A heat management system, control method, electronic device, and new energy vehicle

Abstract

The application discloses a heat management system, a control method, electronic equipment and a new energy vehicle, and relates to the technical field of new energy vehicle heat management. The heat management system comprises a four-way valve and a controller. The first to fourth channels of the four-way valve are connected with an engine loop, a battery loop, a passenger cabin heating loop and a radiator loop respectively. The controller controls the four-way valve to switch to a corresponding working position according to a pure electric mode or a hybrid mode of the vehicle and heat management requirements of single passenger cabin heating, single battery heating or double heating, so that the corresponding loops are connected. The application scheme realizes flexible switching between multiple heat management modes through a single four-way valve, reduces the number of pipeline interfaces, reduces the risk of coolant leakage, and improves the response speed and reliability of the system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of thermal management technology for new energy vehicles, specifically to a thermal management system, control method, electronic equipment, and new energy vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of new energy vehicles, thermal management systems are becoming increasingly complex. Traditional gasoline vehicles can meet the heating needs of the engine and passenger compartment using a three-way valve, while new energy vehicles need to manage multiple sources of heat, including the motor, battery, and passenger compartment. A single three-way valve can no longer meet the requirements of complex circuit switching. Existing technologies often use combinations of multiple two-way or three-way valves to achieve multi-mode control, but this results in a large number of components, complex piping interfaces, and cumbersome control logic. Furthermore, traditional valves have long switching times and insufficient dynamic response, making it difficult to adapt to the rapid changes in operating conditions of the motor and battery, increasing system costs and leakage risks. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem this application aims to solve is that the thermal management system of new energy vehicles is more complex than that of traditional fuel vehicles. Traditional three-way valves cannot easily meet the heat exchange problem between the motor, electric drive, battery and passenger compartment of new energy vehicles. Therefore, this application provides a thermal management system, control method, electronic equipment and new energy vehicle.

[0004] Firstly, the technical solution of this application provides a thermal management system, including: The four-way valve has a first channel connected to the engine circuit, a second channel connected to the battery circuit, a third channel connected to the passenger compartment heating circuit, and a fourth channel connected to the radiator circuit. The controller is communicatively connected to the four-way valve and controls the four-way valve to switch to the corresponding working position according to the vehicle's driving mode and thermal management requirements. The driving mode includes pure electric mode and hybrid mode, and the thermal management requirements include single passenger compartment heating, single battery heating and dual heating.

[0005] In some solutions, the thermal management system controller, when the driving mode is pure electric mode and the thermal management requirement is heating of a single passenger compartment, controls the fourth channel of the four-way valve to connect with the third channel.

[0006] In some solutions, the thermal management system controller, when the driving mode is pure electric mode and the thermal management requirement is single-battery heating, controls the connection between the second and third channels of the four-way valve.

[0007] In some solutions, the thermal management system controller, when the driving mode is pure electric mode and the thermal management requirement is dual heating, controls the second and fourth channels of the four-way valve to be simultaneously connected to the third channel.

[0008] In some solutions, the controller of the thermal management system controls the fourth channel of the four-way valve to connect with the first channel when the driving mode is hybrid mode and the thermal management requirement is heating of a single passenger compartment.

[0009] In some solutions, the controller of the thermal management system controls the second channel of the four-way valve to connect with the first channel when the driving mode is hybrid mode and the thermal management requirement is single-battery heating.

[0010] In some solutions, the controller of the thermal management system, when the driving mode is hybrid mode and the thermal management requirement is dual heating, controls the second and fourth channels of the four-way valve to be simultaneously connected to the first channel.

[0011] In some embodiments of the thermal management system, the controller is also used to receive a filling command and control the first, second, third, and fourth channels of the four-way valve to be fully open.

[0012] Secondly, this application provides a control method for a thermal management system, applied to the thermal management system described in any one of the first aspects, comprising: The vehicle's driving mode is obtained, including pure electric mode and hybrid mode; Obtain thermal management requirements, which include at least one of single-passenger-cabin heating, single-battery heating, and dual heating. The target operating position of the four-way valve is determined based on the driving mode and the thermal management requirements. Control the four-way valve to switch to the target working position.

[0013] The control methods for the thermal management system described in some solutions also include: In the pure electric mode, the four-way valve is in the small circulation position group, and the small circulation is the connection between the battery circuit and the passenger compartment heating circuit; in the hybrid mode, the four-way valve is in the large circulation position group, and the large circulation is the connection between the engine circuit, the battery circuit and the passenger compartment heating circuit. If the vehicle status meets the preset judgment conditions, the four-way valve is controlled to switch from the small cycle to the large cycle.

[0014] In some solutions, the control method for the thermal management system includes preset judgment conditions such as: The target coolant temperature at the heating location is less than the engine coolant temperature - TL - VL, and the engine coolant temperature is greater than the first preset temperature threshold, where TL represents the compensation value of ambient temperature for switching temperature, and VL represents the compensation value of vehicle speed for switching temperature.

[0015] In some solutions, the control method for the thermal management system includes preset judgment conditions such as: The engine coolant temperature is greater than a first preset temperature threshold, and the power limit of the high-pressure electric water heater is zero; or, The engine coolant temperature is greater than the first preset temperature threshold, the required power of the high-pressure electric water heater is greater than the limited power of the high-pressure electric water heater, and the outlet water temperature of the high-pressure electric water heater is lower than the engine coolant temperature, and this condition persists for a preset time.

[0016] In some solutions, the control method for the thermal management system includes preset judgment conditions such as: The engine coolant temperature is greater than the second preset temperature threshold, and the temperature setting of any temperature zone of the air conditioning in front of the passenger compartment is the highest temperature setting.

[0017] The control method for the thermal management system described in some solutions further includes: If the engine stops, or if the engine coolant temperature is lower than a first preset temperature threshold when the single battery is heating, the four-way valve is controlled to switch from the large circulation to the small circulation.

[0018] The control method for the thermal management system described in some solutions further includes: When the vehicle is in the OFF position, the four-way valve is controlled to reset to the small circulation position; When the vehicle is powered on, the four-way valve is in its initial position; during dynamic adjustment or reset, the four-way valve responds at a preset slow rate.

[0019] Thirdly, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing program information, wherein a computer reads the program information and executes the steps of the control method of the thermal management system described in any of the second aspects.

[0020] Fourthly, the present application provides a computer program product, including a computer program / instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the control method for the thermal management system described in any of the second aspects.

[0021] Fifthly, the present application provides an electronic device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the control method for the thermal management system described in any of the second aspects.

[0022] Sixthly, the present application provides a new energy vehicle, including the thermal management system described in any one of the first aspects.

[0023] The technical solution provided in this application has the following technical effects compared with the prior art: The thermal management system, control method, electronic equipment, and new energy vehicle provided in this application utilize a four-way valve with four channels to connect the engine circuit, battery circuit, passenger compartment heating circuit, and radiator circuit. A controller adjusts the four-way valve to the corresponding operating position based on the vehicle's pure electric or hybrid mode, and thermal management requirements such as single passenger compartment heating, single battery heating, or dual heating. This allows for flexible switching between multiple thermal management modes using a single four-way valve, eliminating the need for multiple two-way or three-way valve combinations. This reduces the number of pipe interfaces, simplifies the structural complexity of the thermal management system, and lowers the risk of coolant leakage. Furthermore, the use of a single valve for channel switching avoids the cumbersome control logic and synchronization issues associated with multiple valves working together, improving the system's dynamic response speed and reliability. This meets the rapid load-changing thermal management requirements of the new energy vehicle's motor, battery, and passenger compartment under various operating conditions. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a thermal management system according to one embodiment of this application; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the circuit state of the four-way valve when the driving mode is pure electric mode and the thermal management requirement is heating of a single passenger compartment, provided for one embodiment of this application; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the circuit state of the four-way valve when the driving mode is pure electric mode and the thermal management requirement is single-battery heating, as provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the circuit state of the four-way valve when the driving mode is pure electric mode and the thermal management requirement is dual heating, provided for one embodiment of this application; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the circuit state of the four-way valve when the driving mode is hybrid mode and the thermal management requirement is heating of a single passenger compartment, provided as an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the circuit state of the four-way valve when the driving mode is hybrid mode and the thermal management requirement is single-battery heating, as provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the circuit state of the four-way valve when the driving mode is hybrid mode and the thermal management requirement is dual heating, provided for one embodiment of this application; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the circuit state of a four-way valve in the filling mode according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating a control method for a thermal management system provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 10This is a schematic diagram of the hardware connections of an electronic device for implementing a control method for a thermal management system, as provided in one embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The specific embodiments of this application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] It is readily understood that, based on the technical solution of this application, various structural and implementation methods can be interchanged by those skilled in the art without altering the essential spirit of this application. Therefore, the following detailed embodiments and accompanying drawings are merely illustrative examples of the technical solution of this application and should not be considered as the entirety of this application or as limitations or restrictions on the technical solution of the application.

[0027] This embodiment provides a thermal management system, such as Figure 1 As shown, it includes a four-way valve 100, whose first channel is connected to the engine circuit, the second channel is connected to the battery circuit, the third channel is connected to the passenger compartment heating circuit, and the fourth channel is connected to the radiator circuit; a controller is communicatively connected to the four-way valve 100 and controls the four-way valve to switch to the corresponding working position according to the vehicle's driving mode and thermal management requirements; the driving mode includes pure electric mode and hybrid mode, and the thermal management requirements include single passenger compartment heating, single battery heating, and dual heating.

[0028] The four-way valve 100 has a first channel V1, a second channel V2, a third channel V3, and a fourth channel V4, each channel corresponding to one of the four circuits mentioned above. The four-way valve 100 has a rotatable valve core inside. By controlling the valve core to rotate to different angles, any two or more channels can be interconnected, thereby changing the flow path of the coolant. A controller (not shown in the figure) is communicatively connected to the four-way valve 100. The controller is used to acquire the vehicle's driving mode (including pure electric mode and hybrid mode) and thermal management requirements (including single passenger compartment heating, single battery heating, and dual heating), and sends control commands to the four-way valve 100 according to the driving mode and thermal management requirements, driving the four-way valve 100 to switch to the corresponding operating position to connect the corresponding channel combinations, allowing the coolant to circulate between the corresponding circuits, thus achieving thermal management of the battery and / or passenger compartment.

[0029] Specifically, this system relies on various water-cooling devices, pumps, heat exchangers and energy storage devices shown in the figure to form a complete closed-loop water circuit. Each circuit is equipped with dedicated matching components and works in conjunction with the four-way valve 100.

[0030] The first channel V1 of the four-way valve 100 connects to the engine circuit, which includes the drive axle assembly, drive axle oil cooler, EGR cooler, high-temperature electronic water pump E-WP, high-temperature expansion tank Tank1, and temperature control valve TH. The temperature control valve TH automatically adjusts the water circuit opening and switches the water circuit circulation logic based on the coolant temperature to stabilize the operating temperature of the high-temperature circuit. In hybrid mode, the engine and drive axle generate heat, which is circulated by the high-temperature electronic water pump E-WP to continuously remove waste heat from the engine, reducer, drive axle gear oil, and EGR system, creating a stable high-temperature heat source for the circuit. TH monitors the water circuit temperature in real time and adaptively adjusts the flow rate to prevent overheating or underheating. The high-temperature expansion tank Tank1 is responsible for replenishing coolant, venting, and pressure buffering in this high-temperature circuit, ensuring stable water circuit circulation.

[0031] The second channel V2 of the four-way valve 100 connects to the battery circuit. This circuit is mainly used for heating and cooling temperature control of the power battery. The low-temperature expansion tank Tank2 provides liquid replenishment and pressure stabilization for the low-temperature circuit. EWP2 and EWP3 provide power for the water circulation of the battery circuit. Together with the Chiller refrigerant cooler and the power battery heater PTHE, it realizes bidirectional temperature control of the battery for low-temperature preheating and high-temperature forced cooling.

[0032] The third channel V3 of the four-way valve 100 connects to the passenger compartment heating circuit, corresponding to the water heater HTR in the diagram, which is the core heat exchange device for passenger compartment heating. This circuit relies on the high-temperature coolant flowing through the HTR core, and through forced convection heat exchange by the fan, the heat from the water circuit is transferred to the interior of the passenger compartment to achieve cabin heating. It is the core execution circuit for temperature control of the entire vehicle's driving comfort.

[0033] The fourth channel (V4) of the four-way valve 100 connects to the radiator circuit, corresponding to the front-end cooling assembly in the vehicle's engine compartment, including the low-temperature radiator (LTR), the air conditioning condenser (COND), and its matching cooling fan. This circuit serves as a unified cooling system for the entire vehicle. Excess heat from all circuits can be conducted to the front-end radiator via the four-way valve 100. Through forced convection heat exchange with the outside air via the LTR and COND, the coolant is cooled and dissipated, preventing overheating issues in the water system and components.

[0034] The controller, based on the vehicle's two core driving modes and incorporating three types of thermal management requirements, links the four-way valve 100 and all system components to achieve differentiated temperature control logic. It can be understood that each loop can be implemented by referring to the loop structure of existing thermal management systems. Figure 1 This is merely an illustrative example.

[0035] In the above embodiments, the thermal management system uses a four-way valve with four channels to connect the engine circuit, battery circuit, passenger compartment heating circuit, and radiator circuit respectively. The controller controls the four-way valve to switch to the corresponding working position according to the vehicle's pure electric mode or hybrid mode, as well as thermal management requirements such as single passenger compartment heating, single battery heating, or dual heating. This allows for flexible switching between multiple thermal management modes through a single four-way valve, eliminating the need for multiple two-way valves or three-way valve combinations. This reduces the number of pipe interfaces, simplifies the structural complexity of the thermal management system, and lowers the risk of coolant leakage. At the same time, since a single valve is used for channel switching, the cumbersome control logic and synchronization problems caused by the coordinated control of multiple valves are avoided, improving the dynamic response speed and reliability of the system. This can meet the rapid load change thermal management requirements of the electric motor, battery, and passenger compartment of new energy vehicles under multiple operating conditions.

[0036] like Figures 2 to 8 As shown, the controller can control the four-way valve 100 to switch between the following operating positions according to the driving mode and thermal management requirements.

[0037] like Figure 2 As shown, when the driving mode is pure electric mode and the thermal management requirement is heating only the passenger compartment, the controller controls the fourth channel V4 of the four-way valve 100 to connect with the third channel V3. The connection of the fourth channel V4 and the third channel V3 of the four-way valve 100 creates a small circulation of coolant between the battery circuit and the passenger compartment heating circuit. At this time, the high-pressure electric water heater WPTC acts as a heat source to heat the coolant, achieving heating only the passenger compartment in pure electric mode.

[0038] like Figure 3 As shown, when the driving mode is pure electric mode and the thermal management requirement is single-battery heating, the controller controls the second channel V2 and the third channel V3 of the four-way valve 100 to connect. The connection of the second channel V2 and the third channel V3 of the four-way valve 100 creates a small circulation of coolant between the battery circuit and the passenger compartment heating circuit. At this time, the high-pressure electric water heater WPTC acts as a heat source to heat the coolant. The heated coolant flows through the power battery circuit and exchanges heat with the battery, achieving heating only the battery in pure electric mode.

[0039] like Figure 4As shown, when the driving mode is pure electric mode and the thermal management requirement is dual heating, the controller controls the second channel V2 and the fourth channel V4 of the four-way valve 100 to simultaneously connect with the third channel V3. The simultaneous connection of the second channel V2 and the fourth channel V4 of the four-way valve 100 with the third channel V3 creates a small circulation of coolant between the battery circuit and the passenger compartment heating circuit. At this time, the high-pressure electric water heater WPTC acts as a heat source to heat the coolant. The heated coolant then flows through the heater core HTR and the power battery heater PTH E, achieving simultaneous heating of the passenger compartment and the battery in pure electric mode.

[0040] like Figure 5 As shown, when the driving mode is hybrid mode and the thermal management requirement is single-passenger compartment heating, the controller controls the fourth channel V4 of the four-way valve 100 to connect with the first channel V1. The connection between the fourth channel V4 and the first channel V1 of the four-way valve 100 allows the coolant to form a large circulation loop between the engine circuit, the battery circuit, and the passenger compartment heating circuit. At this time, the engine acts as a heat source to heat the coolant, achieving heating only for the passenger compartment in hybrid mode.

[0041] like Figure 6 As shown, when the driving mode is hybrid mode and the thermal management requirement is single-battery heating, the controller controls the second channel V2 of the four-way valve 100 to connect with the first channel V1. The connection between the second channel V2 and the first channel V1 of the four-way valve 100 creates a large circulation of coolant between the engine circuit, the battery circuit, and the passenger compartment heating circuit. At this time, the engine acts as a heat source to heat the coolant. The heated coolant then flows through the power battery heater PTH E and exchanges heat with the battery, achieving heating only the battery in hybrid mode.

[0042] like Figure 7 As shown, when the driving mode is hybrid mode and the thermal management requirement is dual heating, the controller controls the second channel V2 and the fourth channel V4 of the four-way valve 100 to simultaneously connect with the first channel V1. The simultaneous connection of the second channel V2 and the fourth channel V4 of the four-way valve 100 with the first channel V1 creates a large circulation of coolant between the engine circuit, the battery circuit, and the passenger compartment heating circuit. At this time, the engine acts as a heat source to heat the coolant, and the heated coolant simultaneously flows through the heater core HTR and the power battery heater PTHE, achieving simultaneous heating of the passenger compartment and the battery in hybrid mode.

[0043] like Figure 8As shown, the controller is also used to receive a refill command and control the first channel V1, second channel V2, third channel V3, and fourth channel V4 of the four-way valve 100 to be fully open. The full opening of the first channel V1, second channel V2, third channel V3, and fourth channel V4 of the four-way valve 100 connects the engine circuit, battery circuit, passenger compartment heating circuit, and radiator circuit, and controls the water pump to operate at a preset power to discharge gas in the coolant along the pipeline. The refill command includes, but is not limited to, refill commands sent by the diagnostic tool through the OBD interface and refill commands sent by the offline testing equipment.

[0044] The solutions described in the above embodiments of this application achieve flexible switching between six thermal management requirements—single passenger compartment heating, single battery heating, and dual heating—through seven working positions of a single four-way valve in both pure electric and hybrid driving modes. An additional refill mode is provided for after-sales maintenance venting. This simple valve configuration covers all heating and maintenance scenarios of the new energy vehicle thermal management system under different operating conditions. Compared to traditional multi-valve combinations, this reduces the number of pipe interfaces, simplifies control logic, and avoids synchronization issues in multi-valve coordination. It improves dynamic response speed and system reliability while reducing the risk of coolant leakage. It can flexibly utilize both engine waste heat and high-pressure electric water heaters as heat sources to meet the rapid load-changing thermal management needs of the battery and passenger compartment under various operating conditions.

[0045] This application also provides a control method for a thermal management system, applied to the thermal management system in the foregoing embodiments, and further applied to a controller, such as... Figure 9 As shown, it includes: S100: Obtain the vehicle's driving mode, which includes pure electric mode and hybrid mode.

[0046] Specifically, the controller reads the vehicle's current operating status and obtains the vehicle's driving mode information via the vehicle's CAN bus. When the engine is not running and the vehicle is driven by the battery, the driving mode is pure electric mode (EV mode); when the engine is running and the vehicle is driven solely by the engine or by both the engine and the electric motor, the driving mode is hybrid mode (HEV mode). The controller monitors changes in the driving mode in real time. When the vehicle switches between EV mode and HEV mode, the controller updates the driving mode information synchronously, providing a basis for determining the target position of the four-way valve.

[0047] S200: Obtain thermal management requirements, which include at least one of single-passenger cabin heating, single-battery heating, and dual heating.

[0048] Specifically, the controller acquires passenger compartment heating request signals and battery heating request signals. The passenger compartment heating request signal is generated by the air conditioning controller based on the difference between the target temperature set by the occupants and the current temperature inside the passenger compartment. When the set temperature is higher than the current temperature and the temperature difference exceeds a preset threshold, the air conditioning controller sends the passenger compartment heating request signal to the thermal management controller. The battery heating request signal is generated by the battery management system (BMS) based on the difference between the current temperature of the battery and the target operating temperature. When the current battery temperature is lower than the lower limit of its optimal operating temperature range, the BMS sends the battery heating request signal to the thermal management controller. The controller determines the current thermal management requirements based on the received heating request signals. When only the crew cabin heating request signal is received and the battery heating request signal is not received, the thermal management requirement is single crew cabin heating. When only the battery heating request signal is received and the crew cabin heating request signal is not received, the thermal management requirement is single-battery heating. When both a crew cabin heating request signal and a battery heating request signal are received simultaneously, the thermal management requirement is dual heating.

[0049] S300: Determine the target operating position of the four-way valve based on the driving mode and the thermal management requirements.

[0050] Specifically, after determining the driving mode and thermal management requirements, the controller determines the target operating position of the four-way valve according to the preset control strategy mapping table.

[0051] When the driving mode is pure electric mode and the thermal management requirement is single-passenger compartment heating, the controller determines that the target working position of the four-way valve is that the fourth channel V4 and the third channel V3 are connected, so that the coolant forms a small circulation between the battery circuit and the passenger compartment heating circuit, and the high-pressure electric water heater WPTC is used as the heat source to heat the coolant.

[0052] When the driving mode is pure electric mode and the thermal management requirement is single-battery heating, the controller determines that the target working position of the four-way valve is that the second channel V2 and the third channel V3 are connected, so that the coolant forms a small circulation between the battery circuit and the passenger compartment heating circuit. The high-pressure electric water heater WPTC is used as a heat source to heat the coolant, and the heated coolant flows through the power battery.

[0053] When the driving mode is pure electric mode and the thermal management requirement is dual heating, the controller determines that the target working position of the four-way valve is that the second channel V2 and the fourth channel V4 are simultaneously connected to the third channel V3, so that the coolant forms a small circulation between the battery circuit and the passenger compartment heating circuit. The high-pressure electric water heater WPTC is used as a heat source to heat the coolant. The heated coolant flows through the heater core and the power battery at the same time.

[0054] When the driving mode is hybrid mode and the thermal management requirement is single-passenger compartment heating, the controller determines that the target working position of the four-way valve is that the fourth channel V4 is connected to the first channel V1, so that the coolant forms a large circulation between the engine circuit, the battery circuit and the passenger compartment heating circuit, and the engine is used as a heat source to heat the coolant.

[0055] When the driving mode is hybrid mode and the thermal management requirement is single-battery heating, the controller determines that the target working position of the four-way valve is that the second channel V2 is connected to the first channel V1, so that the coolant forms a large circulation between the engine circuit, the battery circuit and the passenger compartment heating circuit. The engine is used as a heat source to heat the coolant, and the heated coolant flows through the power battery.

[0056] When the driving mode is hybrid mode and the thermal management requirement is dual heating, the controller determines that the target working position of the four-way valve is that the second channel V2 and the fourth channel V4 are simultaneously connected to the first channel V1, so that the coolant forms a large circulation between the engine circuit, the battery circuit and the passenger compartment heating circuit. The engine is used as a heat source to heat the coolant, and the heated coolant flows through the heater core and the power battery at the same time.

[0057] Furthermore, when the thermal management requirement is dual heating, the controller performs a nonlinear lookup calculation based on the passenger compartment's thermal requirements and the battery's thermal requirements to determine the target operating position of the four-way valve. The lookup weight is biased towards the passenger compartment, meaning that the heating requirements of the passenger compartment are prioritized. The lookup inputs in dual heating mode include the difference between the target temperature and the current temperature of the passenger compartment, the difference between the target temperature and the current temperature of the battery, the current ambient temperature, and the current vehicle speed. The output is the target angle position of the four-way valve.

[0058] S400: Control the four-way valve to switch to the target working position.

[0059] Specifically, based on the target working position determined in step S300, the controller sends a PWM control signal to the drive motor of the four-way valve, driving the valve core of the four-way valve to rotate to the target angle, thereby connecting the corresponding channels. During the dynamic adjustment of the four-way valve, the controller controls the four-way valve to respond at a preset gradual rate, avoiding sudden changes in switching to the target position. Preferably, the four-way valve rotates gradually to the target working position at a rate of 4% every 10 seconds to avoid mechanical impact caused by sudden large rotation of the valve core, protecting the valve core and sealing structure of the four-way valve, extending the valve's service life, and simultaneously preventing water hammer effect in the coolant circuit caused by sudden valve changes.

[0060] It should be noted that the order of the steps in the control method is not strictly limited. For example, the execution order of steps S100 and S200 can be interchanged; that is, thermal management requirements can be obtained first, followed by the driving mode, or they can be obtained simultaneously. Furthermore, when the vehicle switches between pure electric mode and hybrid mode, the controller automatically executes steps S100 to S400 to achieve a smooth transition between large and small cycles.

[0061] In this embodiment, based on the above steps S100 to S400, the control method further includes a switching strategy between the small and large circulation loops: in the pure electric mode, the four-way valve is in the small circulation position group, where the small circulation loop connects the battery circuit and the passenger compartment heating circuit; in the hybrid mode, the four-way valve is in the large circulation position group, where the large circulation loop connects the engine circuit, the battery circuit, and the passenger compartment heating circuit; if the vehicle status meets the preset judgment conditions, the four-way valve is controlled to switch from the small circulation loop to the large circulation loop. Specifically, in the pure electric mode, the four-way valve is in the small circulation position group, where the small circulation loop connects the battery circuit and the passenger compartment heating circuit. At this time, the coolant only circulates between the battery circuit and the passenger compartment heating circuit, and the high-pressure electric water heater WPTC provides heat to the coolant as a heat source. The engine circuit and the radiator circuit do not participate in the circulation. In hybrid mode, the four-way valve is in the large circulation position. This large circulation connects the engine circuit, battery circuit, and passenger compartment heating circuit. At this time, the coolant circulates between these circuits, with the engine acting as the heat source. The radiator circuit does not participate in the circulation. The controller monitors the vehicle's status in real time. When the vehicle status meets preset conditions, the controller controls the four-way valve to switch from the small circulation to the large circulation, i.e., switching from WPTC heating in pure electric mode to engine heating in hybrid mode. This switching process responds at a preset gradual rate to avoid mechanical shock caused by sudden changes in valve core pressure.

[0062] Specifically, the preset judgment condition includes any one of the following: (1) The target water temperature at the heating location is < engine water temperature - TL - VL, and the engine water temperature is > the first preset temperature threshold, where TL represents the compensation value of ambient temperature for switching temperature, and VL represents the compensation value of vehicle speed for switching temperature. Specifically, when the controller detects that the engine has started and reached a certain water temperature, and the WPTC heating capacity is insufficient to meet the thermal management requirements, the controller controls the four-way valve to switch from small circulation to large circulation, so that the engine is connected to the coolant circuit as a heat source to replace or supplement the WPTC heating. During the switching process, the controller synchronously adjusts the output power of the WPTC and the flow distribution of the engine water circuit to ensure that the heating of the passenger compartment and the battery is not interrupted during the switching process. After switching to the large circulation, the coolant flows through the engine to absorb heat, and then flows through the power battery heater PTHE in the battery circuit and the warm air core HTR in the passenger compartment heating circuit in sequence, distributing the engine waste heat to the battery and / or passenger compartment, realizing the recovery and utilization of engine waste heat, reducing the energy consumption of the WPTC, and improving the energy utilization efficiency of the whole vehicle.

[0063] The controller determines the compensation value TL based on the current ambient temperature and the compensation value VL based on the current vehicle speed. The values ​​of TL and VL are obtained through a preset lookup table, as shown in Table 1.

[0064] Table 1. Compensation Relationship between Ambient Temperature and Vehicle Speed ​​for Switching Between Large and Small Cycling Circuits

[0065] When the ambient temperature rises, TL decreases; when the vehicle speed changes, VL remains unchanged. When the target coolant temperature at the heating location is less than the engine coolant temperature - TL - VL, and the engine coolant temperature is greater than the first preset temperature threshold, the controller determines that the vehicle status meets the preset judgment conditions and controls the four-way valve to switch from the small circulation to the large circulation.

[0066] In practice, the controller acquires the target coolant temperature at the location requiring heating, the engine coolant temperature, the ambient temperature, and the current vehicle speed. The target coolant temperature at the location requiring heating is determined based on thermal management requirements: when the thermal management requirement is single-passenger compartment heating or dual heating, the target coolant temperature at the location requiring heating is the coolant target temperature corresponding to the passenger compartment target temperature; when the thermal management requirement is single-battery heating, the target coolant temperature at the battery inlet is the target temperature. The engine coolant temperature is acquired by a temperature sensor located at the engine position.

[0067] Under these conditions, when the engine coolant temperature is high enough (exceeding the first preset temperature threshold) and the engine coolant temperature is still significantly higher than the target temperature after compensation for ambient temperature and vehicle speed, it indicates that the engine has sufficient residual heat to replace the WPTC and meet the heating demand. At this time, the four-way valve is switched to the large circulation mode to use the engine's residual heat for heating, thereby reducing the WPTC's power consumption and improving the overall vehicle energy efficiency.

[0068] Preferably, the first preset temperature threshold is 72℃. When the ambient temperature decreases, TL increases accordingly, compensating for the increased heat demand of the passenger compartment in low-temperature environments, making the switching conditions easier to meet, and thus utilizing the engine's waste heat earlier; when the vehicle speed changes, VL remains at 0, meaning that the vehicle speed does not have a compensatory effect on the switching threshold.

[0069] (2) The engine water temperature is greater than the first preset temperature threshold, and the power limit of the high-pressure electric water heater is zero; Specifically, when the engine coolant temperature exceeds a first preset temperature threshold and the WPTC's power limiting is zero, the controller determines that the vehicle status meets preset conditions and controls the four-way valve to switch from a small circulation loop to a large circulation loop. A zero power limiting for the WPTC indicates that the WPTC cannot output heating power due to a malfunction, over-temperature protection, or vehicle power limitation. In this case, if the small circulation loop is maintained, the passenger compartment and / or battery will not receive heat. Therefore, when the engine coolant temperature exceeds the first preset temperature threshold, the system immediately switches to the large circulation loop, using the engine as a heat source to ensure that the heating needs of the passenger compartment and / or battery are met.

[0070] (3) The engine water temperature is greater than the first preset temperature threshold, the required power of the high-pressure electric water heater is greater than the limited power of the high-pressure electric water heater, and the outlet water temperature of the high-pressure electric water heater is less than the engine water temperature, and this condition is maintained for a preset time.

[0071] The controller determines that the vehicle status meets preset conditions and controls the four-way valve to switch from the small circulation loop to the large circulation loop. Here, the WPTC's required power represents the heating power needed to meet current thermal management requirements, and the WPTC's limited power represents the maximum heating power that the WPTC can currently output. When the required power consistently exceeds the limited power, it indicates that the WPTC's heating capacity is insufficient to meet thermal management needs. Under this condition, if the WPTC's outlet water temperature is lower than the engine water temperature, it indicates that the engine's heat output exceeds the WPTC's output heat. In this case, switching to the large circulation loop to utilize the engine's waste heat for supplementary heating is more efficient. The preset time is used to prevent erroneous switching due to transient signal fluctuations; preferably, the preset time is 120 seconds.

[0072] (4) The engine coolant temperature is greater than the second preset temperature threshold, and the temperature setting of any temperature zone of the air conditioner in front of the passenger compartment is the highest temperature setting; When the passenger compartment's front air conditioning temperature zone is set to the highest temperature setting (e.g., HI), it indicates that the passengers have an extremely strong demand for heating. At this point, relying solely on the WPTC (Power Wrap-up Cooling Circuit) for heating would not only consume a lot of energy but also be limited by the WPTC's maximum heating power, potentially failing to quickly meet the passenger compartment's heating needs. When the engine coolant temperature exceeds the second preset temperature threshold, it indicates that the engine has fully warmed up and is ready to supply high-temperature coolant to the passenger compartment. At this point, switching to the main circulation mode introduces the high-temperature engine coolant into the passenger compartment's heating circuit, utilizing the engine's waste heat to rapidly raise the passenger compartment temperature. This improves the passenger compartment's heating speed while reducing the WPTC's energy consumption.

[0073] Preferably, the second preset temperature threshold is 78°C, which is higher than the first preset temperature threshold (72°C). Setting a higher temperature threshold ensures that engine heat is introduced into the passenger compartment only after the engine has fully warmed up, avoiding poor passenger compartment heating performance when switching when the engine coolant temperature is insufficient.

[0074] Further preferably, the method further includes: if the vehicle status meets the condition of engine shutdown, or the engine coolant temperature is less than a first preset temperature threshold when the single battery is heating, then controlling the four-way valve to switch from the large circulation to the small circulation. In this solution, when the engine stops running, the engine circuit no longer generates heat, and the large circulation loses its high-temperature heat source. If the large circulation is maintained at this time, the coolant flowing through the engine will not only fail to be heated, but will also decrease in temperature due to the gradual cooling of the engine, affecting the heating effect of the passenger compartment and / or the battery. Therefore, when the controller detects that the engine has stopped, it immediately controls the four-way valve to switch from the large circulation to the small circulation, with the WPTC continuing to provide heat as a heat source, ensuring that the heating demand is continuously met. When the thermal management demand is single battery heating, if the engine coolant temperature is lower than the first preset temperature threshold, it indicates that the engine coolant temperature is insufficient to effectively heat the power battery. If the large circulation is maintained at this time, the low-temperature coolant flowing through the battery will not only fail to provide heat to the battery, but may also carry away the battery's existing heat, adversely affecting battery heating. Therefore, when the controller detects that the current mode is single-battery heating and the engine coolant temperature is lower than the first preset temperature threshold, it controls the four-way valve to switch from the large circulation to the small circulation, and the WPTC is used as a heat source to heat the battery to ensure the battery heating effect.

[0075] Furthermore, the method also includes: when the vehicle is in the OFF state, controlling the four-way valve to reset to the small circulation position; when the vehicle is powered on, the four-way valve is in its initial position; the four-way valve responds at a preset gradual rate during dynamic adjustment or reset. In this solution, when the vehicle switches to the OFF state, the vehicle controller sends a power-off signal to the thermal management controller. After receiving the power-off signal, the controller controls the four-way valve to gradually reset to the small circulation position, that is, restore it to the default position in pure electric mode. The purpose of resetting the four-way valve to the small circulation position is to ensure that the four-way valve is in a definite initial position when the vehicle is powered on again, avoiding the inability to quickly respond to thermal management requirements when powered on again due to the four-way valve remaining in an uncertain position during the last power-off. In addition, if the vehicle needs after-sales maintenance or coolant refilling after being turned off, the small circulation position is the basic state for switching the refilling mode, and resetting it to the small circulation position facilitates maintenance operations. The four-way valve is in its initial position every time the vehicle is powered on. This initial position is the aforementioned small-cycle position, ensuring that regardless of whether the driving mode is EV or HEV after vehicle startup, the four-way valve responds to control commands from the same reference position, improving control certainty and reliability. Furthermore, during dynamic adjustment or reset, the four-way valve does not respond with instantaneous abrupt changes, but rather rotates gradually to the target position at a preset, gradual rate. Preferably, the four-way valve responds at a rate of 4% increments every 10 seconds. Specifically, after the controller calculates the target position of the four-way valve, it does not immediately drive the valve core to rotate to the target angle, but instead outputs the difference between the target position and the actual position in time segments, with a 4% increment every 10 seconds, until the target position is reached. The technical benefits of setting a gradual change control strategy are as follows: it avoids mechanical shock caused by sudden large-scale rotation of the valve core, protects the valve core and sealing structure of the four-way valve, and extends the valve's service life; at the same time, it avoids sudden changes in coolant flow and pressure caused by instantaneous valve switching, prevents water hammer effect in the coolant circuit, and protects peripheral components such as water pumps, radiators, and pipe joints; in addition, the gradual change switching allows the coolant temperature to gradually transition between each circuit, avoiding the adverse effects of sudden temperature changes on the heating comfort of the passenger compartment and the uniformity of battery temperature control.

[0076] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing program information, wherein a computer reads the program information and executes the steps of the control method of the thermal management system described in any one of the method embodiments.

[0077] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program / instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the control method of the thermal management system described in any one of the method embodiments.

[0078] This application also provides an electronic device, such as... Figure 10As shown, the electronic device includes at least one processor 101 and at least one memory 102. The at least one memory 102 stores program information. After reading the program information, the at least one processor 101 executes the control method of the thermal management system described in any of the above method embodiments. The device may further include an input device 103 and an output device 104. The processor 101, memory 102, input device 103, and output device 104 can be communicatively connected. The memory 102, as a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, can be used to store non-volatile software programs, non-volatile computer-executable programs, and modules. The processor 101 executes various functional applications and data processing by running the non-volatile software programs, instructions, and modules stored in the memory 102, thereby implementing the control method of the thermal management system provided in any of the above embodiments. The memory 102 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store the operating system and application programs required for at least one function; the data storage area may store data created based on the use of the control method of the thermal management system, etc. Furthermore, memory 102 may include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state storage device. In some embodiments, memory 102 may optionally include memory remotely located relative to processor 101, and these remote memories may be connected via a network to means of performing control methods for the thermal management system. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof. Input device 103 may receive user clicks and generate signal inputs related to user settings and function control of the control methods for the thermal management system. Output device 104 may include a display device such as a display screen. When one or more modules are stored in memory 102 and are executed by one or more processors 101, the control methods of the thermal management system in any of the above method embodiments are performed.

[0079] This application also provides a new energy vehicle, including the thermal management system described in any of the foregoing embodiments. Specifically, the new energy vehicle is a hybrid electric vehicle or a pure electric vehicle. The vehicle includes a vehicle controller and the aforementioned thermal management system. The controller in the thermal management system is communicatively connected to the vehicle controller, receives driving mode signals and thermal management demand signals sent by the vehicle controller, and controls the four-way valve to switch to the corresponding working position accordingly. In pure electric mode, the vehicle is driven by the power battery, the engine does not work, and the high-pressure electric water heater WPTC in the thermal management system provides heat to the passenger compartment and / or the battery as a heat source. The four-way valve is in the small circulation position group, and the coolant circulates between the battery circuit and the passenger compartment heating circuit. In hybrid mode, the vehicle is driven by the engine alone or by the engine and the electric motor together. The heat generated by the engine operation is transferred to the engine circuit through the coolant. The four-way valve is in the large circulation position group, and the coolant circulates between the engine circuit, the battery circuit, and the passenger compartment heating circuit to realize the recovery and utilization of engine waste heat. When the vehicle is in the OFF position, the four-way valve resets to the small circulation position to ensure that it is in a determined initial position when the power is turned on again. Since the new energy vehicle adopts the thermal management system described in the previous embodiment, it has all the technical effects brought by the system: it realizes flexible switching between multiple thermal management modes through a single four-way valve, reduces the number of pipe interfaces, simplifies the system structure, reduces the risk of coolant leakage, improves dynamic response speed and system reliability, and can flexibly utilize two heat sources, namely engine waste heat and high-pressure electric water heater, to meet the rapid load change thermal management needs of the battery and passenger compartment under multiple operating conditions.

[0080] The new energy vehicle provided in this application embodiment achieves efficient distribution and utilization of vehicle heat through the above-mentioned thermal management system, reduces the power consumption of the high-pressure electric water heater, improves the energy utilization efficiency of the vehicle, extends the pure electric range, and at the same time ensures the heating comfort of the passenger compartment and the operating temperature of the power battery.

[0081] As needed, the above technical solutions can be combined to achieve the best technical effect.

[0082] The above are merely the principles and preferred embodiments of this application. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, several other modifications can be made based on the principles of this application, and these modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A thermal management system, characterized in that, include: The four-way valve has a first channel connected to the engine circuit, a second channel connected to the battery circuit, a third channel connected to the passenger compartment heating circuit, and a fourth channel connected to the radiator circuit. The controller is communicatively connected to the four-way valve and controls the four-way valve to switch to the corresponding working position according to the vehicle's driving mode and thermal management requirements. The driving mode includes pure electric mode and hybrid mode, and the thermal management requirements include single passenger compartment heating, single battery heating and dual heating.

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the driving mode is pure electric mode and the thermal management requirement is heating of a single passenger compartment, the controller controls the fourth channel of the four-way valve to connect with the third channel.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the driving mode is pure electric mode and the thermal management requirement is single-battery heating, the controller controls the second and third channels of the four-way valve to connect.

4. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the driving mode is pure electric mode and the thermal management requirement is dual heating, the controller controls the second and fourth channels of the four-way valve to be connected to the third channel simultaneously.

5. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the driving mode is hybrid mode and the thermal management requirement is heating of a single passenger compartment, the controller controls the fourth channel of the four-way valve to connect with the first channel.

6. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the driving mode is hybrid mode and the thermal management requirement is single-battery heating, the controller controls the second channel of the four-way valve to connect with the first channel.

7. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the driving mode is hybrid mode and the thermal management requirement is dual heating, the controller controls the second and fourth channels of the four-way valve to be simultaneously connected to the first channel.

8. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is also used to receive a filling command and control the first, second, third and fourth channels of the four-way valve to be fully open.

9. A control method for a thermal management system, characterized in that, Applied to the thermal management system as described in any one of claims 1-8, comprising: The vehicle's driving mode is obtained, including pure electric mode and hybrid mode; Obtain thermal management requirements, which include at least one of single-passenger-cabin heating, single-battery heating, and dual heating. The target operating position of the four-way valve is determined based on the driving mode and the thermal management requirements. Control the four-way valve to switch to the target working position.

10. The control method for the thermal management system according to claim 9, characterized in that, Also includes: In the pure electric mode, the four-way valve is in the small circulation position group, and the small circulation is the connection between the battery circuit and the passenger compartment heating circuit; in the hybrid mode, the four-way valve is in the large circulation position group, and the large circulation is the connection between the engine circuit, the battery circuit and the passenger compartment heating circuit. If the vehicle status meets the preset judgment conditions, the four-way valve is controlled to switch from the small cycle to the large cycle.

11. The control method for the thermal management system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The preset judgment conditions include: The target coolant temperature at the heating location is less than the engine coolant temperature - TL - VL, and the engine coolant temperature is greater than the first preset temperature threshold, where TL represents the compensation value of ambient temperature for switching temperature, and VL represents the compensation value of vehicle speed for switching temperature.

12. The control method for the thermal management system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The preset judgment conditions include: The engine coolant temperature is greater than a first preset temperature threshold, and the power limit of the high-pressure electric water heater is zero; or, The engine coolant temperature is greater than the first preset temperature threshold, the required power of the high-pressure electric water heater is greater than the limited power of the high-pressure electric water heater, and the outlet water temperature of the high-pressure electric water heater is lower than the engine coolant temperature, and this condition persists for a preset time.

13. The control method for the thermal management system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The preset judgment conditions include: The engine coolant temperature is greater than the second preset temperature threshold, and the temperature setting of any temperature zone of the air conditioning in front of the passenger compartment is the highest temperature setting.

14. The control method for the thermal management system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the engine stops, or if the engine coolant temperature is lower than a first preset temperature threshold when the single battery is heating, the four-way valve is controlled to switch from the large circulation to the small circulation.

15. The control method for the thermal management system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the vehicle is in the OFF position, the four-way valve is controlled to reset to the small circulation position; When the vehicle is powered on, the four-way valve is in its initial position; during dynamic adjustment or reset, the four-way valve responds at a preset slow rate.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores program information, and after the computer reads the program information, it executes the steps of the control method of the thermal management system according to any one of claims 9-15.

17. A computer program product comprising a computer program / instructions, characterized in that, When the computer program / instructions are executed by the processor, they implement the steps of the control method for the thermal management system according to any one of claims 9-15.

18. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, characterized in that, The processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the control method for the thermal management system according to any one of claims 9-15.

19. A new energy vehicle, characterized in that, Includes the thermal management system as described in any one of claims 1-8.

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