Heat exchange device, heat exchange device, heat management system, control method for heat management system, and vehicle

Abstract

A heat exchange device, a heat exchange device, a heat management system, a control method for a heat management system, and a vehicle are provided, which implement the heat exchange or heat preservation requirements of the heat exchange element and improve the performance and use safety of the heat exchange element. The heat exchange device includes a housing and a spacer plate disposed within the housing. The spacer plate separates the housing into a first cavity and a second cavity. The outer wall of the first cavity on the side away from the second cavity is configured to be in thermal conductive contact with the heat exchange element. The first cavity is provided with a first inlet and a first outlet. The second cavity is provided with a second inlet and a second outlet. A first sealing element configured to open and close the second inlet is disposed at the second inlet. A second sealing element configured to open and close the second outlet is disposed at the second outlet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of heat exchange technology, and in particular, to a heat exchange device, a heat exchange device, a heat management system, a control method for a heat management system, and a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, due to environmental pollution and energy shortage, the development and utilization of green renewable energy have been accelerating. New energy vehicles have advantages such as low pollution, low noise, and high energy efficiency, and have become a research hotspot in the automotive industry. Currently, the power batteries used in new energy vehicles are mainly lithium-ion batteries. The efficiency, service life, and stability of lithium-ion batteries are greatly affected by temperature. Specifically, at low temperatures, the charge and discharge efficiency of the battery decreases, the heat generation increases, and further lithium deposition occurs on the negative electrode, causing irreversible capacity loss to the battery. At high temperatures, the deterioration of the battery accelerates, and safety accidents such as thermal runaway may occur when a specific temperature is exceeded. Therefore, in order to improve the performance and use safety of the battery, heat management can be performed on the battery. In existing heat management methods, heat dissipation can be performed on the battery, or heat preservation can be implemented on the battery. However, it is impossible to balance between the two heat management requirements. Therefore, a good heat management effect cannot be obtained.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present application provides a heat exchange device, a heat exchange device, a heat management system, a control method for a heat management system, and a vehicle to implement the heat exchange or heat preservation requirements of the heat exchange element and improve the performance and use safety of the heat exchange element.

[0004] According to a first aspect, the present application provides a heat exchange device. The heat exchange device may include a housing and a spacer plate. The spacer plate is disposed within the housing and separates the housing into a first cavity and a second cavity. An outer wall of the first cavity on a side away from the second cavity may be configured to be in thermal conductive contact with a heat exchange element to be heated or cooled. The first cavity may be provided with a first inlet and a first outlet. The second cavity may be provided with a second inlet and a second outlet. A first sealing element may be disposed at the second inlet, and a second sealing element may be disposed at the second outlet. The first sealing element may be configured to open and close the second inlet, and the second sealing element may be configured to open and close the second outlet.

[0005] In this solution, by circulating a heat exchange medium within the first cavity, heat dissipation or heating can be achieved with respect to the heat exchange element to be heated or cooled. The second cavity has two states: a ventilation state in which the first sealing element opens the second inlet and the second sealing element opens the second outlet, and a closed state in which the first sealing element closes the second inlet and the second sealing element closes the second outlet. In the ventilation state, by circulating a heat exchange medium within the second cavity, heat dissipation or heating can be achieved with respect to the heat exchange element to be heated or cooled. In the closed state, the heat exchange element is isolated from the outside air to reduce the influence of external high or low temperature on the heat exchange element and achieve a heat preservation effect for the heat exchange element. Therefore, according to the heat exchange device provided in the present application, a balance can be achieved between the heat exchange or heat preservation requirements of the heat exchange element, and the performance and use safety of the heat exchange element can be improved.

[0006] In some possible implementation solutions, the second inlet and the second outlet may be arranged opposite to each other to increase the circulation speed of the heat exchange medium within the second cavity in the ventilation state and improve the heat exchange efficiency between the second cavity and the heat exchange element to be heated or cooled.

[0007] In some possible implementation solutions, on the side of the spacer plate facing the second cavity, a plurality of fins are arranged, and the end portions of the fins facing away from the spacer plate are arranged at intervals from the inner wall on the side of the second cavity away from the first cavity. The fins can enhance the strength and rigidity of the heat exchange device, and further increase the effective contact area between the second cavity and the heat exchange medium, which helps to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the second cavity.

[0008] In a specific arrangement, the fins can extend in the direction from the second inlet to the second outlet, reducing the obstruction to the flow of the heat exchange medium so that the heat exchange medium can flow smoothly and efficiently within the second cavity.

[0009] In addition, a heat insulation member is arranged at the end portions of at least some of the fins facing away from the spacer plate, and the heat insulation member can be supported between the corresponding fin and the inner wall of the second cavity, thereby further improving the structural strength of the heat exchange device without affecting the heat insulation performance of the second cavity in the closed state.

[0010] For example, the materials of the heat insulation member include, but are not limited to, mica, polystyrene, or polyurethane.

[0011] In some possible implementation solutions, a first sealing ring can be arranged at the end of the second inlet. When the first sealing element closes the second inlet, the first sealing ring is compressed between the first sealing element and the end of the second inlet to reduce the risk of air leakage at the second inlet and improve the sealing effect of the second cavity in the closed state.

[0012] Similarly, a second sealing ring can be arranged at the end of the second outlet. When the second sealing element closes the second outlet, the second sealing ring is compressed between the second sealing element and the end of the second outlet to reduce the risk of air leakage at the second outlet and further improve the sealing effect of the second cavity in the closed state.

[0013]

[0013] In some possible implementation solutions, the housing may be provided with a vacuum exhaust port communicating with the second cavity. When the second cavity is in a closed state, the air in the second cavity can be discharged through the vacuum exhaust port, whereby the second cavity becomes a vacuum cavity, improving the heat preservation effect of the second cavity.

[0014]

[0014] In some possible implementation solutions, a first heat insulation layer may be disposed on the inner wall of the second cavity on the side away from the first cavity. The first heat insulation layer can help reduce the heat transfer between the second cavity and the external environment and improve the heat preservation effect of the second cavity. For example, the material of the first heat insulation layer includes, but is not limited to, aluminum foil, aerogel, or polyurethane foam.

[0015]

[0015] Similarly, a second heat insulation layer may be further disposed on the outer wall of the second cavity on the side away from the first cavity to further reduce the heat transfer between the second cavity and the external environment. For example, the material of the second heat insulation layer includes, but is not limited to, aerogel or polyurethane foam.

[0016] In some possible implementation solutions, the first sealing element may be rotatably disposed on the heat exchange device by using a rotating shaft. In this way, when the first sealing element rotates around the rotating shaft, the second inlet can be opened and closed. Similarly, the second sealing element can also be rotatably disposed on the heat exchange device by using a rotating shaft and can open and close the second outlet when rotating around the rotating shaft.

[0017] In some possible implementation solutions, the heat exchange medium circulating in the first cavity may be a coolant, that is, the first cavity may be a coolant storage cavity, and the heat exchange medium circulating in the second cavity in a vented state may be air, that is, the second cavity may be an air cavity.

[0018] According to a second aspect, the present application further provides a heat exchange device. The heat exchange device may include a drive component and a heat exchange device in any one of the possible implementation solutions of the first aspect. The drive component is separately connected to the first sealing element and the second sealing element via a transmission, drives the first sealing element to open and close the second inlet, drives the second sealing element to open and close the second outlet, and may reduce the difficulty of the operation of switching the second cavity between a vent state and a closed state.

[0019] In a specific arrangement, the first sealing element and the second sealing element may be driven by using the same drive component or may be respectively driven by using separate drive components, or the first sealing element and the second sealing element may be separately driven by using a plurality of drive components, improving the reliability of driving the first sealing element and the second sealing element.

[0020] According to a third aspect, the present application further provides a heat management system. The heat management system may include a compressor, a condenser, a cooler, an expansion valve, a circulation pump, and a heat exchange device provided in the second aspect. The cooler includes a first runner and a second runner isolated from each other. In a specific arrangement, the outlet of the compressor is connected to the inlet of the condenser, the outlet of the condenser is connected to the inlet of the first runner via an expansion valve, and the outlet of the first runner is connected to the inlet of the compressor to form a first circulation loop. In addition, the outlet of the circulation pump is connected to the first inlet of the first cavity, the first outlet of the first cavity is connected to the inlet of the second runner, and the outlet of the second runner is connected to the inlet of the circulation pump to form a second circulation loop. By using the two circulation loops and the first cavity, heat dissipation to the heat exchange element to be cooled can be implemented, and the second cavity can be switched between a vent state and a closed state to meet the heat exchange or heat preservation requirements of the heat exchange element to be cooled under different temperature conditions.

[0021] In some possible implementation solutions, the second cavity is provided with a vacuum exhaust port. In this case, the thermal management system may further include a vacuum pump, the intake port of the vacuum pump may be connected to the vacuum exhaust port, and the vacuum pump may be configured to extract air from the second cavity when the first sealing element closes the second inlet and the second sealing element closes the second outlet, improving the heat preservation effect of the second cavity in the closed state.

[0022] In some possible implementation solutions, the thermal management system may further include a temperature detection device and a controller. The temperature detection device may be configured to detect the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat-exchange element. The controller is electrically connected separately to the compressor, the circulation pump, the drive component, and the temperature detection device, and is configured to control the compressor and the circulation pump to turn off when the temperature of the heat-exchange element is within the first temperature range, drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet, and control the drive component to drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet, so as to adjust the second cavity to a closed state. Heat preservation is performed on the heat-exchange element by using a heat exchange device, whereby the heat-exchange element continues to be maintained within an appropriate temperature range of the heat-exchange element.

[0023] In some other possible implementation solutions, the controller may alternatively be configured to control the compressor and the circulation pump to turn off when the temperature of the heat-exchange element is within the first temperature range and the ambient temperature is lower than the first temperature threshold, drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet, and control the drive component to drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet, so as to adjust the second cavity to a closed state. In this case, the ambient temperature is low. Therefore, the second cavity is adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat-exchange element is thermally isolated from the outside air, and the adverse effect of the external low temperature on the heat-exchange element can be reduced.

[0024] Alternatively, when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the first temperature range and the ambient temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature threshold and equal to or lower than the second temperature threshold, the controller may be configured to control the compressor and the circulation pump to turn off, drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet, drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet, and control the drive component to adjust the second cavity to a vented state. In this state, there is no significant difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element. Therefore, the second cavity is adjusted to a vented state, which helps to maintain the heat exchange element within an appropriate temperature range of the heat exchange element.

[0025] Alternatively, when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the first temperature range and the ambient temperature is greater than the second temperature threshold, the controller may be configured to control the compressor and the circulation pump to turn on, drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet, drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet, and control the drive component to adjust the second cavity to a closed state. In this state, the external ambient temperature is high. Therefore, heat dissipation can be performed on the heat exchange element in the liquid cooling mode, and the second cavity is adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange element is thermally isolated from the outside air, and the adverse effect of the external high temperature on the heat exchange element can be reduced.

[0026] In some possible implementation solutions, when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is equal to or greater than the temperature difference threshold, the controller may be configured to control the compressor and the circulation pump to turn off, drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet, drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet, and control the drive component to adjust the second cavity to a vented state. In this state, the temperature of the heat exchange element is low, and the ambient temperature is significantly higher than the temperature of the heat exchange element. Therefore, the second cavity can be adjusted to a vented state to heat the heat exchange element by using a natural heat source.

[0027] Alternatively, when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is less than a temperature difference threshold, the controller may be configured to control a drive component to drive a first sealing element to close a second inlet and drive a second sealing element to close a second outlet, so as to adjust the second cavity to a closed state. In this state, the temperature of the heat exchange element is low and the ambient temperature is close to the temperature of the heat exchange element. Therefore, the second cavity is adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange element can be thermally isolated from the outside air, and the influence of the external low temperature on the heat exchange element can be reduced.

[0028] The second temperature range is a temperature range in which the temperature value is smaller than the minimum value in the first temperature range.

[0029] In some implementations, the thermal management system may further include a heater, which may be connected between the first cavity and the second runner. The controller may be further electrically connected to the heater. When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is less than the temperature difference threshold, the controller may be configured to control the compressor to turn off and control the circulation pump and the heater to turn on, so as to heat the heat exchange element by using the heater, and the heat exchange element may be configured to operate normally.

[0030] In some possible implementation solutions, when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a third temperature range and the ambient temperature is less than a first temperature threshold, the controller may be further configured to control the compressor and the circulation pump to turn on, and control the drive component to drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet, so as to adjust the second cavity to a vented state. In this state, the temperature of the heat exchange element is high and the ambient temperature is low. Therefore, in order to make full use of the natural cooling source, heat dissipation can be performed on the heat exchange element in a composite mode of liquid cooling and air cooling, and while realizing heat dissipation for the heat exchange element, the energy consumption of the thermal management system can be reduced.

[0031] Alternatively, when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a third temperature range and the ambient temperature is equal to or higher than a first temperature threshold, the controller may be further configured to control the compressor and the circulation pump to turn on, drive a first sealing element to close a second inlet, drive a second sealing element to close a second outlet, and control a driving component to adjust the second cavity to a closed state. In this state, the ambient temperature is high. Therefore, the second cavity can be adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange element is thermally isolated from the outside air, the compressor and the circulation pump are turned on, and heat dissipation is separately performed on the heat exchange element in a liquid cooling mode to obtain a good heat dissipation effect.

[0032] The third temperature range is a temperature range in which the temperature value is greater than the maximum value in the first temperature range.

[0033] In some possible implementation solutions, the heat management system may further include a vacuum gauge, and the vacuum gauge may be configured to detect the degree of vacuum in the second cavity. The controller may be further electrically connected to the vacuum gauge, and when the driving component drives the first sealing element to close the second inlet, drives the second sealing element to close the second outlet, and the degree of vacuum in the second cavity is equal to or higher than a vacuum threshold, the controller is configured to control the vacuum pump to turn off to reduce the energy consumption of the vacuum pump.

[0034] In some possible implementation solutions, the heat management system may further include a first vacuum valve and a second vacuum valve. The first vacuum valve is connected between an intake port and an exhaust port of the vacuum pump, and the second vacuum valve is connected between the intake port of the vacuum pump and a vehicle vacuum booster. In this way, the vehicle heat management system and the vacuum booster braking system can reuse the same vacuum pump to help reduce the cost of the entire vehicle.

[0035] According to a fourth aspect, the present application further provides a thermal management system. The thermal management system may include an air-cooled heat sink, a circulation pump, and a heat exchange device provided in the second aspect. The outlet of the circulation pump is connected to the first inlet of the first cavity, the first outlet of the first cavity is connected to the inlet of the air-cooled heat sink, and the outlet of the air-cooled heat sink is connected to the inlet of the circulation pump. In this solution, by using the characteristics of the air-cooled heat sink, heat dissipation can be performed on the coolant in the first cavity, which helps to simplify the structure of the thermal management system.

[0036] In some possible implementation solutions, a fan is further arranged on the air-cooled heat sink, and the air flow rate flowing through the surface of the air-cooled heat sink can be increased to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the air-cooled heat sink.

[0037] According to a fifth aspect, the present application further provides a control method for the thermal management system, which is used to control the thermal management system in the third aspect. The present control method includes the following: Steps of obtaining the temperature of the heat-exchanged element and the ambient temperature, and When the temperature of the heat-exchanged element is within the first temperature range and the ambient temperature is less than the first temperature threshold, controlling the compressor and the circulation pump to be turned off, driving the first sealing element to close the second inlet, and driving the second sealing element to close the second outlet to control the driving component. In this state, there is no large difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat-exchanged element. Therefore, the second cavity is adjusted to a ventilation state to help keep the heat-exchanged element within an appropriate temperature range of the heat-exchanged element.

[0038] Optionally, when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the first temperature range and the ambient temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature threshold and equal to or lower than the second temperature threshold, the control method controls to turn off the compressor and the circulation pump, and controls the driving components to drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet. In this state, the external ambient temperature is high. Therefore, heat dissipation can be performed on the heat exchange element in the liquid cooling mode, and the second cavity is adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange element is thermally isolated from the outside air, and the adverse effect of the external high temperature on the heat exchange element can be reduced.

[0039] Alternatively, when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the first temperature range and the ambient temperature is greater than the second temperature threshold, the control method includes controlling the driving components to drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet. In this state, the external ambient temperature is high. Therefore, heat dissipation can be performed on the heat exchange element in the liquid cooling mode, and the second cavity is adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange element is thermally isolated from the outside air, and the adverse effect of the external high temperature on the heat exchange element can be reduced.

[0040] In some possible implementation solutions, the control method may further include the following: When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is equal to or greater than the temperature difference threshold, the control method controls to turn off the compressor and the circulation pump, and controls the driving components to drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet. In this state, the temperature of the heat exchange element is low and the ambient temperature is significantly higher than the temperature of the heat exchange element. Therefore, the second cavity can be adjusted to a ventilated state to heat the heat exchange element by using the natural heat source.

[0041] Alternatively, when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is less than the temperature difference threshold, the control method may further include a step of controlling the driving component to drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet. In this state, the temperature of the heat exchange element is low and the ambient temperature is close to the temperature of the heat exchange element. Therefore, the second cavity is adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange element can be thermally isolated from the outside air, and the influence of the external low temperature on the heat exchange element can be reduced.

[0042] The second temperature range is a range in which the temperature value is smaller than the minimum temperature value in the first temperature range.

[0043] In some possible implementation solutions, when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is less than the temperature difference threshold, the control method may further include the following: Controlling to turn off the compressor, controlling to turn on the circulation pump and the heater, and heating the heat exchange element by using the heater so that the heat exchange element can operate normally.

[0044] In some possible implementation solutions, the control method may include the following: When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the third temperature range and the ambient temperature is less than the first temperature threshold, controlling to turn on the compressor and the circulation pump, and controlling the driving component to drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet. In this state, the temperature of the heat exchange element is high and the ambient temperature is low. Therefore, in order to make full use of the natural cooling source, heat dissipation can be performed on the heat exchange element in a composite mode of liquid cooling and air cooling, and while realizing heat dissipation for the heat exchange element, the energy consumption of the heat management system can be reduced.

[0045] Alternatively, when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the third temperature range and the ambient temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature threshold, the control method may further include controlling the compressor and the circulation pump to be turned on, and controlling the driving component to drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet. In this state, the ambient temperature is high. Therefore, the second cavity can be adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange element is thermally isolated from the outside air, and the compressor and the circulation pump are turned on to separately dissipate heat to the heat exchange element in the liquid cooling mode, obtaining a good heat dissipation effect.

[0046] The third temperature range is a range in which the temperature value is greater than the maximum temperature value in the first temperature range.

[0047] In some possible implementation solutions, when the heat management system further includes a vacuum pump, the intake port of the vacuum pump is connected to the vacuum exhaust port of the second cavity. In this case, the control method may further include: When the driving component drives the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drives the second sealing element to close the second outlet, controlling the vacuum pump to be turned on to extract air from the second cavity to improve the heat preservation effect of the second cavity in the closed state.

[0048] According to a sixth aspect, the present application further provides a control device for a heat management system configured to control the heat management system in the third aspect. The control device includes the following: A communication unit configured to obtain the temperature of the heat exchange element and the ambient temperature, and When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the first temperature range and the ambient temperature is lower than the first temperature threshold, the processing unit is configured to control the compressor and the circulation pump to turn off, drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet, and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet. In this state, there is no large difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element. Therefore, the second cavity is adjusted to a vented state to help keep the heat exchange element within an appropriate temperature range of the heat exchange element.

[0049] Alternatively, when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the first temperature range and the ambient temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature threshold and lower than the second temperature threshold, the processing unit is configured to control the compressor and the circulation pump to turn off, drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet, and drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet. In this state, the external ambient temperature is high. Therefore, heat dissipation can be performed on the heat exchange element in the liquid cooling mode, and the second cavity is adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange element is thermally isolated from the outside air, and the adverse effect of the external high temperature on the heat exchange element can be reduced.

[0050] Alternatively, when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the first temperature range and the ambient temperature is higher than the second temperature threshold, the processing unit is configured to control the drive components to drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet. In this state, the external ambient temperature is high. Therefore, heat dissipation can be performed on the heat exchange element in the liquid cooling mode, and the second cavity is adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange element is thermally isolated from the outside air, and the adverse effect of the external high temperature on the heat exchange element can be reduced.

[0051] In some possible implementation solutions, the present processing unit may be further configured to perform the following: When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is greater than or equal to the temperature difference threshold, control is performed to turn off the compressor and the circulation pump, and drive components are controlled to drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet. In this state, the temperature of the heat exchange element is low, and the ambient temperature is clearly higher than the temperature of the heat exchange element. Therefore, the second cavity can be adjusted to a vented state to heat the heat exchange element by using a natural heat source.

[0052] Alternatively, when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is less than the temperature difference threshold, the processing unit may be further configured to control the drive components to drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet. In this state, the temperature of the heat exchange element is low, and the ambient temperature is close to the temperature of the heat exchange element. Therefore, the second cavity is adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange element can be thermally isolated from the outside air and the influence of the external low temperature on the heat exchange element can be reduced.

[0053] The second temperature range is a range in which the temperature value is smaller than the minimum temperature value in the first temperature range.

[0054] In some possible implementation solutions, when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is less than the temperature difference threshold, the processing unit may be further configured to perform the following: Control is performed to turn off the compressor, and control is performed to turn on the circulation pump and the heater, and the heat exchange element is heated by using the heater so that the heat exchange element can operate normally.

[0055] In some possible implementation solutions, the processing unit may be further configured to perform the following: When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the third temperature range and the ambient temperature is lower than the first temperature threshold, control is performed to turn on the compressor and the circulation pump, drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet, and control the drive component to drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet. In this state, the temperature of the heat exchange element is high and the ambient temperature is low. Therefore, in order to make full use of the natural cooling source, heat dissipation can be performed on the heat exchange element in a combined mode of liquid cooling and air cooling, and while realizing heat dissipation for the heat exchange element, the energy consumption of the heat management system can be reduced.

[0056] Alternatively, when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the third temperature range and the ambient temperature is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold, the processing unit may be further configured to control to turn on the compressor and the circulation pump, drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet, and control the drive component to drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet. In this state, the ambient temperature is high. Therefore, the second cavity can be adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange element is thermally isolated from the outside air, the compressor and the circulation pump are turned on, and heat dissipation is separately performed on the heat exchange element in the liquid cooling mode to obtain a good heat dissipation effect.

[0057] The third temperature range is a range in which the temperature value is greater than the maximum temperature value in the first temperature range.

[0058] In some possible implementation solutions, when the heat management system further includes a vacuum pump, the intake port of the vacuum pump is connected to the vacuum exhaust port of the second cavity. In this case, the processing unit may be further configured to perform the following: When the drive component drives the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drives the second sealing element to close the second outlet, control is performed to turn on the vacuum pump to extract air from the second cavity to improve the heat preservation effect of the second cavity in the closed state.

[0059] According to a seventh aspect, the present application may further provide a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed on a computer, the computer can implement the method provided in the fifth aspect.

[0060] According to an eighth aspect, the present application further provides a computer program. When the computer program is executed on a computer, the computer can implement the method provided in the fifth aspect.

[0061] According to a ninth aspect, the present application further provides a vehicle. The vehicle may include a heat exchange element and the heat management system provided in the third aspect. The heat management system may be configured to perform heat exchange on the heat exchange element, meet the heat preservation requirements of the heat exchange element, and improve the performance and use safety of the heat exchange element.

[0062] In some possible implementation solutions, the heat exchange element may specifically be a heat exchange element of a vehicle.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0063]

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[0064] Reference signs: 1: Battery pack, 2: Power train system, 3: Driving wheel, 4: Heat exchange device, 5: Driving component, 410: Housing, 411: First cavity, 4111: First inlet, 4112: First outlet, 412: Second cavity, 4121: Second inlet, 4122: Second outlet, 4123: First sealing element, 4124: Second sealing element, 4125: Vacuum exhaust port, 4126: First heat insulation layer, 4127: Second heat insulation layer, 4128: Vacuum gauge interface, 420: Spacer plate, 421: Fin, 422: Heat preservation member, 110: Heat exchange device, 120: Compressor, 130: Condenser, 140: Cooler, 141: First runner, 142: Second runner, 150: Expansion valve, 160: Circulation pump, 170: Heater, 180: Vacuum pump, 181: First vacuum valve, 182: Second vacuum valve, 190: Vacuum gauge, 1100: Air-cooled heat sink, 1101: Fan 1000: Computing device, 1110: Processor, 1120: Memory, 1130: Communication interface, 1140: Bus.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0065] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, exemplary implementations can be implemented in multiple forms and should not be construed as limited to the implementations described in this specification. The same reference numerals in the figures represent the same or similar structures. Therefore, duplicate descriptions are omitted. The words representing positions and directions described in the embodiments of the present application are illustrated by using the accompanying drawings as an example. However, changes may be made based on requirements, and these changes fall within the protection scope of the present application. The accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application are only used to show the relative positional relationship and do not represent the true scale.

[0066] Note that specific details are provided in the following description to facilitate the understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in other ways different from those described in this specification, and those skilled in the art can make similar inferences without departing from the meaning of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the specific implementations disclosed below.

[0067] In recent years, due to environmental pollution and energy shortages, the development and utilization of green renewable energy have been accelerating. The development of new energy vehicles represented by electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles is an important means to achieve energy conservation, emission reduction, pollution prevention and control. In electric vehicles, the fuel engine is replaced by a motor. Therefore, zero emissions, low noise, and pollution-free can be achieved, and a large amount of oil energy that is increasingly being emitted can be saved. Hybrid vehicles are driven by both a motor and a fuel engine. Therefore, hybrid vehicles can not only make full use of advantages such as long endurance mileage and good power performance when the vehicle is driven by the engine, but also make full use of advantages such as low noise and pollution-free when the vehicle is driven by the motor. With the maturity and development of power battery technology, electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles will inevitably become the main trend of the future automotive industry.

[0068] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to Figure 1, the vehicle may include, but is not limited to, an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. The vehicle may include a battery pack 1, a powertrain system 2, and drive wheels 3. The battery pack 1 is used as the power source of the vehicle and may provide electrical energy to the powertrain system 2. The powertrain system 2 is connected to the drive wheels 3 and is configured to convert the electrical energy of the battery pack 1 into driving force and transmit the driving force to the drive wheels 3 to make the vehicle run.

[0069] Currently, the battery pack 1 of the vehicle is mainly a lithium-ion battery. The efficiency, service life, and stability of the lithium-ion battery are greatly affected by temperature. For example, at low temperatures, the charge and discharge efficiency of the battery pack 1 decreases, the heat generation increases, and further lithium precipitation occurs on the negative electrode, causing irreversible capacity loss in the battery pack 1. At high temperatures, the deterioration of the battery pack 1 accelerates, and safety accidents such as thermal runaway may occur when a specific temperature is exceeded. Therefore, in order to improve the performance and use safety of the battery pack 1, thermal management can be performed on the battery pack 1.

[0070] Currently, the mainstream thermal management system for the battery pack 1 usually uses a liquid cooling / liquid heating solution. That is, a heat exchange component with an internal runner is arranged at the bottom or top of the battery pack 1, and a low-temperature or high-temperature medium is introduced into the internal runner of the heat exchange component to cool and heat the battery pack 1. In addition, the surface of the battery pack 1 is usually coated with heat preservation and insulation materials to reduce the influence of the external high-temperature or low-temperature ambient temperature on the battery pack 1. However, in this thermal management method, it is impossible to balance the heat dissipation requirements and heat preservation requirements of the battery pack 1 under different environmental conditions. For example, in a high-temperature or extremely low-temperature environment, the battery pack 1 has good heat preservation performance, reducing the heat exchange efficiency between the environment and the electrochemical cell, thereby reducing the probability that the temperature of the battery pack 1 deviates from the optimal temperature range of the battery pack 1 due to the influence of the ambient temperature. When the temperature of the battery pack 1 is high (for example, after rapid charging) and the ambient temperature is low, good heat preservation hinders the heat dissipation of the battery pack 1, resulting in an increase in the energy consumption of the heat exchange component.

[0071] To solve the above problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a heat exchange device and a thermal management system to which the heat exchange device is applied, balance the heat exchange or heat preservation requirements of the battery pack under different environmental conditions, and improve the performance and use safety of the battery pack. Hereinafter, the heat exchange device and the thermal management system will be described with reference to specific embodiments.

[0072] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the assembled state of the heat exchanger and the heat-exchange element according to an embodiment of the present application. In this embodiment of the present application, the heat exchanger 4 can be disposed on one side of the heat-exchange element, and is in thermal conductive contact with the heat-exchange element to perform heat exchange or heat preservation on the heat-exchange element. For example, the heat-exchange element may be the battery pack 1 of a vehicle, or may be another element that requires heat exchange or heat preservation. This is not particularly limited in the present application. Based on this, the heat exchanger provided in the embodiment of the present application may be applied to the vehicle field, or may be applied to another field related to heat exchange. This is also not particularly limited in the present application. In the following embodiments, for the sake of explanation, an example in which the heat-exchange element is the battery pack 1 is mainly used.

[0073] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional structure view of the assembled state of the heat exchanger and the heat-exchange element shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the structure of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 2. The heat exchanger 4 may include a housing 410 and a spacer plate 420 disposed within the housing 410. The spacer plate 420 separates the housing 410 into two cavities, namely a first cavity 411 and a second cavity 412. The first cavity 411 is provided with a first inlet 4111 and a first outlet 4112, and the second cavity 412 is provided with a second inlet 4121 and a second outlet 4122. Thereby, the heat-exchange medium can circulate within the first cavity 411 and the second cavity 412 to perform heat exchange with the battery pack 1.

[0074] The heat exchange medium circulating within the first cavity 411 can be a coolant, i.e., the first cavity 411 can be a coolant-containing cavity. In this case, the outer wall of the first cavity 411 on the side away from the second cavity 412 can be in direct or indirect thermal conductive contact with the battery pack 1, and the coolant can enter the first cavity 411 through the first inlet 4111, perform convective heat exchange with the wall surface of the first cavity 411, and then flow out from the first outlet 4112. In addition, the first cavity 411 exchanges heat with the battery pack 1 in a heat transfer manner, and further transfers the cooling capacity or heat of the coolant to the battery pack 1 to cool or heat the battery pack 1.

[0075] A coolant runner can be arranged within the first cavity 411. One end of the coolant runner communicates with the first inlet 4111, and the other end communicates with the first outlet 4112. For example, in some implementation forms, the coolant runner can be distributed in a snake shape or a spiral shape. When the coolant flows within the coolant runner, the cooling capacity or heat carried by the coolant is uniformly transmitted to the first cavity 411, and then uniformly transmitted to the battery pack 1 by using the first cavity 411, thereby improving the heat dissipation or heating effect of the battery pack 1.

[0076] In some other implementations, a first flow combination cavity and a second flow combination cavity may be separately arranged within the first cavity 411. The first inlet 4111 communicates with the first flow combination cavity, and the first outlet 4112 communicates with the second flow combination cavity. In this case, there may be a plurality of coolant runners, and the plurality of coolant runners are arranged in parallel between the first flow combination cavity and the second flow combination cavity. At positions corresponding to each coolant runner within the first flow combination cavity, first flow dividing ports are individually arranged, and at positions corresponding to each coolant runner within the second flow combination cavity, second flow dividing ports are individually arranged. Two ends of each coolant runner are respectively connected to the corresponding first flow dividing port and second flow dividing port. In this way, the coolant enters the first flow combination cavity from the first inlet 4111, flows into each coolant runner through the first flow dividing port of the first flow combination cavity, exchanges heat evenly with the wall surface of the first cavity 411, then flows into the second flow combination cavity through each second flow dividing port, and can finally flow out from the first outlet 4112.

[0077] In this embodiment of the present application, there may be one or more first inlets 4111 and first outlets 4112, and the numbers of the first inlets 4111 and the first outlets 4112 may be the same or different. This is not limited in the present application. FIG. 4 shows the case of one first inlet 4111 and one first outlet 4112. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another heat exchange device according to an embodiment of the present application. This figure shows the case where there are two first inlets 4111 and two first outlets 4112. The two first inlets 4111 and the two first outlets 4112 are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the first cavity 411, which can facilitate the communication with the first flow combination cavity and the second flow combination cavity on the two sides. Increasing the numbers of the first inlets 4111 and the first outlets 4112 can increase the flow rate of the coolant within the first cavity 411 and improve the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange device 4.

[0078] Referring again to FIGS. 3 and 4. In this embodiment, the second cavity 412 and the battery pack 1 are separated by the first cavity 411. Therefore, the second cavity 412 and the battery pack 1 can be indirectly thermally conductively contacted. In one implementation, the heat exchange medium circulating in the second cavity 412 may be air. In this case, the second cavity 412 is an air cavity. The first sealing element 4123 can be disposed at the second inlet, and the second sealing element 4124 can be disposed at the second outlet. The first sealing element 4123 can be configured to open and close the second inlet, and the second sealing element 4124 can be configured to open and close the second outlet. For example, the first sealing element 4123 and the second sealing element 4124 can be sealing plates. Optionally, the first sealing element 4123 can be rotatably disposed on the heat exchange device 4 by using a rotating shaft, and when the first sealing element 4123 rotates around the rotating shaft, the second inlet can be opened and closed. Alternatively, a sliding rail can be disposed at the position of the heat exchange device 4 corresponding to the second inlet, whereby the first sealing element 4123 is slidably disposed on the sliding rail and opens and closes the second inlet when sliding along the sliding rail. Similarly, the second sealing element 4124 may be rotatably or slidably installed on the heat exchange device 4. Details are not described here.

[0079] When the first sealing element 4123 opens the second inlet and the second sealing element 4124 opens the second outlet, the second cavity 412 becomes ventilated, and air at the bottom of the vehicle can enter the second cavity 412 through the second inlet, conduct convective heat exchange with the wall surface of the second cavity 412, and then be discharged from the second outlet. In addition, the second cavity 412 indirectly exchanges heat with the battery pack 1 through the first cavity 411, further transferring the cooling capacity or heat of the air to the battery pack 1 to cool or heat the battery pack 1. When the first sealing element 4123 closes the second inlet and the second sealing element 4124 closes the second outlet, the second cavity 412 becomes closed. In this case, the second cavity 412 can form a closed cavity. By utilizing the characteristic that the thermal conductivity of air is low, the second cavity 412 thermally isolates the battery pack 1 from the outside air to some extent, reducing the impact of external high or low temperatures on the battery pack 1 under some operating conditions and achieving a heat preservation effect on the battery pack 1.

[0080] In some embodiments, the second inlet and the second outlet may be respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the second cavity 412, or it may be understood that the second inlet and the second outlet are arranged opposite to each other. This helps to increase the air circulation speed in the second cavity 412 in the ventilated state and can further improve the heat exchange efficiency between the second cavity 412 and the battery pack 1.

[0081] In addition, a plurality of fins 421 may be arranged on the side of the spacer plate 420 facing the inside of the second cavity 412. The end portions of the fins 421 away from the spacer plate 420 are spaced from the inner wall of the second cavity 412 on the side away from the first cavity 411, that is, a specific gap may exist between the end portions of the fins 421 and the inner wall of the second cavity 412. These fins 421 can be used as ribs to increase the strength and rigidity of the heat exchanger 4, reduce the possibility of the heat exchanger 4 bending, and avoid the case where the heat conduction contact effect between the heat exchanger 4 and the battery pack 1 is affected. In addition, by arranging the fins 421, the effective contact area between the second cavity 412 and the air can be increased, and the heat exchange efficiency between the second cavity 412 and the air can be enhanced. Therefore, the heat exchange effect of the heat exchanger 4 can be further improved. In one implementation form, the plurality of fins 421 extend separately in the direction from the second inlet to the second outlet, that is, extend in the circulating direction of the air in the second cavity 412, reducing the obstacle to the air flow, whereby the air can flow smoothly and efficiently in the second cavity 412.

[0082] To improve the sealing effect of the second cavity 412 in the closed state, a first sealing ring may be arranged at the end of the second inlet. When the first sealing element 4123 closes the second inlet, the first sealing ring is compressed between the first sealing element 4123 and the end of the second inlet, and the risk of air leakage at the second inlet can be reduced. Similarly, a second sealing ring may be arranged at the end of the second outlet. When the second sealing element 4124 closes the second outlet, the second sealing ring is compressed between the second sealing element 4124 and the end of the second outlet, and the risk of air leakage at the second outlet can be reduced.

[0083] In some embodiments, the second cavity 412 may further be provided with a vacuum exhaust port 4125. When the second cavity 412 is in a closed state, the air in the second cavity 412 can be discharged by using the vacuum exhaust port 4125, whereby the second cavity 412 becomes a vacuum cavity. It should be understood that the thermal conductivity of air decreases with the degree of vacuum in the second cavity 412. Therefore, by changing the second cavity 412 to a vacuum state through extraction, the heat preservation effect of the second cavity 412 is further improved, and the influence of external high temperature or low temperature on the battery pack 1 is reduced.

[0084] When the vacuum exhaust port 4125 is specifically arranged, the vacuum exhaust port 4125 can be directly arranged on the wall surface of the second cavity 412 facing away from the first cavity 411. Alternatively, referring to FIG. 4, the vacuum exhaust port 4125 can be arranged on the wall surface of the first cavity 411 facing away from the second cavity 412. In this case, an extension tube can be arranged in the housing 410, one end of the extension tube is connected to the vacuum exhaust port 4125, the other end penetrates through the first cavity 411, and then extends into the second cavity 412 and can be set to communicate the second cavity 412 with the vacuum exhaust port 4125.

[0085] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of another heat exchange device according to an embodiment of the present application, and FIG. 7 is a partial enlarged view of position A in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, a heat preservation member 422 may further be arranged at the end of the fin 421 facing away from the spacer plate 420. The material of the heat preservation member 422 includes, but is not limited to, mica, polystyrene, or polyurethane. The heat preservation member 422 is supported between the fin 421 and the inner wall of the second cavity 412, and further improves the structural strength of the heat exchange device 4 without affecting the heat preservation performance of the second cavity 412 in the closed state. The heat preservation member 422 may be arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with each fin 421, or may be arranged between one or more of each fin 421 and the inner wall of the second cavity 412. This is not particularly limited in the present application.

[0086] In addition, a first heat insulation layer 4126 may be laid on the inner wall of the second cavity 412 on the side away from the first cavity 411. The material of the first heat insulation layer 4126 includes, but is not limited to, aluminum foil, aerogel, or polyurethane foam. When the second cavity 412 is in a closed state, the first heat insulation layer 4126 can reduce the heat transfer between the second cavity 412 and the external environment, reduce the thermal conductivity of the second cavity 412 in the thickness direction of the second cavity 412, and help improve the heat preservation effect of the second cavity 412. Similarly, a second heat insulation layer 4127 is further arranged on the outer wall of the second cavity 412 on the side away from the first cavity 411, and the heat transfer between the second cavity 412 and the external environment can be further reduced. For example, the material of the second heat insulation layer 4127 includes, but is not limited to, aerogel or polyurethane foam.

[0087] From the above description, according to the heat exchange device 4 provided in this embodiment, the opening and closing states of the second inlet and the second outlet can be adjusted. Thereby, the second cavity 412 can be switched between a ventilation state and a closed state to meet the heat exchange or heat preservation requirements of the battery pack under different environmental conditions, and it can be seen that the performance and use safety of the battery pack are improved. For example, when the temperature of the battery pack is high but the ambient temperature is low, the second cavity 412 is adjusted to a ventilation state, and heat dissipation is performed on the battery pack by using a natural cooling source, so that heat dissipation of the battery pack can be realized while reducing the energy consumption of the heat exchange device 4. When the temperature of the battery pack is within an appropriate temperature range but the ambient temperature is low or high, the second cavity 412 is adjusted to a closed state to reduce the influence of the external ambient temperature on the battery pack and realize the heat preservation function of the battery pack.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 8, one embodiment of the present application further provides a heat exchange device 110 including the aforementioned heat exchange device. The heat exchange device 110 may further include a drive component 5. The drive component 5 is configured to drive the first sealing element 4123 to open and close the second inlet, and drive the second sealing element 4124 to open and close the second outlet, so as to reduce the difficulty of the operation of switching the second cavity between the vent state and the closed state.

[0089] For example, when the first sealing element 4123 is rotatably arranged on the heat exchange device 4 by using a rotating shaft, the output shaft of the drive component 5 is connected to the rotating shaft through a transmission, drives the rotating shaft to rotate, and drives the first sealing element 4123 to rotate synchronously to open and close the second inlet. When the first sealing element 4123 is slidably arranged on the heat exchange device 4, the heat exchange device 4 may further include a transmission component capable of converting rotational motion into linear motion, such as a lead screw, a gear, or a rack. The output shaft of the drive component 5 is connected to the first sealing element 4123 through a transmission by using such a transmission component, and drives the first sealing element 4123 to open and close the second inlet in the sliding process. For the transmission connection method between the drive component 5 and the second sealing element 4124, refer to the first sealing element 4123. Details are not described here.

[0090] In this embodiment of the present application, the first sealing element 4123 and the second sealing element 4124 may be driven by using the same driving component 5, or may be respectively driven by using separate driving components 5, or a plurality of driving components may be configured for each sealing element. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the first sealing element 4123 and the second sealing element 4124 are respectively driven by using two driving components 5. This helps to improve the reliability of driving the first sealing element 4123 and the second sealing element 4124. The driving component 5 may include two independent parts respectively configured to drive the first sealing element 4123 and the second sealing element 4124, or may be a driving component arranged as a whole and configured to drive both the first sealing element 4123 and the second sealing element 4124.

[0091] Based on the heat exchange device provided in the foregoing embodiment, an embodiment of the present application further provides a heat management system 100. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a heat management system according to an embodiment of the present application. In this embodiment, the heat management system may further include a compressor 120, a condenser 130, a cooler 140, an expansion valve 150, and a circulation pump 160 in addition to the heat exchange device 110. The cooler 140 may be a dual runner heat exchanger, such as a plate heat exchanger. The cooler 140 may include a first runner 141 and a second runner 142. The first runner 141 and the second runner 142 are isolated from each other and can be used for heat exchange.

[0092] Referring to both FIGS. 8 and 9, in a specific arrangement, the outlet of the compressor 120 can be connected to the inlet of the condenser 130, the outlet of the condenser 130 can be connected to the inlet of the first runner 141 of the cooler 140 through the expansion valve 150, and the outlet of the first runner 141 of the cooler 140 can be connected to the inlet of the compressor 120. In this case, the compressor 120, the condenser 130, the expansion valve 150, and the first runner 141 of the cooler 140 can be sequentially connected to form a first circulation loop. Additionally, the outlet of the circulation pump 160 can be connected to the first inlet 4111 of the first cavity, the first outlet 4112 of the first cavity can be connected to the inlet of the second runner 142 of the cooler 140, and the outlet of the second runner 142 of the cooler 140 can be connected to the inlet of the circulation pump 160. In this case, the circulation pump 160, the first cavity 411 of the heat exchange device 4, and the second runner 142 of the cooler 140 can be sequentially connected to form a second circulation loop. For example, the working medium in the first circulation loop may be a refrigerant, such as R134a, R1234yf, or R744, and the heat exchange medium in the second circulation loop may be a coolant, such as an aqueous glycol solution.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first circulation loop and the second circulation loop may cooperate to perform heat dissipation for the battery pack 1. In this case, the thermal management system 100 is in the liquid cooling mode. The compressor 120 drives the coolant to circulate within the first circulation loop. The refrigerant evaporates and exchanges heat with the high-temperature coolant within the second runner 142 at the first runner 141 of the cooler 140, and then the temperature rises and it changes to the low-pressure gas state. After entering the compressor 120, the heated gaseous coolant is compressed into a high-temperature and high-pressure gas through the compressor 120, and then enters the condenser 130. In the condenser 130, the gas is condensed, exchanges heat with the external environment, and becomes a low-temperature and high-pressure liquid. Then, the liquid is throttled, expands through the expansion valve 150 for rapid cooling, and becomes a low-temperature and low-pressure liquid, and then enters the first runner 141 of the cooler 140 again, exchanges heat with the high-temperature coolant within the second runner 142, and completes one cycle. In addition, the circulation pump 160 drives the coolant to circulate within the second circulation loop. The high-temperature coolant within the second runner 142 of the cooler 140 exchanges heat with the low-temperature refrigerant within the first runner 141 for cooling, and then enters the first cavity 411 of the heat exchange device 4 under the drive of the circulation pump 160, evaporates and exchanges heat with the battery pack 1, absorbs the heat of the battery pack 1 and the temperature rises, and then enters the second runner 142 of the cooler 140 again, and exchanges heat with the low-temperature refrigerant within the first runner 141. The battery pack 1 is cooled by transferring heat to the heat exchange device 4.

[0094] In some other embodiments, the thermal management system 100 may perform heat dissipation for the battery pack 1 by using a natural cooling source, that is, the thermal management system 100 performs heat dissipation for the battery pack 1 in the air-cooling mode. In this case, the second cavity 412 may be adjusted to a ventilated state, and the compressor 120 and the circulation pump 160 are turned off, whereby the first circulation loop and the second circulation loop stop operating. The air at the bottom of the vehicle may enter the second cavity 412 and perform convective heat exchange with the wall surface of the second cavity 412. The second cavity 412 may indirectly perform heat exchange with the battery pack 1 through the first cavity 411 to further transfer the cooling capacity of the air to the battery pack 1 and cool the battery pack 1.

[0095] Certainly, in some other implementation forms, the thermal management system 100 may perform heat dissipation for the battery pack in a composite mode of liquid cooling and air cooling. For example, when the temperature of the battery pack 1 is high but the ambient temperature is lower than the temperature of the coolant entering the first cavity 411, the second cavity 412 may be adjusted to a ventilated state, and the compressor 120 and the circulation pump 160 may be turned on. In this case, the ambient temperature is low. Therefore, the heat dissipation effect of the heat exchange device 4 for the battery pack 1 can be improved, and the energy consumption of the first circulation loop and the second circulation loop can be reduced.

[0096] The thermal management system 100 can not only achieve heat dissipation for the battery pack 1, but also achieve heat preservation and heating for the battery pack 1. The heat preservation function can be realized by adjusting the second cavity 412 to a closed state, and the heating function can be realized by arranging a heater 170 in the second circulation loop. In one implementation form, the heater 170 can be connected between the first cavity 411 of the cooler 140 and the second runner 142. When the temperature of the battery pack 1 is low, the compressor 120 can be turned off, and the circulation pump 160 and the heater 170 can be turned on. In this case, the first circulation loop stops operating, the circulation pump 160 drives the coolant to circulate in the second circulation loop, and the second runner 142 of the cooler 140 corresponds to the path. The low-temperature coolant is heated in the heater 170, and then enters the first cavity 411 of the heat exchange device 4 under the drive of the circulation pump 160, is condensed and exchanges heat with the battery pack 1, transfers heat to the battery pack 1, and then enters the heater 170 again for heating. In addition, the battery pack 1 is heated by absorbing the heat of the coolant.

[0097] When the temperature of the battery pack 1 is low but the ambient temperature is high, it can be understood that the thermal management system 100 heats the battery pack 1 using a natural heat source. In this case, the second cavity 412 can be adjusted to a ventilated state, and the compressor 120 and the circulation pump 160 are turned off, whereby the first circulation loop and the second circulation loop stop operating. The air at the bottom of the vehicle can enter the second cavity 412 and perform convective heat exchange with the wall surface of the second cavity 412. The second cavity 412 can indirectly exchange heat with the battery pack 1 through the first cavity 411, and further transfer the heat of the air to the battery pack 1 to heat the battery pack 1.

[0098] As described above, although the temperature of the battery pack is within an appropriate temperature range, when the ambient temperature is low or high, the second cavity 412 can be adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange device 4 realizes a heat preservation function for the battery pack 1. In addition, in order to improve the heat preservation effect, by using the vacuum exhaust port 4125 arranged in the second cavity 412, the second cavity 412 can be changed to a vacuum state through extraction. Referring to both FIGS. 8 and 10, FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another heat management system according to an embodiment of the present application. The heat management system may further include a vacuum pump 180. The intake port of the vacuum pump 180 is connected to the vacuum exhaust port 4125 of the second cavity 412 and can extract the air in the second cavity 412 when the second cavity 412 is in a closed state.

[0099] In some possible embodiments, the heat management system 100 may further include a vacuum gauge 190, and the vacuum gauge 190 may be configured to detect the degree of vacuum in the second cavity 412. In this case, the vacuum gauge interface 4128 communicating with the second cavity 412 may be arranged on the housing 410, and the vacuum gauge 190 is installed on the vacuum gauge interface 4128. Similar to the vacuum exhaust port 4125, the vacuum gauge interface 4128 may be directly arranged on the wall surface of the second cavity 412 facing away from the first cavity 411, or may be arranged on the wall surface of the first cavity 411 facing away from the second cavity 412, and is connected to the second cavity 412 by using an extension tube penetrating through the first cavity 411. By arranging the vacuum gauge 190, the degree of vacuum in the second cavity 412 in the closed state can be detected in real time, whereby the on / off state of the vacuum pump 180 can be adjusted based on the degree of vacuum in the second cavity 412.

[0100] FIG. 11 is a diagram of the control principle of the thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to both FIGS. 10 and 11, in this embodiment of the present application, the thermal management system 100 may further include a controller and a temperature detection device. The temperature detection device may be configured to detect the ambient temperature and the temperature of the battery pack 1. The controller is separately connected to the compressor 120, the circulation pump 160, the expansion valve 150, the vacuum pump 180, the vacuum gauge 190, the drive component 5, and the temperature detection device, and adjusts the operating states of the foregoing components based on the ambient temperature and the temperature of the battery pack 1, so as to adjust the operating mode of the thermal management system 100. In one implementation form, the compressor 120, the circulation pump 160, the expansion valve 150, the vacuum pump 180, the vacuum gauge 190, the drive component 5, and the temperature detection device use a local interconnect network (L IN) bus or a controller area network (C AN) bus to be connected to the controller. In addition, the controller of the thermal management system 100 may be further connected to another controller of the vehicle by using the vehicle bus to implement communication with the other controller of the vehicle. For example, it may be connected to a vehicle control unit (V CU), a domain controller, an in-vehicle computer, or an in-vehicle communication box. The bus may be an Ethernet (registered trademark) bus, a CAN bus, or the like.

[0101] In this embodiment of the present application, the temperature of the battery pack 1 can be classified into three temperature ranges: a first temperature range, a second temperature range, and a third temperature range. The first temperature range can be understood as an appropriate temperature range for the battery pack 1 or an optimal temperature range in which the battery pack 1 can maintain excellent performance. For example, the first temperature range can be in the range of 20°C to 35°C. The second temperature range is a temperature range where the temperature value is lower than the minimum value in the first temperature range. For example, the second temperature range can be a range where the temperature value is less than 20°C. The third temperature range is a temperature range where the temperature value is higher than the maximum value in the first temperature range. For example, the third temperature range can be a range where the temperature value is greater than 35°C. Referring again to FIGS. 8 and 10, some operating modes of the thermal management system 100 that exist when the temperature of the battery pack is within some of the aforementioned temperature ranges will be specifically described below with reference to the ambient temperature.

[0102] When the temperature of the battery pack 1 is within the appropriate first temperature range, two control modes can be used. One mode is where the ambient temperature is not considered, and the other mode is where different control policies are implemented with reference to the ambient temperature. First, the case where the ambient temperature is not considered will be described. In this case, the battery pack 1 is already within the appropriate temperature range of the battery pack 1. Therefore, the controller controls the compressor 120 and the circulation pump 160 to be turned off, controls the drive component 5 to drive the first sealing element 4123 to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element 4124 to close the second outlet, adjusts the second cavity 412 to a closed state, and performs heat preservation on the battery pack 1 by using the heat exchange device 4, whereby the battery pack 1 can be continuously maintained within the appropriate temperature range of the battery pack 1.

[0103] In addition, when the second cavity 412 is in a closed state, the controller further controls to turn on the vacuum pump 180, and changes the second cavity 412 to a vacuum state through extraction, so as to improve the heat preservation effect of the second cavity 412. When the degree of vacuum in the second cavity 412 is equal to or higher than the vacuum degree threshold value, the vacuum pump 180 is controlled to turn off. The vacuum degree threshold value can be set based on the heat preservation requirement or experience of the battery pack 1. This is not particularly limited in this application. In the following operation mode, when the second cavity 412 is in a closed state, the degree of vacuum in the second cavity 412 can be controlled based on the foregoing logic. Details are not described.

[0104] When considering the ambient temperature, when the temperature of the battery pack 1 is within the first temperature range and the ambient temperature is lower than the first temperature threshold value, the controller controls to turn off the compressor 120 and the circulation pump 160, drives the first sealing element 4123 to close the second inlet, and drives the second sealing element 4124 to close the second outlet, and controls the driving component 5 to adjust the second cavity 412 to a closed state. The first temperature threshold value may not be greater than the minimum value in the first temperature range. For example, the first temperature threshold value may be 20°C or lower. In this case, the ambient temperature is low. Therefore, the second cavity 412 is adjusted to a closed state, whereby the battery pack 1 is thermally isolated from the outside air, and the adverse effect of the external low temperature on the battery pack 1 is reduced.

[0105] When the temperature of the battery pack 1 is within the first temperature range and the ambient temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature threshold and equal to or lower than the second temperature threshold, the controller controls to turn off the compressor 120 and the circulation pump 160, and controls the drive component 5 to drive the first sealing element 4123 to open the second inlet and drive the second sealing element 4124 to open the second outlet, so that the second cavity 412 can be adjusted to a vented state. The second temperature threshold may not be greater than the maximum value in the first temperature range. For example, the second temperature threshold may be 35°C or lower. In this state, there is no large difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the battery pack 1. Therefore, the second cavity 412 is adjusted to a vented state, which helps to keep the battery pack 1 within an appropriate temperature range of the battery pack 1.

[0106] When the temperature of the battery pack 1 is within the first temperature range and the ambient temperature is greater than the second temperature threshold, the controller controls to turn on the compressor 120 and the circulation pump 160, and controls the drive component 5 to drive the first sealing element 4123 to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element 4124 to close the second outlet, so that the second cavity 412 can be adjusted to a closed state. In this state, the external ambient temperature is high. Therefore, heat dissipation can be performed on the battery pack 1 in the liquid cooling mode, and the second cavity 412 is adjusted to a closed state, whereby the battery pack 1 is thermally isolated from the outside air, reducing the adverse effect of the external high temperature on the battery pack 1.

[0107] When the temperature of the battery pack 1 is within the second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the battery pack is equal to or greater than the temperature difference threshold, the controller controls to turn off the compressor 120 and the circulation pump 160, drives the first sealing element 4123 to open the second inlet, and drives the second sealing element 4124 to open the second outlet, so as to control the driving component 5 to adjust the second cavity 412 to a vented state. The temperature difference threshold can be determined based on the temperature control requirements or experience of the battery pack 1. This is not limited in this application. For example, in this embodiment, the temperature difference threshold can be 2°C. In this state, the temperature of the battery pack 1 is low, and the ambient temperature is significantly higher than the temperature of the battery pack 1. Therefore, the second cavity 412 can be adjusted to a vented state to heat the battery pack 1 by using the natural heat source.

[0108] When the temperature of the battery pack 1 is within the second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the battery pack is less than the temperature difference threshold, the controller controls the driving component 5 to drive the first sealing element 4123 to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element 4124 to close the second outlet, so as to adjust the second cavity 412 to a closed state. In this state, the temperature of the battery pack 1 is low, and the ambient temperature is close to the temperature of the battery pack 1. Therefore, the second cavity 412 is adjusted to a closed state, whereby the battery pack 1 is thermally isolated from the outside air, reducing the influence of the external low temperature on the battery pack 1. In this case, when the temperature of the battery pack 1 is excessively low, the controller controls to turn off the compressor 120, controls to turn on the circulation pump 160 and the heater 170, and can heat the battery pack 1 by using the heater 170, whereby the battery pack 1 can operate normally.

[0109] When the temperature of the battery pack 1 is within the third temperature range and the ambient temperature is lower than the first temperature threshold, the controller controls to turn on the compressor 120 and the circulation pump 160, drives the first sealing element 4123 to open the second inlet, and controls the driving component 5 to drive the second sealing element 4124 to open the second outlet, so that the second cavity 412 can be adjusted to a vented state. In this state, the temperature of the battery pack 1 is high and the ambient temperature is low. Therefore, in order to make full use of the natural cooling source, heat dissipation can be performed on the battery pack 1 in a composite mode of liquid cooling and air cooling, and while realizing heat dissipation for the battery pack 1, the energy consumption of the heat management system 100 can be reduced.

[0110] When the temperature of the battery pack 1 is within the third temperature range and the ambient temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature threshold, the controller controls to turn on the compressor 120 and the circulation pump 160, drives the first sealing element 4123 to close the second inlet, and controls the driving component 5 to drive the second sealing element 4124 to close the second outlet, so that the second cavity 412 can be adjusted to a closed state. In this state, the ambient temperature is high. Therefore, the second cavity 412 can be adjusted to a closed state, whereby the battery pack 1 is thermally isolated from the outside air, the compressor 120 and the circulation pump 160 are turned on, and heat dissipation is separately performed on the battery pack 1 in the liquid cooling mode to obtain a good heat dissipation effect.

[0111] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present application. In this embodiment, the thermal management system may further include a first vacuum valve 181 and a second vacuum valve 182. The first vacuum valve 181 may be connected between the intake port of the vacuum pump 180 and the vacuum exhaust port 4125 of the second cavity, and the second vacuum valve 182 may be connected between the intake port of the vacuum pump 180 and the vehicle vacuum booster pump. That is, in this embodiment of the present application, the thermal management system 100 and the vehicle vacuum booster braking system may reuse the same vacuum pump 180. The intake loop of the thermal management system 100 is connected in parallel with the intake loop of the braking system, and the vacuum valves are separately arranged in these intake loops to control the two intake loops, helping to reduce the cost of the entire vehicle.

[0112] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present application. The difference from the previous embodiment is that in this embodiment, in the liquid cooling mode of the thermal management system 100, the compressor is no longer used for cooling, and the air-cooled heat sink 1100 is used. In addition to the air-cooled heat sink 1100 and the heat exchange device 110, the thermal management system 100 may further include a circulation pump 160. In a specific arrangement, the outlet of the circulation pump 160 may be connected to the first inlet 4111 of the first cavity, the first outlet 4112 of the first cavity may be connected to the inlet of the air-cooled heat sink 1100, and the outlet of the air-cooled heat sink 1100 may be connected to the inlet of the circulation pump 160. In this way, the circulation pump 160, the first cavity of the heat exchange device 4, and the air-cooled heat sink 1100 may be sequentially connected to form a circulation loop. The heat exchange medium in the circulation loop may be a coolant.

[0113] When heat dissipation is performed on the battery pack 1, the circulation pump 160 circulates the coolant within the circulation loop. After entering the air-cooled heat sink 1100, the high-temperature coolant flowing out from the first cavity of the heat exchanger 4 can directly exchange heat with the air flowing through the surface of the air-cooled heat sink 1100 to perform cooling. The cooled coolant re-enters the first cavity, evaporates, and exchanges heat with the battery pack 1. In this way, continuous heat dissipation can be performed on the battery pack 1. In this design, there is no need to arrange a first circulation loop, and by using the characteristics of the air-cooled heat sink 1100, heat dissipation of the coolant can be implemented, which helps to simplify the structure of the thermal management system 100.

[0114] In some embodiments, a fan 1101 is further arranged on the air-cooled heat sink 1100, which can increase the flow rate of the air flowing through the surface of the air-cooled heat sink 1100 to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the air-cooled heat sink 1100.

[0115] Similar to the foregoing embodiments, in this embodiment, a heater 170 may also be arranged to heat the battery pack. In one implementation form, the heater 170 may be connected between the first cavity and the air-cooled heat sink 1100. When the temperature of the battery pack 1 is low, the fan 1101 is turned off, and the circulation pump 160 and the heater 170 are turned on. The circulation pump 160 drives the coolant to circulate within the loop. In this case, the air-cooled heat sink 1100 only corresponds to a path. The low-temperature coolant is heated in the heater 170, and then enters the first cavity of the heat exchanger 4 under the drive of the circulation pump 160, condenses, exchanges heat with the battery pack 1, transfers heat to the battery pack 1, and then enters the heater 170 again for heating. In addition, the battery pack 1 is heated by absorbing the heat of the coolant.

[0116] In addition, in this embodiment of the present application, a controller and a temperature detection device are also arranged to adjust the operating states of the foregoing components based on the ambient temperature and the temperature of the battery pack, so as to adjust the operating mode of the thermal management system. The specific control logic can be set with reference to the foregoing embodiments. Details are not described herein.

[0117] Based on the same technical concept, an embodiment of the present application further provides a control method for a thermal management system. For the structure of the thermal management system, please refer to the description in the foregoing embodiments. Details are not described herein. Referring to FIG. 14, the control method may include the following steps.

[0118] Step S101: Obtain the temperature of the heat exchange element and the ambient temperature.

[0119] Step S102: Determine whether the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the first temperature range. If the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the first temperature range, steps S1021 to S1023 are executed.

[0120] Step S1021: When the ambient temperature is less than the first temperature threshold, control the compressor and the circulation pump to be turned off, drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet, and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet to control the driving component.

[0121] Step S1022: When the ambient temperature is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold and less than or equal to the second temperature threshold, control the compressor and the circulation pump to be turned off, drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet, and drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet to control the driving component.

[0122] Step S1023: When the ambient temperature is greater than the second temperature threshold, drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet, and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet to control the driving component.

[0123] The heat exchange element may be the vehicle's battery pack or another element that requires heat dissipation or heat preservation. This is not particularly limited in this application. The first temperature range is the appropriate temperature range for the heat exchange element. For example, the first temperature range can be in the range of 20°C to 35°C. The first temperature threshold may not be greater than the minimum value in the first temperature range. For example, the first temperature threshold may be 20°C or less. The second temperature threshold may not be greater than the maximum value in the first temperature range. For example, the second temperature threshold may be 35°C or less.

[0124] When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the first temperature range and the ambient temperature is low, the second cavity is adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange element is thermally isolated from the outside air, and the adverse effect of the external low temperature on the heat exchange element can be reduced. When there is no large difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element, the second cavity is adjusted to a ventilated state to help maintain the heat exchange element within the appropriate temperature range of the heat exchange element. When the ambient temperature is high, heat dissipation can be performed on the heat exchange element in the liquid cooling mode, and the second cavity is adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange element is thermally isolated from the outside air, and the adverse effect of the external high temperature on the heat exchange element can be reduced.

[0125] In addition, when the second cavity is in a closed state, the vacuum pump is further controlled to be turned on, and the second cavity is changed to a vacuum state through extraction, which can improve the heat preservation effect of the second cavity. When the degree of vacuum in the second cavity is equal to or higher than the vacuum degree threshold, the vacuum pump is controlled to be turned off. The vacuum degree threshold can be set based on the heat preservation requirements or experience of the heat exchange element. This is not particularly limited in this application. In the following control mode, when the second cavity is in a closed state, the degree of vacuum in the second cavity can be controlled according to the above method. Details are not described.

[0126] Referring to FIG. 15, after step S101 is executed, the control method may further include the following steps.

[0127] Step S103: Determine whether the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the second temperature range. If the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the second temperature range, steps S1031 and S1032 are executed.

[0128] Step S1031: When the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is greater than or equal to the temperature difference threshold, control is performed to turn off the compressor and the circulation pump, drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet, and control the drive component to drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet.

[0129] Step S1032: When the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is less than the temperature difference threshold, control the drive component to drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet.

[0130] The second temperature range is a temperature range in which the temperature value is less than the minimum value in the first temperature range. For example, the second temperature range may be a range in which the temperature value is less than 20°C. In this range, the temperature of the heat exchange element is low. When the ambient temperature is significantly higher than the temperature of the heat exchange element, the second cavity can be adjusted to a ventilated state in order to heat the heat exchange element by using the natural heat source. When the ambient temperature is close to the temperature of the heat exchange element, the second cavity is adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange element can be thermally isolated from the outside air and the influence of the external low temperature on the heat exchange element can be reduced.

[0131] When the temperature of the heat exchange element is too low, step S1032 may further include the following: Control to turn off the compressor, control to turn on the circulation pump and the heater, and heat the heat exchange element by using the heater so that the heat exchange element can operate normally.

[0132] Referring to FIG. 16, after step S101 is executed, the control method may further include the following steps.

[0133] Step S104: Determine whether the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the third temperature range. When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the third temperature range, steps S1041 and S1042 are executed.

[0134] Step S1041: When the ambient temperature is lower than the first temperature threshold, control to turn on the compressor and the circulation pump, drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet, and drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet to control the driving components.

[0135] Step S1042: When the ambient temperature is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold, control to turn on the compressor and the circulation pump, drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet, and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet to control the driving components.

[0136] The third temperature range is a temperature range in which the temperature value is greater than the maximum value in the first temperature range. For example, the third temperature range can be a range in which the temperature value exceeds 35°C. In this range, the temperature of the heat exchange element is high. When the ambient temperature is low, in order to fully utilize the natural cooling source, heat dissipation can be performed on the heat exchange element in a composite mode of liquid cooling and air cooling, and while realizing heat dissipation for the heat exchange element, the energy consumption of the heat management system can be reduced. When the ambient temperature is high, the second cavity can be adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange element is thermally isolated from the outside air, the compressor and the circulation pump are turned on, and heat dissipation is separately performed on the heat exchange element in the liquid cooling mode to obtain a good heat dissipation effect.

[0137] Based on the same technical concept, an embodiment of the present application further provides a control device for a heat management system. For the structure of the heat management system, refer to the description in the foregoing embodiment. Details are not described here. The control device may include a communication unit and a processing unit.

[0138] The communication unit is configured to acquire the temperature of the heat exchange element and the ambient temperature.

[0139] When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the first temperature range and the ambient temperature is less than the first temperature threshold, the processing unit controls to turn off the compressor and the circulation pump, and controls the driving component to drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet, or when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the first temperature range and the ambient temperature is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold and less than or equal to the second temperature threshold, the processing unit controls to turn off the compressor and the circulation pump, and controls the driving component to drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet, or when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the first temperature range and the ambient temperature is greater than the second temperature threshold, the driving component is configured to control to drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet.

[0140] The heat exchange element may be a vehicle battery pack or another element that requires heat dissipation or heat preservation. This is not particularly limited in the present application. The first temperature range is an appropriate temperature range for the heat exchange element. For example, the first temperature range can be in the range of 20°C to 35°C. The first temperature threshold may not be greater than the minimum value in the first temperature range. For example, the first temperature threshold may be 20°C or less. The second temperature threshold may not be greater than the maximum value in the first temperature range. For example, the second temperature threshold may be 35°C or less.

[0141] When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the first temperature range and the ambient temperature is low, the second cavity is adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange element is thermally isolated from the outside air, and the adverse effects of the external low temperature on the heat exchange element can be reduced. When there is no large difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element, the second cavity is adjusted to a ventilation state to help maintain the heat exchange element within an appropriate temperature range of the heat exchange element. When the ambient temperature is high, heat dissipation can be performed on the heat exchange element in a liquid cooling mode, and the second cavity is adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange element is thermally isolated from the outside air, and the adverse effects of the external high temperature on the heat exchange element can be reduced.

[0142] In addition, when the second cavity is in a closed state, the processing unit can be further configured to control the vacuum pump to turn on, change the second cavity to a vacuum state through extraction, improve the heat preservation effect of the second cavity, and control the vacuum pump to turn off when the degree of vacuum in the second cavity is equal to or higher than a vacuum degree threshold.

[0143] In some embodiments, when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is equal to or greater than a temperature difference threshold, the processing unit controls the compressor and the circulation pump to turn off, and controls the driving component to drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet, or when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is less than the temperature difference threshold, the processing unit can be further configured to control the driving component to drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet.

[0144] The second temperature range is a temperature range in which the temperature value is less than the minimum value in the first temperature range. For example, the second temperature range can be a range in which the temperature value is less than 20°C. In this range, the temperature of the heat exchange element is low. When the ambient temperature is significantly higher than the temperature of the heat exchange element, the second cavity can be adjusted to a ventilated state in order to heat the heat exchange element by using a natural heat source. When the ambient temperature is close to the temperature of the heat exchange element, the second cavity is adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange element can be thermally isolated from the outside air and the influence of the external low temperature on the heat exchange element can be reduced. In addition, when the temperature of the heat exchange element is excessively low, the processing unit controls the compressor to turn off and controls the circulation pump and the heater to turn on, and heats the heat exchange element by using the heater, whereby the heat exchange element can be further configured to operate normally.

[0145] In some embodiments, the processing unit controls the compressor and the circulation pump to turn on when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a third temperature range and the ambient temperature is less than a first temperature threshold, and controls the drive component to drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet, or, when the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a third temperature range and the ambient temperature is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold, controls the compressor and the circulation pump to turn on, and controls the drive component to drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet, and can be further configured as such.

[0146] The third temperature range is a temperature range in which the temperature value is greater than the maximum value in the first temperature range. For example, the third temperature range may be a range in which the temperature value exceeds 35°C. In this range, the temperature of the heat exchange element is high. When the ambient temperature is low, in order to make full use of the natural cooling source, heat dissipation can be performed on the heat exchange element in a combined mode of liquid cooling and air cooling, and while realizing heat dissipation for the heat exchange element, the energy consumption of the heat management system can be reduced. When the ambient temperature is high, the second cavity can be adjusted to a closed state, whereby the heat exchange element is thermally isolated from the outside air, and the compressor and the circulation pump are turned on to separately perform heat dissipation on the heat exchange element in the liquid cooling mode to obtain a good heat dissipation effect.

[0147] Referring to FIG. 17, based on the same technical concept, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computing device 1000. The computing device 1000 may be a chip or a chip system. Optionally, in this embodiment of the present application, the chip system may include a chip or may include a chip and another separate device.

[0148] The computing device 1000 may include at least one processor 1110. The processor 1110 is coupled to the memory. Optionally, the memory may be located in the computing device, or the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be located outside the device. For example, the computing device 1000 may further include at least one memory 1120. The memory 1120 stores the computer program, configuration information, computer program or instructions, and / or data necessary to implement any one of the foregoing embodiments. The processor 1110 may execute the computer program stored in the memory 1120 to complete the method in any one of the foregoing embodiments.

[0149] The computing device 1000 may further include a communication interface 1130, and the computing device 1000 may exchange information with another device via the communication interface 1130. For example, the communication interface 1130 may be a transceiver, a circuit, a bus, a module, a pin, or another type of communication interface. If the computing device 1000 is a chip-type device or circuit, Computing device 1000 the communication interface 1130 therein may be an input / output circuit, which can input (or receive information) and output (or transmit information), and the processor may be an integrated processor, a microprocessor, an integrated circuit, or a logic circuit, and the processor may determine output information based on the input information.

[0150] The coupling in this embodiment of the present application is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, which may be in an electrical form, a mechanical form, or another form, and is used for information exchange between devices, units, or modules. The processor 1110 may cooperate with the memory 1120 and the communication interface 1130. The specific connection medium between the processor 1110, the memory 1120, and the communication interface 1130 is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0151] Optionally, referring to FIG. 17, the processor 1110, the memory 1120, and the communication interface 1130 are connected to each other by using a bus 1140. The bus 1140 is a peripheral component interconnect (PC I) bus, an extended industry standard architecture (E ISA) bus or the like. The bus may be classified into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For the sake of simplicity of representation, only one thick line is used to represent the bus in FIG. 17, but this does not mean that only one bus or only one type of bus exists.

[0152] In this embodiment of the present application, the processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array or another programmable logic device, discrete gates or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components, and can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logical block diagrams in the embodiments of the present application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the methods provided with reference to the embodiments of the present application may be directly executed by a hardware processor, or may be executed by using a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0153] In this embodiment of the present application, the memory can be a non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk drive (H DD) or a solid state drive (S SD), or alternatively, a volatile memory Li such as a random access memory (R AM). The memory can be configured to carry or store program code expected in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, and is any other medium. However, it is not limited to this. The memory in this embodiment of the present application can alternatively be a circuit or any other device capable of implementing a storage function and is configured to store program instructions and / or data.

[0154] In a possible implementation form, the computing device 1000 can be applied to the sending end. Specifically, the computing device 1000 can be the sending end or a device that can support the sending end when implementing the function of the sending end in any one of the foregoing embodiments. The memory 1120 stores computer programs, computer programs or instructions, and / or data necessary for implementing the function of the sending end in any one of the foregoing embodiments. The processor 1110 can execute the computer program stored in the memory 1120 to complete the method executed by the sending end in any one of the foregoing embodiments. In the case of application to the sending end, the communication interface in the computing device 1000 can be configured to interact with the receiving end, for example, to send information to the receiving end.

[0155] In another possible implementation form, the computing device 1000 can be applied to the receiving end. Specifically, the computing device 1000 can be the receiving end or a device that can support the receiving end when implementing the function of the receiving end in any one of the foregoing embodiments. The memory 1120 stores computer programs, computer programs or instructions, and / or data necessary for implementing the function of the receiving end in any one of the foregoing embodiments. The processor 1110 can execute the computer program stored in the memory 1120 to complete the method executed by the receiving end in any one of the foregoing embodiments. In the case of application to the receiving end, the communication interface in the computing device 1000 can be configured to interact with the sending end, for example, to receive information from the sending end.

[0156] The computing device 1000 provided in this embodiment may be applied to a transmitting end to complete the method executed by the transmitting end, or may be applied to a receiving end to complete the method executed by the receiving end. Therefore, for the technical effects that can be achieved by the computing device 1000, please refer to the embodiments of the foregoing method. Details are not described here.

[0157] Based on the foregoing embodiments, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program. When the computer program is executed on a computer, the computer can implement the method provided in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 14 to 16.

[0158] Based on the foregoing embodiments, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a computer, the computer can implement the method provided in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 14 to 16. The storage medium can be any usable medium accessible by a computer. Examples are provided below, but are not limited thereto: The computer-readable medium can be RAM, read-only memory (R OM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (E EPRO M) , CD-ROM or another optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage medium or another magnetic storage device, alternatively configured to carry or store program code in the form of instructions or data structures, and can include any other medium accessible by a computer.

[0159] All or part of the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application can be implemented by using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When software is used to implement the technical solution, all or part of the technical solution can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the procedures or functions according to the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, a computer network, an access network device, a terminal device, or another programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted in a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, or digital subscriber line (D SL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, or microwave) manner from a website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center. The computer-readable storage medium can be any usable medium accessible by a computer or a data storage device integrated with one or more usable media, such as a server or a data center. The usable medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., digital video disc (D VD)), a semiconductor medium, etc.

[0160] The foregoing description is only a specific implementation form of this application, and the protection scope of this application is not limited thereto. Any deformation or substitution that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application shall fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A heat exchange device comprising a housing and a spacer plate disposed within the housing, wherein the spacer plate separates the housing into a first cavity and a second cavity, an outer wall of the first cavity on a side away from the second cavity is configured to be in thermal conductive contact with a heat exchange element, and the first cavity is provided with a first inlet and a first outlet, the second cavity is provided with a second inlet and a second outlet, a first sealing element configured to open and close the second inlet is disposed at the second inlet, and a second sealing element configured to open and close the second outlet is disposed at the second outlet. Heat exchange device.

2. The heat exchange device according to claim 1, wherein the second inlet and the second outlet are disposed opposite to each other.

3. The spacer plate is provided with a plurality of fins extending toward the second cavity, and an end portion of the fin facing away from the spacer plate is spaced from an inner wall of the second cavity on a side away from the first cavity. The heat exchange device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The heat exchange device according to claim 3, wherein the fins extend in a direction from the second inlet to the second outlet.

5. A heat insulating member is disposed at an end portion of at least some of the fins facing away from the spacer plate, and the heat insulating member is supported between the ribbed plate and the inner wall of the second cavity. The heat exchange device according to claim 4.

6. A first sealing ring is disposed at an end portion of the second inlet. When the first sealing element closes the second inlet, the first sealing ring is compressed between the first sealing element and the end portion of the second inlet, and / or a second sealing ring is disposed at an end portion of the second outlet. When the second sealing element closes the second outlet, the second sealing ring is compressed between the second sealing element and the end portion of the second outlet. The heat exchange device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The heat exchange device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the housing is provided with a vacuum exhaust port communicating with the second cavity.

8. On the inner wall of the second cavity on the side away from the first cavity, a first heat insulation layer is disposed, and / or on the outer wall of the second cavity on the side away from the first cavity, a second heat insulation layer is disposed. The heat exchange device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. The first sealing element is rotatably disposed on the heat exchange device, and / or the second sealing element is rotatably disposed on the heat exchange device. The heat exchange device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The first cavity is a coolant storage cavity, and the second cavity is an air cavity. The heat exchange device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A heat exchange device including a drive component and the heat exchange device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the drive component is separately connected to the first sealing element and the second sealing element via a transmission, and the drive component is configured to drive the first sealing element to open and close a second inlet and drive the second sealing element to open and close a second outlet. Heat exchange device.

12. A heat management system including a compressor, a condenser, a cooler, an expansion valve, a circulation pump, and the heat exchange device according to claim 11, wherein the cooler includes a first runner and a second runner isolated from each other. The outlet of the compressor is connected to the inlet of the condenser, the outlet of the condenser is connected to the inlet of the first runner via the expansion valve, and the outlet of the first runner is connected to the inlet of the compressor. The outlet of the circulation pump is connected to the first inlet of the first cavity, the first outlet of the first cavity is connected to the inlet of the second runner, and the outlet of the second runner is connected to the inlet of the circulation pump. Heat management system.

13. A vacuum exhaust port is provided in the second cavity. The heat management system further includes a vacuum pump, an intake port of the vacuum pump is connected to the vacuum exhaust port, and the vacuum pump is configured to extract air from the second cavity when the first sealing element closes the second inlet and the second sealing element closes the second outlet. The heat management system according to claim 12.

14. Further comprising a temperature detection device and a controller, the temperature detection device is configured to detect the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element, and the controller is electrically connected to the compressor, the circulation pump, the drive component, and the temperature detection device separately, When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a first temperature range, control the compressor and the circulation pump to be turned off, drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet, and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet so as to control the drive component The heat management system according to claim 13, which is configured as described above.

15. Further comprising a temperature detection device and a controller, the temperature detection device is configured to detect the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element, and the controller is electrically connected to the compressor, the circulation pump, the drive component, and the temperature detection device separately, When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a first temperature range and the ambient temperature is less than a first temperature threshold, control the compressor and the circulation pump to be turned off, drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet, and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet so as to control the drive component, or When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a first temperature range and the ambient temperature is greater than or equal to a first temperature threshold and less than or equal to a second temperature threshold, control the compressor and the circulation pump to be turned off, drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet, and drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet so as to control the drive component, or When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a first temperature range and the ambient temperature is greater than the second temperature threshold, control the compressor and the circulation pump to be turned on, drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet, and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet so as to control the drive component The heat management system according to claim 13, which is configured as described above.

16. The controller is When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is greater than or equal to a temperature difference threshold value, control is performed to turn off the compressor and the circulation pump, and the drive component is controlled to drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet, or When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is less than the temperature difference threshold value, the drive component is controlled to drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet is further configured such that the second temperature range is a range in which the temperature value is less than the minimum temperature value in the first temperature range The heat management system according to claim 14 or 15 **Claim 17** further comprising a heater, the heater being connected between the first cavity and the second runner The controller is further electrically connected to the heater. When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is less than the temperature difference threshold value, the controller controls to turn off the compressor and controls to turn on the circulation pump and the heater The heat management system according to claim 16, which is further configured as such **Claim 18** The controller When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a third temperature range and the ambient temperature is less than the first temperature threshold value, controls to turn on the compressor and the circulation pump, and controls the drive component to drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet, or When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a third temperature range and the ambient temperature is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold value, controls to turn on the compressor and the circulation pump, and controls the drive component to drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet is further configured such that the third temperature range is a range in which the temperature value is greater than the maximum temperature value in the first temperature range The heat management system according to any one of claims 14 to 17

19. The heat management system further comprises a vacuum gauge configured to detect the degree of vacuum in the second cavity, the controller is further electrically connected to the vacuum pump and the vacuum gauge, and when the driving component drives the first sealing element to close the second inlet, drives the second sealing element to close the second outlet, and the degree of vacuum in the second cavity is equal to or higher than a vacuum degree threshold value, the controller controls the vacuum pump to be turned off. The heat management system according to any one of claims 14 to 18, which is configured as described above.

20. The heat management system according to any one of claims 14 to 19, further comprising a first vacuum valve and a second vacuum valve, wherein the first vacuum valve is connected between the intake port and the vacuum exhaust port of the vacuum pump, and the second vacuum valve is connected between the intake port of the vacuum pump and a vehicle vacuum booster.

21. A heat management system comprising an air-cooled heat sink, a circulation pump, and the heat exchange device according to claim 11, wherein the outlet of the circulation pump is connected to the first inlet of the first cavity, the first outlet of the first cavity is connected to the inlet of the air-cooled heat sink, and the outlet of the air-cooled heat sink is connected to the inlet of the circulation pump.

22. A control method for a heat management system, used to control the heat management system according to any one of claims 12 to 20, comprising: acquiring the temperature of the heat-exchanged element and the ambient temperature; and when the temperature of the heat-exchanged element is within a first temperature range and the ambient temperature is lower than a first temperature threshold, controlling to turn off the compressor and the circulation pump, and controlling the driving component to drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet; when the temperature of the heat-exchanged element is within a first temperature range and the ambient temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature threshold and equal to or lower than a second temperature threshold, controlling to turn off the compressor and the circulation pump, and controlling the driving component to drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet; or When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a first temperature range and the ambient temperature is greater than the second temperature threshold, controlling a drive component to drive a first sealing element to close a second inlet and drive a second sealing element to close a second outlet A control method including the above steps.

23. When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is equal to or greater than a temperature difference threshold, controlling to turn off the compressor and the circulation pump, and driving the first sealing element to open the second inlet and driving the second sealing element to open the second outlet, or When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is less than the temperature difference threshold, controlling the drive component to drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet further comprising The second temperature range is a range where the temperature value is lower than the minimum temperature value in the first temperature range. The control method according to claim 22.

24. The thermal management system further includes a heater connected between a first runner and a second runner, and a controller is further electrically connected to the heater. When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is less than the temperature difference threshold, the control method includes controlling to turn off the compressor and controlling to turn on the circulation pump and the heater; The control method according to claim 23, further comprising the above steps.

25. When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a third temperature range and the ambient temperature is less than the first temperature threshold, controlling to turn on the compressor and the circulation pump, and driving the first sealing element to open the second inlet and driving the second sealing element to open the second outlet, or When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a third temperature range and the ambient temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature threshold, control is performed to turn on the compressor and the circulation pump, and the drive component is controlled to drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet. further comprising The third temperature range is a range in which the temperature value is higher than the maximum temperature value in the first temperature range. The control method according to any one of claims 22 to 24.

26. The heat management system further includes a vacuum pump, and an intake port of the vacuum pump is connected to a vacuum exhaust port of a second cavity. The control method includes When the drive component drives the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drives the second sealing element to close the second outlet, a step of controlling to turn on the vacuum pump. The control method according to any one of claims 22 to 25, further comprising.

27. A control device for a heat management system configured to control the heat management system according to any one of claims 12 to 20, a communication unit configured to acquire the temperature of the heat exchange element and the ambient temperature, a processing unit, When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a first temperature range and the ambient temperature is lower than a first temperature threshold, control is performed to turn off the compressor and the circulation pump, and the drive component is controlled to drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet, or When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a first temperature range and the ambient temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature threshold and equal to or lower than a second temperature threshold, control is performed to turn off the compressor and the circulation pump, and the drive component is controlled to drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet, or When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a first temperature range and the ambient temperature is higher than the second temperature threshold, the drive component is controlled to drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet. a processing unit configured as such A control device comprising.

28. The processing unit is When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is equal to or greater than a temperature difference threshold, control is performed to turn off the compressor and the circulation pump, and the drive component is controlled to drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet, or When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is less than the temperature difference threshold, the drive component is controlled to drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet and is further configured as follows, The second temperature range is a range in which the temperature value is less than the minimum temperature value in the first temperature range. The control device according to claim 27.

29. The heat management system further includes a heater connected between a first runner and a second runner. When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within the second temperature range and the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature of the heat exchange element is less than the temperature difference threshold, the processing unit controls to turn off the compressor and controls to turn on the circulation pump and the heater and is further configured as described in claim 28. The control device according to claim 28.

30. The processing unit When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a third temperature range and the ambient temperature is less than the first temperature threshold, controls to turn on the compressor and the circulation pump, and controls the drive component to drive the first sealing element to open the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to open the second outlet, or When the temperature of the heat exchange element is within a third temperature range and the ambient temperature is equal to or greater than the first temperature threshold, controls to turn on the compressor and the circulation pump, and controls the drive component to drive the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drive the second sealing element to close the second outlet and is further configured as follows, The third temperature range is a range in which the temperature value is greater than the maximum temperature value in the first temperature range. The control device according to any one of claims 27 to 29.

31. The heat management system further comprises a vacuum pump, and an intake port of the vacuum pump is connected to a vacuum exhaust port of the second cavity. The processing unit is further configured to control the vacuum pump to be turned on when the drive component drives the first sealing element to close the second inlet and drives the second sealing element to close the second outlet. The control device according to any one of claims 27 to 30, further configured as described above. **Claim 32** A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a computer, enable the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 22 to 26. **Claim 33** A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed on a computer, enable the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 22 to 26. **Claim 34** A vehicle comprising a heat exchange element and the heat management system according to any one of claims 12 to 21, wherein the heat management system is configured to perform heat exchange with respect to the heat exchange element. **Claim 35** The vehicle according to claim 34, wherein the heat exchange element is a battery pack of the vehicle.

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