Thermal management system for vehicles

Abstract

A thermal management system for a vehicle for cooling the electronic components (110) required for autonomous driving of the vehicle, the thermal management system comprising: a first module for cooling the electronic components (110) through their self-cooling structure; a second module for cooling the electronic components (110) using a refrigerant cycle for air conditioning the interior of the vehicle; and a third module for cooling the electronic components (110) using a refrigerant cycle or a coolant cycle, wherein the electronic components (110) are cooled by at least two modules among the first, the second and the third module, wherein the first module (200) cools the electronic components using at least one of thermal radiation, conduction and convection flow, and The third module includes: a first refrigerant line (415) which is a flow passage of the refrigerant; a first compressor (411) for discharging the refrigerant in a gaseous state of high temperature and high pressure after sucking in and compressing the refrigerant; a first condenser (412) for condensing the refrigerant by exchanging heat with the air; a first expansion valve (413) for expanding the refrigerant; a first refrigeration machine (414) for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the coolant; and a first coolant line (424) which is a flow passage of the coolant that exchanges heat with the electronic components (110) and passes through the first refrigerator (414).

Description

[Technical Field]The present invention relates to a thermal management system for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a thermal management system for a vehicle that can cool or warm the electronic devices for an autonomous system.[Background art]Generally, an autonomous system for a vehicle includes electronic devices such as a lidar, a radar, a sensor, etc. For autonomous driving of the vehicle, a series of thermal management for cooling or heating the electrical parts including the electronic devices is fundamentally required.U.S. Pat. No. 7,841,431 B2 discloses a thermal management system for a vehicle including a powertrain cooling subsystem, a cooling subsystem, a battery cooling subsystem, and a heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) subsystem.Document JP 2013-075 628 A discloses a vehicle temperature control system including: a refrigerant circuit of the air conditioner including a compressor, a four-way valve, an outside air heat exchanger for exchanging heat with the outside air, and a first heat exchanger for exchanging heat with the air in the vehicle; an electric component cooling circuit including a pump, a cooling unit for cooling an electric component, and a heat dissipation unit for cooling a fluid heat-exchanged in the cooling unit; a cooperative heat exchanger; and a control device.Document KR 10 2012 0 129 076 A discloses a cooling system for an electric vehicle having an electric cooling part and an air conditioning part. The electric cooling part includes a radiator, a pump, and a fan. Cooling water flows through the radiator and cools the cooling water. The pump circulates the cooling water. The fan blows air to the radiator with power. The air conditioner is composed of a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, and a compressor.A conventional thermal management system for a vehicle includes a cooling subsystem, an HVAC subsystem having a first refrigerant loop including heating means and cooling means, a powertrain cooling subsystem having a second refrigerant loop including a radiator, and means for interconnecting the first refrigerant loop and the second refrigerant loop to control them.A refrigerant flows in the first refrigerant loop, and in order, an electric compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and a chiller are disposed in the first refrigerant loop in a flow direction of the refrigerant. The electric compressor draws in the refrigerant and compresses the refrigerant, and then discharges it in a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous state. The condenser exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the air blown by a blower. The expansion valve is disposed between the condenser and the chiller to expand the refrigerant. The chiller exchanges heat between the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant expanded in the expansion valve and a refrigerant of a refrigerant line.Moreover, a coolant flows within the second refrigerant loop, the second refrigerant loop cooling or heating a power transmission means such as an engine. The coolant circulated and introduced after the heat exchange with the engine flows to a heat storage unit after passing through a low-temperature radiator (LTR), or flows to the heat storage unit after the heat exchange with the refrigerant to be cooled while passing through the chiller. The coolant line includes a coolant pump for circulating the coolant.When the conventional thermal management system fails, it cannot stably and continuously cool a heat source unit, and in a case where the thermal management system is applied to an autonomous vehicle, it may make autonomous driving impossible. In the worst case, it causes a failure in autonomous driving and causes an accident.[Disclosure][Technical Problem]Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems occurring in the related art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a thermal management system for a vehicle that can provide effective cooperation between a plurality of means for performing thermal management of electronic components for an autonomous vehicle, e.g., for electronic devices.[Technical Solution]To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a thermal management system for a vehicle for cooling the electronic components required for autonomous driving of the vehicle, including: a first module for cooling the electronic components by their self-cooling structure; a second module for cooling the electronic components using a refrigerant cycle for air-conditioning the interior of the vehicle; and a third module for cooling the electronic components using a refrigerant cycle or a coolant cycle, wherein the electronic components are cooled by at least two modules among the first, second, and third modules.The first module cools the electronic components using at least one of heat radiation, conduction, and convection flow.The third system includes: a first refrigerant line that is a flow passage of the refrigerant; a first compressor for discharging the refrigerant in a high temperature and high pressure gaseous state after the refrigerant is sucked and compressed; a first condenser for condensing the refrigerant by exchanging heat with the air; a first expansion valve for expanding the refrigerant; a first chiller for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the refrigerant; and a first refrigerant line that is a flow passage of the refrigerant that exchanges heat with the electronic components and passes through the first chiller.Moreover, thermal management of the electronic components is performed by the first module and the third module.Further, thermal management of the electronic components is performed by the first module and the second module.In addition, the coolant circulating around the electronic components is cooled using a cooling heat source of the second module, wherein the third module and the second module cooperate to selectively cool the coolant circulating around the electronic components.Additionally, the second module supports the self-cooling system and the third module to selectively cool the coolant circulating around the electronic components.Moreover, the thermal management system further includes: sensing means for sensing the states of at least two modules selected from among the first module, the second module, and the third module; and communication means for performing communication between at least two modules selected from among the first module, the second module, and the third module.Further, when the sensing means senses the one among the at least two modules selected from among the first module, the second module and the third module, the other module compensates it to perform thermal management of the electronic components.In addition, the state of the module sensed by the sensing means comprises the temperature information.In addition, the thermal management system further includes: a temperature control head for sensing the state of the second module and controlling the operation of the second module; and a stand-alone controller for sensing the state of the third module and controlling the operation of the third mode, wherein the sensing lines of the temperature control head and the stand-alone controller cooperate with each other.In addition, the third module further includes a heater disposed in the first coolant line to heat the coolant.In addition, the third module further includes: a first branch line branching from the first coolant line and bypassing the first chiller; and a first low temperature radiator disposed in the first branch line to exchange heat between the air and the coolant.Moreover, the second module includes: a second refrigerant line that is a flow passage of the refrigerant; a second compressor for discharging the refrigerant in a high temperature and high pressure gaseous state after the refrigerant is sucked and compressed; a second condenser for condensing the refrigerant by exchanging heat with the air; expansion means for expanding the refrigerant; an evaporator disposed inside an air conditioning case to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the air discharged to the inside of the vehicle; a third refrigerant line that bypasses the evaporator; a second chiller disposed in the third refrigerant line to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the refrigerant; and a second refrigerant line that is a flow passage of the refrigerant that exchanges heat with the electronic components and passes through the second chiller.Further, the second module further includes: a second branch line branching from the second refrigerant line and bypassing the second chiller; and a second low temperature radiator disposed in the second branch line to exchange heat between the air and the refrigerant.According to the present invention, there is provided another thermal management system for a vehicle for cooling the electronic components required for autonomous driving of the vehicle, including: a first module for cooling the electronic components by their self-cooling structure; a second module for cooling the electronic components using a refrigerant cycle for air conditioning the interior of the vehicle; and a third module for cooling the electronic components using a refrigerant cycle or a refrigerant cycle, wherein the electronic components are cooled by at least two systems among the first, second, and third systems.The first module cools the electronic components using at least one of heat radiation, conduction, and convection flow.In addition, the another thermal management system includes a first coolant line disposed in the third module; a second coolant line disposed in the second module; a third coolant line connected to the first coolant line and the second coolant line and being a flow passage of the coolant exchanging heat with the electronic components; and a dual cooling valve for selectively connecting the third coolant line to the first coolant line and the second coolant line.[The Advantageous Effects]As described above, the thermal management system for a vehicle according to the present invention can continuously cool the autonomous system even if one of the cooling systems fails, and minimize the power consumption of the compressor by simultaneously cooling the electronic components and the battery of the autonomous vehicle by the conventional air conditioning system if there is no cooling load inside, thereby contributing to the improvement of the running performance of the vehicle.Moreover, in the case of excessive heat generation and cooling load of the electronic components, the thermal management system for a vehicle according to the present invention can simultaneously operate the third system and the second system to correspond to the required cooling performance, and can optimally control the third system and the second system in consideration of the internal environment, the battery, and the load of the electronic component of the autonomous vehicle.Further, the thermal management system for a vehicle according to the present invention can prevent the worst case by the cooling structure of the self-cooling system even when all of the independent system and the conventional system operated by the refrigerant, thereby improving the stability of the autonomous operation.[Description of Drawings]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a thermal management system for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view showing a cooling method of the thermal management system for the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a configuration view showing a control unit of the thermal management system for the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a view showing the thermal management system for the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 5 to 7 are views showing examples of operations of the thermal management system for the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention.[The Operation for the Invention]Hereinafter, a technical structure of a thermal management system for a vehicle according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a thermal management system for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a view showing a cooling method of the thermal management system for the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a configuration view showing a control unit of the thermal management system for the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention.As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the thermal management system for the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention is intended to execute a series of thermal management to cool or heat the electronic components including the electronic devices 110 such as a computer 112, a lidar, a radar, and a sensor 111, an autonomous vehicle 100, including a first system 200 that is a first module, a second system 300 that is a second module, and a third system 400 that is a third module.The first system is a self-cooling system for cooling the electronic components 110 of the autonomous vehicle through a self-cooling structure. The first system 200 cools the electronic components 110 using at least one of heat radiation, conduction, and convection flow, and cools the electronic components 110 by the mechanical self-cooling structure without having a power source, e.g., an electric compressor (a refrigerant cycle).The second system 300 is a conventional system and cools the electronic components 110 necessary for the autonomous operation of the vehicle using a refrigerant cycle that performs air conditioning of the interior of the vehicle. The second system 300 includes, for example, heating means and cooling means for performing air conditioning of the interior of the vehicle, and has an HVAC structure that performs heating, ventilation, and cooling. The second system 300 includes blowing means disposed on one side for selectively introducing outside air and inside air, and units for heating or cooling the outside air and the inside air and discharging the cooled or heated air into the interior of the vehicle. In addition, the refrigerant cycle of the second system 300 serves to recover the waste heat of a heat source portion such as a battery of the vehicle.The cooling means may be an evaporator using a refrigerant, while the heating means may be a heater core or a PTC heater using a cooling means cooling an engine in the case of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine. In addition, the second system may have a structure for cooling the battery of an electric vehicle.The third system 400 is a stand-alone system, cools or heats the coolant circulating around the electronic components 110, and is disposed separately from the second system 300 to independently perform the cooling and the heating. The third system 400 cools and heats the coolant and performs thermal management of the electronic components 110 using the heat source.The electronic components 110 of the autonomous vehicle basically perform cooling by the self-cooling structure of the first system 200. If the self-cooling of the first system 200 is impossible or the self-cooling of the first system 200 is absent due to the excessive heat generation of the electronic components 110, the coolant cooled by the third system 400 is supplied to the electronic components 110 to perform the cooling.The second system 300 includes a cooling heat source such as a chiller described later, and can cool the coolant circulating around the electronic components 110 using the cooling heat source. A detailed description of the second system 300 will be given later.The third system 400 and the second system 300 cooperate to selectively cool the coolant circulating around the electronic components 110.The second system 300 supports the first system 200 and the third system 400 to selectively cool the coolant circulating around the electronic components 110.As shown in FIG. 3, the thermal management system according to the embodiment of the present invention performs the main cooling of the electronic components 110 that are the heat sources using only the self-cooling system 200. More preferably, the thermal management system performs the main cooling using the first system 200 and the third system 400. The second system 300 basically performs cooling and heating of the interior of the vehicle, and also performs auxiliary cooling to supplement the first system 200 and the third system 400.In other words, if the third system 400 fails and the temperature of the coolant rises, the thermal management system senses, determines whether or not the third system 400 is defective, and operates the chiller of the second system 300 to cool the electronic components 110 of the vehicle. As described above, the thermal management system for the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention has such a dual cooling structure as to perform the cooling twice.The thermal management system for the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention may include four types of cooling modes.A first mode of operation is to perform cooling of the electronic components 110 using only the self-cooling system 200. The first mode can be applied in environments where there is a small amount of heat generation of the electronic components 110. The first mode contributes to improvement in fuel economy of the vehicle because no additional driving power is used.A second mode of operation is to perform cooling of the electronic components 110 using the first system 200 and the third system 400. The second mode is the basic cooling mode and is recommended in normal environments.A third mode of operation is to perform cooling of the electronic components 110 using the first system 200 and the second system 300. The third mode is a cooling mode applied in the case of an emergency. If the third system 400 fails, the second system 300 is used to continue cooling the electronic components 110.A fourth mode of operation is to perform cooling of the electronic components 110 using all of the first system 200, the second system 300 and the third system 400. The fourth mode can be applied in environments where there is a large amount of heat generation of the electronic components 110.Referring to FIG. 3, the thermal management system for the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention includes sensing means and communication means. The sensing means senses the states of at least two systems selected from the first system 200, the third system 400, and the second system 300. In this case, the state of the system sensed by the sensing means may include the temperature information or other information such as humidity, electric current, voltage, etc. The communication means provides communication between at least two systems selected from the first system 200, the third system 400, and the second system 300.The thermal management system senses the failure of the at least two systems selected from among the first system 200, the third system 400, and the second system 300. If any of the systems fails, it is determined by the thermal management system and controls in such a manner that the rest among the systems compensates it to continuously and stably perform thermal management of the electronic components 110.The thermal management system for the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a temperature control head 350 and a self-contained controller 450. The temperature control head 350 senses the state of the second system 300 and controls the operation of the second system 300. The stand-alone controller 450 senses the state of the third system 300 and controls the operation of the third system 400. The sense lines 140 of the temperature control head 350 and the stand alone controller 450 cooperate.The temperature control head 350 and the self-contained controller 450 are connected to each other to communicate with each other through the communication means to request the operation of each other when cooling of the electronic components is required. The temperature control head 350 controls the operation of the second system 300 while the stand-alone controller 450 controls the operation of the third system 400. The dashed lines in FIG. 3 indicate the actuator lines 130 of the temperature control head 350 and the self-contained controller 450 that are connected to and cooperate with each other.Moreover, the two-dot chain lines in FIG. 3 indicate the scan lines 140, and they are used as a basis for deciding whether or not the first system 200, the second system 300 and the third system 400 fail after the states of the systems 200, 300 and 400 are sensed.The communication means is the communication line 120 illustrated as a solid line in FIG. 3. The communication line 120 may be controller area network (CAN) communication, hardwired (H / W) communication, or others, and includes at least duplexes such that if one of the lines fails, the other communication line is operable.FIG. 4 is a view showing the thermal management system for the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention, while FIGS. 5 to 7 are views showing examples of the operations of the thermal management system for the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention.In FIG. 4, the third system 400 includes: a first refrigerant line 415 that is a flow passage of the refrigerant; a first compressor 411, a first condenser 412 for condensing the refrigerant by exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the air; a first expansion valve 413 for expanding the refrigerant; a first chiller 414 for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the refrigerant; and a first refrigerant line 424.The first compressor 411 draws in the refrigerant and compresses the refrigerant, and then discharges the refrigerant in a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous state. Preferably, the first compressor 411 is an electric compressor. The first condenser 412 exchanges heat between the air blown by a first blower 417 and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the first compressor 411.The first expansion valve 413 is disposed between the first condenser 412 and the first chiller 414 to expand the refrigerant. The first chiller 414 exchanges heat between the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant expanded in the first expansion valve 414 and the first refrigerant line 424 coolant. The first coolant line 424 is a flow passage of the coolant that has exchanged heat with the electronic components 110, and passes through the first chiller 414.A heater 422 for heating the coolant is disposed in the first coolant line 424. The heater 422 may be an electric heater powered by electricity or may be any of various forms. In this embodiment, cooling of the electronic components will be mainly described, but the electronic components require not only cooling but also temperature control for maintaining the optimum temperature, preheating, and heating. The heater 422 increases the temperature of the coolant to make temperature control of the electronic components possible.Further, the first coolant line 424 includes a heat accumulator 418 for storing a heat source for cooling or a heat source for heating, a first coolant pump 419 for circulating the coolant, and a coolant temperature sensor 423 for sensing the temperature of the coolant.Additionally, the third system 400 includes a first branch line 421, a first low temperature cooler 416, and a first valve 420. The first branch line 421 branches off from the first coolant line 424 and bypasses the first chiller 414. The first low-temperature radiator 416 is disposed in the first branch pipe 421, and exchanges heat between the coolant and the air blown from the first blower 417.The first valve 420 is disposed at a branch point between the first coolant line 424 and the first branch line 421, and controls a flow of the coolant so that the coolant circulating through the electronic components 110 selectively flows to the first chiller 414 and / or the first low temperature chiller 416. The first valve 420 may allow the coolant to flow to either the first chiller 414 or the first low temperature radiator 416 or to both the first chiller 414 and the first low temperature radiator 416. The high-temperature coolant that has recovered the waste heat while circulating through the electronic components 110 is cooled while flowing through the first chiller 414.The second system 300 includes a second refrigerant line 315, a second compressor 311, a second condenser 312 for condensing the refrigerant by exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the air; expansion means for expanding the refrigerant; an evaporator 314; a third refrigerant line 317 bypassing the evaporator 314; a second chiller 316; and a second refrigerant line 325.The second compressor 311 draws in the refrigerant and compresses the refrigerant, and then discharges the refrigerant in a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous state. The second condenser 312 exchanges heat between the air blown by a second blower 320 and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the second compressor 311.The expansion means expands the refrigerant and includes a second expansion valve 313 and a third expansion valve 318. The second expansion valve 313 is disposed between the second condenser 320 and the evaporator 314 to expand the refrigerant. The third expansion valve 318 is disposed between the second condenser 320 and the second chiller 316 to expand the refrigerant.The evaporator 314 is disposed inside an air conditioning case to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the air discharged to the interior of the vehicle. Besides the evaporator, heating means such as a heater core or a PTC heater, a temperature adjusting door, blowing means for introducing inside air or outside air, etc. may be disposed inside the air conditioning case.The third refrigerant line 317 branches off from the second refrigerant line 315 and bypasses the evaporator 314. That is, the refrigerant flowing through the second condenser 312 flows through the evaporator 314 after passing through the second expansion valve 313, or flows through the second chiller 316 after passing through the third expansion valve 318. Finally, the evaporator 314 and the second chiller 316 are arranged in parallel in the refrigerant line. A valve (not shown) for controlling the flow of the refrigerant may be disposed at a branch point between the third refrigerant line 317 and the second refrigerant line 315.The second chiller 316 is disposed in the third refrigerant line 317 and exchanges heat between the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant expanded in the third expansion valve 318 and the second refrigerant line 325 refrigerant. The second coolant line 325 is a flow passage of the coolant that has exchanged heat with the electronic components 110, and passes through the second chiller 313. A second coolant pump 326 for circulating the coolant is disposed in the second coolant line 325.Moreover, the second system 300 includes a second branch line 321, a second low temperature cooler 319, a second valve 322, and a third valve 324. The second branch line 321 branches off from the second refrigerant line 325 and bypasses the second chiller 316. The second low-temperature cooler 319 is disposed in the second branch pipe 321, and exchanges heat between the air blown from the second blower 320 and the coolant.Further, the thermal management system for the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes a third coolant line 501 and a dual cooling valve 500. The first coolant line 424 is disposed in the third system 400, while the second coolant line 325 is disposed in the second system 300. The third coolant line 501 is connected to the first coolant line 424 and the second coolant line 325, and is a flow passage of the coolant that has exchanged heat with the electronic components 110. The dual coolant valve 500 selectively connects the third coolant line 501 to the first coolant line 424 and the second coolant line 325. The first valve 420, the second valve 322, the third valve 324, and the dual cooling valve 500 may be three-way valves.FIG. 5 illustrates the second mode of operation for performing thermal management using the first system 200 and the third system 400. In FIG. 5, the first system 200 performs the cooling of the electronic components 110 by the self-cooling structure.The operation of the third system 400 will now be described. The refrigerant discharged from the first compressor 411 flows along the first refrigerant line 415 while flowing through the first condenser 412, the first expansion valve 413, and the first chiller 414 in order.Moreover, the coolant flowing in the third coolant line 501 recovers the waste heat by exchanging heat with the electronic components 110, and flows through the first coolant line 424 through the heat accumulator 418. Thereafter, some of the coolant flows through the first valve 420 to the first chiller 414, while the remainder flows along the first branch line 421 to the first low temperature radiator 416 to be cooled.The refrigerant flowing through the first chiller 414 is cooled by exchanging heat with the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flowing through the first expansion valve 413, and then impinges on the refrigerant flowing through the first low-temperature radiator 416. Thereafter, the coolant flows through the heater 422. In this state, the heater 422 is in an OFF state. Thereafter, the coolant circulates through the dual cooling valve 500 to the third coolant line 501.Meanwhile, the second system 300 performs the air conditioning of the interior of the vehicle and the cooling of the battery regardless of the cooling of the electronic components performed by the third system 400.That is, in the second system 300, the refrigerant discharged from the second compressor 411 flows along the second refrigerant line 315 while flowing through the second condenser 312, the second expansion valve 313, and the evaporator 314 in order. In this case, some of the refrigerant flowing through the second condenser 312 flows to the evaporator 314, while the remainder after flowing through the third expansion valve 318 flows to the second chiller 316 along the third refrigerant line 317.Further, the refrigerant that has recovered the waste heat after exchanging heat with the battery 323 of the vehicle is cooled by exchanging heat with the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant by the third expansion valve 318 while flowing along the second refrigerant line 325 through the second chiller 313. In this case, some of the coolant flowing around the battery 323 flows to the second chiller 316, while the rest flows along the second branch line 321 to the second low-temperature radiator 319 to be cooled, and then flows through the second valve 322 to the second coolant line 325 to be circulated.The coolant circulates to the second coolant line 325 after flowing through the second chiller 316, flows through the second valve 322 through the second coolant pump 326, and then circulates around the battery 323 through the third valve 324. In this case, the dual cooling valve 500 and the third valve 324 block the communication between the second coolant line 325 and the third coolant line 501 to prevent a flow of the coolant between the second coolant line 325 and the third coolant line 501.FIG. 6 shows the third mode of operation for performing thermal management using the first system 200 and the second system 300. In FIG. 6, the first system 200 performs the cooling of the electronic components 110 by the self-cooling structure. Moreover, the third system 400 stops operation due to a failure or other reasons.The operation of the second system 300 will now be described. The refrigerant discharged from the second compressor 311 flows along the second refrigerant line 315 while flowing through the second condenser 312, the second expansion valve 313, and the evaporator 314 in the order. In this case, some of the refrigerant flowing through the second condenser 312 flows to the evaporator 314, while the remainder after flowing along the third refrigerant line 317 through the third expansion valve 318 flows to the second chiller 316.In addition, the refrigerant that has recovered the waste heat after exchanging heat with the battery 323 of the vehicle is cooled by exchanging heat with the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant by the third expansion valve 318 while flowing along the second refrigerant line 325 through the second chiller 316. In this case, some of the coolant flowing around the battery 325 flows to the second chiller 316, while the rest flows along the second branch line 321 to the second low-temperature radiator 319 to be cooled, and then flows through the second valve 322 to the second coolant line 325 to be circulated.The coolant flowing through the second chiller 316, after flowing through the second valve 322, flows to the second coolant line 325 by the second cooling water pump 326, and then circulates around the battery 323 through the third valve 324. In this case, the dual cooling valve 500 and the third valve 324 open the second coolant line 325 and the third coolant line 501 so that the coolant flows between the second coolant line 325 and the third coolant line 501.Finally, the coolant that has recovered the waste heat by exchanging heat with the electronic components 110 along the third coolant line 501 flows into the second coolant line 325 through the third valve 324, is cooled by flowing through the second chiller 316 and the second low-temperature chiller 319, and then circulates through the third coolant line 501 through the dual cooling valve 500.FIG. 7 shows the fourth mode of operation for performing thermal management using all of the first system 200, the third system 400, and the second system 300. In FIG. 7, the first system 200 performs the cooling of the electronic components 110 by the self-cooling structure.The operation of the third system 400 will now be described. The refrigerant discharged from the first compressor 411 flows along the first refrigerant line 415 by flowing in order through the first condenser 412, the first expansion valve 413, and the first chiller 414.Moreover, the coolant flowing in the third coolant line 501 recovers the waste heat by exchanging heat with the electronic components 110, and flows through the first coolant line 424 through the heat accumulator 418. Thereafter, some of the coolant flows through the first valve 420 to the first chiller 414, while the remainder flows along the first branch line 421 to the first low temperature radiator 416 to be cooled.The coolant flowing through the first chiller 414 is cooled by exchanging heat with the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant to be cooled by the first expansion valve 413 after flowing in the first refrigerant line 415, then impinges on the coolant flowing through the first low-temperature radiator 416 and flows through the heater 422. In this case, the coolant flows to the third coolant line 501 through the dual cooling valve 500.The operation of the second system 300 will now be described. The refrigerant discharged from the second compressor 411 flows along the second refrigerant line 315 after flowing through the second condenser 312, the second expansion valve 313, and the evaporator 314 in order. In this case, some of the refrigerant flowing through the second condenser 312 flows to the evaporator 314, while the remainder flows along the third refrigerant line 317 to the second chiller 316 after flowing through the third expansion valve 318.Moreover, the refrigerant that has recovered the waste heat by exchanging heat with the battery 324 of the vehicle exchanges heat with the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant through the third expansion valve 318 to be cooled after flowing along the second refrigerant line 325 through the second chiller 316. In this case, some of the coolant flowing around the battery 323 flows to the second chiller 316, while the rest flows along the second branch line 321 to the second low-temperature radiator 319 to be cooled, and then flows through the second valve 322 to the second coolant line 325 to be circulated.The coolant flowing through the second chiller 316, after flowing through the second valve 322, flows through the second coolant pump 326 to the second coolant line 325 and then circulates through the third valve 324 around the battery 323. In this case, the dual cooling valve 500 and the third valve 324 open the second coolant line 325 and the third coolant line 501 so that the coolant flows between the second coolant line 325 and the third coolant line 501.Finally, the coolant that has recovered the waste heat by exchanging heat with the electronic components 110 along the third coolant line 501 flows into the second coolant line 325 through the third valve 324, is cooled by flowing through the second chiller 316 and the second low-temperature chiller 319, and then circulates through the third coolant line 501 through the dual cooling valve 500.As previously described in the detailed description of the invention having described the exemplary embodiments of the invention, it should be appreciated that modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that the technical scope of the present invention should be defined by the technical idea of the appended claims.

Claims

A thermal management system for a vehicle for cooling the electronic components (110) required for autonomous driving of the vehicle, the thermal management system comprising: a first module for cooling the electronic components (110) by their self-cooling structure; a second module for cooling the electronic components (110) using a refrigerant cycle for air conditioning the interior of the vehicle; and a third module for cooling the electronic components (110) using a refrigerant cycle or a coolant cycle, wherein the electronic components (110) are cooled by at least two modules among the first, second and third modules, wherein the first module (200) cools the electronic components using at least one among a heat radiation, a pipe and a convection flow, and wherein the third module comprises: a first refrigerant pipe (415) which is a flow passage of the refrigerant; a first compressor (411) for discharging the refrigerant in a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous state after the refrigerant is sucked and compressed; a first condenser (412) for condensing the refrigerant by exchanging heat with the air; a first expansion valve (413) for expanding the refrigerant; a first chiller (414) for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the refrigerant; and a first refrigerant line (424) which is a flow passage of the refrigerant that exchanges heat with the electronic components (110) and passes through the first chiller (414).The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein thermal management of the electronic components (110) is performed by the first module and the third module.The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein thermal management of the electronic components (110) is performed by the first module and the second module.The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the coolant circulating around the electronic components (110) is cooled using a cooling heat source of the second module, and wherein the third module and the second module cooperate to selectively cool the coolant circulating around the electronic components (110).The thermal management system of claim 2, wherein the second module supports the first module and the third module to selectively cool the coolant circulating around the electronic components (110).The thermal management system according to claim 1, further comprising: sensing means for sensing the states of at least two modules selected from the first module, the second module, and the third module; and communication means for performing communication between at least two modules selected from the first module, the second module, and the third module.The thermal management system according to claim 6, wherein, when the sensing means senses the one among the at least two modules selected among the first module, the second module and the third module, the other module compensates it to perform thermal management of the electronic components (110).The thermal management system of claim 7, wherein the state of the module sensed by the sensing means comprises the temperature information.The thermal management system of claim 6, further comprising: a temperature control head (350) for sensing the state of the second module and controlling the operation of the second module; and a stand-alone controller (450) for sensing the state of the third module and controlling the operation of the third module, wherein the sensing lines (140) of the temperature control head (350) and the stand-alone controller (450) cooperate.The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the third module further comprises a heater (422) disposed in the first coolant line (424) to heat the coolant.The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the third module further comprises: a first branch line (421) branching from the first coolant line (424) and bypassing the first chiller (414); and a first low temperature radiator (416) disposed in the first branch line (421) to exchange heat between the air and the coolant.The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein the second module comprises: a second refrigerant line (315) that is a flow passage of the refrigerant; a second compressor (311) for discharging the refrigerant in a high temperature and high pressure gaseous state after the suction and compression of the refrigerant; a second condenser (312) for condensing the refrigerant by exchanging heat with the air; expansion means for expanding the refrigerant; an evaporator (314) disposed inside an air conditioning case to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the air discharged to the inside of the vehicle; a third refrigerant line (317) bypassing the evaporator (314); a second chiller (316) disposed in the third refrigerant line (317) to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the refrigerant; and a second refrigerant line (325) which is a flow passage of the refrigerant exchanging heat with the electronic components (110) and passing through the second chiller (316).The thermal management system of claim 12, wherein the second module further comprises: a second branch line (321) branching from the second coolant line (325) and bypassing the second chiller (316); and a second low temperature radiator (319) disposed in the second branch line (325) to exchange heat between the air and the coolant.A thermal management system for a vehicle for cooling the electronic components (110) required for autonomous driving of the vehicle, the thermal management system comprising: a first module for cooling the electronic components (110) through their self-cooling structure; a second module for cooling the electronic components (110) using a refrigerant cycle for air conditioning the interior of the vehicle; and a third module for cooling the electronic components (110) using a refrigerant cycle or a coolant cycle, the electronic components (110) being cooled by at least two modules among the first, second and third modules, wherein the first module (200) cools the electronic components using at least one among a heat radiation, a pipe and a convection flow, a first coolant pipe (424) disposed in the third module; a second coolant line (325) disposed in the second module; a third coolant line (501) connected to the first coolant line (424) and the second coolant line (325) and being a flow passage of the coolant exchanging heat with the electronic components (110); and a dual cooling valve (500) for selectively connecting the third coolant line (501) to the first coolant line (424) and the second coolant line (325).

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