexist, thus fully utilizing the heat pump and waste heat for efficient heating. The water circuit and system status judgment module will select the "passenger compartment and battery combined heating" mode. In this mode, the compressor enters the heat pump heating cycle, the electronic expansion valve switches to heating mode, and the refrigerant absorbs heat in the chiller (the chiller acts as an evaporator, absorbing heat from the battery / motor circuit or ambient waste heat), then is compressed by the compressor into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas, which condenses and releases heat in the water-cooled condenser. The high-temperature coolant generated by the water-cooled condenser is diverted through a three-way valve; part enters the passenger compartment warm air heat exchanger, transferring heat to the cabin air for heating; the other part flows through a nine-way valve to the battery circuit to heat the battery. If the electric drive system has available waste heat (e.g., the motor heats up to a certain temperature during operation), the nine-way valve adjusts the flow path to allow warm coolant from the motor outlet to flow into the Chiller evaporator side, thus prioritizing the use of the motor's waste heat to increase the heat pump's evaporation temperature and reducing the compressor load. In extreme cases (e.g., when the vehicle is stationary and idling in extremely cold conditions), the control strategy can also actively trigger the motor to generate heat to compensate for insufficient ambient heat sources. Throughout the combined heating process, the PTC high-pressure heater acts as an auxiliary system, only activating when necessary (e.g., briefly starting when the battery temperature is too low and the initial heat pump heating is insufficient). Most of the time, the heat pump and waste heat are sufficient to meet the demand, significantly reducing electric heating energy consumption. The system controls the proportion of heat allocated to the battery and passenger compartment by adjusting the opening of the three-way valve, ensuring that the passenger compartment temperature is prioritized while also considering the battery heating rate. When the passenger compartment temperature reaches the set point and the battery still needs to be heated, the three-way valve can further close the heater branch and circulate more hot water to the battery circuit, concentrating resources to increase the battery temperature. Finally, when the battery also meets the standard or external operating conditions change (such as the vehicle turning off the air conditioning), the system can switch to battery self-circulation insulation mode or system standby mode. At this time, the nine-way valve returns to the default position, closes the heat exchange passage with the outside, and only allows the battery, small circulation pump, etc. to maintain the lowest power consumption operation to prevent the battery temperature from dropping again.

[0111] The above embodiments demonstrate that this implementation method can intelligently select the combination of heat source and cold source according to different seasons and operating conditions to achieve optimal energy allocation.

[0112] The following examples will illustrate this implementation method in conjunction with a single thermal management requirement.

[0113] Example 3: If only the battery needs cooling and the passenger compartment air conditioning is not turned on, the system enters an independent battery cooling mode. The compressor's cooling capacity is entirely used in the Chiller circuit, and the nine-way valve ensures the battery water circuit leads to the radiator, efficiently dissipating heat. Conversely, if only the battery needs heating and the passenger compartment does not require heating, the system enters a single-battery heating mode. The compressor operates at a low load and primarily heats the battery water circuit through the water-cooled condenser, while the heating branch is shut off to reduce energy loss. In these situations, the system will not activate unrelated components to reduce energy consumption.

[0114] Example 4, Dehumidification and Defrosting Scenario: When the passenger compartment requires defogging and dehumidification (such as fogging of the windows on rainy days) and a lower supply air temperature is needed, the system can enter a special mode such as a low-temperature dehumidification mode for the passenger compartment. In this mode, one side of the compressor runs a refrigeration cycle to reduce the surface temperature of the evaporator for dehumidification, while the other side uses the heat released by the compressor and maintains the warm air water temperature through appropriate control. The nine-way valve switches the corresponding path to prevent the condenser from becoming too cold or the water circuit from becoming blocked. If there is a risk of frost formation on the evaporator, the strategy will temporarily shut down some circuits or switch modes for defrosting. After defrosting is completed, the original mode will be restored to ensure system efficiency and safety.

[0115] The above embodiments demonstrate that this implementation method can flexibly adapt to changing usage environments and automatically adopt the optimal operating mode under various possible combinations of requirements. The coordinated operation of each module enables on-demand distribution of heat and cold sources throughout the vehicle, ensuring not only passenger comfort and the safety of the power battery and drive system, but also optimizing energy consumption and efficiency to a new level.

[0116] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of a thermal management system control device provided in one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0117] like Figure 6 The thermal management system control device shown includes: a working mode determination module, a water valve determination module, a control strategy determination module, and a thermal management system control module.

[0118] The operating mode determination module is used to determine the heat pump operating mode based on the thermal management requirements of various systems in the current vehicle.

[0119] The water valve determination module is used to determine the available heat source based on the heat pump operating mode, and based on the available heat source, determine the target angle of the nine-way valve core and the opening position of the three-way valve that are pre-set in the water circuit of the heat management system.

[0120] The control strategy determination module is used to determine the control strategy of the thermal management system based on the target angle of the nine-way valve core and the opening position of the three-way valve.

[0121] The control module for the thermal management system is used to control the thermal management system through control strategies and pre-determined closed-loop control algorithms.

[0122] The control module of the thermal management system is used to control each component of the thermal management system according to the control strategy, so that it operates in the specified working state and enters the stable control stage of the heat pump working mode; a closed-loop control algorithm is used to maintain the working state of each component in the stable control stage and control the thermal management system.

[0123] The operating mode determination module is used to respond to vehicle startup by collecting signals from various temperature sensors in real time and determining the thermal management requirements of various vehicle systems based on these signals.

[0124] Determine the combination of thermal management requirements based on the thermal management needs;

[0125] Determine the heat pump operating mode based on the combination of components.

[0126] Among them, thermal management requirements include passenger compartment thermal management requirements set by the user and vehicle component temperature control thermal management requirements; passenger compartment thermal management requirements are determined based on the energy of heat exchange between the environment and the vehicle interior air, the energy of sunlight, the energy emitted by the human body, and the energy emitted by the working parts of the vehicle interior; vehicle component temperature control thermal management requirements are determined based on the temperature thresholds set for each vehicle component.

[0127] The thermal management system module is used to calculate the air volume and temperature of the passenger compartment air conditioning system according to the passenger compartment's thermal management requirements; based on the air volume and temperature, determine the response mode and circulation mode of the passenger compartment air conditioning system, as well as the steady-state energy required for the passenger compartment to enter a steady state; calculate the current vehicle's transient energy; under the determined response mode and circulation mode of the air conditioning system, superimpose the steady-state energy and transient energy to determine the regulation energy required by the passenger compartment air conditioning system; and determine the control parameters of the passenger compartment air conditioning system based on the regulation energy.

[0128] The control strategy determination module is used to determine the operating status of other components of the thermal management system based on the temperature thresholds corresponding to other components of the thermal management system; and to determine the control strategy of the thermal management system based on the operating status, the target angle of the nine-way valve core, and the opening position of the three-way valve.

[0129] The control thermal management system module is also used to respond to the switching of heat pump operating modes, determine the new heat pump operating mode, compare the operating status of each component with the current heat pump operating mode and the new heat pump operating mode, determine the corresponding switching management strategy, and complete the switching of heat pump operating modes according to the switching management strategy.

[0130] The thermal management system module is also used to control the thermal management system to enter a safety protection mode in response to an anomaly.

[0131] Figure 7 This is a block diagram of an electronic device structure for a thermal management system control method provided in one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0132] like Figure 7 As shown, this application provides an electronic device, including: a processor, a communication interface, a memory, and a communication bus, wherein the processor, the communication interface, and the memory communicate with each other through the communication bus;

[0133] The memory stores a computer program, which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the steps of a thermal management system control method.

[0134] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program executable by an electronic device, which, when run on the electronic device, causes the electronic device to perform the steps of a thermal management system control method.

[0135] This application also provides a vehicle, including:

[0136] Electronic equipment used to implement steps based on a thermal management system control method;

[0137] The processor runs a program, and when the program runs, it executes the steps of the thermal management system control method based on data output from the electronic device.

[0138] A storage medium for storing a program that, when running, executes the steps of a thermal management system control method based on data output from an electronic device.

[0139] The communication bus mentioned in the above electronic devices can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. This communication bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used to represent it in the diagram, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0140] The electronic device comprises a hardware layer, an operating system layer running on top of the hardware layer, and an application layer running on the operating system. The hardware layer includes hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU), a memory management unit (MMU), and memory. The operating system can be any one or more computer operating systems that control the electronic device through processes, such as Linux, Unix, Android, iOS, or Windows. Furthermore, in this embodiment of the invention, the electronic device can be a smartphone, tablet computer, or other handheld device, or a desktop computer, portable computer, or other electronic device; there is no particular limitation in this embodiment.

[0141] In this embodiment of the invention, the executing entity for electronic device control can be an electronic device itself, or a functional module within an electronic device capable of calling and executing a program. The electronic device can obtain the firmware corresponding to the storage medium. This firmware is provided by the supplier, and different storage media may have the same or different firmware; no limitation is made here. After obtaining the firmware corresponding to the storage medium, the electronic device can write this firmware into the storage medium; specifically, it burns the firmware corresponding to the storage medium into the storage medium. The process of burning the firmware into the storage medium can be implemented using existing technology, and will not be elaborated upon in this embodiment of the invention.

[0142] Electronic devices can also obtain reset commands corresponding to the storage media. The reset commands corresponding to the storage media are provided by the supplier. The reset commands corresponding to different storage media can be the same or different, and no restrictions are imposed here.

[0143] At this time, the storage medium of the electronic device is a storage medium on which the corresponding firmware has been written. The electronic device can respond to the reset command corresponding to the storage medium on which the corresponding firmware has been written, thereby resetting the storage medium on which the corresponding firmware has been written according to the reset command. The process of resetting the storage medium according to the reset command can be implemented by existing technology and will not be described in detail in this embodiment of the invention.

[0144] For ease of description, the above devices are described separately by function as various units and modules. Of course, in implementing this application, the functions of each unit and module can be implemented in one or more software and / or hardware.

[0145] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in general dictionaries should be understood to have the meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the prior art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless specifically defined.

[0146] For the sake of simplicity, the method embodiments are described as a series of actions. However, those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the described order of actions, because according to the embodiments of the present invention, some steps can be performed in other orders or simultaneously. Furthermore, those skilled in the art should also understand that the embodiments described in the specification are preferred embodiments, and the actions involved are not necessarily essential to the embodiments of the present invention.

[0147] As can be seen from the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that this application can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. 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 can be stored in a storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in various embodiments or some parts of the embodiments of this application.

[0148] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method for a thermal management system, characterized in that, The thermal management system control method includes: The heat pump operating mode is determined based on the current thermal management requirements of various vehicle systems. Based on the heat pump operating mode, the available heat source is determined, and based on the available heat source, the target angle of the nine-way valve core and the opening position of the three-way valve, which are pre-set in the water circuit of the heat management system, are determined. The control strategy of the thermal management system is determined based on the target angle of the nine-way valve core and the opening position of the three-way valve. The thermal management system is controlled by the aforementioned control strategy and a pre-determined closed-loop control algorithm.

2. The thermal management system control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control of the thermal management system through the control strategy and the pre-determined closed-loop control algorithm includes: According to the control strategy, the components of the thermal management system are controlled to operate in the specified working state, and the system enters the stable control stage of the heat pump working mode. The closed-loop control algorithm is used to maintain the working state of each component during the stable control phase and control the thermal management system.

3. The thermal management system control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of determining the heat pump operating mode based on the current thermal management requirements of various vehicle systems includes: In response to vehicle startup, signals from various temperature sensors are collected in real time, and the thermal management requirements of each system in the vehicle are determined based on these signals. Based on the stated thermal management requirements, determine the combination of the thermal management requirements; The heat pump operating mode is determined based on the combination of conditions.

4. The thermal management system control method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The thermal management requirements include passenger compartment thermal management requirements set by the user and vehicle component temperature control thermal management requirements. The thermal management requirements of the passenger compartment are determined based on the energy of heat exchange between the environment and the air inside the vehicle, the energy of sunlight, the energy emitted by the human body, and the energy emitted by the working parts inside the vehicle. The thermal management requirements for temperature control of vehicle components are determined based on the set temperature thresholds for each vehicle component.

5. The thermal management system control method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the thermal management requirements of the passenger compartment, calculate the air volume and air temperature of the passenger compartment air conditioning system. Based on the air volume and the air temperature, determine the response mode and circulation mode of the passenger cabin air conditioning system, as well as the steady-state energy required for the passenger cabin to enter a steady state; Calculate the current transient energy of the vehicle; In the determined response mode and cycle mode of the air conditioning system, the steady-state energy and the transient energy are superimposed to determine the conditioning energy required by the passenger cabin air conditioning system; Based on the regulating energy, the control parameters of the crew cabin air conditioning system are determined.

6. The thermal management system control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining the control strategy of the thermal management system based on the target angle of the nine-way valve core and the opening position of the three-way valve includes: The operating status of the other components of the thermal management system is determined based on the temperature thresholds corresponding to the other components of the thermal management system. The control strategy of the thermal management system is determined based on the operating status, the target angle of the nine-way valve core, and the opening position of the three-way valve.

7. The thermal management system control method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, After controlling the thermal management system, the method further includes: In response to switching the heat pump operating mode, determine the switched heat pump operating mode; Compare the operating status of each component in the current heat pump operating mode with the operating status of the heat pump operating mode after switching, and determine the corresponding switching management strategy; According to the switching management strategy, the switching of the heat pump operating mode is completed.

8. The thermal management system control method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, After controlling the thermal management system, the method further includes: In response to an anomaly in the thermal management system, the thermal management system is controlled to enter a safety protection mode.

9. A thermal management system control device, characterized in that, The thermal management system control device includes: The operating mode determination module is used to determine the heat pump operating mode based on the thermal management requirements of various systems in the current vehicle. The water valve determination module is used to determine the available heat source based on the heat pump operating mode, and to determine the target angle of the nine-way valve core and the opening position of the three-way valve in the water circuit of the heat management system based on the available heat source. The control strategy determination module is used to determine the control strategy of the thermal management system based on the target angle of the nine-way valve core and the opening position of the three-way valve. A control thermal management system module is used to control the thermal management system through the control strategy and a pre-determined closed-loop control algorithm.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that, include: An electronic device for implementing the steps of the thermal management system control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8; A processor that runs a program that, when the program is running, executes the steps of the thermal management system control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 from data output by an electronic device. A storage medium for storing a program that, when run, performs the steps of the thermal management system control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 on data output from an electronic device.

Images