High-efficiency cooling liquid heater for vehicles

Abstract

The utility model relates to a kind of high-efficiency cooling liquid heater for vehicle, including waterway unit and electric control unit;Waterway unit includes waterway main casing, heating plate assembly and bottom cover;The inner cavity middle part of waterway main casing is equipped with support table, and the two sides of support table are water inlet channel and water outlet channel respectively;Water inlet and water outlet are equipped at the front end of waterway main casing;Heating plate assembly includes upper heating plate assembly and lower heating plate assembly, and the front of upper and lower heating plate assembly is respectively in contact with the upper end and lower end of support table, and the side of upper and lower heating plate assembly is welded with the inner cavity wall of heating plate assembly, and the closed waterway structure is formed inside;Bottom cover is sealingly and fixedly connected with the lower end of waterway main casing;Electric control unit is integrally arranged above waterway unit, and the lower end of electrical cavity main casing of electric control unit is sealingly and fixedly connected with the upper end of waterway main casing, and the terminal row side of electric control unit is connected with the control panel assembly of electric control unit, and the other side is welded with heating plate assembly.This heater improves waterway sealing property.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the technical field of automotive coolant heaters, and specifically relates to a high-efficiency automotive coolant heater. Background Technology

[0002] As a core component of ITMS (Integrated Thermal Management System), the coolant electric heater plays a crucial role in automotive thermal management. Currently, the main heating methods for automotive electric heaters include PTC ceramic chip heating, metal film heating, and resistance wire heating. Among these, metal film heating elements mostly use stainless steel substrates, with the substrate and water channels sealed by a sealing ring. This design has several drawbacks: uneven heat dissipation, affecting heating efficiency and coolant heating effect; a high risk of coolant leakage, potentially leading to equipment failure and even safety issues; and a bulky appearance and weight exceeding industry standards, hindering lightweight design and overall vehicle layout. Therefore, developing a product that meets both performance and strength requirements while maintaining a compact design is urgently needed. Utility Model Content

[0003] This invention addresses the shortcomings of existing technologies by proposing a high-efficiency automotive coolant heater that improves water circuit sealing, enhances product reliability and safety, and is small in size and lightweight.

[0004] The above-mentioned objective of this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution: A high-efficiency automotive coolant heater includes a water circuit unit and an electronic control unit; The water circuit unit includes a main water circuit housing, a heating plate assembly, and a bottom cover. A support platform is located in the center of the inner cavity of the main water circuit housing. Inlet and outlet water channels are formed between the two sides of the support platform and the corresponding inner walls of the main water circuit housing, respectively. An inlet and an outlet water interface are respectively connected to the inlet and outlet water channels at the front end of the main water circuit housing. The heating plate assembly includes an upper heating plate assembly and a lower heating plate assembly, both of which are composed of a heating substrate and a printed circuit board. The back is composed of a heating resistor material layer, and the front of the heating substrate is densely covered with protrusions, forming a flow gap between the protrusions; the front protrusion of the upper heating plate assembly contacts the upper end of the support platform, and the front protrusion of the lower heating plate assembly contacts the lower end of the support platform. The edges of the upper heating plate assembly and the edges of the lower heating plate assembly are connected to the inner cavity wall of the heating plate assembly by laser welding, so that a closed water channel structure is formed between the upper heating plate assembly and the lower heating plate assembly; the bottom cover is sealed and fixedly connected to the lower end of the water channel main shell. The electrical control unit is positioned above the water circuit unit. The lower end of the electrical cavity main housing of the electrical control unit is sealed and fixedly connected to the upper end of the water circuit main housing. One side of the terminal block of the electrical control unit is connected to the control board assembly of the electrical control unit through a fisheye pin, and the other side is welded to the heating plate assembly.

[0005] Furthermore, a surface gel layer is coated on the outer side of the heating resistor material layer of the upper heating plate assembly and the outer side of the heating resistor material layer of the lower heating plate assembly, respectively.

[0006] Furthermore, an IGBT mounting plate is fixed to the main housing of the electrical cavity with screws, so that the IGBT on the control board assembly is attached to the heat dissipation platform on the main housing of the electrical cavity, and an insulating pad is provided between the heat dissipation platform and the IGBT to achieve electrical isolation.

[0007] Furthermore, the high-voltage wiring harness assembly, low-voltage wiring harness assembly, grounding bolt, and breather valve of the electrical control unit are respectively fixedly installed on the front side wall, rear side wall, left side wall, and right side wall of the main housing of the electrical cavity.

[0008] Furthermore, a sealing ring mounting groove is provided on the lower edge of the main water system housing, and a rubber sealing ring is embedded in the sealing ring mounting groove; multiple protruding posts are provided on the outer perimeter of the lower end of the main water system housing, and threaded holes are provided on the protruding posts; the bottom cover is fixedly connected to the protruding posts at the lower end of the main water system housing by screws.

[0009] Furthermore, a sealing ring mounting groove is provided on the upper edge of the main water system housing, and multiple protruding pillars are provided around the upper perimeter of the main water system housing, with threaded holes on the protruding pillars; a sealing ring mounting groove is provided on both the upper and lower edges of the main electrical cavity housing, and protrusions are provided around the main electrical cavity housing, with screw through holes on the protruding pillars of the main electrical cavity housing, and the protrusions around the main electrical cavity housing correspond one-to-one with the protrusions around the upper perimeter of the main water system housing; rubber sealing rings are installed in the sealing ring mounting grooves at the upper end of the main water system housing and the sealing ring mounting grooves at the lower edge of the main electrical cavity housing, and rubber sealing rings are installed in the sealing ring mounting grooves at the upper edge of the main electrical cavity housing, so that the main electrical cavity housing forms a sealed contact with the top cover and the upper end of the main water system housing at the upper and lower ends, respectively, and the top cover, the main electrical cavity housing, and the upper end of the main water system housing are fixedly connected by integrally installed screws.

[0010] The advantages and positive effects of this utility model are as follows: 1. The water circuit unit of this utility model adopts a welding connection between two heating plate assemblies and the main water circuit housing to form a closed water circuit. Compared with the existing method of forming a water circuit by sealing with a sealing ring, it greatly reduces the risk of coolant leakage and improves the reliability and safety of the product.

[0011] 2. This utility model has heating structures on both sides of the water channel. When the energy demand is low, a single heating plate assembly can be used for heating; when the energy demand is high, two heating plate assemblies can be used for heating. The overall process is highly efficient and energy-saving, improving the applicability of the product.

[0012] 3. The electrical control unit and water circuit unit of this utility model adopt two independent chamber structures. On the one hand, this avoids the impact of water leakage on the electrical system. On the other hand, since the electrical control unit is connected to high voltage through the high voltage wiring harness assembly, the independent chamber structure also improves the safety of use.

[0013] 4. The heating plate assembly structure adopted in this utility model significantly reduces the weight of a single plate, effectively reducing the overall weight of the product and conforming to the trend of lightweight automotive development; this high-efficiency automotive coolant heater has a small overall size and occupies little space, making it easy to be flexibly arranged in the limited space inside the car. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is an exploded perspective view of the high-efficiency automotive coolant heater of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall appearance of the high-efficiency automotive coolant heater of this utility model; Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional exploded view of the water circuit structure of the high-efficiency automotive coolant heater of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the water circuit structure of the high-efficiency automotive coolant heater of this utility model; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the flow of coolant in the water circuit unit of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The structure of this utility model will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be noted that these embodiments are descriptive and not limiting.

[0016] For an efficient automotive coolant heater, please see [link / reference]. Figures 1-5 It includes an electrical control unit and a water circuit unit set up at the top and bottom.

[0017] The water circuit unit includes a main water circuit housing 15, a heating plate assembly 13, a surface gel layer 9, a bottom cover 12, etc.

[0018] The electrical control unit includes a top cover 2, an electrical cavity main housing 18, a control board assembly 4, an IGBT fixing plate 3, an insulating film 5, a low-voltage wiring harness assembly 7, a high-voltage wiring harness assembly 14, a grounding bolt 8, a terminal block 10, a breather valve 16, etc.

[0019] The main housing of the water channel is manufactured using a one-piece molding process. A support platform 15-3 is located in the center of its inner cavity. Water inlet channels 15-4 and water outlet channels 15-5 are formed between the two sides of the support platform and the corresponding sides of the main housing. The support platform can be hollow to achieve weight reduction. Water inlet interface 15-1 and water outlet interface 15-2 are respectively connected to the water inlet and outlet channels at the front end of the main housing. The heating plate assembly includes an upper heating plate assembly 13-1 and a lower heating plate assembly 13-2. Both assemblies have the same structure, consisting of a heating substrate and a heating resistor material layer printed on the back of the heating substrate. The front of the heating substrate is densely covered with protrusions, forming flow gaps between them. The front protrusion of the upper heating plate assembly contacts the upper end of the support platform, and the front protrusion of the lower heating plate assembly contacts the lower end of the support platform. The edges of the upper and lower heating plate assemblies are laser-welded to the inner wall of the heating plate assembly, forming a closed water channel structure between the upper and lower heating plate assemblies. The upper heating plate assembly 13-1 and the lower heating plate assembly 13-2 can heat the coolant simultaneously or individually. When the energy demand is low, a single heating plate assembly can be used to heat the coolant; when the energy demand is high, both heating plate assemblies can heat the coolant simultaneously. This design is beneficial for energy saving.

[0020] This utility model adopts a double heating plate assembly structure, which, compared with a single heating plate assembly structure, can reduce the surface temperature of the heating plate assembly by 80.51°C under the same heat output conditions, and can increase the heating power by more than 2 times under the same volume and specifications.

[0021] Furthermore, a surface gel layer 9 is coated on the outer side of the heating resistance material layer of the upper heating plate assembly 13-1 and the outer side of the heating resistance material layer of the lower heating plate assembly 13-2. This surface gel layer 9 plays an important role, as it can build an effective barrier between the heating plate assembly 13 and the external environment, achieving direct isolation between water vapor and the heating plate assembly 13. During vehicle operation, especially under the condition of coolant circulation heating, water vapor is inevitably generated. If water vapor comes into contact with the heating plate assembly 13, it may cause safety hazards such as short circuits and leakage, affecting the normal operation of the heater, and even threatening the safety of the vehicle and personnel. The good sealing and insulation properties of the surface gel layer 9 can effectively prevent water vapor from contacting the heating plate assembly 13, ensuring that the heater can operate safely and stably in various complex environments, greatly improving the safety and reliability of the product.

[0022] The flow path of the coolant in the water circuit unit is as follows: it enters the water inlet chamber from the water inlet interface 15-1, is heated when it flows through the heating plate assembly 13, and finally the fluid that meets the temperature requirements flows out through the water outlet interface 15-2 to meet the thermal management needs of the whole vehicle.

[0023] To achieve a sealed connection between the main housing of the water system and the lower end of the main housing of the electrical cavity, as well as a sealed connection with the bottom cover, a sealing ring mounting groove is provided on both the upper and lower edges of the main housing of the water system. A rubber sealing ring 6 is embedded in each of these grooves. Additionally, multiple protruding posts are provided on the outer periphery of both the upper and lower ends of the main housing of the water system, each with threaded holes. The threaded holes on the upper protruding posts are used for connection with the main housing of the electrical cavity; the threaded holes on the lower protruding posts are used for connection with the bottom cover. The bottom cover is fixedly connected to the lower protruding posts of the main housing of the water system using screws.

[0024] The main housing of the electrical cavity is manufactured using a one-piece molding process. A high-voltage wiring harness assembly mounting interface is located in the center of the front side wall of the main housing, and a low-voltage wiring harness assembly mounting interface is located in the center of the rear side wall. Grounding bolt mounting interfaces and breather valve mounting interfaces are respectively located on the left and right side walls of the main housing. A sealing ring mounting groove is provided on both the upper and lower edges of the main housing, and external protrusions are provided around the perimeter of the main housing. Screw through holes are provided on these external protrusions, and the external protrusions around the perimeter of the main housing correspond one-to-one with the external protrusions around the upper perimeter of the main housing of the water system.

[0025] In terms of electrical connection and installation, the high-voltage wiring harness assembly 14 and the low-voltage wiring harness assembly 7 are fixedly connected to the main housing 18 of the electrical cavity by screws installed at the high-voltage wiring harness assembly mounting interface and the low-voltage wiring harness assembly mounting interface, respectively. The breather valve 16 and the grounding bolt 8 are installed at the breather valve mounting interface and the grounding bolt mounting interface of the main housing 18 of the electrical cavity, respectively. The top cover 2 is sealed to the upper end of the main housing 18 of the electrical cavity by a rubber sealing ring 6, and the lower end of the main housing 18 of the electrical cavity is sealed to the upper end of the main housing of the water system by a rubber sealing ring 6. The top cover, the main housing 18 of the electrical cavity, and the upper end of the main housing of the water system are fixedly connected by integrally inserted screws 1. The control board assembly is installed in the inner cavity of the main housing 18 of the electrical cavity by screws. The main high-voltage wiring harness assembly 14 is connected to the control board assembly 4 (PCBA assembly) via flange nuts 17, and the low-voltage wiring harness assembly 7 is connected to the control board assembly 4 via connectors. One side of the terminal block 10 is connected to the control board assembly 4 via a fisheye pin, and the other side is soldered to the heating plate assembly 13 via reflow soldering, thus achieving precise control of the heating element by the PCBA. Specifically, there are two terminal blocks: one terminal block connects the upper heating plate assembly and the control board assembly, and the other terminal block connects the lower heating plate assembly and the control board assembly. A long through hole is provided near the front sidewall inside the main housing of the electrical cavity for the upper part of the two terminal blocks to pass through. Two separate left and right long through holes are provided inside the front sidewall of the main housing of the water circuit. These two long through holes are aligned vertically with the long slots on the main housing of the electrical cavity, allowing the lower parts of the two terminal blocks to pass through, thus achieving a reasonable arrangement of the two terminal blocks and sealing them within the main housing of the water circuit and the main housing of the electrical cavity. The outer casings of the two end sub-bars are fixedly connected to the upper end of the main water channel casing by screws 11.

[0026] In terms of power supply and system control, the high-voltage wiring harness assembly 14 is connected to the vehicle's high-voltage power supply system to provide the necessary power to the heater; the low-voltage wiring harness assembly 7 is connected to the vehicle's low-voltage system, and the vehicle end uses a 12V low-voltage circuit to control the 390V-925V high-voltage system, thereby achieving comprehensive control of the heater.

[0027] In terms of heat dissipation and safety, the IGBTs on the control board assembly 4 are cooled by a heat dissipation platform on the main housing 18 of the electrical cavity, and the two are electrically isolated by an insulating gasket 5. To ensure heat dissipation, the IGBTs on the control board assembly 4 and the IGBT mounting plate 3 are tightly attached to the heat dissipation platform on the main housing of the electrical cavity with screws.

[0028] In terms of safety protection measures, in addition to overvoltage and overcurrent protection, this product also features overtemperature protection. The water temperature sensor is directly soldered onto the control board assembly 4, and its sensing element is installed on both the inlet and outlet sides of the main water circuit housing via thermally conductive silicone grease. It can collect inlet and outlet water temperatures in real time and transmit them to the control board assembly 4. A plate temperature sensor is soldered onto the heating plate assembly, which transmits the collected plate temperature data to the control board assembly 4, enabling comprehensive temperature monitoring and protection of the heater.

[0029] In addition, the heater housing in this embodiment is made of metal, which effectively solves the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) problem of electronic components and ensures the normal operation of electronic equipment inside the vehicle.

[0030] Although embodiments and drawings of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will understand that various substitutions, variations and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and the appended claims. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the contents disclosed in the embodiments and drawings.

Claims

1. A high-efficiency automotive coolant heater, characterized in that: Includes water system unit and electrical control unit; The water circuit unit includes a main water circuit housing, a heating plate assembly, and a bottom cover. A support platform is located in the center of the inner cavity of the main water circuit housing. Inlet and outlet water channels are formed between the two sides of the support platform and the corresponding inner walls of the main water circuit housing, respectively. An inlet and an outlet water interface are respectively connected to the inlet and outlet water channels at the front end of the main water circuit housing. The heating plate assembly includes an upper heating plate assembly and a lower heating plate assembly, both of which are composed of a heating substrate and a printed circuit board. The back is composed of a heating resistor material layer, and the front of the heating substrate is densely covered with protrusions, forming a flow gap between the protrusions; the front protrusion of the upper heating plate assembly contacts the upper end of the support platform, and the front protrusion of the lower heating plate assembly contacts the lower end of the support platform. The edges of the upper heating plate assembly and the edges of the lower heating plate assembly are connected to the inner cavity wall of the heating plate assembly by laser welding, so that a closed water channel structure is formed between the upper heating plate assembly and the lower heating plate assembly; the bottom cover is sealed and fixedly connected to the lower end of the water channel main shell. The electrical control unit is positioned above the water circuit unit. The lower end of the electrical cavity main housing of the electrical control unit is sealed and fixedly connected to the upper end of the water circuit main housing. One side of the terminal block of the electrical control unit is connected to the control board assembly of the electrical control unit through a fisheye pin, and the other side is welded to the heating plate assembly.

2. The high-efficiency automotive coolant heater according to claim 1, characterized in that: A surface gel layer is coated on the outer side of the heating resistor material layer of the upper heating plate assembly and the outer side of the heating resistor material layer of the lower heating plate assembly, respectively.

3. The high-efficiency automotive coolant heater according to claim 1, characterized in that: An IGBT mounting plate is fixed to the main housing of the electrical cavity with screws, so that the IGBT on the control board assembly is attached to the heat dissipation platform on the main housing of the electrical cavity, and an insulating pad is provided between the heat dissipation platform and the IGBT to achieve electrical isolation.

4. The high-efficiency automotive coolant heater according to claim 1, characterized in that: The high-voltage wiring harness assembly, low-voltage wiring harness assembly, grounding bolt, and breather valve of the electrical control unit are respectively fixedly installed on the front side wall, rear side wall, left side wall, and right side wall of the main housing of the electrical cavity.

5. The high-efficiency automotive coolant heater according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sealing ring mounting groove is provided on the lower edge of the main water system housing, and a rubber sealing ring is embedded in the sealing ring mounting groove; multiple protruding posts are provided on the outer perimeter of the lower end of the main water system housing, and threaded holes are provided on the protruding posts; the bottom cover is fixedly connected to the protruding posts at the lower end of the main water system housing by screws.

6. The high-efficiency automotive coolant heater according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sealing ring mounting groove is provided on the upper edge of the main water system housing. Multiple protruding pillars are provided around the upper perimeter of the main water system housing, and threaded holes are provided on the protruding pillars. A sealing ring mounting groove is provided on both the upper and lower edges of the main electrical cavity housing. Protrusions are provided around the main electrical cavity housing, and screw through holes are provided on the protruding pillars of the main electrical cavity housing. The protrusions around the main electrical cavity housing correspond one-to-one with the protrusions around the upper perimeter of the main water system housing. Rubber sealing rings are installed in the sealing ring mounting grooves at the upper and lower edges of the main water system housing, respectively. A rubber sealing ring is installed in the sealing ring mounting groove at the upper edge of the main electrical cavity housing, so that the main electrical cavity housing forms a sealed contact with the top cover and the upper end of the main water system housing at the upper and lower ends, respectively. The top cover, the main electrical cavity housing, and the upper end of the main water system housing are fixedly connected by integrally installed screws.

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