Thermal management device and system, and vehicle having thermal management system

Abstract

A thermal management device and system, and a vehicle having the thermal management system. The thermal management device comprises a bottom plate (41); a compressor (1), the compressor (1) being arranged on the bottom plate (41); a plate heat exchange assembly (2), the plate heat exchange assembly (2) and the compressor (1) being arranged in parallel on the bottom plate (41), and the plate heat exchange assembly (2) being used for heat exchange between a refrigerant and an external liquid medium; and a water side assembly (3), the water side assembly (3) being used for introducing the external liquid medium into the plate heat exchange assembly (2), and the water side assembly (3) being arranged above the compressor (1) and the plate heat exchange assembly (2), wherein the plate heat exchange assembly (2) and the compressor (1) are integrated into a whole.

Description

Thermal management device, system and vehicle having the same

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on March 20, 2024 with application number 202410322260.4 and the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on March 20, 2024 with application number 202420571209.2, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of thermal management, and in particular to a thermal management device, a system, and a vehicle having the system. Background Art

[0003] With the use of flammable refrigerants such as propane, the amount of refrigerant added needs to be limited to meet safety requirements. As the volume of refrigerant added is reduced, the volume of refrigerant required in related equipment also needs to be reduced to meet safety requirements. Technical issues

[0004] The main purpose of this application is to propose a thermal management device, aiming to reduce the volume of refrigerant that needs to be added to the thermal management device. Technical Solutions

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the thermal management device proposed in this application includes:

[0006] base plate;

[0007] a compressor, the compressor being disposed on the base plate;

[0008] A plate exchange assembly, the plate exchange assembly and the compressor are arranged in parallel on the bottom plate, and the plate exchange assembly is used for heat exchange between the refrigerant and the external liquid medium;

[0009] A water side assembly, the water side assembly is used to introduce external liquid medium into the plate exchange assembly, and the water side assembly is arranged above the compressor and the plate exchange assembly;

[0010] Wherein, the plate exchange assembly is integrated with the compressor.

[0011] Exemplarily, the plate exchange assembly includes a condenser and an evaporator, the compressor is arranged on the same side of the condenser and the evaporator, the condenser is communicated with the air outlet end of the compressor, and the evaporator is communicated with the air inlet end of the compressor.

[0012] Exemplarily, the condenser is fixedly connected to the evaporator.

[0013] Exemplarily, a heat-insulating hollow is provided between the condenser and the evaporator.

[0014] Exemplarily, a liquid reservoir is provided between the compressor and the plate exchange assembly, the liquid reservoir being used to store liquid refrigerant, and the liquid reservoir having an arc surface fitted with the outer wall of the compressor and a mounting surface fitted with the plate exchange assembly.

[0015] Exemplarily, the refrigerant is compressed by the compressor and then enters the condenser, and then condensed by the condenser and then enters the liquid reservoir, and then the liquid reservoir re-introduces the liquid refrigerant into the condenser.

[0016] Exemplarily, a connecting pipe is provided on a side of the condenser away from the compressor, and the connecting pipe is used to introduce the liquid refrigerant into the evaporator. A first expansion valve is provided on the end of the connecting pipe located on the evaporator.

[0017] Exemplarily, the outer shell of the compressor is protruded to form a first return channel and a second return channel, the first return channel is used to introduce the refrigerant in the evaporator into the air inlet end of the compressor, and the second return channel is used to introduce the refrigerant at the air outlet end of the compressor into the air inlet end of the compressor.

[0018] Exemplarily, the second reflux channel is provided with a second expansion valve, and the second expansion valve is used to control the flow rate of the refrigerant in the second reflux channel.

[0019] Exemplarily, the water side component includes a multi-channel flow plate and an expansion pot, the multi-channel flow plate is arranged above the plate exchange component, the expansion pot is arranged above the multi-channel flow plate, the expansion pot is used to accommodate external liquid media, the side of the multi-channel flow plate facing away from the plate exchange component has multiple flow channels, some of the flow channels are used to introduce external liquid media into the condenser and / or the evaporator, and at least one of the multiple flow channels is communicated with the expansion pot.

[0020] Exemplarily, a plurality of legs are arranged at intervals on the outer edge of the multi-channel flow plate, the ends of the legs are fixed to the compressor or the plate exchange assembly, and an installation space is formed between the side of the multi-channel flow plate facing the plate exchange assembly and the plate exchange assembly.

[0021] Exemplarily, a multi-way valve is provided in the installation space, the multi-way valve is connected to the plurality of flow channels, and the multi-way valve is used to control the flow direction of the external refrigerant in the multi-channel flow channel plate.

[0022] Exemplarily, a condensate pump is provided in the installation space, and the condensate pump is used to pump external liquid medium into the condenser. The condensate pump is connected to at least one of the flow channels.

[0023] Exemplarily, an evaporation water pump is provided in the installation space, and the evaporation water pump is used to pump external liquid medium into the evaporator, and the evaporation water pump is connected to at least one of the flow channels.

[0024] Exemplarily, a third water pump is provided in the installation space, the third water pump is connected to the expansion pot, and the third water pump is used to pump external liquid medium into or out of the expansion pot.

[0025] Exemplarily, the thermal management device further includes a protective cover, which is sealed, the compressor and the plate exchange assembly are arranged in the protective cover, and the multi-channel flow plate is sealed at the top of the protective cover and is connected to the plate exchange assembly.

[0026] Exemplarily, a sensor is provided in the protective cover, and the sensor is used to detect refrigerant leakage.

[0027] Exemplarily, the base plate is provided with a plurality of support members.

[0028] Exemplarily, a control component is provided at one end of the compressor, and the control component is used to control the compressor, the first expansion valve, the second expansion valve and the water side component.

[0029] The present application also proposes a thermal management system, comprising the above-mentioned thermal management device.

[0030] The present application also proposes a vehicle comprising the above thermal management system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0032] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the thermal management device of the present application, wherein the protective cover is transparent to show the overall assembly structure;

[0033] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the water side assembly;

[0034] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the compressor and plate exchange assembly;

[0035] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of the compressor and plate exchange assembly from another perspective;

[0036] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of the plate replacement assembly;

[0037] FIG6 is a cross-sectional view of the condenser.

[0038] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0039] Reference numeral name Reference numeral name 1 compressor 22c water side inlet 11 integrated controller 22d water side outlet 12 first reflux channel 23 liquid reservoir 13 second reflux channel 24 connecting pipe 14 buffer chamber 25 thermal insulation gap 15 second expansion valve 26 first expansion valve 2 plate exchange assembly 3 water side assembly 21 condenser 31 multi-channel flow channel plate 21a condensation inlet 31a flow channel 21b condensation outlet 31b support leg 21c subcooling inlet 32 ​​expansion pot 21d subcooling outlet 33 multi-way valve 21e water cooling inlet 35 condensation water pump 21f water cooling outlet 36 evaporation water pump 211 partition plate 37 third water pump 22 evaporator 4 protective cover 22a agent side inlet 41 bottom plate 22b agent side outlet 42 side plate

[0040] The realization of the objectives, functional features and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0041] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0042] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present application involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), such directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0043] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present application, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, if the meaning of "and / or" appearing in the full text is to include three parallel schemes, taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes scheme A, or scheme B, or a scheme in which A and B are satisfied at the same time. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by this application.

[0044] With the changes in automobile energy sources and driving methods, new energy (electric) vehicles have gradually become one of the mainstream markets; new energy vehicles have the advantages of high integration, high intelligence and high electronic control. Compared with traditional fuel vehicles, new energy vehicles have a better hardware foundation to meet the possible completion of the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence technologies in the future.

[0045] However, there are still many engineering problems behind new energy vehicles. For example, when new energy vehicles are running, the battery will release a lot of heat while supplying power to the entire vehicle, so the battery needs to be thermally managed to avoid overheating. Similarly, the motor will also generate a lot of heat after it is powered on and rotates, so the motor also needs thermal management. Furthermore, considering the different scenarios that the car may face, the battery discharge process may also be greatly affected in low temperature environments. In summary, new energy vehicles, like fuel vehicles, require thermal management to ensure the normal operation of the vehicle as a whole.

[0046] However, with the use of flammable refrigerants such as propane, the amount of refrigerant added needs to be limited to meet safety requirements. Once the refrigerant addition volume is restricted, the refrigerant addition volume in related equipment also needs to be controlled to meet safety standards.

[0047] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, and combining the above descriptions, for this reason, the present application proposes a thermal management device, which has the characteristics of high integration, so as to be able to reduce the volume of the refrigerant required and meet the current safety regulations for the refrigerant. Specifically, the thermal management device proposed in the present application includes a compressor 1 and a plate heat exchanger assembly 2; the compressor 1 and the plate heat exchanger assembly 2 are arranged in parallel on a bottom plate 41, and the bottom plate 41 is used to carry the compressor 1 and the plate heat exchanger assembly 2; the compressor 1 is used to pressurize the refrigerant, and the pressurized refrigerant will pass through the plate heat exchanger assembly 2 to exchange heat with the inside or outside of the vehicle, thereby completing the heat exchange process; wherein, the plate heat exchanger assembly 2 includes a condenser 21 and an evaporator 22, the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22 have approximate thicknesses, the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22 are arranged side by side, that is, the thickness directions of the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22 are parallel; the compressor 1 is arranged on one side of the plate heat exchanger assembly 2, that is, the compressor 1 is located on the same side of the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22, so that the projection of the compressor 1 in the thickness direction of the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22 can cover the condenser 21 or cover part of the condenser 21, and at the same time cover the evaporator 22 or cover part of the evaporator 22, so that the condenser 21, the evaporator 22 and the compressor 1 can present an approximate "pin" - shaped arrangement; and the refrigerant pressurized by the compressor 1 will sequentially pass through the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22 to complete the heat exchange with the inside or outside of the vehicle, and then return to the compressor 1 via the evaporator 22; thus, the side - by - side arrangement of the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22 can maximize the reduction of the pipeline length required for the refrigerant to flow between the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22, thereby greatly reducing the volume of the refrigerant flow path, that is, reducing the volume of the refrigerant to be filled in the thermal management device; in addition, since the compressor 1 is directly arranged on one side of the plate heat exchanger assembly 2, the condenser 21 can be directly communicated with the outlet end of the compressor 1, and the evaporator 22 can be directly communicated with the inlet end of the compressor 1, so that the volume required for the refrigerant during the flow process can be further reduced, and the safety of the overall structure is improved.

[0048] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, in the present application, the compressor 1 is a horizontal compressor 1, so the compressor 1 has two ends, namely an inlet end and an outlet end, the condenser 21 is communicated with the outlet end of the compressor 1, and the evaporator 22 is communicated with the inlet end of the compressor 1; at the same time, in order to control the operation of the compressor 1, a control component can be set at one of the two ends of the compressor 1 to control the operation of the overall device.

[0049] It should be noted that in the present application, in order to further reduce the volume of the thermal management equipment, the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22 are directly fixedly connected, and only an insulating gap 25 is retained between the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22 to avoid direct heat exchange between the two; the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22 can be directly welded together, or fixedly connected by bolts and rivets; there are various fixing methods between the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22, which will not be repeated here.

[0050] 3 and 4 , in the present application, taking into account that the refrigerant will undergo a phase change after being compressed by the compressor 1 and condensed by the condenser 21, that is, the refrigerant will undergo a phase change from a gas phase to a liquid phase after being compressed by the compressor 1 and condensed by the condenser 21, the present application further provides a liquid reservoir 23 between the plate exchanger assembly 2 and the compressor 1, and the liquid reservoir 23 is used to receive the refrigerant condensed by the condenser 21; the provision of the liquid reservoir 23 enables the overall equipment to automatically adjust the volume of the refrigerant present in the overall equipment according to the flow rate of the refrigerant in the overall equipment, so that the flow volume of the refrigerant can also be increased when the compressor 1 is running at full power, thereby ensuring the heat exchange efficiency of the overall structure.

[0051] Specifically, after the high-pressure refrigerant generated at the outlet of the compressor 1 enters the condenser 21, it will exchange heat with the external liquid medium in the condenser 21. The high-pressure refrigerant will transfer the heat to the external liquid medium, and then the external liquid medium will transfer it to the outside world or other vehicle systems; when the high-pressure refrigerant is condensed, it will change phase into liquid phase, and the liquid phase refrigerant will enter the liquid reservoir 23. At this time, the liquid reservoir 23 will also distinguish between liquid refrigerant and gaseous refrigerant; then the liquid refrigerant will enter the evaporator 22 through the liquid reservoir 23, and then heat exchange will occur again in the evaporator 22. The liquid refrigerant will absorb the heat brought by the external liquid medium and evaporate, that is, the liquid refrigerant evaporates and absorbs heat. The refrigerant after absorbing heat will return to the air inlet end of the compressor 1 and be compressed and pressurized by the compressor 1 again, and then repeat the above cycle.

[0052] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, a desiccant and a filter can be provided inside the liquid reservoir 23 to dry and filter the refrigerant; the desiccant is a molecular sieve or organic silica gel. Specifically, the advantage of organic silica gel is that when it absorbs water to saturation, its surface and morphology will not change, and it absorbs moisture quickly, is non-toxic, odorless, has a large internal surface area, and also has a high adsorption capacity for water vapor and other condensable vapors; molecular sieves have a strong affinity for water, resulting in extremely high drying efficiency when used as a desiccant; this arrangement can ensure that the drying mechanism has a high adsorption effect on moisture in the refrigerant. In some other embodiments, the desiccant is activated alumina. The liquid reservoir 23 has an arc surface that matches the shape of the compressor 1 shell and a mounting surface that fits the plate exchange assembly 2, so that the liquid reservoir 23 can be fixed between the compressor 1 and the plate exchange assembly 2; specifically, the liquid reservoir 23 can be directly welded between the compressor 1 and the plate exchange assembly 2, that is, the arc surface of the liquid reservoir 23 is welded to the shell of the compressor 1 and the fitting surface of the liquid reservoir 23 is welded to the plate exchange assembly 2; the liquid reservoir 23 can also be fixed between the plate exchange assembly 2 and the compressor 1 by fixing forms such as bolts and rivets; the fixed setting of the liquid reservoir 23 can further reduce the volume of the overall equipment, thereby completing the control of the amount of refrigerant added and achieving safety standards.

[0053] 4 and 5, in the present application, the condenser 21 has a condensation inlet 21a, a condensation outlet 21b, a subcooling inlet 21c, a subcooling outlet 21d, a water-cooling inlet 21e and a water-cooling outlet 21f; specifically, the condensation inlet 21a is directly connected to the air outlet of the compressor 1, so that the refrigerant pressurized by the compressor 1 can directly enter the condenser 21; after being condensed by the condenser 21, the refrigerant enters the liquid reservoir 23 through the condensation outlet 21b; and since the liquid reservoir 23 is directly fixedly connected to the condenser 21, the refrigerant can directly pass through the condenser 21. The super-condensation outlet 21b enters the liquid reservoir 23. It should be noted that in order to minimize the gap between the liquid reservoir 23 and the condenser 21, the condensation outlet 21b can be made to protrude to form an embedded portion, so that when the liquid reservoir 23 is installed, the embedded portion can be embedded in the liquid reservoir 23, thereby completing the connection between the two. Similarly, the liquid reservoir 23 can also be made to protrude to form an embedded portion, and the embedded portion can be embedded in the condenser 21. This arrangement can minimize the gap between the condenser 21 and the liquid reservoir 23, so that the contact surface of the liquid reservoir 23 is in contact with the side wall of the condenser 21. In addition, one or more sealing rings can be installed on the embedded portion to improve the sealing between the condenser 21 and the liquid reservoir 23 and reduce the possibility of refrigerant leakage.

[0054] The water-cooling inlet 21e and the water-cooling outlet 21f on the condenser 21 are respectively used to import and export external liquid media into the condenser 21; wherein, the external liquid media can be the antifreeze on the vehicle; but it should be noted that the antifreeze entering the condenser 21 is an antifreeze at a lower temperature, such as antifreeze that has been air-cooled; when the refrigerant passes through the condenser 21, heat exchange will occur between the refrigerant and the external liquid media, that is, the heat of the refrigerant will be transferred to the antifreeze; thus, when the vehicle is in a lower temperature environment, the antifreeze that has absorbed the heat of the refrigerant can be directed to the vehicle's heating system or battery insulation system, etc., so that the vehicle components can reach the operating temperature as soon as possible or the passenger space can reach a comfortable temperature, thereby improving the utilization rate of heat.

[0055] The subcooling inlet 21c on the condenser 21 is also connected to the liquid reservoir 23. When the refrigerant in the condenser 21 enters the liquid reservoir 23, the refrigerants of different phases will be separated in the liquid reservoir 23, and the liquid reservoir 23 will also store the refrigerant; the liquid reservoir 23 will re-introduce the liquid refrigerant into the condenser 21, and the liquid refrigerant will continue to exchange heat with the external liquid medium in the condenser 21 to further reduce the temperature, and then be discharged through the subcooling outlet 21d on the condenser 21.

[0056] In the present application, condenser 21 is a plate-type heat exchanger, and subcooling outlet 21d of condenser 21 is located on the surface of condenser 21 facing away from compressor 1. In this embodiment, subcooling outlet 21d is positioned at a higher level than subcooling inlet 21c. This extends the flow path of liquid refrigerant after it enters condenser 21, thereby prolonging the heat exchange time and further reducing the temperature of the liquid refrigerant after it exits condenser 21. In other embodiments, the positional relationship between subcooling inlet 21c and subcooling outlet 21d may be redesigned to meet different heat exchange requirements.

[0057] Referring to Figures 4 and 5 , the subcooling outlet 21d is provided with a connecting pipe 24, which is used to guide the liquid refrigerant flowing out of the subcooling outlet 21d into the evaporator 22. Accordingly, the evaporator 22 has a liquid-side inlet 22a, and the connecting pipe 24 is used to guide the liquid refrigerant flowing out of the subcooling outlet 21d and the liquid-side inlet 22a. The evaporator 22 also has a water-side inlet 22c and a water-side outlet 22d for introducing external liquid media. The refrigerant and the external liquid media complete heat exchange within the evaporator 22. However, unlike the condenser 21, the heat of the external liquid media is transferred to the refrigerant in the evaporator 22, causing the refrigerant to absorb heat and evaporate.

[0058] Referring to Figure 6, it should be noted that the evaporator 22 and the condenser 21 are both plate heat exchangers; in the present application, the plate heat exchanger has stacked partition plates 211, and there is a gap between two adjacent partition plates 211 for the flow of refrigerant or external liquid medium, and the liquids flowing through the opposite sides of each partition plate 211 are different; for example, if the refrigerant flows through one side of a partition plate 211, then the external liquid medium must flow through the other side, so that the refrigerant and the external liquid medium can be separated to avoid mixing while exchanging heat through the partition plate 211, thereby completing the heat exchange. In simple terms, the two ends of a partition plate 211 are sealedly connected to the other two partition plates 211 on its opposite sides. That is, once one end of a partition plate 211 is sealedly connected to the end of a partition plate 211 on one side in the same direction, the other end of that partition plate 211 is also sealedly connected to the end of another partition plate 211 on the other side in the same direction. Therefore, when a liquid medium flows along one side of a partition plate 211, the liquid medium is restricted to flow only along that side. The provision of the partition plates 211 increases the contact area between the two heat transfer media while maintaining isolation, thereby significantly improving the heat exchange efficiency between the two heat transfer media.

[0059] Furthermore, it should be emphasized in this application that the subcooling inlet 21c and the condensing outlet 21b on the condenser 21 are on the same side of the condenser 21, while the subcooling outlet 21d is on the other side of the condensing inlet 21a. As a result, the refrigerant needs to flow through a longer path in the condenser 21, further increasing the heat exchange time and area between the refrigerant and the external liquid medium, thereby further reducing the temperature of the refrigerant. Based on the above ideas, the horizontal height of the condensing outlet 21b can be made similar to the horizontal height of the condensing inlet 21a, the horizontal height of the subcooling inlet 21c can be made similar to the horizontal height of the condensing outlet 21b, and the horizontal height of the subcooling outlet 21d can be made higher than the subcooling inlet 21c. As a result, the flow path of the refrigerant in the condenser 21 will be greatly extended, further increasing the heat exchange time and area between the refrigerant and the external liquid medium.

[0060] In the evaporator 22, the agent side inlet 22a and the agent side outlet 22b are approximately at the same horizontal height, but the agent side inlet 22a and the agent side outlet 22b are respectively located on opposite sides of the evaporator 22; similarly, the water side inlet 22c and the water side outlet 22d are also approximately at the same horizontal height, and the two are also respectively located on opposite sides of the evaporator 22; in the present application, the agent side inlet 22a / agent side outlet 22b and the water side inlet 22c / water side outlet 22d located on the same side can be arranged along the diagonal line of the side of the evaporator 22, that is, the agent side inlet 22a / agent side outlet 22b and the water side inlet 22c / water side outlet 22d are respectively located at the two ends of the diagonal line, thereby increasing the flow path of the refrigerant in the evaporator 22, so that the refrigerant can more fully absorb the heat of the external liquid medium, further improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0061] However, the above description of the positional relationship between the condenser inlet 21a and the agent side inlet 22a in the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22 is only for illustration, and their specific positions can be adjusted according to factors such as actual use requirements and space design indicators.

[0062] From the perspective of the refrigerant flow path, specifically, the high-pressure refrigerant coming out of the outlet of the compressor 1 will directly enter the condenser 21 through the condensation inlet 21a, and after releasing heat in the condenser 21, enter the liquid reservoir 23 through the condensation outlet 21b, and then the liquid refrigerant in the liquid reservoir 23 will enter the condenser 21 through the subcooling inlet 21c, and after further releasing heat, enter the evaporator 22 through the subcooling outlet 21d connecting pipe 24; in the process of refrigerant condensation, the external liquid medium continuously circulates through the water-cooling inlet 21e and the water-cooling outlet 21f to absorb the heat released by the refrigerant.

[0063] 4 and 5 , a first expansion valve 26 is further provided between the end of the connecting pipe 24 and the agent side inlet 22a of the evaporator 22. The first expansion valve 26 is used to control the volume of the refrigerant introduced into the evaporator 22 by the connecting pipe 24 to avoid excessive refrigerant entering the evaporator 22 per unit time. After the refrigerant enters the evaporator 22 through the agent side inlet 22a, it absorbs heat and vaporizes, and then enters the air intake end of the compressor 1 through the agent side outlet 22b. After being pressurized by the compressor 1, the above process is repeated. During the process of the refrigerant absorbing heat, the external liquid medium continuously circulates through the water side inlet 22c and the water side outlet 22d to release heat to the refrigerant.

[0064] It should be noted that in the present application, the compressor 1 has a shell, wherein the shell on the air inlet end forms a buffer cavity 14, and the shell also protrudes to form a first return channel 12 and a second return channel 13; the agent side outlet 22b of the evaporator 22 is connected to the first return channel 12, and the first return channel 12 and the second return channel 13 are both connected to the buffer cavity 14; the refrigerant after heat exchange in the evaporator 22 enters the buffer cavity 14 through the first return channel 12, and part of the refrigerant discharged from the air outlet of the compressor 1 enters the buffer cavity 14 through the second return channel 13, and then the two refrigerants will mix in the buffer cavity 14, so that part of the refrigerant that has not reached high temperature and high pressure flows back to the air inlet end of the compressor 1 through the second return channel 13, and is fully mixed with the refrigerant flowing back to the compressor 1 through the agent side outlet 22b, and is re-pressurized and heated, which helps to increase the total flow of the refrigerant flowing through the compressor 1, thereby improving the output power of the compressor 1 and improving the heating capacity of the overall equipment.

[0065] 4 and 5 , in order to control the flow of the refrigerant returning to the compressor 1 through the second return channel 13, the second return channel 13 is provided with a second expansion valve 15. The second expansion valve 15 can control the flow of the refrigerant in the second return channel 13, thereby reducing the possibility of excessive refrigerant returning from the outlet end of the compressor 1 to the inlet end, and ensuring the smooth operation of the overall flow path.

[0066] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, specifically, in order to control the flow direction and entry and exit of the external liquid medium, the thermal management device in this application also includes a water side component 3, which is used to introduce the external liquid medium into the plate exchange component 2, that is, to introduce the external liquid medium into the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22, and will control the flow direction of the external liquid medium in the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22, that is, to control which system of the vehicle the external liquid medium enters after heat exchange through the condenser 21 and / or the evaporator 22, so as to complete heat management.

[0067] In new energy vehicles, there are mainly battery cooling systems, electric drive cooling systems and air-conditioning systems; among them, the battery cooling system is used to cool the battery during driving of new energy vehicles, the electric drive cooling system is used to cool the electric drive during driving of new energy vehicles, and the air-conditioning system is used to regulate the temperature in the passenger compartment, which can be increased or decreased.

[0068] Therefore, the water side component 3 in the present application includes a multi-channel flow plate 31, an expansion pot 32 and a multi-way valve 33, wherein the expansion pot 32 is used to accommodate external liquid media, and the multi-channel flow plate 31 has multiple flow channels 31a, and the multiple flow channels 31a are used to conduct the external liquid media flow path between the condenser 21 or the evaporator 22 and the battery cooling system, or the electric drive cooling system, or the air-conditioning system, and the multi-way valve 33 is used to control the above-mentioned conduction process.

[0069] Specifically, when the condenser 21 is connected to the battery cooling system, the refrigerant in the condenser 21 releases heat to the external liquid medium, and the external liquid medium absorbs heat and enters the battery cooling system, and then the external liquid medium can quickly heat up the battery; it is well known that the discharge efficiency and capacity of the battery of a new energy vehicle will be greatly affected under low temperature conditions, so when the condenser 21 is connected to the battery cooling system, the battery can be quickly heated to ensure the rapid start-up and normal use of the new energy vehicle under low temperature conditions.

[0070] When the condenser 21 is connected to the electric drive cooling system, similarly, the refrigerant in the condenser 21 releases heat to the external liquid medium, and the external liquid medium absorbs heat and enters the electric drive cooling system, and then the external liquid medium can quickly heat up the electric drive to ensure the rapid start-up and normal use of the new energy vehicle under low temperature conditions.

[0071] When the condenser 21 and the air-conditioning system are connected, similarly, the refrigerant in the condenser 21 releases heat to the external liquid medium, and the external liquid medium enters the air-conditioning system after absorbing heat, so that the external liquid medium can quickly heat up the passenger compartment, thereby completing the heating, dehumidification and defogging functions in the passenger compartment.

[0072] When the evaporator 22 is connected to the battery cooling system, the evaporator 22 actually transfers heat from the external liquid medium to the refrigerant, causing the refrigerant to absorb heat and vaporize; thus, the external liquid medium transfers the heat generated during the battery charging and discharging process to the refrigerant, that is, the external liquid medium takes away the heat and cools the battery, thereby ensuring the normal use of the new energy vehicle.

[0073] When the evaporator 22 is connected to the electric drive cooling system, similarly, the evaporator 22 is the refrigerant that absorbs heat from the external liquid medium, and the external liquid medium will release heat before entering the electric drive cooling system. That is, the external liquid medium takes away the heat generated during the operation of the electric drive system and transfers it to the refrigerant in the evaporator 22. Therefore, the external liquid medium actually cools the electric drive, thereby ensuring the normal use of the new energy vehicle.

[0074] When the evaporator 22 is connected to the air-conditioning system, similarly, the evaporator 22 is the refrigerant that absorbs heat from the external liquid medium, and the external liquid medium will release heat before entering the air-conditioning system, that is, the external liquid medium takes away the heat in the passenger compartment and transfers it to the refrigerant in the evaporator 22. Therefore, the external liquid medium actually cools the passenger compartment, thereby completing the functions of cooling, dehumidifying and defogging in the passenger compartment.

[0075] Based on the above descriptions about the evaporator 22 / condenser 21 being connected to the battery cooling system, electric drive cooling system and air-conditioning system of the new energy vehicle respectively, in this application, the cooperation of the multi-way valve 33 and the multiple flow channels 31a can complete a variety of heat transfer methods, and the multi-way valve 33 can make the external liquid medium flow paths in each system connected in series or in parallel, so as to reasonably distribute the heat in various parts of the vehicle, and then accurately perform thermal management; however, it should be noted that in the battery cooling system and electric drive cooling system of the new energy vehicle, relevant external radiators should be set to dissipate heat for the external liquid medium; and in the air-conditioning system of the new energy vehicle, there should be an internal radiator to dissipate heat for the external liquid medium.

[0076] Referring to Figures 1 and 2 , in this application, due to the numerous external liquid medium flow paths, the external liquid medium stored in the expansion pot 32 can be readily added to the flow paths of each system to ensure heat transfer within each system. To more precisely control heat transfer between the various systems in the new energy vehicle, a proportional valve is also provided on the multi-channel manifold plate 31 . The proportional valve can precisely control the ratio of its opening and closing, thereby controlling the flow rate of liquid passing through the valve body. This, in turn, can precisely control heat transfer within each system of the new energy vehicle by controlling the flow rate of the external liquid medium, thereby improving the accuracy of heat control within the overall structure.

[0077] 1 and 2, specifically, in the present application, the multi-channel flow plate 31 is arranged above the plate-changing assembly 2 and the compressor 1, and the multi-channel flow plate 31 has two opposite sides, one side facing away from the plate-changing assembly 2 and the compressor 1, and one side facing the plate-changing assembly 2 and the compressor 1; multiple flow channels 31a are all arranged on the side of the multi-channel flow plate 31 facing away from the plate-changing assembly 2 and the compressor 1, and some of the flow channels 31a are used to introduce / export external liquid media to the condenser 21 / evaporator 22, and multiple flow channels At least one flow channel 31a in 31a is connected to the expansion pot 32; thus, the cooperation of multiple flow channels 31a and the multi-way valve 33 can complete the series or parallel connection between the external liquid medium flow paths in each system, and can complete the heat exchange process between each external liquid medium flow path and the evaporator 22 / condenser 21; in addition, at least one flow channel 31a among the multiple flow channels 31a can introduce the external liquid medium in the expansion pot 32 into the external liquid medium flow paths in the new energy vehicle, so as to complete the replenishment of the external liquid medium of each system.

[0078] It should be noted that the external liquid medium is generally vehicle antifreeze, that is, vehicle antifreeze coolant, which is a cooling medium with antifreeze and other functions that circulates in the vehicle cooling system; vehicle antifreeze coolant is generally a water-based antifreeze of ethylene glycol. Ethylene glycol has a high boiling point, low volatility, moderate viscosity and small temperature change, and good thermal stability, so it is suitable as a component of antifreeze; but in addition to ethylene glycol, many inorganic substances, organic substances, and mixtures such as lubricating oils can also be used as components of antifreeze; specifically, substances that can lower the freezing point of water and increase the boiling point of water can be considered as one of the components of antifreeze.

[0079] Antifreeze is the main cooling medium in the vehicle. Generally speaking, the cooling medium in each system of the vehicle is antifreeze, such as the battery cooling system and electric drive cooling system of the vehicle mentioned above, both of which use antifreeze as the cooling medium; in the prior art, the battery cooling system and the electric drive cooling system have independent cooling circuits, and both have independent external radiators to dissipate heat from the antifreeze, or the two can share the same external radiator for heat dissipation; although the cooling systems of the two can effectively dissipate heat, they cannot transfer the heat generated by the battery and electric drive to other places, which may lead to heat waste; and the vehicle air-conditioning system generally relies on refrigerant to complete cooling or heating, and a large number of pipelines need to be designed to complete different heat exchange methods of the refrigerant, thereby requiring a large amount of refrigerant to complete the cooling or heating cycle of the air-conditioning system.

[0080] Therefore, the thermal management device proposed in this application can simplify the refrigerant flow path, reduce the refrigerant flow path volume, thereby reducing the refrigerant filling amount and meeting the safety requirements when using flammable refrigerants; it is connected to the air-conditioning system and various cooling systems on the vehicle through the water side component 3, so that the heat exchange process with the air-conditioning system and / or various cooling systems during the refrigerant circulation process can be completed, thereby making full use of the heat generated during the operation of various systems of the vehicle, and can also quickly start and protect the vehicle battery and electric drive in a low temperature environment, fully realizing the rational use and effective management of heat.

[0081] Specifically, in the present application, a plurality of legs 31b are arranged at intervals on the outer edge of the multi-channel flow plate 31. In the present embodiment, the number of legs 31b is four, and the four legs 31b are all arranged on the side of the multi-channel flow plate 31 close to the plate exchange assembly 2 and the compressor 1; in the present embodiment, the multi-channel flow plate 31 is rectangular, and the four legs 31b are symmetrically arranged on the opposite side edges of the multi-channel flow plate 31; thus, referring to Figure X, of the four legs 31b, two legs 31b are fixed on the outer casing of the compressor 1, and the other two legs 31b are respectively fixed on the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22, and the four legs 31b together complete the support of the water side assembly 3 as a whole; of course, the number of legs 31b in the above embodiment is only for example, and the legs 31b can also be set to two, three or more, as long as they can complete the support and fixation of the water side assembly 3 as a whole. In the above embodiment, the support leg 31b is fixed to the compressor 1, condenser 21 or evaporator 22 by bolts. In other embodiments, it can also be fixed by welding or other fixing methods. This is only for illustration and does not limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0082] In the present application, due to the setting of the support legs 31b, a certain gap is formed between the multi-channel flow plate 31 and the compressor 1 and the plate exchange assembly 2, so that the space between the multi-channel flow plate 31 and the compressor 1 and the plate exchange assembly 2 can form an installation space; in the present application, multiple flow channels 31a are located above the multi-channel flow plate 31, the expansion pot 32 is located above the multiple flow channels 31a, and the multi-way valve 33 and the proportional valve are located in the installation space; and a condensate pump 35 and an evaporation water pump 36 are also provided in the installation space. The condensate pump 35 and the evaporation water pump 36 are each connected to at least one flow channel 31a, and the condensate pump 35 is used to pump external liquid medium into the condenser 21 to evaporate The water pump 36 is used to pump external liquid medium into the evaporator 22, that is, the condensation water pump 35 and the evaporation water pump 36 provide power for the flow circulation of the external liquid medium in the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22 respectively; a third water pump 37 is also provided in the installation space, and the third water pump 37 is used to pump the external liquid medium into or out of the expansion pot 32, that is, to provide power for the external liquid medium in the expansion pot 32; the setting of the installation space makes full use of the gap between the multi-channel flow plate 31 and the compressor 1 and the plate exchange assembly 2, further improves the overall integration of the thermal management device, and reduces the overall volume of the thermal management device, thereby leaving more space for the car to install the thermal management device proposed in this application.

[0083] On the basis of the above, in order to protect the compressor 1, i.e., the plate exchanger assembly 2, and also to reduce the possibility of leakage of the flammable refrigerant, the thermal management device proposed in this application also includes a protective cover 4, which is provided on the compressor 1 and the plate exchanger assembly 2. In other words, the protective cover 4 is provided to cover and protect all flow paths of the refrigerant to reduce the possibility of leakage of the refrigerant.

[0084] Specifically, the protective cover 4 includes a bottom plate 41 and four side plates 42. The bottom plate 41 used to fix the compressor 1 and the plate change assembly 2 is the bottom plate 41 of the protective cover 4, and the four side plates 42 are sealed together with the bottom plate 41 to form a sealed space, thereby providing sealing for the plate change assembly 2 and the compressor 1; it should be noted that the shape and area of ​​the bottom plate 41 are similar to those of the multi-channel flow plate 31, so that the tops of the four side plates 42 can be sealed and connected to the multi-channel flow plate 31, thereby providing sealing for the plate change assembly 2 and the compressor 1; accordingly, if the shape of the multi-channel flow plate 31 changes, the bottom plate 41 can also change with the change of the multi-channel flow plate 31, and the number and shape of the side plates 42 can be adjusted at any time to provide sealing for the plate change assembly 2 and the compressor 1.

[0085] It should be noted that welding technology can be used to complete the fixed connection and sealing setting between the bottom plate 41, the side plate 42 and the multi-channel flow plate 31, or a hinged connection with sealant can be used to complete the fixed connection and sealing between each other; and with the sealing cover of the protective cover 4, the various components installed on the side of the multi-channel flow plate 31 facing the plate exchange assembly 2 and the compressor 1 will also be sealed; thereby further reducing the possibility of refrigerant leakage to the outside; in order to detect refrigerant leakage so as to take timely response measures and ensure the safety of the overall structure, a refrigerant detection sensor is provided in the protective cover 4, so that it can be notified at the first time when the refrigerant leaks, thereby reminding the vehicle user to inspect the thermal management equipment and reduce the possibility of fire or even explosion due to refrigerant leakage.

[0086] The present application also proposes a thermal management system, which includes the above-mentioned thermal management device. The specific structure of the thermal management device refers to the above-mentioned embodiment. Since the present thermal management system adopts all the technical solutions of all the above-mentioned embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above-mentioned embodiments, which will not be repeated here one by one.

[0087] The present application also proposes a vehicle, which thermal management system includes the above-mentioned thermal management system. The specific structure of the thermal management system refers to the above-mentioned embodiments. Since this vehicle adopts all the technical solutions of all the above-mentioned embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above-mentioned embodiments, which will not be repeated here one by one.

[0088] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present application and does not limit the patent scope of the present application. All equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present application specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present application, or direct / indirect application in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A thermal management device, wherein: The thermal management device includes base plate; a compressor, the compressor being disposed on the base plate; A plate exchange assembly, the plate exchange assembly and the compressor are arranged in parallel on the bottom plate, and the plate exchange assembly is used for heat exchange between the refrigerant and the external liquid medium; A water side assembly, the water side assembly is used to introduce external liquid medium into the plate exchange assembly, and the water side assembly is arranged above the compressor and the plate exchange assembly; Wherein, the plate exchange assembly is integrated with the compressor.

2. The thermal management device according to claim 1, wherein: The plate exchange assembly includes a condenser and an evaporator. The compressor is arranged on the same side of the condenser and the evaporator. The condenser is communicated with the air outlet end of the compressor, and the evaporator is communicated with the air inlet end of the compressor.

3. The thermal management device according to claim 2, wherein: The condenser is fixedly connected to the evaporator.

4. The thermal management device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: A heat-insulating hollow is provided between the condenser and the evaporator.

5. The thermal management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: A liquid reservoir is provided between the compressor and the plate exchange assembly. The liquid reservoir is used to store liquid refrigerant. The liquid reservoir has an arc surface that fits with the outer wall of the compressor and a mounting surface that fits with the plate exchange assembly.

6. The thermal management device according to claim 5, wherein: The refrigerant is compressed by the compressor and enters the condenser. After being condensed by the condenser, it enters the liquid reservoir. Then, the liquid reservoir re-introduces the liquid refrigerant into the condenser.

7. The thermal management device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein: A connecting pipe is provided on the side of the condenser away from the compressor. The connecting pipe is used to introduce liquid refrigerant into the evaporator. A first expansion valve is provided on the end of the connecting pipe located on the evaporator.

8. The thermal management device according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein: The shell of the compressor is protruded to form a first return channel and a second return channel. The first return channel is used to introduce the refrigerant in the evaporator into the air inlet end of the compressor, and the second return channel is used to introduce the refrigerant at the air outlet end of the compressor into the air inlet end of the compressor.

9. The heat management device of claim 8, wherein: The second reflux channel is provided with a second expansion valve, and the second expansion valve is used to control the flow rate of the refrigerant in the second reflux channel.

10. The thermal management device according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein: The water side component includes a multi-channel flow plate and an expansion pot, the multi-channel flow plate is arranged above the plate exchange component, the expansion pot is arranged above the multi-channel flow plate, the expansion pot is used to accommodate external liquid media, the side of the multi-channel flow plate facing away from the plate exchange component has multiple flow channels, some of the flow channels are used to introduce external liquid media into the condenser and / or the evaporator, and at least one of the multiple flow channels is communicated with the expansion pot.

11. The heat management device of claim 10, wherein: A plurality of legs are arranged at intervals on the outer edge of the multi-channel flow plate, and the ends of the legs are fixed to the compressor or the plate exchange assembly. An installation space is formed between the side of the multi-channel flow plate facing the plate exchange assembly and the plate exchange assembly.

12. The heat management device of claim 11, wherein: A multi-way valve is provided in the installation space, the multi-way valve is connected to the plurality of flow channels, and the multi-way valve is used to control the flow direction of the external refrigerant in the multi-channel flow channel plate.

13. The heat management device according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: A condensate pump is provided in the installation space, and the condensate pump is used to pump external liquid medium into the condenser. The condensate pump is connected to at least one of the flow channels.

14. The thermal management device according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein: An evaporation water pump is provided in the installation space, and the evaporation water pump is used to pump external liquid medium into the evaporator. The evaporation water pump is connected to at least one of the flow channels.

15. The thermal management device according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein: A third water pump is provided in the installation space, the third water pump is communicated with the expansion pot, and the third water pump is used to pump external liquid medium into or out of the expansion pot.

16. The thermal management device according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein: The thermal management device also includes a protective cover, which is sealed. The compressor and the plate exchange assembly are arranged in the protective cover. The multi-channel flow plate is sealed at the top of the protective cover and is connected to the plate exchange assembly.

17. The thermal management device of claim 16, wherein: A sensor is provided in the protective cover, and the sensor is used to detect refrigerant leakage.

18. The thermal management device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein: The bottom plate is provided with a plurality of supporting members.

19. The thermal management device according to any one of claims 9 to 18, wherein: A control component is provided at one end of the compressor, and the control component is used to control the compressor, the first expansion valve, the second expansion valve and the water side component.

20. A thermal management system, wherein: The thermal management system comprises a thermal management device according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

21. A vehicle, wherein The vehicle includes a thermal management system as claimed in claim 20 .

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