Thermal management system and vehicle

Abstract

A thermal management system, comprising a compressor (101), a water-cooled condenser (102), a first throttle valve (103), a battery heat exchanger (104), and a battery cooler (105). A refrigerant outlet of the compressor (101) is in communication with an inlet of a refrigerant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser (102); an outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser (102) is in communication with an inlet of a refrigerant flow channel of the battery cooler (105) by means of the first throttle valve (103); an outlet of a cooling liquid flow channel of the water-cooled condenser (102) is in communication with an inlet of a cooling liquid flow channel of the battery heat exchanger (104); an outlet of the cooling liquid flow channel of the battery heat exchanger (104) is in communication with an inlet of a cooling liquid flow channel of the battery cooler (105); and an outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the battery cooler (105) is in communication with a refrigerant inlet of the compressor (101). In a low-temperature or extremely low-temperature environment, a low-temperature low-pressure liquid refrigerant absorbs heat and evaporates in the battery cooler (105) to form a gaseous refrigerant, the gaseous refrigerant is provided to the compressor (101), and the compressor (101) continuously performs high-power compression work to produce heat, so that a heat pump subsystem in the thermal management system has a relatively strong heating capability, so as to meet the heat requirements of a thermal management object such as a power battery. Also disclosed is a vehicle.

Description

Thermal management systems and vehicles

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application is based on the Chinese patent application with application number 202311022477.5 and application date of August 14, 2023, and claims the priority of the Chinese patent application. The entire content of the Chinese patent application is hereby introduced into this application as a reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the field of thermal management technology, and in particular to a thermal management system and a vehicle. Background Art

[0004] Electric vehicles are equipped with a thermal management system. When the vehicle is powered on, the thermal management system performs thermal management on the power battery to keep it in the optimal charging and discharging temperature range. In related technologies, the thermal management system uses a heat pump subsystem heating method to perform thermal management on the power battery. The heat pump subsystem includes a compressor, a water-cooled condenser, a throttle valve, and a refrigerant-air heat exchanger. When the indirect heat pump system is working, the compressor compresses the gaseous refrigerant into a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant then flows through the refrigerant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser and transfers heat to the coolant used for heating the power battery through heat conduction, becoming a medium-low-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant. Then, the medium-low-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant is converted into a low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant under the throttling action of the throttle valve. The low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant absorbs heat and evaporates when flowing through the refrigerant-air heat exchanger, becoming a gaseous refrigerant and returning to the compressor.

[0005] Based on the above analysis, the heating capacity of the heat pump subsystem is related to the amount of heat absorbed by the refrigerant in the refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger. As the ambient temperature of the refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger decreases, the amount of heat absorbed by the refrigerant in this component also gradually decreases. When the ambient temperature is too low, the refrigerant cannot fully absorb heat and vaporize, remaining in a gas-liquid or liquid state. In this case, the compressor cannot operate at high power, preventing the heat pump subsystem from utilizing its compression work characteristics to generate heat.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a thermal management system and a vehicle.

[0008] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a thermal management system, including a compressor, a water-cooled condenser, a first throttle valve, a battery heat exchanger, and a battery cooler;

[0009] The refrigerant outlet of the compressor is connected to the inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser; the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser is connected to the inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the battery cooler via the first throttle valve;

[0010] The outlet of the water-cooled condenser coolant flow channel is connected to the inlet of the battery heat exchanger coolant flow channel; the outlet of the battery heat exchanger coolant flow channel is connected to the inlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery cooler, and the outlet of the battery cooler refrigerant flow channel is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the compressor.

[0011] Optionally, the thermal management system also includes a power unit heat exchanger;

[0012] In the target operating mode, the inlet of the coolant flow channel of the power unit heat exchanger is connected to the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery cooler;

[0013] The outlet of the coolant flow channel of the power unit heat exchanger is communicated with the inlet of the coolant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser.

[0014] Optionally, the thermal management system also includes a four-way valve;

[0015] The first port of the four-way valve is in communication with the outlet of the refrigerant flow passage of the water-cooled condenser, the second port of the four-way valve is in communication with the inlet of the refrigerant flow passage of the battery heat exchanger, the third port of the four-way valve is in communication with the outlet of the refrigerant flow passage of the battery cooler, and the fourth port of the four-way valve is in communication with the inlet of the refrigerant flow passage of the power unit heat exchanger;

[0016] In the target operating mode, the third port and the fourth port of the four-way valve are connected, so that the inlet of the power unit heat exchanger coolant flow channel is connected to the outlet of the battery cooler coolant flow channel.

[0017] Optionally, the thermal management system further includes a first three-way valve;

[0018] The first port of the first three-way valve is in communication with the second port of the four-way valve, the second port of the first three-way valve is in communication with the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the battery heat exchanger, and the third port of the first three-way valve is in communication with the inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the battery cooler;

[0019] In the target operating mode, the second port and the third port of the first three-way valve are connected, so that the outlet of the battery heat exchanger coolant flow channel is connected to the inlet of the battery cooler coolant flow channel.

[0020] Optionally, the thermal management system further includes an electric heater;

[0021] The inlet of the electric heater coolant flow channel is communicated with the second port of the four-way valve, and the outlet of the electric heater coolant flow channel is communicated with the first port of the first three-way valve and the inlet of the battery heat exchanger coolant flow channel.

[0022] Optionally, the thermal management system further includes a refrigerant-air heat exchanger and a second throttle valve;

[0023] The inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger is connected to the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser through the second throttle valve, and the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger is connected to the first throttle valve.

[0024] Optionally, the thermal management system further includes a first bypass valve;

[0025] The refrigerant inlet of the first bypass valve is connected to the refrigerant flow inlet of the refrigerant air heat exchanger, and the refrigerant outlet of the first bypass valve is connected to the refrigerant flow outlet of the refrigerant air heat exchanger; the first bypass valve is used to open in the target working mode to bypass the refrigerant air heat exchanger.

[0026] Optionally, the thermal management system further includes a first one-way valve;

[0027] The refrigerant inlet of the first one-way valve is connected to the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the refrigerant air heat exchanger; the first one-way valve is used to prevent the refrigerant from flowing back into the refrigerant air heat exchanger when the refrigerant air heat exchanger is bypassed.

[0028] Optionally, the thermal management system also includes a cabin evaporator;

[0029] The refrigerant flow channel inlet of the cabin evaporator is communicated with the refrigerant outlet of the compressor, and the refrigerant flow channel outlet of the cabin evaporator is communicated with the refrigerant flow channel inlet of the water-cooled condenser.

[0030] Optionally, the thermal management system further includes a water-cooled air radiator and a second three-way valve;

[0031] The inlet of the coolant flow channel of the water-cooled air radiator is connected to the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser;

[0032] The first port of the second three-way valve is connected to the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser, the second port of the second three-way valve is connected to the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the water-cooled air radiator, and the third port of the second three-way valve is connected to the inlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery heat exchanger.

[0033] Optionally, the thermal management system also includes a cabin evaporator and a third throttle valve;

[0034] The inlet of the cabin evaporator refrigerant flow passage is communicated with the outlet of the water-cooled condenser refrigerant flow passage through the third throttle valve.

[0035] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a vehicle comprising the thermal management system as described above.

[0036] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure has the following advantages over the prior art:

[0037] When the thermal management system provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is used to manage battery heating, the temperature of the coolant flowing out of the coolant flow channel of the battery heat exchanger and flowing into the battery cooler is relatively high, and there is a large temperature difference between the coolant and the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant in the refrigerant flow channel of the battery cooler. This can form heat conduction in the battery cooler, so that heat is transferred from the coolant to the low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant via the battery cooler, causing the low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant to absorb heat and evaporate into a gaseous refrigerant. In a specific implementation, by allowing the refrigerant passing through the battery cooler to continuously become a gaseous refrigerant, a sufficient amount of gaseous refrigerant is allowed to flow continuously to the refrigerant inlet of the compressor. Because there is enough gaseous refrigerant flowing into the compressor through the refrigerant inlet, the compressor can continuously compress and perform work at a high power, thereby generating heat through compression work and transferring the generated heat to the refrigerant.

[0038] That is to say, by adopting the solution provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, in a low or ultra-low temperature environment, since there is a sufficient amount of gaseous refrigerant provided to the compressor, the compressor can continuously perform high-power compression to generate heat, so that the heat pump subsystem in the thermal management system has a strong heating capacity, and can meet the thermal requirements of thermal management objects such as power batteries as much as possible. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0040] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without inventive work, including:

[0041] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a thermal management system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a thermal management system provided by another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the cycle operation of the thermal management system in the power battery cooling mode in some embodiments;

[0044] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the cycle operation of the thermal management system in a cabin cooling mode in some embodiments;

[0045] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the cycle operation of the thermal management system in the combined cooling mode in some embodiments;

[0046] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the cyclic operation of the thermal management system in a cabin heating mode in some embodiments;

[0047] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the cycle operation of the thermal management system in the heating mode of the heat pump system in some embodiments;

[0048] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the cyclic operation of the thermal management system in a cabin dehumidification and heating mode in some embodiments;

[0049] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the cycle operation of the thermal management system in a double-evaporation mode in some embodiments;

[0050] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of a control device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The following describes embodiments of the present disclosure in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although certain 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 construed as limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of the present disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0052] The term "including" and its variations used in this document are open inclusions, that is, "including but not limited to". The term "based on" means "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" means "at least one embodiment"; the term "another embodiment" means "at least one other embodiment"; the term "some embodiments" means "at least some embodiments". The relevant definitions of other terms will be given in the description below. It should be noted that the concepts of "first", "second", etc. mentioned in this disclosure are only used to distinguish different devices, modules or units, and are not used to limit the order or interdependence of the functions performed by these devices, modules or units.

[0053] It should be noted that the modifications of "one" and "multiple" mentioned in the present disclosure are illustrative rather than restrictive, and those skilled in the art should understand that unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context, they should be understood as "one or more".

[0054] To address the problem of existing vehicle thermal management systems failing to collect sufficient heat from the refrigerant in low or extremely low temperature environments, and thus failing to fully activate the compressor to generate heat, the disclosed embodiments provide a new thermal management system. This new thermal management system enriches the heat of the coolant flowing out of the battery heat exchanger, achieving sufficient vaporization of the refrigerant and ensuring the amount of vaporized refrigerant, thereby enabling the compressor to fully compress and generate heat.

[0055] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the thermal management system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the thermal management system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a compressor 101, a water-cooled condenser 102, a first throttle valve 103, a battery heat exchanger 104, a battery cooler 105, and a drive water pump (not numbered in the figure).

[0056] The water-cooled condenser 102 is used to cool the compressed high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant and transfer the heat of the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant to the heat exchanger of the coolant. The water-cooled condenser 102 includes a refrigerant flow channel and a coolant flow channel.

[0057] The battery heat exchanger 104 is used to transfer heat from the coolant to the power battery, thereby heating the power battery. The battery heat exchanger 104 includes a coolant flow channel. In actual applications, depending on the operating mode, that is, the ambient temperature and the temperature of the power battery, the battery heat exchanger 104 may also be used to transfer heat from the power battery to the coolant. Therefore, the battery heat exchanger 104 is not referred to as a "battery radiator" here.

[0058] The battery cooler 105 is a heat exchanger used to transfer heat from the coolant to the refrigerant, thereby evaporating and gasifying the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant. The battery cooler 105 includes a refrigerant flow channel and a coolant flow channel.

[0059] The water pump is used to drive the coolant flow.

[0060] In the disclosed embodiment, the compressor 101, the water-cooled condenser 102, the first throttle valve 103, and the battery heat exchanger 104 are connected in series to form a refrigerant circuit. Specifically, the refrigerant outlet of the compressor 101 is connected to the inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser 102 via a connecting pipeline. The outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser 102 is connected to the inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the battery cooler 105 via the first throttle valve 103. The outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the battery cooler 105 is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the compressor 101 via a connecting pipeline.

[0061] During operation, the gaseous refrigerant is compressed by compressor 101 to form high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant. This high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant then releases heat and cools down as it passes through water-cooled condenser 102, becoming medium-low-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant. The medium-low-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant is then throttled by first throttle valve 103 to low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant, which then enters battery heat exchanger 104. It then absorbs heat and evaporates in battery cooler 105, becoming gaseous refrigerant again and flowing back to compressor 101.

[0062] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the water-cooled condenser 102 and the battery heat exchanger 104 are connected in series to form a coolant circuit. Specifically, the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser 102 is connected to the inlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery heat exchanger 104, and the inlet of the coolant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser 102 is connected to the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery cooler 105. Driven by the driving water pump, the coolant circulates between the water-cooled condenser 102 and the battery heat exchanger 104. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the coolant absorbs heat and heats up at the water-cooled condenser 102, and releases heat and cools down at the battery heat exchanger 104.

[0063] In low-temperature environments, the power battery temperature is higher than the ambient temperature due to the low ambient temperature, and heat is dissipated. In order to maintain the temperature of the power battery in the optimal charging and discharging temperature range, the power battery needs to be heated, that is, the coolant is used to heat the power battery.

[0064] According to the law of increasing entropy, heat will spontaneously transfer from a high-temperature object to a low-temperature object. In order to keep the temperature of the power battery within the optimal charge and discharge temperature range and to allow part of the heat in the coolant to be transferred to the power battery through the battery heat exchanger 104, the temperature of the coolant flowing into the battery heat exchanger 104 should be higher than the temperature of the power battery, and the temperature of the coolant flowing out of the battery heat exchanger 104 should be at least equal to the temperature of the power battery. In actual applications, the optimal charge and discharge temperature range of the power battery is a higher temperature range (for example, it can be around 25°C). In other words, the temperature of the coolant flowing out of the battery heat exchanger 104 and into the battery cooler 105 is higher, and the coolant stores more heat.

[0065] Because the coolant flowing through the battery cooler 105 is at a relatively high temperature, there is a significant temperature difference between the coolant in the coolant flow channel of the battery cooler 105 and the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant in the refrigerant flow channel. Consequently, heat conduction occurs within the battery cooler 105, transferring heat from the coolant to the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant via the battery cooler 105, causing the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant to absorb heat and evaporate, transforming into a gaseous refrigerant. If the coolant flowing through the battery cooler 105 remains at a relatively high temperature, the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant passing through the battery cooler 105 can continue to absorb heat and evaporate, transforming into a gaseous refrigerant.

[0066] Since the refrigerant can be continuously converted into gaseous refrigerant after passing through the battery cooler 105, a sufficient amount of gaseous refrigerant flows continuously to the refrigerant inlet of the compressor 101. Because there is enough gaseous refrigerant flowing into the compressor 101 through the refrigerant inlet, the compressor 101 can continuously perform high-power compression work, and then can generate heat through compression work, and transfer the generated heat to the refrigerant. In other words, using the solution provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, in a low or extremely low temperature environment, since there is a sufficient amount of gaseous refrigerant provided to the compressor 101, the compressor 101 can continuously perform high-power compression work to generate heat, so that the heat pump subsystem in the thermal management system has a strong heating capacity, and can meet the thermal requirements of thermal management objects such as power batteries as much as possible.

[0067] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a thermal management system provided by another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG2 , in another embodiment, the thermal management system also includes the components mentioned in the previous embodiment such as the compressor 101, the water-cooled condenser 102, the first throttle valve 103, the battery heat exchanger 104 and the battery cooler 105, and the aforementioned components can still be connected in accordance with the connection method of the previous embodiment to form a refrigerant circuit and a coolant circuit (it should be noted that when connected in accordance with the connection method of the previous embodiment, some direct connections or direct connections through pipelines may become relay connections through other components). For convenience, the following mainly analyzes in detail the parts of the embodiment of the present disclosure that are different from the previous embodiment, and no longer analyzes the parts that have the same or substantially the same connection relationship as the previous embodiment.

[0068] In addition to the components mentioned above, the embodiment of the present disclosure also includes a power device heat exchanger 106. The power device heat exchanger 106 is a heat exchanger for realizing heat exchange of the power device. In a specific implementation, the power device heat exchanger 106 may include a drive motor heat exchanger and a controller heat exchanger.

[0069] The power plant heat exchanger 106 includes a coolant flow channel through which coolant exchanges heat. Specifically, when the temperature of the coolant flowing through the power plant heat exchanger 106 is lower than the temperature of the power plant heat exchanger 106 , the power plant heat exchanger 106 functions as a heat sink. When the temperature of the coolant flowing through the power plant heat exchanger 106 is higher than the temperature of the power plant heat exchanger 106 , the power plant heat exchanger 106 functions as a heat sink.

[0070] The inlet of the coolant flow channel of the power unit heat exchanger 106 can be connected to the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery cooler 105. When the vehicle drive motor is in certain working states, such as when it is in a high-speed running state or a locked-rotor running state, the power unit (that is, the aforementioned drive motor and controller) will generate a large amount of heat. By setting the power unit heat exchanger 106, the coolant flows through the coolant flow channel of the power unit heat exchanger 106, so that the coolant can absorb the heat generated by the operation of the power unit. The heat generated by the operation of the power unit can be used to heat the thermal management components or transferred to the refrigerant. When the heat demand of the thermal management object (such as a power battery) is determined, the heating power of other active heat-generating components in the thermal management system (such as the compressor 101) can be reduced, thereby reducing the power consumption of the entire thermal management system.

[0071] As shown in Figure 2, in the disclosed embodiment, the inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the power unit heat exchanger 106 is indirectly connected to the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery cooler 105 via a four-way valve 107. In the target operating mode, that is, when the specific port of the four-way valve 107 is connected, the coolant flows from the battery cooler 105 to the power unit heat exchanger 106.

[0072] As shown in Figure 2, the four-way valve 107 includes four ports: a first port, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port. The first port is connected to the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser 102 (indirectly), the second port of the four-way valve 107 is connected to the inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the battery heat exchanger 104, the third port of the four-way valve 107 is connected to the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the battery cooler 105, and the fourth port of the four-way valve 107 is connected to the inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the power unit heat exchanger 106.

[0073] In the target operating mode, the third and fourth ports of four-way valve 107 are connected, connecting the inlet of the coolant flow passage of power unit heat exchanger 106 to the outlet of the coolant flow passage of battery cooler 105. It should be noted that when the third and fourth ports of four-way valve 107 are connected, the first and second ports are also connected simultaneously.

[0074] In the disclosed embodiment, the thermal management system incorporates four-way valve 107 to enable multiple operating modes and to switch between them based on actual circumstances. In other embodiments, the thermal management system may omit the aforementioned four-way valve 107 and instead connect the refrigerant flow channel inlet of the power unit heat exchanger 106 directly to the refrigerant flow channel outlet of the battery cooler 105. However, in this case, the thermal management system may only operate in the target operating mode and may be unable to execute other operating modes.

[0075] As shown in Figure 2, the thermal management system also includes a first three-way valve 108. The first port of the first three-way valve 108 is connected to the second port of the four-way valve 107, the second port of the first three-way valve 108 is connected to the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the battery heat exchanger 104, and the third port of the first three-way valve 108 is connected to the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the battery cooler 105. It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first port of the first three-way valve 108 is indirectly connected to the second port of the four-way valve 107 through the electric heater 109. If the electric heater 109 is not provided, the second port of the first three-way valve 108 can be directly connected to the second port of the four-way valve 107.

[0076] In the target operating mode, the second and third ports of the first three-way valve 108 are connected, connecting the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery heat exchanger 104 to the inlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery cooler 105. In other operating modes, the first and third ports of the first three-way valve 108 are connected, so that the coolant no longer flows through the battery heat exchanger 104, thereby bypassing the battery heat exchanger 104. In specific applications, when the ambient temperature and the heat generated by the power battery during operation put the power battery temperature in the optimal operating temperature range, and when there is no direct thermal management requirement for the power battery, the first and third ports of the first three-way valve 108 can be controlled to connect, bypassing the battery heat exchanger 104. In other operating modes, such as the target operating mode, the second and third ports of the first three-way valve 108 are connected, causing the coolant to absorb or release heat when flowing through the battery heat exchanger 104.

[0077] As previously analyzed and shown in FIG2 , the thermal management system in the embodiment of the present disclosure further includes an electric heater 109. The inlet of the coolant flow channel of the electric heater 109 is connected to the second port of the four-way valve 107, and the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the electric heater 109 is connected to the first port of the first three-way valve 108 and the inlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery heat exchanger 104. The electric heater is used to generate heat in certain working modes to heat the coolant. For example, under certain extremely low temperature conditions, even if the compressor 101 is in the maximum power output state and the power unit is working in the maximum heat generation mode, the heat generated by the compressor 101 and the power unit cannot meet the thermal demand of the thermal management object or the compressor 101 cannot subsequently maintain the maximum power output state. At this time, the electric heater 109 can be made to work to generate heat, thereby heating the coolant.

[0078] Of course, in some embodiments, for example, when the maximum power work and heat generation of the compressor 101 and the heat release of the power device can meet the aforementioned heat demand, the aforementioned electric heater 109 may not be provided.

[0079] Further referring to FIG. 2 , in the disclosed embodiment, the thermal management system further includes a refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger 110 and a second throttle valve 111. Refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger 110 is a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air. This heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air can occur by either releasing heat from the refrigerant to the air or absorbing heat from the air.

[0080] As shown in FIG2 , the inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the refrigerant air heat exchanger 110 is connected to the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser 102 through the second throttle valve 111, and the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the refrigerant air heat exchanger 110 is connected to the first throttle valve 103. In certain operating modes, for example, when the ambient temperature is not particularly low but the thermal management object has a heating demand, the high-pressure refrigerant flowing out of the refrigerant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser 102 is throttled to a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant through the second throttle valve 111 and enters the refrigerant air heat exchanger 110. The low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant can absorb heat from the hot air and evaporate in the refrigerant air heat exchanger 110, and at least part of the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant can be converted into a gaseous refrigerant. In other words, in certain operating modes, the thermal management system can enrich heat from the air, thereby reducing the operating power of components such as the compressor 101 or the electric heater 109, thereby reducing the power consumption of the thermal management system.

[0081] Continuing with Figure 2, in some embodiments, the thermal management system may further include a first bypass valve 112. The refrigerant inlet of the first bypass valve 112 is connected to the refrigerant flow channel inlet of the refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger 110, and the refrigerant outlet of the first bypass valve 112 is connected to the refrigerant flow channel outlet of the refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger 110. First bypass valve 112 is configured to open in the target operating mode to bypass refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger 110, preventing high-pressure refrigerant from flowing through refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger 110. For example, under extremely low temperature operating conditions, the temperature of the high-pressure refrigerant passing through the water-cooled condenser is higher than the ambient temperature. Allowing the high-pressure refrigerant flowing from the water-cooled condenser 102 to flow through the refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger 110 would actually cause the high-pressure refrigerant to lose heat to the air, resulting in heat loss throughout the thermal management system. By providing first bypass valve 112 and using it to bypass refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger 110 under the aforementioned operating conditions, heat loss from the thermal management system can be reduced.

[0082] Further referring to FIG. 2 , the thermal management system further includes a first one-way valve 113 . The refrigerant inlet of the first one-way valve 113 is connected to the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the refrigerant-air heat exchanger 110 ; the first one-way valve 113 is used to prevent the refrigerant from flowing back into the refrigerant-air heat exchanger 110 when the refrigerant-air heat exchanger 110 is bypassed. By providing the first one-way valve 113 , in the aforementioned extremely low temperature environment, the reverse flow of high-pressure refrigerant into the refrigerant-air heat exchanger 110 can be prevented, thereby preventing the compressor 101 from being unable to operate at full power due to insufficient refrigerant.

[0083] Further referring to FIG. 2 , in some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes a cabin condenser 116 . Cabin condenser 116 is disposed within the vehicle cabin and functions as a heat exchanger for dissipating the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant compressed by compressor 101 . Installed within the vehicle's cabin, it heats the cabin air. The refrigerant flow inlet of cabin condenser 116 communicates with the refrigerant outlet of compressor 101 , and the refrigerant flow outlet of cabin condenser 116 communicates with the refrigerant flow inlet of water-cooled condenser 102 .

[0084] As previously analyzed, in the disclosed embodiment, the cabin condenser 116 is used to heat the cabin to achieve thermal management of the cabin. In other embodiments, when there is no occupant in the vehicle cabin and the cabin does not need to be heated, the cabin condenser 116 may not be provided.

[0085] Please further refer to Figure 2. In some embodiments, the thermal management system also includes a water-cooled air radiator 114 and a second three-way valve 115. The water-cooled air radiator 114 is a radiator used to dissipate heat in the coolant into the air to cool the coolant. It is used to dissipate heat from the coolant in at least one other operating mode besides the target operating mode. In the aforementioned target operating mode, the ambient temperature is low or extremely low, and it is not desirable for the coolant to flow through the water-cooled air radiator 114 to dissipate heat. In order to be compatible with the aforementioned target operating mode and other operating modes, the thermal management system is also provided with the aforementioned second three-way valve 115.

[0086] As shown in Figure 2, the inlet of the coolant flow channel of the water-cooled air radiator 114 is connected to the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser 102; the first port of the second three-way valve 115 is connected to the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser 102, the second port of the second three-way valve 115 is connected to the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the water-cooled air radiator 114, and the third port of the second three-way valve 115 is connected to the inlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery heat exchanger 104 through the four-way valve 107 and the electric heater 109. In the target operating mode, the first and third ports of the second three-way valve 115 are connected, so that the water-cooled air radiator 114 is bypassed and the coolant does not flow through the water-cooled air radiator 114. In other operating modes, the second and third ports of the first three-way valve 108 are connected, and the coolant needs to flow through the water-cooled condenser before it can flow to the four-way valve 107.

[0087] Further referring to FIG. 2 , in some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes a cabin evaporator 117 and a third throttle valve 118 . The refrigerant flow inlet of the cabin evaporator 117 communicates with the refrigerant flow outlet of the refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger 110 via the third throttle valve 118 . The refrigerant flow outlet of the cabin evaporator 117 communicates with the refrigerant inlet of the compressor 101 via a gas-liquid separator 120 . In some operating modes, the high-pressure refrigerant passing through the water-cooled condenser 102 and the refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger 110 is throttled to a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant by the third throttle valve 118 . The low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant then absorbs heat and evaporates within the cabin evaporator 117 , cooling the cabin air.

[0088] Continuing with Figure 2, cabin evaporator 117 and battery cooler 105 are connected in parallel. In certain operating modes, such as those where the ambient temperature is high but battery cooling is required, refrigerant only needs to flow through battery cooler 105, not cabin evaporator 117. However, in this case, refrigerant flowing through battery cooler 105 can flow backwards into cabin evaporator 117. To prevent this, a second one-way valve 119 is installed at the outlet of the refrigerant flow path of cabin evaporator 117.

[0089] As shown in Figure 2, to circulate the coolant within the corresponding circuit, the drive water pumps include a first water pump 121 and a second water pump 122. Furthermore, to monitor the temperatures of components such as the power battery, cabin, coolant, and refrigerant, the thermal management system also includes temperature sensors at various locations. Because the placement of temperature sensors is conventional in the art, their specific locations are not indicated in Figure 2.

[0090] As previously analyzed, the thermal management system in the disclosed embodiments can operate in various modes, including power battery cooling mode, cabin cooling mode, combined cooling mode, cabin heating mode, and heat pump system heating mode. The following analyzes how the thermal management system operates in each of these modes. These operating modes are implemented in the thermal management system shown in Figure 2.

[0091] 1. Power battery cooling mode

[0092] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the cyclic operation of the thermal management system in power battery cooling mode in some embodiments. Power battery cooling mode cools the power battery when its temperature exceeds the upper limit of the optimal charge and discharge temperature range, reducing the power battery temperature as much as possible to the optimal charge and discharge temperature range.

[0093] As shown in FIG3 , in the battery cooling mode: (1) the second port and the third port, and the first port and the fourth port of the four-way valve 107 are connected, so that the coolant circulation pipeline is divided into a battery coolant circulation loop and a power unit coolant circulation loop; (2) the second port and the third port of the first three-way valve 108 are connected; (3) the first bypass valve 112 is closed, and the refrigerant flows through the water-cooled air radiator 114; (4) the second port and the third port of the second three-way valve 115 are connected.

[0094] Driven by the first water pump 121, the coolant in the battery coolant circulation loop absorbs heat from the battery heat exchanger 104 before passing through the first three-way valve 108 and entering the battery cooler 105. In the battery cooler 105, the coolant exchanges heat with the refrigerant, transferring the heat to the low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing through the battery cooler 105. The coolant, after dissipating the heat, then flows back to the battery cooler 105 via the four-way valve 107, the first water pump 121, and the electric heater 109.

[0095] Driven by the second water pump 122, the coolant in the power unit coolant circulation loop flows through the power unit heat exchanger 106, and then flows through the water-cooled condenser 102 to absorb the heat of the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant to become high-temperature coolant. The high-temperature coolant flows through the refrigerant-air heat exchanger 110 to dissipate heat. The coolant after heat dissipation flows back to the power unit heat exchanger 106 through the first three-way valve 108, the four-way valve 107, and the second water pump 122.

[0096] After being compressed into high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant by compressor 101, the refrigerant passes through cabin condenser 116 and then through water-cooled condenser 102, where it undergoes heat exchange and transfers some of its heat to the coolant. The refrigerant then passes through second throttle valve 111 and enters water-cooled air radiator 114, where it dissipates heat and forms low-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The low-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant then passes through first throttle valve 103, where it is throttled and converted into low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant before entering battery cooler 105. In battery cooler 105, the low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant evaporates, absorbing heat and transforming into low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant exits battery cooler 105 and passes through gas-liquid separator 120 before returning to compressor 101 for compression. The water-cooled condenser 102 and the water-cooled air radiator 114 are used as condensers to achieve condensation of high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant, and transfer heat to the coolant in the power unit coolant circuit and the outdoor air respectively.

[0097] It should be noted that the power battery cooling mode can be a cooling mode during the battery heat release process when the vehicle is running, or a cooling mode during the battery charging process when the vehicle is parked, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0098] 2. Cabin cooling mode

[0099] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the thermal management system's cycle operation in cabin cooling mode in some embodiments. Cabin cooling mode can be executed while the vehicle is moving or parked. Its core function is to cool the cabin air using a refrigerant to maintain the cabin temperature within a set range.

[0100] As shown in FIG4 , in the cabin cooling mode: (1) the first port and the fourth port of the four-way valve 107 are connected, and the second port and the third port are connected, so that the coolant circulation pipeline is divided into a battery coolant circulation loop and a power unit coolant circulation loop; at this time, the first water pump 121 in the battery coolant circulation loop does not work, and the coolant therein does not circulate; (2) the first bypass valve 112 is closed, and the refrigerant flows through the water-cooled air radiator 114; (3) the second port and the third port of the first three-way valve 108 are connected.

[0101] In cabin cooling mode, the gaseous refrigerant is compressed by compressor 101 into a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant then flows through cabin condenser 116 and water-cooled condenser 102 (in some cases, particularly when the cabin is at a high temperature, the heat in the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant may also be transferred to the coolant in the power unit coolant circulation loop through water-cooled condenser 102). It then passes through second throttle valve 111 and enters water-cooled air radiator 114, where it dissipates heat and forms a medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The medium-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant then flows through third throttle valve 118, where it is throttled and converted into a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant. It then enters cabin evaporator 117, where it evaporates and absorbs heat, becoming a low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant exits cabin evaporator 117, passes through gas-liquid separator 120, and flows back to compressor 101 for compression. The water-cooled air radiator 114 is used as a radiator (in some cases, the water-cooled condenser 102 is also used as a radiator) to achieve cooling of the high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant.

[0102] In cabin cooling mode, the heat exchange process of the power unit coolant circulation loop is as follows: driven by second water pump 122, the coolant in the power unit coolant circulation loop flows through power unit heat exchanger 106 and then through water-cooled condenser 102 (if the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through water-cooled condenser 102 is very high, the coolant will absorb the heat from the refrigerant and increase its temperature). The coolant then flows through refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger 110 to dissipate heat. After dissipating heat, the coolant returns to power unit heat exchanger 106 via second three-way valve 115, four-way valve 107, and second water pump 122. In specific implementations, if the vehicle is in driving state and the power unit is at a high temperature in cabin cooling mode, the power unit coolant circulation loop can simultaneously dissipate heat from the power unit.

[0103] 3. Combined cooling mode

[0104] As previously analyzed, combined cooling mode simultaneously cools the cabin and battery. Figure 5 illustrates the cycle operation of the thermal management system in combined cooling mode in some embodiments. Combined cooling mode can be executed while the vehicle is moving or parked. Its core function is to simultaneously cool the battery cooler 105 and the cabin air using refrigerant, ensuring that the battery and cabin temperatures are within their corresponding set temperature ranges.

[0105] As shown in Figure 5, compared to the aforementioned power battery cooling mode, the combined cooling mode simply throttles the medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant through third throttle valve 118 to a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant before being evaporating to cabin evaporator 117. For convenience, the combined cooling mode will not be further analyzed here; related content can be found in the aforementioned power battery cooling mode and cabin cooling mode.

[0106] 4. Cabin heating mode

[0107] Cabin heating mode absorbs heat from the outside air and warms the cabin air when the ambient temperature is not too low. This mode can be activated while the vehicle is moving or parked, and in certain special circumstances, even while the battery is charging (e.g., in low ambient temperatures and during slow battery charging).

[0108] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the circulation operation of the thermal management system in cabin heating mode in some embodiments. As shown in Figure 6, in some embodiments, in cabin heating mode, the first water pump 121 in the battery coolant circulation loop and the second water pump 122 in the power unit coolant circulation loop do not operate, and accordingly, the coolant therein does not circulate.

[0109] In cabin heating mode, the gaseous refrigerant is compressed by compressor 101 into a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. This high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant then flows through cabin condenser 116, heating the air flowing through it and transforming it into a medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The medium-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant then passes through water-cooled condenser 102, which serves only as a refrigerant conduit and does not participate in heat exchange. After passing through water-cooled condenser 102, the high-pressure, medium-temperature refrigerant is throttled by second throttle valve 111 and transformed into a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant. The refrigerant then evaporates, absorbing heat and transforming into a low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant then passes through first throttle valve 103 and battery cooler 105, which serves only as a conduit and does not transfer heat. Finally, the low-temperature and low-pressure gaseous refrigerant flowing out of the battery cooler 105 flows through the gas-liquid separator 120 and then returns to the compressor 101 .

[0110] 5.Heat pump system heating mode

[0111] The heat pump system's heating mode utilizes the heat pump system's compressor 101 to generate heat, thereby heating the cabin and battery. This mode is ideal for use in low or excessively cold ambient temperatures. In this mode, the power battery must be heated, and the cabin may also require heating depending on the actual temperature and the setpoint. The following description of the disclosed embodiments assumes that both the power battery and cabin require heating.

[0112] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the cycle operation of the thermal management system in the heat pump system heating mode in some embodiments. As shown in FIG7 , in the heat pump system heating mode: (1) the first and second ports of the four-way valve 107 are connected, and the third and fourth ports are connected; (2) the second and third ports of the first three-way valve 108 are connected to allow the coolant to flow through the battery heat exchanger 104; (3) the first and third ports of the second three-way valve 115 are connected to bypass the water-cooled air radiator 114; (4) the first bypass valve 112 is opened, so that the refrigerant air heat exchanger 110 is bypassed.

[0113] In the heat pump system's heating mode, the coolant heat exchange process is as follows: Driven by the second water pump 122 and / or the first water pump 121, the coolant flows through the first water pump 121 and the electric heater 109. At this time, the heating function of the electric heater 109 is disabled, and the electric heater 109 serves only as a coolant channel. The coolant then passes through the battery heat exchanger 104, where it releases heat and cools down. It then enters the battery cooler 105 through the first three-way valve, where it further cools down. The coolant then passes through the four-way valve 107 and the second water pump 122 and flows through the power unit heat exchanger 106. While passing through the power unit heat exchanger 106, the coolant's heat absorption and release characteristics vary depending on the power unit's operating heat generation and temperature. If the power unit generates heat and its temperature is high (e.g., during high-speed operation or stalled), the coolant will absorb heat and increase its temperature. If the power unit temperature is low, the coolant may also release heat. However, during vehicle operation, the coolant generally absorbs heat and increases its temperature at the power unit heat exchanger 106. The coolant then flows through the water-cooled condenser 102 to continue absorbing heat and increasing in temperature, and after flowing through the second three-way valve 115 , flows back to the first water pump 121 , completing the circulation in the coolant circulation loop.

[0114] In the heat pump system's heating mode, the refrigerant circuit's heat exchange process is as follows: After being compressed into high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant by compressor 101, the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant flows through cabin condenser 116, heating the air flowing through it and transforming it into medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant then passes through water-cooled condenser 102, dissipating further heat and increasing the degree of subcooling. The refrigerant then flows through first bypass valve 112 and, under the throttling action of first throttle valve 103, transforms into low-pressure, low-temperature liquid refrigerant. The low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant absorbs heat from the air as it passes through battery cooler 105, transforming into low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant. After passing through gas-liquid separator 120, the low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant returns to compressor 101, completing the cycle.

[0115] As previously analyzed, electric heater 109's heating function is disabled in the heat pump system's heating mode. This control strategy assumes that the heat generated by compressor 101 and the heat released by the power unit can meet the cabin and power battery heating requirements. If these requirements are not met, electric heater 109 can remain powered on to heat the coolant, providing additional heat to the thermal management system.

[0116] 6. Cabin dehumidification and heating mode

[0117] The cabin dehumidification and heating mode is a working mode for dehumidifying and heating the air in the cabin when the ambient temperature is not particularly low and the air humidity is high. FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the circulation operation of the thermal management system in the cabin dehumidification and heating mode in some embodiments. As shown in FIG8 , under the single steam dehumidification model: (1) The first water pump 121 and the second water pump 122 do not work, that is, the coolant does not circulate. (2) The first bypass valve 112 is closed, and the refrigerant flows through the external air heat exchanger. (3) The first throttle valve 103 is closed; (4) The second throttle valve 111 is fully open; (5) The third throttle valve 118 is opened for throttling.

[0118] In cabin dehumidification and heating mode, the refrigerant heat exchange process is as follows: After being compressed into high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant by compressor 101, the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant flows through cabin condenser 116, heating the air flowing through it and thereby heating the cabin air. The high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant then flows through water-cooled condenser 102, which serves only as a conduit. The high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant then passes through second throttle valve 111 and water-cooled air radiator 114, where it continues to release heat and becomes medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. Thereafter, the medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant is transformed into a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant under the throttling action of the third throttle valve 118 and passes through the cabin evaporator 117. The low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant evaporates and absorbs heat in the cabin evaporator 117 to become a low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant, thereby cooling and dehumidifying the air flowing through the cabin evaporator 117. After passing through the gas-liquid separator 120, the low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant returns to the electric compressor 101, completing the cycle.

[0119] It should be noted that in the cabin dehumidification and heating mode, the air in the cabin first flows through the cabin evaporator 117 to be cooled and dehumidified, and then passes through the cabin condenser 116 to absorb heat and heat up.

[0120] 7. Cabin dehumidification and heating + battery cooling mode

[0121] The cabin dehumidification and heating + battery cooling mode is used to dehumidify and heat the air in the cabin and cool the battery when the ambient temperature is not particularly low and the air humidity is high.

[0122] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the cycle operation of the thermal management system in the dual-evaporation mode in some embodiments. As shown in FIG9 , (1) the first port and the second port of the four-way valve 107 are connected, and the third port and the fourth port are connected; (2) the second port and the third port of the first three-way valve 108 are connected, and the battery heat exchanger 104 is not bypassed; (3) the first bypass valve 112 is closed, and the refrigerant air heat exchanger 110 is not bypassed; (4) the second port and the third port of the second three-way valve 115 are connected, and the water-cooled air radiator 114 is not bypassed.

[0123] In cabin dehumidification and heating + battery cooling mode, the refrigerant heat exchange process in refrigerant circuit 200 is as follows: After being compressed into high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant by compressor 101, the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant flows through cabin condenser 116, heating the air flowing through it, thereby heating the cabin air. The high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant then flows through water-cooled condenser 102, releasing heat. The high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant then passes through second throttle valve 111 and water-cooled air radiator 114, where it continues to release heat and becomes medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. Next, some of the medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant is throttled by third throttle valve 118 and converted to low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant. The refrigerant then passes through cabin evaporator 117, where it evaporates and absorbs heat, transforming into low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant, thereby cooling and dehumidifying the air passing through cabin evaporator 117. Some of the low-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant, throttled by first throttle valve 103, passes through battery cooler 105, where it evaporates and absorbs heat from the coolant in the battery coolant circulation loop, transforming into low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant. Finally, the low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant passes through gas-liquid separator 120 and returns to electric compressor 101, completing the cycle.

[0124] In cabin dehumidification and heating + battery cooling mode, the coolant heat exchange process is as follows: Driven by the first water pump 121, the coolant flows through the electric heater 109, which is not operating at this time and serves only as a conduit. The coolant then flows through the battery heat exchanger 104, where it heats up and absorbs heat. After passing through the first three-way valve 108, the coolant enters the battery heat exchanger 104, where it releases heat and cools down. Finally, the cooled coolant passes through the four-way valve 107 and the second water pump 122 before flowing through the power unit heat exchanger 106. While flowing through the power unit heat exchanger 106, the coolant may heat up or down, depending on the heat generated by the power unit. The coolant then heats up by absorbing heat in the water-cooled condenser 102, where it then dissipates heat and cools down by flowing through the water-cooled air radiator 114. Finally, the coolant flows through the second three-way valve 115, the four-way valve 107, and the first water pump 121, returning to the electric heater 109.

[0125] In addition, the thermal management system in the embodiment of the present disclosure can also execute other working modes known in the art, which will not be analyzed here.

[0126] In addition to providing the aforementioned thermal management system, embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a thermal management system control device, which includes a mode determination unit and a control unit. The mode determination unit obtains a detected temperature and determines a target operating mode based on the detected temperature. The control unit controls the thermal management system according to a control strategy for the target operating mode, ensuring that the thermal management system is in the target operating mode.

[0127] The embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a control device, which includes a processor and a memory, wherein a computer program is stored in the memory. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it can determine the working mode of the thermal management system based on the status of the temperature sensor of the thermal management system, and control the management system to work according to the working mode. Figure 10 is a structural diagram of the control device provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure. The following specifically refers to Figure 10, which shows a structural diagram of the control device suitable for implementing the embodiment of the present disclosure. The control device shown in Figure 10 is only an example and should not bring any limitations to the functions and scope of use of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0128] As shown in FIG10 , the control device 1000 may include a processing device (e.g., a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, etc.) 1001, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to a program stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 1002 or a program loaded from a storage device 1008 into a random access memory (RAM) 1003. Various programs and data required for the operation of the control device 1000 are also stored in the RAM 1003. The processing device 1001, the ROM 1002, and the RAM 1003 are connected to each other via a bus 1004. An input / output (I / O) interface 1005 is also connected to the bus 1004.

[0129] Typically, the following devices may be connected to I / O interface 1005: input device 1006 including, for example, a touch screen, touchpad, camera, microphone, accelerometer, gyroscope, etc.; output device 1007 including, for example, a liquid crystal display, speaker, vibrator, etc.; storage device 1008 including, for example, a magnetic tape, hard disk, etc.; and communication device 1009. Communication device 1009 may allow control device 1000 to communicate with other devices wirelessly or by wire to exchange data. Although FIG10 illustrates control device 1000 with various devices, it should be understood that implementation or presence of all illustrated devices is not required. More or fewer devices may alternatively be implemented or present.

[0130] In particular, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the process described above with reference to the flowchart can be implemented as a computer software program. For example, an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a computer program product, which includes a computer program carried on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and the computer program includes a program code for executing the method shown in the flowchart. In such an embodiment, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from the network through the communication device 1009, or installed from the storage device 1008, or installed from the ROM 1002. When the computer program is executed by the processing device 1001, the above-mentioned functions defined in the method of the embodiment of the present disclosure are performed.

[0131] It should be noted that the computer-readable medium mentioned above in the present disclosure may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium, or any combination of the two. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device, or component, or any combination of the above. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. In the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, device, or component. In the present disclosure, a computer-readable signal medium may include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, which carries computer-readable program code. Such a propagated data signal may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the above. A computer-readable signal medium may also be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium that can transmit, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The program code contained on the computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wires, optical cables, RF (radio frequency), etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0132] In some embodiments, the client and server can communicate using any currently known or future developed network protocol, such as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), and can be interconnected with any form or medium of digital data communication (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include a local area network ("LAN"), a wide area network ("WAN"), an internet (e.g., the Internet), and a peer-to-peer network (e.g., an ad hoc peer-to-peer network), as well as any currently known or future developed network.

[0133] The computer-readable medium may be included in the control device, or may exist independently without being incorporated into the control device.

[0134] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible implementation architecture, functions and operations of the systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each box in the flowchart or block diagram can represent a module, program segment, or a part of code, and the module, program segment, or a part of code contains one or more executable instructions for realizing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the box can also occur in a different order than that marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two boxes represented in succession can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each box in the block diagram and / or flowchart, and the combination of the boxes in the block diagram and / or flowchart, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or operation, or can be implemented by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0135] The functions described above herein may be performed, at least in part, by one or more hardware logic components. For example, and without limitation, exemplary types of hardware logic components that may be used include: field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application specific standard products (ASSPs), systems on chip (SOCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), and the like.

[0136] In the context of the present disclosure, a machine-readable medium can be a tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, device or equipment. A machine-readable medium can be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. A machine-readable medium can include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device or equipment, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A more specific example of a machine-readable storage medium can include an electrical connection according to one or more lines, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0137] The embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, it can implement the method of any of the above method embodiments. Its execution method and beneficial effects are similar and will not be repeated here.

[0138] An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a vehicle, which includes the aforementioned thermal management system. By controlling the thermal management system according to the aforementioned control methods under various operating modes, corresponding thermal management operating modes can be achieved.

[0139] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article, or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or device. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or device comprising the element.

[0140] The foregoing are merely specific embodiments of the present disclosure, intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present disclosure. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not to be limited to the embodiments described herein, but is to be construed in the broadest manner consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A thermal management system comprising a compressor, a water-cooled condenser, a first throttle valve, a battery heat exchanger and a battery cooler; The refrigerant outlet of the compressor is communicated with the inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser; the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser is communicated with the inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the battery cooler via the first throttle valve; The outlet of the water-cooled condenser coolant flow channel is connected to the inlet of the battery heat exchanger coolant flow channel; the outlet of the battery heat exchanger coolant flow channel is connected to the inlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery cooler, and the outlet of the battery cooler refrigerant flow channel is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the compressor.

2. The thermal management system of claim 1, further comprising a power plant heat exchanger; In the target operating mode, the inlet of the coolant flow channel of the power unit heat exchanger is connected to the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery cooler; The outlet of the coolant flow channel of the power device heat exchanger is communicated with the inlet of the coolant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 2, further comprising a four-way valve; The first port of the four-way valve is communicated with the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser, the second port of the four-way valve is communicated with the inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the battery heat exchanger, the third port of the four-way valve is communicated with the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the battery cooler, and the fourth port of the four-way valve is communicated with the inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the power unit heat exchanger; In the target operation mode, the third port and the fourth port of the four-way valve are connected, so that the inlet of the coolant flow channel of the power device heat exchanger is connected to the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery cooler.

4. The thermal management system of claim 3, further comprising a first three-way valve; The first port of the first three-way valve is in communication with the second port of the four-way valve, the second port of the first three-way valve is in communication with the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery heat exchanger, and the third port of the first three-way valve is in communication with the inlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery cooler; In the target operation mode, the second port and the third port of the first three-way valve are connected, so that the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery heat exchanger is connected to the inlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery cooler.

5. The thermal management system of claim 4, further comprising an electric heater; The inlet of the electric heater coolant flow channel is communicated with the second port of the four-way valve, and the outlet of the electric heater coolant flow channel is communicated with the first port of the first three-way valve and the inlet of the battery heat exchanger coolant flow channel.

6. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a refrigerant air heat exchanger and a second throttle valve; The inlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the refrigerant air heat exchanger is connected to the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser through the second throttle valve, and the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the refrigerant air heat exchanger is connected to the first throttle valve.

7. The thermal management system of claim 6, further comprising a first bypass valve; The refrigerant inlet of the first bypass valve is connected to the refrigerant flow channel inlet of the refrigerant air heat exchanger, and the refrigerant outlet of the first bypass valve is connected to the refrigerant flow channel outlet of the refrigerant air heat exchanger; the first bypass valve is used to open in the target working mode to bypass the refrigerant air heat exchanger.

8. The thermal management system of claim 7, further comprising a first one-way valve; The refrigerant inlet of the first one-way valve is connected to the outlet of the refrigerant flow channel of the refrigerant air heat exchanger; The reciprocating valve is used to prevent the refrigerant from flowing back into the refrigerant air heat exchanger when the refrigerant air heat exchanger is bypassed.

9. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a cabin evaporator; The refrigerant flow channel inlet of the cabin evaporator is communicated with the refrigerant outlet of the compressor, and the refrigerant flow channel outlet of the cabin evaporator is communicated with the refrigerant flow channel inlet of the water-cooled condenser.

10. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a water-cooled air radiator and a second three-way valve; The inlet of the coolant flow channel of the water-cooled air radiator is communicated with the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser; The first port of the second three-way valve is connected to the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the water-cooled condenser, the second port of the second three-way valve is connected to the outlet of the coolant flow channel of the water-cooled air radiator, and the third port of the second three-way valve is connected to the inlet of the coolant flow channel of the battery heat exchanger.

11. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a cabin evaporator and a third throttle valve; The inlet of the cabin evaporator refrigerant flow channel is communicated with the outlet of the water-cooled condenser refrigerant flow channel through the third throttle valve.

12. A vehicle comprising a thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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