Thermal management system and its thermal management controller, control method, vehicle

Abstract

This application discloses a thermal management system, its thermal management controller, control method, and vehicle, relating to the field of thermal management technology. The thermal management controller includes an electronic fuse, a thermal management drive unit, and a main control unit. The thermal management drive unit is connected to the power supply via the electronic fuse. Therefore, it eliminates the need for power distribution to the thermal management controller through a fuse box, thus avoiding the need for a high degree of matching between the fuse box and the thermal management controller. This improves the versatility of the thermal management system and enhances the compatibility between the thermal management controller and the fuse box, facilitating the matching of the thermal management controller with the vehicle's electrical system. Furthermore, since the thermal management controller also integrates an electronic fuse, its integration level is increased.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of thermal management technology, and in particular to a thermal management system and its thermal management controller, control method, and vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] The vehicle can distribute power to various electrical appliances within its electrical system via a fuse box. These appliances include a direct-drive thermal management controller. This direct-drive thermal management controller integrates the thermal management drive units for the various actuators in the thermal management system.

[0003] However, the direct-drive thermal management controller is a low-voltage, high-current controller, which has high requirements for the matching of the fuse box. There is a problem that the fuse box is difficult to match with the direct-drive thermal management controller. In other words, the current direct-drive thermal management controller and the fuse box have poor compatibility, which is not conducive to matching with the vehicle's electrical system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, this application provides a thermal management system, a thermal management controller, a control method, and a vehicle, which can improve the compatibility of the thermal management controller with the vehicle's fuse box so as to match the vehicle's electrical system.

[0005] In a first aspect, a thermal management controller is provided, the thermal management controller comprising: an electronic fuse, a thermal management drive unit, and a main control unit;

[0006] The first end of the electronic fuse is connected to the thermal management drive unit, and the second end of the electronic fuse is used to connect to the power supply.

[0007] The third end of the electronic fuse is connected to the main control unit, which controls the on / off state of the thermal management drive unit based on the state of the thermal management drive unit, thereby controlling the operation of the thermal management drive unit.

[0008] The thermal management controller provided in this application includes an electronic fuse, through which the thermal management drive unit is connected to the power supply. This eliminates the need for power distribution to the thermal management controller via a fuse box, thus avoiding the need for a high degree of matching between the fuse box and the thermal management controller. This improves the versatility of the thermal management controller and enhances its compatibility with the fuse box, facilitating its integration with the vehicle's electrical system. Furthermore, the integrated electronic fuse increases the overall integration of the thermal management controller. In addition, the main control unit can control the operation of the thermal management drive unit by controlling the on / off state of the electronic fuse based on the status of the thermal management drive unit. Compared to the method of power distribution via a fuse box, where the current flowing through the fuse must exceed the fusing current to disconnect the connection between the thermal management drive unit and the power supply to stop the thermal management drive unit, and then the fuse must be replaced to restore the connection and start the thermal management drive unit, the thermal management controller provided in this application can achieve rapid control of the connection via the on / off state of the electronic fuse, thereby enabling rapid control of the thermal management drive unit's operation.

[0009] Optionally, there are multiple thermal management drive units and multiple electronic fuses, with each electronic fuse corresponding to one of the multiple thermal management drive units; the thermal management controller further includes a switching circuit.

[0010] The first end of the switching circuit is connected to the first driving unit and the second driving unit among the plurality of thermal management driving units, and the second end of the switching circuit is used to connect to the first actuator, wherein the first driving unit is used to drive the first actuator, and the second driving unit is used to drive the second actuator.

[0011] The third terminal of the switching circuit is connected to the main control unit. The main control unit is also used to control the switching circuit to disconnect the connection path between the first drive unit and the first actuator and to connect the connection path between the second drive unit and the first actuator in the event of a failure of the first drive unit.

[0012] By incorporating a switching circuit, in the event of a failure in the first drive unit, the drive unit of the first actuator can be switched to the second drive unit. This allows the second drive unit to take over the drive tasks of the first actuator, ensuring its continuous and stable operation. In this way, redundant protection for the operation of the first actuator can be achieved at a lower cost, improving the fault tolerance of the thermal management controller.

[0013] Optionally, the second actuator is different from the first actuator, and the second actuator has a higher running priority than the first actuator.

[0014] Optionally, the main control unit is used for:

[0015] If the thermal management drive unit is determined to be in an abnormal state, the electronic fuse is controlled to disconnect.

[0016] Optionally, the main control unit is further configured to:

[0017] Obtain the status parameters of the thermal management drive unit, the status parameters including: current and / or temperature;

[0018] Based on the state parameters, the state of the thermal management drive unit is determined, and the state is either a normal state or an abnormal state.

[0019] Optionally, the main control unit is used for:

[0020] If the state parameter of the thermal management drive unit is determined to be greater than or equal to a first parameter threshold, and the rise rate of the state parameter is greater than or equal to a first rate threshold, the state of the thermal management drive unit is determined to be an abnormal state.

[0021] If the state parameter is determined to be less than the first parameter threshold, and / or the rate of increase of the state parameter is less than the first rate threshold, the state of the thermal management drive unit is determined to be normal.

[0022] Optionally, the main control unit is further configured to:

[0023] If the state parameter is determined to be greater than or equal to the second parameter threshold, and the rise rate of the state parameter is greater than or equal to the second rate threshold, the thermal management drive unit is controlled to operate at a reduced rate.

[0024] Wherein, the second parameter threshold is less than the first parameter threshold, and the second rate threshold is less than the first rate threshold.

[0025] When the determined state parameters are large and rise rapidly, intervention measures are first taken to reduce the temperature of the thermal management drive unit. If the intervention is ineffective, the electronic fuse is then tripped. This can ensure the stable operation of the thermal management drive unit to a certain extent.

[0026] Optionally, after controlling the electronic fuse to disconnect, the main control unit is further configured to:

[0027] If the state is determined to return to normal, the electronic fuse is controlled to close.

[0028] Secondly, a control method for a thermal management drive unit is provided, applied to the main control unit of a thermal management controller. The thermal management controller further includes: a thermal management drive unit and an electronic fuse, wherein a first end of the electronic fuse is connected to the thermal management drive unit, and a second end of the electronic fuse is used to connect to a power supply; the method includes:

[0029] Obtain the status of the thermal management drive unit;

[0030] Based on the state of the thermal management drive unit, the on / off state of the electronic fuse is controlled to control the operation of the thermal management drive unit.

[0031] Thirdly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided having a computer program stored thereon, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method described in the second aspect above.

[0032] Thirdly, a thermal management system is provided, characterized in that the thermal management system includes: a thermal management controller as described in the first aspect above.

[0033] Fourthly, a vehicle is provided, the vehicle comprising: a thermal management system as described in the third aspect above.

[0034] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a thermal management controller provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another thermal management controller provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a power management unit provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a control method for a thermal management drive unit provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of another control method for a thermal management drive unit provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0041] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and foregoing description of the drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0042] In the description of the embodiments of this application, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0043] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0044] In the description of the embodiments in this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0045] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "multiple" refers to two or more (including two), similarly, "multiple sets" refers to two or more (including two sets), and "multiple pieces" refers to two or more (including two pieces).

[0046] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0047] Unless otherwise specified, all embodiments and optional embodiments of this application can be combined to form new technical solutions. Unless otherwise specified, all technical features and optional technical features of this application can be combined to form new technical solutions. Unless otherwise specified, all steps of this application can be performed sequentially or randomly, preferably sequentially. For example, if the method includes steps (a) and (b), it means that the method may include steps (a) and (b) performed sequentially, or it may include steps (b) and (a) performed sequentially. For example, if the method may also include step (c), it means that step (c) can be added to the method in any order. For example, the method may include steps (a), (b), and (c), or it may include steps (a), (c), and (b), or it may include steps (c), (a), and (b), etc.

[0048] The vehicle's electrical system may include a fuse box and multiple electrical appliances. The vehicle can distribute power to these appliances via the fuse box. These appliances include a direct-drive thermal management controller. This direct-drive thermal management controller integrates the thermal management drive units for each actuator in the thermal management system.

[0049] However, the supply voltage of the direct-drive thermal management controller is the same as that of the vehicle battery, typically around 12 volts (V) to 14V, while the required drive power is relatively large, approximately 700 watts (W) to 1000W. Therefore, the supply current of the direct-drive thermal management controller can reach over 80 amperes (A), meaning it is a low-voltage, high-current controller. Consequently, this direct-drive thermal management controller has high requirements for fuse box matching, making it difficult to achieve a high degree of compatibility between the fuse box and the controller. It is evident that the current direct-drive thermal management controller has poor compatibility with fuse boxes, hindering its integration with the vehicle's electrical system.

[0050] In view of this, embodiments of this application propose integrating an electronic fuse corresponding to the thermal management drive unit within a traditional thermal management controller, and eliminating the fuse corresponding to the thermal management drive unit in the traditional fuse box, thereby providing a new thermal management controller. Optionally, this thermal management controller can be a direct-drive thermal management controller. Taking a direct-drive thermal management controller as an example, the thermal management controller provided in this application embodiment will be described exemplarily:

[0051] See Figure 1 The direct-drive thermal management controller includes an electronic fuse 01, a thermal management drive unit 02, and a main control unit 03. The first end of the electronic fuse 01 is connected to the thermal management drive unit 02, and the second end of the electronic fuse 01 is used for power connection. That is, the thermal management drive unit 02 can be directly connected to a power source through the built-in electronic fuse 02 in the direct-drive thermal management controller, without needing to connect to a power source through a traditional fuse box. This power source is used to power the thermal management drive unit 02, and can be a low-voltage power source. The voltage of the low-voltage power source can be greater than or equal to 12 volts (V) and less than or equal to 14V.

[0052] The third terminal of the electronic fuse 01 is connected to the main control unit 03. The main control unit 03 controls the on / off state of the thermal management drive unit 02 by controlling the electronic fuse 01 to control the connection between the thermal management drive unit and the power supply, thereby controlling the operation of the thermal management drive unit 02. The thermal management drive unit 02 can be in a normal or abnormal state. Controlling the operation of the thermal management drive unit 02 means controlling whether it starts or stops operating.

[0053] In summary, this application provides a thermal management controller, which includes an electronic fuse, a thermal management drive unit, and a main control unit. The thermal management drive unit is connected to the power supply via the electronic fuse. Therefore, it eliminates the need for power distribution to the thermal management controller through a fuse box, thus avoiding the need for a high degree of matching between the fuse box and the thermal management controller. This improves the versatility of the thermal management controller and enhances its compatibility with the fuse box, facilitating its integration with the vehicle's electrical system. Furthermore, the integrated electronic fuse further increases the overall integration of the thermal management controller. Additionally, the main control unit can control the operation of the thermal management drive unit by controlling the on / off state of the electronic fuse based on the status of the thermal management drive unit. Compared to the method of power distribution via a fuse box, where the current flowing through the fuse must exceed the fusing current to disconnect the connection between the thermal management drive unit and the power supply to stop the thermal management drive unit from operating, and then the fuse must be replaced to restore the connection and start the thermal management drive unit, the thermal management controller provided in this application can achieve rapid control of the connection by switching the electronic fuse on and off, thereby enabling rapid control of the operation of the thermal management drive unit.

[0054] In this embodiment, the main control unit 03 can be used to control the electronic fuse 01 to close when the thermal management drive unit 02 is determined to be in a normal state, so as to control the thermal management drive unit 02 to continue to operate; and to control the electronic fuse 01 to open when the thermal management drive unit 02 is determined to be in an abnormal state, so as to disconnect the connection path between the thermal management drive unit 02 and the power supply in a timely manner, thereby controlling the thermal management drive unit to stop operating.

[0055] It is understandable that the thermal management drive unit 02 can still operate under abnormal conditions, meaning that the thermal management drive unit 02 has not yet failed. Therefore, it can be seen that the main control unit 03 in the direct-drive thermal management controller provided in this application embodiment can control the thermal management drive unit 02 to stop operating in advance before the thermal management drive unit 02 fails, thereby achieving effective protection for the thermal management drive unit 02.

[0056] Optionally, the state of the thermal management drive unit 02 typically depends on its temperature. That is, if the temperature of the thermal management drive unit 02 is abnormal, it indicates that the thermal management drive unit 02 is in an abnormal state. Therefore, when the thermal management drive unit 02 is in an abnormal state, disconnecting the connection between the thermal management drive unit 02 and the power supply to stop its operation can prevent the temperature of the thermal management drive unit 02 from continuing to rise and thus damaging it.

[0057] Compared to power distribution via a fuse box, which requires waiting for the current through the fuse to exceed the fusing current and blow the fuse to disconnect the connection between the thermal management drive unit 02 and the power supply, thus stopping the thermal management drive unit 02, the direct-drive thermal management controller provided in this embodiment can quickly stop the thermal management drive unit 02 by controlling the electronic fuse 01, preventing damage to the thermal management drive unit 02 and providing timely and effective protection for it.

[0058] It is understood that the temperature of the thermal management drive unit 02 can reflect the state of the thermal management drive unit 02, and the current of the thermal management drive unit 02 can reflect the temperature. Based on this, in this embodiment, the main control unit 03 can be used to acquire the state parameters of the thermal management drive unit 02, and then determine the state of the thermal management drive unit 02 based on these state parameters. These state parameters may include the current and / or temperature of the thermal management drive unit 02. For example, the state parameters include both the current and the temperature.

[0059] Optionally, the main control unit 03 can be used to detect whether the state parameter of the thermal management drive unit 02 is greater than or equal to a first parameter threshold, and to detect whether the rise rate of the state parameter is greater than or equal to a first rate threshold. If the main control unit 03 determines that the state parameter is greater than or equal to the first parameter threshold, and the rise rate of the state parameter is greater than or equal to the first rate threshold, then the state of the thermal management drive unit 02 can be determined to be an abnormal state. If the main control unit 03 determines that the state parameter of the thermal management drive unit 02 is less than the first parameter threshold, and / or that the rise rate of the state parameter is less than the first rate threshold, then the state of the thermal management drive unit 02 can be determined to be a normal state. Both the first parameter threshold and the first rate threshold can be pre-stored by the main control unit 03.

[0060] Where the state parameters of the thermal management drive unit 02 include temperature, the first parameter threshold may include a first temperature threshold, and the first rate threshold may include a first temperature rate threshold. Where the state parameters of the thermal management drive unit 02 include current, the first parameter threshold may include a first current threshold, and the first rate threshold may include a first current rate threshold.

[0061] Understandably, when the state parameters include current and temperature, if the main control unit 03 determines that the current of the thermal management drive unit 02 is greater than or equal to the first current threshold, and the rate of rise of the current is greater than or equal to the first current rate threshold; and / or, the temperature of the thermal management drive unit 02 is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold, and the rate of rise of the temperature is greater than or equal to the first temperature rate threshold, then the state of the thermal management drive unit 02 can be determined to be an abnormal state.

[0062] Optionally, the main control unit 03 can also be used to: detect whether the state parameter is greater than or equal to the second parameter threshold, and whether the rise rate of the state parameter is greater than or equal to the second rate threshold; if the main control unit 03 determines that the state parameter is greater than or equal to the second parameter threshold, and the rise rate of the state parameter is greater than or equal to the second rate threshold, then it can control the thermal management drive unit 02 to operate at a derating rate. Wherein, the second parameter threshold is less than the first parameter threshold, and the second rate threshold is less than the first rate threshold.

[0063] When the state parameters of the thermal management drive unit 02 include temperature, the second parameter threshold may include a second temperature threshold, and the second rate threshold may include a second temperature rate threshold. When the state parameters of the thermal management drive unit 02 include current, the second parameter threshold may include a second current threshold, and the second rate threshold may include a second current rate threshold. Wherein, the second temperature threshold is less than the first temperature threshold, and the second temperature rate threshold is less than the first temperature rate threshold. The second current threshold is less than the first current threshold, and the second current rate threshold is less than the first current rate threshold.

[0064] In other words, during the rise of the state parameters of the thermal management drive unit 02, if the main control unit 03 determines that the state parameters are large and the rise rate is fast, it can first take intervention measures to reduce the temperature of the thermal management drive unit 02. If the intervention is ineffective, it can then control the electronic fuse 02 to disconnect. In this way, the stable operation of the thermal management drive unit 02 can be ensured to a certain extent.

[0065] Understandably, when the state parameters include current and temperature, if the main control unit 03 determines that the current of the thermal management drive unit 02 is greater than or equal to the second current threshold, and the rate of rise of the current is greater than or equal to the second current rate threshold; and / or, the temperature of the thermal management drive unit 02 is greater than or equal to the second temperature threshold, and the rate of rise of the temperature is greater than or equal to the second temperature rate threshold, then the thermal management unit 02 can be controlled to operate at a derating rate.

[0066] In this embodiment, the main control unit 03 can periodically acquire the state parameters of the thermal management drive unit 02. Then, the main control unit 03 can determine the rise rate of the state parameter based on the difference between the state parameter acquired in the current cycle and the state parameter acquired in the previous cycle. The rise rate is positively correlated with the difference.

[0067] In this embodiment, the direct-drive thermal management controller may further include a parameter acquisition unit for the thermal management drive unit 02. This parameter acquisition unit can acquire status parameters of the thermal management drive unit 02 and send these status parameters to the main control unit 03. The main control unit 03 may also be connected to the parameter acquisition unit and may also receive the status parameters of the thermal management drive unit 02 sent by the parameter acquisition unit.

[0068] In this embodiment of the application, after the electronic fuse 02 is disconnected, the main control unit 03 can also be used to control the electronic fuse 01 to close when it is determined that the state of the thermal management drive unit 02 has returned to normal, so as to control the operation of the thermal management drive unit 02.

[0069] After the electronic fuse 02 is tripped, the main control unit 03 cannot obtain the current from the thermal management drive unit 02. At this time, the main control unit 03 can determine whether the thermal management drive unit 02 has returned to its normal state based on its temperature. Specifically, the main control unit 03 can detect whether the temperature of the thermal management drive unit 02 is less than a third temperature threshold. If the main control unit 03 determines that the temperature of the thermal management drive unit 02 is less than the third temperature threshold, it can determine that the thermal management drive unit 02 has returned to its normal state. If the main control unit 03 determines that the temperature of the thermal management drive unit 02 is greater than or equal to the third temperature threshold, it can determine that the thermal management drive unit 02 has not returned to its normal state.

[0070] In the embodiments of this application, see Figure 2 The direct-drive thermal management controller includes: multiple thermal management drive units 02, and multiple electronic fuses 01 corresponding to each of the multiple thermal management drive units 02. Each thermal management drive unit 02 is used to drive an actuator of the thermal management system. The first end of each electronic fuse 01 is used to connect to a corresponding thermal management drive unit 02, and the second end of each electronic fuse 01 is used to connect to a power supply.

[0071] The direct-drive thermal management controller may further include a switching circuit 04. A first terminal of the switching circuit 04 is connected to a first drive unit and a second drive unit among a plurality of thermal management drive units 02, and a second terminal of the switching circuit 04 is used to connect to a first actuator. The first drive unit drives the first actuator, and the second drive unit drives the second actuator.

[0072] The third terminal of the switching circuit 04 is also connected to the main control unit 03. The main control unit 03 is also used to control the switching circuit 04 to disconnect the connection path between the first drive unit and the first actuator and to connect the connection path between the second drive unit and the first actuator in the event of a failure of the first drive unit.

[0073] In other words, in the event of a failure of the first drive unit, the main control unit 03 can control the second drive unit to drive the first actuator via the switching circuit 04, allowing the second drive unit to take over the driving task of the first actuator and achieve continuous and stable operation of the first actuator. Thus, in the event of a failure of the first drive unit, redundant protection for the operation of the first actuator can be achieved at a lower cost, improving the fault tolerance of the direct-drive thermal management controller.

[0074] In this embodiment, the total number of multiple thermal management drive units 02 depends on the multiple actuators in the thermal management system. For example, these multiple actuators may include: a first water pump, a second water pump, a cooling fan, a multi-way water valve, an electronic expansion valve (EXV), and dampers (such as temperature dampers), etc. Accordingly, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 2 Multiple thermal management drive units 02 may include: a first water pump drive unit, a second water pump drive unit, a fan drive unit, a multi-way water valve drive unit, an EXV drive unit, and a damper drive unit, etc.

[0075] Optionally, the second actuator is different from the first actuator. The first actuator has a higher operating priority than the second actuator. The operating priority of each actuator is determined based on its importance in the operation of the thermal management system. The thermal management controller can pre-store the operating priorities of each actuator.

[0076] For example, for autonomous vehicles, such as Level 3 or Level 4 and above, considering that the autonomous driving domain controller is related to the vehicle's driving safety, the cooling circuit of the autonomous driving domain controller needs to be constantly operational. Therefore, the water pump in this cooling circuit needs to run continuously.

[0077] As for the heating circuit of the vehicle's passenger compartment, even if the heating circuit stops working midway, it will not affect the vehicle's driving safety. Based on this, assuming that the two actuators include: a water pump in the cooling circuit of the autonomous driving domain controller and a water pump in the heating circuit of the passenger compartment, then the first actuator is the water pump in the cooling circuit of the autonomous driving domain controller, and the second actuator can be the water pump in the heating circuit of the passenger compartment.

[0078] Therefore, compared to adding an extra cooling circuit (i.e., an extra drive unit and a water pump) to the autonomous driving domain controller, using switching circuit 04 to reuse other thermal management drive units allows for a lower-cost approach to achieving cooling redundancy in the autonomous driving domain controller. Furthermore, it facilitates the platform-based design of the direct-drive thermal management controller and the thermal management system, enabling vehicles with different configurations to use the same thermal management system. For example, vehicles equipped with advanced autonomous driving features can use the same thermal management system as those without.

[0079] Optionally, there can be multiple second drive units, meaning that the first terminal of the switching circuit 04 can be connected to multiple second drive units. When there are multiple second drive units, the main control unit 03 can be used to: control the switching circuit 04 to connect any one of the multiple second drive units to the first actuator in the event of a first drive unit failure.

[0080] Alternatively, the main control unit 03 can be used to: select a target second drive unit from multiple second drive units based on the operating priority of the second actuators driven by multiple second drive units; and control the switching circuit 04 to connect the target second drive unit and the first actuator. The target second drive unit has the lowest operating priority.

[0081] Optional, see Figure 2 The direct-drive thermal management controller may include: a power management unit 200. See also... Figure 3 The power management unit may include electronic fuses 01 corresponding to each thermal management drive unit 02. This improves the integration of the direct-drive thermal management controller and simplifies its control circuitry.

[0082] See Figure 2 The main control unit 03 can also be connected to the thermal management drive unit 02 and can be used to send control commands to the thermal management drive unit 02 to control the working state of the thermal management drive unit 02.

[0083] like Figure 2 As shown, the direct-drive thermal management controller may further include a power reverse polarity protection circuit 04. The first terminal of the power reverse polarity protection circuit 04 is connected to the second terminal of the electronic fuse 01, and the second terminal of the power reverse polarity protection circuit 04 is used to connect to a power supply. The power reverse polarity protection circuit 04 can be used to prevent damage to the thermal management drive unit 02 and each actuator due to reversed power supply polarity.

[0084] like Figure 2As shown, the direct-drive heat pipe controller may further include: a power management unit 06 connected to the main control unit 03, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 07, a controller area network (CAN) communication module 08, a local interconnect network (LIN) communication module 09, a pulse width modulation (PWM) unit 10, and a single-bridge drive unit 11.

[0085] The power management unit 06 is also used to connect to the power supply and process the power signal provided by the power supply (such as voltage regulation and filtering), and uses the processed power signal to power the main control unit 03 to ensure the stable operation of the main control unit 03. The ADC 07 is used to convert the analog signals (such as duct temperature and ambient temperature) collected by the sensor into digital signals for processing by the main control unit 03.

[0086] CAN communication module 08 and LIN communication module 09 are used for communication between the main control unit 03 of the direct-drive thermal management controller and other components, such as parts in the vehicle. PWM unit 10 is used to connect to the blower assembly of the thermal management system. The main control unit 03 can control PWM unit 10 to adjust the duty cycle of the PWM signal to precisely control the blower speed through the blower assembly.

[0087] The half-bridge drive module 11 is used to connect to the shut-off valve of the thermal management system. The main control unit 03 can be used to control the opening and closing of the shut-off valve by controlling the output of the half-bridge drive module 11.

[0088] Optionally, the main control unit 03 may include multiple cores. A first core is responsible for implementing algorithms related to vehicle-level functions (such as passenger compartment comfort functions and battery thermal management functions). A second core is responsible for implementing the driving algorithms for each thermal management unit. The second core differs from the first core.

[0089] Therefore, the main control unit 03 is equipped with an independent kernel for driving the actuator. This kernel can specifically handle the actuator's driving tasks, ensuring that these tasks are not interfered with by other tasks. This allows for OTA upgrades of the actuator at any time, optimizing its functionality and reducing after-sales maintenance costs.

[0090] In summary, this application provides a direct-drive thermal management controller, which includes an electronic fuse, a thermal management drive unit, and a main control unit. The thermal management drive unit is connected to the power supply via the electronic fuse. Therefore, it eliminates the need for power distribution to the direct-drive thermal management controller through a fuse box, thus avoiding the need for a high degree of matching between the fuse box and the controller. This improves the versatility of the direct-drive thermal management controller and enhances its compatibility with the fuse box, facilitating its integration with the vehicle's electrical system. Furthermore, the integrated electronic fuse further increases the controller's integration level. Additionally, the main control unit can control the operation of the thermal management drive unit by controlling the on / off state of the electronic fuse based on the status of the thermal management drive unit. Compared to the method of power distribution via a fuse box, where the current flowing through the fuse must exceed the fusing current to disconnect the connection between the thermal management drive unit and the power supply to stop the thermal management drive unit from operating, and then the fuse must be replaced to restore the connection and start the thermal management drive unit, the direct-drive thermal management controller provided in this application can achieve rapid control of the connection by switching the electronic fuse on and off, thereby enabling rapid control of the operation of the thermal management drive unit.

[0091] This application also provides a control method for a thermal management drive unit. This method is applied to the main control unit in a thermal management controller (such as a direct-drive thermal management controller). The thermal management controller further includes a thermal management drive unit and an electronic fuse. A first end of the electronic fuse is connected to the thermal management drive unit, and a second end of the electronic fuse is used to connect to a power supply. For example, the thermal management controller can be... Figure 1 or Figure 2 The thermal management controller shown. See also... Figure 4 The method includes:

[0092] Step 101: Obtain the status of the thermal management drive unit.

[0093] The main control unit can acquire the status parameters of the thermal management drive unit and determine the status of the thermal management drive unit based on these parameters. This status can be either a normal state or an abnormal state. The status parameters include current and / or temperature.

[0094] It is understood that the process of the main control unit executing step 101 can be found in the above-mentioned device embodiment, which describes the relevant implementation process of the main control unit determining the state of the thermal management drive unit based on the state parameters. This application embodiment will not repeat the details here.

[0095] Step 102: Based on the state of the thermal management drive unit, control the on / off state of the electronic fuse to control the operation of the thermal management drive unit.

[0096] In this embodiment of the application, when the state of the thermal management drive unit is determined to be abnormal, the main control unit can control the electronic fuse to disconnect, thereby disconnecting the connection path between the thermal management drive unit and the power supply, and thus controlling the thermal management drive unit to stop operating, so as to protect the thermal management drive unit.

[0097] When the thermal management drive unit is determined to be in a normal state, the main control unit can control the electronic fuse to close, thereby connecting the thermal management drive unit to the power supply and controlling the operation of the thermal management drive unit.

[0098] In summary, this application provides a control method for a thermal management drive unit. The main control unit can acquire the state of the thermal management drive unit and, based on this state, control the operation of the thermal management drive unit by controlling the on / off state of the electronic fuse. Compared to power distribution via a fuse box, where the current flowing through the fuse must exceed the fusing current to disconnect the connection between the thermal management drive unit and the power supply to stop the thermal management drive unit, and then the fuse must be replaced to reconnect the connection and start the thermal management drive unit, the electronic fuse allows for rapid control of the connection, thus enabling quick control of the thermal management drive unit's operation.

[0099] This application uses the state parameters of a thermal management drive unit, including temperature and current, as an example to illustrate a control method for the thermal management drive unit. This method can be applied to the main control unit of a thermal management controller. See also... Figure 5 The method may include:

[0100] Step 201: Obtain the temperature and current of the thermal management drive unit.

[0101] After the thermal management controller is started, the main control unit can obtain the temperature and current of each thermal management drive unit.

[0102] Step 202: Detect whether the temperature of the thermal management drive unit is greater than or equal to the second temperature threshold, whether the temperature rise rate is greater than or equal to the second temperature rate threshold, and whether the current is greater than or equal to the second current threshold and whether the current rise rate is greater than or equal to the second current rate threshold.

[0103] If the main control unit determines that the temperature of the thermal management drive unit is greater than or equal to the second temperature threshold and the rate of temperature rise is greater than or equal to the second temperature rate threshold, and / or the current is greater than or equal to the second current threshold and the rate of current rise is greater than or equal to the second current rate threshold, then step 203 can be executed. If the main control unit determines that the temperature is less than the second temperature threshold, and / or the rate of temperature rise is less than the second temperature rate threshold, and / or the current is less than the second current threshold, and / or the rate of current rise is less than the second current rate threshold, then it can be determined that the thermal management drive unit is operating normally, and then step 202 can continue to be executed.

[0104] Step 203: Control the thermal management drive unit to derate.

[0105] If the main control unit determines that the temperature of the thermal management drive unit is greater than or equal to a second temperature threshold and the rate of temperature rise is greater than or equal to a second temperature rate threshold, and / or that the current is greater than or equal to a second current threshold and the rate of current rise is greater than or equal to a second current rate threshold, then it can be determined that the current temperature of the thermal management drive unit is high. Subsequently, the thermal management drive unit can be controlled to operate at a lower derating level to prevent overheating or overcurrent. Specifically, controlling the thermal management drive unit to operate at a lower derating level means that the thermal management drive unit outputs power at a lower rate than its normal operating rated output power.

[0106] Understandably, the main control unit can reduce the current of the thermal management drive unit to control its derating operation. The main control unit can also reduce the current of the thermal management drive unit by setting a current limit for the electronic fuse.

[0107] Step 204: Detect whether the temperature of the thermal management drive unit is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold, whether the temperature rise rate is greater than or equal to the first temperature rate threshold, and whether the current is greater than or equal to the first current threshold and whether the current rise rate is greater than or equal to the first current rate threshold.

[0108] Even after the thermal management drive unit is derated, its temperature may still rise. Therefore, the main control unit can detect whether the temperature of the thermal management drive unit is greater than or equal to a first temperature threshold, whether the rate of temperature rise is greater than or equal to a first temperature rate threshold, and whether the current of the thermal management drive unit is greater than or equal to a first current threshold, and whether the rate of current rise is greater than or equal to a first current rate threshold.

[0109] If the main control unit determines that the temperature of the thermal management drive unit is greater than or equal to a first temperature threshold and the rate of temperature rise is greater than or equal to a first temperature rate threshold, and / or the current is greater than or equal to a first current threshold and the rate of current rise is greater than or equal to a first current rate threshold, then step 205 can be executed. If the main control unit determines that the temperature of the thermal management drive unit is less than the first temperature threshold, and / or the rate of temperature rise is less than the first temperature rate threshold, and / or the current is less than the first current threshold, and / or the rate of current rise is less than the first current rate threshold, then step 204 can be executed.

[0110] Step 205: Control the electronic fuse to disconnect, thereby stopping the thermal management drive unit from operating.

[0111] If the main control unit determines that the temperature of the thermal management drive unit is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold and the rate of temperature rise is greater than or equal to the first temperature rate threshold, and / or the current is greater than or equal to the first current threshold and the rate of current rise is greater than or equal to the first current rate threshold, then the electronic fuse can be controlled to open to stop the thermal management drive unit from operating, thereby protecting the thermal management drive unit.

[0112] Step 206: Detect whether the temperature of the thermal management drive unit is less than the third temperature threshold.

[0113] After the electronic fuse is blown, the temperature of the thermal management drive unit will gradually decrease. As the temperature decreases, the thermal management drive unit will gradually return to normal. Based on this, after the electronic fuse is blown, the main control unit can detect whether the temperature of the thermal management drive unit is less than the third temperature threshold. If the main control unit determines that the temperature is less than the third temperature threshold, it can determine that the state of the thermal management drive unit has returned to normal, and then proceed to step 207. If the main control unit determines that the temperature is greater than or equal to the third temperature threshold, it can determine that the state of the thermal management drive unit has not yet returned to normal, and then proceed to step 206.

[0114] Step 207: Control the electronic fuse to close, thereby controlling the operation of the thermal management drive unit.

[0115] If the main control unit determines that the temperature of the thermal management drive unit is lower than the third temperature, it can control the electronic fuse to close so that the power supply can provide power to the thermal management drive unit, thereby enabling the thermal management drive unit to resume operation.

[0116] It is understood that the order of steps in the control method for the thermal management drive unit provided in the embodiments of this application can be appropriately adjusted, and steps can be added or removed as appropriate. For example, steps 202 and 203 can be deleted as appropriate; or steps 206 and 207 can be deleted as appropriate. Any variations that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the protection scope of this application, and therefore will not be elaborated further.

[0117] In summary, this application provides a control method for a thermal management drive unit. The main control unit can acquire the state of the thermal management drive unit and, based on this state, control the operation of the thermal management drive unit by controlling the on / off state of the electronic fuse. Compared to power distribution via a fuse box, where the current flowing through the fuse must exceed the fusing current to disconnect the connection between the thermal management drive unit and the power supply to stop the thermal management drive unit, and then the fuse must be replaced to reconnect the connection and start the thermal management drive unit, the electronic fuse allows for rapid control of the connection, thus enabling quick control of the thermal management drive unit's operation.

[0118] This application provides a thermal management system, which may include the thermal management controller provided in the above-described device embodiments. For example... Figure 1 or Figure 2 The thermal management controller shown.

[0119] Optionally, the thermal management system may also include a heating subsystem and a battery thermal management subsystem, etc.

[0120] This application provides a vehicle that includes a thermal management system, which includes the thermal management controller provided in the above-described device embodiments.

[0121] It should be noted that the logic and / or steps represented in the flowchart or otherwise described herein, for example, can be considered as a sequenced list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions, and can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device (such as a computer-based system, a processor-included system, or other system that can fetch and execute instructions from, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device). For the purposes of this specification, "computer-readable medium" can be any means that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transmit programs for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable media include: an electrical connection having one or more wires (electronic device), a portable computer disk drive (magnetic device), random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable and editable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), fiber optic devices, and portable optical disc read-only memory (CDROM). Alternatively, the computer-readable medium may be paper or other suitable media on which the program can be printed, since the program can be obtained electronically, for example, by optically scanning the paper or other medium, followed by editing, interpreting, or otherwise processing as necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.

[0122] It should be understood that various parts of this application can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above embodiments, multiple steps or methods can be implemented using software or firmware stored in memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented in hardware, as in another embodiment, it can be implemented using any one or a combination of the following techniques known in the art: discrete logic circuits having logic gates for implementing logical functions on data signals, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) having suitable combinational logic gates, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0123] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0124] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A thermal management controller, characterized in that, The thermal management controller includes: an electronic fuse, a thermal management drive unit, and a main control unit; The first end of the electronic fuse is connected to the thermal management drive unit, and the second end of the electronic fuse is used to connect to the power supply. The third end of the electronic fuse is connected to the main control unit, which controls the on / off state of the thermal management drive unit based on the state of the thermal management drive unit, thereby controlling the operation of the thermal management drive unit.

2. The thermal management controller according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are multiple thermal management drive units and multiple electronic fuses, and each of the multiple electronic fuses corresponds to one of the multiple thermal management drive units; The thermal management controller further includes: a switching circuit; The first end of the switching circuit is connected to the first driving unit and the second driving unit among the plurality of thermal management driving units, and the second end of the switching circuit is used to connect to the first actuator, wherein the first driving unit is used to drive the first actuator, and the second driving unit is used to drive the second actuator. The third terminal of the switching circuit is connected to the main control unit. The main control unit is also used to control the switching circuit to disconnect the connection path between the first drive unit and the first actuator and to connect the connection path between the second drive unit and the first actuator in the event of a failure of the first drive unit.

3. The thermal management controller according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second actuator is different from the first actuator, and the second actuator has a lower operating priority than the first actuator.

4. The thermal management controller according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The main control unit is used for: If the thermal management drive unit is determined to be in an abnormal state, the electronic fuse is controlled to disconnect.

5. The thermal management controller according to claim 4, characterized in that, The main control unit is also used for: Obtain the status parameters of the thermal management drive unit, the status parameters including: current and / or temperature; Based on the state parameters, the state of the thermal management drive unit is determined, and the state is either a normal state or an abnormal state.

6. The thermal management controller according to claim 5, characterized in that, The main control unit is used for: If the state parameter of the thermal management drive unit is determined to be greater than or equal to a first parameter threshold, and the rise rate of the state parameter is greater than or equal to a first rate threshold, the state of the thermal management drive unit is determined to be an abnormal state. If the state parameter is determined to be less than the first parameter threshold, and / or the rate of increase of the state parameter is less than the first rate threshold, the state of the thermal management drive unit is determined to be normal.

7. The thermal management controller according to claim 6, characterized in that, The main control unit is also used for: If the state parameter is determined to be greater than or equal to the second parameter threshold, and the rise rate of the state parameter is greater than or equal to the second rate threshold, the thermal management drive unit is controlled to operate at a reduced rate. Wherein, the second parameter threshold is less than the first parameter threshold, and the second rate threshold is less than the first rate threshold.

8. The thermal management controller according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that, After the electronic fuse is disconnected, the main control unit is also used to: If the state is determined to return to normal, the electronic fuse is controlled to close.

9. A control method for a thermal management drive unit, characterized in that, A main control unit for a thermal management controller, the thermal management controller further comprising: a thermal management drive unit and an electronic fuse, wherein a first end of the electronic fuse is connected to the thermal management drive unit, and a second end of the electronic fuse is used for connection to a power supply; the method includes: Obtain the status of the thermal management drive unit; Based on the state of the thermal management drive unit, the on / off state of the electronic fuse is controlled to control the operation of the thermal management drive unit.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method as described in claim 9.

11. A thermal management system, characterized in that, The thermal management system includes: a thermal management controller as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

12. A vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicle includes: the thermal management system as described in claim 11.

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