A system and vehicle integrating vehicle-mounted refrigerator and water tank thermal management

Abstract

This application provides an integrated vehicle-mounted refrigerator and water tank thermal management system, characterized by comprising: a heat pump circuit configured to generate a high-temperature heat source for heating and a low-temperature cold source for cooling; a heating main circuit coupled to the high-temperature heat source end of the heat pump circuit to obtain heat; a cooling main circuit coupled to the low-temperature cold source end of the heat pump circuit to obtain cooling capacity; an electric drive thermal management circuit selectively connected to the heating main circuit and the cooling main circuit to dissipate condensation heat generated in the heat pump circuit or recover waste heat from the motor; a water tank thermal management circuit selectively connected to the heating main circuit and the cooling main circuit to provide heat or cooling capacity to the water tank; and a refrigerator thermal management circuit selectively connected to the cooling main circuit and the heating main circuit to provide heat or cooling capacity to the refrigerator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle thermal management technology, specifically to a system and vehicle that integrates onboard refrigerator and water tank thermal management. Background Technology

[0002] As the automotive industry evolves towards electrification, intelligence, and comfort, users' demands for in-car lifestyle quality are no longer limited to basic driving and riding space, but are gradually extending to food preservation and beverage supply capabilities that are deeply integrated with travel scenarios. Currently, in-car refrigerators on the market are mainly based on two paths: semiconductor refrigeration technology and compressor refrigeration technology. Among them, semiconductor refrigerators are used in some scenarios due to their advantages of simple structure and low cost, but their refrigeration efficiency is limited by physical principles, and the temperature difference with the environment can usually only be maintained between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius, which is difficult to meet the deep refrigeration needs of long-term, high-intensity scenarios. In contrast, compressor refrigerators have stronger refrigeration capabilities, reaching as low as -18 degrees Celsius, and cool down quickly, able to lower the temperature to 0 degrees Celsius within 30 minutes. They also perform well in terms of capacity and lifespan, but their cost is higher, and traditional products may have certain noise and vibration problems during operation.

[0003] However, regardless of the technological approach adopted, most current in-vehicle refrigerators still exist as standalone devices, with their cooling output primarily consisting of passive cooling within a closed space. They fail to achieve deep integration with the vehicle's energy management and heat source systems. This results in significant shortcomings in energy utilization efficiency and hinders the systematic optimization of the overall thermal comfort experience for occupants within the vehicle. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a system and vehicle for integrating an on-board refrigerator and water tank thermal management, which deeply integrates the on-board refrigerator, water tank and vehicle heat pump system and electric drive thermal management circuit to achieve on-demand distribution and efficient utilization of cooling and heating, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the whole vehicle and the thermal comfort of the passenger compartment.

[0005] The technical solution of this application is as follows:

[0006] This application provides a system integrating an onboard refrigerator and water tank thermal management, comprising:

[0007] A heat pump circuit is configured to generate a high-temperature heat source for heating and a low-temperature cold source for cooling.

[0008] The heating main circuit is coupled to the high-temperature heat source end of the heat pump circuit to obtain heat;

[0009] The cooling main circuit is coupled to the low-temperature cold source end of the heat pump circuit to obtain cooling capacity;

[0010] An electric drive thermal management circuit is selectively connected to the heating main circuit and the cooling main circuit to dissipate the condensation heat generated in the heat pump circuit or to recover the waste heat of the motor.

[0011] The water tank thermal management circuit is selectively connected to the heating main circuit and the cooling main circuit to provide heat or cold to the water tank.

[0012] The refrigerator thermal management circuit is selectively connected to the cooling main circuit and the heating main circuit to provide heat or cold to the refrigerator.

[0013] Preferably, the system further includes:

[0014] The crew compartment thermal management circuit is selectively connected to the heating main circuit and the cooling main circuit to provide heating or cooling to the crew compartment.

[0015] The power battery thermal management circuit is selectively connected to the heating main circuit and the cooling main circuit to provide heating or cooling to the power battery.

[0016] Preferably, the liquid outlet of the heating main circuit is connected to the first proportional three-way valve;

[0017] The first outlet of the first proportional three-way valve is connected to the water tank thermal management circuit and the refrigerator thermal management circuit through the first multi-way valve;

[0018] The second outlet of the first proportional three-way valve is connected to the electric drive thermal management circuit and the power battery thermal management circuit through a third multi-way valve;

[0019] The liquid outlet of the main cooling circuit is connected to the second multi-way valve;

[0020] The first liquid outlet of the second multi-way valve is connected to the electric drive thermal management circuit and the power battery thermal management circuit through the third multi-way valve, and the second liquid outlet of the second multi-way valve is connected to the second proportional three-way valve.

[0021] The first outlet of the second proportional three-way valve is connected to the refrigerator thermal management circuit through the first multi-way valve;

[0022] The second outlet of the second proportional three-way valve is connected to the thermal management circuit of the crew compartment.

[0023] Preferably, the refrigerator thermal management circuit includes: a refrigeration sub-circuit and a fresh-keeping sub-circuit arranged in parallel, wherein a proportional regulating valve is provided in the fresh-keeping sub-circuit;

[0024] The inlet of the water tank thermal management circuit is connected to the first multi-way valve through a third proportional three-way valve. The first outlet of the third proportional three-way valve is connected to the water tank thermal management circuit, and the second outlet of the third proportional three-way valve is connected to the refrigerator thermal management circuit.

[0025] Preferably, by controlling the first multi-way valve, the second multi-way valve, the third multi-way valve, the first proportional three-way valve, the second proportional three-way valve, the third proportional three-way valve, and the proportional regulating valve, heating or cooling of at least one of the following objects—the power battery, the passenger compartment, the refrigerator, and the water tank—can be achieved.

[0026] Preferably, when at least two loads among the power battery, passenger compartment, refrigerator and water tank have heating requirements, the highest value of each heating request temperature is set as the target heating temperature of the heat pump circuit.

[0027] For each object whose heating request temperature is lower than the target heating temperature, the flow rate of hot water entering the circuit of the object is adjusted so that the temperature of the medium entering the load reaches its own heating request temperature.

[0028] Preferably, when at least two of the objects—the power battery, the passenger compartment, the refrigerator, and the water tank—have cooling requirements, the lowest value of each cooling request temperature is set as the target cooling temperature of the heat pump circuit.

[0029] For each object whose cooling request temperature is lower than the target cooling temperature, the flow rate of cold water entering the circuit containing the object is adjusted so that the temperature of the medium entering the load reaches its own cooling request temperature.

[0030] Preferably, the second multi-way valve and the third multi-way valve are integrated into one unit.

[0031] This application also provides a vehicle including the aforementioned integrated vehicle refrigerator and water tank thermal management system.

[0032] This means that a high-temperature heat source and a low-temperature cold source are generated simultaneously through a heat pump circuit, and the heat and cold are output through a heating main circuit and a cooling main circuit, respectively. The electric drive thermal management circuit, the water tank thermal management circuit, and the refrigerator thermal management circuit are selectively connected to the heating main circuit or the cooling main circuit. The electric drive system can perform condensation heat dissipation or motor waste heat recovery as needed. The water tank and refrigerator can independently or collaboratively obtain heat from the heating main circuit and cold from the cooling main circuit according to the actual operating conditions. Thus, the combined needs of hot water supply, refrigeration / freezing and electric drive thermal management are met simultaneously under the same heat pump architecture. Therefore, compared to the traditional solution of treating refrigerators as independent devices with separate heat and cold sources, integrating the heat and cold management of the refrigerator and water tank into the vehicle-level heat pump circuit avoids the structural redundancy and increased costs associated with configuring separate heating / cooling sources for each load. It also utilizes the high-efficiency heating / cooling capacity of the heat pump and the recovery of waste heat from electric drives to improve the overall vehicle energy efficiency. At the same time, the refrigerator's cooling depth (up to -30℃) and speed (5 minutes to 0℃) are significantly better than those of semiconductor or basic compressor-type independent refrigerators. This provides a simplified, energy-efficient, low-noise, and fully functional system architecture for scenarios such as long-distance self-driving, camping, warming milk for mothers and babies, and storing fresh food.

[0033] By using controllable valves such as the first proportional three-way valve, the second proportional three-way valve, the first multi-way valve, the second multi-way valve, and the third multi-way valve, the cooling and heating output of the heat pump circuit can be flexibly allocated among the five circuits: electric drive, battery, passenger compartment, refrigerator, and water tank. This avoids configuring a separate heating / cooling source for each load, reduces the reuse of core components such as compressors, water-cooled condensers, and plate evaporators, and lowers the overall vehicle manufacturing cost and layout difficulty. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the system in this application embodiment when simultaneously heating the crew cabin, battery, refrigerator and water tank;

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the system in the application embodiment when heating the crew compartment and water tank simultaneously;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the system in this application embodiment when simultaneously cooling the battery, crew compartment, and refrigerator;

[0037] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the system in this application embodiment during refrigerator cooling;

[0038] 1-Compressor; 2-Water-cooled condenser; 3-Liquid receiver; 4-Electronic expansion valve; 5-Plate evaporator; 6-Coaxial tube; 7-First electronic water pump; 8-Second electronic water pump; 9-Expansion tank; 10-First blower; 11-Radiator; 12-Motor assembly; 13-Water tank; 14-Third electronic water pump; 15-Refrigerator crisper compartment; 16-Refrigerator freezer compartment; 17-Proportional regulating valve; 18-Cold air core; 19-Warm air core; 20-Fourth electronic water pump; 21-Second blower; 22-Power battery; 23-Fifth electronic water pump; 24-First multi-way valve; 25-Second multi-way valve; 26-Third multi-way valve; 27-First proportional three-way valve; 28-Second proportional three-way valve; 29-Third proportional three-way valve. Detailed Implementation

[0039] Reference Figure 1-4 This application provides a system integrating a vehicle refrigerator and water tank thermal management, comprising:

[0040] A heat pump circuit is configured to generate a high-temperature heat source for heating and a low-temperature cold source for cooling.

[0041] The heating main circuit is coupled to the high-temperature heat source end of the heat pump circuit to obtain heat;

[0042] The cooling main circuit is coupled to the low-temperature cold source end of the heat pump circuit to obtain cooling capacity;

[0043] An electric drive thermal management circuit is selectively connected to the heating main circuit and the cooling main circuit to dissipate the condensation heat generated in the heat pump circuit or to recover the waste heat of the motor.

[0044] The water tank thermal management circuit is selectively connected to the heating main circuit and the cooling main circuit to provide heat or cold to the water tank.

[0045] The refrigerator thermal management circuit is selectively connected to the cooling main circuit and the heating main circuit to provide heat or cooling to the refrigerator.

[0046] By integrating the vehicle refrigerator, water tank, and vehicle thermal management system, the vehicle refrigerator, water tank 1 and vehicle thermal management system share a single compressor 1. A single heat pump architecture is used to simultaneously meet the needs of the power battery 22, passenger compartment, motor assembly 12, etc. It also has the function of a heat pump water heater to meet the hot and cold water needs of users in scenarios such as self-driving tours and camping.

[0047] Reference Figure 1The heat pump circuit specifically includes: compressor 1, water-cooled condenser 2, liquid receiver 3, coaxial tube 6, electronic expansion valve 4, and plate evaporator 5. The refrigerant flow path in this heat pump circuit is: compressor 1 → water-cooled condenser 2 → liquid receiver 3 → coaxial tube 6 → electronic expansion valve 4 → plate evaporator 5 → coaxial tube 6 → compressor 1. When compressor 1 operates, the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant flows through the water-cooled condenser 2 to exchange heat with the electric thermal management circuit for heat dissipation. After passing through the water-cooled condenser, the refrigerant becomes a high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant, which flows through the drying liquid receiver 3 for drying, filtration, and liquid storage. Then, it flows through the low-pressure section between the coaxial tube 6 and the plate evaporator 5 and the compressor 1's suction port for heat exchange and filtration. It then flows to the electronic expansion valve 4 for throttling, and finally undergoes phase change evaporation and heat absorption in the plate evaporator 5. The plate evaporator 5 provides cooling capacity for the coolant in the main cooling circuit.

[0048] In this embodiment of the application, the main feature of the heat pump circuit is that both the evaporator side and the condenser side are secondary circuits. The overall structure of the heat pump circuit is simple, which is conducive to integration and reducing the charge amount. It is suitable for using flammable refrigerants such as R290.

[0049] In this embodiment, the heating main circuit is coupled to the high-temperature heat source end of the heat pump circuit through a first heat exchanger to absorb the heat generated by the heat pump circuit. A first electronic water pump 7 is arranged in the heating main circuit, specifically at the coolant inlet of the water-cooled condenser 2. Through the suction of the first electronic water pump 7, the coolant flowing through the circuits containing thermal management objects such as the power battery 22, motor assembly 12, water tank 13, refrigerator, and passenger compartment heater core 19 is pumped to the water-cooled condenser 2, which serves as the first heat exchanger, to exchange heat with the refrigerant.

[0050] The main cooling circuit is coupled to the low-temperature cold source end of the heat pump circuit via a second heat exchanger to absorb cooling capacity. A second electric water pump 8 is arranged in the main cooling circuit, specifically at the coolant inlet of the plate evaporator. Through the suction of the second electric water pump 8, the coolant flowing through the circuits containing thermal management objects such as the power battery 22, motor assembly 12, water tank 13, refrigerator, and passenger compartment heater core is pumped to the plate evaporator 5, which serves as the second heat exchanger, to exchange heat with the refrigerant.

[0051] Reference Figure 1 The electric thermal management circuit includes a motor assembly 12, an expansion tank 9, a radiator 11, and a first blower 10; wherein the expansion tank 9, the radiator 11, and the motor assembly 12 are connected in sequence.

[0052] For the electric drive thermal management circuit, when it is connected to the heating main circuit, it can dissipate the condensation heat at the water-cooled condenser 2 in the heat pump circuit. At this time, the first electronic water pump 7 pumps the coolant to the water-cooled condenser 7 to absorb the condensation heat, then flows to the expansion tank 9 to exhaust the gas, and then to the low-temperature radiator 11 to combine with the first blower 10 to dissipate the absorbed condensation heat to the outside. The coolant after dissipating the heat to the outside flows through the motor assembly 12 to dissipate the heat of the motor assembly 12, and finally returns to the first electronic water pump 7. Thus, it is possible to dissipate the condensation heat generated by the heat pump circuit where the water-cooled condenser 2 is located and the heat of the motor assembly 12 at the same time.

[0053] Furthermore, when the electric drive thermal management circuit is connected to the cooling main circuit, it can absorb heat from the external environment and recover the waste heat of the motor assembly 12. At this time, the second electric water pump 8 pumps the coolant to the plate evaporator 5 for heat exchange, and then flows to the expansion tank 9 for exhaust. The low-temperature coolant absorbs heat from the environment at the low-temperature radiator 11, and then absorbs the waste heat of the motor assembly 12 when it flows through the motor assembly 12. Then, the absorbed heat from the external environment and the waste heat of the motor are transferred to the refrigerant in the heat pump circuit at the plate evaporator 5, realizing the utilization of external heat.

[0054] The water tank thermal management circuit includes a water tank 13 and a third electronic water pump 14; the refrigerator thermal management circuit includes a freshness sub-circuit where the refrigerator freshness compartment 15 is located and a refrigerator sub-circuit where the refrigerator refrigeration compartment 16 is located, and the freshness sub-circuit and the refrigeration sub-circuit are set in parallel. A proportional regulating valve 17 is also set in the freshness sub-circuit.

[0055] Because the fresh-keeping sub-circuit and the refrigeration sub-circuit are connected in parallel, the proportional control valve 17 can change the flow rate of the medium entering the fresh-keeping sub-circuit (i.e., flowing through the heat exchanger of the fresh-keeping compartment) by adjusting its opening. When rapid cooling of the fresh-keeping compartment is needed (such as when food has just been placed in) or to maintain a lower temperature, the valve opening of the proportional control valve 17 is increased; when the fresh-keeping compartment has reached the set temperature or energy saving is required, the valve opening of the proportional control valve 17 is decreased or even completely closed. This allows the temperature control of the fresh-keeping compartment to no longer passively follow the state of the refrigeration compartment, but to be set and maintained independently.

[0056] In this embodiment of the application, in addition to the aforementioned loop, the system also includes:

[0057] The crew compartment thermal management circuit is selectively connected to the heating main circuit and the cooling main circuit to provide heating or cooling to the crew compartment.

[0058] The power battery thermal management circuit is selectively connected to the heating main circuit and the cooling main circuit to provide heating or cooling to the power battery.

[0059] The passenger compartment thermal management circuit includes the branch circuits of the cold air core 18 and the warm air core 19, and the circuit of the cold air core 18 is equipped with the fourth electronic water pump 20 and the second blower 21 that is equipped with the cold air core 18; the power battery thermal management circuit includes the power battery 22 and the fifth electronic water pump 23.

[0060] In this embodiment, the electric drive thermal management circuit, water tank thermal management circuit, refrigerator thermal management circuit, passenger compartment thermal management circuit and power battery thermal management circuit are selectively connected to the heating main circuit and cooling main circuit, mainly by relying on the first multi-way valve 24, the second multi-way valve 29 and the third multi-way valve 13.

[0061] Specifically, the liquid outlet of the main heating circuit is connected to the first proportional three-way valve 27;

[0062] The first liquid outlet of the first proportional three-way valve 27 is connected to the water tank thermal management circuit and the refrigerator thermal management circuit through the first multi-way valve 24.

[0063] The second outlet of the first proportional three-way valve 27 is connected to the electric drive thermal management circuit and the power battery thermal management circuit through the third multi-way valve 26.

[0064] The liquid outlet of the main cooling circuit is connected to the second multi-way valve 25;

[0065] The first liquid outlet of the second multi-way valve 25 is connected to the electric drive thermal management circuit and the power battery thermal management circuit through the third multi-way valve 26, and the second liquid outlet of the second multi-way valve 25 is connected to the second proportional three-way valve 28.

[0066] The first outlet of the second proportional three-way valve 28 is connected to the refrigerator thermal management circuit through the first multi-way valve 24;

[0067] The second outlet of the second proportional three-way valve 28 is connected to the thermal management circuit of the crew compartment;

[0068] The inlet of the water tank thermal management circuit is connected to the first multi-way valve 24 via a third proportional three-way valve 29. The first outlet of the third proportional three-way valve 29 is connected to the water tank thermal management circuit, and the second outlet of the third proportional three-way valve 29 is connected to the refrigerator thermal management circuit.

[0069] By controlling the first multi-way valve 24, the third multi-way valve 26, the second multi-way valve 25, the first proportional three-way valve 27, the second proportional three-way valve 28, the third proportional three-way valve 29, and the proportional regulating valve 17, heating or cooling of at least one of the following objects can be achieved: power battery, passenger compartment, refrigerator, and water tank.

[0070] Combination Figure 1 In this embodiment, the first multi-way valve 24 and the third multi-way valve 26 are eight-way valves, and the third multi-way valve is a four-way valve. Specifically, the first multi-way valve 24 includes eight ports: a, b, c, d, e, f, g, and h; the third multi-way valve 26 includes eight ports: i, j, k, l, m, n, o, and p; and the second multi-way valve 25 includes four ports: q, r, s, and t.

[0071] The third multi-way valve 26 and the second multi-way valve 25 are integrated into one structural component, and they share a physical port. This port is referred to as port l in the third multi-way valve 26 and port t in the second multi-way valve 25.

[0072] Reference Figure 1 For the first multi-way valve 24, its port a is connected to the first liquid outlet of the first proportional three-way valve 27, port b is connected to the liquid inlet of the third proportional three-way valve 29, port c is connected to the refrigerator thermal management circuit, port d is connected to the liquid outlet of the water tank thermal management circuit and the liquid outlet of the refrigerator thermal management circuit, port e is connected to the liquid outlet of the water tank thermal management circuit and the liquid outlet of the refrigerator thermal management circuit, port f is connected to the liquid inlet of the first electronic water pump 7 in the heating main circuit, port g is connected to the first liquid outlet of the second proportional three-way valve 28, and port h is connected to the liquid inlet of the second electronic water pump 8 in the cooling main circuit.

[0073] For the third multi-way valve 26, its port i is connected to port t of the second multi-way valve 25, port j is connected to the second outlet of the first proportional three-way valve 27, port k is connected to the inlet of the first electronic water pump 7 of the heating main circuit (that is, port k is connected in parallel with port f of the first multi-way valve 24 to the same inlet of the first electronic water pump 7), port l is connected to the inlet of the electric drive thermal management circuit, port m is connected to the inlet of the fifth electronic water pump 23 of the power battery thermal management circuit, port n is connected to the outlet of the motor assembly of the electric drive thermal management circuit, port o is connected to the inlet of the second electronic water pump 8 of the cooling main circuit, and port p is connected to the outlet of the power battery thermal management circuit.

[0074] For the second multi-way valve 25, its port q is connected to the outlet of the cooling main circuit as the liquid inlet, its port r is connected to the liquid inlet of the motor assembly of the electric drive thermal management circuit, and its port s is connected to the liquid inlet of the second proportional three-way valve 28.

[0075] Through the above-mentioned valve configuration and pipeline connection, the system can, under the unified scheduling of the controller, flexibly switch the working modes of each circuit by coordinating the control of the first multi-way valve 24, the third multi-way valve 26, the second multi-way valve 25, the first proportional three-way valve 27, the second proportional three-way valve 28, the third proportional three-way valve 29 and the proportional regulating valve 17 in the preservation sub-circuit. This enables independent heating or cooling operations on at least one target object among the power battery, passenger compartment, refrigerator compartment, refrigerator preservation compartment and water tank, thereby meeting the complex and ever-changing vehicle thermal management needs.

[0076] In this embodiment of the application, relying on the above system, the heating needs of one or more of the power battery 22, refrigerator, water tank 13 and passenger compartment can be met, as well as the cooling needs of one or more of the power battery 22, refrigerator, water tank 13 and passenger compartment, and the heat dissipation or waste heat recovery of the motor assembly can be achieved.

[0077] When at least two of the loads in the power battery 22, passenger compartment, refrigerator and water tank 13 have heating requirements, the highest value of each heating request temperature is set as the target heating temperature of the heat pump circuit.

[0078] For each object whose heating request temperature is lower than the target heating temperature, the flow rate of hot water entering the circuit of the object is adjusted so that the temperature of the medium entering the load reaches its own heating request temperature.

[0079] When at least two of the power battery 22, the passenger compartment, the refrigerator and the water tank 1313 have cooling requirements, the lowest value of each cooling request temperature is set as the target cooling temperature of the heat pump circuit.

[0080] For each object whose cooling request temperature is lower than the target cooling temperature, the flow rate of cold water entering the circuit containing the object is adjusted so that the temperature of the medium entering the load reaches its own cooling request temperature.

[0081] Next, various application scenarios in the embodiments of this application will be illustrated with examples.

[0082] When only the refrigerator requires cooling, the second electronic water pump 8 serves as the power source for the coolant in the main cooling circuit. After the coolant flows through the plate evaporator 5 for heat exchange, it becomes a low-temperature coolant. Then, the cold water flows to the refrigerator's crisper compartment 15 and the refrigerator's freezer compartment 16 through the water valve mode adjustment, and then flows back to the plate evaporator 5 for continuous cooling. The proportional regulating valve 17 dynamically adjusts its opening degree according to the temperature requested by the refrigerator's freezer compartment 16, controlling the flow rate of cold water distributed to the refrigerator's freezer compartment 16 to achieve temperature control of the freezer compartment.

[0083] At this point, the first electronic water pump 7 serves as the power source in the main heating circuit. The coolant flows through the water-cooled condenser 2, then through the third multi-way valve 26 and the second multi-way valve 25, then through the expansion tank 9 to release exhaust gas, and then through the low-temperature radiator 11 to dissipate heat externally. After cooling, the cooled water flows through the motor assembly 12 to dissipate heat from the motor assembly, and then returns to the first electronic water pump 7. This circuit simultaneously dissipates the condensation heat generated in the refrigerant circuit where the water-cooled condenser 2 is located and the heat from the motor assembly 12.

[0084] When only the passenger compartment requires cooling, the second electronic water pump 8 serves as the power source for the chilled water coolant. After heat exchange in the plate evaporator 5, the coolant becomes a low-temperature coolant. By adjusting the second proportional three-way valve 28, the flow rate of chilled water flowing into the air conditioning unit is controlled to mix with the water flowing out of the cold air core 18, achieving the target inlet water temperature T1 for the passenger compartment cold air core. At this time, the first electronic water pump 7 serves as the power source for the coolant. The coolant flows through the water-cooled condenser, then through the third multi-way valve 26 and the second multi-way valve 25, then to the expansion tank 9 for venting, then to the low-temperature radiator 11 for external heat dissipation, and then the cooled water flows through the motor assembly 12 to dissipate heat before returning to the first electronic water pump 7. This circuit simultaneously dissipates the condensation heat generated in the refrigerant circuit where the water-cooled condenser 2 is located and the heat from the motor assembly 12.

[0085] When both the passenger compartment and the refrigerator require cooling, the second electronic water pump 8 acts as the power source for the coolant in the main cooling circuit. After heat exchange in the plate evaporator 5, the coolant becomes low-temperature coolant and reaches the cold air core 18 and the first multi-way valve 24 via the second multi-way valve 25 and the second proportional three-way valve 28. Then, the water valve mode of the proportional regulating valve 17 is adjusted to allow cold water to flow to the refrigerator's crisper compartment 15 and the refrigerator's freezer compartment 16, before flowing back to the plate evaporator 5 for continuous cooling. The proportional regulating valve 17 dynamically adjusts its opening according to the temperature requested by the refrigerator's freezer compartment, controlling the flow rate of cold water distributed to the refrigerator's freezer compartment 16 to achieve temperature control. Based on the use of R290 refrigerant, this refrigerator system can provide freezing at -30℃, meeting the freezing needs of long-term self-driving and camping trips, truly realizing the full-scenario function of a vehicle refrigerator.

[0086] Simultaneously, the passenger compartment can be cooled while the refrigerator is cooling. The flow rate of chilled water flowing into the air conditioning unit is controlled by adjusting the second proportional three-way valve 28, mixing it with the water flowing out of the cold air core 18 to achieve the target inlet water temperature T1 for the passenger compartment cold air core. This results in different inlet water temperatures for the refrigerator (target inlet water temperature T4) and the passenger compartment cold air core (target inlet water temperature T1). The control method is as follows:

[0087] When both the passenger compartment and the refrigerator have cooling needs, the minimum temperature of the target inlet water temperature T1 of the passenger compartment cold air core is higher than 0°C. When the target inlet water temperature T4 of the refrigerator is greater than or equal to the target inlet water temperature T1 of the passenger compartment cold air core, the compressor 1 in the refrigerant circuit operates according to the target inlet water temperature T1 of the passenger compartment cold air core. The second proportional three-way valve 28 controls the flow of cold water to the refrigerator, which can achieve the temperature of the refrigerator's fresh food compartment 15 and the refrigerator's cold storage compartment 16.

[0088] When both the passenger compartment and the refrigerator have cooling needs, if the target inlet water temperature T4 of the refrigerator is less than the target inlet water temperature T1 of the passenger compartment's cold air core, the compressor 1 in the refrigerant circuit will operate according to the target inlet water temperature T4 of the refrigerator. The second proportional three-way valve 28 controls the flow of cold water to the air conditioning unit and mixes it with the water outlet of the air conditioning unit to achieve the target inlet water temperature of the air conditioning unit. The inlet water temperature of the air conditioning unit must not be lower than 0°C to avoid frost formation on the cold air core 18.

[0089] Combination Figure 4 When both the crew cabin and the refrigerator require cooling, the first electronic water pump 7 acts as the power source in the main heating circuit. Coolant flows through the water-cooled condenser 2 and the first proportional three-way valve 27, then through the third multi-way valve 26 and the second multi-way valve 25, before being discharged from the expansion tank 9. It then flows to the low-temperature radiator 11 for external heat dissipation. The cooled water then flows through the motor assembly 12 to further cool the motor assembly before returning to the first electronic water pump 7. This circuit simultaneously dissipates the condensation heat generated in the refrigerant circuit where the water-cooled condenser 2 is located and the heat from the motor assembly 12.

[0090] Combination Figure 3 When the passenger compartment, battery, and refrigerator all require cooling simultaneously, the second electronic water pump 8 acts as the power source for the cold water coolant. After heat exchange through the plate evaporator 5, the coolant becomes a low-temperature coolant. Then, the cold water flows to the refrigerator's crisper compartment 15 and the refrigerator's freezer compartment 16 through a regulating water valve mode, and then flows back to the plate evaporator 5 for continuous cooling. The proportional regulating valve 17 dynamically adjusts its opening according to the requested temperature of the refrigerator's freezer compartment, controlling the flow of cold water distributed to the freezer compartment 16 to achieve temperature control. Based on the use of R290 refrigerant, this refrigerator system can provide freezing at -30℃, meeting the freezing needs of long-term self-driving and camping trips, truly realizing the full-scenario function of a vehicle refrigerator.

[0091] While the refrigerator is cooling, the passenger compartment can be cooled simultaneously. Adjusting the second proportional three-way valve 28 controls the flow rate of chilled water into the air conditioning unit, mixing it with the water flowing out of the cold air core 18 to achieve the target inlet water temperature T1 for the passenger compartment cold air core. This achieves different inlet water temperatures than the refrigerator's target inlet water temperature T4 and the passenger compartment's target inlet water temperature T1. Adjusting the opening of the third multi-way valve 26 from port t to m controls the flow rate of chilled water to the battery, mixing it with the battery's outlet water to achieve the battery's target inlet water temperature T3. In summary: When the minimum temperature of the target inlet water temperature T1 of the passenger compartment cold air core is higher than 0℃ and the required target inlet water temperature T4 of the refrigerator is greater than or equal to the target inlet water temperature T1 of the passenger compartment cold air core, the compressor 1 in the refrigerant circuit executes according to the target target inlet water temperature T1 of the passenger compartment cold air core. The second proportional three-way valve 28 controls the flow of cold water to the refrigerator to achieve the temperature of the freezer and refrigerator compartments. Adjusting the opening of the port t to m of the third multi-way valve 26 controls the flow of cold water to the battery and mixes it with the battery outlet water to achieve the target inlet water temperature T3 of the battery.

[0092] Referring to Figure 4, when both the passenger compartment and the refrigerator have cooling needs, if the target inlet water temperature T4 of the refrigerator is less than the target inlet water temperature T1 of the passenger compartment's cooling core, the compressor 1 in the refrigerant circuit operates according to the target inlet water temperature T4 of the refrigerator. The second proportional three-way valve 28 controls the flow of cold water to the air conditioning unit, mixing it with the outlet water of the air conditioning unit to achieve the target inlet water temperature of the air conditioning unit. The inlet water temperature of the air conditioning unit must not be lower than 0℃ to avoid frost formation on the cooling core. Adjusting the opening of the third multi-way valve 26 from port t to m controls the flow of cold water to the battery, mixing it with the outlet water of the battery to achieve the target inlet water temperature T3 of the battery.

[0093] Combination Figure 3 When the crew compartment, battery, and refrigerator all require cooling, the first electronic water pump 7 acts as the power source for the coolant in the main heating circuit. The coolant flows through the water-cooled condenser 2, then through the third multi-way valve 26 and the second multi-way valve 25, then to the expansion tank 9 for venting, and then to the low-temperature radiator 11 for external heat dissipation. The cooled water then flows through the motor assembly 12 to dissipate heat from the motor assembly, and then returns to the first electronic water pump 7. This circuit simultaneously dissipates the condensation heat generated in the refrigerant circuit where the water-cooled condenser 2 is located and the heat from the motor assembly 12.

[0094] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2When there is a heating demand in the water tank and / or passenger compartment, the first electronic water pump 7 acts as the coolant power source in the main heating circuit. The coolant flows through the water-cooled condenser 2, becoming high-temperature coolant, and then can simultaneously flow to the heater core 19 and the water tank 13. This allows the vehicle's heat pump system to heat the water in the water tank 13, providing hot water for road trips or camping, instead of electrically heating the water, resulting in significant energy savings for the heat pump system. At this time, the second electronic water pump 8 acts as the coolant power source in the main cooling circuit. The coolant flows through the plate evaporator 5, to the second multi-way valve 25 and the third multi-way valve 26, then to the expansion tank 9 for venting, then to the low-temperature radiator 11 to absorb heat from the environment, then flows through the motor assembly 12 for waste heat recovery, and finally returns to the second electronic water pump 8. This circuit simultaneously absorbs heat from the environment and then recovers waste heat from the motor assembly 12.

[0095] Combination Figure 1 When heating is required simultaneously from the water tank, passenger compartment, and battery, the target inlet water temperature T2 of the heater core is activated. At this time, the target inlet water temperature T2 of the heater core is higher than the target inlet water temperature T3 of the battery. The target inlet water temperature T3 of the battery is achieved by adjusting the flow rate of hot water to the battery and mixing the water output from the battery using the first proportional three-way valve 27. The heat demand of the refrigerator and water tank 13 is controlled collaboratively by the first multi-way valve 24 and the third proportional three-way valve 29.

[0096] It should be understood that the application of this application is not limited to the examples above. Those skilled in the art can make improvements or modifications based on the above description, and all such improvements and modifications should fall within the protection scope of the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can understand that implementing all or part of the processes of the above embodiments and making equivalent changes according to the claims of this application still fall within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A system integrating vehicle-mounted refrigerator and water tank thermal management, characterized in that... ,include: A heat pump circuit is configured to generate a high-temperature heat source for heating and a low-temperature cold source for cooling. The heating main circuit is coupled to the high-temperature heat source end of the heat pump circuit to obtain heat; The cooling main circuit is coupled to the low-temperature cold source end of the heat pump circuit to obtain cooling capacity; An electric drive thermal management circuit is selectively connected to the heating main circuit and the cooling main circuit to dissipate the condensation heat generated in the heat pump circuit or to recover the waste heat of the motor. The water tank thermal management circuit is selectively connected to the heating main circuit and the cooling main circuit to provide heat or cold to the water tank. The refrigerator thermal management circuit is selectively connected to the cooling main circuit and the heating main circuit to provide heat or cold to the refrigerator.

2. The integrated vehicle refrigerator and water tank thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that... The system also includes: The crew compartment thermal management circuit is selectively connected to the heating main circuit and the cooling main circuit to provide heating or cooling to the crew compartment. The power battery thermal management circuit is selectively connected to the heating main circuit and the cooling main circuit to provide heating or cooling to the power battery.

3. The integrated vehicle refrigerator and water tank thermal management system according to claim 2, characterized in that... The liquid outlet of the heating main circuit is connected to the first proportional three-way valve; The first outlet of the first proportional three-way valve is connected to the water tank thermal management circuit and the refrigerator thermal management circuit through the first multi-way valve; The second outlet of the first proportional three-way valve is connected to the electric drive thermal management circuit and the power battery thermal management circuit through a third multi-way valve; The liquid outlet of the main cooling circuit is connected to the second multi-way valve; The first liquid outlet of the second multi-way valve is connected to the electric drive thermal management circuit and the power battery thermal management circuit through the third multi-way valve, and the second liquid outlet of the second multi-way valve is connected to the second proportional three-way valve. The first outlet of the second proportional three-way valve is connected to the refrigerator thermal management circuit through the first multi-way valve; The second outlet of the second proportional three-way valve is connected to the thermal management circuit of the crew compartment.

4. The integrated vehicle refrigerator and water tank thermal management system according to claim 3, characterized in that... The refrigerator thermal management circuit includes: a refrigeration sub-circuit and a fresh-keeping sub-circuit connected in parallel, wherein a proportional regulating valve is provided in the fresh-keeping sub-circuit; The inlet of the water tank thermal management circuit is connected to the first multi-way valve through a third proportional three-way valve. The first outlet of the third proportional three-way valve is connected to the water tank thermal management circuit, and the second outlet of the third proportional three-way valve is connected to the refrigerator thermal management circuit.

5. The integrated vehicle refrigerator and water tank thermal management system according to claim 4, characterized in that... By controlling the first multi-way valve, the second multi-way valve, the third multi-way valve, the first proportional three-way valve, the second proportional three-way valve, the third proportional three-way valve, and the proportional regulating valve, heating or cooling of at least one of the following objects—the power battery, the passenger compartment, the refrigerator, and the water tank—can be achieved.

6. The integrated vehicle refrigerator and water tank thermal management system according to claim 5, characterized in that... When at least two loads in the power battery, passenger compartment, refrigerator and water tank have heating requirements, the highest value of each heating request temperature is set as the target heating temperature of the heat pump circuit. For each object whose heating request temperature is lower than the target heating temperature, the flow rate of hot water entering the circuit of the object is adjusted so that the temperature of the medium entering the load reaches its own heating request temperature.

7. The integrated vehicle refrigerator and water tank thermal management system according to claim 5, characterized in that... When at least two of the power battery, passenger compartment, refrigerator and water tank have cooling requirements, the lowest value of each cooling request temperature is set as the target cooling temperature of the heat pump circuit. For each object whose cooling request temperature is lower than the target cooling temperature, the flow rate of cold water entering the circuit containing the object is adjusted so that the temperature of the medium entering the load reaches its own cooling request temperature.

8. The integrated vehicle refrigerator and water tank thermal management system according to claim 3, characterized in that... The second multi-way valve and the third multi-way valve are integrated into one unit.

9. A vehicle, characterized in that, The system includes the integrated vehicle refrigerator and water tank thermal management system as described in any one of claims 1-8.

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