Thermal management method and apparatus for electric vehicle

Abstract

A thermal management method for an electric vehicle, relating to the technical field of electric vehicles, and comprising: when a vehicle starts, monitoring in real time whether an electronic water pump in a current cooling loop has a fault; if yes, adjusting an adjustable four-way valve to a target position so as to switch from the current cooling loop to a cooling loop for switching; and controlling an electronic water pump in the cooling loop for switching to operate, such that a cooling liquid in a driving system runs according to the target position by means of the cooling loop for switching, so as to continue thermal management of the electric vehicle. The thermal management method for an electric vehicle can solve the problems that when an electronic water pump in a driving system has a fault, a cooling liquid cannot run circulatingly, which finally causes over-temperature alarm of a driving motor and a controller thereof and other power electronic parts. Further disclosed are a thermal management apparatus for an electric vehicle, a storage medium, and a processor.

Description

Thermal management method and device for electric vehicle Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of electric vehicles, and in particular to a thermal management method and device for electric vehicles. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of new energy vehicles, users are increasingly demanding higher reliability and safety. As the key power source of new energy vehicles, the drive system directly impacts the reliability and safety of the entire vehicle. Thermal management and control of the drive system is crucial.

[0003] When the electronic water pump in the drive system fails, the coolant in the cooling pipe connected to it cannot circulate, resulting in the inability to cool and dissipate heat to power electronic components such as the drive motor and its controller. This may eventually cause the drive motor and its controller and other power electronic components to generate overtemperature alarms, resulting in power loss while the vehicle is driving, or even safety issues such as the vehicle breaking down on the road.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a thermal management method and device for electric vehicles, the main purpose of which is to solve the problem that when the electronic water pump in the drive system fails, the coolant cannot circulate, and eventually causes power electronic components such as the drive motor and its controller to generate overtemperature alarms.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention proposes the following solutions:

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a thermal management method for an electric vehicle, the method being applied to a whole vehicle thermal management system, the whole vehicle thermal management system comprising a drive system cooling circuit, a power battery cooling circuit, and an adjustable four-way valve, the adjustable four-way valve being used to switch from the drive system cooling circuit to the power battery cooling circuit, the method comprising:

[0008] When the vehicle is started, real-time monitoring is performed to check whether the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit is faulty;

[0009] If a fault occurs, the adjustable four-way valve is adjusted to a target position to switch from the current cooling circuit to the cooling circuit to be switched. When the current cooling circuit is the drive system cooling circuit, the cooling circuit to be switched is the power battery cooling circuit. When the current cooling circuit is the power battery cooling circuit, the cooling circuit to be switched is the drive system cooling circuit.

[0010] The electronic water pump in the cooling circuit to be converted is controlled to operate so that the coolant in the drive system flows through the cooling circuit to be converted according to the target position, thereby continuing the thermal management of the electric vehicle.

[0011] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a thermal management device for an electric vehicle, the device being applied to a whole vehicle thermal management system, the whole vehicle thermal management system comprising a drive system cooling circuit, a power battery cooling circuit, and an adjustable four-way valve, the adjustable four-way valve being used to switch from the drive system cooling circuit to the power battery cooling circuit, the device comprising:

[0012] A fault monitoring unit is used to monitor in real time whether the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit is faulty when the vehicle is started;

[0013] a position adjustment unit, configured to adjust the adjustable four-way valve to a target position if the fault monitoring unit detects a fault, so as to switch from the current cooling circuit to the cooling circuit to be switched, wherein when the current cooling circuit is the drive system cooling circuit, the cooling circuit to be switched is the power battery cooling circuit; and when the current cooling circuit is the power battery cooling circuit, the cooling circuit to be switched is the drive system cooling circuit;

[0014] An operation control unit is used to control the operation of the electronic water pump in the cooling circuit to be converted after the position adjustment unit switches to the cooling circuit to be converted, so that the coolant in the drive system flows through the cooling circuit to be converted according to the target position, thereby continuing the thermal management of the electric vehicle.

[0015] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, according to the third aspect of the present invention, a storage medium is provided, which includes a stored program, wherein when the program is running, the device where the storage medium is located is controlled to execute the thermal management method of the electric vehicle according to the first aspect.

[0016] In order to achieve the above object, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a processor is provided, which is used to run a program, wherein the program executes the thermal management method of the electric vehicle according to the first aspect when running.

[0017] By means of the above technical scheme, the present invention provides a thermal management method and device for an electric vehicle, which can be applied to the thermal management system of the whole vehicle. The thermal management system of the whole vehicle includes a drive system cooling circuit, a power battery cooling circuit and an adjustable four-way valve. When the vehicle is started, the thermal management system of the whole vehicle can detect the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit in real time to see if it is faulty. If it is faulty, the adjustable four-way valve can be adjusted to the target position, so that the current cooling circuit can be switched to the cooling circuit to be converted. In this way, the coolant in the drive system can continue to circulate through the cooling circuit to be converted in the flow direction corresponding to the target position to maintain the thermal management of the whole vehicle. It should be noted that when the current cooling circuit is the drive system cooling circuit, the cooling circuit to be converted is the power battery cooling circuit. When the current cooling circuit is the power battery cooling circuit, the cooling circuit to be converted is the drive system cooling circuit. To sum up, the present invention can switch between the power battery cooling circuit and the drive system cooling circuit through the adjustable four-way valve. Even if the electronic water pump in a cooling circuit fails, the coolant in the drive system can still continue to circulate through the electronic water pump in another circuit, and the power electronic components such as the drive motor and its controller can continue to be cooled and dissipated, thereby preventing the power electronic components such as the drive motor and its controller from generating over-temperature alarms, which may cause power loss when the vehicle is driving, or safety issues such as the vehicle breaking down on the road, thereby effectively improving driving safety.

[0018] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present invention, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present invention are specifically listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiment below. The accompanying drawings are for illustration purposes only and are not to be considered as limiting the present invention. The same reference symbols are used throughout the drawings to represent the same components. In the drawings:

[0020] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of signal transmission of a vehicle thermal management system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of a device structure corresponding to a vehicle thermal management system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] FIG3 shows a flow chart of a thermal management method for an electric vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] FIG4 shows a flow chart of another thermal management method for an electric vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] FIG5 shows a block diagram of a thermal management device for an electric vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] FIG6 shows a block diagram of another thermal management device for an electric vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the present disclosure and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0027] With the continuous development of new energy vehicles, users are increasingly demanding higher reliability and safety. As the key power source of new energy vehicles, the drive system directly impacts the reliability and safety of the entire vehicle. Thermal management and control of the drive system is crucial.

[0028] When the electronic water pump in the drive system fails, the coolant in the connected cooling pipes cannot circulate. This results in a failure to cool and dissipate heat from power electronic components such as the drive motor and its controller. This can ultimately cause overtemperature alarms in these components, resulting in power loss during driving or vehicle breakdown, leading to safety concerns. The present invention provides a thermal management method for electric vehicles that addresses these issues.

[0029] For example, please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of signal transmission of a whole vehicle thermal management system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 1, it includes a whole vehicle thermal management controller 100. The whole vehicle thermal management controller 100 is connected to the whole vehicle controller VCU101, the drive motor controller MCU102, the battery management system BMS103, the charging conversion integrated machine CDU104, the central control host 105, the PTC heater 106, the electric compressor controller 107, the body controller 108, and the intelligent driving brain 109 through the CAN bus to perform signal transmission.

[0030] The vehicle thermal management controller 100 is connected to the electronic expansion valve 110 of the passenger compartment refrigeration circuit, the electronic expansion valve 111 of the power battery cooling circuit, the adjustable four-way valve 112, the sunlight, rain, temperature and humidity sensor 113, the automatic grille 114, the electric air outlet 115, the PM2.5 sensor 116, the negative ion generator 117, and the air quality sensor 118 through the LIN bus.

[0031] The vehicle thermal management controller 100 is connected to the high-pressure pressure sensor 119, the low-pressure temperature sensor 120, the drive system coolant temperature sensor 121, the drive system cooling circuit electronic water pump 122, the power battery cooling circuit electronic water pump 123, the electronic cooling fan 124, the blower 125, the evaporator temperature sensor 126, the driver's side air outlet temperature sensor 127, the co-driver's side air outlet temperature sensor 128, the driver's side foot air outlet temperature sensor 129, the co-driver's side foot air outlet temperature sensor 130, the indoor temperature sensor 131, the outdoor temperature sensor 132, the mode damper motor 133, the driver's side temperature damper motor 134, the co-driver's side temperature damper motor 135, and the internal and external circulation damper motor 136 through hard wires.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 2 at the same time. Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the device structure corresponding to a vehicle thermal management system provided by an embodiment of the present invention, including a drive system cooling circuit, a power battery cooling circuit for battery cooling, a power battery cooling circuit for coolant circulation, and a passenger compartment refrigeration circuit.

[0033] Among them, the drive system cooling circuit is composed of a drive system cooling circuit electronic water pump 221, a charging conversion integrated unit 219, a drive motor controller 218, a drive motor 217, an adjustable four-way valve 215, a radiator 216, and an electronic cooling fan 230.

[0034] The power battery cooling circuit has two functions. One is for cooling the power battery and consists of a power battery 227, an electric compressor 211, a condenser 222, an electronic expansion valve 214 for the power battery cooling circuit, and a plate heat exchanger 213. This circuit is used when the power battery is cooling. The other function is for circulating the coolant and is used when the power battery cooling circuit is operating normally. This circuit consists of a power battery 227, an electronic water pump 229 for the power battery cooling circuit, a plate heat exchanger 213, and an adjustable four-way valve 215.

[0035] The passenger compartment refrigeration circuit is composed of an electric compressor 211, a condenser 222, an electronic expansion valve 225 of the passenger compartment refrigeration circuit, an evaporator 224, a blower 223, a heater core 228, etc.

[0036] Also included are a high-pressure pressure sensor 220 , a low-pressure temperature sensor 212 , and a drive system coolant temperature sensor 226 .

[0037] After describing the structure of the vehicle thermal management system on which the thermal management method for an electric vehicle of the present invention is based, the following steps are further described, as shown in FIG3 :

[0038] 301. When the vehicle is started, monitor in real time whether the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit is faulty.

[0039] In the present invention, when the vehicle starts, the vehicle thermal management system controls the power-up of various sensors, actuators, and controllers. The vehicle thermal management system then selects one of the drive system cooling circuit and the power battery cooling circuit as the current cooling circuit for vehicle thermal management.

[0040] When selecting one as the current cooling circuit, the electronic water pumps in both the drive system cooling circuit and the power battery cooling circuit may be checked for faults. If both are fault-free, the drive system cooling circuit may be selected.

[0041] After selecting the current cooling circuit, the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit can be controlled to operate, thereby allowing the coolant in the drive system to circulate and preventing other components in the drive system from overheating due to the inability to circulate the coolant. Simultaneously, the vehicle thermal management system also monitors the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit in real time to see if it is faulty, so that it can be detected and addressed promptly. If a fault is detected, step 302 is executed. If not, the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit continues to operate.

[0042] Among them, the vehicle thermal management system also includes the drive system, power battery system and driver operating system. The drive system corresponds to the drive system cooling circuit, the power battery system corresponds to the power battery cooling circuit, and the driver operating system corresponds to the passenger compartment cooling circuit.

[0043] 302. Adjust the adjustable four-way valve to a target position to switch from the current cooling circuit to the cooling circuit to be switched.

[0044] 303. Control the operation of the electronic water pump in the cooling circuit to be converted so that the coolant in the drive system flows through the cooling circuit to be converted according to the target position, thereby continuing the thermal management of the electric vehicle.

[0045] In steps 302 and 303, if a fault is detected in the electronic water pump of the current cooling circuit, the adjustable four-way valve is adjusted to the target position, switching from the current cooling circuit to the cooling circuit to be switched. Once the switch is made to the cooling circuit to be switched and the electronic water pump in the cooling circuit to be switched begins operating, coolant in the drive system can flow into the cooling circuit to be switched according to the target position, continuing thermal management of the electric vehicle through the cooling circuit to be switched.

[0046] When the current cooling circuit is the drive system cooling circuit, the cooling circuit to be converted is the power battery cooling circuit; when the current cooling circuit is the power battery cooling circuit, the cooling circuit to be converted is the drive system cooling circuit.

[0047] The target position is different when the circuit to be converted is a power battery cooling circuit and when the circuit to be converted is a drive system cooling circuit.

[0048] Based on the implementation method of Figure 3 above, it can be seen that the thermal management method of an electric vehicle provided by the present invention can be applied to the thermal management system of the whole vehicle. In the thermal management system of the whole vehicle, it includes a drive system cooling circuit, a power battery cooling circuit and an adjustable four-way valve. When the vehicle is started, the thermal management system of the whole vehicle can detect the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit in real time to see if it is faulty. If it is faulty, the adjustable four-way valve can be adjusted to the target position, so that the current cooling circuit can be switched to the cooling circuit to be converted. In this way, the coolant in the drive system can continue to circulate through the cooling circuit to be converted in the flow direction corresponding to the target position to maintain the thermal management of the whole vehicle. It should be noted that when the current cooling circuit is the drive system cooling circuit, the cooling circuit to be converted is the power battery cooling circuit. When the current cooling circuit is the power battery cooling circuit, the cooling circuit to be converted is the drive system cooling circuit. To sum up, the present invention can switch between the power battery cooling circuit and the drive system cooling circuit through the adjustable four-way valve. Even if the electronic water pump in a cooling circuit fails, the coolant in the drive system can still continue to circulate through the electronic water pump in another circuit, and the power electronic components such as the drive motor and its controller can continue to be cooled and dissipated, thereby preventing the power electronic components such as the drive motor and its controller from generating over-temperature alarms, which may cause power loss when the vehicle is driving, or safety issues such as the vehicle breaking down on the road, thereby effectively improving driving safety.

[0049] Furthermore, as a refinement and extension of the embodiment shown in FIG3 , an embodiment of the present invention also provides another thermal management method for an electric vehicle, as shown in FIG4 , wherein the specific steps are as follows:

[0050] 401. When the vehicle is started, monitor in real time whether the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit is faulty.

[0051] This step proposes a superior implementation method, distinct from step 301. Specifically, in the present invention, the speed of the electronic water pump in the drive system cooling circuit and the electronic water pump in the power battery cooling circuit is controlled in advance by varying the duty cycle of the PWM signal. Therefore, the electronic water pump can provide real-time feedback on the current PWM duty cycle. This feedback can indicate whether the electronic water pump's current speed is abnormal, which, in turn, can indicate, to a certain extent, a fault condition in the electronic water pump.

[0052] Therefore, after obtaining the specified value (current PWM duty cycle) of the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit in real time, the specified value can be compared with the preset value. If the specified value is lower than the preset value, it can be considered that the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit is faulty. If it is faulty, step 402 can be executed. If it is not faulty, the current cooling circuit can continue to be used for thermal management of the entire vehicle.

[0053] This preset value can be considered as the PWM duty cycle that is fed back at the lowest speed of the electronic water pump during normal operation, which has been pre-tested. Therefore, if the real-time specified value obtained is lower than the PWM duty cycle corresponding to the lowest speed, the electronic water pump may be in a faulty state. This is because the speed is too low to ensure the normal operation of the coolant.

[0054] Among them, the standard for normal operation can be determined in advance based on the temperature conditions of the components of the drive system caused by the speed of the electronic water pump and the operation of the coolant, that is, the PWM duty cycle corresponding to the speed of the electronic water pump when the component is over-temperature limit is tested in advance as the boundary of normal operation, that is, the preset value.

[0055] Among them, electronic water pump failures include stall failure, overtemperature failure, power supply overvoltage and undervoltage failure, etc.

[0056] 402. Adjust the adjustable four-way valve to a target position to switch from the current cooling circuit to the cooling circuit to be switched.

[0057] Specifically, when the cooling circuit to be switched is the power battery cooling circuit (the power battery cooling circuit used in this case is a functional circuit for coolant circulation), as shown in Figure 2, the target position is adjusted to connect ports 1 and 3 of the adjustable four-way valve, and ports 4 and 2. This successfully switches from the drive system cooling circuit to the power battery cooling circuit.

[0058] At this time, under the action of the electronic water pump in the power battery cooling circuit, the drive system coolant will flow from the water outlet of the drive motor through the first port to the third port of the four-way valve, through the plate heat exchanger and then through the power battery, and then from the fourth port to the second port of the four-way valve to the radiator, thereby realizing the normal circulation of the drive system coolant and achieving the heat dissipation and cooling effect of the drive system.

[0059] When the cooling circuit to be switched is the drive system cooling circuit, as shown in Figure 2, the adjustable four-way valve is adjusted to the target position, with ports 1 and 2 connected, and ports 4 and 3 connected. At this point, the power battery cooling circuit is switched to the drive system cooling circuit. The electronic water pump in the drive system cooling circuit operates, directing the flow of the drive system coolant from port 1 to port 2. The drive system coolant circulates, achieving heat dissipation and cooling of the drive system.

[0060] Therefore, when one of the power battery cooling circuit and the drive system cooling circuit fails, the other cooling circuit can continue to circulate the coolant, which can effectively prevent the components in the drive system from overheating when the coolant cannot circulate.

[0061] 403. Calculate the target speed of the electronic water pump in the cooling circuit to be converted.

[0062] 404. Control the electronic water pump in the cooling circuit to be converted to operate at a target speed.

[0063] In steps 403 and 404, the electronic water pump in the circuit to be switched can be controlled to operate at a target speed. The target speed can be the speed of the electronic water pump that maximizes the coolant flow rate requirement. Only when the coolant flow rate requirement is met can a certain effect be achieved, which is more beneficial to the thermal management of the entire vehicle. Therefore, the coolant flow rate requirement must be calculated first.

[0064] Specifically, the temperature of the drive motor body, the temperature of the drive motor control power module, the temperature of the DCDC power module, the temperature of the OBC power module, and the drive system coolant inlet temperature can be obtained. These parameters are all real-time. By using these parameters for calculation, the coolant flow demand can be obtained. After that, the target speed corresponding to the coolant flow demand can be determined based on the relationship curve between the coolant flow demand and the speed. Then, the electronic water pump in the cooling circuit to be converted can be controlled to operate at the target speed. After running at the target speed, the coolant in the drive system can continue to circulate through the circuit to be converted according to the target position.

[0065] Furthermore, if the circuit to be converted is a power battery cooling circuit, as shown in Figure 2, since the coolant of the drive system flows to the power battery through the plate heat exchanger, the coolant temperature is generally higher than the required temperature of the water inlet of the power battery, thereby causing the temperature of the power battery to rise. Therefore, it is necessary to detect whether the power battery has cooling requirements.

[0066] Specifically, the battery management system can monitor the internal temperature rise of the power battery in real time and pre-set the temperature threshold. When the battery management system detects that the internal temperature of the power battery rises or the temperature is higher than the pre-set temperature threshold, it will send a power battery cooling request to the vehicle thermal management system. The request includes the target temperature of the power battery water inlet. At this time, it can be considered that the power battery has cooling requirements, and the power battery can be cooled and controlled.

[0067] When the power battery is cooled, the power battery cooling circuit is used. Another functional circuit for cooling is used.

[0068] Specifically, the target speed of the electric compressor in the circuit shown in Figure 2 can be calculated, and then the electric compressor can be controlled to operate at the target speed. At the same time, the electronic expansion valve in the power battery cooling circuit can be adjusted to control the current temperature of the power battery water inlet to reach the target temperature, thereby realizing cooling control of the power battery. At the same time, since the battery management system monitors the internal temperature rise and temperature of the power battery in real time, when the battery management system detects that the power battery meets the normal temperature, it can send a request to stop cooling the power battery to the vehicle thermal management system. When the vehicle thermal management system receives the stop cooling request sent by the battery management system, it stops the electric compressor and exits cooling control of the power battery.

[0069] At the same time, since the passenger compartment may also have cooling requirements when the power battery is cooled, when both the passenger compartment and the power battery need to be cooled, the cooling requirements of the power battery can be used as the basis to ensure the safe operation of the entire vehicle. At this time, the electric compressor can be controlled to operate according to the target speed of the electric compressor. At this time, the first choice may be to adjust the electronic expansion valve in the passenger compartment refrigeration circuit in the vehicle thermal management system to control the current temperature of the power battery water inlet to reach the target temperature, thereby realizing cooling control of the power battery. The same as the above-mentioned single power battery cooling processing method, when the vehicle thermal management system receives the stop cooling request sent by the battery management system, it stops the electric compressor and exits the cooling control of the power battery.

[0070] Among them, the purpose of adjusting the electronic expansion valve in the power battery cooling circuit and the electronic expansion valve in the passenger compartment refrigeration circuit is the same. However, when the passenger compartment and the power battery have cooling needs at the same time, the preferred purpose of adjusting the electronic expansion valve in the passenger compartment refrigeration circuit is to limit the amount of refrigerant flowing to the passenger compartment evaporator, thereby placing certain restrictions on the passenger compartment cooling needs and meeting the power battery cooling needs as much as possible.

[0071] Among them, there is a conservation relationship between adjusting the electronic expansion valve in the power battery cooling circuit and adjusting the electronic expansion valve in the passenger compartment refrigeration circuit. If one is adjusted, the other will change accordingly.

[0072] Finally, after the power battery is cooled, the drive system's updated coolant flow requirements are recalculated. The updated target speed of the electronic water pump in the power battery cooling circuit is then determined based on the updated coolant flow requirements. The electronic water pump in the power battery cooling circuit is then controlled to operate at the updated target speed. This allows the speed of the electronic water pump to be adjusted accordingly based on the power battery's condition, better matching the circuit's conditions and ensuring optimal coolant flow.

[0073] Furthermore, as an implementation of the method shown in FIG3 , an embodiment of the present invention also provides a thermal management device for an electric vehicle, which is used to implement the method shown in FIG3 . This device embodiment corresponds to the aforementioned method embodiment. For ease of reading, this device embodiment will not further describe the details of the aforementioned method embodiment one by one, but it should be clear that the device in this embodiment can implement all the contents of the aforementioned method embodiment. As shown in FIG5 , the device includes:

[0074] The fault monitoring unit 501 is used to monitor in real time whether the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit is faulty when the vehicle is started;

[0075] a position adjustment unit 502 for adjusting the adjustable four-way valve to a target position if the fault monitoring unit 501 detects a fault, so as to switch from the current cooling circuit to the cooling circuit to be switched; when the current cooling circuit is the drive system cooling circuit, the cooling circuit to be switched is the power battery cooling circuit; and when the current cooling circuit is the power battery cooling circuit, the cooling circuit to be switched is the drive system cooling circuit;

[0076] The operation control unit 503 is used to control the operation of the electronic water pump in the cooling circuit to be converted after the position adjustment unit 502 switches to the cooling circuit to be converted, so that the coolant in the drive system flows through the cooling circuit to be converted according to the target position to continue the thermal management of the electric vehicle.

[0077] Furthermore, as an implementation of the method shown in FIG4 , an embodiment of the present invention also provides another thermal management device for an electric vehicle, which is used to implement the method shown in FIG4 . This device embodiment corresponds to the aforementioned method embodiment. For ease of reading, this device embodiment will not further describe the details of the aforementioned method embodiment one by one, but it should be clear that the device in this embodiment can implement all the contents of the aforementioned method embodiment. As shown in FIG6 , the device includes:

[0078] The fault monitoring unit 501 is used to monitor in real time whether the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit is faulty when the vehicle is started;

[0079] a position adjustment unit 502 for adjusting the adjustable four-way valve to a target position if the fault monitoring unit 501 detects a fault, so as to switch from the current cooling circuit to the cooling circuit to be switched; when the current cooling circuit is the drive system cooling circuit, the cooling circuit to be switched is the power battery cooling circuit; and when the current cooling circuit is the power battery cooling circuit, the cooling circuit to be switched is the drive system cooling circuit;

[0080] The operation control unit 503 is used to control the operation of the electronic water pump in the cooling circuit to be converted after the position adjustment unit 502 switches to the cooling circuit to be converted, so that the coolant in the drive system flows through the cooling circuit to be converted according to the target position to continue the thermal management of the electric vehicle.

[0081] In an optional implementation, the fault monitoring unit 501 includes:

[0082] A value acquisition module 5011 is used to acquire a specified value of the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit in real time feedback, wherein the specified value is used to indicate a fault state of the electronic water pump;

[0083] The value determination module 5012 is used to determine whether the specified value obtained by the value acquisition module 5011 is lower than a preset value;

[0084] The fault determination module 5013 is configured to determine that the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit is faulty if the value determination module 5012 determines that the value is lower than .

[0085] In an optional implementation, the operation control unit 503 includes:

[0086] A flow calculation module 5031 is configured to calculate the coolant flow demand of the drive system according to a preset flow calculation method, wherein the coolant flow direction of the drive system corresponds to the target position;

[0087] a speed determination module 5032 for determining a target speed of the electronic water pump in the cooling circuit to be converted based on the coolant flow demand calculated by the flow calculation module 5031;

[0088] The operation control module 5033 is used to control the electronic water pump in the cooling circuit to be converted determined by the speed determination module 5032 to operate according to the target speed.

[0089] In an optional embodiment, after the operation control unit 503 controls the operation of the electronic water pump in the cooling circuit to be converted, the device further includes a battery cooling unit 504, and the battery cooling unit 504 includes:

[0090] a request monitoring module 5041 for, when the cooling circuit to be converted is the power battery cooling circuit, monitoring in real time whether a power battery cooling request sent by the battery management system is received, wherein the power battery cooling request includes a target temperature of the power battery water inlet;

[0091] The cooling control module 5042 is configured to perform cooling control on the power battery if the request monitoring module 5041 detects the presence of the request.

[0092] In an optional implementation, the cooling control module 5042 includes:

[0093] The speed determination submodule 50421 is used to calculate the target speed of the electric compressor in the power battery cooling circuit;

[0094] a first cooling control submodule 50422, configured to control the electric compressor to operate at the target speed of the electric compressor calculated by the speed determination submodule 50421, and to adjust the electronic expansion valve in the power battery cooling circuit so as to control the current temperature of the power battery water inlet to reach the target temperature, thereby controlling the cooling of the power battery;

[0095] The first cooling stop submodule 50423 is configured to stop the operation of the electric compressor performed by the first cooling control submodule 50422 and exit cooling control of the power battery upon receiving a cooling stop request sent by the battery management system.

[0096] In an optional embodiment, after the cooling control module 5042 performs cooling control on the power battery, the device further includes an update control unit 505, and the update control unit 505 includes:

[0097] An updated flow calculation module 5051 is used to calculate the updated coolant flow demand of the drive system according to a preset flow calculation method;

[0098] an updated speed calculation module 5052, configured to determine an updated target speed of the electronic water pump in the power battery cooling circuit based on the updated coolant flow demand calculated by the updated flow calculation module 5051;

[0099] The update control operation module 5053 is used to control the electronic water pump in the power battery cooling circuit to operate according to the updated target speed calculated by the updated speed calculation module 5052.

[0100] In another optional implementation, the cooling control module 5042 includes:

[0101] The second cooling control submodule 50424 is configured to, when both the passenger compartment and the power battery require cooling control, control the electric compressor to operate at a target speed thereof and adjust the electronic expansion valve in the passenger compartment refrigeration circuit of the vehicle thermal management system to control the current temperature of the power battery water inlet to reach the target temperature, thereby cooling the power battery.

[0102] The second cooling stop submodule 50425 is used to stop the operation of the electric compressor performed by the second cooling control submodule 50424 and exit the cooling control of the power battery after receiving the cooling stop request sent by the battery management system.

[0103] Furthermore, an embodiment of the present invention also provides a storage medium, which is used to store a computer program, wherein when the computer program is running, it controls the device where the storage medium is located to execute the thermal management method of the electric vehicle described in Figures 3-4 above.

[0104] Furthermore, an embodiment of the present invention also provides a processor, which is used to run a program, wherein the program, when running, executes the thermal management method of the electric vehicle described in Figures 3-4 above.

[0105] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own focus. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0106] It is understood that the relevant features of the above methods and devices can be referenced to each other. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" in the above embodiments are used to distinguish between the embodiments, and do not represent the advantages and disadvantages of the embodiments.

[0107] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0108] The algorithm and display provided herein are not inherently related to any particular computer, virtual system or other device. Various general-purpose systems can also be used together with the teachings based on this. According to the above description, it is obvious that the structure required for constructing this type of system. In addition, the present invention is not directed to any specific programming language. It should be understood that various programming languages ​​can be utilized to realize the content of the present invention described herein, and the above description of specific languages ​​is for the purpose of disclosing the best mode of the present invention.

[0109] In addition, the memory may include non-permanent memory in a computer-readable medium, random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory in the form of read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM, and the memory includes at least one memory chip.

[0110] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application can adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment in combination with software and hardware. Moreover, the present application can adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) that contain computer-usable program code.

[0111] The present application is described with reference to the flow chart and / or block diagram of the method, device (system), and computer program product according to the embodiment of the present application. It should be understood that each flow process and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram and the combination of the flow process and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram can be realized by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processing machine or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device produce a device for realizing the function specified in one flow chart flow or multiple flows and / or one box or multiple boxes of the block diagram.

[0112] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce a product including an instruction device that implements the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0113] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0114] In a typical configuration, a computing device includes one or more processors (CPUs), input / output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

[0115] The memory may include non-permanent memory in a computer-readable medium, random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory in the form of read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM. The memory is an example of a computer-readable medium.

[0116] Computer-readable media includes permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can be implemented by any method or technology to store information. The information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices or any other non-transmission media that can be used to store information that can be accessed by a computing device. As defined herein, computer-readable media does not include transitory computer-readable media (transitory media), such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0117] It should also be noted that the terms "comprises," "includes," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, commodity, or apparatus that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or includes elements inherent to such process, method, commodity, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprises a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, commodity, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0118] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application may be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Furthermore, the present application may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0119] The above are merely embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various changes and variations. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application should all be included within the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A thermal management method for an electric vehicle, characterized in that: The method is applied to a vehicle thermal management system, the vehicle thermal management system includes a drive system cooling circuit, a power battery cooling circuit and an adjustable four-way valve, the adjustable four-way valve is used to switch from the drive system cooling circuit to the power battery cooling circuit, the method includes: When the vehicle is started, real-time monitoring is performed to see if the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit is faulty; If a fault occurs, the adjustable four-way valve is adjusted to a target position to switch from the current cooling circuit to the cooling circuit to be switched. When the current cooling circuit is the drive system cooling circuit, the cooling circuit to be switched is the power battery cooling circuit. When the current cooling circuit is the power battery cooling circuit, the cooling circuit to be switched is the drive system cooling circuit. The electronic water pump in the cooling circuit to be converted is controlled to operate so that the coolant in the drive system flows through the cooling circuit to be converted according to the target position, thereby continuing the thermal management of the electric vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Real-time monitoring of whether the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit is faulty, including: Acquire a specified value of real-time feedback of the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit, wherein the specified value is used to characterize a fault state of the electronic water pump; Determining whether the specified value is lower than a preset value; If it is lower than that, it is determined that the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit is faulty.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Controlling the operation of the electronic water pump in the cooling circuit to be converted includes: Calculating the coolant flow demand of the drive system according to a preset flow calculation method, wherein the coolant flow direction of the drive system corresponds to the target position; Determining a target speed of the electronic water pump in the cooling circuit to be converted based on the coolant flow demand; The electronic water pump in the cooling circuit to be converted is controlled to operate according to the target speed.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: After controlling the operation of the electronic water pump in the cooling circuit to be converted, the method further includes: When the cooling circuit to be converted is the power battery cooling circuit, real-time monitoring is performed to determine whether a power battery cooling request sent by a battery management system is received, wherein the power battery cooling request includes a target temperature of a water inlet of the power battery; If present, the power battery is cooled and controlled.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The power battery is cooled and controlled, including: Calculating a target speed of an electric compressor in the power battery cooling circuit; Controlling the electric compressor to run at a target speed of the electric compressor, and adjusting the electronic expansion valve in the power battery cooling circuit so as to control the current temperature of the water inlet of the power battery to reach the target temperature, so as to perform cooling control on the power battery; When a cooling stop request is received from the battery management system, the electric compressor is stopped and cooling control of the power battery is exited.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that After the power battery is cooled and controlled, the method further includes: Calculate the updated coolant flow demand of the drive system according to a preset flow calculation method; Determining an updated target speed of an electronic water pump in the power battery cooling circuit based on the updated coolant flow demand; The electronic water pump in the power battery cooling circuit is controlled to operate according to the updated target speed.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The power battery is cooled and controlled, including: When both the passenger compartment and the power battery need to be cooled, the electric compressor is controlled to run according to the target speed of the electric compressor, and the electronic expansion valve in the passenger compartment refrigeration circuit in the vehicle thermal management system is adjusted so as to control the current temperature of the power battery water inlet to reach the target temperature, so as to cool the power battery; When a cooling stop request is received from the battery management system, the electric compressor is stopped and cooling control of the power battery is exited.

8. A thermal management device for an electric vehicle, characterized in that: The device is applied to a vehicle thermal management system, which includes a drive system cooling circuit, a power battery cooling circuit, and an adjustable four-way valve. The adjustable four-way valve is used to switch from the drive system cooling circuit to the power battery cooling circuit. The device includes: A fault monitoring unit is used to monitor in real time whether the electronic water pump in the current cooling circuit is faulty when the vehicle is started; a position adjustment unit, configured to adjust the adjustable four-way valve to a target position if the fault monitoring unit detects a fault, so as to switch from the current cooling circuit to the cooling circuit to be switched, wherein when the current cooling circuit is the drive system cooling circuit, the cooling circuit to be switched is the power battery cooling circuit, and when the current cooling circuit is the power battery cooling circuit, the cooling circuit to be switched is the drive system cooling circuit; An operation control unit is used to control the operation of the electronic water pump in the cooling circuit to be converted after the position adjustment unit switches to the cooling circuit to be converted, so that the coolant in the drive system flows through the cooling circuit to be converted according to the target position to continue the thermal management of the electric vehicle.

9. A storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium includes a stored program, wherein when the program is executed, the device where the storage medium is located is controlled to execute the thermal management method for an electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A processor, characterized in that: The processor is used to run a program, wherein the program, when running, executes the thermal management method for an electric vehicle as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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