Valve group integration module, vehicle thermal management system, and vehicle
By integrating the valve group modules of the first and second flow channels into the vehicle thermal management system, the refrigerant piping structure of the battery pack cold plate is simplified, solving the problem of a large number of components connecting the battery pack cold plate and the refrigerant in the prior art. This achieves high integration, small footprint, convenient installation and maintenance, and improves the temperature uniformity of the battery pack cold plate.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/CN2025/078636
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-05-28
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-21
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-04
AI Technical Summary
In existing battery pack thermal management systems, the direct cooling method results in a large number of thermal management components that connect the battery pack cold plate to the refrigerant, leading to complex piping structures, difficult installation, high space occupation, and difficulty in maintenance.
Design a valve assembly integrated module, including a first flow channel and a second flow channel in the base body, with a first expansion valve and a second expansion valve respectively. It has a high degree of integration, reduces the number of parts, simplifies the pipeline structure, and adjusts the valve opening in real time through a sensor unit and a control unit to regulate the refrigerant evaporation pressure.
It achieves high integration and small footprint of valve group integrated module, simplifies installation process, facilitates maintenance, and effectively solves the problem of poor temperature uniformity of battery pack cold plate under direct cooling method.
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Figure CN2025078636_04122025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Valve assembly integration module, vehicle thermal management system and vehicle
[0001] Cross-reference of related applications
[0002] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410681986.7, filed on May 28, 2024, entitled "Valve Assembly Integration Module, Vehicle Thermal Management System and Vehicle", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field
[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of vehicle technology, and more specifically, to a valve assembly module, a vehicle thermal management system, and a vehicle. Background Technology
[0004] In related technologies, the battery pack thermal management system uses direct cooling to cool the battery pack, that is, the refrigerant flows through the battery pack cold plate. This method has a good cooling effect, but in order to achieve the connection between the battery pack cold plate and the refrigerant, a large number of thermal management components (such as various valves) are involved, resulting in a complex pipeline structure, difficult installation, large space occupation, and difficulty in later maintenance of the battery pack thermal management system. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a valve assembly integration module, a vehicle thermal management system, and a vehicle, wherein the valve assembly integration module has a high degree of integration and occupies a small space.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this disclosure provides a valve assembly integration module, which includes a base, a first expansion valve, and a second expansion valve. The base is provided with a first flow channel and a second flow channel. The first expansion valve is disposed in the first flow channel, and the second expansion valve is disposed in the second flow channel.
[0007] Optionally, the diameter of the second expansion valve is larger than the diameter of the first expansion valve.
[0008] Optionally, the diameter of the first expansion valve is 1.0mm-2.5mm, and / or the diameter of the second expansion valve is ≥10mm.
[0009] Optionally, the valve assembly integration module further includes a sensor unit and a control unit. The sensor unit is installed in the second flow channel and disposed between the second expansion valve and the inlet of the second flow channel to collect temperature and pressure signals of the refrigerant flowing into the second flow channel. The control unit is electrically connected to the sensor unit, the first expansion valve, and the second expansion valve respectively to adjust the opening degree of the first expansion valve and / or the second expansion valve according to the temperature and pressure signals of the sensor unit.
[0010] Optionally, the sensor unit is located on the side of the second flow channel near its own inlet.
[0011] Optionally, the sensor unit is configured as a first temperature and pressure sensor.
[0012] Optionally, the control unit is detachably mounted on the base.
[0013] Optionally, the valve assembly module further includes a one-way valve, which is installed in the second flow channel and disposed between the second expansion valve and the outlet of the second flow channel.
[0014] Optionally, the diameter of the one-way valve is ≥10mm.
[0015] Based on the above solution, this disclosure also provides a vehicle thermal management system, which includes a battery pack cold plate and the valve assembly integration module mentioned above. The refrigerant inlet of the battery pack cold plate is connected to the outlet of the first flow channel, and the refrigerant outlet of the battery pack cold plate is connected to the inlet of the second flow channel. The first expansion valve and / or the second expansion valve are used to regulate the refrigerant evaporation pressure in the battery pack cold plate.
[0016] Optionally, the first expansion valve and / or the second expansion valve are used to adjust the refrigerant evaporation pressure in the battery pack cold plate to 6 bar to 9 bar.
[0017] Optionally, the vehicle thermal management system includes an outdoor compressor and an indoor condenser, wherein the refrigerant outlet of the outdoor compressor is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the indoor condenser, the refrigerant outlet of the indoor condenser is connected to the inlet of the first flow channel, and the refrigerant inlet of the outdoor compressor is connected to the outlet of the second flow channel.
[0018] Optionally, the vehicle thermal management system further includes a liquid receiver tank, the refrigerant inlet of which is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the interior condenser, and the refrigerant outlet of which is connected to the inlet of the first flow channel.
[0019] Optionally, the vehicle thermal management system further includes an evaporator, the refrigerant inlet of which is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the indoor condenser, and the refrigerant outlet of which is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the outdoor compressor.
[0020] In addition, this disclosure also provides a vehicle that includes the vehicle thermal management system described above.
[0021] Through the above technical solution, a first flow channel and a second flow channel are provided on the substrate of the valve assembly integrated module provided in this disclosure. The first expansion valve is placed in the first flow channel, and the second expansion valve is placed in the second flow channel. This can, on the one hand, replace the existing corresponding connecting pipes of the first and second expansion valves and reduce the supports used to install the first and second expansion valves, resulting in fewer parts and a simpler corresponding pipe structure for the first and second expansion valves. On the other hand, integrating the flow channels of the first and second expansion valves together results in high integration and reduces the space occupied by the flow channels of the first and second expansion valves. In addition, during installation, only the first expansion valve needs to be installed in the first flow channel and the second expansion valve in the second flow channel, making installation of the first and second expansion valves convenient and facilitating later maintenance. Furthermore, opening the flow channels inside the substrate can also reduce the weight of the entire valve assembly integrated module. Therefore, the valve assembly integrated module provided in this disclosure has a high degree of integration and occupies little space.
[0022] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description
[0023] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present disclosure and form part of the specification. They are used together with the following detailed description to explain the present disclosure, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:
[0024] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a valve assembly integration module provided according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0025] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the valve assembly integration module provided according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure from another angle;
[0026] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of the valve assembly integration module provided according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure from another angle;
[0027] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first expansion valve, the second expansion valve, the sensor unit and the check valve in the valve group integration module provided according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0028] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a valve assembly integration module provided according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0029] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the valve assembly integration module provided according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure from another angle;
[0030] Figure 7 is a flow path diagram of a valve assembly integration module provided according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0031] Figure 8 is a flow path diagram of a vehicle thermal management system provided according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0032] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the valve assembly integration module, the vehicle thermal management system, and the vehicle provided according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation
[0033] The specific embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit this disclosure.
[0034] In this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer sides relative to the outline of the component itself; furthermore, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" is intended to distinguish different components and does not imply sequentiality or importance. Additionally, in the following description, when referring to the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise explained, the same reference numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The above definitions are for explanation and illustration only and should not be construed as limiting this disclosure.
[0035] According to a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, a valve assembly integration module is provided. Figures 1 to 7 show an embodiment of the valve assembly integration module 100. Referring to Figures 1 to 7, the valve assembly integration module 100 includes a base 1, a first expansion valve 2, and a second expansion valve 3. A first flow channel 11 and a second flow channel 12 are provided in the base 1. The first expansion valve 2 is disposed in the first flow channel 11, and the second expansion valve 3 is disposed in the second flow channel 12.
[0036] Through the above technical solution, the valve assembly integration module 100 has a first flow channel 11 and a second flow channel 12 on its base 1. The first expansion valve 2 is disposed in the first flow channel 11, and the second expansion valve 3 is disposed in the second flow channel 12. This replaces the existing piping used to connect the first expansion valve 2 and the second expansion valve 3, reducing the number of supports needed for mounting them and simplifying the corresponding piping structure. Furthermore, integrating the flow channels of the first expansion valve 2 and the second expansion valve 3 onto the base 1 results in high integration and reduces the space occupied by these channels. Additionally, during installation, only the first expansion valve 2 needs to be installed in the first flow channel 11, and the second expansion valve 3 in the second flow channel 12, making installation convenient and facilitating future maintenance. Moreover, creating flow channels inside the base 1 also reduces the overall weight of the valve assembly integration module 100. Therefore, the valve assembly integration module 100 provided in this disclosure has a high degree of integration and occupies a small space.
[0037] It should be noted that the application scenarios of the valve group integration module 100 provided in this disclosure can be selectively designed according to actual needs. For example, referring to Figure 8, the valve group integration module 100 provided in this disclosure can be applied in the vehicle thermal management system 200. This disclosure does not impose any restrictions on this, and those skilled in the art can selectively design it according to actual needs. Below, this disclosure only uses the application of the valve group integration module 100 in the vehicle thermal management system 200 as an example for illustrative description.
[0038] In one exemplary embodiment, a vehicle thermal management system is provided. FIG8 illustrates one embodiment of the vehicle thermal management system 200. Referring to FIG8, the vehicle thermal management system 200 may include a battery pack cold plate 70 and the valve assembly integration module 100 described above. The refrigerant inlet of the battery pack cold plate 70 is connected to the outlet of the first flow channel 11, and the refrigerant outlet of the battery pack cold plate 70 is connected to the inlet of the second flow channel 12. The first expansion valve 2 and / or the second expansion valve 3 are used to regulate the refrigerant evaporation pressure within the battery pack cold plate 70. Referring to Figures 1 to 8, the first flow channel 11 has a first inlet 111 and a first outlet 112. The refrigerant flows sequentially through the first inlet 111, the first expansion valve 2, and the first outlet 112, and then flows into the refrigerant inlet of the battery pack cold plate 70. The refrigerant flows through the battery pack cold plate 70 to cool the battery pack. The refrigerant flowing out of the refrigerant outlet of the battery pack cold plate 70 flows into the second inlet 121 of the second flow channel 12, and then passes through the second expansion valve 3 and flows out of the second flow channel 12 from the second outlet 122.
[0039] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the first expansion valve 2 is used to regulate the refrigerant evaporation pressure within the battery pack cold plate 70. That is, the first expansion valve 2 can throttle the refrigerant entering the battery pack cold plate 70. When the refrigerant passes through the first expansion valve 2, the first expansion valve 2 can throttle the refrigerant to reduce its pressure. Furthermore, by changing the opening degree of the first expansion valve 2, the amount of refrigerant entering the battery pack cold plate 70 can be adjusted, thereby regulating the refrigerant evaporation pressure within the battery pack cold plate 70. This helps to solve the problem of poor temperature uniformity of the battery pack cold plate 70 under direct cooling.
[0040] In some other embodiments of this disclosure, the second expansion valve 3 is used to regulate the refrigerant evaporation pressure in the battery pack cold plate 70. The second expansion valve 3 can throttle the refrigerant flowing out of the battery pack cold plate 70, so that a step pressure difference is generated between the refrigerant flowing out of the battery pack cold plate 70 and the refrigerant further downstream (i.e., the refrigerant flowing into the refrigerant inlet of the outdoor compressor 10 as described below), so as to ensure that the refrigerant pressure in the battery pack cold plate 70 is not too low, thereby achieving the purpose of controlling the refrigerant evaporation pressure in the battery pack cold plate 70, which in turn helps to solve the problem of poor temperature uniformity of the battery pack cold plate 70 under direct cooling.
[0041] In some embodiments of this disclosure, both the first expansion valve 2 and the second expansion valve 3 are used to regulate the refrigerant evaporation pressure within the battery pack cold plate 70. The first expansion valve 2 performs a primary throttling effect on the refrigerant entering the battery pack cold plate 70. As the refrigerant passes through the first expansion valve 2, it reduces the refrigerant pressure. Furthermore, the amount of refrigerant entering the battery pack cold plate 70 can be adjusted by changing the opening degree of the first expansion valve 2. The second expansion valve 3 performs a secondary throttling effect on the refrigerant exiting the battery pack cold plate 70, creating a stepped pressure difference between the refrigerant exiting the battery pack cold plate 70 and the downstream refrigerant (i.e., the refrigerant flowing into the refrigerant inlet of the outdoor compressor 10, as described below). This ensures that the refrigerant pressure within the battery pack cold plate 70 does not become too low, thereby achieving the purpose of controlling the refrigerant evaporation pressure within the battery pack cold plate 70. By implementing two throttling effects before and after the battery pack cold plate 70, the refrigerant evaporation pressure inside the battery pack cold plate 70 is controlled, which helps to solve the problem of poor temperature uniformity of the battery pack cold plate 70 under direct cooling.
[0042] Based on the above three embodiments, the refrigerant evaporation pressure inside the battery pack cold plate 70 can be adjusted to 6 bar (gauge pressure) to 9 bar (gauge pressure) using the first expansion valve 2 and / or the second expansion valve 3. This setting can increase the refrigerant evaporation pressure inside the battery pack cold plate 70 to the pressure corresponding to the refrigerant at 20°C, thereby effectively solving the problem of poor temperature uniformity of the battery pack cold plate 70 under direct cooling. Specifically, in the first embodiment, the refrigerant evaporation pressure inside the battery pack cold plate 70 is adjusted to 6 bar (gauge pressure) to 9 bar (gauge pressure) using the first expansion valve 2; in the second embodiment, the refrigerant evaporation pressure inside the battery pack cold plate 70 is adjusted to 6 bar (gauge pressure) to 9 bar (gauge pressure) using the second expansion valve 3; and in the third embodiment, the refrigerant evaporation pressure inside the battery pack cold plate 70 is adjusted to 6 bar (gauge pressure) to 9 bar (gauge pressure) using both the first expansion valve 2 and the second expansion valve 3. This disclosure does not impose any limitations on this. In addition, the value of the refrigerant evaporation pressure in the battery pack cold plate 70 can be selectively designed according to the actual situation. For example, the refrigerant evaporation pressure in the battery pack cold plate 70 can be 6 bar (gauge pressure), 7 bar (gauge pressure), 8 bar (gauge pressure), or 9 bar (gauge pressure). This disclosure does not impose any restrictions on this.
[0043] The vehicle thermal management system 200 may further include an outdoor compressor 10 and an indoor condenser 20. The refrigerant outlet of the outdoor compressor 10 is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the indoor condenser 20, the refrigerant outlet of the indoor condenser 20 is connected to the inlet of the first flow channel 11, and the refrigerant inlet of the outdoor compressor 10 is connected to the outlet of the second flow channel 12. Referring to Figures 1 to 8, the refrigerant flowing out of the refrigerant outlet of the indoor condenser 20 flows into the first flow channel 11 through the inlet (i.e., the first inlet 111) and then through the outlet (i.e., the first outlet 112) of the first flow channel 11 to the refrigerant inlet of the battery pack cold plate 70, where it flows to cool the battery pack. The refrigerant flowing out of the refrigerant outlet of the battery pack cold plate 70 enters the second flow channel 12 through the inlet (i.e., the second inlet 121) and then through the outlet (i.e., the second outlet 122) of the second flow channel 12 to the refrigerant inlet of the outdoor compressor 10.
[0044] Furthermore, referring to Figure 8, the vehicle thermal management system 200 also includes a reservoir 30. The refrigerant inlet of the reservoir 30 is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the interior condenser 20, and the refrigerant outlet of the reservoir 30 is connected to the inlet of the first flow channel 11. That is, the refrigerant flowing out of the refrigerant outlet of the interior condenser 20 enters the reservoir 30, while the refrigerant flowing out of the refrigerant outlet of the reservoir 30 flows into the first flow channel 11 from the inlet (i.e., the first inlet 111) and flows into the refrigerant inlet of the battery pack cold plate 70 through the outlet (i.e., the first outlet 112).
[0045] In one exemplary embodiment, referring to FIG8, the vehicle thermal management system 200 may further include an evaporator 40, the refrigerant inlet of which is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the indoor condenser 20, and the refrigerant outlet of the evaporator 40 being connected to the refrigerant inlet of the outdoor compressor 10. When cooling the passenger compartment, the refrigerant flowing from the refrigerant outlet of the indoor condenser 20 can also flow into the refrigerant inlet of the evaporator 40 to cool the passenger compartment, while the refrigerant flowing from the refrigerant outlet of the evaporator 40 can return to the refrigerant inlet of the outdoor compressor 10. Additionally, referring to FIG8, to control the cooling effect on the passenger compartment, a third expansion valve 50 can be provided between the refrigerant inlet of the evaporator 40 and the refrigerant outlet of the indoor condenser 20 to regulate the amount and pressure of refrigerant entering the evaporator 40, thereby controlling the cooling effect on the passenger compartment. Furthermore, referring to Figure 8, a second temperature and pressure sensor 60 can be installed near the refrigerant outlet of the evaporator 40 to collect the temperature and pressure signals of the refrigerant flowing out of the refrigerant outlet of the evaporator 40, and then adjust the opening of the third expansion valve 50 based on the temperature and pressure signals from the second temperature and pressure sensor 60. It should be noted that the principles and structures of the evaporator 40, outdoor compressor 10, indoor condenser 20, and liquid receiver 30 used in vehicle air conditioning refrigeration systems are well known to those skilled in the art, and will not be elaborated upon here.
[0046] Based on the above, referring to Figures 1 to 8, the first flow channel 11 has a first inlet 111 and a first outlet 112. The first inlet 111 is used to communicate with the refrigerant outlet of the indoor condenser 20, and the second outlet 122 is used to communicate with the refrigerant inlet of the battery pack cold plate 70. The second flow channel 12 has a second inlet 121 and a second outlet 122. The second inlet 121 is used to communicate with the refrigerant outlet of the battery pack cold plate 70, and the second outlet 122 is used to communicate with the refrigerant inlet of the outdoor compressor 10. The first expansion valve 2 is disposed in the first flow channel 11 so that the refrigerant flowing into the first flow channel 11 from the first inlet 111 flows out of the first outlet 112 through the first expansion valve 2 by throttling or cutting off the flow of the first expansion valve 2; the second expansion valve 3 is disposed in the second flow channel 12 so that the refrigerant flowing into the second flow channel 12 from the second inlet 121 flows out of the second outlet 122 through the second expansion valve 3 by throttling or cutting off the flow of the second expansion valve 3. The diameter of the second expansion valve 3 is larger than the diameter of the first expansion valve 2 so as to accurately control the evaporation pressure of the refrigerant in the battery pack cold plate 70.
[0047] The orifice diameters of the first expansion valve 2 and the second expansion valve 3 can be selectively designed. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the orifice diameter of the first expansion valve 2 can be 1.0mm-2.5mm, and the orifice diameter of the second expansion valve 3 can be ≥10mm. The orifice diameter of the first expansion valve 2 can be arbitrarily selected within the range of 1.0mm-2.5mm; for example, it can be set to 1.0mm, 1.3mm, 1.4mm, 1.7mm, 1.9mm, 2.1mm, or 2.5mm. The orifice diameter of the second expansion valve 3 can be arbitrarily selected within the range of ≥10mm; for example, it can be 10mm, 14mm, 15mm, 18mm, etc. This disclosure does not impose any limitations on this, and those skilled in the art can selectively design it according to actual needs.
[0048] In one exemplary embodiment, referring to Figures 1 to 6, the valve assembly integration module 100 may further include a sensor unit 4 and a control unit 5. The sensor unit 4 is installed in the second flow channel 12 and positioned between the second expansion valve 3 and the inlet of the second flow channel 12 to collect temperature and pressure signals of the refrigerant flowing into the second flow channel 12 (i.e., the refrigerant flowing out from the refrigerant outlet of the battery pack cold plate 70). The control unit 5 is electrically connected to the sensor unit 4, the first expansion valve 2, and the second expansion valve 3, respectively, to adjust the opening degree of the first expansion valve 2 and / or the second expansion valve 3 according to the temperature and pressure signals from the sensor unit 4. The sensor unit 4 sends the collected temperature and pressure signals of the refrigerant flowing out from the refrigerant outlet of the battery pack cold plate 70 to the control unit 5. The control unit 5 controls the opening degree of the first expansion valve 2 and / or the second expansion valve 3 in real time according to the temperature and pressure signals, so as to adjust the refrigerant evaporation pressure in the battery pack cold plate 70 by throttling the refrigerant in the battery pack cold plate 70, thereby helping to solve the problem of poor temperature uniformity of the battery pack cold plate 70 under direct cooling.
[0049] In some embodiments, when the control unit 5 controls the opening of the first expansion valve 2 in real time according to the temperature signal and the pressure signal, the refrigerant evaporation pressure in the battery pack cold plate 70 is adjusted by throttling the refrigerant flowing into the battery pack cold plate 70, which helps to solve the problem of poor temperature uniformity of the battery pack cold plate 70 under direct cooling.
[0050] In other embodiments, the control unit 5 controls the opening of the second expansion valve 3 in real time based on temperature and pressure signals, so as to adjust the refrigerant evaporation pressure in the battery pack cold plate 70 by throttling the refrigerant flowing out of the battery pack cold plate 70, thereby helping to solve the problem of poor temperature uniformity of the battery pack cold plate 70 under direct cooling.
[0051] In some other embodiments, the control unit 5 controls the opening of the first expansion valve 2 and the second expansion valve 3 in real time based on temperature and pressure signals, so as to adjust the refrigerant evaporation pressure in the battery pack cold plate 70 by throttling the refrigerant entering and flowing out of the battery pack cold plate 70 twice. This helps to solve the problem of poor temperature uniformity of the battery pack cold plate 70 under direct cooling and helps to control the internal temperature of the battery pack.
[0052] The following description will use the example of the control unit 5 controlling the opening degree of the first expansion valve 2 and the second expansion valve 3 in real time based on temperature and pressure signals as an example. The control unit 5 can also be connected to an external controller, such as a vehicle controller, to control the opening degree of the first expansion valve 2 and the second expansion valve 3 according to control commands sent by the external controller. To facilitate connection between the control unit 5 and the external controller, the control unit 5 can include an interface 51 for connecting to the external controller. This interface 51 can be a LIN signal interface, which outputs LIN protocol signals with two to three addresses to control the opening and closing degrees of the first expansion valve 2 and the second expansion valve 3, respectively. This reduces the cost of the wiring harness and achieves high integration.
[0053] In one exemplary embodiment, the sensor unit 4 is disposed on the side of the second flow channel 12 near its own inlet (i.e., the second inlet 121). In order to further control the refrigerant evaporation pressure inside the battery pack cold plate 70, the sensor unit 4 is disposed on the side of the second flow channel 12 near the second inlet 121. This makes the temperature and pressure signals collected by the sensor unit 4 closer to the temperature and pressure signals of the refrigerant flowing out of the refrigerant outlet of the battery pack cold plate 70. This facilitates precise adjustment of the opening degree of the first expansion valve 2 and the second expansion valve 3, thereby further effectively ensuring the temperature uniformity inside the battery pack cold plate 70 and improving reliability.
[0054] In one exemplary embodiment, the sensor unit 4 can be constructed in any suitable manner. For example, the sensor unit 4 can be constructed as a first temperature and pressure sensor 41, i.e., a PT sensor, which can acquire the temperature and pressure signals of the refrigerant with a single first temperature and pressure sensor 41, resulting in a small number of components. In other embodiments of this disclosure, the sensor unit 4 can also be constructed to include a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor. The temperature sensor is used to acquire the temperature signal of the refrigerant flowing out of the refrigerant outlet of the battery pack cold plate 70, and the pressure sensor is used to acquire the pressure signal of the refrigerant flowing out of the refrigerant outlet of the battery pack cold plate 70. The control unit 5 is electrically connected to the temperature sensor, the pressure sensor, the first expansion valve 2, and the second expansion valve 3, respectively, to adjust the opening degree of the first expansion valve 2 and the second expansion valve 3 according to the temperature and pressure signals of the sensor unit 4. In other embodiments of this disclosure, the sensor unit 4 can also be constructed in other ways, and this disclosure does not impose any limitations on this.
[0055] In one exemplary embodiment, referring to Figures 1 to 6, the control unit 5 is detachably mounted on the base 1. This integrates the control unit 5 onto the base 1, which facilitates assembly and reduces the space occupied by the entire valve assembly integration module 100. In addition, it also helps to reduce the length of the cable connecting the control unit 5 and the base 1, thereby reducing costs and weight.
[0056] The control unit 5 can be mounted on the base 1 in any suitable manner. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the control unit 5 can be mounted on the base 1 via a snap-fit structure, which includes a matching snap and a slot. One of the snap and the slot is disposed on the control unit 5, and the other is disposed on the base 1. During installation, it is sufficient that the snap and the slot engage. In other embodiments of this disclosure, referring to FIG1, the control unit 5 can be mounted on the base 1 via a fastener 53. The fastener 53 passes through the mounting hole 52 of the control unit 5 and connects to the base 1. This disclosure does not impose any limitations on this, and those skilled in the art can selectively design according to actual needs.
[0057] In one exemplary embodiment, referring to Figures 1 to 6, the valve assembly module 100 further includes a one-way valve 6, which is installed within the second flow channel 12 and positioned between the outlet of the second expansion valve 3 and the outlet of the second flow channel 12. It is understood that the inlet of the one-way valve 6 communicates with the second inlet 121, and the outlet of the one-way valve 6 communicates with the second outlet 122. The one-way valve 6 is configured to prevent refrigerant from flowing back into the battery pack cold plate 70, which could lead to excessive refrigerant accumulation within the battery pack cold plate 70 and consequently reduce the amount of refrigerant flowing into the outdoor compressor 10 described below.
[0058] It should be noted that in actual use, when the temperature of the battery pack cold plate 70 is higher than the first preset value, the control unit 5 can control the second expansion valve 3 to be fully open. At this time, the heat exchange capacity of the battery pack cold plate 70 is maximized, enabling the battery pack temperature to be reduced at the maximum rate, i.e., rapid cooling of the battery pack. When the temperature of the battery pack cold plate 70 is lower than the first preset value but higher than the second preset value, the control unit 5 can control the opening of the second expansion valve 3, for example, controlling the second expansion valve 3 to be half-open. At this time, the second expansion valve 3 has a throttling effect on the refrigerant, used to regulate the refrigerant evaporation pressure in the battery pack cold plate 70, so that the temperature of the battery pack does not become too low, while ensuring the temperature uniformity within the battery pack. When the temperature of the battery pack cold plate 70 is lower than the second preset value, that is, when the battery pack cold plate 70 does not need heat exchange, the one-way valve 6 can be used to prevent the refrigerant on the low-pressure side from flowing back into the battery pack cold plate 70 through the second flow channel 12, avoiding excessive refrigerant accumulation in the battery pack cold plate 70, and thus avoiding the situation of insufficient refrigerant in the outdoor compressor 10 described below.
[0059] In one exemplary embodiment, the orifice diameter of the one-way valve 6 can be selectively designed. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the orifice diameter of the one-way valve 6 is ≥10mm. The orifice diameter of the one-way valve 6 can be arbitrarily selected within the range of ≥10mm; for example, the orifice diameter of the one-way valve 6 can be 10mm, 11mm, 15mm, 18mm, etc. To facilitate installation and avoid affecting the flow of refrigerant, the orifice diameter of the one-way valve 6 can be set to be the same as that of the second expansion valve 3. This disclosure does not impose any limitations in this regard, and those skilled in the art can selectively design it according to actual needs.
[0060] The process of two throttling of the refrigerant will be described below with reference to Figures 1-7. Referring to Figures 1 to 7, the refrigerant (i.e., high-pressure liquid refrigerant) flowing out of the refrigerant outlet of the indoor condenser 20 (described below) enters the first flow channel 11. When it flows through the first expansion valve 2, the first expansion valve 2 can perform a throttling effect on the refrigerant entering the battery pack cold plate 70 to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant. At this time, the refrigerant changes from high-pressure liquid refrigerant to low-pressure two-phase refrigerant. After heat exchange inside the battery pack cold plate 70, the low-pressure two-phase refrigerant is converted into low-pressure gaseous refrigerant, and then enters the second flow channel 12. The second expansion valve 3 can perform a second throttling effect on the refrigerant flowing out of the battery pack cold plate 70, so that a stepped pressure difference is generated between the refrigerant at the outlet of the battery pack cold plate 70 and the refrigerant at the refrigerant inlet of the outdoor compressor 10, so as to ensure that the pressure inside the battery pack cold plate 70 is not too low, thereby achieving the purpose of controlling the refrigerant evaporation pressure inside the battery pack cold plate 70.
[0061] In addition, this disclosure also provides a vehicle 300 including the aforementioned vehicle thermal management system 200, which has the advantages of the aforementioned valve group integration module 100 and the aforementioned vehicle thermal management system 200.
[0062] The preferred embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited to the specific details of the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of this disclosure, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of this disclosure, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of this disclosure.
[0063] It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, this disclosure will not describe the various possible combinations separately.
[0064] Furthermore, various different embodiments of this disclosure can be combined in any way, as long as they do not violate the spirit of this disclosure, they should also be regarded as the content disclosed in this disclosure.
Claims
1. A valve block integrated module, characterized by, The valve group integrated module (100) comprises: a base body (1) provided with a first flow channel (11) and a second flow channel (12) therein; a first expansion valve (2) arranged in the first flow channel (11); and a second expansion valve (3) arranged in the second flow channel (12).
2. The valve block integrated module of claim 1, wherein, The second expansion valve (3) has a larger diameter than the first expansion valve (2).
3. The valve block integrated module of claim 2, wherein, The diameter of the first expansion valve (2) is 1.0-2.5 mm, and / or The diameter of the second expansion valve (3) is ≥10 mm.
4. The valve block integrated module according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The valve group integrated module (100) further comprises a sensor unit (4) and a control unit (5), the sensor unit (4) is mounted in the second flow channel (12) and arranged between the second expansion valve (3) and the inlet of the second flow channel (12), the sensor unit (4) is used to collect the temperature signal and pressure signal of the refrigerant flowing into the second flow channel (12), The control unit (5) is electrically connected with the sensor unit (4), the first expansion valve (2) and the second expansion valve (3) respectively, and the control unit (5) is used to adjust the opening of the first expansion valve (2) and / or the second expansion valve (3) according to the temperature signal and pressure signal of the sensor unit (4).
5. The valve block integrated module of claim 4, wherein, The sensor unit (4) is arranged on one side of the second flow channel (12) close to the inlet thereof.
6. The valve block integrated module of claim 4, wherein, The sensor unit (4) is configured as a first temperature and pressure sensor (41).
7. The valve block integrated module of claim 4, wherein, The control unit (5) is detachably mounted on the base body (1).
8. The valve train integrated module of any one of claims 1-7, wherein, The valve group integrated module (100) further comprises a one-way valve (6) mounted in the second flow channel (12) and arranged between the second expansion valve (3) and the outlet of the second flow channel (12).
9. The valve block integrated module of claim 8, wherein, The diameter of the one-way valve (6) is ≥10 mm.
10. A vehicle thermal management system characterized by, The vehicle thermal management system (200) comprises a battery pack cold plate (70) and the valve group integrated module (100) according to any one of claims 1-9, the refrigerant inlet of the battery pack cold plate (70) is communicated with the outlet of the first flow channel (11), and the refrigerant outlet of the battery pack cold plate (70) is communicated with the inlet of the second flow channel (12), The first expansion valve (2) and / or the second expansion valve (3) are used to adjust the evaporation pressure of the refrigerant in the battery pack cold plate (70).
11. The vehicle thermal management system of claim 10, wherein, The first expansion valve (2) and / or the second expansion valve (3) are used to adjust the evaporation pressure of the refrigerant in the battery pack cold plate (70) to 6-9 bar.
12. The vehicle thermal management system of claim 10, wherein, The vehicle thermal management system (200) comprises an outdoor compressor (10) and an indoor condenser (20), the refrigerant outlet of the outdoor compressor (10) is communicated with the refrigerant inlet of the indoor condenser (20), the refrigerant outlet of the indoor condenser (20) is communicated with the inlet of the first flow channel (11), and the refrigerant inlet of the outdoor compressor (10) is communicated with the outlet of the second flow channel (12).
13. The vehicle thermal management system of claim 12, wherein, The vehicle thermal management system (200) further comprises a liquid storage tank (30), a refrigerant inlet of the liquid storage tank (30) being in communication with a refrigerant outlet of the indoor condenser (20), and a refrigerant outlet of the liquid storage tank (30) being in communication with an inlet of the first flow passage (11).
14. The vehicle thermal management system of claim 12, wherein, The vehicle thermal management system (200) further comprises an evaporator (40), a refrigerant inlet of the evaporator (40) being in communication with a refrigerant outlet of the indoor condenser (20), and a refrigerant outlet of the evaporator (40) being in communication with a refrigerant inlet of the outdoor compressor (10).
15. A vehicle characterized by comprising: The vehicle comprises the vehicle thermal management system (200) according to any one of claims 10-14.
Citation Information
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