Thermal management module and fuel cell system
By covering the heating assembly on the outer wall of the pipeline in the thermal management module of the fuel cell system, the problem of cooling fluid heat loss during cold start is solved, and more efficient thermal management and faster cold start time is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202421802373.6
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-26
- Publication Date
- 2025-05-16
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-07-26
AI Technical Summary
When the existing fuel cell system is cold-started in a low-temperature environment, the heat loss of coolant in the pipeline is far away from the auxiliary heater, which affects the rapid start of the system.
A thermal management module is designed to continuously heat the coolant to reduce heat loss by covering the outer walls of the first and second pipelines with heating components, including heating strips and insulation.
It improves the heating efficiency of the coolant, reduces heat loss caused by the low-temperature environment, and shortens the cold start time of the fuel cell system.
Smart Images
Figure CN222883555U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present application relates to the field of fuel cell technology, and in particular to a thermal management module and a fuel cell system. Background Art
[0002] A fuel cell system cold start refers to the successful driving of the fuel cell system in a low-temperature environment below 0°C. The heat generated melts the ice inside the stack and rapidly raises the internal temperature until it can meet the normal operation of the fuel cell system. The key is that the temperature of the fuel cell system rises faster than the freezing rate of water during the startup process, helping the stack to quickly melt the ice and reach an operational state.
[0003] In the prior art, a fuel cell system usually sets an auxiliary heater (Positive Temperature Coefficient, PTC) in the pipeline of the thermal management module to increase the temperature of the coolant. However, since the auxiliary heater is only located at one position in the pipeline, the coolant in the pipeline far away from the auxiliary heater is affected by the environment and suffers from greater heat loss. Utility Model Content
[0004] The present application discloses a thermal management module and a fuel cell system, which can reduce the heat loss of the coolant at various positions in the pipeline.
[0005] In order to achieve the above objectives, in a first aspect, the present application discloses a thermal management module, comprising:
[0006] Liquid pump;
[0007] a thermostat, wherein the thermostat is connected to the liquid pump through a first pipeline and a second pipeline, wherein the liquid pump delivers coolant to the thermostat through the first pipeline, and the coolant is then delivered back to the liquid pump from the thermostat through the second pipeline; and
[0008] A heating component covers the outer wall of the first pipeline, and the heating component at least covers a portion of the outer wall of the second pipeline.
[0009] Optionally, it also includes:
[0010] Intercooler;
[0011] A third pipeline, the third pipeline being connected to the second pipeline and the inlet of the intercooler; and
[0012] a fourth pipeline, the fourth pipeline being connected to the second pipeline and the outlet of the intercooler, and the position where the fourth pipeline is connected to the second pipeline is located on the second pipeline downstream of the position where the third pipeline is connected to the second pipeline;
[0013] Wherein, the heating component covers the outer wall of the third pipeline and the outer wall of the fourth pipeline.
[0014] Optionally, it also includes:
[0015] heat sink;
[0016] a fifth pipeline, the fifth pipeline communicating with the thermostat and an inlet of the radiator; and
[0017] a sixth pipeline, the sixth pipeline connecting the outlet of the radiator and the second pipeline;
[0018] Wherein, the heating component covers the outer wall of the fifth pipeline and the outer wall of the sixth pipeline.
[0019] Optionally, a humidifier is further included, and the heating component covers the humidifier.
[0020] Optionally, the heating assembly includes a heating belt, the heating belt is wound around and covers an outer wall of the first pipeline, and the heating belt covers at least a portion of the outer wall of the second pipeline.
[0021] Optionally, the heating assembly further includes a heat-insulating member, and the heat-insulating member covers a surface of the heating belt facing away from the first pipeline and a surface of the second pipeline.
[0022] Optionally, the second pipeline includes:
[0023] a first sub-pipeline, one end of which is connected to the thermostat, and the heating assembly covers the first sub-pipeline;
[0024] a second sub-pipeline, one end of which is connected to the liquid pump, and the heating component covers the second sub-pipeline; and
[0025] The third sub-pipeline is connected to an end of the first sub-pipeline away from the thermostat and an end of the second sub-pipeline away from the liquid pump.
[0026] Optionally, a first temperature sensor is further included, wherein the first temperature sensor is arranged in the first sub-pipeline, and the first temperature sensor is used to monitor the temperature of the coolant in the first sub-pipeline.
[0027] Optionally, a second temperature sensor is further included, wherein the second temperature sensor is arranged in the second sub-pipeline, and the second temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature of the coolant in the second sub-pipeline.
[0028] In a second aspect, the present application also proposes a fuel cell system, comprising the thermal management module as described above.
[0029] A thermal management module and a fuel cell system provided by the present application have at least the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:
[0030] A thermal management module and a fuel cell system of the present application are provided with a heating assembly on the outer wall of a first pipeline and at least a part of the outer wall of a second pipeline. Compared with the prior art in which an auxiliary heater is provided at a certain position of the pipeline, the coolant flowing in the first pipeline and the second pipeline can be continuously heated to improve the heating efficiency of the coolant. At the same time, the heat loss caused by the low temperature environment when the coolant flows in the first pipeline and the second pipeline can be reduced, thereby reducing the cold start time of the fuel cell system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.
[0032] The present application will be described in more detail below based on embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0033] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a thermal management module provided in an embodiment of the present application.
[0034] In the drawings, like reference numerals are used for like parts. The drawings are not necessarily to scale.
[0035] Reference numerals:
[0036] 1- Thermal management module;
[0037] 11-Liquid pump;
[0038] 12-Thermostat;
[0039] 13-Intercooler;
[0040] 14- Radiator;
[0041] 15- Humidifier;
[0042] 16-heating assembly; 161-heating belt;
[0043] 171-first pipeline; 172-second pipeline; 1721-first sub-pipeline; 1722-second sub-pipeline; 1723-third sub-pipeline; 173-third pipeline; 174-fourth pipeline; 175-fifth pipeline; 176-sixth pipeline;
[0044] 181 - a first temperature sensor; 182 - a second temperature sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0045] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only 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 creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0046] In this application, the terms "installed", "set", "provided with", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection, or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be an internal connection between two devices, elements, or components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.
[0047] In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are mainly used to distinguish different devices, elements or components (the specific types and structures may be the same or different), and are not used to indicate or imply the relative importance and quantity of the indicated devices, elements or components. Unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.
[0048] The technical solution of the present application will be further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and drawings.
[0049] See also Figure 1 In a first aspect, the embodiment of the present application discloses a thermal management module 1, including a liquid pump 11, a thermostat 12, and a heating assembly 16. The thermostat 12 is connected to the liquid pump 11 through a first pipeline 171 and a second pipeline 172, wherein the liquid pump 11 delivers coolant to the thermostat 12 through the first pipeline 171, and the coolant is then delivered back to the liquid pump 11 from the thermostat 12 through the second pipeline 172. The heating assembly 16 covers the outer wall of the first pipeline 171, and the heating assembly 16 at least covers a portion of the outer wall of the second pipeline 172.
[0050] It should be noted that the auxiliary heater (Positive Temperature Coefficient, PTC) provided in the prior art is removed in the embodiment of the present application, and the auxiliary heater is replaced by a heating component 16 provided on the outer wall of the first pipeline 171 and the heating component 16 is covered on at least part of the outer wall of the second pipeline 172.
[0051] In this embodiment, when the fuel cell system is cold-started at low temperature, the heating assembly 16 starts to work and releases heat, thereby heating the coolant in the first pipeline 171 and the second pipeline 172 covered by the heating assembly 16. It can be understood that, compared with the prior art in which an auxiliary heater is provided at a certain position in the pipeline, the heating assembly 16 in this embodiment covers the outer wall of the first pipeline 171 and at least part of the outer wall of the second pipeline 172, so the coolant is continuously heated when flowing in the first pipeline 171 and the second pipeline 172, which can improve the heating efficiency of the coolant and reduce the heat loss caused by the low temperature environment when the coolant flows.
[0052] In addition, the heating component 16 can also have a heat-insulating effect, thereby further preventing the coolant from losing a large amount of heat due to the low temperature environment when flowing.
[0053] In summary, in the embodiment of the present application, the outer wall of the first pipeline 171 and at least part of the outer wall of the second pipeline 172 are covered with a heating component 16. Compared with the prior art of setting an auxiliary heater somewhere in the pipeline, the coolant flowing in the first pipeline 171 and the second pipeline 172 can be continuously heated to improve the heating efficiency of the coolant. At the same time, the heat loss caused by the low temperature environment when the coolant flows in the first pipeline 171 and the second pipeline 172 can be reduced, thereby reducing the cold start time of the fuel cell system.
[0054] See also Figure 1 In some embodiments, the thermal management module 1 further includes an intercooler 13, a third pipeline 173, and a fourth pipeline 174. The third pipeline 173 is connected to the second pipeline 172 and the inlet of the intercooler 13, and the fourth pipeline 174 is connected to the second pipeline 172 and the outlet of the intercooler 13, and the position where the fourth pipeline 174 is connected to the second pipeline 172 is located on the second pipeline 172 downstream of the position where the third pipeline 173 is connected to the second pipeline 172. The heating assembly 16 covers the outer wall of the third pipeline 173 and the outer wall of the fourth pipeline 174.
[0055] The heating component 16 covers the outer walls of the third pipeline 173 and the fourth pipeline 174, and can continuously heat the coolant flowing in the third pipeline 173 and the fourth pipeline 174. It can also prevent the coolant from losing a large amount of heat due to the influence of the low temperature environment when flowing in the third pipeline 173 and the fourth pipeline 174, thereby reducing the cold start time of the fuel cell system.
[0056] In some other embodiments, the heating assembly 16 may only cover the outer wall of the third pipeline 173 or the outer wall of the fourth pipeline 174 .
[0057] See also Figure 1In some embodiments, the thermal management module 1 further includes a radiator 14, a fifth pipeline 175, and a sixth pipeline 176. The fifth pipeline 175 connects the thermostat 12 with the inlet of the radiator 14, and the sixth pipeline 176 connects the outlet of the radiator 14 with the second pipeline 172. The heating assembly 16 covers the outer wall of the fifth pipeline 175 and the outer wall of the sixth pipeline 176.
[0058] The heating component 16 covers the outer walls of the fifth pipeline 175 and the sixth pipeline 176, and can continuously heat the coolant flowing in the fifth pipeline 175 and the sixth pipeline 176. It can also prevent the coolant from losing a large amount of heat due to the influence of the low temperature environment when flowing in the fifth pipeline 175 and the sixth pipeline 176, thereby reducing the cold start time of the fuel cell system.
[0059] In some other embodiments, the heating assembly 16 may only cover the outer wall of the fifth pipeline 175 or the outer wall of the sixth pipeline 176 .
[0060] See also Figure 1 In some embodiments, the thermal management module 1 further includes a humidifier 15 , and the heating component 16 covers the humidifier 15 .
[0061] In this embodiment, the heating component 16 covering the humidifier 15 can work as needed, that is, when the heating component 16 covering the first pipeline 171, the second pipeline 172, the third pipeline 173, the fourth pipeline 174, the fifth pipeline 175 and the sixth pipeline 176 cannot increase the temperature of the coolant during operation or the temperature of the coolant increases slowly, the heating component 16 covering the humidifier 15 can be operated to increase the ambient temperature of the thermal management module 1 and reduce the heat loss of the coolant. When the heating component 16 covering the first pipeline 171, the second pipeline 172, the third pipeline 173, the fourth pipeline 174, the fifth pipeline 175 and the sixth pipeline 176 can increase the temperature of the coolant during operation or the temperature of the coolant increases quickly, the heating component 16 covering the humidifier 15 can be stopped from working.
[0062] In some other embodiments, the outer surface heating component 16 may not be covered on the humidifier 15 .
[0063] See also Figure 1 In some embodiments, the heating assembly 16 includes a heating tape 161 , which is wrapped around and covers an outer wall of the first pipeline 171 , and the heating tape 161 covers at least a portion of an outer wall of the second pipeline 172 .
[0064] The heating belt 161 is a flexible structure, so that the heating belt 161 can be wrapped around the outer wall of the pipeline, thereby covering the outer wall of the pipeline. The working principle of the heating belt 161 is based on the Joule heating effect, that is, when current passes through a conductor, heat is generated, and the heat is then transferred to the pipeline and the coolant inside, thereby achieving the effect of heating and keeping the coolant warm.
[0065] Since the heating belt 161 is easy to install, the efficiency of installing the heating belt 161 can be improved by winding the heating belt 161 around the outer wall of the first pipeline 171 and at least a portion of the outer wall of the second pipeline 172 .
[0066] In addition, since the maximum temperature that the pipeline can withstand is approximately 250°C, and the maximum heating temperature of the heating belt 161 is approximately 200°C, there is no need to worry about the heating belt 161 causing damage to the pipeline during heating, thereby improving the safety of heating.
[0067] In some other embodiments, the heating assembly 16 may also use other heating elements.
[0068] In some more specific implementations, the heating belt 161 may also wrap around and cover the outer wall of the third pipeline 173 , the outer wall of the fourth pipeline 174 , the outer wall of the fifth pipeline 175 , and the outer wall of the sixth pipeline 176 , which will not be elaborated herein.
[0069] In some more specific embodiments, the heating assembly 16 further includes a heat-insulating member (not shown in the figure), which covers the surface of the heating belt 161 away from the first pipeline 171 and the surface of the second pipeline 172 .
[0070] The heat-insulating component may be a sponge, or may be made of other materials having a heat-insulating effect, which is not limited here.
[0071] The insulation component on the surface of the heating belt 161 facing away from the first pipeline 171 and the surface of the second pipeline 172 can further enhance the insulation effect on the coolant flowing in the first pipeline 171 and the second pipeline 172, thereby further reducing the heat loss caused by the low temperature environment when the coolant flows in the first pipeline 171 and the second pipeline 172.
[0072] In some other more specific implementations, the heat-insulating member may only cover the surface of the heating belt 161 facing away from the first pipeline 171 or the surface of the second pipeline 172 .
[0073] In some more specific embodiments, the insulation component can also cover the surface of the heating belt 161 that is wrapped around the outer wall of the third pipeline 173, the outer wall of the fourth pipeline 174, the outer wall of the fifth pipeline 175 and the outer wall of the sixth pipeline 176, which is not elaborated here.
[0074] See also Figure 1 In some embodiments, the second pipeline 172 includes a first sub-pipeline 1721, a second sub-pipeline 1722, and a third sub-pipeline 1723. One end of the first sub-pipeline 1721 is connected to the thermostat 12, and the heating assembly 16 covers the first sub-pipeline 1721. One end of the second sub-pipeline 1722 is connected to the liquid pump, and the heating assembly 16 covers the second sub-pipeline 1722. The third sub-pipeline 1723 connects one end of the first sub-pipeline 1721 away from the thermostat 12 and one end of the second sub-pipeline 1722 away from the liquid pump.
[0075] The third sub-pipeline 1723 is not provided with a heating component 16, so that the coolant can exchange heat with the fuel cell module when flowing to the third sub-pipeline 1723, that is, the coolant flows to the third sub-pipeline 1723 to transfer heat to the fuel cell module to heat up the fuel cell module.
[0076] In some other embodiments, the heating assembly 16 may only cover the first sub-pipeline 1721 or the second sub-pipeline 1722 .
[0077] See also Figure 1 In some embodiments, the heating component 16 further includes a first temperature sensor 181 , which is disposed in the first sub-pipeline 1721 , and is used to monitor the temperature of the coolant in the first sub-pipeline 1721 .
[0078] In this embodiment, the first temperature sensor 181 is used to monitor the temperature of the coolant in the first sub-pipeline 1721, and when the first temperature sensor 181 detects that the temperature of the coolant in the first sub-pipeline 1721 is greater than the first preset temperature, it means that the temperature of the coolant has risen to a temperature that can enable the battery stack module to start normally, and the heating component 16 can also stop working.
[0079] In some other embodiments, the first temperature sensor 181 may also be disposed in the third sub-pipeline 1723 and used to monitor the temperature of the coolant in the third sub-pipeline 1723 .
[0080] See also Figure 1 In some more specific embodiments, the heating component 16 also includes a second temperature sensor 182 , which is disposed in the second sub-pipeline 1722 , and is used to detect the temperature of the coolant in the second sub-pipeline 1722 .
[0081] In this embodiment, the second temperature sensor 182 is used to monitor the temperature of the coolant in the second sub-pipeline 1722, and when the second temperature sensor 182 detects that the temperature of the coolant in the second sub-pipeline 1722 is greater than the second preset temperature, it indicates that the amount of heat exchange with the fuel cell module in the third sub-pipeline 1723 is reduced, which means that the temperature of the fuel cell module has risen to a temperature that can be started normally, and the heating component 16 can be stopped.
[0082] In some other embodiments, the second temperature sensor 182 may also be disposed in the third sub-pipeline 1723 and used to monitor the temperature of the coolant in the third sub-pipeline 1723 .
[0083] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application further proposes a fuel cell system (not shown in the figure), comprising the thermal management module 1 as described above.
[0084] The fuel cell system provided in the embodiment of the present application covers the heating component 16 on the outer wall of the first pipeline 171 and at least part of the outer wall of the second pipeline 172 in the thermal management module 1. Compared with the fuel cell system in the prior art in which an auxiliary heater is set somewhere in the pipeline, the coolant flowing in the first pipeline 171 and the second pipeline 172 can be continuously heated to improve the heating efficiency of the coolant. At the same time, the heat loss caused by the low temperature environment when the coolant flows in the first pipeline 171 and the second pipeline 172 can be reduced, thereby reducing the cold start time of the fuel cell system.
[0085] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit it. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.
Claims
1. A thermal management module, characterized in that: include: Liquid pump; A thermostat, wherein the thermostat is connected to the liquid pump through a first pipeline and a second pipeline, wherein the liquid pump delivers coolant to the thermostat through the first pipeline, and the coolant is then delivered back to the liquid pump through the thermostat through the second pipeline; as well as A heating component covers the outer wall of the first pipeline, and the heating component at least covers a portion of the outer wall of the second pipeline.
2. The thermal management module according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: Intercooler; a third pipeline, the third pipeline being connected with the second pipeline and the inlet of the intercooler; and a fourth pipeline, the fourth pipeline being connected to the second pipeline and the outlet of the intercooler, and the position where the fourth pipeline is connected to the second pipeline is located on the second pipeline downstream of the position where the third pipeline is connected to the second pipeline; Wherein, the heating component covers the outer wall of the third pipeline and the outer wall of the fourth pipeline.
3. The thermal management module according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: heat sink; a fifth pipeline, the fifth pipeline communicating with the thermostat and an inlet of the radiator; and a sixth pipeline, the sixth pipeline connecting the outlet of the radiator and the second pipeline; Wherein, the heating component covers the outer wall of the fifth pipeline and the outer wall of the sixth pipeline.
4. The thermal management module according to claim 1, characterized in that: A humidifier is also included, and the heating assembly covers the humidifier.
5. The thermal management module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The heating assembly includes a heating belt, which is wound around and covers the outer wall of the first pipeline, and the heating belt at least covers a portion of the outer wall of the second pipeline.
6. The thermal management module according to claim 5, characterized in that: The heating assembly further includes a heat-insulating member, and the heat-insulating member covers a surface of the heating belt facing away from the first pipeline and a surface of the second pipeline.
7. The thermal management module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The second pipeline comprises: a first sub-pipeline, one end of which is connected to the thermostat, and the heating assembly covers the first sub-pipeline; a second sub-pipeline, one end of which is connected to the liquid pump, and the heating component covers the second sub-pipeline; and The third sub-pipeline is connected to an end of the first sub-pipeline away from the thermostat and an end of the second sub-pipeline away from the liquid pump.
8. The thermal management module according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes a first temperature sensor, which is arranged in the first sub-pipeline and is used to monitor the temperature of the coolant in the first sub-pipeline.
9. The thermal management module according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes a second temperature sensor, which is arranged in the second sub-pipeline and is used to detect the temperature of the coolant in the second sub-pipeline.
10. A fuel cell system, characterized in that: Comprising a thermal management module as described in any one of claims 1-9.