Expansion kettle, thermal management system and vehicle

Abstract

The utility model relates to an expansion kettle, a heat management system and a vehicle. The expansion kettle comprises a kettle body, a partition plate and a filling port. The kettle body comprises an upper kettle part and a lower kettle part. A fluid cavity of the kettle body is defined by the upper kettle part and the lower kettle part. And the upper pot part comprises a filling surface which is inclined to the gravity direction. The partition plate is arranged in the fluid cavity so as to divide the fluid cavity into a first cavity body and a second cavity body. The first cavity and the second cavity are distributed in the horizontal direction. And the filling port is formed in the filling surface. And the filling port comprises a first filling port communicated with the first cavity and a second filling port communicated with the second cavity. The expansion kettle is provided with the partition plate, so that the expansion kettle can adapt to heat management systems with different loop connection requirements. And through the arrangement of the first injection port and the second injection port, the fluid can enter the fluid cavity from a plurality of positions to realize fluid supplementation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of thermal management technology, and in particular to an expansion kettle, a thermal management system and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] The front cabin of a vehicle typically houses a thermal management system. This system controls the temperature of vehicle components and the interior of the cockpit. It provides heating in cold weather and cooling to ensure proper functioning of components when temperatures are high. This thermal management system primarily manages heat by changing the physical properties of the coolant flowing through it. Over time, this coolant will deplete.

[0003] Therefore, vehicles are typically equipped with an expansion tank. This allows drivers or maintenance personnel to replenish coolant in the thermal management system. The tank is located in the front compartment of the vehicle. Current expansion tank designs require the driver or maintenance personnel to fully open the front compartment hatch to refill the tank. This can be inconvenient for people of varying body shapes. Utility Model Content

[0004] The present application provides an expansion kettle, a thermal management system and a vehicle to solve some or all of the deficiencies in the related art.

[0005] A first aspect of the present application provides an expansion kettle, comprising:

[0006] The kettle body comprises an upper kettle portion and a lower kettle portion; the upper kettle portion and the lower kettle portion enclose a fluid cavity forming the kettle body; the upper kettle portion comprises a filling surface arranged obliquely to the direction of gravity;

[0007] a partition, disposed in the fluid cavity to separate the fluid cavity into a first cavity and a second cavity; the first cavity and the second cavity are distributed in a horizontal direction; and

[0008] A filling port is provided on the filling surface; the filling port includes a first filling port communicating with the first cavity and a second filling port communicating with the second cavity.

[0009] Furthermore, the upper pot part includes an upper surface and a front surface; the upper surface is arranged away from the lower pot part; the side of the filling surface away from the lower pot part is connected to the upper surface, and the side close to the lower pot part is connected to the front surface.

[0010] Furthermore, the expansion kettle comprises a degassing channel provided in the upper kettle portion and a liquid outlet channel provided in the lower kettle portion;

[0011] The degassing channel includes a first degassing channel communicating with the first cavity and a second degassing channel communicating with the second cavity;

[0012] The liquid outlet channel includes a first liquid outlet channel communicating with the first cavity and a second liquid outlet channel communicating with the second cavity.

[0013] Furthermore, the lower pot part includes a lower surface away from the upper pot part; the liquid outlet channel is arranged on the lower surface and extends obliquely in a direction away from the upper pot part.

[0014] Furthermore, the lower pot part includes a rear surface arranged opposite to the filling surface; the liquid outlet channel is connected to a side of the lower surface away from the filling surface, and extends away from the pot body in the direction of the rear surface.

[0015] Furthermore, the first liquid outlet channel and the second liquid outlet channel are parallel.

[0016] Furthermore, the expansion kettle further comprises:

[0017] a liquid level sensor connected to the kettle body and extending to the fluid cavity, for sensing the liquid level in the fluid cavity; and / or,

[0018] There are two pressure covers, which are respectively matched with the first injection port and the second injection port.

[0019] Furthermore, the partition includes a first plate integrally formed with the upper pot part and a second plate integrally formed with the lower pot part; the first plate and the second plate are fixedly connected.

[0020] A second aspect of the present application provides a thermal management system, comprising the expansion kettle described in the aforementioned embodiment.

[0021] A third aspect of the present application provides a vehicle, comprising a front cabin, a cabin cover, and the thermal management system described in the aforementioned embodiment; the thermal management system is arranged in the front cabin, and the cabin cover is used to cover the front cabin; the filling surface of the expansion kettle is arranged toward the cabin cover and the front of the vehicle.

[0022] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application may have the following beneficial effects:

[0023] As can be seen from the above embodiment, the expansion kettle of the present application has the filling surface 1111 arranged to be inclined with respect to the direction of gravity Z. Therefore, compared to a solution in which the filling surface 1111 is perpendicular to the direction of gravity Z, the vehicle maintenance personnel or driver can more easily add fluid to the filling port 13 by opening and closing the hatch at a smaller angle when filling the fluid. Furthermore, the inclined filling surface 1111 makes it easier for personnel to observe the liquid level in the fluid chamber 113 from the filling port 13 without having to lean forward, making it more convenient for personnel of different body shapes and genders to observe and add fluid.

[0024] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. 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 any creative work.

[0026] Figure 1 Shown is an overall exploded front schematic diagram of an embodiment of an expansion kettle of the present application;

[0027] Figure 2 Shown as Figure 1 The expansion kettle is shown as an exploded top view;

[0028] Figure 3 Shown as Figure 1 The expansion kettle is shown in the right side view of the overall explosion.

[0029] Description of reference numerals:

[0030] 1 Expansion kettle, 11 kettle body, 111 upper kettle part, 1111 filling surface, 1112 upper surface, 1113 front surface, 112 lower kettle part, 1121 lower surface, 1122 rear surface, 113 fluid cavity, 113a first cavity, 113b second cavity, 114 fixing structure, 115 avoidance structure, 12 partition, 13 filling port, 13a first filling port, 13b second filling port, 14 degassing channel, 14a first degassing channel, 14b second degassing channel, 15 liquid outlet channel, 15a first liquid outlet channel, 15b second liquid outlet channel, 15c reinforcing rib, 16 liquid level sensor, 17 pressure cover, 18 fixing part, 19 fastener, X horizontal direction, Z gravity direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Here, the technical solutions in the embodiments (or "implementations") of the present application will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements.

[0032] If there are terms related to directional indications or positional relationships in the embodiments of this application (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, inside, outside, top, bottom, center, vertical, horizontal, longitudinal, transverse, length, width, counterclockwise, clockwise, axial, radial, circumferential, etc.), such terms are only used to explain the relative positional relationship, movement, etc. between the components in a specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings); if the specific posture changes, the directional indication or positional relationship will also change accordingly. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" in the embodiments of this application are only used for the purpose of convenience of description and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0033] refer to Figures 1 to 3 The present application provides an expansion kettle 1. The expansion kettle 1 includes a kettle body 11 and a filling port 13. The kettle body 11 includes an upper kettle part 111 and a lower kettle part 112. The upper kettle part 111 and the lower kettle part 112 surround a fluid cavity 113 forming the kettle body 11. The upper kettle part 111 includes a filling surface 1111 arranged obliquely to the gravity direction Z. The filling port 13 is arranged on the filling surface 1111, which is used to replenish fluid into the fluid cavity 113. Inclined to the gravity direction Z should be understood as neither parallel nor perpendicular to the gravity direction Z, but can be at any angle, such as 30°, 45°, 60°, etc.

[0034] The expansion kettle 1 of the present application further includes a partition 12 disposed within the fluid chamber 113. The partition 12 separates the fluid chamber 113 into a first cavity 113a and a second cavity 113b distributed along the horizontal direction X. The filling port 13 includes a first inlet 13a communicating with the first cavity 113a and a second inlet 13b communicating with the second cavity 113b.

[0035] When assembled in a thermal management system (not shown), the first cavity 113a and the second cavity 113b of the expansion kettle 1 allow for a variety of connection relationships between the expansion kettle 1 and multiple circuits, such as the first cavity 113a being separately connected to the motor circuit, the second cavity 113b being separately connected to the battery circuit, or entering the fluid cavity 113 from a single pipeline and being separated from the first cavity 113a and the second cavity 113b, etc. It can be seen that the expansion kettle 1 of the present application is provided with a partition 12, which enables the expansion kettle 1 to adapt to thermal management systems with different circuit connection requirements, integrates multiple circuits into one expansion kettle 1, and improves the integration of the expansion kettle 1. The provision of the first injection port 13a and the second injection port 13b also enables fluid to enter the fluid cavity 113 from multiple locations for fluid replenishment.

[0036] The present application also provides a vehicle (not shown). The vehicle includes a thermal management system, and the thermal management system includes the expansion kettle 1 of the present application. The vehicle includes a front cabin and a hatch covering the front cabin. The thermal management system is arranged in the front cabin. The filling surface 1111 of the expansion kettle 1 is arranged toward the hatch and the front of the vehicle. The filling surface 1111 is inclined with respect to the gravity direction Z. Therefore, compared with the solution in which the filling surface 1111 is perpendicular to the gravity direction Z, the vehicle maintenance personnel or driver has a smaller requirement for the hatch opening and closing angle when filling the fluid, and can more easily replenish the fluid to the filling port 13. In addition, the inclined filling surface 1111 can also facilitate the personnel to observe the liquid level height in the fluid chamber 113 from the filling port 13 when filling the fluid without having to lean forward. In addition, this arrangement also enables the expansion kettle 1 to be arranged in a position close to the cockpit in the front cabin, and even if there is a beam structure of the vehicle body on the top, it will not affect the fluid replenishment of the expansion kettle 1.

[0037] The expansion kettle 1 includes a degassing channel 14 located in the upper kettle portion 111 and a liquid outlet channel 15 located in the lower kettle portion 112. When fluid from the thermal management system flows into the expansion kettle 1, it enters the fluid chamber 113 through the degassing channel 14. Under the influence of gravity, the liquid portion of the fluid moves downward and exits the fluid chamber 113 through the liquid outlet channel 15, while the gas portion remains in the fluid chamber 113. This achieves gas-liquid separation.

[0038] Combine Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the degassing channel 14 includes a first degassing channel 14a communicating with the first cavity 113a and a second degassing channel 14b communicating with the second cavity 113b. The liquid outlet channel 15 includes a first liquid outlet channel 15a15 communicating with the first cavity 113a and a second liquid outlet channel 15b communicating with the second cavity 113b. In other words, the first cavity 113a and the second cavity 113b are each provided with a separate fluid inlet and outlet channel. This allows the first and second cavities 113a, 113b to be completely isolated by the partition 12, preventing the fluids in the first and second cavities 113a, 113b from mixing. This arrangement allows the expansion kettle 1 to be connected to two independent fluid circuits, preventing the liquids in the different fluid circuits from exchanging heat within the expansion kettle 1 due to temperature differences, which could result in reduced cooling or heating efficiency. The partition 12 significantly improves the functional integration of the expansion kettle 1. The overall structural volume of the thermal management system including the expansion kettle 1 of the present application can also be optimized.

[0039] refer to Figure 3The lower pot portion 112 includes a lower surface 1121 on a side away from the upper pot portion 111. The liquid outlet channel 15 is provided on the lower surface 1121 and extends obliquely in a direction away from the upper pot portion 111. The oblique extension setting can reduce the size of the expansion kettle 1 in the gravity direction Z, and facilitate the component layout and pipeline layout of the thermal management system in the front cabin. At the same time, when the liquid outlet channel 15 is connected to the pipeline, the oblique setting of the liquid outlet channel 15 can also, to a certain extent, prevent the pipeline and the liquid outlet channel 15 from being disconnected due to vibration and gravity during driving of the vehicle.

[0040] There are many ways to set the tilt, for example, it can be tilted on the plane where the horizontal direction X and the gravity direction Z are located. Figure 3 As shown, the lower kettle portion 112 includes a rear surface 1122 arranged opposite to the filling surface 1111. In some embodiments, the liquid outlet channel 15 is connected to the side of the lower surface 1121 away from the filling surface 1111, and extends away from the kettle body 11 in the direction of the rear surface 1122. In this embodiment, the liquid outlet channel 15 extends in the direction away from the filling surface 1111. This allows the water pipe connected to the liquid outlet channel 15 to extend in the direction away from the maintenance personnel when the expansion kettle 1 and the pipeline are placed in the front cabin, which is conducive to freeing up the space directly below the expansion kettle 1 to arrange other front cabin components or components of the thermal management system, and also improves the neatness of the thermal management system.

[0041] In various embodiments, the first liquid outlet channel 15a and the second liquid outlet channel 15b can be parallel, so that the corresponding pipelines of the first liquid outlet channel 15a and the second liquid outlet channel 15b can be arranged in parallel, avoiding the problem of pipeline entanglement and difficulty in connecting the pipelines. Of course, in other embodiments, the extension directions of the first liquid outlet channel 15a and the second liquid outlet channel 15b can be non-parallel, and this application is not limited to this.

[0042] After the liquid outlet channel 15 is connected to the pipeline, the gravity of the pipeline creates a bending moment at the connection between the liquid outlet channel 15 and the lower pot portion 112, which may cause damage to the connection between the liquid outlet channel 15 and the lower pot portion 112, resulting in leakage. Therefore, as shown in the figure, in some embodiments, a reinforcing rib 15c may be provided near the lower pot portion 112 of the liquid outlet channel 15.

[0043] After the fluid enters the fluid chamber 113 through the degassing channel 14, some gas is retained in the fluid chamber 113, while some fluid exits through the liquid outlet channel 15. As gas continues to accumulate in the fluid chamber 113, the pressure therein rises, potentially causing the expansion kettle 1 to rupture. Therefore, maintenance personnel or vehicle drivers need to periodically open the cover of the filling port 13 to release the gas pressure in the fluid chamber 113.

[0044] In other embodiments, the expansion kettle 1 includes two pressure caps 17, which respectively cooperate with the first spout 13a and the second spout 13b. By providing the pressure caps 17, the gas pressure in the first cavity 113a and the second cavity 113b can be released through the pressure caps 17 without manual pressure release, which is more intelligent and automated.

[0045] In some embodiments, the expansion kettle 1 further includes a liquid level sensor 16. The liquid level sensor 16 is connected to the kettle body 11 and extends to the fluid chamber 113, and is used to sense the liquid level in the fluid chamber 113. The setting of the liquid level sensor 16 can monitor the liquid level in the fluid chamber 113 in real time, so as to remind maintenance personnel or vehicle drivers to replenish fluid from the filling port 13 when the liquid level is low. The liquid level sensor 16 can be as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the liquid level sensor 16 is only provided in the second cavity 113b and is used to sense the liquid level height of the second cavity 113b. In other embodiments, the liquid level sensor 16 can be provided only in the first cavity 113a and is used to sense the liquid level height of the first cavity 113a. Alternatively, the liquid level sensor 16 can be provided in both the first cavity 113a and the second cavity 113b, which is not limited in this application.

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, the upper pot portion 111 includes a fixing structure 114 for fixing the liquid level sensor 16. The setting of the fixing structure 114 can prevent the liquid level sensor 16 from loosening due to the bumps generated during the driving process of the vehicle.

[0047] The partition 12 can be an independent plate, which is connected to the upper pot part 111 and the lower pot part 112 respectively when connected, or is connected only to the upper pot part 111 or the lower pot part 112. In other embodiments, the partition 12 includes a first plate integrally formed with the upper pot part 111 and a second plate integrally formed with the lower pot part 112. The first plate and the second plate are fixedly connected. The upper pot part 111 and the first plate are integrally formed, which can improve the fluid sealing and connection stability between the first plate and the upper pot part 111. Similarly, the lower pot part 112 and the second plate are integrally formed, which can improve the fluid sealing and connection stability between the second plate and the lower pot part 112. The fixation between the first plate and the second plate can be achieved by welding, bonding, etc., which is not limited in this application.

[0048] Furthermore, the end faces of the first plate and the upper pot part 111 are flush, and the end faces of the second plate and the lower pot part 112 are flush, so that the welding of the first plate and the second plate can be achieved at the same time as the welding of the upper pot part 111 and the lower pot part 112, which improves production efficiency.

[0049] Furthermore, the accompanying drawings illustrate that the partition 12 is parallel to the direction of gravity Z, thereby facilitating demolding of the expansion kettle with the first and second plates arranged in this manner. This should be considered as exemplary and non-restrictive. The partition 12 of the present application may be at any angle to the direction of gravity Z, and this is not a limitation of the present application.

[0050] refer to Figure 3 , the upper pot part 111 includes an upper surface 1112 and a front surface 1113. The upper surface 1112 is arranged away from the lower pot part 112. In some embodiments, the side of the filling surface 1111 away from the lower pot part 112 is connected to the upper surface 1112, and the side close to the lower pot part 112 is connected to the front surface 1113. The arrangement of this embodiment enables the filling surface 1111 to be tilted as much as possible, and the filling surface 1111 can be exposed as much as possible when the thermal management system is assembled in the vehicle. The inclination angle of the filling surface 1111 can be set according to actual needs, for example, it can be set to an angle of 30 degrees, 45 degrees, 60 degrees, 80 degrees, etc. with the gravity direction Z, and this application is not limited.

[0051] Indeed, in other embodiments, the filling surface 1111 and the upper surface 1112 may be provided with other plane or curved structures as a buffer, or other surfaces may be provided between the filling surface 1111 and the front surface 1113 , and the present application does not limit this.

[0052] refer to Figure 3 In some embodiments, the upper kettle portion 111 further includes an avoidance structure 115. The avoidance structure 115 is disposed on the side opposite to the filling surface 1111. In this way, the expansion kettle 1 can be positioned closer to the cockpit, and the avoidance structure 115 allows the expansion kettle 1 to be positioned closer to the vehicle's crossbeam, thereby increasing the compactness of the front cabin space layout. Of course, the avoidance structure 115 can be positioned at any position on the upper kettle portion 111 and have any shape, depending on the arrangement of components in the front cabin. This application does not limit this.

[0053] The expansion kettle 1 includes a plurality of fixing members 18, which can be distributed at any position of the upper kettle portion 111 and the lower kettle portion 112. In the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, one fixing member 18 is arranged on the upper surface 1112 of the upper kettle portion 111, and two fixing members 18 are respectively arranged on both sides of the lower kettle portion 112 along the horizontal direction X. This distribution of fixing members 18 can bring a triangular fixing effect to the expansion kettle 1 and avoid reversal in any direction. In other embodiments, the position of the fixing members 18 can also be designed according to the actual layout position of the expansion kettle 1 in the front cabin and the layout of the surrounding parts, and the present application does not limit this.

[0054] refer to Figure 2The expansion kettle 1 also includes a fastener 19. This fastener 19 can be used to secure wiring harness structures such as pipes and wires, thereby improving the overall neatness of the thermal management system. Furthermore, due to the improved neatness of the thermal management system, after the thermal management system is assembled in a vehicle, maintenance personnel can more easily and quickly locate the wiring harness to be maintained when troubleshooting wiring harness issues.

[0055] It should be noted that the technical solutions or technical features described in the above embodiments can be combined or supplemented with each other without conflict. The scope of protection of this application is not limited to the precise structures described in the above embodiments and shown in the accompanying drawings; all modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of this application shall be included in the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An expansion kettle, characterized in that: include: The kettle body comprises an upper kettle portion and a lower kettle portion; the upper kettle portion and the lower kettle portion enclose a fluid cavity forming the kettle body; the upper kettle portion comprises a filling surface arranged obliquely to the direction of gravity; a partition, disposed in the fluid cavity to separate the fluid cavity into a first cavity and a second cavity; the first cavity and the second cavity are distributed in a horizontal direction; and A filling port is provided on the filling surface; the filling port includes a first filling port communicating with the first cavity and a second filling port communicating with the second cavity.

2. The expansion kettle according to claim 1, characterized in that The upper pot part includes an upper surface and a front surface; the upper surface is arranged away from the lower pot part; the side of the filling surface away from the lower pot part is connected to the upper surface, and the side close to the lower pot part is connected to the front surface.

3. The expansion kettle according to claim 1, characterized in that The expansion kettle comprises a degassing channel provided on the upper kettle portion and a liquid outlet channel provided on the lower kettle portion; The degassing channel includes a first degassing channel communicating with the first cavity and a second degassing channel communicating with the second cavity; The liquid outlet channel includes a first liquid outlet channel communicating with the first cavity and a second liquid outlet channel communicating with the second cavity.

4. The expansion kettle according to claim 3, characterized in that The lower pot part includes a lower surface away from the upper pot part; the liquid outlet channel is arranged on the lower surface and extends obliquely in a direction away from the upper pot part.

5. The expansion kettle according to claim 4, characterized in that The lower pot portion includes a rear surface arranged opposite to the filling surface; the liquid outlet channel is connected to a side of the lower surface away from the filling surface and extends away from the pot body toward the rear surface.

6. The expansion kettle according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that: The first liquid outlet channel and the second liquid outlet channel are parallel.

7. The expansion kettle according to claim 1, characterized in that The expansion kettle further comprises: a liquid level sensor connected to the kettle body and extending to the fluid cavity, for sensing the liquid level in the fluid cavity; and / or, There are two pressure covers, which are respectively matched with the first injection port and the second injection port.

8. The expansion kettle according to claim 1, characterized in that The partition includes a first plate integrally formed with the upper pot portion and a second plate integrally formed with the lower pot portion; the first plate and the second plate are fixedly connected.

9. A thermal management system, characterized in that: The invention comprises an expansion kettle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that: It comprises a front cabin, a cabin cover and the thermal management system as claimed in claim 9; the thermal management system is arranged in the front cabin, and the cabin cover is used to cover the front cabin; the filling surface of the expansion kettle is arranged towards the cabin cover and the front of the vehicle.

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