Thermal management system for a motor vehicle and method for controlling a thermal management system

Abstract

In order to provide a thermal management system for a motor vehicle which can be controlled efficiently and quickly and enables savings in terms of installation space and required resources, a thermal management system (100) for a motor vehicle, in particular a battery electric vehicle, comprising high-voltage components (10a, 10b) and low-voltage components (11a, 11b, 11c) and at least one control unit (12a, 12b, 12c, 13) is proposed, wherein at least one control unit (13) is a, in particular first, main control unit (14) which is configured to control at least two of the high-voltage components (10a, 10b).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a thermal management system for a motor vehicle, in particular for a battery-electric vehicle, comprising high-voltage components and low-voltage components and at least one control unit. The present invention further relates to a method for controlling such a thermal management system and to a motor vehicle comprising a thermal management system.

[0002] Thermal management systems in motor vehicles, particularly battery electric vehicles, are highly complex systems comprising numerous high-voltage and low-voltage components. Each of these components must be controlled according to its operating state and applicable performance requirements. It is known that each of these thermal management systems requires a separate control unit, such as an electronic control unit (ECU) or a circuit board. Due to the large number of ECUs, significant coordination is necessary. This increased coordination effort translates into larger installation space requirements and the need for additional resources such as circuit boards, chips, and capacitors. Furthermore, the high number of ECUs makes the control of such a thermal management system inefficient and slow.

[0003] CN 114940048 A discloses a thermal management system for motor vehicles for the direct cooling and heating of a battery using supercritical CO2 and a control method for this system. In the system, port A of a four-way reversing valve is connected to port C of the four-way reversing valve via a compressor, the first channel of a heat regenerator, and a gas-liquid separator. Port B of the four-way reversing valve is connected to port D of the four-way reversing valve via the outside heat exchanger, the second channel of the heat recovery unit, the two-way throttle valve, the first-stage interior heat exchanger, the all-pass throttle valve, and the second-stage interior heat exchanger.

[0004] From EP 4 016 700 A1, a cooling system is known which is designed to control the temperature of a battery and the temperature of the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle independently of each other, wherein the system comprises at least one cooling element of at least one battery module, wherein the cooling element is connected in parallel to an evaporator of an air conditioning circuit designed to cool the passenger compartment, wherein the air conditioning circuit also comprises at least one compressor and at least one condenser, wherein the system comprises a pressure control valve with a variable opening, wherein the pressure control valve is arranged downstream of the cooling element.

[0005] FR 3 085 623 A1 discloses a method for controlling a thermal management device of a motor vehicle, which is configured to operate in a heat pump mode in which a coolant circulates successively through a compressor, a first heat exchanger intended to exchange thermal energy directly or indirectly with an internal airflow for the passenger compartment, a first expansion device whose opening is variable, and a second heat exchanger intended to be passed through by an external airflow.

[0006] US patent 2019 / 0070924 A1 discloses a vehicle thermal management system comprising a vehicle heat pump system, a battery system coolant circuit, a vehicle coolant circuit and control electrodes, a cabin evaporator, a cabin blower, and a chiller. Control electronics manage the components of the thermal management system to heat the cabin, cool the cabin, heat the battery system, cool the battery system, and cool the powertrain.

[0007] US patent 2023 / 0017549 A1 discloses an integrated thermal air conditioning circuit for a vehicle comprising a refrigerant line that causes a refrigerant to flow through a compressor, an internal condenser of an internal air conditioning device, and an external condenser outside the vehicle.

[0008] The present invention is based on the objective of providing a thermal management system for a motor vehicle which can be controlled efficiently and quickly and enables savings in terms of installation space and required resources.

[0009] To solve the problem underlying the invention, a thermal management system for a motor vehicle, in particular for a battery electric vehicle, comprising high-voltage components and low-voltage components and at least one control unit, is proposed, wherein it is further provided that at least one control unit is a, in particular first, main control unit, which is designed to control at least two of the high-voltage components.

[0010] The thermal management system comprises at least one control unit. Accordingly, the thermal management system can have exactly one control unit or several control units. At least one of the control units is a main control unit. If the thermal management system has exactly one control unit, this control unit is the main control unit. The main control unit is configured to control at least two of the high-voltage components. In other words, only one control unit, namely the main control unit (and preferably the first one), is provided for controlling at least two, preferably all, of the high-voltage components. This reduces the coordination effort between the control units for the high-voltage components, allowing the thermal management system to be regulated and controlled more quickly and efficiently.

[0011] Due to the shared control of at least two of the high-voltage components by a common main control unit, the amount of data exchanged between the components, especially the high-voltage components, can be reduced. This also reduces the number of erroneous data values. Furthermore, the update capability of the system components is increased.

[0012] The control by the main control unit can be achieved through hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0013] Preferably, the high-voltage components include an air conditioning compressor and / or a high-voltage heater, in particular a water heater and / or an air heater, and / or the low-voltage components include control valves, in particular of a refrigeration circuit and / or a water circuit, and / or a water pump, and / or an actuator and / or an air conditioning system.

[0014] Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the at least one control unit comprises or is a circuit board, in particular a control board.

[0015] The control board can include processors, especially a CPU, capacitors, and other electronic components. Furthermore, the control board can contain integrated circuits, electronic memory, or similar components. The control function of the control unit or the board can be implemented in hardware and / or software.

[0016] A further advantage is that the main control unit is a control unit of a first high-voltage component and / or is integrated into a control unit of a first high-voltage component, and that a second high-voltage component is connected to the main control unit by means of a data connection, the data connection preferably being a data line or a radio connection.

[0017] The data connection is specifically designed for data exchange.

[0018] Thus, the control unit of the first high-voltage component is responsible for controlling both the first and second high-voltage components and is configured accordingly. By using the existing control unit for the first high-voltage component as the primary control unit, an additional control unit for the second high-voltage component is unnecessary. Specifically, the control unit of the first high-voltage component is designed, both in terms of software and / or hardware, to control both the first and second high-voltage components. The necessary data exchange between the second high-voltage component and the primary control unit takes place via a dedicated data line.

[0019] In particular, it may be provided that the low-voltage components each have their own independent control units assigned to them in a known manner.

[0020] It is further preferably provided that the main control unit is a central control unit, and that a first high-voltage component and a second high-voltage component are connected to the central control unit by means of data connections, wherein the data connections are preferably data lines or radio connections.

[0021] Therefore, it is also possible that the main control unit, which controls at least the first and second high-voltage components, is neither part of nor integrated into either of these components. Instead, the control of the first and second high-voltage components is handled by the central, separate control unit. Thus, both the first and second high-voltage components are connected to the central control unit via data lines designed for data exchange.

[0022] Another preferred embodiment consists in that at least one control unit is a second main control unit designed to control at least two of the low-voltage components.

[0023] Analogous to the joint control of at least two high-voltage components by means of at least one first main control unit, at least two low-voltage components can also be controlled by means of a corresponding second main control unit. Accordingly, the control logic of the second main control unit can essentially correspond to the control logic of the first main control unit.

[0024] Furthermore, it may be provided that the second main control unit is a control unit of a first low-voltage component and / or is integrated into a control unit of a first low-voltage component, and that a second low-voltage component is connected to the second main control unit by means of a data connection, wherein the data connection is preferably a data line or a radio connection.

[0025] The second low-voltage component therefore does not have its own control unit. Consequently, the control of the second low-voltage component is handled by the control unit of the first low-voltage component, which is designed as the second main control unit.

[0026] It is also possible that the second main control unit is a second central control unit, and that a first low-voltage component and a second low-voltage component are connected to the second central control unit via data connections, preferably data lines or radio connections.

[0027] Furthermore, it can be provided that the first main control unit and the second main control unit are integrated into a master control unit, wherein control components for the first main control unit and the second main control unit are preferably spatially and / or logically separated on a circuit board, in particular a control board, of the master control unit.

[0028] The control of both the low-voltage and high-voltage components is therefore preferably carried out by the master control unit. Accordingly, the at least two high-voltage components and the at least two low-voltage components, preferably all high-voltage components and / or all low-voltage components, are connected to the master control unit by means of appropriate data lines designed for data exchange.

[0029] The master control unit can consist of, or be, a circuit board and / or a control board. Within the master control unit, high-voltage and low-voltage components are separated by physically and / or logically separating the control components for the first and second main control units. The control components of the master control unit can include processors, ICs, memory, etc.

[0030] When the first and second main control units are integrated into the master control unit, data exchange between the master control unit (or the first and second main control units) and the high-voltage and low-voltage components takes place in a shared, central, highly integrated area. The first main control unit, integrated into the master control unit, communicates with the high-voltage components, and the second main control unit, integrated into the master control unit, communicates with the low-voltage components.

[0031] Furthermore, it may be provided that the control of the high-voltage components and the low-voltage components is ensured by a pressure-generating device, in particular an air conditioning compressor and / or a water pump.

[0032] Accordingly, it may be provided that the first high-voltage component and / or the first low-voltage component is a pressure-generating component, in particular an air conditioning compressor or a pump.

[0033] Another solution to the problem underlying the invention consists in a method for controlling a previously described thermal management system for a motor vehicle, in particular for a battery electric vehicle, wherein it is provided that the, in particular first, main control unit controls at least two of the high-voltage components.

[0034] All the functions, designs and features of the thermal management system described above can also be applied to the process in a correspondingly analogous manner.

[0035] Another solution to the problem underlying the invention consists of a motor vehicle comprising a previously described thermal management system.

[0036] The motor vehicle can be a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), or a motor vehicle with an internal combustion engine (ICE).

[0037] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. These show... Fig. 1. A first thermal management system, Fig. 2 a second thermal management system, Fig. 3 a third thermal management system, Fig. 4 a fourth thermal management system, and Fig. 5 a motor vehicle with a thermal management system.

[0038] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a thermal management system 100 for a motor vehicle. The thermal management system 100 comprises two high-voltage components 10a, 10b and three low-voltage components 11a, 11b, 11c. In principle, the thermal management system 100 can also include further high-voltage and low-voltage components. Each of the low-voltage components 11a, 11b, 11c includes its own control unit 12a, 12b, 12c. The first high-voltage component 10a includes a control unit 13, which is configured as the main control unit 14. The second high-voltage component 10b, however, does not include a control unit but is connected to the control unit 13 of the first high-voltage component 10a, i.e., the main control unit 14, via a data line 15 suitable for data exchange. The main control unit 14 of the first high-voltage component 10a is configured to control both the first high-voltage component 10a and the second high-voltage component 10b.The thermal management system 100 further comprises a high-voltage supply 16 and a low-voltage supply 17, which are connected via corresponding lines 18 to the high-voltage components 10a, 10b and the low-voltage components 11a, 11b, 11c.

[0039] Fig. Figure 2 shows another thermal management system 100. According to the variant after Fig. 2 The thermal management system 100 also includes a first main control unit 14, which is designed to control the first high-voltage component 10a and the second high-voltage component 10b. The main control unit 14 is the control unit 13 of the first high-voltage component 10a. Accordingly, the second high-voltage component 10b does not have its own control unit, but is connected to the main control unit 14 of the first high-voltage component 10a by a data line 15 designed for data exchange. Compared to the embodiment according to Fig. A second main control unit 19 is provided for the low-voltage components 11a, 11b, and 11c. This second main control unit 19 for the low-voltage components 11a, 11b, and 11c is the control unit 12a of the first low-voltage component 11a. The second and third low-voltage components 11b and 11c, however, do not have their own control units but are connected to the main control unit 19 of the first low-voltage component 11a via corresponding data lines 20 designed for data exchange. The thermal management system 100 also includes a high-voltage supply 16 and a low-voltage supply 17.

[0040] Fig. Figure 3 shows yet another variant of the thermal management system 100. Compared to the variants described above, according to the Fig. 1 and Fig. None of the high-voltage components 10a, 10b and low-voltage components 11a, 11b, 11c have their own control unit. Instead, the first main control unit 14 is designed as a first central control unit 21, which is not integrated into either the first high-voltage component 10a or the second high-voltage component 10b. The first high-voltage component 20a and the second high-voltage component 10b are connected to the first central control unit 21 via data lines 15 designed for data exchange. Similarly, none of the low-voltage components 11a, 11b, 11c have their own control unit. Instead, the second main control unit 19 is designed as a second central control unit 22. The low-voltage components 11a, 11b, 11c are each connected to the second central control unit 22 via data lines 20 designed for data exchange.

[0041] Fig. Figure 4 shows yet another variant of the thermal management system 100. The thermal management system 100 according to Fig. 4 further corresponds to the thermal management system 100 according to Fig. 3. In deviation from the thermal management system 100 according to Fig. However, the first control unit 14 and the second control unit 19 are integrated into a master control unit 23, which also includes the high-voltage supply 16 and the low-voltage supply 17. Thus, there is only a single master control unit 23, which controls all low-voltage components 11a, 11b, 11c and high-voltage components 10a, 10b. Within the master control unit 23, the control components of the first control unit 14 for the high-voltage components 10a, 10b and of the second control unit 19 for the low-voltage components 11a, 11b, 11c are spatially and logically separated, meaning that the control components for the high-voltage components 10a, 10b only communicate with the high-voltage components 10a, 10b, and that the control components for the low-voltage components 11a, 11b, 11c only communicate with the low-voltage components 11a, 11b, 11c.

[0042] Fig. Figure 5 shows a motor vehicle 200 with a thermal management system 100 according to one of the Fig. 1 to 4. Reference symbol list 100 Thermal Management System 10a First high-voltage component 10b Second high-voltage component 11a First low-voltage component 11b Second low-voltage component 11c Third low-voltage component 12a Control unit 12b Control unit 12c control unit 13 Control unit 14 First main control unit 15 data lines 16 High-voltage supply 17 Low-voltage supply 18 Management 19 Second main control unit 20 data lines 21 First central control unit 22 Second central control unit 23 Master control unit QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] CN 114940048 A

[0003] EP 4 016 700 A1

[0004] FR 3 085 623 A1

[0005] US 2019 / 0070924 A1

[0006] US 2023 / 0017549 A1

[0007]

Claims

[1] Thermal management system (100) for a motor vehicle, in particular a battery electric vehicle, comprising high-voltage components (10a, 10b) and low-voltage components (11a, 11b, 11c) and at least one control unit (12a, 12b, 12c, 13), characterized by , that at least one control unit (13) is a, in particular first, main control unit (14) which is designed to control at least two of the high-voltage components (10a, 10b). [2] Thermal management system (100) according to claim 1, characterized by, that the high-voltage components (10a, 10b) comprise an air conditioning compressor and / or a high-voltage heater, in particular a water heater and / or an air heater, and / or that the low-voltage components (11a, 11b, 11c) comprise control valves, in particular of a refrigeration circuit and / or a water circuit, and / or a water pump, and / or an actuator and / or an air conditioning system, and / or that the at least one control unit (12a, 12b, 12c, 13) comprises or is a circuit board, in particular a control board. [3] Thermal management system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by, that the main control unit (14) is a control unit (13) of a first high-voltage component (10a) and / or is integrated into a control unit (13) of a first high-voltage component (10a), and that a second high-voltage component (10b) is connected to the main control unit (14) by means of a data connection, wherein the data connection is preferably a data line (15) or a radio connection. [4] Thermal management system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the main control unit (14) is a central control unit (21), and that a first high-voltage component (10a) and a second high-voltage component (10b) are connected to the central control unit (21) by means of data connections, wherein the data connections are preferably data lines (15) or radio connections. [5] Thermal management system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that at least one control unit (12a, 12b, 12c) is a second main control unit (19) which is designed to control at least two of the low-voltage components (11a, 11b, 11c). [6] Thermal management system (100) according to claim 5, characterized by , that the second main control unit (19) is a control unit (12a) of a first low-voltage component (11a) and / or is integrated into a control unit (12a) of a first low-voltage component (11a), and that a second low-voltage component (11b, 11c) is connected to the second main control unit (19) by means of a data connection, wherein the data connection is preferably a data line (20) or a radio connection. [7] Thermal management system (100) according to claim 5, characterized by, that the second main control unit (19) is a second central control unit (22), and that a first low-voltage component (11a) and a second low-voltage component (11b, 11c) are connected to the second central control unit (22) by means of data connections, wherein the data connections are preferably data lines (20) or radio connections. [8] Thermal management system (100) according to claims 5 to 7, characterized by , that the first main control unit (14) and the second main control unit (19) are integrated into a master control unit (23), wherein control components for the first main control unit (14) and the second main control unit (19) are preferably spatially and / or logically separated on a circuit board, in particular a control board, of the master control unit (23). [9] Method for controlling a thermal management system (100) for a motor vehicle, in particular a battery electric vehicle, wherein the thermal management system (100) is designed according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the, in particular the first, main control unit (14) controls at least two of the high-voltage components (10a, 10b). [10] Motor vehicle, in particular battery electric vehicle, comprising a thermal management system (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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