Thermal management devices, thermal management systems and vehicles

Abstract

This disclosure provides a thermal management device including a heat exchange assembly and a sealing device. The heat exchange assembly includes: a condenser extending in a plane perpendicular to an axial direction, the axial direction being the direction in which airflow passes through the condenser; and a PTC heater disposed downstream of the condenser along the axial direction. The sealing device is configured to connect the condenser and the PTC heater into a single unit. This disclosure also provides a thermal management system and a vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a thermal management device, a thermal management system, and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Known vehicle air conditioning systems include a housing, multiple dampers mounted on the housing, and various thermal management elements such as an evaporator, condenser, and PTC heater housed within the housing. Typically, the evaporator, condenser, and PTC heater are installed separately within the housing. To prevent uncooled or unheated air from directly entering the vehicle's passenger compartment, a sealing foam is usually placed between the housing and the thermal management elements. A large sealing foam is typically used to wrap around the thermal management elements to ensure a tight seal.

[0003] The separate installation of the aforementioned thermal management components results in a complex housing structure, making installation difficult and time-consuming. Furthermore, for air conditioning systems with limited installation space in vehicles, it is difficult to assemble these thermal management components separately. Utility Model Content

[0004] Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a thermal management device, a thermal management system including the thermal management device, and a vehicle including the thermal management system, wherein the thermal management device fixes a condenser and a PTC heater together to form an assembly and uses a sealing device to further fix the condenser and the PTC heater, thereby ensuring sealing performance while simplifying the installation structure and reducing costs.

[0005] The above objectives are achieved through the thermal management device for vehicles described below.

[0006] This disclosure provides a thermal management device, which includes a heat exchange assembly and a sealing device. The heat exchange assembly includes: a condenser extending in a plane perpendicular to an axial direction, the axial direction being the direction in which airflow passes through the condenser; and a PTC heater arranged downstream of the condenser along the axial direction. The sealing device is configured to connect the condenser and the PTC heater into a single unit.

[0007] The thermal management device according to this disclosure may also have one or more of the following features, individually or in combination.

[0008] In one embodiment, the sealing device includes: a first seal having a body configured to extend along a peripheral sidewall of the heat exchange assembly; and a second seal configured to surround an interface end of the heat exchange assembly.

[0009] In one embodiment, the body of the first seal at least partially covers the peripheral sidewall of the condenser and the peripheral sidewall of the PTC heater.

[0010] In one embodiment, the body of the first seal is fixed to the peripheral sidewall of the condenser and / or the peripheral sidewall of the PTC heater.

[0011] In one embodiment, the body of the first seal surrounds the peripheral sidewall of the heat exchange assembly and is open at the interface end.

[0012] In one embodiment, the first seal further has an extension that extends laterally to the axial direction from one side of the body.

[0013] In one embodiment, the extension of the first seal abuts against the condenser and / or the PTC heater.

[0014] In one embodiment, the extension of the first seal is located at the end of the heat exchange assembly opposite to the interface end.

[0015] In one embodiment, the first seal is a one-piece molded part.

[0016] In one embodiment, the first seal and / or the second seal are rubber components.

[0017] This disclosure also provides a thermal management system comprising: a housing having an opening; and a thermal management device according to the above description, which is insertable into the housing through the opening, wherein a first seal of the sealing device forms a sealing contact with the inner wall of the housing, and a second seal of the sealing device forms a sealing contact with the housing at the opening.

[0018] This disclosure also provides a vehicle that includes the thermal management system described above.

[0019] The embodiments disclosed herein have the following advantages: the thermal management device fixes the condenser and the PTC heater together to form an assembly, omitting some installation structures; a sealing device is used to further fix the condenser and the PTC heater, which further simplifies the installation structure while ensuring airtightness. Therefore, the installation space requirement is reduced, it can be installed in a smaller air conditioner casing, and the structure is simple, easy to install, and low in cost. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The advantages and objectives of this disclosure will be better understood from the preferred embodiments described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are not to scale in order to better illustrate the relationships between the components. In the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1A schematic diagram of a thermal management system for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a thermal management device for a vehicle thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a sealing device of a thermal management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0024] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the first seal of a sealing device of a thermal management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0025] Figure 5 A partial cross-sectional view of a thermal management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same components. It should be noted that the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0027] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this patent application specification and claims do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms “an” or “a” and similar terms do not necessarily indicate a quantity limitation. The terms “comprising,” “including,” or “having,” and similar terms mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the element or object listed following the word and its equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. The terms “connected” or “connected,” and similar terms are not limited to the physical or mechanical connection or connection shown in the drawings, but may include equivalent connections or connections, whether direct or indirect. The terms “upper,” “lower,” “left,” and “right,” etc., are used only to indicate relative positional relationships, which may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described object changes.

[0028] See below Figures 1 to 5 The various embodiments of this disclosure are described in detail.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the thermal management system 200 included in the vehicle of this disclosure includes a housing 201, and a thermal management device 100, an evaporator device 203, etc., disposed therein. The thermal management device 100 may include a heat exchange assembly having a condenser and a PTC heater as described below. The condenser, also known as an internal condenser, is used to release heat to the air flowing through it and typically includes multiple heat sinks. The PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater is used to heat the air and typically consists of a PTC ceramic heating element and an aluminum tube. It has the advantages of low thermal resistance and high heat exchange efficiency and is an automatic temperature-controlled, energy-saving electric heater. The evaporator device 203 includes an evaporator for cooling the air, which absorbs heat from the air flowing through it by evaporating low-pressure refrigerant, thereby achieving the purpose of cooling the vehicle interior. The housing 201 has an opening 202 through which the thermal management device 100 can be inserted into the housing 201. The housing 201 may also have another opening through which the evaporator device 203 can also be inserted into the housing 201. The aforementioned opening 202 and another opening not shown in the figure can be provided on the side wall of the housing 201. For example, the thermal management device 100 and the evaporator device 203 are arranged side by side inside the housing 201. In the airflow direction, the thermal management device 100 is arranged downstream of the evaporator device 203, so air from outside the vehicle can first flow through the evaporator device 203 and then through the thermal management device 100. In addition, a plurality of dampers are rotatably provided on the housing 201, which lead to the passenger compartment of the vehicle, including, for example, face dampers, foot dampers, defrost dampers, etc.

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, the thermal management device 100 of this disclosure includes a heat exchange assembly 10 and a sealing device 11.

[0031] The heat exchange assembly 10 includes a condenser 1 and a PTC heater 2, both of which are generally plate-shaped and arranged generally parallel to each other. The condenser 1 extends in a plane perpendicular to its axial direction, which is the direction in which airflow passes through the condenser 1. Figure 2 As indicated by the hollow arrow, air from outside the vehicle flows perpendicularly over the condenser surface. The PTC heater 2 is arranged downstream of the condenser 1 along the axial direction, meaning air flows through the condenser 1 first and then through the PTC heater 2. The condenser 1 and the PTC heater 2 overlap. For example, the condenser 1 can be mounted on the PTC heater 2. The condenser 1 can be fixed to the PTC heater 2 by means of threaded connection, snap-fit, etc. For example, the housing or support frame of the condenser 1 can be snapped into a recess on the housing or support frame of the PTC heater 2 by protrusions thereon.

[0032] The heat exchange assembly 10 includes an interface end 7 and an opposite end 8. At the interface end 7, various interfaces for the condenser 1 and the PTC heater 2 are provided, such as the fluid inlet, fluid outlet, and manifold assembly of the condenser 1, and the electrical interface of the PTC heater 2. Figure 2 The diagram also shows fluid pipes communicating with the fluid inlet and fluid outlet of the condenser 1, and cables connected to the electrical interface of the PTC heater 2. When the thermal management device 100 is installed in the housing 201 of the thermal management system, the interface end 7 can be located outside the housing 201, and the end 8 can be located inside the housing 201.

[0033] The sealing device 11 is configured to connect the condenser 1 and the PTC heater 2 into a single unit. In this way, the thermal management device of this disclosure can fix the condenser 1 and the PTC heater 2 together to form a composite assembly, which makes it easy to install the thermal management device 100 into the thermal management system 200.

[0034] The sealing device 11 includes a first seal 3 and a second seal 4. The first seal 3 has a body 5 configured to extend along the peripheral sidewall of the heat exchange assembly 10. The second seal 4 is configured to surround an interface end 7 of the heat exchange assembly 10. In other words, the interface end 7 passes through an opening formed by the second seal 4. Figure 2 As shown, the second seal 4 has an annular structure, and its inner wall contacts the top peripheral sidewall, bottom peripheral sidewall, and surface of the interface end 7 of the heat exchange assembly 10. The surface includes the air inlet surface and air outlet surface of the heat exchange assembly 10, namely the air inlet surface of the condenser 1 and the air outlet surface of the PTC heater 2. The second seal 4 can further secure the condenser 1 and the PTC heater 2 together, preventing one from falling off.

[0035] The thermal management device disclosed herein fixes the condenser 1 and the PTC heater 2 together to form an assembly, and the assembly has a compact structure, reducing the space requirement for the air conditioner casing.

[0036] When the thermal management device 100 is installed in the housing 201 of the thermal management system 200, the first seal 3 forms a sealing contact with the inner wall of the housing 201, and the second seal 4 forms a sealing contact with the housing 201 at the opening 202. This prevents uncooled or unheated air from entering the passenger compartment of the vehicle through gaps, and also prevents other foreign objects, such as dust, noise, and condensate, from entering the passenger compartment.

[0037] See Figure 2 and 5The body 5 of the first seal 3 at least partially covers the peripheral sidewall 13 of the condenser 1 and the peripheral sidewall 14 of the PTC heater 2. As described above, both the condenser 1 and the PTC heater 2 have an approximately plate-like form, for example, they may have a hexahedral geometry, and thus each has four peripheral sidewalls. "At least partially covers" as used herein means at least partially covers along the axial direction. In other words, in terms of width, the body 5 of the first seal 3 covers a portion of the width of the peripheral sidewall 13 of the condenser 1 and a portion of the width of the peripheral sidewall 14 of the PTC heater 2.

[0038] For example, the condenser 1 and the PTC heater 2 each have a support frame and heat sinks mounted on the support frame, and the peripheral sidewalls can be the peripheral sidewalls of the support frame.

[0039] like Figure 5 As shown, the main body 5 of the first seal 3 is fixed only to the peripheral sidewall 14 of the PTC heater 2. In other examples, the main body 5 of the first seal 3 may also be fixed only to the peripheral sidewall 13 of the condenser 1, or a portion may be fixed to the peripheral sidewall 13 of the condenser 1 and another portion may be fixed to the peripheral sidewall 14 of the PTC heater 2.

[0040] like Figure 3 and 4 As shown, the body 5 of the first seal 3 surrounds the peripheral sidewall of the heat exchange assembly 10 and is open at the interface end 7 of the heat exchange assembly 10. That is, the body 5 of the first seal 3 does not extend completely along the entire peripheral sidewall of the heat exchange assembly 10, but stops extending at, for example, the second seal 4. This ensures a seal between the seal and other parts of the air conditioner housing.

[0041] like Figures 2 to 5 As shown, the first seal 3 also has an extension 6 extending laterally from one side of its body 5 in the direction of the axis.

[0042] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, the extension 6 of the first seal 3 abuts against the condenser 1. The extension 6 presses the condenser 1 against the PTC heater 2, thereby further securing the condenser 1. Figure 2 As shown, the extension 6 overlaps with the condenser 1. In some examples, the extension 6 is connected to the body 5 by a bent connecting portion. In some examples, the extension 6 of the first seal 3 abuts against the PTC heater 2. In other examples, the extension 6 may abut against either the condenser 1 or the PTC heater 2.

[0043] For example, the extension 6 of the first seal 3 is located at the end 8 of the heat exchange assembly 10 opposite to the interface end 7. By positioning the extension 6 opposite to the second seal 4, the condenser 1 and the PTC heater 2 can be better secured together, resulting in a more stable assembly.

[0044] For example, the first seal 3 has multiple extensions 6, such as two extensions 6, as shown. Figure 2 As shown. In some examples, at least one extension 6 may be provided at the end 8, and at least one other extension 6 may be provided at the top or bottom of the heat exchange assembly 10.

[0045] The first seal 3 can be a one-piece molded part. The second seal 4 can also be a one-piece molded part. This ensures better sealing and component strength.

[0046] The first seal 3 and the second seal 4 are made of rubber. Of course, it is also possible for either the first seal 3 or the second seal 4 to be made of rubber. For example, the rubber parts could be made of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). Of course, other sponge materials could also be used as the materials for the first seal and / or the second seal.

[0047] The thermal management device disclosed herein fixes the condenser and PTC heater together to form an assembly, omitting some installation structures; a sealing device is used to further fix the condenser and PTC heater, which further simplifies the installation structure while ensuring airtightness. Therefore, the thermal management device has reduced installation space requirements, can be installed in a smaller air conditioner casing, has a simple structure, is easy to install, and has a low cost.

[0048] As described above, this disclosure also provides a thermal management system 200, which includes the thermal management device 100 described above, which can be integrally inserted into the housing of the thermal management system. It should be understood that the thermal management system of this disclosure also possesses the advantages described above regarding the thermal management device.

[0049] This disclosure also provides a vehicle including a thermal management system 200 as described above, which may also be referred to as an air conditioning system, and may be located in the front compartment of the vehicle. The vehicle may be an electrified vehicle, such as a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), or a range-extended electric vehicle (REEV). The vehicle may also be a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. The vehicle may also be a motor vehicle. It should be understood that the vehicle of this disclosure also possesses the advantages described above regarding the thermal management device and thermal management system.

[0050] Furthermore, the technical features disclosed above are not limited to the combinations of the disclosed features with other features. Those skilled in the art can also make other combinations of the technical features according to the purpose of the invention, in order to achieve the purpose of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A thermal management device (100), characterized in that, The thermal management device (100) includes a heat exchange assembly (10) and a sealing device (11). The heat exchange assembly (10) includes: The condenser (1) extends in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction, which is the direction in which the airflow passes through the condenser (1); The PTC heater (2) is arranged downstream of the condenser (1) along the axial direction; The sealing device (11) is configured to connect the condenser (1) and the PTC heater (2) into one unit.

2. The thermal management device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sealing device (11) includes: The first seal (3) has a body (5) configured to extend along the peripheral sidewall of the heat exchange assembly (10); The second seal (4) is configured to surround the interface end (7) of the heat exchange assembly.

3. The thermal management device (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The body (5) of the first seal (3) at least partially covers the peripheral sidewall of the condenser (1) and the peripheral sidewall of the PTC heater (2).

4. The thermal management device (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The body (5) of the first seal (3) is fixed to the peripheral sidewall of the condenser (1) and / or the peripheral sidewall of the PTC heater (2).

5. The thermal management device (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The body (5) of the first seal (3) surrounds the peripheral sidewall of the heat exchange assembly (10) and is open at the interface end (7).

6. The thermal management device (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first seal (3) also has an extension (6) extending laterally from one side of the body (5) in the direction of the axis.

7. The thermal management device (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The extension (6) of the first seal (3) abuts against the condenser (1) and / or the PTC heater (2).

8. The thermal management device (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The extension (6) of the first seal (3) is located at the end (8) of the heat exchange assembly (10) opposite to the interface end (7).

9. The thermal management device (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first sealing element (3) is an integrally molded part.

10. The thermal management device (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first seal (3) and / or the second seal (4) are rubber parts.

11. A thermal management system (200), characterized in that, The thermal management system (200) includes: The outer casing (201) has an opening (202); and The thermal management device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is capable of being inserted into the housing (201) through the opening (202). The first sealing element (3) of the sealing device (11) forms a sealing contact with the inner wall of the outer shell (201), and the second sealing element (4) of the sealing device (11) forms a sealing contact with the outer shell (201) at the opening (202).

12. A vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicle includes a thermal management system (200) according to claim 11.

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