Integrated air suspension system thermal management system and vehicle

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of new energy vehicles, in particular to a heat management system integrated with an air suspension system and a vehicle, which comprises a battery-suspension heat management system for adjusting and controlling the temperature of a battery and / or an air suspension air pump; a passenger cabin heat management system for adjusting and controlling the temperature of a passenger cabin; a motor heat management system for adjusting and controlling the temperature of a motor; and a heat management integrated valve in communication with the motor heat management system, the battery-suspension heat management system and the passenger cabin heat management system respectively, the heat management integrated valve being used for controlling the on-off between the three.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of new energy vehicle technology, and in particular to a thermal management system and vehicle with an integrated air suspension system. Background Technology

[0002] The thermal management systems for new energy vehicles are developing rapidly, primarily focusing on temperature control of the three traditional core components: the motor, battery, and passenger compartment. However, air suspension systems are rarely included. An air suspension system utilizes air springs, an air pump, and corresponding electronic control components to adjust vehicle height and damping, and is commonly found in mid-to-high-end models. When the air suspension system is operating, a significant amount of waste heat generated by the air pump is directly wasted, making energy recovery difficult. Adding a separate thermal management system for the air pump would result in an increased number of valves, complex piping, and a large space requirement, significantly increasing overall vehicle cost and installation difficulty. Furthermore, it would be difficult to coordinate with the vehicle's overall thermal management system, leading to poor energy efficiency.

[0003] To address this issue, the current common temperature control methods for air suspension systems are relatively simple and direct, mostly using independent air cooling or passive natural cooling. In summer, when the air pump operates under continuous high load, the temperature rises too quickly, which can easily trigger overheat protection and power-limited operation, significantly shortening the lifespan of the air pump and generating high-frequency noise. In winter, under low-temperature conditions, the viscosity of the lubricant inside the air pump increases, resulting in high starting resistance, difficulty in starting, and severe wear in the initial stage of starting, affecting the response speed of the air suspension system.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an automotive thermal management system that deeply integrates the air suspension system with the vehicle's thermal management, adapts to the refined thermal management needs of the air pump, and solves industry pain points such as waste heat, difficulty in starting at low temperatures, and overheating at high temperatures. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a thermal management system for an integrated air suspension system, comprising: Battery-suspension thermal management system, used to regulate and control the temperature of the battery and / or air suspension pump; The crew cabin thermal management system is used to regulate and control the temperature of the crew cabin. Motor thermal management system, used to regulate and control the temperature of the motor; The thermal management integrated valve is a six-way valve that is connected to the motor thermal management system, the battery-suspension thermal management system and the passenger compartment thermal management system respectively. The thermal management integrated valve is used to control the on / off connection between the three.

[0006] Furthermore, the battery-suspension thermal management system includes a suspension branch where the suspension heat exchanger is located and a battery branch where the battery heat exchanger is located, and the suspension branch is connected to the battery branch.

[0007] Furthermore, the crew cabin thermal management system includes a heating air branch where the heating air core is located and a PTC branch where the PTC heater is located, and the thermal management integrated valve can control the on / off connection between the heating air branch and the PTC branch.

[0008] Furthermore, the heating air branch and the PTC branch are respectively connected to the battery-suspension thermal management system.

[0009] Furthermore, the thermal management integrated valve can be used to form a first passage, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the heating air branch and the PTC branch, and the thermal management integrated valve connects the heating air branch and the PTC branch through the first passage.

[0010] Furthermore, the thermal management integrated valve can be used to form a second passage, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the battery-suspension thermal management system and the PTC branch. The thermal management integrated valve connects the battery-suspension thermal management system and the PTC branch through the second passage.

[0011] Furthermore, the motor thermal management system includes a motor branch where the motor is located and a radiator branch where the radiator is located, and the thermal management integrated valve can control the on / off connection between the motor branch and the radiator branch.

[0012] Furthermore, the thermal management integrated valve can be used to form a third passage, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the motor branch and the radiator branch, and the thermal management integrated valve connects the motor branch and the radiator branch through the third passage.

[0013] Furthermore, the thermal management integrated valve can be used to form a fourth passage and a fifth passage. The two ends of the fourth passage are respectively connected to the motor branch and the heating air branch, and the two ends of the fifth passage are respectively connected to the motor branch and the battery-suspension thermal management system. The thermal management integrated valve connects the motor branch, the battery-suspension thermal management system and the heating air branch through the fourth passage and the fifth passage.

[0014] Furthermore, the present invention also includes a vehicle that includes a thermal management system for the aforementioned integrated air suspension system.

[0015] This invention connects the battery-suspension thermal management system, the passenger compartment thermal management system, and the motor thermal management system through a thermal management integrated valve, thereby integrating the air suspension pump into the vehicle thermal management system, efficiently utilizing the waste heat of the battery-suspension thermal management system, the passenger compartment thermal management system, and the motor thermal management system, achieving refined thermal management, and improving the overall vehicle energy utilization rate. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the thermal management system of the integrated air suspension system provided by the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the valve core structure, interface, and passage of the thermal management integrated valve in this invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the first mode in this invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the second mode in the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the third mode in this invention.

[0021] In the diagram: 1. Suspension branch; 1a. Suspension heat exchanger; 2. Battery branch; 2a. Battery heat exchanger; 3. Heater branch; 3a. Heater core; 4. PTC heater; 5. Motor branch; 5a. Motor; 6. Radiator branch; 6a. Radiator; 7. Thermal management integrated valve; 71. First passage; 72. Second passage; 73. Third passage; 74. Fourth passage; 75. Fifth passage. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To further illustrate the technical means and effects adopted by the present invention in order to achieve the intended purpose, the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments.

[0023] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc., in the specification and claims of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0024] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2The thermal management system of the integrated air suspension system provided by the present invention includes: a battery-suspension thermal management system for regulating and controlling the temperature of the battery and / or the air suspension pump; a passenger compartment thermal management system for regulating and controlling the temperature of the passenger compartment; a motor thermal management system for regulating and controlling the temperature of the motor 5a; and a thermal management integrated valve 7, which is connected to the motor thermal management system, the battery-suspension thermal management system, and the passenger compartment thermal management system respectively, and is used to control the on / off state between the three. Specifically, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the thermal management integrated valve 7 is a six-way valve. The battery-suspension thermal management system includes a suspension branch 1 and a battery branch 2, which are connected to form a loop. The suspension branch 1 is provided with a suspension heat exchanger 1a for thermal management of the air suspension pump, and the battery branch 2 is provided with a battery heat exchanger 2a for thermal management of the battery and a chiller for cooling the coolant in the loop, which are connected in series. The passenger compartment thermal management system... The system includes a heating air branch 3 and a PTC branch 4. The heating air branch 3 is equipped with a heating air core 3a for heating the passenger compartment, and the PTC circuit is equipped with a PTC heater 4 for heating the coolant in the circuit. The heating air branch 3 and PTC branch 4 are respectively connected to the battery-suspension thermal management system. The motor thermal management system includes a motor branch 5 and a radiator branch 6. The motor branch 5 is equipped with a motor 5a, and the radiator branch 6 is equipped with a radiator 6a for cooling the coolant in the circuit. The motor branch 5 and radiator branch 6 are connected. A thermal management integrated valve 7 is connected to the motor thermal management system, the battery-suspension thermal management system, and the passenger compartment thermal management system. More specifically, the thermal management integrated valve 7 is connected to the heating air branch 3, the battery-suspension thermal management system, the PTC branch 4, the radiator branch 6, and the motor branch 5, thereby controlling the on / off switching between the battery-suspension thermal management system, the passenger compartment thermal management system, and the motor thermal management system. In a straightforward manner, the battery-suspension thermal management system, passenger compartment thermal management system, motor thermal management system, and thermal management integrated valve 7 are electrically connected to the ECU. The ECU is in turn electrically connected to sensors and corresponding controllers to determine operating conditions, define requirements, and perform start-stop and on / off control on designated components according to those requirements, thereby achieving unified thermal management. This invention connects the battery-suspension thermal management system, passenger compartment thermal management system, and motor thermal management system through the thermal management integrated valve 7, integrating the air suspension pump into the vehicle's thermal management system. This enables efficient utilization of waste heat from the battery-suspension thermal management system, passenger compartment thermal management system, and motor thermal management system, achieving refined thermal management and improving the overall vehicle energy utilization rate.

[0025] Please refer to this carefully. Figure 2Furthermore, the thermal management integrated valve 7 in this invention is preferably a six-way valve, which has six ports: a first port, a second port, a third port, a fourth port, a fifth port, and a sixth port. These six ports can communicate with each other within the valve to form a passage. The interior of the thermal management integrated valve 7 can form a first passage 71, a second passage 72, a third passage 73, a fourth passage 74, and a fifth passage 75.

[0026] Specifically, in one embodiment of the present invention, the first interface is connected to the heating air branch 3, and the third interface is connected to the PTC branch 4. When the first interface and the third interface are connected, a first passage 71 is formed. Therefore, the two ends of the first passage 71 are connected to the heating air branch 3 and the PTC branch 4 respectively. That is, the thermal management integrated valve 7 connects the heating air branch 3 and the PTC branch 4 through the first passage 71. When the first passage 71 is connected, the heating air branch 3, the PTC branch 4 and the first passage 71 are connected in series to form a loop, and this loop is also connected in parallel with the loop formed by the suspension branch 1 and the battery branch 2.

[0027] Similarly, the second interface is connected to the loop formed by the suspension branch 1 and the battery branch 2. When the second interface and the third interface are connected, a second passage 72 is formed. Therefore, the two ends of the second passage 72 are connected to the battery-suspension thermal management system and the PTC branch 4, respectively. That is, the thermal management integrated valve 7 connects the PTC branch 4 to the loop formed by the suspension branch 1 and the battery branch 2 through the second passage 72. When the second passage 72 is connected, the PTC branch 4 and the battery-suspension thermal management system are connected in parallel.

[0028] Similarly, the fourth interface is connected to the radiator branch 6, and the sixth interface is connected to the motor branch 5. When the fourth interface and the sixth interface are connected, a third passage 73 is formed. Therefore, the two ends of the third passage 73 are connected to the motor branch 5 and the radiator branch 6 respectively. That is, the thermal management integrated valve 7 connects the motor branch 5 and the radiator branch 6 through the third passage 73. When the third passage 73 is connected, the motor branch 5, the radiator branch 6 and the third passage 73 are connected in series to form a loop.

[0029] Similarly, the fifth interface is connected to the connection point of the radiator branch 6 and the motor branch 5. This can be achieved through a three-way valve that connects the fifth interface, the radiator branch 6 and the motor branch 5 respectively. When the fifth interface is connected to the first interface, a fourth passage 74 is formed. Therefore, the two ends of the fourth passage 74 are connected to the motor branch 5 and the heater branch 3 respectively. That is, the thermal management integrated valve 7 connects the motor branch 5 and the heater branch 3 through the fourth passage 74. When the sixth interface is connected to the second interface, a fifth passage 75 is formed. Therefore, the two ends of the fifth passage 75 are connected to the loop formed by the connection point of the motor branch 5 and the suspension branch 1 and the battery branch 2 respectively. That is, the thermal management integrated valve 7 connects the motor branch 5 to the loop formed by the suspension branch 1 and the battery branch 2 through the fifth passage 75. When both the fourth passage 74 and the fifth passage 75 are connected, the motor branch 5, the battery-suspension thermal management system and the heater branch 3 are connected in series to form a loop.

[0030] Please see Figures 3 to 5 Furthermore, the thermal management system of the integrated air suspension system in this invention can operate in the following three modes according to actual needs: First Mode: Please refer to this carefully. Figure 3The first and third passages 71 and 73 are connected, while the second, fourth, and fifth passages 72, 74, and 75 are not connected. The heater branch 3, PTC branch 4, and the first passage 71 are connected in series to form a loop, which is also connected in parallel with the loop formed by the suspension branch 1 and the battery branch 2. The motor branch 5, radiator branch 6, and the third passage 73 are connected in series to form a loop. In the first mode, the motor thermal management system operates independently, while the passenger compartment thermal management system and the battery-suspension thermal management system are connected. Therefore, heat exchange can occur between them as needed. For example, when the battery and air suspension pumps do not require cooling, the PTC heater 4 operates, heating the passenger compartment through the loop formed by the heater branch 3, PTC branch 4, and the first passage 71; when the passenger compartment does not require heating, the chiller operates, cooling the battery and air suspension pumps through the loop formed by the suspension branch 1 and the battery branch 2. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the sensor detects that the temperature of the air suspension pump is greater than the threshold of 65°C, the ECU controls the thermal management integrated valve 7 to switch to the first mode. This allows the relatively coolant in the circulation loop formed by the heater branch 3, the PTC branch 4, and the first passage 71 to enter the circulation loop formed by the suspension branch 1 and the battery branch 2. This relatively coolant flows through the suspension heat exchanger 1a, forcibly removing the heat generated by the air suspension pump through heat exchange. At the same time, the chiller on the battery branch 2 also operates to cool the coolant in the loop, thereby dissipating heat from the battery-suspension thermal management system, preventing the air suspension pump from overheating and affecting power, extending its service life, and reducing operating noise. When the sensor detects that the temperature of the air suspension pump is less than the threshold of 40°C, the first mode is exited. When the thermal management system of the integrated air suspension system in this invention exits the first mode, the heat carried away from the air suspension pump can be transferred through the coolant under the control of the ECU according to actual temperature control needs. For example, the coolant can enter the circulation loop formed by the heater branch 3, the PTC branch 4, and the first passage 71 to use the residual heat to heat the passenger compartment, or the fourth passage 74 and / or the fifth passage 75 can be connected to allow the coolant to enter the radiator 6a directly for heat dissipation through the thermal management integrated valve 7. The first mode in this invention is designed for air suspension pump overheating and high-temperature conditions in summer. It can effectively utilize the residual heat in the suspension branch 1 and the motor branch 5 to act on the heater branch 3, and it can also effectively utilize the residual heat in the heater branch 3 and the PTC branch 4 to act on the suspension branch 1 and the motor branch 5.

[0031] Second mode: Please refer to this carefully. Figure 4In the second mode, the third and second pathways 73 and 72 are connected, while the first, fourth, and fifth pathways 71, 74, and 75 are disconnected. The PTC branch 4 is connected in parallel to the battery-suspension thermal management system, and the motor branch 5, radiator branch 6, and third pathway 73 are connected in series to form a loop. In this mode, the motor thermal management system operates independently, the heater core 3a is not activated, and the PTC branch 4 is connected to the battery-suspension thermal management system. Therefore, the PTC heater 4 can heat the battery-suspension thermal management system as needed. For example, when the vehicle is powered on and enters a cold start state in winter, the PTC heater 4 operates, heating the coolant in the circuit to warm the battery-suspension thermal management system. In one embodiment of the present invention, when the sensor detects that the temperature of the air suspension pump is less than the threshold of -5°C, the ECU controls the thermal management integrated valve 7 to switch to the second mode. This allows the relatively high-temperature coolant in the heater branch 3 and PTC branch 4 to enter the circulation loop formed by the suspension branch 1 and battery branch 2. This relatively low-temperature coolant flows through the suspension heat exchanger 1a. Simultaneously, the PTC heater 4 also operates, heating the coolant in the loop. This utilizes the residual heat in the heater circuit and PTC branch 4 to preheat the cylinder and internal lubrication chamber of the air suspension pump, reducing its lubricating viscosity and starting resistance. This allows the air suspension pump to start quickly and smoothly, reducing initial wear and improving the response speed and quietness of the air suspension system. When the sensor detects that the temperature of the air suspension pump is greater than the threshold of 10°C, the second mode is exited. When the thermal management system of the integrated air suspension system in this invention exits the second mode, if the sensor detects that the temperature of the air suspension pump is too high but the battery temperature is too low, the relatively hot coolant in suspension branch 1 flows in the circulation loop formed by suspension branch 1 and battery branch 2, utilizing the residual heat of the coolant to heat the battery, or using the chiller to cool the coolant in the loop. Specifically, in the second mode, the heater branch 3 is not connected to the circulation loop formed by suspension branch 1 and battery branch 2, thereby interfering with and preventing the cooling effect of the air suspension pump from being affected by the diversion of flow. The second mode in this invention is designed for cold starts and low-temperature winter conditions, effectively utilizing the residual heat in PTC branch 4 to act on suspension branch 1 and motor branch 5, and also effectively utilizing the residual heat of one of the two branches to act on the other.

[0032] Third Mode: Please refer to this carefully. Figure 5In the third mode, the fourth and fifth pathways 74 and 75 are connected, while the first, second, and third pathways 71, 72, and 73 are disconnected. The motor branch 5 is connected to the battery-suspension thermal management system in parallel, and the heater branch 3 is also connected to the battery-suspension thermal management system in parallel. The motor branch 5, the battery-suspension thermal management system, and the heater branch 3 are connected in series to form a circulation loop. In the third mode, the radiator 6a and PTC heater 4 are not operating, and the chiller can selectively operate. The coolant circulates in the motor branch 5, heater branch 3, suspension branch 1, and battery branch 2. The ECU can perform heat exchange on these branches as needed, for example, using the waste heat from the motor 5a and heater core 3a to heat the suspension heat exchanger 1a and / or battery heat exchanger 2a, or using the waste heat from the suspension heat exchanger 1a and battery heat exchanger 2a to heat the heater core 3a to assist in heating, thereby achieving efficient utilization of the waste heat from the motor thermal management system and the battery-suspension thermal management system. The third mode in this invention targets the waste heat in the motor branch 5, suspension branch 1, and motor branch 5, and can mobilize and efficiently utilize the waste heat among the battery-suspension thermal management system, the passenger compartment thermal management system, and the motor thermal management system.

[0033] Furthermore, the present invention also includes a vehicle having a thermal management system comprising the aforementioned integrated air suspension system. In summary, this invention connects the battery-suspension thermal management system, passenger compartment thermal management system, and motor thermal management system through a thermal management integrated valve. This integrates the air suspension pump into the vehicle's thermal management system, efficiently utilizes the waste heat from these systems, achieves refined thermal management, and improves overall vehicle energy efficiency. Furthermore, this invention addresses various operating conditions through a first mode targeting air suspension pump overheating and high-temperature summer conditions, a second mode targeting cold starts and low-temperature winter conditions, and a third mode targeting waste heat in the motor circuit, suspension circuit, and motor circuit, thereby improving overall vehicle energy efficiency.

[0034] The above are merely specific embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A thermal management system for an integrated air suspension system, characterized in that: include: Battery-suspension thermal management system, used to regulate and control the temperature of the battery and / or air suspension pump; The crew cabin thermal management system is used to regulate and control the temperature of the crew cabin. A motor thermal management system is used to regulate and control the temperature of the motor (5a); Thermal management integrated valve (7) is a six-way valve that is connected to the motor thermal management system, the battery-suspension thermal management system and the passenger compartment thermal management system respectively. The thermal management integrated valve (7) is used to control the on / off connection between the three.

2. The thermal management system of the integrated air suspension system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The battery-suspension thermal management system includes a suspension branch (1) where the suspension heat exchanger (1a) is located and a battery branch (2) where the battery heat exchanger (2a) is located. The suspension branch (1) and the battery branch (2) are connected.

3. The thermal management system of the integrated air suspension system as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The crew cabin thermal management system includes a heating branch (3) where the heating core (3a) is located and a PTC branch (4) where the PTC heater (4) is located. The thermal management integrated valve (7) can control the on / off connection between the heating branch (3) and the PTC branch (4).

4. The thermal management system of the integrated air suspension system as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The heating air branch (3) and the PTC branch (4) are respectively connected to the battery-suspension thermal management system.

5. The thermal management system of the integrated air suspension system as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The thermal management integrated valve (7) can be used to form a first passage (71), the two ends of the first passage (71) are connected to the heating air branch (3) and the PTC branch (4) respectively, and the thermal management integrated valve (7) connects the heating air branch (3) and the PTC branch (4) through the first passage (71).

6. The thermal management system of the integrated air suspension system as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The thermal management integrated valve (7) can be used to form a second passage (72), the two ends of which are connected to the battery-suspension thermal management system and the PTC branch (4) respectively. The thermal management integrated valve (7) connects the battery-suspension thermal management system and the PTC branch (4) through the second passage (72).

7. The thermal management system of the integrated air suspension system as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The motor thermal management system includes a motor branch (5) where the motor (5a) is located and a radiator branch (6) where the radiator (6a) is located. The thermal management integrated valve (7) can control the on / off connection between the motor branch (5) and the radiator branch (6).

8. The thermal management system of the integrated air suspension system as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The thermal management integrated valve (7) can be used to form a third passage (73), the two ends of which are connected to the motor branch (5) and the radiator branch (6) respectively. The thermal management integrated valve (7) connects the motor branch (5) and the radiator branch (6) through the third passage (73).

9. The thermal management system of the integrated air suspension system as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The thermal management integrated valve (7) can be used to form a fourth passage (74) and a fifth passage (75). The two ends of the fourth passage (74) are connected to the motor branch (5) and the heating air branch (3) respectively. The two ends of the fifth passage (75) are connected to the motor branch (5) and the battery-suspension thermal management system respectively. The thermal management integrated valve (7) connects the motor branch (5), the battery-suspension thermal management system and the heating air branch (3) through the fourth passage (74) and the fifth passage (75).

10. A car, characterized in that: It includes the thermal management system of the integrated air suspension system as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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