Thermal management system and vehicle

Abstract

The utility model provides a thermal management system and a vehicle. The thermal management system comprises a first thermal management system and a second thermal management system. The first thermal management system comprises a battery pack, a water pump and a first expansion kettle which are connected through a cooling liquid pipeline, and the first expansion kettle is arranged on the top of the vehicle. The second thermal management system comprises a second expansion kettle, and the second expansion kettle is connected with the first expansion kettle and located below the first expansion kettle. The water pump can drive cooling liquid in the second expansion kettle to flow into the first expansion kettle. The first expansion kettle is arranged at the top of the vehicle, and natural exhaust of the first heat management system can be achieved. And the second expansion kettle is arranged below the first expansion kettle, so that the cooling liquid can be conveniently filled and supplemented to the first expansion kettle, and the operation is convenient.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of vehicles, in particular to a thermal management system and a vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] The battery is one of the power sources and core components of the vehicle, and its performance and stability are very sensitive to temperature. On the one hand, if the temperature of the battery is too high or too low, the performance and life of the battery will be significantly degraded; on the other hand, the battery may have safety risks such as thermal runaway at high temperature and short circuit at low temperature fast charging. In addition, if the temperature of each cell in the battery pack is not uniform, the cells at high temperature will decay too fast, which will also affect the overall life of the battery pack. Therefore, the vehicle must manage the battery, including battery cooling and battery heating.

[0003] The battery cooling of the vehicle can be divided into air cooling system, liquid cooling system and direct cooling system. The air cooling system uses natural convection or forced convection by fan to cool the battery. The liquid cooling system uses a thermal management unit to cool the liquid cooling medium, and then uses a water pump to make the liquid cooling medium flow through the internal flow channel of the battery pack to take away the heat of the battery pack. The direct cooling system flows the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant of the refrigeration unit through the battery pack, and evaporates in the battery pack to take away the heat of the battery pack. Among them, the liquid cooling system has gradually become the industry mainstream due to its compact structure, high heat exchange efficiency, uniform temperature and other characteristics.

[0004] The battery thermal management unit of the vehicle can be divided into bottom-mounted type, back-mounted type and top-mounted type according to its arrangement position in the vehicle. The top-mounted battery thermal management unit has been widely used in electric buses due to its advantages of saving vehicle space, clean air at the top not easily blocking the condenser, good ventilation condition of the unit, and less restriction of the unit by the vehicle structure. In the top-mounted battery thermal management system of the vehicle, an expansion tank is arranged at the highest position of the waterway to ensure that the system can be naturally vented, but it is not convenient to add coolant to the thermal management system through the expansion tank at the top. At the same time, in order to facilitate the addition of coolant, an expansion tank is also arranged at the bottom by series connection or external hanging, and an air valve core is arranged in the pipeline at the top for manual venting. However, when the water pump of the thermal management system is not running, the air in the pipeline will accumulate upwards and cannot be naturally vented, and still needs to be manually vented through the air valve core at the top of the vehicle.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an improved thermal management system and vehicle to solve the above problems. CONTENT OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present application provides a thermal management system and vehicle with convenient venting and convenient addition of coolant.

[0007] This application provides a thermal management system, including a first thermal management system and a second thermal management system. The first thermal management system includes a battery pack, a water pump, and a first expansion tank connected by coolant pipes. The first expansion tank is located on the top of the vehicle. The second thermal management system includes a second expansion tank, which is connected to and located below the first expansion tank. The water pump can drive coolant in the second expansion tank to flow into the first expansion tank.

[0008] Furthermore, the first expansion tank is connected to a first vent pipe and a second vent pipe. The first vent pipe is connected to the outlet of the battery pack; the second vent pipe is connected to the inlet of the water pump; and the second vent pipe is equipped with a first connecting valve and a second connecting valve.

[0009] Furthermore, the first expansion tank is equipped with a liquid level sensor for detecting the liquid level inside the first expansion tank; and a water filter is provided at the inlet of the water pump.

[0010] Furthermore, a third connecting valve and a fourth connecting valve are provided between the first expansion tank and the second expansion tank. The third connecting valve is connected between the first expansion tank and the inlet of the water pump; the fourth connecting valve is connected between the second expansion tank and the inlet.

[0011] Furthermore, the first thermal management system also includes a thermal management unit located on the top of the vehicle, which is connected to the battery pack and the water pump respectively, and the first expansion tank is located inside the thermal management unit; the thermal management unit also includes a chiller and an electric heater connected through a coolant pipeline, which are connected between the battery pack and the first expansion tank.

[0012] Furthermore, the second thermal management system also includes a fifth connecting valve and a second thermal management circuit. The fifth connecting valve is connected between the second expansion tank and the second thermal management circuit and is used to connect or disconnect the valve between the second expansion tank and the second thermal management circuit.

[0013] Furthermore, the second thermal management system is a motor cooling system, and the second thermal management circuit is a motor cooling circuit. The motor cooling circuit includes a motor water pump, a main and auxiliary drive controller, a drive motor, and a radiator connected through a coolant pipeline. The fifth connecting valve is provided between the second expansion tank and the motor cooling circuit.

[0014] Furthermore, the second thermal management system is a water heating system, and the second thermal management circuit is a water heating circuit. The water heating circuit includes a connecting water pump, a heater, a radiator, and a defroster connected through a coolant pipeline. The fifth connecting valve is provided between the second expansion tank and the water heating circuit.

[0015] Furthermore, the battery pack includes a top-mounted battery pack located on the top of the vehicle and a bottom-mounted battery pack located at the bottom of the vehicle. The top-mounted battery pack and the bottom-mounted battery pack are connected in parallel. The top-mounted battery pack and the bottom-mounted battery pack are connected to the outlet of the water pump and the first expansion tank.

[0016] This application also provides a vehicle including the aforementioned thermal management system.

[0017] The first expansion tank of this application is located on the roof of the vehicle, allowing for natural venting of the first thermal management system, which is convenient. The second expansion tank is located below the first expansion tank, allowing maintenance personnel to add coolant directly to the second expansion tank from the ground, which is convenient. The first and second expansion tanks are located in different thermal management systems. The second expansion tank is used to replenish the coolant in the first expansion tank. The second expansion tank is borrowed from the expansion tank in the second thermal management system, which reduces costs and does not occupy additional vehicle space. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a connection diagram of a thermal management system according to an exemplary embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a connection diagram of a thermal management system according to another embodiment of this application.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the process for adding coolant to the thermal management system of this application.

[0021] Explanation of icon numbers

[0022] 100. First thermal management system; 10. Battery pack; 11. Top-mounted battery pack; 12. Bottom-mounted battery pack; 13. Liquid outlet; 14. Liquid inlet; 20. Water pump; 21. Water inlet; 22. Water outlet; 23. Water filter; 30. First expansion tank; 31. First vent pipe; 32. Second vent pipe; 321. First connecting valve; 322. Second connecting valve; 40. Second expansion tank; 50. Third connecting valve; 60. Fourth connecting valve; 70. Fifth connecting valve; 200. Second thermal management system; 201. Motor cooling. System; 202, Water heating system; 300, Thermal management unit; 301, Chiller unit; 302, Electric heater; 400, Second thermal management circuit; 401, Motor cooling circuit; 4011, Motor water pump; 4012, Main and auxiliary drive controller; 4013, Drive motor; 4014, Radiator; 4015, Third exhaust pipe; 4016, Fourth exhaust pipe; 402, Water heating circuit; 4021, Connecting water pump; 4022, Heater; 4023, Radiator; 4024, Defroster; 4025, Fifth exhaust pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions in the embodiments (or "implementations") of this application will be clearly and completely described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements.

[0024] If the embodiments of this application contain terms relating to directional indications or positional relationships (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 relationships and movements between components in a specific posture (as shown in the attached figures); if the specific posture changes, the directional indications or positional relationships will also change accordingly. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" used in the embodiments of this application are only for descriptive convenience and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0025] See Figures 1 to 2As shown, this application provides a thermal management system, including a first thermal management system 100 and a second thermal management system 200. The first thermal management system 100 and the second thermal management system 200 are either connected or disconnected. The first thermal management system 100 includes a battery pack 10, a water pump 20, and a first expansion tank 30. The second thermal management system 200 includes a second expansion tank 40. The battery pack 10, the water pump 20, and the first expansion tank 30 are connected via coolant piping. The first expansion tank 30 is located on the roof of the vehicle. The second expansion tank 40 is connected to the first expansion tank 30 and is located below the first expansion tank 30. The water pump 20 can drive coolant in the second expansion tank 40 to flow into the first expansion tank 30.

[0026] According to the embodiments of this application, the first expansion tank 30 is located at the highest point of the first thermal management system 100, and the second expansion tank 40 is located in the rear compartment of the vehicle, so that maintenance personnel can directly add coolant without having to climb to the roof to perform the adding operation.

[0027] The battery pack 10 includes a top-mounted battery pack 11 and a bottom-mounted battery pack 12. The top-mounted battery pack 11 is located on the top of the vehicle, and the bottom-mounted battery pack 12 is located on the bottom of the vehicle. This split layout of the battery pack 10 optimizes the vehicle's center of gravity distribution. The top-mounted battery pack 11 and the bottom-mounted battery pack 12 are connected in parallel, and a parallel cooling design ensures temperature uniformity within the battery pack 10. The battery pack 10 includes a coolant outlet 13 and a coolant inlet 14. The outlet 13 is located on the top of the vehicle and close to the top-mounted battery pack 11, and is connected to the first expansion tank 30. The inlet 14 is located on the bottom of the vehicle and close to the bottom-mounted battery pack 12, and is connected to the outlet 22 of the water pump 20.

[0028] In some embodiments, a flow distribution valve (not shown) may be provided between the parallel pipelines of the top battery pack 11 and the bottom battery pack 12 to regulate the flow rate of coolant through the top battery pack 11 and the bottom battery pack 12, thereby adjusting the temperature according to the different heat generation levels of the top battery pack 11 and the bottom battery pack 12.

[0029] The water pump 20 has an inlet 21 and an outlet 22 at both ends. A water filter 23 is also provided at the inlet 21. The inlet 21 is connected to the first expansion tank 30, and the outlet 22 is connected to the liquid inlet 14 of the battery pack 10. The water filter 23 is located between the water pump 20 and the first expansion tank 30. The water filter 23 is used to reduce impurities in the coolant, thereby extending the service life of the water pump 20.

[0030] The first expansion tank 30 is connected to a first vent pipe 31 and a second vent pipe 32. The first vent pipe 31 is connected to the outlet 13 of the battery pack 10. The second vent pipe 32 is connected to the inlet 21 of the water pump 20. The second vent pipe 32 is equipped with a first connecting valve 321 and a second connecting valve 322. The two ends of the first connecting valve 321 are connected to the first expansion tank 30 and the inlet 21, respectively.

[0031] In some embodiments, the second connecting valve 322 may be omitted, and the pipeline connection between the second exhaust pipe 32 and the water inlet 21 of the water pump 20 may be disconnected. The coolant is suspended after passing through the first connecting valve 321 from the second exhaust pipe 32. The first connecting valve 321 can be used to determine whether the first expansion tank 30 is full of coolant. When the first connecting valve 321 begins to overflow, the first expansion tank 30 is full.

[0032] According to the embodiments of this application, the first connecting valve 321, the second connecting valve 322, and the second exhaust pipe 32 can also be omitted. Instead, a liquid level sensor (not shown) can be directly installed on the first expansion tank 30 to detect the liquid level in the first expansion tank 30.

[0033] The first thermal management system 100 also includes a third connecting valve 50. The third connecting valve 50 is connected between the first expansion tank 30 and the inlet 21 of the water pump 20. According to an embodiment of this application, the third connecting valve 50 is a ball valve. A fourth connecting valve 60 is provided between the first thermal management system 100 and the second thermal management system 200 for connecting or disconnecting the two systems. The fourth connecting valve 60 is connected between the second expansion tank 40 and the inlet 21, and is also a ball valve.

[0034] The first thermal management system 100 also includes a thermal management unit 300, which is located on the roof of the vehicle, saving overall vehicle space and providing good ventilation. The thermal management unit 300 is less constrained by the vehicle structure. The thermal management unit 300 is connected to the battery pack 10 and the water pump 20. A first expansion tank 30 is located within the thermal management unit 300. The thermal management unit 300 also includes a chiller unit 301 and an electric heater 302 connected via coolant piping. The chiller unit 301 and the electric heater 302 are connected between the battery pack 10 and the first expansion tank 30.

[0035] The second thermal management system 200 also includes a fifth connecting valve 70 and a second thermal management circuit 400. The fifth connecting valve 70 is connected between the second expansion tank 40 and the second thermal management circuit 400, and is used to connect or disconnect the second expansion tank 40 and the second thermal management circuit 400.

[0036] When the first thermal management system 100 is running, the second connecting valve 322, the third connecting valve 50, and the fifth connecting valve 70 are opened, while the first connecting valve 321 and the fourth connecting valve 60 are closed. At this time, the first thermal management system 100 is isolated from the second thermal management system 200. The water pump 20 is operated, and after venting through the second vent pipe 32 near the water pump inlet 21, the coolant is cooled to the required temperature for the battery pack 10 by the chiller unit 301. The coolant flows from the thermal management unit 300 on the vehicle roof to the water pump inlet 21, is pressurized by the water pump 20, and then flows through the top-mounted battery pack 11 and the bottom-mounted battery pack 12, providing cooling for the battery pack 10. After the coolant flows out of the battery pack 10, the air in the coolant pipes is discharged through the first vent pipe 31 to the first expansion tank 30, and then naturally discharged. The coolant flows into the chiller unit 301 to continue the next coolant cycle.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the second thermal management system 200 is the motor cooling system 201, and the second thermal management circuit 400 is the motor cooling circuit 401. The motor cooling circuit 401 includes a motor water pump 4011, a main / auxiliary drive controller 4012, a drive motor 4013, and a radiator 4014 connected via coolant pipes. A fifth connecting valve 70 is provided between the second expansion tank 40 and the motor cooling circuit 401. When the fifth connecting valve 70 is open and the fourth connecting valve 60 is closed, coolant flows from the second expansion tank 40 into the motor cooling circuit 401, and then sequentially through the coolant pipes to the motor water pump 4011, the main / auxiliary drive controller 4012, the drive motor 4013, and the radiator 4014 to complete the coolant circulation of the motor cooling system 201. Air in the main / auxiliary drive controller 4012 and the radiator 4014 is discharged to the second expansion tank 40 through the third exhaust pipe 4015 and the fourth exhaust pipe 4016. When the fifth connecting valve 70 is closed, the second expansion tank 40 is separated from the motor pump 4011, the main and auxiliary drive controller 4012, the drive motor 4013 and the radiator 4014.

[0038] like Figure 2As shown, the second thermal management system 200 is a water-based heating system 202, and the second thermal management circuit 400 is a water-based heating circuit 402. The water-based heating circuit 402 includes a connecting water pump 4021, a heater 4022, a radiator 4023, and a defroster 4024 connected via coolant piping. A fifth connecting valve 70 is provided between the second expansion tank 40 and the water-based heating circuit 402. When the fifth connecting valve 70 is open and the fourth connecting valve 60 is closed, coolant flows from the second expansion tank 40 into the water-based heating circuit 402, and flows sequentially through the connecting water pump 4021, heater 4022, radiator 4023, and defroster 4024 via the coolant piping, completing the coolant circulation of the water-based heating system 202. Air within the water-based heating circuit 402 is discharged to the second expansion tank 40 through the fifth vent pipe 4025. When the fifth connecting valve 70 is closed, the second expansion tank 40 is separated from the connected water pump 4021, heater 4022, radiator 4023 and defroster 4024.

[0039] According to an embodiment of this application, two radiators 4023 are provided, one of which is disposed between the heater 4022 and the defroster 4024, and the other is disposed between the defroster 4024 and the connected water pump 4021.

[0040] See Figure 3 As shown, when the first expansion tank 30 needs to be filled with coolant, the procedure is as follows: First, open the first connecting valve 321, the third connecting valve 50, and the fourth connecting valve 60, and close the second connecting valve 322 and the fifth connecting valve 70. At this time, the second expansion tank 40 is temporarily isolated from the second thermal management circuit 400. Then, the water pump 20 of the first thermal management system 100 is run, and coolant is added to the coolant pipeline of the first thermal pipeline system through the second expansion tank 40. At the same time, during the filling process, the third connecting valve 50 is gradually reduced to ensure that coolant is added to the first expansion tank 30. When the first expansion tank 30 continuously overflows water through the second vent pipe 32 and the first connecting valve 321, it indicates that the first expansion tank 30 and the coolant pipeline of the first thermal management system 100 are full of coolant. At this point, the fourth connecting valve 60 and the first connecting valve 321 can be closed, while the second connecting valve 322, the third connecting valve 50, and the fifth connecting valve 70 can be opened. The second expansion tank 40 is connected to the second thermal management system 200, and the second expansion tank 40 is separated from the first thermal management system 100. Finally, the water pump 20 is turned off, and the coolant filling of the first thermal management system 100 is completed.

[0041] This application also provides a vehicle including the aforementioned thermal management system. According to an embodiment of this application, the vehicle is an electric bus.

[0042] The first expansion tank 30 of this application is located on the roof of the vehicle, enabling natural venting of the first thermal management system 100, which is convenient for venting. The second expansion tank 40 is located below the first expansion tank 30, allowing maintenance personnel to directly add coolant to the second expansion tank 40 from the ground, which is convenient for operation. This application also borrows the second expansion tank 40 from the motor cooling system 201 or the water heating system 202 into the first thermal management system 100, using it as a water tank to add coolant to the first expansion tank 30, eliminating the need for an additional expansion tank, reducing costs, and also not taking up additional vehicle space.

[0043] It should be noted that the technical solutions or 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 should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A thermal management system, characterized in that, The system includes a first thermal management system and a second thermal management system. The first thermal management system includes a battery pack, a water pump, and a first expansion tank connected by coolant pipes. The first expansion tank is located on the top of the vehicle. The second thermal management system includes a second expansion tank, which is connected to and located below the first expansion tank. The water pump can drive the coolant in the second expansion tank to flow into the first expansion tank.

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first expansion tank is connected to a first vent pipe and a second vent pipe. The first vent pipe is connected to the outlet of the battery pack; the second vent pipe is connected to the inlet of the water pump; and the second vent pipe is equipped with a first connecting valve and a second connecting valve.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first expansion tank is equipped with a liquid level sensor for detecting the liquid level inside the first expansion tank; the water pump is equipped with a water filter at its inlet.

4. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, A third connecting valve and a fourth connecting valve are provided between the first expansion tank and the second expansion tank. The third connecting valve is connected between the first expansion tank and the inlet of the water pump; the fourth connecting valve is connected between the second expansion tank and the inlet.

5. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first thermal management system further includes a thermal management unit located on the roof of the vehicle. The thermal management unit is connected to the battery pack and the water pump, respectively. The first expansion tank is located inside the thermal management unit. The thermal management unit also includes a chiller and an electric heater connected through a coolant pipeline. The chiller and the electric heater are connected between the battery pack and the first expansion tank.

6. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second thermal management system further includes a fifth connecting valve and a second thermal management circuit. The fifth connecting valve is connected between the second expansion tank and the second thermal management circuit and is used to connect or disconnect the second expansion tank and the second thermal management circuit.

7. The thermal management system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second thermal management system is a motor cooling system, and the second thermal management circuit is a motor cooling circuit. The motor cooling circuit includes a motor water pump, a main and auxiliary drive controller, a drive motor, and a radiator connected through a coolant pipeline. The fifth connecting valve is provided between the second expansion tank and the motor cooling circuit.

8. The thermal management system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second thermal management system is a water heating system, and the second thermal management circuit is a water heating circuit. The water heating circuit includes a connecting water pump, a heater, a radiator, and a defroster connected through a coolant pipeline. The fifth connecting valve is provided between the second expansion tank and the water heating circuit.

9. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery pack includes a top-mounted battery pack located on the top of the vehicle and a bottom-mounted battery pack located at the bottom of the vehicle. The top-mounted battery pack and the bottom-mounted battery pack are connected in parallel. The top-mounted battery pack and the bottom-mounted battery pack are connected to the outlet of the water pump and the first expansion tank.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that, The thermal management system includes any one of claims 1-9.

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