A plate heat exchanger and a refrigerant module connection

Abstract

This invention discloses a connection method between a heat exchanger and a refrigerant module, specifically relating to the technical field of thermal management systems for new energy vehicles. It includes a heat exchanger and a refrigerant flow channel plate, which are directly connected via an interface to form a pipe-free refrigerant flow channel. The refrigerant flow channel plate has a pre-set refrigerant flow channel inside and integrates refrigerant control components. The heat exchanger includes heat exchanger one and heat exchanger two. This invention's connection method between the heat exchanger and the refrigerant module directly connects the heat exchanger's refrigerant interface to the internally pre-set flow channel plate, and integrates control components such as temperature sensors, electronic expansion valves, and shut-off valves onto the flow channel plate. This eliminates the large number of pipes, pressure plates, sealing rings, brackets, and fasteners required to connect various components in traditional systems. The highly integrated modular design reduces the types and quantities of materials, lowering procurement, assembly, and management costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of thermal management system technology for new energy vehicles, and in particular to a connection method between a plate heat exchanger and a refrigerant module. Background Technology

[0002] New energy vehicles, especially electric and hybrid vehicles, rely on thermal management systems to precisely control the temperature of key components such as the cab, power battery, and motor, ensuring overall vehicle performance, safety, and ride comfort. Currently, mainstream vehicle thermal management systems typically combine direct refrigerant cooling with heat exchange between refrigerant and coolant to achieve multiple functions, including cooling and heating. Due to the large number of objects requiring thermal management and the heat exchange between refrigerant and coolant, the refrigerant-side piping in the entire thermal management system is exceptionally complex. In traditional thermal management systems, to meet the cooling and heating load demands of different components under varying operating conditions, the system needs to adjust the cooling or heating capacity in real time. Therefore, a large number of control components must be configured, such as temperature sensors, temperature and pressure sensors, electronic expansion valves, and electronic shut-off valves. Each additional control component often means the need for additional connecting pipes, joints, and installation structures. Specifically, in traditional systems, all refrigerant-side components, especially plate heat exchangers, must be connected to various refrigerant valves and sensors via independent metal pipes or hoses. For example, a typical thermal management loop might include piping from the compressor outlet to the heating plate heat exchanger, piping from the heating plate heat exchanger outlet to the electronic shut-off valve, piping from the electronic shut-off valve to the condenser, piping from the condenser outlet to the electronic expansion valve, piping from the electronic expansion valve to the cooling plate heat exchanger, and piping from the cooling plate heat exchanger back to the compressor. This discrete piping connection method leads to the following technical drawbacks: The system is complex and costly: numerous pipe connections require a large number of fasteners and seals such as pressure plates, sealing rings, and connecting bolts. Additionally, supporting brackets and pipe clamps are needed to secure the pipes and the electronic valves and sensors installed on them. This results in a wide variety and quantity of materials, significantly increasing the system's material, assembly, and management costs.

[0003] Large footprint hinders system integration: To ensure the installability, removability, and vibration resistance of numerous pipelines, a significant amount of operating and layout space must be reserved inside the thermal management unit. The complex piping layout occupies valuable internal space, resulting in a large overall size of the thermal management unit, which cannot meet the automotive industry's urgent needs for modular, miniaturized, and lightweight components.

[0004] Low system reliability: Every pipe connection point is a potential refrigerant leak risk. The numerous pipe connections in traditional systems mean a large number of leak risks. Once a refrigerant leak occurs, it will directly cause the system's cooling and heating functions to fail. In addition, the supports used to fix the pipes and valves are in a vibrating environment for a long time, which is prone to fatigue fracture, leading to pipe rupture and system failure.

[0005] Poor maintainability and high after-sales costs: To reduce after-sales maintenance costs, core vulnerable components should be easy to disassemble and assemble. However, in traditional systems, the installation positions and angles of various components are complex, many components require installation at multiple angles, and there are situations where components block each other. Once an internal component such as a heat exchanger or electronic expansion valve fails, it is often impossible to disassemble it directly, requiring extensive disassembly or even complete replacement of the entire unit, which greatly increases the difficulty and cost of after-sales maintenance.

[0006] High refrigerant charge and high energy consumption: The extensive and lengthy piping increases the internal volume of the refrigerant side, requiring the system to charge more refrigerant to operate normally, thus increasing costs and environmental risks. Simultaneously, the long piping length and complex routing increase the flow resistance within the system, requiring the compressor to perform more work to overcome this resistance, leading to increased system energy consumption. This problem is particularly pronounced in heat pump modes, which are more sensitive to resistance. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The main objective of this invention is to provide a connection method between the heat exchanger and the refrigerant module, which can effectively solve the problems of complex structure, large space occupation, high cost, low reliability, difficult maintenance, and high system energy consumption caused by the use of a large number of independent pipelines to connect the heat exchanger, refrigerant control components, and other components in the existing thermal management system of new energy vehicles.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: A method for connecting a plate heat exchanger and a refrigerant module includes a plate heat exchanger and a refrigerant flow channel plate. The plate heat exchanger and the refrigerant flow channel plate are directly connected through an interface to form a pipeless refrigerant flow channel. The refrigerant flow channel plate has a preset refrigerant flow channel inside and integrates refrigerant control components.

[0009] Preferably, the plate heat exchanger includes plate heat exchanger one and plate heat exchanger two, and plate heat exchanger one and plate heat exchanger two are directly connected to the refrigerant flow channel plate interface on the refrigerant flow channel plate through their respective plate heat exchanger refrigerant interfaces.

[0010] Preferably, the first heat exchanger is a heating heat exchanger LCC, used to heat the coolant at high temperature from the compressor exhaust; the second heat exchanger is a cooling heat exchanger Chiller, used to cool the coolant with low-temperature refrigerant.

[0011] Preferably, the refrigerant control element includes one or more of a temperature sensor, an electronic expansion valve, a temperature and pressure sensor, and a refrigerant shut-off valve. The control element is directly mounted on the refrigerant flow channel plate and communicates with the refrigerant flow channel.

[0012] Preferably, the first and second heat exchangers are provided with coolant external interface areas for connecting to external coolant pipelines; the refrigerant flow channel plate is provided with refrigerant external interface areas for connecting to external refrigerant pipelines.

[0013] Preferably, the external interface area of ​​the coolant includes coolant interfaces D-1, D-2, D-3, and D-4, which correspond to the Chiller inlet and Chiller outlet of the second heat exchanger, and the LCC inlet and LCC outlet of the first heat exchanger, respectively.

[0014] Preferably, the refrigerant external interface area includes refrigerant interfaces A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2, and B-3, which correspond to the compressor exhaust port inlet, condenser inlet, condenser outlet, compressor suction port, evaporator outlet, and evaporator inlet, respectively.

[0015] Preferably, the refrigerant flow channels preset inside the refrigerant flow channel plate include refrigerant interfaces C-1, C-2, C-3, and C-4, which correspond to LCC inlet, LCC outlet, Chiller inlet, and Chiller outlet, respectively.

[0016] Preferably, the connection between the heat exchanger and the refrigerant flow channel plate is a standardized interface, forming an integrated module, eliminating the need for connecting pipes in the traditional system.

[0017] Preferably, the refrigerant flow channel integrated inside the refrigerant flow channel plate and the control element constitute the refrigerant-side flow path, and the refrigerant side of the first and second plate heat exchangers is directly connected to the refrigerant flow channel, while the coolant side has an independent external interface.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. This invention provides a connection method between a plate heat exchanger and a refrigerant module. By directly connecting the refrigerant interface of the plate heat exchanger to the refrigerant flow channel plate with a preset internal flow channel, and integrating control components such as temperature sensors, electronic expansion valves, and shut-off valves onto the flow channel plate, a large number of pipes, pressure plates, sealing rings, brackets, and fasteners required to connect various components in the traditional system are eliminated. The highly integrated modular design reduces the types and quantities of materials, and lowers procurement, assembly, and management costs.

[0019] 2. This invention provides a connection method between the plate heat exchanger and the refrigerant module, which integrates all the core refrigerant flow paths and control components inside the refrigerant flow channel plate, eliminating the complex connection pipelines and saving space inside the thermal management unit; at the same time, the coolant interface and refrigerant interface are arranged in a partitioned and centralized manner, making the unit layout more regular and compact, which helps to realize the miniaturization and lightweight design of the thermal management system and meet the stringent requirements of new energy vehicles for component integration.

[0020] 3. This invention provides a connection method between the plate heat exchanger and the refrigerant module. By eliminating the pipe connections between the plate heat exchanger and various valves and sensors, the number of refrigerant leakage points in the system is greatly reduced, lowering the risk of refrigerant leakage and ensuring the long-term effectiveness of the system's cooling and heating functions. At the same time, reducing the need for supports, pipe clamps, and other structures used to fix pipes and valves also eliminates the hidden danger of support breakage due to vibration, which could lead to pipe rupture, thus improving the overall structural strength and operational reliability of the unit.

[0021] 4. This invention provides a connection method between a plate heat exchanger and a refrigerant module. By integrating core components such as sensors and electronic expansion valves onto the same module and designing it to be disassembled and installed from the same direction, it solves the problem of parts blocking each other and being difficult to disassemble in traditional systems. Once a core component fails, it can be directly replaced without disassembling the entire unit, which improves maintenance convenience and reduces the difficulty and cost of after-sales maintenance.

[0022] 5. This invention provides a connection method between a plate heat exchanger and a refrigerant module. By embedding the refrigerant flow channel into the flow channel plate, the flow path of the refrigerant is effectively shortened, the internal volume of the system is reduced, and thus the amount of refrigerant charged is reduced. At the same time, the flow channel is smooth, without the bends and joint resistance caused by redundant pipelines, which significantly reduces the system flow resistance and the compressor energy consumption is reduced accordingly. Especially in the heat pump mode that is sensitive to resistance, it can effectively improve the energy efficiency of the whole vehicle and the driving range.

[0023] 6. This invention provides a connection method between a plate heat exchanger and a refrigerant module. By using the refrigerant flow channel plate as a standardized integrated platform, and by adjusting its internal flow channel layout or adding or removing integrated components, it can quickly adapt to the system requirements of different heat exchange capacities or different thermal management strategies. This modular connection method transforms product development from pipeline layout design to module selection and combination, shortens the design and verification cycle, reduces development costs, and facilitates the formation of a series of standardized product platforms. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a top view of the structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a top view cross-sectional structural diagram of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the coolant external interface area and the refrigerant external interface area of ​​the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the heat pump thermal management system of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the refrigerant flow channel of the integrated module of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the coolant interface structure of the integrated module of the present invention.

[0025] In the diagram: 1. Plate heat exchanger one; 2. Plate heat exchanger two; 3. Refrigerant flow channel plate; 4. Temperature sensor; 5. Electronic expansion valve; 6. Temperature and pressure sensor; 7. Refrigerant shut-off valve; 11. Plate heat exchanger refrigerant interface; 12. Refrigerant flow channel plate interface; 21. Coolant external interface area; 22. Refrigerant external interface area. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0027] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, a method for connecting a plate heat exchanger and a refrigerant module mainly includes a plate heat exchanger 1, a plate heat exchanger 2, a refrigerant flow channel plate 3, a temperature sensor 4, an electronic expansion valve 5, a temperature and pressure sensor 6, and a refrigerant shut-off valve 7. Plate heat exchanger 1 and plate heat exchanger 2 are directly connected to the refrigerant flow channel plate interface 12 on the refrigerant flow channel plate 3 through their respective plate heat exchanger refrigerant interfaces 11, forming a refrigerant flow channel without pipes. The refrigerant flow channel plate 3 has a preset refrigerant flow channel inside and integrates the temperature sensor 4, the electronic expansion valve 5, the temperature and pressure sensor 6, and the refrigerant shut-off valve 7. These control components are all directly installed on the refrigerant flow channel plate 3 without the need for additional pipe connections.

[0028] Specifically, such as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, heat exchanger 1 and heat exchanger 2 are directly connected to the refrigerant flow channel plate 3 using standard interfaces to form an integrated module. The external interface area 21 for coolant is set on heat exchanger 1 and heat exchanger 2 for connecting to external coolant pipelines; the external interface area 22 for refrigerant is set on refrigerant flow channel plate 3 for connecting to external refrigerant pipelines. Through this structure, the refrigerant flow channel plate 3 integrates the refrigerant flow path inside. The refrigerant side of heat exchanger 1 and heat exchanger 2 is directly connected to the refrigerant flow channel plate 3, while the coolant side has an independent external interface.

[0029] like Figures 5 to 7 The image shows an application embodiment of the present invention in a heat pump thermal management system. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a heat pump thermal management system. Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerant flow channel of the integrated module. Figure 7 The diagram shows the integrated module coolant interface. In this embodiment, heat exchanger 1 is used as a heating heat exchanger LCC to heat the coolant at high temperature from the compressor exhaust. Heat exchanger 2 is used as a cooling heat exchanger Chiller to cool the coolant with low-temperature refrigerant. The refrigerant flow channel plate 3 integrates a temperature sensor 4, a temperature and pressure sensor 6, an electronic expansion valve 5, and a refrigerant shut-off valve 7, which are used to monitor and control the refrigerant status and flow rate, respectively.

[0030] Figure 6 The internal interfaces of the refrigerant flow path are shown, including: refrigerant interface C-1 is the LCC inlet, C-2 is the LCC outlet, C-3 is the Chiller inlet, and C-4 is the Chiller outlet.

[0031] Figure 7 The coolant interfaces are shown, including: D-1 is the Chiller inlet, D-2 is the Chiller outlet, D-3 is the LCC inlet, and D-4 is the LCC outlet. The external refrigerant interfaces include: A-1 is the compressor exhaust port inlet, A-2 is the condenser inlet, A-3 is the condenser outlet, B-1 is the compressor suction port, B-2 is the evaporator outlet, and B-3 is the evaporator inlet. All refrigerant interfaces are concentrated on the refrigerant flow channel plate 3, and all coolant interfaces are concentrated on plate heat exchanger 1 and plate heat exchanger 2, forming a zoned arrangement.

[0032] Through the above structure, the present invention achieves a high degree of integration between the plate heat exchanger and the refrigerant control components, eliminating the multiple connecting pipelines between the LCC and the condenser shut-off valve, the LCC and the Chiller shut-off valve, the condenser outlet and the Chiller electronic expansion valve, and the Chiller and the evaporator and compressor in the traditional system. This simplifies the system structure, reduces the risk of refrigerant leakage and system flow resistance, reduces the amount of refrigerant charged, and improves system energy efficiency.

[0033] The working principle of the connection between the heat exchanger and the refrigerant module will be explained in detail below.

[0034] like Figure 1-7As shown, during system operation, refrigerant enters the integrated module through the external interface on the refrigerant flow channel plate 3. After being distributed to control elements such as the electronic expansion valve 5 and the refrigerant shut-off valve 7 via internal preset flow channels for adjustment, it enters the refrigerant side of heat exchanger 1 or heat exchanger 2 through the refrigerant flow channel plate interface 12. Inside the heat exchanger, the refrigerant exchanges heat with the coolant. The coolant flows in or out through the coolant external interface area 21 on the heat exchanger, completing the thermal management control of the battery, motor, or cab. Throughout the entire process, the refrigerant flow path is completely integrated between the refrigerant flow channel plate and the heat exchanger, without any interference. The refrigerant status is monitored in real time by sensors integrated on the flow channel plate, ensuring rapid system response and precise control. Furthermore, since all refrigerant control components are integrated on the same flow channel plate with standardized interfaces, and modular docking is used between the heat exchanger and the flow channel plate, the entire thermal management unit can be quickly combined and expanded according to the needs of different vehicle models or systems. For example, a larger heat exchange capacity can be achieved by connecting multiple heat exchangers in parallel or series, or the flow channel logic can be adjusted by replacing the refrigerant flow channel plate to meet the needs of different thermal management strategies, greatly improving the product's versatility and development efficiency.

[0035] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of this invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for connecting a plate heat exchanger and a refrigerant module, characterized in that: It includes a heat exchanger and a refrigerant flow channel plate (3). The heat exchanger and the refrigerant flow channel plate (3) are directly connected through an interface to form a refrigerant flow channel without pipes. The refrigerant flow channel plate (3) has a preset refrigerant flow channel inside and integrates refrigerant control components.

2. The connection method between the plate heat exchanger and the refrigerant module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plate heat exchanger includes plate heat exchanger one (1) and plate heat exchanger two (2), which are directly connected to the refrigerant flow channel plate interface (12) on the refrigerant flow channel plate (3) through their plate heat exchanger refrigerant interface (11).

3. The connection method between the plate heat exchanger and the refrigerant module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first plate heat exchanger (1) is a heating plate heat exchanger LCC, which is used to heat the coolant by the high temperature of the compressor exhaust; the second plate heat exchanger (2) is a refrigeration plate heat exchanger Chiller, which is used to refrigerate the coolant by the low temperature refrigerant.

4. The connection method between the plate heat exchanger and the refrigerant module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The refrigerant control element includes one or more of the following: temperature sensor (4), electronic expansion valve (5), temperature and pressure sensor (6), and refrigerant shut-off valve (7). The control element is directly mounted on the refrigerant flow channel plate (3) and communicates with the refrigerant flow channel.

5. The connection method between the plate heat exchanger and the refrigerant module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first heat exchanger (1) and the second heat exchanger (2) are provided with coolant external interface areas (21) for connecting external coolant pipelines; the refrigerant flow channel plate (3) is provided with refrigerant external interface areas (22) for connecting external refrigerant pipelines.

6. The connection method between the plate heat exchanger and the refrigerant module according to claim 5, characterized in that: The external interface area (21) of the coolant includes coolant interfaces D-1, D-2, D-3 and D-4, which correspond to the Chiller inlet and Chiller outlet of the second plate heat exchanger (2) and the LCC inlet and LCC outlet of the first plate heat exchanger (1), respectively.

7. The connection method between the plate heat exchanger and the refrigerant module according to claim 5, characterized in that: The refrigerant external interface area (22) includes refrigerant interfaces A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2, and B-3, which correspond to the compressor exhaust port inlet, condenser inlet, condenser outlet, compressor suction port, evaporator outlet, and evaporator inlet, respectively.

8. The connection method between the plate heat exchanger and the refrigerant module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The refrigerant flow channel inside the refrigerant flow channel plate (3) includes refrigerant interfaces C-1, C-2, C-3, and C-4, which correspond to LCC inlet, LCC outlet, Chiller inlet, and Chiller outlet, respectively.

9. The connection method between the plate heat exchanger and the refrigerant module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connection between the heat exchanger and the refrigerant flow channel plate (3) is a standardized interface docking, forming an integrated module and eliminating the connection pipelines in the traditional system.

10. A connection method between a plate heat exchanger and a refrigerant module according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The refrigerant flow channel integrated inside the refrigerant flow channel plate (3) and the control element constitute the refrigerant side flow path. The refrigerant side of the plate exchange one (1) and plate exchange two (2) are directly connected to the refrigerant flow channel, and the coolant side has an independent external interface.

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