Front end module for vehicle thermal management system
By designing the liquid discharge element and inclined bottom wall structure in the front-end module of the vehicle thermal management system, the problem of liquid not being promptly eliminated under the heat pump and air conditioner is solved, and the timely discharge of liquid is achieved, avoiding icing, and improving the performance and reliability of the system.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202421725923.9
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-19
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-25
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-07-19
AI Technical Summary
In the front-end module of the vehicle thermal management system, in the working environment of the heat pump and air conditioner, the liquid generated by the heat conversion device is not removed in time and may freeze at low temperatures, affecting the system performance and reliability.
A front-end module is designed, including a housing, a heat exchanger and a liquid discharge element. The liquid discharge element is installed on the bottom wall of the housing, and the liquid in the housing is introduced into the liquid discharge element through the collection port, and discharged from the housing through the funnel structure. The inner surface of the bottom wall is inclined, and the mounting joint is coupled to the collection port to form a funnel structure for liquid discharge.
It is realized that in the working environment of heat pump and air conditioning, the liquid generated by the heat exchanger can be discharged in time to avoid liquid retention and icing, and improve the performance and reliability of the system.
Smart Images
Figure CN222793177U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present application relates to vehicle thermal management technology, and more specifically to a front-end module for a vehicle thermal management system. Background Art
[0002] The thermal management technology of new energy vehicles, especially electric vehicles, is a technology that takes power batteries, electric drives, etc. as thermal management objects and studies their effects on the performance, reliability and stability of the vehicle. The thermal management system of the vehicle includes a front-end module. The front-end module is a module assembly composed of one or more heat conversion devices integrated in the form of a core, which is supported on the front end of the vehicle body or the subframe to receive air. One of the functions of the front-end module is reflected in the vehicle air conditioning, that is, providing cold air for the vehicle in summer and heat for the vehicle in winter. In the working state in winter, that is, the working environment of the heat pump air conditioner, the heat conversion device in the front-end module has the need to drain water, and the water that is not drained in time will freeze at low temperatures. Utility Model Content
[0003] One aspect of the present application is to provide a front end module for a vehicle thermal management system, wherein the front end module has a discharge function of liquid, namely water.
[0004] The front-end module includes a shell, the shell having an inlet through which air enters the shell and an outlet through which air leaves the shell, the shell having a bottom wall between the inlet and the outlet; a heat exchanger through which refrigerant passes, the heat exchanger being located above the bottom wall in the shell, the air exchanging heat with the refrigerant via the heat exchanger; and a drainage element, the drainage element having an inlet end and an outlet end, the liquid in the shell leaves the shell from the inlet end to the outlet end via the drainage element; wherein the bottom wall has a first inner surface opposite to the heat exchanger, the first inner surface having a collecting port, the inlet end of the drainage element being mounted on the collecting port.
[0005] In an embodiment of the front-end module, the drainage element comprises a mounting joint disposed at the inlet end, the mounting joint is configured to form a funnel structure with the inlet end and the mounting joint is coupled to the collecting port.
[0006] In an embodiment of the front-end module, after the mounting joint is coupled to the collecting port, the mounting joint is located at the lowest position of the first inner surface.
[0007] In an embodiment of the front end module, the first inner surface is configured to be inclined.
[0008] In an embodiment of the front end module, the bottom wall has a second outer surface opposite to the first inner surface, the first inner surface is inclined relative to the second outer surface, and an angle between the first inner surface and the second outer surface is in the range of 1.5 to 3°.
[0009] In one embodiment of the front end module, the mounting joint is configured as a flange surrounding the inlet end, and the flange is processed with a plurality of grooves on its circumference for fasteners to be positioned therein so as to be coupled with the bottom wall.
[0010] In an embodiment of the front-end module, the shell includes a first half shell having the inlet and a second half shell having the outlet, the bottom wall includes a bottom plate of the first half shell and a bottom plate of the second half shell combined together, the shell has a pair of side walls, any one of the pair of side walls includes a side plate of the first half shell and a side plate of the second half shell combined together, and the collecting port is located on the bottom plate of the second half shell and close to the side plate of the second half shell.
[0011] In an embodiment of the front end module, the front end module comprises a drainage element for moving the liquid in the housing towards the second half shell.
[0012] In an embodiment of the front-end module, the shell is made of plastic, and the drainage element is made of rubber; the liquid in the shell includes the liquid outside the heat exchanger.
[0013] In one embodiment of the front-end module, the front-end module includes a radiator and a drainage element through which a coolant passes, the air exchanges heat with the coolant via the radiator, and the heat exchanger, the radiator and the drainage element are stacked together.
[0014] The drainage element is installed on the bottom wall of the shell, and the liquid in the shell, such as the liquid outside the heat exchanger, enters the drainage element from the inlet end through the collecting port to the outlet end, and is finally discharged from the shell. This application solves the demand for drainage of the front-end module. In the working environment of the heat pump air conditioner, the liquid generated by the heat exchange of the heat exchanger can be discharged in time, so that it will not be retained inside the shell of the front-end module or on the surface of the heat exchanger.
[0015] Installing the drainage element at a relatively low position of the bottom wall of the housing is conducive to collecting liquid. In order to obtain a better collection effect, the inner surface of the bottom wall can be set to be inclined. The drainage element is located at the lowest position of the inner surface of the bottom wall. The drainage element is constructed in a funnel shape, which facilitates the liquid to leave the housing from the drainage element. In addition, the drainage element is easy to process, shape, and install on the housing.
[0016] Other aspects and features of the present application will become apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the drawings are designed for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application, as reference should be made to the appended claims. It should also be understood that the drawings are intended only to conceptually illustrate the structures and processes described herein and, unless otherwise indicated, are not necessarily drawn to scale. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The present application will be more fully understood by referring to the following detailed description of specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals in the drawings always refer to the same elements in the drawings.
[0018] Figure 1 An exploded view of an embodiment of a front-end module for a vehicle thermal management system involved in the present application;
[0019] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a second half shell in a front-end module for a vehicle thermal management system involved in the present application;
[0020] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a drainage element in a front-end module for a vehicle thermal management system according to the present application; and
[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present application involving a front-end module for a vehicle thermal management system in which a drainage element and a second half shell are installed together. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] In order to help those skilled in the art to accurately understand the subject matter for which protection is sought in the present application, the specific implementation of the present application is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
[0023] The front end module for a vehicle thermal management system involved in the present application is installed on a vehicle frame and is located at the front of the vehicle. Figure 1An embodiment of the internal composition of the front-end module. The front-end module includes a housing 10, a heat exchanger 12, a radiator 14, and a drainage element 16. The housing 10 has an inlet 18 through which air enters the housing 10 and an outlet 20 through which air leaves the housing 10. The interior of the heat exchanger 12 passes through a refrigerant. The air exchanges heat with the refrigerant through the heat exchanger 12. The heat exchanger 12 is also called an outdoor heat exchanger. The air in the external environment of the vehicle enters the front-end module, and its heat is transferred between the refrigerant when passing through the heat exchanger. The outdoor heat exchanger and the in-vehicle / indoor heat exchanger constitute the air conditioning system of the vehicle. In the heat pump air conditioning mode, the heat of the outdoor air is absorbed by the refrigerant, which then enters the cabin through a pipeline and provides the heat to the cabin through the conversion of the indoor heat exchanger. The interior of the radiator 14 passes through a coolant, such as water. The coolant is responsible for dissipating heat to the motor and battery. The drainage element 16 accelerates air convection heat exchange. In the illustrated embodiment, the drainage element 16 is a fan. The heat exchanger 12 , the radiator 14 and the flow guide element 16 are stacked together. Air enters the housing 10 through the inlet 18 , passes through the heat exchanger 12 , the radiator 14 and the flow guide element 16 in sequence, and then passes through the housing 10 through the outlet 20 .
[0024] In the refrigeration and air conditioning mode, the heat exchanger 12 in the front-end module acts as a condenser in the air conditioning system. The front-end module is also called a front-end cooling module, or a CRFM (condenser-radiator-fan-module) assembly (condenser-radiator-fan module assembly). In one embodiment, the internal components of the front-end module are arranged in the configuration and order of the heat exchanger 12, radiator 14, and drainage element 16 shown in the figure. In other embodiments, the internal components of the front-end module may be added with other heat exchange devices or they are not arranged in the aforementioned order.
[0025] The housing 10 includes a first half shell 22 and a second half shell 24. The inlet 18 is on the first half shell 22, and the outlet 20 is on the second half shell 24. The first half shell 22 and the second half shell 24 each have a bottom plate 26, 28. The bottom plate 26 of the first half shell 22 and the bottom plate 28 of the second half shell 24 are combined to form a bottom wall 30 of the housing 10 between the inlet 18 and the outlet 20. The first half shell 22 and the second half shell 24 each have a pair of side plates. Any one of the side plates of the first half shell 22 and the corresponding side plate of the second half shell 24 are combined to form a side wall of the housing, such as the side wall 40 or 42. The first half shell 22 and the second half shell 24 also each have a top plate. The top plate of the first half shell 22 and the top plate of the second half shell 24 are combined to form a top wall 48 of the housing 10. Thus, when the first half shell 22 and the second half shell 24 are combined together, the housing 10 forms an envelope space. The front module includes a drainage element (not shown in the figure), which is mounted on the bottom wall 30. The liquid in the housing 10 is discharged from the housing 10 via the drainage element. An embodiment of the drainage element will be described below.
[0026] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of an embodiment of the second half shell in the front-end module involved in the present application. A collecting port 50 is provided on the bottom plate 28 of the second half shell 24. The bottom plate 28 has a first inner surface 52. When the second half shell 24 is combined with the first half shell 22, the first inner surface 52 is opposite to the heat exchanger (not shown) above the bottom plate 28. The first inner surface 52 is inclined, and the collecting port 50 is located at a position of the inclined first inner surface 52 close to one of the side plates 38. The horizontal height of this position is lower than other positions of the bottom plate 28 away from the side plate 38, so it is conducive to collecting liquid. A drainage element (not shown) is installed to the collecting port 50. The liquid leaves the shell through the collecting port 50 and the drainage element.
[0027] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of an embodiment of a drainage element in a front-end module involved in the present application. The drainage element 54 includes a mounting joint 56 and a pipe 58 having an inlet end 64 and an outlet end 66. In the illustrated embodiment, the inlet end 64 is almost blocked by the bottom plate 28. The mounting joint 56 is connected to the inlet end 64 and forms a funnel shape with the inlet end 64. The mounting joint 56 is coupled to the collecting port, and the drainage element 54 is conveniently mounted on the bottom plate 28 of the second half shell 24 through the mounting joint 56. Figure 2-Figure 3, an embodiment of coupling the drainage element 54 to the bottom plate 28 can be understood. The mounting joint 56 is constructed as a flange 60 around the inlet end 64, and its size is designed to be larger than the collecting port 50. The size of the pipe 58 is designed to be able to pass through the collecting port 50. The outlet end 66 and the inlet end 64 are passed through the collecting port 50 in sequence until the mounting joint 56 abuts against the bottom plate 28. The mounting joint 56 is processed with several grooves 62 on its circumference. In the illustrated embodiment, there are three grooves 62, which are arranged at equal intervals on the circumference of the mounting joint 56. Correspondingly, three fasteners (not shown) are positioned in their respective grooves 62 and connected to the bottom plate 28, thereby coupling the mounting joint 56 to the bottom plate 28. In one embodiment, the fasteners are screws. In one embodiment, the second half shell and the first half shell are made of plastic, and the drainage element is made of rubber. The drainage element is easy to form and easy to install on the second half shell.
[0028] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the assembly of the drainage element and the second half shell. As shown in the figure, the drainage element 54 is mounted on the bottom plate 28. The mounting joint 56 is located at the lowest position of the bottom plate 28 after coupling with the bottom plate 28. In the illustrated embodiment, it is basically located at the edge of the bottom plate 28, that is, close to the side plate 38 and the outlet 20 of the second shell 24. The inlet end is in the collecting port, and both are blocked by the mounting joint 56. The outlet end 66 is outside the second half shell 24. The bottom plate 28 has a first inner surface 52 and an opposite second outer surface 68. The second outer surface 68 is substantially perpendicular to the side plates 36, 38 and substantially parallel to the top plate 46. The first inner surface 52 is configured to be inclined relative to the second outer surface 68, that is, the thickness of the bottom plate 28 is variable, and its thickness gradually increases from the side plate 38 to the side plate 36. The angle α between the first inner surface 52 and the second outer surface 68 is in the range of 1.5 to 3°. In the illustrated embodiment, α is 1.5°.
[0029] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 4 The guide element 16 guides the air entering the housing 10 through the heat exchanger 12 and the radiator 14 until it finally passes through the outlet 20 of the second half shell 24, and also guides the liquid in the housing 10, such as the liquid outside the heat exchanger 12, to the bottom plate 28 of the second half shell 24. The liquid enters the pipe 58 through the mounting joint 56 and the inlet end, and is smoothly discharged from the second half shell 24 from the outlet end 66. The mounting joint 56 is arranged at a low position of the bottom plate 28, which is conducive to collecting the liquid.
[0030] Although specific embodiments of the present application have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the principles of the present application, it should be understood that the present application can be implemented in other ways without departing from such principles.
Claims
1. A front-end module for a vehicle thermal management system, characterized in that include: a housing (10), the housing (10) having an inlet (18) through which air enters the housing (10) and an outlet (20) through which air leaves the housing (10), the housing (10) having a bottom wall (30) between the inlet (18) and the outlet (20); a heat exchanger (12) through which the refrigerant passes, the heat exchanger (12) being located above the bottom wall (30) in the shell (10), and the air exchanging heat with the refrigerant via the heat exchanger (12); as well as a drainage element (54), the drainage element (54) having an inlet end (64) and an outlet end (66), wherein the liquid in the housing (10) leaves the housing (10) via the drainage element (54) from the inlet end (64) to the outlet end (66); The bottom wall (30) has a first inner surface (52) opposite to the heat exchanger (12), the first inner surface (52) has a collecting port (50), and the inlet end (64) of the drainage element (54) is mounted on the collecting port (50).
2. The front-end module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drainage element (54) comprises a mounting joint (56) disposed at the inlet end (64), the mounting joint (56) being configured to form a funnel structure with the inlet end (64) and the mounting joint (56) being coupled to the collecting port (50).
3. The front-end module according to claim 2, characterized in that: After the mounting joint (56) is coupled to the collecting port (50), the mounting joint (56) is located at the lowest position of the first inner surface (52).
4. The front-end module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first inner surface (52) is configured to be inclined.
5. The front-end module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The bottom wall (30) has a second outer surface (68) opposite to the first inner surface (52), the first inner surface (52) is inclined relative to the second outer surface (68), and an angle (α) between the first inner surface (52) and the second outer surface (68) is in the range of 1.5 to 3°.
6. The front-end module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mounting joint (56) is constructed as a flange (60) surrounding the inlet end (64), and the flange (60) is processed with a plurality of grooves (62) on its circumference for fasteners to be positioned therein to couple with the bottom wall (30).
7. The front-end module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The shell (10) includes a first half shell (22) having the inlet (18) and a second half shell (24) having the outlet (20); the bottom wall (30) includes a bottom plate (26) of the first half shell (22) and a bottom plate (28) of the second half shell (24) that are combined together; the shell (10) has a pair of side walls (40, 42); any one of the side walls (40, 42) includes a side plate of the first half shell (22) and a side plate of the second half shell (24) that are combined together; the collecting port (50) is located on the bottom plate (28) of the second half shell (24) and is close to the side plate of the second half shell (24).
8. The front-end module according to claim 7, characterized in that: The front module includes a drainage element (16) for moving liquid in the housing (10) toward the second half-shell (24).
9. The front-end module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The housing (10) is made of plastic, and the drainage element (54) is made of rubber; the liquid in the housing (10) includes the liquid outside the heat exchanger (12).
10. The front-end module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The front-end module comprises a radiator (14) and a guide element (16) through which a coolant passes, the air exchanges heat with the coolant via the radiator (14), and the heat exchanger (12), the radiator (14) and the guide element (16) are stacked together.