Expansion tank and liquid cooling system applying same

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of rail transit cooling equipment, in particular to an expansion water tank and a liquid cooling system applying the same, the expansion water tank comprises a tank body, the tank body internally comprises an upper water chamber and a lower water chamber which are arranged in a mutually separated mode, and the upper water chamber and the lower water chamber are communicated through a connecting pipe arranged in the tank body; the exhaust joint and the water replenishing joint are respectively communicated with the upper part and the lower part of the upper water chamber; the pressure release valve is positioned at the top of the lower water chamber; in addition, the device further comprises a second water injection port which is arranged at the highest point of the box body and communicated with the upper water chamber. The upper and lower separated expansion water tank is adopted, the upper water tank can be subjected to cooling liquid compensation and gas pressure adjustment through the design of the lower water tank, in addition, compared with a conventional mode of injecting cooling liquid through a liquid injection water pump, the operation is simpler and more convenient through the design of the water injection opening, and liquid injection operation can be completed without an additional liquid injection water pump; and the problem of pipeline suffocation caused by too fast liquid injection of the liquid injection water pump is also avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of rail transit cooling equipment, in particular to an expansion water tank and a liquid cooling system using the expansion water tank. Background Art

[0002] The expansion tank is a key component in the cooling system. Together with the water pump, heat exchanger, and piping, it forms a liquid cooling system that cools core electrical equipment such as power batteries. The expansion tank primarily compensates for the volumetric changes of the cooling medium due to temperature fluctuations, ensuring the safe and proper operation of the cooling circuit. The operating ambient temperature of a locomotive ranges from -40°C to +40°C, which is highly variable. Therefore, the volume of the cooling medium in the liquid cooling system fluctuates significantly with temperature fluctuations, placing higher demands on the expansion tank used. Furthermore, the entire system must be filled with coolant before operation. Conventionally, this is done with a liquid injection pump. However, due to the long piping in the locomotive's liquid cooling system, using a liquid injection pump can lead to air accumulation in the piping during the filling process due to the pump's rapid filling rate. Furthermore, the need for an additional liquid injection pump for this operation also creates operational inconvenience. Therefore, a suitable expansion tank for locomotives is needed to address these issues. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide an expansion water tank and a liquid cooling system using the same, which can meet the requirements of the locomotive use environment, and can realize the coolant filling of the entire system without the need for an additional injection water pump, and can also avoid the problem of air blockage in the pipeline caused by the injection water pump injecting liquid too quickly.

[0004] The embodiments of the present application can be implemented through the following technical solutions:

[0005] An expansion water tank comprises: a tank body, wherein the tank body comprises an upper water chamber and a lower water chamber which are separated from each other, wherein the upper water chamber is located above the lower water chamber, and the upper water chamber and the lower water chamber are connected via a connecting pipe provided inside the tank body;

[0006] The exhaust joint and the water supply joint provided on the box body are connected to the upper part and the lower part of the upper water chamber respectively;

[0007] The pressure relief valve provided on the box body is located at the top of the lower water chamber;

[0008] It also includes a second water inlet, which is arranged at the highest point of the box body and is connected with the upper water chamber.

[0009] Furthermore, it also includes a first water inlet, which is arranged on the top plate of the upper water chamber and is directly connected to the lower water chamber through a pipeline.

[0010] Furthermore, it also includes a water supply pipe, a first port of the water supply pipe is connected to the bottom of the upper water chamber, and a second port is connected to the water supply joint located at the lower part of the side plate of the lower water chamber.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes a second partition, which is horizontally arranged inside the lower water chamber, and its one group of oppositely arranged side end faces are respectively connected to the side plates of the box body, and the other group of side end faces are respectively provided with grooves adapted to the connecting pipe and the water supply pipe to fix the pipeline.

[0012] Furthermore, it also includes an upper gas collection area formed by a protrusion of the top plate, and the plane where the upper port of the connecting pipe is located is lower than the end surface of the top plate at the upper gas collection area, and is not lower than the end surface of the top plate at other positions outside the upper gas collection area.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes a liquid level observation window, which is arranged on the outer side of the side plate of the lower water chamber and is connected to the lower water chamber for observing the height of the coolant level in the lower water chamber.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes a liquid level measuring instrument, which is arranged inside the lower water chamber and is used to measure the height of the coolant level in the lower water chamber.

[0015] A liquid cooling system comprises: a cooling circulation pipeline, and an expansion water tank as described above; the exhaust joint and the water supply joint of the expansion water tank are connected to the cooling circulation pipeline through pipelines respectively, so that the expansion water tank is connected in parallel in the cooling circulation pipeline.

[0016] Furthermore, the second water inlet is located at the highest point of the liquid cooling system.

[0017] Furthermore, the cooling circulation pipeline includes a water pump, a heat exchanger and a cooling pipeline at the end of the module to be cooled, and the three form a series circulation loop through the pipeline.

[0018] The embodiments of the present application provide an expansion water tank and a liquid cooling system using the same, which have at least the following beneficial effects:

[0019] 1. This application provides an upper and lower separated expansion water tank. The design of the lower water tank can compensate the coolant of the upper water tank and adjust the gas pressure;

[0020] 2. Through the design of the water injection port, the coolant is injected into the piping system using the potential energy of gravity. Compared with the conventional method of injecting coolant through an injection pump, the operation is simpler and can be completed without an additional injection pump. It also avoids the problem of pipe suffocation caused by the injection pump injecting too quickly.

[0021] 3. By setting the specific structure and position relationship between the upper gas collecting area in the box and the connecting pipe, the gas from the pipeline can be gathered faster and flow into the lower water chamber, thereby improving the exhaust effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the expansion water tank in the embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the partial structure of the expansion water tank in the embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a top view of the expansion water tank in the embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Middle AA section;

[0026] Figure 5 When the expansion tank is working Figure 3 Middle BB section;

[0027] Numbers in the figure

[0028] Box body 11, upper water chamber 111, lower water chamber 112, first partition 1131, second partition 1132, mounting part 114, first water inlet 121, second water inlet 122, exhaust connector 13, water supply connector 14, water supply pipe 141, liquid level observation window 15, pressure relief valve 16, upper gas collecting area 171, lower gas collecting area 172, connecting pipe 18, liquid level measuring instrument 19. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Hereinafter, the present application will be further described based on preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] In addition, various components in the drawings are enlarged or reduced in size for ease of understanding, but this is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0031] Words importing the singular include the plural and vice versa.

[0032] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be noted that if the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer" and the like indicate an orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or are the orientation or positional relationship in which the products of the embodiments of the present application are usually placed when in use, they are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, in the description of the present application, in order to distinguish different units, words such as first and second are used in this specification, but these are not limited by the order of manufacture, nor can they be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. Their names may be different in the detailed description and claims of the present application.

[0033] The vocabulary in this specification is used to illustrate the embodiments of the present application, but is not intended to limit the present application. It should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "disposed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection, a direct connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or a communication between the two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be specifically understood.

[0034] Combine Figure 1-Figure 5 As shown, the expansion water tank of the embodiment of the present application includes: a tank body 11, the interior of which is divided into an upper water chamber 111 and a lower water chamber 112, the upper water chamber 111 is located above the lower water chamber 112, and the two water chambers are separated by a first partition 1131.

[0035] An exhaust joint 13 and a water supply joint 14 are respectively provided at the upper and lower parts of the side panels of the box body 11, wherein the exhaust joint 13 is connected to the upper part of the upper water chamber 111 and is used to receive the gas generated from the liquid cooling system when in working state. The water supply joint 14 is connected to the lower part of the upper water chamber 111 through a water supply pipe 141 passing through the lower water chamber 112, and is used to replenish the coolant in the upper water chamber 111 into the liquid cooling system.

[0036] The interior of the box body 11 is also provided with a connecting pipe 18, which passes through the first partition 1131 to connect the upper water chamber 111 and the lower water chamber 112; in some preferred embodiments, the connecting pipe 18 is arranged vertically relative to the first partition 1131; specifically, the top plate of the box body 11 at the position corresponding to the upper port of the connecting pipe 18 protrudes upward to form an upper gas collection area 171, and the upper port of the connecting pipe 18 is connected to the upper gas collection area 171; in some preferred embodiments, the plane where the upper port of the connecting pipe 18 is located is lower than the end surface of the top plate at the upper gas collection area 171, and is not lower than the upper gas collection area except for the upper gas collection area. The top plate end surfaces at other positions other than the corresponding position of 171 are arranged so that the gas in the upper water chamber 111 can be gathered in the upper gas collecting area 171 and enter the lower water chamber 112 through the connecting pipe 18 when in working state; in some preferred embodiments, the bottom plate of the box body 11 at the corresponding position of the lower port of the connecting pipe 18 bulges downward to form the lower gas collecting area 172, and the lower port of the connecting pipe 18 is connected to the lower gas collecting area 172. The excess gas in the upper water chamber 111 gathers in the upper gas collecting area 171 and is transferred to the lower gas collecting area 172 through the connecting pipe 18, and finally disperses to the upper part of the lower water chamber 112.

[0037] A pressure relief valve 16 is also provided on the top plate corresponding to the lower water chamber 112, which is used to discharge excess gas in the lower water chamber 112 out of the expansion tank; specifically, the pressure relief valve 16 can be automatically opened and closed according to the pressure in the lower water chamber 112. When the pressure in the lower water chamber 112 is greater than the preset pressure, the valve opens to relieve pressure.

[0038] In some preferred embodiments, the expansion water tank further includes a liquid level observation window 15, which is arranged on the outer side of the side panel of the lower water chamber 112 and is used to observe the coolant level in the lower water chamber 112; specifically, the liquid level observation window 15 is connected to the lower water chamber 112, and is provided with a float inside that can float up and down according to the liquid level. The coolant level in the lower water chamber 112 can be quickly judged by observing the position of the float.

[0039] In some preferred embodiments, the expansion water tank further includes a liquid level measuring instrument 19 , which is disposed inside the lower water chamber 112 and is used to accurately measure the coolant level in the lower water chamber 112 .

[0040] In some preferred embodiments, the box body 11 also includes a second partition 1132, which is horizontally arranged inside the lower water chamber 112 and parallel to the first partition 1131; specifically, a group of oppositely arranged side end surfaces of the second partition 1132 are respectively connected to the side panels of the box body 11, and the other group of side end surfaces are respectively provided with grooves adapted to the connecting pipe 18 and the water supply pipe 141, which are used to further fix the connecting pipe 18 and the water supply pipe 141 and increase the stability of the structure.

[0041] In some preferred embodiments, a first water inlet 121, a second water inlet 122, and corresponding water inlet caps are further provided on the top plate of the upper water chamber 111. When in use, the liquid cooling system is filled with coolant by pouring coolant through the water inlet. The coolant is filled with the entire liquid cooling system by utilizing the gravitational potential energy. Compared with the conventional method of injecting coolant through a water pump, the operation is simpler and the injection operation can be completed without an additional water pump. In addition, the problem of air suffocation in the pipeline caused by excessive injection of the water pump is avoided.

[0042] Specifically, the second water inlet 122 is located at the highest point of the box body 11, and the second water inlet 122 is connected to the upper water chamber 111, and the coolant can be injected into the upper water chamber 111 through the second water inlet 122; the first water inlet 121 is directly connected to the upper part of the lower water chamber 112 through a pipeline, and is used to inject a suitable proportion of coolant into the lower water chamber 112 during the injection stage.

[0043] A second aspect of the present application provides a liquid cooling system, comprising: a cooling circulation pipeline, and the expansion water tank described in any of the above embodiments, wherein the exhaust connector 13 and the water supply connector 14 of the expansion water tank are respectively connected to the cooling circulation pipeline through pipelines, so that the expansion water tank is connected in parallel with the cooling circulation pipeline to exhaust the cooling circulation pipeline and replenish coolant; in some preferred embodiments, the second water injection port 122 of the expansion water tank is higher than the cooling circulation pipeline so that the coolant can fill the liquid cooling system with the help of gravitational potential energy during the liquid injection stage;

[0044] Specifically, the cooling circulation pipeline includes a water pump, a heat exchanger and a cooling pipeline at the end of the module to be cooled, and the three form a series circulation loop through the pipeline; specifically, the module to be cooled can be a module that needs to be cooled, such as a power battery and an internal combustion engine.

[0045] The working method and principle of the expansion water tank of the utility model are as follows:

[0046] When in use, the expansion water tank is connected in parallel to the liquid cooling circulation pipeline, and the liquid filling stage is carried out first. Specifically, the second water filling port 122 is opened, and the coolant is poured into the upper water chamber 111 through it. At this time, the coolant exhaust joint 13 and the water supply joint 14 flow into the entire liquid cooling circulation pipeline until the entire pipeline and the upper water chamber 111 are filled. Since the first water filling port 121 and the pressure relief valve 16 are closed at this time, no coolant flows into the lower water chamber 112. When the coolant overflows from the second water filling port 122, it indicates that the entire liquid cooling circulation pipeline system and the upper water chamber 111 are filled with coolant. At this time, the second water filling port 122 is closed, and the first water filling port 121 is opened, and coolant is injected into the lower water chamber 112 through it until the coolant level in the lower water chamber 121 reaches such a level. Figure 5 When the lower portion is the coolant area and the upper portion is the gas area, the first water injection port 121 is closed to complete the liquid injection stage.

[0047] Specifically, the coolant area in the lower water chamber 112 can compensate for the coolant in the upper water chamber so that the upper water chamber is always filled with coolant, and the gas area in the lower water chamber 112 can regulate the air pressure in the entire system.

[0048] When the liquid cooling system is working, the coolant with gas in the liquid cooling circulation pipeline flows into the upper water chamber 111 through the exhaust joint 13. Since the upper water chamber 111 is in a state of being filled with coolant, the gas will gather in the upper gas collecting area 171 and flow into the lower water chamber 112 through the connecting pipe 18, and finally gather in the gas area above the lower water chamber 112. When the pressure in the gas area exceeds the preset pressure value, the pressure relief valve 16 is opened to discharge the water tank, thereby realizing the exhaust of the entire liquid cooling pipeline system; at this stage, since the coolant with gas in the circulation loop continuously enters the water tank 1, the coolant in the circulation loop is insufficient, and the coolant in the upper water chamber 111 is replenished into the circulation loop by the water replenishment pipe 141, the coolant in the upper water chamber 111 is reduced, and the coolant in the lower water chamber 112 is compensated to the upper water chamber 111 through the connecting pipe 18, so that the upper water chamber 111 is always in a state of being filled with coolant.

[0049] The above is a detailed introduction to the specific implementation methods of the present application. For those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made to the present application without departing from the principles of the present application. These improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. An expansion water tank, comprising: A box body (11), wherein the box body (11) includes an upper water chamber (111) and a lower water chamber (112) which are separated from each other, the upper water chamber (111) is located above the lower water chamber (112), and the upper water chamber (111) and the lower water chamber (112) are connected via a connecting pipe (18) provided inside the box body (11); An exhaust joint (13) and a water supply joint (14) are provided on the box body (11), and are respectively connected to the upper part and the lower part of the upper water chamber (111); A pressure relief valve (16) is provided on the housing (11) and is located at the top of the lower water chamber (112); Its characteristics are: It also includes a second water inlet (122), which is arranged at the highest point of the box body (11) and is connected to the upper water chamber (111).

2. The expansion water tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a first water inlet (121), which is arranged on the top plate of the upper water chamber (111) and is directly connected to the lower water chamber (112) through a pipeline.

3. The expansion water tank according to claim 1, characterized in that It also includes a water supply pipe (141), a first port of which is in communication with the bottom of the upper water chamber (111), and a second port of which is in communication with a water supply joint (14) located at the lower part of the side plate of the lower water chamber (112).

4. The expansion water tank according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second partition plate (1132) is horizontally arranged inside the lower water chamber (112), and one group of side end surfaces thereof are respectively connected to the side plates of the box body (11), and the other group of side end surfaces are respectively provided with grooves adapted to the connecting pipe (18) and the water supply pipe (141) to fix the pipelines.

5. The expansion water tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an upper gas collection area (171) formed by a protrusion of the top plate, and the plane where the upper port of the connecting pipe (18) is located is lower than the end surface of the top plate at the upper gas collection area (171), and is not lower than the end surface of the top plate at other positions outside the upper gas collection area (171).

6. The expansion water tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a liquid level observation window (15), which is arranged on the outer side of the side plate of the lower water chamber (112) and communicates with the lower water chamber (112) and is used to observe the height of the coolant level in the lower water chamber (112).

7. The expansion water tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The invention also comprises a liquid level measuring instrument (19), which is arranged inside the lower water chamber (112) and is used to measure the height of the coolant level in the lower water chamber (112).

8. A liquid cooling system, characterized in that: include: A cooling circulation pipeline, and an expansion water tank according to any one of claims 1 to 7; the exhaust connector (13) and the water supply connector (14) of the expansion water tank are respectively connected to the cooling circulation pipeline through pipelines, so that the expansion water tank is connected in parallel in the cooling circulation pipeline.

9. The liquid cooling system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The second water injection port (122) is located at the highest point of the liquid cooling system.

10. The liquid cooling system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The cooling circulation pipeline includes a water pump, a heat exchanger and a cooling pipeline at the end of the module to be cooled, and the three form a series circulation loop through the pipeline.

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