Power battery cooling system and vehicle

Abstract

The utility model relates to a power battery cooling system and a vehicle, the power battery cooling system comprises a first controller and a cooling circulation loop, the cooling circulation loop comprises a first water pump, a heat exchange device, a power battery box and a cooling liquid compensation box which are sequentially communicated through a plurality of cooling pipes, and an exhaust valve is arranged at the top of the cooling liquid compensation box; a pressure sensor is arranged in the cooling liquid compensation box, the exhaust valve and the pressure sensor are both electrically connected with a first controller, and the first controller is further used for controlling opening and closing of the exhaust valve. The problems that cooling liquid filling operation of a battery cooling system is difficult, air in a circulating water path is difficult to exhaust, liquid filling is difficult in after-sales maintenance, and the working stability of the battery cooling system is affected are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of vehicle technology, and in particular to a power battery cooling system and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Existing electric vehicles are integrated with a battery thermal management system. In order to flush and replenish coolant into the heat exchange pipes of the battery thermal management system, a water tank will be connected to the highest point of the car body. In order to provide power for the normal operation of the battery thermal management system, one or more water pumps will be connected at the corresponding position.

[0003] However, the existing battery thermal management system still has the following problems: when adding coolant, the gas pressure in the heat exchange pipeline is high, and it is difficult to meet the emptying requirements by running the water pump alone, making it difficult to add coolant. At present, the heat exchange pipeline is evacuated and pressurized to inject coolant to empty and add coolant, but the equipment procurement cost is high. Once the electric vehicle leaves the factory, the subsequent maintenance of the heat exchange pipeline cannot be separated from these equipment, and the maintenance cost is high. Utility Model Content

[0004] The present application provides a power battery cooling system and a vehicle to solve the problems of difficulty in adding coolant to the battery cooling system, difficulty in exhausting the air in the circulating water circuit, and difficulty in after-sales maintenance and adding coolant, which affect the working stability of the battery cooling system.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a power battery cooling system, comprising a first controller and a cooling circulation loop, wherein the cooling circulation loop comprises a first water pump, a heat exchange device, a power battery box and a coolant compensation tank connected in sequence through a plurality of cooling pipes, an exhaust valve is arranged on the top of the coolant compensation tank, a pressure sensor is arranged inside the coolant compensation tank, the exhaust valve and the pressure sensor are both electrically connected to the first controller, and the first controller is also used to control the opening and closing of the exhaust valve.

[0006] In a possible implementation, a filter screen is provided at the air inlet end of the exhaust valve.

[0007] In a possible implementation, a liquid level sensor is further provided in the coolant compensation tank, and the liquid level sensor is used to detect the liquid level of the coolant in the coolant compensation tank, and the liquid level sensor is electrically connected to the first controller.

[0008] In a possible implementation, the coolant compensation tank is disposed at the highest point of the cooling circulation loop.

[0009] In a possible implementation, it also includes a three-way joint, the first connection of the three-way joint is connected to the water inlet end of the first water pump, the second connection of the three-way joint is connected to the water outlet end of the coolant compensation tank, and the third connection of the three-way joint is connected to the coolant.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the third port of the three-way connector is connected to the coolant via a toggle switch.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the injection port of the toggle switch is connected to the coolant through a second water pump.

[0012] In a possible implementation, a one-way valve is connected between the toggle switch and the second water pump.

[0013] In a possible implementation, a liquid adding device is further included, and the liquid adding device includes a second controller, and the second water pump, the one-way valve, the first water pump and the liquid level sensor in the coolant compensation tank are all electrically connected to the second controller.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present application provides a vehicle, comprising a power battery cooling system as described in the first aspect.

[0015] The above technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0016] In the power battery cooling system and vehicle provided in this embodiment, during the cooling cycle loop circulation process, when the coolant circulates in the cooling cycle loop, the residual air in the loop can gather in the coolant compensation tank and stay in the top space thereof, and the coolant compensation tank can provide expansion space for the cooling cycle loop in the power battery cooling system. The pressure in the coolant compensation tank is detected by a pressure sensor, and when the pressure exceeds a certain value, a signal is transmitted to the first controller, and the first controller controls the exhaust valve to open automatically. Since the exhaust valve is located at the top of the coolant compensation tank, and the air inside it is also gathered at the top, the excess air in the loop can be quickly discharged through the exhaust valve, thereby realizing the automatic exhaust function. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0019] One or more embodiments are exemplarily described by pictures in the corresponding drawings, and these exemplified descriptions do not constitute limitations on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings represent similar elements, and unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings do not constitute proportional limitations.

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a power battery cooling system provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0021] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a coolant compensation tank in a power battery cooling system provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a cooling circulation loop in a power battery cooling system provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0023] Description of reference numerals:

[0024] 1. First controller; 2. First water pump; 3. Heat exchange device; 4. Power battery box; 5. Coolant compensation tank; 6. Exhaust valve; 7. Liquid level sensor; 8. Filter; 9. Three-way connector; 10. Toggle switch; 11. Second water pump; 12. One-way valve; 13. Second controller; 14. Control cable; 15. Cable plug-in. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0026] The disclosure below provides many different embodiments or examples to realize the different structures of the present application. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present application, the parts and settings of specific examples are described below. Of course, they are only examples, and the purpose is not to limit the present application. In addition, the present application can repeat reference numbers and / or letters in different examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplification and clarity, and does not itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed.

[0027] For ease of description, spatial relative terms may be used herein to describe the relative positional relationship or movement of one element or feature relative to another element or feature as shown in the figure, such as "inside", "outside", "inner side", "outer side", "below", "below", "above", "above", "front", "back", etc. Such spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figure. For example, if the device in the figure undergoes a position flip or a posture change or a motion state change, then these directional indications also change accordingly, for example: an element described as "below other elements or features" or "below other elements or features" will subsequently be oriented as "above other elements or features" or "above other elements or features". Therefore, the example term "below..." may include both upper and lower orientations. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or in other directions) and the spatial relative descriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly.

[0028] Reference Figure 1-Figure 3 An embodiment of the present application provides a power battery cooling system, including a first controller 1 and a cooling circulation loop, wherein the cooling circulation loop includes a first water pump 2, a heat exchange device 3, a power battery box 4 and a coolant compensation tank 5 which are sequentially connected through a plurality of cooling pipes, an exhaust valve 6 is arranged on the top of the coolant compensation tank 5, a pressure sensor is arranged inside the coolant compensation tank 5, the exhaust valve 6 and the pressure sensor are both electrically connected to the first controller 1, and the first controller 1 is also used to control the opening and closing of the exhaust valve 6.

[0029] When adding coolant to the existing battery thermal management system, the gas pressure in the heat exchange pipeline is high, and it is difficult to meet the emptying requirements by running the water pump alone, making it difficult to add coolant. Currently, the heat exchange pipeline is evacuated and pressurized to inject coolant to empty and add coolant, but the equipment procurement cost is high. Once the electric vehicle leaves the factory, the subsequent maintenance of the heat exchange pipeline cannot be separated from these equipment, and the maintenance cost is high.

[0030] The power battery cooling system provided by the present application, during the circulation process of the cooling circulation loop, when the coolant circulates in the cooling circulation loop, the residual air in the loop can be gathered in the coolant compensation tank 5 and stay in the top space thereof, and the coolant compensation tank 5 can provide expansion space for the cooling circulation loop in the power battery cooling system. The pressure in the coolant compensation tank 5 is detected by a pressure sensor, and when the pressure exceeds a certain value, a signal is transmitted to the first controller 1, and the first controller 1 controls the exhaust valve 6 to open automatically. Since the exhaust valve 6 is located at the top of the coolant compensation tank 5, and the air inside it is also gathered at the top, the excess air in the loop can be quickly discharged through the exhaust valve 6, realizing the automatic exhaust function, so as to solve the problems of difficulty in adding coolant to the battery cooling system, difficulty in exhausting the air in the circulating water circuit, difficulty in after-sales maintenance and adding liquid, and affecting the working stability of the battery cooling system.

[0031] Among them, the first water pump 2 is a circulating water pump, which is used to provide circulating power for the cooling circulation loop, and the coolant compensation tank 5 is used to supplement the coolant for the cooling circulation loop. The heat exchange device 3 is a device for cooling the coolant. The heat exchange device 3 can be a heat exchanger of a cooling unit or a refrigeration system. The end of the heat exchange device 3 used to connect to the first water pump 2 is the liquid inlet, and the end of the heat exchange device 3 used to connect to the power battery box 4 is the liquid outlet. The coolant enters the heat exchange device 3 through the liquid inlet and flows out of the heat exchange device 3 from the liquid outlet. The heat exchange of the heat exchange device 3 is performed to cool the coolant.

[0032] A liquid level sensor 7 is also provided in the coolant compensation tank 5. The liquid level sensor 7 is used to detect the liquid level of the coolant in the coolant compensation tank 5. The liquid level sensor 7 is electrically connected to the first controller 1. The coolant compensation tank 5 functions to compensate for the expansion of the coolant and to discharge the air in the coolant. The liquid level sensor 7 mainly monitors the changes in the liquid level in the coolant compensation tank 5 to determine whether the coolant in the cooling circulation loop is missing.

[0033] Optionally, the coolant compensation tank 5 is arranged at the highest point of the cooling circulation loop to ensure stable replenishment of the coolant.

[0034] The coolant compensation tank 5 is arranged at the water inlet side of the first water pump 2 and at a high position of the cooling circulation loop. When the coolant circulates in the loop, the residual air in the loop can gather in the coolant compensation tank 5 and stay in the top space thereof. The coolant compensation tank 5 can provide expansion space for the cooling system circulation loop.

[0035] The exhaust valve 6 is installed on the top of the coolant compensation tank 5, and at the highest point of the cooling system circulation loop. When the coolant compensation tank 5 is full of coolant, the exhaust valve 6 closes the exhaust port to prevent coolant overflow. When there is no coolant in the coolant compensation tank 5 or a certain amount of air gathers on the top, the exhaust valve 6 opens the exhaust port to realize the automatic exhaust function.

[0036] The air inlet end of the exhaust valve 6 is provided with a filter screen 8 to prevent impurities in the coolant from entering the exhaust valve 6 , thereby eliminating the exhaust valve 6 malfunction caused by the accumulation of impurities and improving the reliability of the exhaust valve 6 .

[0037] In some embodiments, the power battery cooling system further includes a three-way joint 9, wherein the first connection of the three-way joint 9 is connected to the water inlet of the first water pump 2, the second connection of the three-way joint 9 is connected to the water outlet of the coolant compensation tank 5, and the third connection of the three-way joint 9 is connected to the coolant. When it is necessary to add coolant to the cooling circulation loop, the first connection and the third connection of the three-way joint 9 are connected, and the coolant enters the cooling circulation loop through the three-way joint 9, and is circulated and pumped in the cooling circulation loop by the first water pump 2. When it is not necessary to add coolant, the first connection and the second connection of the three-way joint 9 are connected, and the cooling circulation loop is a closed loop to realize the circulation of the coolant.

[0038] The third channel of the three-way connector 9 is connected to the coolant through the toggle switch 10, and the controllability of the connection and disconnection of the third channel of the three-way connector 9 is achieved through the setting of the toggle switch 10. Optionally, the toggle switch 10 is a manual switch, which is convenient for the user to operate. The coolant filling port is set on the manual switch, and the manual switch is connected to the cooling circulation loop through the three-way connector 9. The coolant filling port is set on the water inlet side of the first water pump 2. The layout position on the vehicle should be as close to the low point of the waterway as possible and easy to operate. The function of the manual switch: when the coolant filling operation is required, operate the manual switch to open the coolant filling channel; when the coolant filling is stopped, operate the manual switch to close the coolant filling channel to prevent the coolant from flowing out; when the battery cooling system needs to be inspected and operated, the coolant can be drained by opening the manual switch.

[0039] The injection port of the toggle switch 10 is connected to the coolant through the second water pump 11. The second water pump 11 is a liquid-adding water pump, which is connected to the coolant through the liquid inlet end of the second water pump 11, so as to extract the coolant and pump it into the three-way joint 9, and then transport it to the cooling circulation loop to achieve a cooling effect. Optionally, a one-way valve 12 is connected between the toggle switch 10 and the second water pump 11; the second water pump 11 pumps the coolant to the manual switch through the one-way valve 12, and the one-way valve 12 controls the one-way flow of the coolant, that is, it can only flow from the water outlet of the second water pump 11 to the manual switch to prevent the coolant in the battery cooling system from flowing out.

[0040] In some embodiments, the power battery cooling system further includes a liquid adding device, which includes a second controller 13, and the second water pump 11, the one-way valve 12, the first water pump 2, and the liquid level sensor 7 in the coolant compensation tank 5 are all electrically connected to the second controller 13. Specifically, the second controller 13 can be connected to the cable plug 15 and the second water pump 11 through the control cable 14 to control the coolant filling operation and monitor the coolant filling amount. Among them, the cable plug 15 can be a plug-in harness connected to the end of the control cable 14 to achieve detachable assembly and disassembly.

[0041] Optionally, the liquid adding device is a device for adding coolant to the battery cooling system. The liquid adding device exists independently from the electric cooling circulation loop, and the liquid adding device may be a component that is not provided on the vehicle.

[0042] Specifically, control cables 14 are respectively led out from the liquid level sensor 7 and the first water pump 2 and connected to the cable plug 15. The main function is as follows: when coolant needs to be added to the battery cooling system, the second controller 13 is connected to the cable plug 15, and the second controller 13 controls the operation of the first water pump 2 and monitors the coolant level in the coolant compensation tank 5, and determines in real time whether the coolant is full.

[0043] Reference Figure 1 The power battery cooling system provided in the present application has a first working mode and a second working mode when working, wherein the first working mode is to add coolant to the battery cooling system. The second controller 13 is connected to the cable plug 15 and the second water pump 11 through the control cable 14, and the water outlet of the one-way valve 12 is connected to the water inlet of the hand switch through the cooling water pipe. The hand switch is operated to open the coolant filling channel. By operating the second controller 13, the second water pump 11 is operated first, and the coolant is pumped into the battery cooling system circulation loop through the second water pump 11; then the first water pump 2 is controlled to operate to assist the battery cooling system circulation loop to exhaust air. Due to the lack of coolant in the circulating water circuit of the battery cooling system, there is air in the coolant compensation tank 5, the exhaust valve 6 is opened, and the air in the circulation loop is discharged through this exhaust valve 6, so as to realize the smooth filling of the coolant. The second controller 13 monitors the coolant height in the coolant compensation tank 5 in real time through the liquid level sensor 7, so as to judge whether the coolant is full and control the operation of the second water pump 11. When the coolant reaches the highest liquid level, the second water pump 11 stops and the first water pump 2 continues to work, in order to assist the battery cooling system circulating water circuit to exhaust residual air. The time for the first water pump 2 to continue working can be set to 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc., depending on the specific vehicle model.

[0044] After the coolant filling is completed, the hand switch is operated to close the coolant filling channel, and the cooling water pipe and cable plug 15 are disconnected to complete the coolant filling operation for the battery cooling system.

[0045] Reference Figure 3 The second working mode is to cool the power battery. The power battery box 4 is at a high temperature. The first controller 1 controls the first water pump 2 to operate, and the coolant circulates in the pipeline. At the same time, the first controller 1 controls the heat exchange device 3 to operate. The coolant flows through the heat exchange device 3 and is cooled to the target temperature, and then sent to the power battery box 4 to achieve the purpose of cooling the power battery box 4. At this time, the temperature sensor monitors the coolant level in the coolant compensation tank 5 in real time and transmits an electrical signal to the first controller 1. When the liquid level is lower than the minimum value, the first controller 1 reports the fault of lack of coolant in the battery cooling system to the whole vehicle.

[0046] Reference Figure 1-Figure 3 , an embodiment of the present application also provides a vehicle, comprising the power battery cooling system described in the aforementioned embodiment.

[0047] It should be understood that the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific example embodiments and are not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "one", "an" and "said" as used herein may also be meant to include plural forms. The terms "include", "comprise", "contain", and "have" are inclusive, and therefore specify the existence of stated features, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, parts, and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not interpreted as necessarily requiring them to be performed in the specific order described or illustrated, unless the execution order is clearly indicated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0048] Although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used in the text to describe multiple elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms can only be used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Unless the context clearly indicates, terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical terms do not imply order or sequence when used in the text. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below can be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teaching of the example embodiments.

[0049] The above description is only a specific implementation of the present application, so that those skilled in the art can understand or implement the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but will conform to the widest range consistent with the principles and novel features applied for herein.

Claims

1. A power battery cooling system, characterized in that: It includes a first controller and a cooling circulation loop, wherein the cooling circulation loop includes a first water pump, a heat exchange device, a power battery box and a coolant compensation tank which are sequentially connected through a plurality of cooling pipes, an exhaust valve is arranged on the top of the coolant compensation tank, a pressure sensor is arranged inside the coolant compensation tank, the exhaust valve and the pressure sensor are both electrically connected to the first controller, and the first controller is also used to control the opening and closing of the exhaust valve.

2. The power battery cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air inlet end of the exhaust valve is provided with a filter screen.

3. The power battery cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A liquid level sensor is also provided in the coolant compensation tank, and the liquid level sensor is used to detect the liquid level of the coolant in the coolant compensation tank. The liquid level sensor is electrically connected to the first controller.

4. The power battery cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The coolant compensation tank is arranged at the highest point of the cooling circulation loop.

5. The power battery cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a three-way joint, a first connection of the three-way joint is connected to the water inlet end of the first water pump, a second connection of the three-way joint is connected to the water outlet end of the coolant compensation tank, and a third connection of the three-way joint is connected to the coolant.

6. The power battery cooling system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The third channel of the three-way connector is connected to the coolant through a toggle switch.

7. The power battery cooling system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The injection port of the toggle switch is connected to the coolant through the second water pump.

8. The power battery cooling system according to claim 7, characterized in that: A one-way valve is connected between the toggle switch and the second water pump.

9. The power battery cooling system according to claim 8, characterized in that: It also includes a liquid adding device, which includes a second controller. The second water pump, the one-way valve, the first water pump and the liquid level sensor in the coolant compensation tank are all electrically connected to the second controller.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that: Comprising a power battery cooling system as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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