Transportation equipment and its thermal management system and thermal management method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a transportation device and its thermal management system and method, and the thermal management system (1) includes an air conditioning system (10), a thermal management circuit (20), and an auxiliary heater (30). The thermal management circuit (20) is used to circulate a first heat transfer medium and to perform thermal management on designated components of the transportation device. The thermal management circuit (20) can exchange heat with the air conditioning system (10). When the air conditioning system (10) is in a heating state, the thermal management circuit (20) selectively transfers heat generated by the designated components to the air conditioning system (10) and serves as a heat source for at least part of the evaporation process of the air conditioning system (10). The auxiliary heater (30) is used to selectively provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit (20), thereby improving the heating effect of the air conditioning system (10).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present application relates to the field of thermal management technology, and in particular to transportation equipment and its thermal management systems and methods. [Background technology]

[0002] When temperatures are relatively low in winter, air conditioning is commonly used in transportation vehicles (e.g., automobiles) to raise the temperature inside the vehicle interior and achieve a heating effect. For example, electric vehicles currently often use electric air conditioning with a heat pump function to heat the interior of their vehicles. Under low-temperature operating conditions, heat pump air conditioning has problems such as low heat pump efficiency, making it difficult to meet heating demands. Currently, a common solution is to add an additional auxiliary heater to directly exchange heat with the heating heat exchanger inside the vehicle interior. To achieve the heat exchange goal, the heating temperature of the auxiliary heater must exceed the target temperature required for the vehicle interior, placing high demands on the specifications of the auxiliary heater (e.g., heating power and volume). Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the above problems, the present application provides a transportation equipment, a thermal management system and a thermal management method thereof, which can solve the technical problems in the prior art, improve the heating effect of the air conditioning system in low temperature operating conditions, and at the same time effectively reduce the specifications of the auxiliary heater.

[0004] The present application provides a thermal management system for a vehicle, including an air conditioning system, a thermal management circuit, and an auxiliary heater. The thermal management circuit is used to circulate a first heat transfer medium and provide thermal management for a designated component of the vehicle. The thermal management circuit can exchange heat with the air conditioning system and, at least when the air conditioning system is in a heating state, selectively transfer heat generated by the designated component to the air conditioning system, which then serves as a heat source for at least part of the evaporation process of the air conditioning system. The auxiliary heater is used to selectively provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit. In this solution, by installing the auxiliary heater in the thermal management circuit, the auxiliary heater can provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit, ensuring that the air conditioning system can effectively absorb heat from the thermal management circuit when the air conditioning system is operating at low temperatures, thereby reducing the pressure in the air conditioning system and improving the heating effect of the air conditioning system. In addition, the heating temperature of the auxiliary heater only needs to ensure that the air conditioning system can effectively absorb heat, and at the same time, the heat supplied by the air conditioning system is only partly provided by the auxiliary heater, and the other part is provided by the compression work inside the air conditioning system, so the specifications of the auxiliary heater can be effectively reduced, space utilization rate can be improved, and costs can be reduced.

[0005] In some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes a control module, which controls the auxiliary heater to provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit in response to the heat generated by the designated component not meeting the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system. In the above solution, the control module controls the auxiliary heater to provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit based on the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system, allowing the air conditioning system to effectively absorb heat from the thermal management circuit and further achieving automated control.

[0006] In some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes a detection module, which is used to detect the operating state or operating environment of the air conditioning system when the air conditioning system is in a heating state, and the control module determines whether the heat generated by the designated component meets the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system based on the detection result of the detection module. In the above solution, the detection module detects the operating state or operating environment of the air conditioning system, and the control module determines whether the heat generated by the designated component meets the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system, thereby realizing automated control.

[0007] In some embodiments, the operating environment includes a temperature of a first heat transfer medium, the detection module is used to detect the temperature of the first heat transfer medium before the first heat transfer medium exchanges heat with the air conditioning system, and the control module determines that the heat generated by the designated component does not meet the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system in response to the temperature detected by the detection module being lower than a predetermined temperature threshold. In the above solution, whether the heat generated by the designated component meets the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system is determined by detecting the temperature of the first heat transfer medium before the first heat transfer medium exchanges heat with the air conditioning system, and the detection method is relatively simple and the detection result is more accurate.

[0008] In some embodiments, the control module may further control the auxiliary heater to provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit in response to a heat supply demand at the designated component itself to heat the designated component via the first heat transfer medium. In this solution, when a heat supply demand at the designated component itself exists, controlling the auxiliary heater to provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit is advantageous for maintaining the normal operating state of the designated component.

[0009] In some embodiments, the thermal management circuit includes a main heat exchange area for exchanging heat with a designated component and an auxiliary heat exchange area for exchanging heat with a supplemental heater, and the thermal management circuit further includes a flow distribution assembly and a bypass circuit connected in parallel with the main heat exchange area. The control module controls the flow distribution assembly to distribute the flow of the first heat transfer medium between the main heat exchange area and the bypass circuit based on the heat supply demand of the designated component and the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system. In the above solution, the flow distribution assembly distributes the flow of the first heat transfer medium between the main heat exchange area and the bypass circuit, thereby adjusting the distribution of heat supplied to the designated component and the air conditioning system based on different operating conditions.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first heat transfer medium is heated by the auxiliary heat exchange area before flowing to the main heat exchange area and the bypass circuit, and exchanges heat with the air conditioning system before entering the auxiliary heat exchange area; or the first heat transfer medium heated by the auxiliary heat exchange area exchanges heat with the air conditioning system before flowing to the main heat exchange area and the bypass circuit, and is heated by the auxiliary heat exchange area after flowing through the main heat exchange area and / or the bypass circuit. In the above solutions, optimizing the installation location of the auxiliary heat exchange area can improve the heat distribution effect of the designated components and the air conditioning system.

[0011] In some embodiments, the designated component is a battery module of the vehicle, and the control module controls the flow distribution assembly to use the auxiliary heater to prioritize the heat supply demand of the battery module in response to the output power of the battery module not satisfying the external power demand, or controls the flow distribution assembly to use the auxiliary heater to prioritize the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system in response to the output power of the battery module being able to satisfy the external power demand. In the above solution, when the output power of the battery module does not satisfy the external power demand, the battery module is preferentially heated to improve the output power of the battery module and further ensure the normal operation of the vehicle.

[0012] In some embodiments, preferentially satisfying the heat supply demand of the battery modules involves supplying all of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area or increasing the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area, and preferentially satisfying the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system involves supplying all of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit or increasing the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit. In the above solutions, supplying all of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area or increasing the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area can better heat the battery modules. Supplying all of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit or increasing the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit can better absorb heat from the air conditioning system.

[0013] In some embodiments, after preferentially satisfying the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system, the control module can further control the flow distribution assembly to decrease the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit and increase the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area in response to the thermal management circuit reaching the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system, or to increase the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit and decrease the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area in response to the thermal management circuit not satisfying the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system. In the above solutions, the heat supply demands of the air conditioning system and the battery modules are dynamically balanced by flow distribution.

[0014] In some embodiments, the thermal management circuit includes at least two sub-thermal management circuits, each of which is used to perform thermal management for a different designated component, and the thermal management system further includes a thermal management switching assembly, and the control module controls the thermal management switching assembly to selectively switch the heat exchange relationship between the at least two sub-thermal management circuits and the air conditioning system. In this solution, by selectively switching the heat exchange relationship between the at least two sub-thermal management circuits and the air conditioning system, different combinations of the sub-thermal management circuits can be used to provide heat to the air conditioning system according to different operating conditions.

[0015] In some embodiments, the designated member includes a battery module and a motor module of the transportation device, and the at least two sub-thermal management circuits include a first sub-thermal management circuit and a second sub-thermal management circuit, the first sub-thermal management circuit is used to perform thermal management for the battery module and includes a first main heat exchange area for heat exchange with the battery module and an auxiliary heat exchange area for heat exchange with the auxiliary heater, the second sub-thermal management circuit is used to perform thermal management for the motor module and includes a second main heat exchange area for heat exchange with the motor module and an external heat exchanger for heat exchange with an external environment, and the control module controls the thermal management switching assembly to switch at least one of the first sub-thermal management circuit and the second sub-thermal management circuit to perform heat exchange with the air conditioning system in response to the air conditioning system being in a heating state. In the above solution, two sub-thermal management circuits are used to perform thermal management for the two main heat sources of the transportation equipment (i.e., the battery module and the motor module), thereby improving the heat recovery utilization rate. At the same time, an auxiliary heater is installed in the sub-thermal management circuit where the battery module is located, and the heating function of the auxiliary heater can be used to selectively heat the battery module, further improving the low-temperature start-up performance of the transportation equipment.

[0016] In some embodiments, the control module may further control the thermal management switching assembly to simultaneously switch the first sub-thermal management circuit and the second sub-thermal management circuit to exchange heat with the air conditioning system in response to the air conditioning system being in a heating state. In this solution, simultaneously switching the first sub-thermal management circuit and the second sub-thermal management circuit to exchange heat with the air conditioning system can improve heat recovery utilization.

[0017] In some embodiments, the control module can further control the thermal management switching assembly to communicate between the first sub-thermal management circuit and the second sub-thermal management circuit, so that the first heat transfer medium circulates within a total circuit formed by the first sub-thermal management circuit and the second sub-thermal management circuit. In the above solution, the first sub-thermal management circuit and the second sub-thermal management circuit are simultaneously switched to exchange heat with the air conditioning system, and the two are connected to each other, which can further ensure heat balance and improve the thermal management effect.

[0018] In some embodiments, the first sub-thermal management circuit further includes a first flow distribution assembly and a first bypass circuit connected in parallel to the first main heat exchange area, and the control module controls the first flow distribution assembly to distribute the flow of the first heat transfer medium in the first sub-thermal management circuit between the first main heat exchange area and the first bypass circuit based on the heat supply demand of the designated component and the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system. In the above solution, the first flow distribution assembly distributes the flow of the one heat transfer medium between the first main heat exchange area and the second bypass circuit, thereby adjusting the distribution of heat supplied to the battery modules and the air conditioning system based on different operating conditions.

[0019] In some embodiments, the second sub-thermal management circuit further includes a second flow distribution assembly and a second bypass circuit connected in parallel to the external heat exchanger, and the control module controls the second flow distribution assembly to distribute the flow of the first heat transfer medium in the second sub-thermal management circuit between the external heat exchanger and the second bypass circuit based on the heat dissipation demand of the motor module, the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system, or the external environment of the external heat exchanger. In this solution, by distributing the flow of the first heat transfer medium in the second sub-thermal management circuit between the external heat exchanger and the second bypass circuit, the heat dissipation demand of the motor module and / or the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system can be dynamically met.

[0020] In some embodiments, the control module may be configured to: direct all of the first heat transfer medium in the second sub-thermal management circuit to the second bypass circuit or increase the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the second bypass circuit in response to the fact that there is no additional heat dissipation demand after the motor module has supplied heat to the air conditioning system, or that the motor module does not meet the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system and is unable to absorb heat from the environment through the external heat exchanger; or direct all of the first heat transfer medium in the second sub-thermal management circuit to the external heat exchanger or increase the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the external heat exchanger in response to the fact that there is still additional heat dissipation demand after the motor module has supplied heat to the air conditioning system, or that the motor module does not meet the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system and is able to absorb heat from the environment through the external heat exchanger. In this manner, the heat dissipation demand of the motor module and the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system can be dynamically balanced according to the actual operating conditions of the motor module and the air conditioning system. It also avoids excessive heat loss when the external heat exchanger cannot absorb heat from the environment, and increases the amount of heat supplied to the air conditioning system when the external heat exchanger can absorb heat from the environment.

[0021] In some embodiments, the air conditioning system includes a first air conditioning circuit and a second air conditioning circuit. The first air conditioning circuit is used to circulate a refrigerant and includes a compressor, a condensing heat exchanger, an accumulator, a first evaporative heat exchanger, and a second evaporative heat exchanger, where the refrigerant evaporates and absorbs heat in the first evaporative heat exchanger to provide air conditioning cooling for a designated area of ​​the vehicle. The refrigerant evaporates and absorbs heat in the second evaporative heat exchanger to absorb heat from the thermal management circuit. The second air conditioning circuit is used to circulate a second heat transfer medium and includes a heating heat exchanger, where the heating heat exchanger exchanges heat with the condensing heat exchanger to provide air conditioning heating for the designated area. In this solution, air conditioning heating is achieved through heat exchange between the heating heat exchanger and the condensing heat exchanger, which simplifies the flow path design of the air conditioning system.

[0022] In some embodiments, the control module may further control the thermal management switching assembly to switch the second sub-thermal management circuit to exchange heat with the condensing heat exchanger and further transfer heat released from the condensing heat exchanger to the external heat exchanger in response to the air conditioning system being in a cooling state. In the above solution, by switching the second sub-thermal management circuit to exchange heat with the condensing heat exchanger in the cooling state, the external heat exchanger in the second sub-thermal management circuit can be fully utilized to dissipate heat from the condensing heat exchanger.

[0023] In some embodiments, the air conditioning system further includes a first air conditioning switching assembly, wherein the second sub-thermal management circuit and the second air conditioning circuit are each connected to the condensing heat exchanger via the first air conditioning switching assembly, and the control system is further configured to control the first air conditioning switching assembly to selectively supply the first heat transfer medium in the second sub-thermal management circuit and the second heat transfer medium in the second air conditioning circuit to the condensing heat exchanger. In this solution, by selectively supplying the first heat transfer medium and the second heat transfer medium to the condensing heat exchanger via the first air conditioning switching assembly, the second sub-thermal management circuit and the second air conditioning circuit can share a flow path in the condensing heat exchanger, thereby simplifying the structure of the condensing heat exchanger.

[0024] In some embodiments, the control module may further switch the first sub-thermal management circuit to exchange heat with the second evaporative heat exchanger in response to the air conditioning system being in a cooling state, and further use the second evaporative heat exchanger to lower the temperature of the battery module. In the above solution, in the cooling state, the first sub-thermal management circuit may switch to exchange heat with the second evaporative heat exchanger, thereby lowering the temperature of the battery module using the second evaporative heat exchanger.

[0025] In some embodiments, the air conditioning system further includes a first air conditioning switching assembly and a second air conditioning switching assembly, and the control system, in response to the air conditioning system being in a dehumidification state, controls the first air conditioning switching assembly to connect the heating heat exchanger and the condensing heat exchanger, and controls the second air conditioning switching assembly to connect the accumulator and the first evaporative heat exchanger, so that the air cooled and dehumidified by the first evaporative heat exchanger is heated by the heating heat exchanger. In the above solution, by installing the first air conditioning switching assembly and the second air conditioning switching assembly, the air conditioning system further has a dehumidification state.

[0026] The present application provides a thermal management method for a vehicle including an air conditioning system, a thermal management circuit, and an auxiliary heater. The thermal management circuit performs thermal management for a battery module of the vehicle and can exchange heat with the air conditioning system as a heat source for at least part of the evaporation process of the air conditioning system. The method includes: controlling the auxiliary heater to provide heat supplementation to the thermal management circuit in response to a heat supply demand from both the battery module and the air conditioning system; identifying whether the output power of the battery module satisfies the external power demand; and controlling the thermal management circuit to prioritize the heat supply demand of the battery module in response to the output power of the battery module not satisfying the external power demand; or controlling the thermal management circuit to prioritize the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system in response to the output power of the battery module being able to satisfy the external power demand. In the above solution, an auxiliary heater is installed in the thermal management circuit, so that when the transportation equipment is in a low-temperature operating state and there is a heat supply demand from the battery module and the air conditioning system at the same time, the auxiliary heater is used to meet the heat supply demand from the battery module and the air conditioning system respectively. Furthermore, based on the operating characteristics of the battery module and the air conditioning system, if the output power of the battery module does not meet the external power demand, the battery module is preferentially heated to improve the output power of the battery module and ensure the normal operation of the transportation equipment.

[0027] In some embodiments, the thermal management circuit includes a main heat exchange area for exchanging heat with the battery modules, an auxiliary heat exchange area for exchanging heat with the auxiliary heater, a flow distribution assembly, and a bypass circuit connected in parallel to the main heat exchange area, the flow distribution assembly being used to distribute the flow of a first heat transfer medium between the main heat exchange area and the bypass circuit, where preferentially meeting the heat supply demand of the battery modules is achieved by controlling the flow distribution assembly to supply all of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area or to increase the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area, and preferentially meeting the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system is achieved by controlling the flow distribution assembly to supply all of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit or to increase the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit. In the above solution, controlling the first heat transfer medium to supply all of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area or to increase the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area can better heat the battery modules. By supplying all of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit or by increasing the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit, the air conditioning system can better extract heat from the thermal management circuit.

[0028] In some embodiments, after the step of controlling the thermal management circuit to prioritize the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system in response to the output power of the battery module being able to satisfy the external power demand, the method further includes controlling the thermal management circuit to decrease the heat supply to the air conditioning system and increase the heat supply to the battery module in response to the heat supply to the air conditioning system by the thermal management circuit reaching the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system, or controlling the thermal management circuit to increase the heat supply to the air conditioning system and decrease the heat supply to the battery module in response to the amount of heat supply to the air conditioning system by the thermal management circuit being lower than the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system. In the above solution, the heat supply demands of the air conditioning system and the battery module are dynamically balanced by heat distribution.

[0029] This application provides a transportation device including the above-mentioned thermal management system. In this solution, an auxiliary heater is installed in the thermal management circuit, so that the auxiliary heater can provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit, ensuring that the air conditioning system can effectively absorb heat from the thermal management circuit when the air conditioning system is operating at low temperatures, thereby reducing the pressure in the air conditioning system and improving the heating effect of the air conditioning system. In addition, the heating temperature of the auxiliary heater only needs to ensure that the air conditioning system can effectively absorb heat. At the same time, only a portion of the heat supplied by the air conditioning system comes from the auxiliary heater, and the other portion comes from the compression work within the air conditioning system, so the specifications of the auxiliary heater can be effectively reduced, improving space utilization and reducing costs.

[0030] The above description is merely a summary of the technical solution of the present application, which may be implemented according to the contents of the specification in order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present application. In order to make the above and other objectives, features and advantages of the present application more clearly understandable, the following particularly cites specific embodiments of the present application for description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. The drawings are only used to illustrate the purpose of the preferred embodiments, but are not to be considered as limitations on the present application. Note that the same drawing numbers refer to the same elements in all drawings. In the drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings, [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a thermal management system for transportation equipment of the present application; [Figure 2] 2 is a schematic diagram of an operating flow path of the thermal management system shown in FIG. 1 in a first operating state. [Figure 3] 2 is a schematic diagram of an operating flow path of the thermal management system shown in FIG. 1 in a second operating state. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic diagram of an operating flow path of the thermal management system shown in FIG. 1 in a third operating state. [Figure 5]2 is a schematic diagram of an operating flow path of the thermal management system shown in FIG. 1 in a fourth operating state. [Figure 6] 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an operating flow path of the thermal management system shown in FIG. 1 in a fifth operating state. [Figure 7] 2 is a schematic diagram of an operating flow path of the thermal management system shown in FIG. 1 in a sixth operating state. [Figure 8] 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an operating flow path of the thermal management system shown in FIG. 1 in a seventh operating state. [Figure 9] 1 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a thermal management method for transportation equipment of the present application. [Figure 10] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a traffic device of the present application; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] The following detailed description will be given of the embodiments of the technical solution of the present application in conjunction with the drawings. The following embodiments are merely for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solution of the present application, and are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present application.

[0033] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art of this application, and the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The terms "comprises" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application and the description of the drawings above are intended to cover a non-exclusive "comprise."

[0034] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "first," "second," etc. are merely used to distinguish between different objects, and should not be understood as indicating or suggesting the relative importance or implicitly specifying the number, specific order, or hierarchical relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0035] The term "embodiment" as used herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Appearances of this phrase in various locations throughout the specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, nor are they mutually exclusive, independent, or alternative embodiments. Those skilled in the art can explicitly and implicitly understand that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0036] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is merely a relation that describes related objects and indicates that three relations may exist. For example, A and / or B may represent three cases: A alone, a combination of A and B, and B alone. In addition, the character " / " in this specification generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0037] In describing the embodiments of the present application, the term "plurality" refers to two or more (including two); similarly, "sets" refers to two or more (including two sets); and "plurality" refers to two or more (including two).

[0038] In describing the embodiments of the present application, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by technical terms such as "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" are orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are intended merely to facilitate and simplify the description of the embodiments of the present application. They do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to have a specific orientation or must be configured and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limitations on the embodiments of the present application.

[0039] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly defined or limited, the technical terms "attached," "connected," "connected," "fixed," etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and may refer to, for example, a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection, a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a direct connection, an indirect connection via an intermediate medium, internal communication between two elements, or an interactive relationship between two elements. Those skilled in the art may understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application according to specific circumstances.

[0040] When temperatures are relatively low in winter, vehicles typically use air conditioning to raise the temperature in the vehicle interior and achieve a heating effect. However, currently, electric vehicles often use electric air conditioning with a heat pump function for heating the vehicle interior. In low-temperature operating conditions, heat pump air conditioning has problems such as low heat pump efficiency, making it difficult to meet heating demands. Currently, a common solution is to add an additional auxiliary heater to directly exchange heat with the heating heat exchanger in the vehicle interior, which places high demands on the specifications of the auxiliary heater (e.g., heating power and volume).

[0041] Therefore, through countless experiments, the inventors of the present application have discovered that by combining the auxiliary heater with a thermal management circuit, the specifications of the auxiliary heater can be effectively reduced, and finally arrived at the technical solution provided by the present application.

[0042] According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of a thermal management system for a transportation device of the present application. As shown in FIG. 1, the present application provides a thermal management system 1 including an air conditioning system 10, a thermal management circuit 20, and an auxiliary heater 30. The thermal management circuit 20 is used to circulate a first heat transfer medium and to provide thermal management for designated components of the transportation device. The thermal management circuit 20 can also exchange heat with the air conditioning system 10. When the air conditioning system 10 is in a heating state, the thermal management circuit 20 selectively transfers heat generated by the designated components to the air conditioning system 10, and further serves as a heat source for at least part of the evaporation process of the air conditioning system. The auxiliary heater 30 is used to selectively provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit 20.

[0043] The transportation equipment may be equipment that can travel on roads, water bodies, or airspace, and may be any equipment that has an air conditioning system, such as a vehicle, a ship, or an aircraft.

[0044] The air conditioning system 10 can be used to cool, heat, and / or dehumidify a designated area (e.g., a passenger compartment) in a transportation device. When the air conditioning system 10 is used to cool a designated area in a transportation device, the air conditioning system 10 can be considered to be in a cooling state. When the air conditioning system 10 is used to heat a designated area in a transportation device, the air conditioning system 10 can be considered to be in a heating state. When the air conditioning system 10 is used to dehumidify an area in a transportation device, the air conditioning system 10 can be considered to be in a dehumidifying state. Optionally, the air conditioning system 10 can include multiple modules that cooperate with each other to cool, heat, and / or dehumidify an area in a transportation device.

[0045] The first heat transfer medium may be any heat conductive medium, for example, the first heat transfer medium may be water, ethylene glycol, heat conductive oil, nanofluid, etc., and the specific form of the first heat transfer medium is not limited herein.

[0046] The heat management circuit 20 refers to a path for circulating and transporting a first heat transfer medium. The designated component may be any component requiring heat management. The heat management may involve heating or heat dissipation. That is, the heat management circuit 20 can heat or dissipate heat from a designated component by circulating and transporting the first heat transfer medium. For example, when the temperature of the first heat transfer medium is higher than that of the designated component, the designated component can be heated. When the temperature of the first heat transfer medium is lower than that of the designated component, the designated component can be dissipated. The heat management circuit 20 exchanges heat with the air conditioning system 10. When the temperature of the first heat transfer medium in the heat management circuit 20 is higher than the temperature of the heat exchange area of ​​the air conditioning system 10, the air conditioning system 10 absorbs heat from the first heat transfer medium and exchanges heat with the air conditioning system 10. The operating principle of the air conditioning system 10 is to transfer heat through the cooperation of evaporation heat absorption and condensation heat release. When the air conditioning system 10 is in a heating state and a designated component is in a heat-generating state, the first heat transfer medium in the thermal management circuit 20 transfers heat absorbed from the designated component to the air conditioning system 10 through heat exchange, and the heat is then recovered and utilized as a low-temperature heat source for the evaporation process of the air conditioning system 10. Optionally, the thermal management circuit 20 may include a water pump, such as the water pump b1 and the water pump b2 in FIG. 1 . The water pump b1 and the water pump b2 may be used to promote the circulation of the first heat transfer medium within the thermal management circuit 20.

[0047] The auxiliary heater 30 may be any component capable of generating heat, such as a PTC electric heater, a heat pipe, etc. The first heat transfer medium in the thermal management circuit 20 can absorb heat from the auxiliary heater 30 and heat designated components and / or exchange heat with the air conditioning system 10.

[0048] The designated component may be the battery module 41 and / or the motor module 42 in Fig. 1. In other embodiments, the designated component may be any component that requires other thermal management (heating or heat dissipation), and the specific type of the designated component is not specifically limited herein.

[0049] In the above solution, by installing the auxiliary heater 30 in the thermal management circuit 20, the auxiliary heater 30 can provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit 20, and when the air conditioning system 10 is operating at a low temperature, the auxiliary heater 30 can effectively absorb heat from the thermal management circuit 20, reduce the pressure in the air conditioning system 10, and improve the heating effect of the air conditioning system 10. In addition, the heating temperature of the auxiliary heater 30 only needs to ensure that the air conditioning system 10 can effectively absorb heat, and at the same time, only a portion of the heat supplied by the air conditioning system 10 comes from the auxiliary heater 30, with the other portion coming from the compression work within the air conditioning system 10, so the specifications of the auxiliary heater 30 can be effectively reduced, improving space utilization and reducing costs.

[0050] 1, in some embodiments, the thermal management system 1 further includes a control module 21. The control module 21 controls the supplemental heater 30 to provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit 20 in response to the heat generated by the designated components not meeting the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10.

[0051] The control module 21 may include an air conditioning controller. Exemplarily, the control module 21 may be a control circuit including the air conditioning controller. The control module 21 is connected to the auxiliary heater 30 and is used to control the auxiliary heater 30 to provide or stop providing supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit 20. Due to limitations in the operating principle of the air conditioning system 10, the air conditioning system 10 has difficulty absorbing heat from a low-temperature environment (e.g., below -10 degrees Celsius). Therefore, if the heat generated by a designated component does not meet the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10, after the designated component generates heat and heats the first heat transfer medium, the air conditioning system 10 still cannot absorb heat from the first heat transfer medium or absorbs relatively little heat from the first heat transfer medium, making it difficult to meet the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10.

[0052] In the above solution, the control module 21 controls the auxiliary heater 30 to provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit 20 based on the supplemental heat demand of the air conditioning system 10, allowing the air conditioning system 10 to effectively absorb heat from the thermal management circuit 20 and achieving automated control. In some application scenarios, the auxiliary heater 30 may be manually turned on or off by a user to provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit 20 or to stop supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit 20. For example, the control module 21 generates a prompt message after determining that the heat generated by a specified component does not meet the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system, and the user can choose whether to manually turn on the auxiliary heater 30. Alternatively, the user can decide whether to manually turn on the auxiliary heater 30 based on their own judgment.

[0053] In some embodiments, the thermal management system 1 includes a detection module 22. The detection module 22 is used to detect the operating state or operating environment of the air conditioning system 10 when the air conditioning system 10 is in a heating state. The control module 21 determines whether the heat generated by a designated component satisfies the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10 based on the detection result of the detection module 22. The operating state refers to the state of the air conditioning system 10 itself during its operation, such as the temperature or pressure of the refrigerant, condenser, or evaporator. The operating environment refers to the external environment in which the air conditioning system 10 is located during its operation, such as the ambient temperature or the temperature of the first heat transfer medium. In some application scenarios, the temperature of the first heat transfer medium may be used to determine whether the heat generated by the designated component satisfies the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10.

[0054] The detection module 22 is connected to the control module 21 and is used to transmit the detection results to the control module 21, so that the control module 21 can determine whether the heat generated by the specified component meets the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10 based on the detection results.

[0055] In the above solution, the detection module 22 detects the operating state or operating environment of the air conditioning system 10, determines whether the heat generated by the specified component meets the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10, and further realizes automated control.

[0056] In some embodiments, the operating environment includes a temperature of the first heat transfer medium. The detection module 22 is used to detect the temperature of the first heat transfer medium before the first heat transfer medium exchanges heat with the air conditioning system 10. In response to the temperature detected by the detection module 22 being lower than a preset temperature threshold, the control module 21 determines that the heat generated by the designated member does not meet the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10.

[0057] The detection module 22 may be any temperature sensor having a temperature detection function, such as a thermocouple. In a specific installation manner, the first heat transfer medium may first flow through the detection module 22 and then flow through the area where heat exchange with the air conditioning system 10 occurs. The detection module 22 then detects the temperature of the first heat transfer medium before the first heat transfer medium exchanges heat with the air conditioning system 10. Since the air conditioning system 10 absorbs heat from the first heat transfer medium, a temperature drop occurs after the first heat transfer medium exchanges heat. Therefore, by detecting the temperature of the first heat transfer medium before the first heat transfer medium exchanges heat with the air conditioning system 10, it is possible to more accurately determine whether the heat generated by the designated component meets the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10.

[0058] The preset temperature threshold may be customized by a user or preset based on experimentation or experience. If the temperature of the first heat transfer medium is lower than the preset temperature threshold, the heat absorbed by the air conditioning system 10 from the first heat transfer medium will not meet the current heat supply demand of the air conditioning, and the control module 21 will control the supplemental heater 30 to provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit 20.

[0059] In the above solution, the temperature of the first heat transfer medium is detected before the first heat transfer medium exchanges heat with the air conditioning system 10, thereby determining that the heat generated by the specified component does not meet the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10, and the detection method is relatively simple and the detection result is more accurate.

[0060] In some embodiments, the control module 21 may further control the supplemental heater 30 to provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit 20 in response to the presence of a heat supply demand at the designated component itself for heating the designated component via the first heat transfer medium.

[0061] Specifically, many devices may not operate normally or may operate less efficiently in a low-temperature environment, for example, the output power of the battery module 41 may decrease in a low-temperature state. In some application scenarios, the presence of a heat supply demand in the designated component itself may be that the temperature of the designated component is lower than a preset temperature value, or the output power or other operating performance of the designated component is lower than a preset power demand or performance demand, and it is necessary to provide output power or improve other operating performance by heating.

[0062] In the above solution, when there is a heat supply demand in the designated component itself, the auxiliary heater 30 is controlled to provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit 20, which is advantageous in maintaining the normal operating state of the designated component.

[0063] In some embodiments, the thermal management circuit 20 includes a main heat exchange area 231 for exchanging heat with a designated component and an auxiliary heat exchange area 24 for exchanging heat with the auxiliary heater 30. The thermal management circuit 20 further includes a flow distribution assembly 261 and a bypass circuit 251 connected in parallel with the main heat exchange area 231. The control module 21 controls the flow distribution assembly 261 to distribute the flow of the first heat transfer medium between the main heat exchange area 231 and the bypass circuit 251 based on the heat supply demand of the designated component and the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10.

[0064] The main heat exchange area 231 and the auxiliary heater 30 may be part of a pipe through which the first heat transfer medium flows or a heat exchanger that communicates with or exchanges heat with this pipe, and the present disclosure does not limit the scope of the present disclosure. The designated member and the auxiliary heater 30 may exchange heat with the main heat exchange area 231 and the auxiliary heater 30 in a direct contact manner, or may exchange heat with the main heat exchange area 231 and the auxiliary heater 30 in another indirect manner, and the present disclosure does not limit the scope of the present disclosure. The flow distribution assembly 261 may be realized by a three-way proportional valve or any other valve assembly or other element, and the present disclosure does not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0065] The bypass circuit 251 generally refers to a branch circuit that allows a first heat transfer medium upstream of the main heat exchange area 231 to reach a portion downstream of the main heat exchange area 231 without flowing through the main heat exchange area 231. Furthermore, the heat exchange capacity between the bypass circuit 251 and a designated member is smaller than the heat exchange capacity between the main heat exchange area 231 and a designated member. In other words, the heat exchange rate per unit time between a unit volume of the first heat transfer medium flowing through the bypass circuit 251 and the designated member is smaller than the heat exchange rate per unit time between a unit volume of the first heat transfer medium flowing through the main heat exchange area 231 and the designated member.

[0066] In a specific implementation, the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium between the main heat exchange area 231 and the bypass circuit 251 can be adjusted based on a preset priority relationship between the heat supply demand of the designated component and the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10 or a magnitude relationship between the heat supply demand of the designated component and the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10. In some application scenarios, when heat supply demands exist in both the designated component and the air conditioning system 10, a flow rate adjustment manner of the first heat transfer medium in the main heat exchange area 231 and the bypass circuit 251 can be preset. In some application scenarios, the heat supply demand of the designated component can be met by adjusting the first heat transfer medium between the main heat exchange area 231 and the bypass circuit 251 in response to the heat supply demand of the designated component being greater than the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10, or the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10 can be met by adjusting the first heat transfer medium between the main heat exchange area 231 and the bypass circuit 251 in response to the heat supply demand of the designated component being equal to or less than the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10.

[0067] A specific flow rate distribution method may be to control whether the first heat transfer medium flows only through the main heat exchange area 231 or only through the bypass circuit 251, or to control the amount of flow rate when the first heat transfer medium flows through these two circuits simultaneously.

[0068] In the above solution, the flow distribution assembly 261 distributes the flow of the first heat transfer medium between the main heat exchange area 231 and the bypass circuit 251, thereby adjusting the heat distribution supplied to the designated components and the air conditioning system 10 based on different operating conditions.

[0069] 1 , the first heat transfer medium is heated by the auxiliary heat exchange area 24 before flowing to the main heat exchange area 231 and the bypass circuit 251, and exchanges heat with the air conditioning system 10 before entering the auxiliary heat exchange area 24. In other embodiments, other installation methods may be adopted, for example, the first heat transfer medium heated by the auxiliary heat exchange area 24 exchanges heat with the air conditioning system 10 before flowing to the main heat exchange area 231 and the bypass circuit 251, and is heated by the auxiliary heat exchange area 24 after flowing through the main heat exchange area 231 and / or the bypass circuit 251.

[0070] The position of the flow distribution assembly 261 may be set according to actual circumstances, for example, a parallel branch position between the main heat exchange area 231 and the bypass circuit 251, or a parallel junction position between the main heat exchange area 231 and the bypass circuit 251. In some application scenarios, the number of flow distribution assemblies 261 may include more than one, and a system other than a three-way proportional valve may be adopted. For example, one flow distribution assembly 261 may be installed in the branch path where the main heat exchange area 231 is located and used to control the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium flowing through the main heat exchange area 231, and / or one flow distribution assembly 261 may be installed in the bypass circuit 251 and used to control the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium flowing through the bypass circuit 251.

[0071] In the above solution, the installation position of the auxiliary heat exchange area 24 can be optimized to further improve the heat distribution effect of the designated components and the air conditioning system 10 .

[0072] In some embodiments, the designated component is a battery module 41 of a transportation device. When a heat supply demand exists simultaneously in the battery module 41 and the air conditioning system 10, the control module 21 controls the flow distribution assembly 261 to prioritize the heat supply demand of the battery module 41 in response to the output power of the battery module 41 not satisfying the external power demand. Alternatively, the control module 21 controls the flow distribution assembly 261 to prioritize the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10 by the auxiliary heater 30 in response to the output power of the battery module 41 being able to satisfy the external power demand.

[0073] The battery module 41 includes multiple battery packs and is used to provide electrical energy to the transportation equipment. The inability of the output power of the battery module 41 to meet external power demands may be due to the output power of the battery module 41 being less than the input power required by the external loads connected to the battery module 41. For example, the external power demands may include the power demands of the air conditioning system 10 and the motor module 42, and may further include the power demands of other components. The other components may include any other components within the transportation equipment that require electricity, such as a lighting system.

[0074] In the above solution, when the output power of the battery module 41 does not meet the external power demand, the battery module 41 is heated first to ensure the normal operation of the transportation equipment.

[0075] In some embodiments, preferentially satisfying the heat supply demand of the battery module 41 involves supplying all of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area 231 or increasing the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area 231. Prioritizing the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10 involves supplying all of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit 251 or increasing the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit 251.

[0076] 2, in some application scenarios, the priority for meeting the heat supply demand of the battery module 41 is to supply all of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area 231. That is, the control module 21 controls the flow distribution assembly 261 to disconnect the bypass circuit 251, preventing the first heat transfer medium from flowing through the bypass circuit 251, and causing all of the first heat transfer medium to flow from the circuit in which the main heat exchange area 231 is located.

[0077] In some application scenarios, preferentially meeting the heat supply demand of the battery module 41 is to increase the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area 231. For example, the control module 21 controls the flow distribution assembly 261 to adjust the opening based on the conventional valve opening rate, and further adjusts the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium flowing through the main heat exchange area 231 and the bypass circuit 251, thereby increasing the flow rate of the circuit in which the main heat exchange area 231 is located and decreasing the flow rate of the bypass circuit 251.

[0078] 3 , in some application scenarios, the priority for meeting the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10 is to supply all of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit 251. That is, the control module 21 controls the flow distribution assembly 261 to disconnect the circuit in which the main heat exchange area 231 is located, thereby preventing the first heat transfer medium from flowing into the circuit in which the main heat exchange area 231 is located, and thereby allowing all of the first heat transfer medium to flow from the bypass circuit 251.

[0079] In some application scenarios, preferentially meeting the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10 is to increase the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit 251. For example, the control module 21 controls the flow distribution assembly 261 to adjust the opening based on the conventional valve opening rate, and further adjusts the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium flowing through the main heat exchange area 231 and the bypass circuit 251, thereby increasing the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit 251 and decreasing the flow rate of the circuit in which the main heat exchange area 231 is located.

[0080] In the above solution, the battery module 41 can be better heated by supplying all of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area 231 or increasing the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area 231. The air conditioning system 10 can better absorb heat from the thermal management circuit 20 by supplying all of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit 251 or increasing the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit 251.

[0081] In some embodiments, after preferentially satisfying the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10, the control module 21 can further control the flow distribution assembly 261 to decrease the flow of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit 251 and increase the flow of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area 231 in response to the thermal management circuit 20 reaching the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10. Also, the control module 21 can further control the flow distribution assembly 261 to increase the flow of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit 251 and decrease the flow of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area 231 in response to the thermal management circuit 20 not satisfying the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10.

[0082] In some application scenarios, whether the thermal management circuit 20 has met the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10 may be determined based on the temperature before or after heat exchange between the first heat transfer medium and the air conditioning system 10. For example, if the temperature is greater than a first threshold, it is considered that the thermal management circuit 20 has met the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10, and if the temperature is less than a second threshold, it is considered that the thermal management circuit 20 has not met the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10. Also, as described above, whether the thermal management circuit 20 has met the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10 may be determined by detecting the operating state or operating environment of the air conditioning system 10 in other ways.

[0083] In the above solution, the heat supply and demand of the air conditioning system 10 and the battery module 41 are dynamically balanced by dynamic flow distribution.

[0084] In some embodiments, the thermal management circuit 20 includes at least two sub-thermal management circuits, such as the sub-thermal management circuit 20A and the sub-thermal management circuit 20B shown in FIG. 1. These at least two sub-thermal management circuits circulate a first heat transfer medium and are used to perform thermal management on different designated components. The thermal management system 1 further includes a thermal management switching assembly 50. The control module 21 controls the thermal management switching assembly 50 to selectively switch the heat exchange relationship between the at least two sub-thermal management circuits and the air conditioning system 10. Each sub-thermal management circuit may perform thermal management on one or more designated components.

[0085] The thermal management switching assembly 50 may be a multi-way valve. When the control module 21 controls the thermal management switching assembly 50 to selectively switch the heat exchange between the at least two sub-thermal management circuits and the air conditioning system 10, the control module 21 may control the heat exchange between some of the sub-thermal management circuits and the air conditioning system 10, or may control the heat exchange between all of the sub-thermal management circuits and the air conditioning system 10.

[0086] In the above solution, by selectively switching the heat exchange relationship between the at least two sub-thermal management circuits and the air conditioning system 10, heat can be provided to the air conditioning system 10 using different combination methods of the sub-thermal management circuits according to different operating conditions.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 1 , in some embodiments, the designated components include a battery module 41 and a motor module 42 of a vehicle. The at least two sub-thermal management circuits include a sub-thermal management circuit 20A and a sub-thermal management circuit 20B. The sub-thermal management circuit 20A is used to perform thermal management for the battery module 41 and includes a main heat exchange area 231 for heat exchange with the battery module 41 and an auxiliary heat exchange area 24 for heat exchange with the auxiliary heater 30. The sub-thermal management circuit 20B is used to perform thermal management for the motor module 42 and includes a main heat exchange area 232 for heat exchange with the motor module 42 and an external heat exchanger 27 for heat exchange with the external environment. In response to the air conditioning system 10 being in a heating state, the control module 21 controls the thermal management switching assembly 50 to switch at least one of the sub-thermal management circuit 20A and the sub-thermal management circuit 20B to perform heat exchange with the air conditioning system 10.

[0088] In addition to the sub-thermal management circuit 20A and the sub-thermal management circuit 20B, the thermal management circuit 20 may include other sub-thermal management circuits for performing thermal management for other designated components of the transportation equipment. The external heat exchanger 27 may be a device that can be used for heat exchange with the external environment, such as a radiator.

[0089] 2 and 3, in some application scenarios, for example, when the battery module 41 is in a charging state and therefore generates a relatively large amount of heat, the control module 21 controls the thermal management switching assembly 50 to switch the sub-thermal management circuit 20A to perform heat exchange with the air conditioning system 10 in response to the air conditioning system 10 being in a heating state, and further uses the heat generated by the battery module 41 as a low-temperature heat source for the air conditioning system 10. Also, in a low-temperature operating state, the sub-thermal management circuit 20A may be switched to perform heat exchange with the air conditioning system 10. At this time, the auxiliary heater 30 can be used to meet the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10, and if the battery module 41 has a heat supply demand, the heat supply demand of the battery module 41 can also be met.

[0090] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, in some application scenarios, for example, when the motor module 42 generates relatively large amounts of heat during the running of the transportation equipment, the control module 21 controls the thermal management switching assembly 50 to switch the sub-thermal management circuit 20B to exchange heat with the air conditioning system 10 in response to the air conditioning system 10 being in a heating state, and further uses the heat generated by the motor module 42 as a low-temperature heat source for the air conditioning system 10.

[0091] Alternatively, when the sub-thermal management circuit 20A exchanges heat with the air conditioning system 10 and the sub-thermal management circuit 20B does not exchange heat with the air conditioning system 10, the thermal management switching assembly 50 controls the first heat transfer medium in the second sub-thermal management circuit 20B to self-circulate. In other words, the first heat transfer medium circulates through the sub-thermal management circuit 20B, allowing the motor module 42 to perform thermal management such as heat dissipation and heating on its own.

[0092] Alternatively, when the sub-thermal management circuit 20B exchanges heat with the air conditioning system 10 and the sub-thermal management circuit 20A does not exchange heat with the air conditioning system 10, the thermal management switching assembly 50 controls the first heat transfer medium in the sub-thermal management circuit 20A to self-circulate. That is, the first heat transfer medium circulates through the sub-thermal management circuit 20A and can perform thermal management such as heat dissipation and heating for the battery module 41. Alternatively, when there is a heat supply demand in the battery module 41, the control module 21 controls the auxiliary heater 30 to replenish heat to the first heat transfer medium in the sub-thermal management circuit 20A.

[0093] In the above solution, two sub-thermal management circuits are used to perform thermal management for the two main heat sources of the transportation equipment (battery module 41 and motor module 42), thereby improving the heat recovery utilization rate. At the same time, an auxiliary heater 30 is installed in the sub-thermal management circuit 20A where the battery module 41 is located, and the heating function of the auxiliary heater 30 can be used to selectively heat the battery module 41, further improving the low-temperature start-up performance of the transportation equipment.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 6 , in some embodiments, for example, when both the battery module 41 and the motor module 42 are generating relatively large amounts of heat or other operating conditions exist, the control module 21 can further control the thermal management switching assembly 50 to simultaneously switch the sub-thermal management circuit 20A and the sub-thermal management circuit 20B to exchange heat with the air conditioning system 10 in response to the air conditioning system 10 being in a heating state.

[0095] In the above solution, by switching the sub-thermal management circuit 20A and the sub-thermal management circuit 20B to simultaneously perform heat exchange with the air conditioning system 10, it is possible to easily perform heat management for designated components in the two sub-thermal management circuits, and further improve the heat recovery utilization rate.

[0096] As further shown in FIG. 6, in some embodiments, the control module 21 can further control the thermal management switching assembly 50 to communicate the sub-thermal management circuit 20A with the sub-thermal management circuit 20B so that the first heat transfer medium circulates within the overall circuit formed by the sub-thermal management circuit 20A and the sub-thermal management circuit 20B.

[0097] In the above solution, the sub-thermal management circuit 20A and the sub-thermal management circuit 20B can be switched to communicate with each other to further ensure heat balance and improve the thermal management effect. For example, the heat generated by the motor module 42 can be used to heat the battery module 41.

[0098] In some embodiments, the sub-thermal management circuit 20A includes a flow distribution assembly 261 and a bypass circuit 251 connected in parallel with the main heat exchange area 231. Here, the control module 21 controls the flow distribution assembly 261 to distribute the flow of the first heat transfer medium in the sub-thermal management circuit 20A between the main heat exchange area 231 and the bypass circuit 251 based on the heat supply demand of the battery module 41 and the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10, and the specific operation process has been described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 3 above and will not be further described here. It should be noted that the above-mentioned flow distribution based on the flow distribution assembly 261 may also be performed in the state shown in Figure 6.

[0099] 1 , in some embodiments, the sub-thermal management circuit 20B further includes a flow distribution assembly 262 and a bypass circuit 252 connected in parallel with the external heat exchanger 27. The control module 21 controls the second flow distribution assembly to distribute the flow of the first heat transfer medium in the sub-thermal management circuit 20B between the external heat exchanger 27 and the bypass circuit 252 based on the heat dissipation demand of the motor module 42, the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10, or the external environment of the external heat exchanger 27.

[0100] In the above solution, the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium in the sub-thermal management circuit 20B is distributed between the external heat exchanger 27 and the bypass circuit 252, thereby dynamically meeting the heat dissipation demand of the motor module 42 and / or the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system.

[0101] In some embodiments, in response to a fact that there is no additional heat dissipation demand after the motor module 42 supplies heat to the air conditioning system 10, or that the motor module 42 does not satisfy the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10 and is unable to absorb heat from the environment via the external heat exchanger 27, the control module 21 introduces all of the first heat transfer medium in the sub-thermal management circuit 20B into the bypass circuit 252 or increases the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit 252. Alternatively, in response to a fact that there is still additional heat dissipation demand after the motor module 42 supplies heat to the air conditioning system 10, or that the motor module 42 does not satisfy the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10 and is able to absorb heat from the environment via the external heat exchanger 27, the control module 21 introduces all of the first heat transfer medium in the sub-thermal management circuit 20B into the external heat exchanger 27 or increases the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the external heat exchanger 27.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 4, in some application scenarios, the control module 21 controls the flow distribution assembly 262 to disconnect the bypass circuit 252, preventing the first heat transfer medium from flowing through the bypass circuit 252, and causing all of the first heat transfer medium to flow from the circuit in which the external heat exchanger 27 is located.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 5 , in some application scenarios, the control module 21 controls the flow distribution assembly 262 to disconnect the circuit in which the external heat exchanger 27 is located, so that the first heat transfer medium does not flow through the circuit in which the external heat exchanger 27 is located, thereby causing all of the first heat transfer medium to flow through the bypass circuit 252.

[0104] In some application scenarios, similar to the flow distribution assembly 261 described above, the flow distribution assembly 262 is used to increase or decrease the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium flowing through the bypass circuit 252 and the external heat exchanger 27 when the first heat transfer medium flows through the bypass circuit 252 and the external heat exchanger 27 simultaneously.

[0105] Similarly, the flow distribution assembly 262 may be implemented by a three-way proportional valve or any other valve assembly or other element, without limitation herein.

[0106] Whether there is an additional heat dissipation demand after the motor module 42 supplies heat to the air conditioning system 10 generally refers to whether the motor module 42 can operate normally without additional heat dissipation or whether the additional heat dissipation will affect its operating efficiency. This may be determined based on the temperature of the motor module 42 itself, the temperature of the first heat transfer medium, or the operating performance of the motor module 42. Whether the motor module 42 can meet the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10 generally refers to whether the heat absorbed by the air conditioning system 10 from the sub-thermal management circuit 20B can meet the heating demand. As described above, this may be determined based on the operating state or operating environment of the air conditioning system 10. Whether the external heat exchanger 27 can absorb heat from the environment may be determined based on the temperature of the external environment or the temperature difference between the external environment temperature and the first heat transfer medium. It should be noted that the above-described flow distribution based on the flow distribution assembly 262 may be performed in the state shown in FIG. 6.

[0107] The above solution can dynamically balance the heat dissipation demand of the motor module 42 and the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10 according to the actual operating conditions of the motor module 42 and the air conditioning system 10. It can also avoid excessive heat loss when the external heat exchanger 27 cannot absorb heat from the environment, and can increase the amount of heat supplied to the air conditioning system 10 when the external heat exchanger 27 can absorb heat from the environment.

[0108] As shown in FIG. 1 , in some embodiments, an air conditioning system 10 includes an air conditioning circuit 10A and an air conditioning circuit 10B. The air conditioning circuit 10A is used to circulate a refrigerant and includes a compressor 11, a condensing heat exchanger 12, an accumulator 13, and evaporative heat exchangers 14 and 15. The refrigerant evaporates in the evaporative heat exchanger 14 to provide air conditioning cooling to a designated area of ​​the vehicle. The refrigerant evaporates in the evaporative heat exchanger 15 to absorb heat from the thermal management circuit 20. The air conditioning circuit 10B is used to circulate a second heat transfer medium and includes a heating heat exchanger 16. The heating heat exchanger 16 exchanges heat with the condensing heat exchanger 12 to provide air conditioning heating to a designated area.

[0109] Specifically, compressor 11 compresses the refrigerant and inputs the high-temperature, high-pressure gas into condensing heat exchanger 12. The refrigerant condenses through condensing heat exchanger 12, releasing heat to form a high-temperature, high-pressure liquid, which is stored in accumulator 13. The refrigerant in accumulator 13 is throttled and then enters evaporative heat exchanger 14 and evaporative heat exchanger 15, which function by utilizing the fact that the liquid refrigerant is easily evaporated at low pressure, converted into vapor, and absorbs heat from the medium to be cooled, thereby achieving the purpose of heat exchange.

[0110] The condensing heat exchanger 12 and the evaporating heat exchanger 15 are plate-type heat exchangers, each with two flow paths: one for the refrigerant and the other for the first or second heat transfer medium, thereby achieving heat exchange between the refrigerant and the first or second heat transfer medium. The refrigerant absorbs heat by evaporation in the evaporating heat exchanger 15, thereby exchanging heat with the first heat transfer medium in the thermal management circuit 20. The specific heat exchange method may be any of those shown in Figures 2 to 6. The refrigerant absorbs heat by evaporation in the evaporating heat exchanger 14, thereby absorbing heat from a designated area within the vehicle to achieve the cooling purpose of air conditioning.

[0111] The heating heat exchanger 16 may be a hot air core, and the heating heat exchanger 16 and the condensing heat exchanger 12 may exchange heat via a second heat transfer medium to further heat a designated area within the transportation equipment. Optionally, a water pump b3 may be installed within the air conditioning circuit 10B, which may be used to promote the circulation of the second heat transfer medium within the air conditioning circuit 10B.

[0112] In the above solution, the heating of the air conditioning system is realized by the heat exchange between the heating heat exchanger 16 and the condensing heat exchanger 12, which simplifies the flow path design of the air conditioning system.

[0113] As shown in FIG. 7 , in some embodiments, in response to the air conditioning system 10 being in a cooling state, the control module 21 controls the thermal management switching assembly 50 to switch the sub-thermal management circuit 20B to exchange heat with the condensing heat exchanger 12 and further transport the heat released from the condensing heat exchanger 12 to the external heat exchanger 27.

[0114] Since the sub-thermal management circuit 20B includes the external heat exchanger 27, the external heat exchanger 27 has a relatively strong heat exchange capability with the external environment. By switching the sub-thermal management circuit 20B to exchange heat with the condensing heat exchanger 12, the heat released from the condensing heat exchanger 12 can be absorbed by the first heat transfer medium and then released to the external environment through the external heat exchanger 27.

[0115] In the above solution, in the cooling state, the sub-thermal management circuit 20B is switched to exchange heat with the condensing heat exchanger 12, so that the external heat exchanger 27 in the sub-thermal management circuit 20B can be fully utilized to dissipate heat from the condensing heat exchanger 12, thereby improving the heat dissipation performance of the condensing heat exchanger 12 and reducing the operating pressure of the compressor 11.

[0116] In some embodiments, the air conditioning system 10 further includes a first air conditioning switching assembly 17. The sub-thermal management circuit 20B and the air conditioning circuit 10B are each connected to the condensing heat exchanger 12 via the first air conditioning switching assembly 17. The control system can also control the first air conditioning switching assembly 17 to selectively supply the first heat transfer medium in the sub-thermal management circuit 20B and the second heat transfer medium in the air conditioning circuit 10B to the condensing heat exchanger 12.

[0117] The first air conditioning switching assembly 17 may be implemented by a three-way proportional valve, another valve assembly, or another element. In the air conditioning system 10, the cooling state and the heating state are two operating states that cannot coexist. Therefore, in the cooling state, the sub-thermal management circuit 20B can be connected to the condensing heat exchanger 12 via the first air conditioning switching assembly 17, and a first heat transfer medium can be supplied to the condensing heat exchanger 12, thereby realizing heat exchange between the first heat transfer medium and the condensing heat exchanger 12. In the heating state, the air conditioning circuit 10B can be connected to the condensing heat exchanger 12 via the first air conditioning switching assembly 17, and a second heat transfer medium can be supplied to the condensing heat exchanger 12, thereby realizing heat exchange between the second heat transfer medium and the condensing heat exchanger 12. In this way, the first heat transfer medium and the second heat transfer medium can share one flow path of the condensing heat exchanger 12.

[0118] In the above solution, the first air conditioning switching assembly selectively supplies the first heat transfer medium and the second heat transfer medium to the condensing heat exchanger 12, allowing the sub-thermal management circuit 20B and the air conditioning circuit 10B to share the flow path in the condensing heat exchanger 12, thereby simplifying the structure of the condensing heat exchanger 12.

[0119] As shown in FIG. 7, in some embodiments, in response to the air conditioning system 10 being in a cooling state, the control module 21 switches the sub-thermal management circuit 20A to exchange heat with the evaporative heat exchanger 15, and further uses the evaporative heat exchanger 15 to lower the temperature of the battery module 41.

[0120] The refrigerant absorbs heat by evaporation in the evaporative heat exchanger 15, so that it can absorb heat from the first heat transfer medium in the sub-thermal management circuit 20A, and can perform heat exchange with the battery module 41 using the first heat transfer medium that has already been cooled, thereby lowering the temperature of the battery module 41.

[0121] In the above method, in the cooling state, the sub-thermal management circuit 20A is switched to perform heat exchange with the second evaporative heat exchanger 15, so that the temperature of the battery module 41 can be lowered by using the second evaporative heat exchanger 15.

[0122] 8 , in some embodiments, the air conditioning system 10 further includes a first air conditioning switching assembly 17 and a second air conditioning switching assembly 18. In response to the air conditioning system 10 being in a dehumidifying state, the control system controls the first air conditioning switching assembly 17 to connect the heating heat exchanger 16 and the condensing heat exchanger 12, and controls the second air conditioning switching assembly 18 to connect the accumulator 13 and the evaporative heat exchanger 14, so that the air cooled and dehumidified by the evaporative heat exchanger 14 is heated by the heating heat exchanger 16.

[0123] Optionally, a first air conditioning switching assembly 17 is located between the heating heat exchanger 16 and the condensing heat exchanger 12. A second air conditioning switching assembly is located between the accumulator 13 and the evaporative heat exchanger 14.

[0124] The second air conditioning switching assembly 18 may be an electronic expansion valve with a switching function, which is turned off in the heating mode to prevent the refrigerant from absorbing heat by evaporation in the evaporative heat exchanger 14, thereby affecting the heating effect, and is turned on in the cooling mode to generate the cooling effect.

[0125] In addition to the heating state, the dehumidification state turns on the second air conditioning switching assembly 18. At this time, the water vapor in the airflow generated by the fan b4 absorbs heat through the evaporative heat exchanger 14 and then condenses to form liquid water, achieving a further dehumidification effect. The dehumidified airflow is then heated by the heating heat exchanger 16 to form a room temperature or heated airflow.

[0126] In the above solution, the air conditioning system 10 further includes a dehumidifying state by installing the first air conditioning switching assembly 17 and the second air conditioning switching assembly 18. It should be noted that the dehumidifying state may be realized based on any of the heating states shown in Figures 2 to 6.

[0127] As shown in FIG. 9, this embodiment further provides a thermal management method based on the above thermal management system, which includes the following steps:

[0128] Step S11: In response to the heat supply demands of both the battery module 41 and the air conditioning system 10, control the auxiliary heater 30 to be used to provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit 20.

[0129] Step S12: Determine whether the output power of the battery module 41 meets the external power demand.

[0130] In response to the identification result that the output power of the battery module 41 does not meet the external power demand, step S13 is executed, and in response to the identification result that the output power of the battery module 41 can meet the external power demand, step S14 is executed.

[0131] Step S13: The thermal management circuit 20 performs control so as to prioritize meeting the heat supply demand of the battery module 41.

[0132] Step S14: The heat management circuit 20 controls the air conditioning system 10 to satisfy the heat supply demand with priority.

[0133] In the above solution, an auxiliary heater is installed in the thermal management circuit, so that when the transportation equipment is in a low-temperature operating state and there is a heat supply demand from the battery module and the air conditioning system at the same time, the auxiliary heater is used to meet the heat supply demands of the battery module and the air conditioning system respectively. Furthermore, based on the operating characteristics of the battery module and the air conditioning system, if the output power of the battery module does not meet the external power demand, the battery module is heated first to ensure the normal operation of the transportation equipment.

[0134] In some embodiments, preferentially satisfying the heat supply demand of the battery module 41 and preferentially satisfying the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10 may be achieved by employing the flow distribution method of the bypass circuit 251 and the flow distribution assembly 261 described above, or in other embodiments, may be achieved by other methods, such as by rationally configuring the flow paths to first exchange heat with the battery module 41 and then exchange heat with the air conditioning system 10 when preferentially satisfying the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10. When preferentially satisfying the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10, the heated first heat transfer medium may first exchange heat with the air conditioning system 10 and then exchange heat with the battery module 41.

[0135] In some embodiments, after the step of controlling the thermal management circuit 20 to preferentially satisfy the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10 in response to the output power of the battery module 41 being able to satisfy the external power demand, the method further comprises: In response to the heat supply to the air conditioning system 10 by the thermal management circuit 20 reaching the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10, a step can be executed to control the thermal management circuit 20 to reduce the heat supply to the air conditioning system 10 and increase the heat supply to the battery module 41.

[0136] Alternatively, in response to the amount of heat supplied to the air conditioning system 10 by the thermal management circuit 20 being lower than the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system 10, the thermal management circuit 20 is controlled to increase the heat supply to the air conditioning system 10 and decrease the heat supply to the battery module 41.

[0137] Similarly, the above method can be realized by not only adopting the flow distribution method of the bypass circuit 251 and the flow distribution assembly 261 described above, but also by changing the order of heat exchange between the first heat transfer liquid and the battery module 41 and the air conditioning system 10. In addition, the specific determination method of the above flow has been described in detail above, so will not be further described here.

[0138] In the above solution, by installing the auxiliary heater 30 in the thermal management circuit 20, the auxiliary heater 30 can provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit 20, and when the air conditioning system 10 is operating at a low temperature, the auxiliary heater 30 can effectively absorb heat from the thermal management circuit 20, reduce the pressure in the air conditioning system 10, and improve the heating effect of the air conditioning system 10. In addition, the heating temperature of the auxiliary heater 30 only needs to ensure that the air conditioning system 10 can effectively absorb heat, and at the same time, only a portion of the heat supplied by the air conditioning system 10 comes from the auxiliary heater 30, with the other portion coming from the compression work within the air conditioning system 10, so the specifications of the auxiliary heater 30 can be effectively reduced, improving space utilization and reducing costs.

[0139] It should be noted that the above thermal management method is not limited to the thermal management system described above, but also applies to other scenarios where a supplemental heater is used as a low temperature heat source for an air conditioning system in combination with a thermal management circuit.

[0140] 10, which is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a transportation device of the present application. As shown in FIG. 10, the transportation device 100 of this embodiment includes the thermal management system 1 described in the above embodiment of the thermal management system.

[0141] The transportation device 100 may be any device that can travel on a traffic road, such as a vehicle, a ship, or an aircraft, that has an air conditioning system.

[0142] The thermal management system 1 includes an air conditioning system (not shown), a thermal management circuit (not shown), and an auxiliary heater (not shown). The thermal management circuit is used to circulate a first heat transfer medium and perform thermal management for designated components of the transportation equipment. The thermal management circuit can exchange heat with the air conditioning system and, at least when the air conditioning system is in a heating state, selectively transfer heat generated by the designated components to the air conditioning system, which then serves as a heat source for at least part of the evaporation process of the air conditioning system. The auxiliary heater is used to selectively provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit. The specific structure of the thermal management system 1 can be referred to in the above-mentioned embodiments of the thermal management system and will not be further described here.

[0143] In the above solution, by installing an auxiliary heater (not shown) in the thermal management circuit in the thermal management system 1, the auxiliary heater can provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit, and when the air conditioning system is operating in a low temperature or other condition, the auxiliary heater can effectively absorb heat from the thermal management circuit, reduce the pressure in the air conditioning system, and improve the heating effect of the air conditioning system. In addition, the heating temperature of the auxiliary heater only needs to ensure that the air conditioning system can effectively absorb heat, and at the same time, only a portion of the heat supplied by the air conditioning system comes from the auxiliary heater, with the other portion coming from the compressor inside the air conditioning system, so the specifications of the auxiliary heater can be effectively reduced, improving space utilization and reducing costs.

[0144] In some embodiments, the traffic device further includes a drive system (not shown) that is used to drive the traffic device along roadways.

[0145] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely for illustrating the technical solutions of the present application, and are not intended to limit the same. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications may still be made to the technical solutions described in the above embodiments, or equivalent substitutions may be made for some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not deviate from the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and should all be included in the scope of the claims and description of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the technical features mentioned in the embodiments may be combined in any manner. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed in the description, but includes all technical solutions included within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0146] The reference numerals in the specific embodiments are as follows: 1 - thermal management system, 10 - air conditioning system, 20 - thermal management circuit, 21 - control module, 22 - detection module, 20A, 20B - sub-thermal management circuit, 231, 232 - main heat exchange area, 24 - auxiliary heat exchange area, 251, 252 - bypass circuit, 261, 262 - flow distribution assembly, 41 - battery module, 30 - auxiliary heater, 27 - external heat exchanger, 42 - motor module, 50 - thermal management switching assembly, 10A, 10B - air conditioning circuit, 11 - compressor, 12 - condensing heat exchanger, 13 - accumulator, 14, 15 - evaporative heat exchanger, 16 - heating heat exchanger, 17, 18 - air conditioning switching assembly, b1, b2, b3 - water pump, b4 - fan, 100 - transportation equipment.

Claims

1. A thermal management system for transportation equipment, comprising: Air conditioning system and a thermal management circuit, the thermal management circuit circulating and transporting a first heat transfer medium and further used for thermal management of a designated component of the transportation equipment, the thermal management circuit further capable of exchanging heat with the air conditioning system, and further, when the air conditioning system is in a heating state, selectively transferring heat generated by the designated component to the air conditioning system, and further using the heat as a heat source for at least a part of the evaporation process of the air conditioning system; a supplemental heater for selectively providing supplemental heat to said thermal management circuit.

2. 2. The thermal management system of claim 1, further comprising a control module, wherein the control module controls the supplemental heater to provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit in response to heat generated by the designated component not meeting the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system.

3. 3. The thermal management system of claim 2, further comprising a detection module used to detect the operating state or operating environment of the air conditioning system when the air conditioning system is in a heating state, and the control module determines whether the heat generated by the specified member meets the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system based on the detection result of the detection module.

4. 4. The thermal management system of claim 3, wherein the operating environment includes a temperature of the first heat transfer medium, the detection module is used to perform temperature detection on the first heat transfer medium before the first heat transfer medium exchanges heat with the air conditioning system, and the control module determines that the heat generated by the specified member does not meet the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system in response to the temperature detected by the detection module being lower than a predetermined temperature threshold.

5. 5. The thermal management system of claim 2, wherein the control module is further capable of controlling the supplemental heater to provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit in response to a heat supply demand present in the designated component itself for heating the designated component via the first heat transfer medium.

6. 6. The thermal management system of claim 5, wherein the thermal management circuit includes a main heat exchange area for exchanging heat with the designated component and an auxiliary heat exchange area for exchanging heat with the auxiliary heater, and the thermal management circuit further includes a flow distribution assembly and a bypass circuit connected in parallel with the main heat exchange area, and wherein the control module controls the flow distribution assembly to distribute the flow of the first heat transfer medium between the main heat exchange area and the bypass circuit based on the heat supply demand of the designated component and the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system.

7. 7. The thermal management system of claim 6, wherein the first heat transfer medium flows into the main heat exchange area and the bypass circuit after being heated by the auxiliary heat exchange area, and exchanges heat with the air conditioning system before entering the auxiliary heat exchange area, or the first heat transfer medium heated by the auxiliary heat exchange area flows into the main heat exchange area and the bypass circuit after exchanging heat with the air conditioning system, and is heated by the auxiliary heat exchange area after flowing through the main heat exchange area and / or the bypass circuit.

8. 8. The thermal management system of claim 6, wherein the designated component is a battery module of the transportation equipment, and the control module controls the flow distribution assembly to preferentially satisfy the heat supply demand of the battery module by the auxiliary heater in response to the output power of the battery module not satisfying the external power demand, or controls the flow distribution assembly to preferentially satisfy the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system by the auxiliary heater in response to the output power of the battery module being able to satisfy the external power demand.

9. 9. The thermal management system of claim 8, wherein preferentially satisfying the heat supply demand of the battery module means supplying all of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area or increasing the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area, and preferentially satisfying the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system means supplying all of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit or increasing the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit.

10. 10. The thermal management system of claim 9, wherein after preferentially satisfying the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system, the control module is further capable of controlling the flow distribution assembly to decrease the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit and increase the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area in response to the thermal management circuit reaching the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system, or to increase the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit and decrease the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area in response to the thermal management circuit not satisfying the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system.

11. 11. A thermal management system as described in any one of claims 2 to 10, characterized in that the thermal management circuit includes at least two sub-thermal management circuits, the at least two sub-thermal management circuits are used to perform thermal management for different designated components, the thermal management system further includes a thermal management switching assembly, and the control module controls the thermal management switching assembly to selectively switch the heat exchange relationship between the at least two sub-thermal management circuits and the air conditioning system.

12. 12. The thermal management system of claim 11, wherein the designated member includes a battery module and a motor module of the transportation device, and the at least two sub-thermal management circuits include a first sub-thermal management circuit and a second sub-thermal management circuit, wherein the first sub-thermal management circuit is used to perform thermal management for the battery module and includes a first main heat exchange area for heat exchange with the battery module and an auxiliary heat exchange area for heat exchange with the auxiliary heater, and the second sub-thermal management circuit is used to perform thermal management for the motor module and includes a second main heat exchange area for heat exchange with the motor module and an external heat exchanger for heat exchange with an external environment, and the control module controls the thermal management switching assembly to switch at least one of the first sub-thermal management circuit and the second sub-thermal management circuit to perform heat exchange with the air conditioning system in response to the air conditioning system being in a heating state.

13. 13. The thermal management system of claim 12, wherein the control module is further capable of controlling the thermal management switching assembly to simultaneously switch the first sub-thermal management circuit and the second sub-thermal management circuit to exchange heat with the air conditioning system in response to the air conditioning system being in a heating state.

14. 14. The thermal management system of claim 12 or 13, wherein the control module is further capable of controlling the thermal management switching assembly to communicate with the first sub-thermal management circuit and the second sub-thermal management circuit such that the first heat conduction medium circulates within a total circuit formed by the first sub-thermal management circuit and the second sub-thermal management circuit.

15. 15. The thermal management system of claim 12, wherein the first sub-thermal management circuit further includes a first flow distribution assembly and a first bypass circuit connected in parallel to the first main heat exchange area, and wherein the control module controls the first flow distribution assembly to distribute the flow of the first heat transfer medium in the first sub-thermal management circuit between the first main heat exchange area and the first bypass circuit based on the heat supply demand of the designated component and the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system.

16. 16. The thermal management system of claim 12, wherein the second sub-thermal management circuit further includes a second flow distribution assembly and a second bypass circuit connected in parallel to the external heat exchanger, and the control module controls the second flow distribution assembly to distribute the flow of the first heat transfer medium in the second sub-thermal management circuit between the external heat exchanger and the second bypass circuit based on the heat dissipation demand of the motor module, the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system, or the external environment of the external heat exchanger.

17. 17. The thermal management system of claim 16, wherein the control module introduces all of the first heat transfer medium in the second sub-thermal management circuit into the second bypass circuit or increases the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit in response to the fact that there is no additional heat dissipation demand after the motor module has supplied heat to the air conditioning system, or the motor module is unable to meet the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system and is unable to absorb heat from the environment through the external heat exchanger, or introduces all of the first heat transfer medium in the second sub-thermal management circuit to the external heat exchanger or increases the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the external heat exchanger in response to the fact that there is still additional heat dissipation demand after the motor module has supplied heat to the air conditioning system, or the motor module is unable to meet the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system and is able to absorb heat from the environment through the external heat exchanger.

18. The air conditioning system includes a first air conditioning circuit and a second air conditioning circuit, wherein the first air conditioning circuit is used to circulate and transport a refrigerant and includes a compressor, a condensing heat exchanger, an accumulator, a first evaporative heat exchanger, and a second evaporative heat exchanger, wherein the refrigerant undergoes evaporative heat absorption in the first evaporative heat exchanger and further provides air conditioning cooling to a designated area of ​​the transportation equipment; the refrigerant undergoes evaporative heat absorption in the second evaporative heat exchanger and further absorbs heat from the thermal management circuit; and the second air conditioning circuit is used to circulate and transport a second heat transfer medium and includes a heating heat exchanger, wherein the heating heat exchanger exchanges heat with the condensing heat exchanger and further provides air conditioning heating to the designated area. The thermal management system of any one of claims 11 to 17.

19. 20. The thermal management system of claim 18, wherein the control module further controls the thermal management switching assembly to switch the second sub-thermal management circuit to heat exchange with the condensing heat exchanger in response to the air conditioning system being in a cooling state, and further transports heat released from the condensing heat exchanger to the external heat exchanger.

20. 20. The thermal management system of claim 18 or 19, wherein the air conditioning system further includes a first air conditioning switching assembly, the second sub-thermal management circuit and the second air conditioning circuit are each connected to the condensing heat exchanger via the first air conditioning switching assembly, and the control system is further capable of controlling the first air conditioning switching assembly to selectively supply a first heat transfer medium in the second sub-thermal management circuit and a second heat transfer medium in the second air conditioning circuit to the condensing heat exchanger.

21. 21. The thermal management system of claim 18, wherein the control module is further configured to switch the first sub-thermal management circuit to exchange heat with the second evaporative heat exchanger in response to the air conditioning system being in a cooling state, and further to use the second evaporative heat exchanger to lower the temperature of the battery module.

22. 22. The thermal management system of claim 18, wherein the air conditioning system further includes a first air conditioning switching assembly and a second air conditioning switching assembly, and wherein the control system, in response to the air conditioning system being in a dehumidifying state, controls the first air conditioning switching assembly to be connected to the heating heat exchanger and the condensing heat exchanger, and controls the second air conditioning switching assembly to be connected to the accumulator and the first evaporative heat exchanger, so that air cooled and dehumidified by the first evaporative heat exchanger is heated by the heating heat exchanger.

23. A thermal management method for a transportation device, the transportation device including an air conditioning system, a thermal management circuit, and an auxiliary heater, wherein the thermal management circuit performs thermal management for a battery module of the transportation device and can perform heat exchange with the air conditioning system, thereby serving as a heat source for at least a part of an evaporation process of the air conditioning system, the method comprising: controlling the auxiliary heater to be used to provide supplemental heat to the thermal management circuit in response to a heat supply demand from both the battery module and the air conditioning system; Identifying whether the output power of the battery module meets external power demands; In response to the output power of the battery module not satisfying an external power demand, controlling the thermal management circuit to preferentially satisfy the heat supply demand of the battery module; or and controlling the thermal management circuit to prioritize meeting the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system in response to the output power of the battery module being able to meet external power demand.

24. 24. The thermal management method of claim 23, wherein the thermal management circuit includes a main heat exchange area for exchanging heat with the battery module, an auxiliary heat exchange area for exchanging heat with the auxiliary heater, a flow distribution assembly, and a bypass circuit connected in parallel to the main heat exchange area, the flow distribution assembly is used to distribute the flow of the first heat transfer medium between the main heat exchange area and the bypass circuit, and the preferentially satisfying the heat supply demand of the battery module is performed by controlling the flow distribution assembly to supply all of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area or to increase the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the main heat exchange area, and the preferentially satisfying the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system is performed by controlling the flow distribution assembly to supply all of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit or to increase the flow rate of the first heat transfer medium to the bypass circuit.

25. after the step of controlling the thermal management circuit to preferentially satisfy the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system in response to the output power of the battery module being able to satisfy the external power demand, In response to the heat supply to the air conditioning system by the thermal management circuit reaching the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system, the thermal management circuit controls to decrease the heat supply to the air conditioning system and increase the heat supply to the battery module; or 24. The thermal management method of claim 23, further comprising controlling the thermal management circuit to increase the heat supply to the air conditioning system and decrease the heat supply to the battery module in response to the amount of heat supplied to the air conditioning system by the thermal management circuit being lower than the heat supply demand of the air conditioning system.

26. 23. A vehicle comprising a thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

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