Integrated thermal management device for electric vehicle

Abstract

The disclosed integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle comprises: an air-conditioning unit including an air-conditioning condenser in which a refrigerant emits heat and condenses, an air-conditioning evaporator in which the refrigerant absorbs heat and evaporates, and a blower that moves air through the air-conditioning evaporator and the air-conditioning condenser to direct the air toward a passenger compartment of the electric vehicle; a compressor that compresses the refrigerant and supplies same to the air-conditioning condenser; an integrated heat exchanger that induces heat exchange between at least one cooling water of battery cooling water that passes through the battery pack of the electric vehicle and exchanges heat and driving unit cooling water that passes through a driving unit of the electric vehicle and exchanges heat, and the refrigerant discharged from the air-conditioning unit; and a composite expander that is disposed outside the air-conditioning unit and expands the refrigerant that has passed through the air-conditioning condenser.

Description

Integrated thermal management system for electric vehicles

[0001] The present invention relates to an integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle, and relates to an integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle having a thermal management function of a battery pack, a thermal management function of a driving unit, and an air conditioning function of a passenger space.

[0002] Typically, electric vehicles are powered by a motor powered by electric energy supplied by a battery pack. Compared to internal combustion engine vehicles, electric vehicles offer the advantages of zero carbon dioxide emissions and quieter operation.

[0003] Electric vehicle battery packs are known to achieve maximum output and long driving range at an optimal temperature of 20 to 40°C, but their performance deteriorates rapidly when temperatures exceed this optimal range. Therefore, electric vehicles include a battery pack thermal management unit to manage the temperature of the battery pack.

[0004] Additionally, the electric vehicle further includes a power unit thermal management unit for temperature management of the electric vehicle's power unit (PE: power electric), and an air conditioning unit for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC: heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) of the passenger space.

[0005] If the battery pack thermal management unit, the drive unit thermal management unit, and the air conditioning unit are not interconnected but are individually installed and operate independently, it becomes difficult to achieve a compact design and miniaturization of the electric vehicle, and the electric vehicle's electricity efficiency may decrease.

[0006] The background technology of the present invention is disclosed in Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0001470 (published on January 6, 2021, title of the invention: Heating and air conditioning system for electric vehicles).

[0007] The present invention is intended to solve the above-described problems, and provides an integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle in which a circulation path of battery coolant, a circulation path of drive unit coolant, and a circulation path of refrigerant are comprehensively adjusted according to conditions such as the external environment, whether the electric vehicle is being driven, and the air conditioning mode of the electric vehicle.

[0008] The present invention provides an integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle suitable for an electric vehicle that is being charged and requires cooling of the battery pack.

[0009] An integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle according to the present invention comprises: an air conditioning unit including an air conditioning condenser in which a refrigerant releases heat and is condensed, an air conditioning evaporator in which the refrigerant absorbs heat and is evaporated, and a blower for causing air to flow through the air conditioning evaporator and the air conditioning condenser toward a passenger compartment of the electric vehicle; a compressor for compressing the refrigerant and supplying it to the air conditioning condenser; an integrated heat exchanger for inducing heat exchange between at least one coolant among battery coolant that exchanges heat while passing through a battery pack of the electric vehicle and drive unit coolant that exchanges heat while passing through a drive unit of the electric vehicle, and refrigerant discharged from the air conditioning unit; and a composite expander disposed outside the air conditioning unit and expanding the refrigerant that has passed through the air conditioning condenser; wherein the battery coolant circulates along a cycle of sequentially passing through the battery pack and the integrated heat exchanger.

[0010] The refrigerant may circulate along a cycle sequentially passing through the compressor, the air conditioning condenser, the composite expander, and the integrated heat exchanger.

[0011] The battery coolant may pass through the battery pack, absorb heat from the battery pack, and release heat to the refrigerant in the integrated heat exchanger.

[0012] The integrated thermal management device for the above electric vehicle may further include a blocking damper that blocks air flowing toward the air conditioning condenser so that air passing through the interior of the air conditioning unit avoids the air conditioning condenser.

[0013] The above blocking damper may be located upstream of the air conditioning condenser along the air flow path and may include a shutter that selectively opens and closes the air flow path.

[0014] The integrated thermal management device for the electric vehicle may further include a refrigerant-air heat exchanger that induces heat exchange between the refrigerant and air; and the composite expander may include a first expansion unit that expands the refrigerant that has passed through the air conditioning condenser and guides it to the integrated heat exchanger; and a second expansion unit that expands the refrigerant that has passed through the integrated heat exchanger and is introduced and guides it to the refrigerant-air heat exchanger.

[0015] The above integrated heat exchanger can be coupled and fixed to the compressor.

[0016] The integrated heat exchanger may include a heat exchanger core including a plurality of coolant channels through which at least one of the battery coolant and the drive unit coolant passes, and a plurality of refrigerant channels through which the refrigerant passes and which are arranged alternately with the plurality of coolant channels; a coolant inlet guiding the at least one coolant to flow into the heat exchanger core; a coolant inlet guiding the refrigerant to flow into the heat exchanger core; a coolant outlet guiding the at least one coolant that has passed through the heat exchanger core to be discharged from the heat exchanger core; and a refrigerant outlet guiding the refrigerant that has passed through the heat exchanger core to be discharged from the heat exchanger core.

[0017] The above battery pack may include a plurality of battery modules; and a cooling water tube that is extended and makes surface contact with the plurality of battery modules, has a cooling water path formed therein extending along the length direction, and is made of a metal material that has been processed by drawing.

[0018] The above-mentioned coolant tube has a contact side wall that makes surface contact with the battery module and a non-contact side wall that does not make surface contact with the battery module, and the thickness of the contact side wall may be thinner than the thickness of the non-contact side wall.

[0019] According to the present invention, the circulation path of battery coolant, the circulation path of drive unit coolant, and the circulation path of refrigerant can be comprehensively adjusted to suitably change depending on conditions such as the external environment, whether the electric vehicle is in operation, and the electric vehicle's air conditioning mode. Accordingly, the electric vehicle's fuel efficiency can be improved.

[0020] According to the present invention, refrigerant condensed through an air conditioning condenser is cooled by passing through a composite expander located outside the air conditioning unit, rather than through an air conditioning evaporator located inside the air conditioning unit. Therefore, unintended cooling of the passenger compartment is prevented, and cooling is not offset by heat generated by the air conditioning heater, thereby improving the electric vehicle's fuel efficiency.

[0021] According to the present invention, the battery coolant can be cooled by exchanging heat with a refrigerant in an integrated heat exchanger, thereby properly cooling the battery pack, thereby preventing performance deterioration and thermal runaway accidents of the battery pack while the electric vehicle is not running and is being charged.

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a heat exchanger-compressor assembly combining the integrated heat exchanger and compressor of FIG. 1.

[0025] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the integrated heat exchanger of Fig. 3 taken along line AA.

[0026] Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the battery pack of Fig. 1.

[0027] Figure 6 is a plan view of the battery pack of Figure 5, showing the inside of the pack housing with the cover removed so that the inside of the pack housing is visible.

[0028] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of Figure 6.

[0029] Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating another example of the battery pack of Fig. 1.

[0030] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a circulation path of battery coolant, a circulation path of drive unit coolant, and a circulation path of refrigerant in the integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle of FIG. 1 when the electric vehicle is being charged and cooling of the battery pack is required.

[0031] Hereinafter, an integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The terminology used in this specification is intended to adequately describe preferred embodiments of the present invention and may vary depending on the intent of the user or operator or the customary practices in the field to which the present invention pertains. Therefore, definitions of these terms should be based on the overall content of this specification.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, an integrated thermal management device (100) for an electric vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an air conditioning unit (101), a compressor (301), and an integrated heat exchanger (330).

[0033] An integrated thermal management device (100) for an electric vehicle circulates a refrigerant to perform air conditioning (HVAC) of a passenger space (10), circulates battery coolant to cool or heat a battery pack (400) so that it is maintained at an appropriate temperature, and circulates drive unit coolant to cool a drive unit (30) while the electric vehicle is running.

[0034] The driving unit (30) of the electric vehicle includes a rear motor that provides rotational power to the rear wheels, a rear motor inverter that converts direct current power of the battery pack (400) into alternating current power and supplies it to the rear motor, a front motor that provides rotational power to the front wheels, a front motor inverter that converts direct current power of the battery pack (400) into alternating current power and supplies it to the front motor, and an integrated charging control unit (ICCU) that optimally manages charging of the battery pack (400) of the electric vehicle.

[0035] The air conditioning unit (101) includes an air conditioning condenser (120), an air conditioning evaporator (115), an air conditioning heater (123), and a blower (110). The refrigerant passes through the air conditioning condenser (120) and releases heat to be condensed. When the refrigerant passes through the air conditioning condenser (120) and is condensed, the air conditioning condenser (120) releases heat to the surroundings, i.e. generates heat.

[0036] The refrigerant passes through the air conditioning evaporator (115) and absorbs heat to evaporate. When the refrigerant passes through the air conditioning evaporator (115) and evaporates, the air conditioning evaporator (115) absorbs heat from the surroundings, i.e., absorbs heat.

[0037] The air conditioning heater (123) generates heat by power supply. The electric energy of the battery pack (400) is supplied to the air conditioning heater (123) through the power supply (197), so that the air conditioning heater (123) can generate heat. The air conditioning heater may be a PTC heater including a PTC thermistor (positive temperature coefficient thermistor).

[0038] The blower (110) causes air to flow through the air conditioning condenser (120), the air conditioning evaporator (115), and the air conditioning heater (123) toward the passenger compartment (10) of the electric vehicle. The air conditioning unit (101) may further include an air conditioning unit housing (103) and a blocking damper (126).

[0039] The blocking damper (126) blocks air flowing toward the air conditioning condenser (120) so that the air passing through the interior of the air conditioning unit (103) avoids the air conditioning condenser (120). The blocking damper (126) may be located upstream of the air conditioning condenser (120) along the air flow path. The blocking damper (126) may include a shutter that selectively opens and closes the air flow path.

[0040] The blocking damper (126) illustrated in solid lines in Fig. 1 represents a closed state by blocking the air flow path, and the blocking damper (126) illustrated in dashed lines in Fig. 1 represents a state in which the shutter rotates around the hinge and the air flow path is opened.

[0041] When the blocking damper (126) is opened, that is, when the blocking damper (126) is in the open position, air can pass through the air conditioning condenser (120) and be supplied to the passenger space (10). At this time, when the refrigerant passes through the air conditioning condenser (120), the air is heated, and the hot air is supplied to the passenger space (10), so that the passenger space (10) can be heated.

[0042] Accordingly, compared to heating the passenger space (10) only with the heat generation of the air conditioning heater (123), the electric energy consumption of the battery pack (400) can be reduced, and the electricity efficiency of the electric vehicle can be improved.

[0043] When the blocking damper (126) is closed, i.e., when the blocking damper (126) is in the closed position, air cannot pass through the air conditioning condenser (120) and is supplied to the passenger space (10) by avoiding the air conditioning condenser (120). Therefore, even if the refrigerant passes through the air conditioning condenser in a high-temperature external environment, such as in summer or a low-latitude region, hot air may not be supplied to the passenger space (10).

[0044] In addition, when a command is input to the electric vehicle to cool the passenger space (10) and the refrigerant passes through the air conditioning condenser (120) and the air conditioning evaporator (115) together, the air passes through the air conditioning evaporator (115) and then flows into the passenger space (10) while avoiding the air conditioning condenser (120), so the cooling efficiency may not be reduced.

[0045] An air conditioning condenser (120), a blocking damper (126), an air conditioning evaporator (115), an air conditioning heater (123), and a blower (110) may be installed in the internal space of the air conditioning unit housing (103). The air conditioning unit housing (103) may include an air conditioning unit inlet through which air is introduced and an air conditioning unit outlet through which air is discharged to the outside.

[0046] Inside the air conditioning unit housing (103), air can flow from the air conditioning unit inlet toward the air conditioning unit outlet. Inside the air conditioning unit housing (103), a blower (110), an air conditioning evaporator (115), a blocking damper (126), an air conditioning condenser (120), and an air conditioning heater (123) can be sequentially arranged along the air flow path.

[0047] The compressor (301) compresses the refrigerant and supplies it to the air conditioning condenser (120). The integrated heat exchanger (330) induces heat exchange between at least one of the battery coolant that passes through the battery pack (400) and the drive unit coolant that passes through the drive unit (30) and exchanges heat, and the refrigerant discharged from the air conditioning unit (101).

[0048] The electric vehicle integrated thermal management device (100) may further include an accumulator (195), a refrigerant-air heat exchanger (130), a radiator (140), a radiator fan (143), a composite expander (170), and an air conditioning unit inlet expander (180).

[0049] The refrigerant flowing toward the compressor (301) may include liquid and gas. The accumulator (195) may allow gas to pass through the refrigerant flowing toward the compressor (301) and filter out liquid and impurities.

[0050] The refrigerant-air heat exchanger (130) can induce heat exchange between the refrigerant and air. The refrigerant discharged from the air conditioning unit (101), specifically the refrigerant that has passed through the air conditioning condenser (120), can pass through the refrigerant-air heat exchanger (130) and exchange heat with the air outside the refrigerant-air heat exchanger (130).

[0051] When the temperature of the refrigerant is higher than the temperature of the air, the refrigerant can condense by releasing heat while passing through the refrigerant-air heat exchanger (130). Conversely, when the temperature of the refrigerant is lower than the temperature of the air, the refrigerant can absorb heat from the air while passing through the refrigerant-air heat exchanger (130). The refrigerant that has passed through the refrigerant-air heat exchanger (130) can move toward the compressor (301) or toward the air conditioning unit inlet expander (180).

[0052] The radiator (140) can induce heat exchange between air and at least one of the drive unit coolant and the battery coolant. While the electric vehicle is running, the drive unit coolant, which has been heated by passing through the drive unit (30), can be cooled by passing through the radiator (140) and releasing heat to the air outside the radiator (140). In other words, the temperature can be lowered. The cooled drive unit coolant can pass through the drive unit (30) again to cool the drive unit (30).

[0053] Meanwhile, the drive unit cooling water may be heated as it passes through the drive unit (33), and its temperature may be lowered as it passes through the integrated heat exchanger (330) by exchanging heat with the air outside the integrated heat exchanger (330). Alternatively, it may be cooled by releasing heat to the refrigerant passing through the integrated heat exchanger (330) while passing through the integrated heat exchanger (330) at a temperature lower than that of the drive unit cooling water.

[0054] An integrated thermal management device (100) for an electric vehicle may further include a three-way valve (166), a water pump (163), and a drive unit coolant reservoir (160). The three-way valve (166) may selectively direct the direction of movement of the heated drive unit coolant passing through the drive unit (30) to a radiator (140) or an integrated heat exchanger (330).

[0055] Accordingly, depending on the thermal management mode of the electric vehicle, the drive unit coolant may circulate along a cycle of sequentially passing through the drive unit (30), the three-way valve (166), and the radiator (140), or may circulate along a cycle of sequentially passing through the drive unit (30), the three-way valve (166), and the integrated heat exchanger (330).

[0056] The water pump (163) pumps the drive unit coolant so that the drive unit coolant is forcibly circulated. The drive unit coolant reservoir (160) replenishes the drive unit coolant so that the flow rate of the circulating drive unit coolant does not become insufficient.

[0057] The battery coolant, which has been heated by passing through the battery pack (400), can be cooled by passing through the radiator (140) and releasing heat to the air outside the radiator (140). In other words, the temperature can be lowered. The cooled battery coolant can pass through the battery pack (400) again to cool the battery pack (400).

[0058] Meanwhile, the battery coolant may be heated by passing through the battery pack (400) and cooled by releasing heat to the refrigerant passing through the integrated heat exchanger (330) while passing through the integrated heat exchanger (330) at a temperature lower than the temperature of the battery coolant. Alternatively, the battery coolant may be mixed with the drive coolant in the integrated heat exchanger (330) and become the same temperature as the drive coolant.

[0059] An integrated thermal management device (100) for an electric vehicle may further include a three-way valve (146), a water pump (153), and a battery coolant reservoir (150). The three-way valve (146) may selectively direct the direction of movement of the heated battery coolant passing through the battery pack (400) to the radiator (140) or to the integrated heat exchanger (330).

[0060] Accordingly, depending on the thermal management mode of the electric vehicle, the battery coolant may circulate along a cycle of sequentially passing through the battery pack (400), the three-way valve (146), and the radiator (140), or may circulate along a cycle of sequentially passing through the battery pack (400), the three-way valve (146), and the integrated heat exchanger (330).

[0061] The water pump (153) pumps battery coolant to forcefully circulate the battery coolant. The battery coolant reservoir (150) replenishes battery coolant to prevent the flow rate of circulating battery coolant from becoming insufficient.

[0062] The radiator fan (143) blows air into the radiator (140) to promote heat exchange between the coolant and air. When the radiator fan (143) operates, a larger flow of drive coolant or battery coolant passes through the radiator (140) and is cooled, or the drive coolant or battery coolant can be cooled to a lower temperature.

[0063] In FIG. 1, the battery coolant and the drive coolant are configured to pass through the same radiator (140), but an integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention may separately have a battery coolant radiator through which the battery coolant passes and a drive coolant radiator through which the drive coolant passes.

[0064] When the battery pack (400) discharges power in a low-temperature external environment, such as in winter or a high-latitude region, the electric power efficiency may decrease. Therefore, when starting to drive an electric vehicle in a low-temperature external environment, operating the air conditioning function of the passenger compartment (10), or supplying power from the battery pack (400) to operate an external device, heating the battery pack (400) to quickly raise its temperature to an optimal temperature of 20 to 40°C may improve the electric power efficiency of the electric vehicle.

[0065] The electric vehicle integrated thermal management device (100) may further include a coolant heater (156). The coolant heater (156) may be positioned between the downstream of the battery pack (400) and the upstream of the three-way valve (146) along the circulation path of the battery coolant.

[0066] If the coolant heater (156) is placed upstream of the battery pack (400), the battery coolant may pass through the coolant heater (156) and be excessively heated, causing the battery pack (400) to be rapidly heated to a temperature higher than the optimum temperature. This may result in a decrease in the power efficiency of the battery pack (400), a decrease in performance, or an accident due to thermal runaway. In addition, the power efficiency may be lowered compared to the case where the battery coolant sequentially passes through the coolant heater (156) and the integrated heat exchanger (330) to enter the battery pack (400) and heat the battery pack (400).

[0067] The battery coolant, which has been heated to a high temperature by passing through the coolant heater (156), may be cooled by releasing heat to a refrigerant that passes through the integrated heat exchanger (330) while being at a lower temperature than the battery coolant while passing through the integrated heat exchanger (330). Alternatively, the battery coolant may be mixed with the drive unit coolant in the integrated heat exchanger (330) and become the same temperature as the drive unit coolant.

[0068] The battery coolant that has passed through the integrated heat exchanger (330) passes through the battery pack (400) and can heat the battery pack (400) to an optimal temperature. The temperature of the battery coolant that has passed through the integrated heat exchanger (330) may be higher than the temperature of the battery pack (400) and lower than the temperature of the battery coolant that has passed through the coolant heater (156). When the coolant heater (156) operates, the battery coolant may circulate along a cycle that sequentially passes through the battery pack (400), the coolant heater (156), the three-way valve (146), and the integrated heat exchanger (330).

[0069] The composite expander (170) and the air conditioning unit inlet expander (180) are arranged outside the air conditioning unit (101). The composite expander (170) may include a first expansion unit (171), a second expansion unit (173), a first inlet unit (175), and a second inlet unit (177). The refrigerant discharged to the outside of the air conditioning unit (101) through the air conditioning condenser (120) is introduced into the composite expander (170) through the first inlet unit (175), and expands through the first expansion unit (171) or the second expansion unit (173) to release heat and lower the temperature.

[0070] The refrigerant discharged through the first expansion unit (171) can move to the integrated heat exchanger (330), and the refrigerant discharged through the second expansion unit (173) can move to the refrigerant-air heat exchanger (130). The refrigerant discharged through the integrated heat exchanger (330) can flow into the second inlet unit (177), expand through the second expansion unit (173), lower its temperature, and move to the refrigerant-air heat exchanger (130).

[0071] The air conditioning unit inlet expander (180) may include an expansion unit (181), a first inlet unit (183), and a second inlet unit (185). The refrigerant that has passed through the refrigerant-air heat exchanger (130) is introduced into the air conditioning unit inlet expander (180) through the first inlet unit (183), and expands through the expansion unit (181) to release heat, thereby lowering the temperature. The refrigerant released through the expansion unit (181) may move to the air conditioning evaporator (115).

[0072] The refrigerant expanded through the first expansion portion (171) of the composite expander (170) may all move toward the integrated heat exchanger (330), or some may move toward the integrated heat exchanger (330) and the remainder may move toward the second inlet portion (185) of the air conditioning inlet expander (180). The refrigerant introduced through the second inlet portion (185) expands through the expansion portion (181) to release heat and lower its temperature. The refrigerant released through the expansion portion (181) may move to the air conditioning evaporator (115).

[0073] The expansion unit (181) of the air conditioning unit inlet expander (180) may include a temperature-sensitive expansion valve. The temperature-sensitive expansion valve may include a solenoid. The temperature-sensitive expansion valve detects the superheat of the refrigerant at the outlet of the air conditioning evaporator (115) and controls the expansion valve to maintain the flow rate and superheat of the refrigerant constant.

[0074] The electric vehicle integrated thermal management device (100) may further include a four-way valve (190) for controlling the flow of refrigerant. Refrigerant discharged from the air conditioning evaporator (115), refrigerant discharged from the integrated heat exchanger (330), or refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant-air heat exchanger (130) may move to the accumulator (195) through the four-way valve (190). Only the refrigerant in a gaseous state may pass through the accumulator (195) and move to the compressor (301).

[0075] Referring to FIG. 2, an integrated thermal management device (200) for an electric vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention may include an air conditioning unit (101), a compressor (301), an integrated heat exchanger (330), a refrigerant-air heat exchanger (130), a radiator (140), a radiator fan (143), and a coolant heater (156). The air conditioning unit (101), the compressor (301), the integrated heat exchanger (330), the refrigerant-air heat exchanger (130), the radiator (140), the radiator fan (143), and the coolant heater (156) have already been described with reference to FIG. 1, and components with the same names are indicated using the same reference numerals, so redundant mention is omitted.

[0076] The electric vehicle integrated thermal management device (200) may include a three-way expansion valve (270), a two-way expansion valve (275), a temperature-sensitive expansion valve (280), a first on-off valve (285), a proportional control three-way valve (290), and a second on-off valve (294).

[0077] The three-way expansion valve (270) and the two-way expansion valve (275) are installed to replace the composite expander (170) in the electric vehicle integrated thermal management device (100) of FIG. 1, and can perform the same function as the composite expander (170). In detail, the refrigerant discharged from the air-conditioning evaporator (115) may flow into the two-way expansion valve (276), expand through the expansion unit (276), and proceed to the integrated heat exchanger (330). Alternatively, the refrigerant discharged from the air-conditioning evaporator (115) may pass through the two-way expansion valve (276) without being expanded and proceed to the three-way expansion valve (270).

[0078] The refrigerant that passes through the two-way expansion valve (276) without expansion may flow into the three-way expansion valve (270), expand through the expansion unit (271), and proceed to the refrigerant-air heat exchanger (130). Alternatively, the refrigerant discharged from the integrated heat exchanger (330) may flow into the three-way expansion valve (270), expand through the expansion unit (271), and proceed to the refrigerant-air heat exchanger (130).

[0079] The temperature-sensitive expansion valve (280) and the first on-off valve (285) are installed to replace the air conditioning inlet expander (180) in the electric vehicle integrated thermal management device (100) of Fig. 1, and can perform the same function as the air conditioning inlet expander (180). In detail, the refrigerant expanded through the expansion unit (1276) and discharged to the two-way expansion valve (276) can proceed toward the air conditioning evaporator (115) when the first on-off valve (285) is opened. The refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant-air heat exchanger (130) can expand while passing through the temperature-sensitive expansion valve (280) and proceed toward the air conditioning evaporator (115).

[0080] The proportional control three-way valve (290) and the second on-off valve (294) are installed to replace the four-way valve (190) in the electric vehicle integrated thermal management device (100) of FIG. 1, and can perform the same function as that of the four-way valve (190). In detail, the refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant-air heat exchanger (130) can enter the proportional control three-way valve (290) through the proportional control valve section (291) of the proportional control three-way valve (290) when the second on-off valve (294) is opened.

[0081] The refrigerant discharged from the air-conditioning evaporator (115) can also enter the proportional control three-way valve (290) through the proportional control valve unit (291). The refrigerant discharged from the integrated heat exchanger (330) can also enter the proportional control three-way valve (290). Therefore, the refrigerant discharged from the air-conditioning evaporator (115), the refrigerant discharged from the integrated heat exchanger (330), or the refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant-air heat exchanger (130) can move to the accumulator (195) through the proportional control three-way valve (290). Only the refrigerant in a gaseous state can pass through the accumulator (195) and move to the compressor (301).

[0082] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a heat exchanger-compressor assembly combining the integrated heat exchanger and compressor of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the integrated heat exchanger of FIG. 3 taken along line AA. Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the integrated heat exchanger (330) may be combined and fixed to the compressor (301). In detail, the electric vehicle integrated thermal management device (100) may include a heat exchanger-compressor assembly (300) in which the integrated heat exchanger (330) and the compressor (301) are combined.

[0083] When the integrated heat exchanger (330) and the compressor (301) are combined, the refrigerant tube that limits the flow path of the refrigerant between the integrated heat exchanger (330) and the compressor (301) can be designed to be short, thereby reducing the cost, making it easy to avoid interference with the cooling water tube or harness for electrical equipment, and reducing the installation space of the integrated heat exchanger (330) and the compressor (301), thereby improving space efficiency.

[0084] A heat exchanger-compressor assembly (300) may include a compressor (301), an integrated heat exchanger (330), an insulation plate (322), and a fastener (325). The compressor (301) may include a compressor housing (302) and a compressor electric motor (not shown) inside the compressor housing (302). The compressor housing (302) may extend in the horizontal X-axis direction. A compressor inlet (310) through which refrigerant flows into the interior of the compressor housing (302) and a compressor outlet (315) through which compressed refrigerant is discharged from the interior of the compressor housing (302) to the exterior may be provided on one longitudinal side of the compressor housing (302).

[0085] The integrated heat exchanger (330) may be supported on the upper side of the compressor housing (302) by avoiding the compressor inlet (310) and the compressor outlet (315). The integrated heat exchanger (330) may include a heat exchanger housing (331), a heat exchanger core (370), a cooling water inlet (350), a cooling water outlet (355), a refrigerant inlet (362), and a refrigerant outlet (364).

[0086] The heat exchanger housing (331) may include a flat base plate (332) and a side wall (335) having a closed-curved cross-section shape and protruding upward from the base plate (332). An insulating plate (322) may be interposed between the compressor housing (302) and the base plate (332) of the heat exchanger housing (331). This may block the movement of heat between the compressor (301) and the integrated heat exchanger (330).

[0087] The base plate (332) may also have an insulating function, similar to the insulating plate (322). An elastic pad having an insulating and cushioning function may be further interposed between the base plate (332) and the insulating plate (322). The fastener (325) connects the base plate (332), the insulating plate (322), and the compressor housing (302). For example, the fastener (325) may include a bolt and a nut. The fastener (325) may be provided in multiple numbers.

[0088] An internal space may be defined by a base plate (332) and a side wall (335), with the upper side being open and the lower side being closed. A heat exchanger core (370) may be inserted and installed in the internal space of the heat exchanger housing (331). The heat exchanger core (370) may include a plurality of coolant passages (380) through which at least one of battery coolant and drive unit coolant passes, and a plurality of coolant passages (383) through which coolant passes and which are arranged alternately with the plurality of coolant passages (380).

[0089] The heat exchanger core (370) may include a plurality of baffles (375) stacked in the vertical direction, i.e., the Z-axis direction, a core cover (372) joined to the uppermost baffle (375) among the plurality of baffles (375), and a core base (371) joined to the lowest baffle (375) among the plurality of baffles (375).

[0090] A coolant passage (380) or a refrigerant passage (383) may be defined by a pair of baffles (375) that are stacked and joined vertically adjacent to each other. Since the coolant passages (380) and the refrigerant passages (383) are arranged alternately, heat exchange may occur between the coolant and the refrigerant. If the temperature of the coolant is higher than the temperature of the refrigerant, heat may be released from the coolant to the refrigerant, and conversely, if the temperature of the coolant is lower than the temperature of the refrigerant, heat may be released from the refrigerant to the coolant.

[0091] The coolant inlet (350) guides at least one of the battery coolant and the drive coolant to flow into the heat exchanger core (370). The coolant inlet (350) may have a battery coolant inlet (352) and a drive coolant inlet (354) branched from a portion connected to the core cover (372). When the battery coolant flows in from the battery coolant inlet (352) and the drive coolant flows in from the drive coolant inlet (354), the battery coolant and the drive coolant may be mixed and pass through the heat exchanger core (370).

[0092] The coolant outlet (355) guides the coolant that has passed through the heat exchanger core (370) to be discharged from the heat exchanger core (370). The coolant outlet (355) may be provided with a battery coolant discharge port (357) and a drive unit coolant discharge port (359) branched from a portion connected to the core cover (372).

[0093] When the coolant passage connected in series with the battery coolant discharge port (357) and the coolant passage connected in series with the drive unit coolant discharge port (359) are simultaneously opened, the coolant discharged from the heat exchanger core (370) can branch off and flow into the coolant passages on both sides. When only one of the coolant passages connected in series with the battery coolant discharge port (357) and the coolant passage connected in series with the drive unit coolant discharge port (359) is opened, the coolant discharged from the heat exchanger core (370) can flow into the opened coolant passage.

[0094] The refrigerant inlet (362) guides the refrigerant to flow into the heat exchanger core (370). The refrigerant outlet (364) guides the refrigerant that has passed through the heat exchanger core (370) to be discharged from the heat exchanger core (370). To promote heat exchange between the cooling water and the refrigerant, the refrigerant inlet (362) may be arranged closer to the cooling water outlet (355) than the cooling water inlet (350), and the refrigerant outlet (364) may be arranged closer to the cooling water inlet (350) than the cooling water outlet (355).

[0095] The heat exchanger-compressor assembly (300) illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 may have a longitudinal axis (V1) of the compressor (301) and a longitudinal axis (V2) of the integrated heat exchanger (330) that may be parallel to each other. The longitudinal axis (V1) of the compressor (301) may be parallel to the inflow and outflow directions of the refrigerant through the compressor inlet (310) and the compressor outlet (315). The longitudinal axis (V2) of the integrated heat exchanger (330) may be parallel to the inflow and outflow directions of the cooling water through the cooling water inlet (350) and the cooling water outlet (355).

[0096] Meanwhile, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchanger-compressor assembly may have the longitudinal axis of the integrated heat exchanger inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the compressor. This facilitates the connection of the coolant inlet and coolant outlet to the coolant flow path, and may also improve the maintainability of the electric vehicle.

[0097] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the battery pack of FIG. 1, FIG. 6 is a plan view of the battery pack of FIG. 5, showing the inside of the pack housing with the cover removed so that the inside of the pack housing is visible, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating another example of the battery pack of FIG. 1.

[0098] Referring to FIGS. 1, 5, and 7, a battery pack (400) may include a pack housing (401), a plurality of battery modules (420), and a coolant tube (430). The pack housing (401) may include a base (402) and a cover (408) coupled to the base (402).

[0099] A plurality of battery modules (420) may be accommodated in an internal space provided within a pack housing (401). The plurality of battery modules (420) may be arranged in a matrix within the internal space of the pack housing (401). The plurality of battery modules (420) may be arranged in a single layer in the vertical direction, i.e., the Z-axis direction. Each battery module (420) may include a module housing and a plurality of battery cells within the module housing. The battery cells may be rechargeable secondary batteries.

[0100] The coolant tube (430) can be extended and makes surface contact with the battery module (420). A coolant flow path (450) extending along the length of the coolant tube (430) is formed inside the coolant tube (430).

[0101] The coolant tube (430) may be formed from a metal material that has been drawn. In other words, the coolant tube (430) may be formed by drawing a metal material, such as stainless steel. Through drawing, four outer surfaces having a rectangular cross-section shape and a coolant flow path (450) may be formed simultaneously.

[0102] The coolant tube (430) is inserted into the pack housing (401) by penetrating one side of the pack housing (401), extends in the internal space of the pack housing (401) to make surface contact with the plurality of battery modules (420), and can be discharged outside the pack housing (401) by penetrating the other side of the pack housing (401).

[0103] The coolant tube (430) may include a plurality of straight sections (431) extending in a straight path and spaced apart from each other, and a curved section (440) connecting the ends of a pair of adjacent straight sections (431) and extending in a curved path. The straight sections (431) and the curved sections (440) are not joined by brazing or welding. Specifically, the coolant tube (430) extending in a straight path may be left as a straight section (431) for a predetermined length, and a portion outside the straight section (431) may be bent along a curved path to form the curved section (440).

[0104] Accordingly, the boundary portion between the straight portion (431) and the curved portion (440) can be resistant to breakage or damage caused by external force, and can also be resistant to corrosion. In other words, the durability and rigidity of the coolant tube (430) can be improved. In addition, the coolant tube (430) can also prevent the occurrence of defects in which the coolant flow path (450) becomes blocked or narrowed during the joining process between the straight portion (431) and the curved portion (440).

[0105] The coolant tube (430) can exchange heat by making surface contact with the side surface of the battery module (420) rather than the bottom surface. Since the coolant tube (430) is not pressurized by the weight of the battery module (420), the thickness (TH1) of the contact side wall (460) that makes surface contact with the battery module (420) can be designed to be thin. This can promote heat transfer between the battery coolant and the battery module (420). In addition, the weight of the coolant tube (430) can be reduced, and the cost can also be reduced.

[0106] The coolant tube (430) may have a contact side wall (460) that makes surface contact with the battery module (420) and a non-contact side wall (465) that does not make surface contact with the battery module (420). The thickness (TH1) of the contact side wall (460) may be thinner than the thickness (TH2) of the non-contact side wall (465). In other words, the thickness of the non-contact side wall (465) may be thicker than the thickness (TH1) of the contact side wall (460) to reinforce the rigidity of the coolant tube (430).

[0107] In the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, since both sides of the coolant tube (430) are in surface contact with the battery module (420), the thicknesses (TH1) of the facing side walls (460) may be the same. However, if only one side of the two sides of the coolant tube is in surface contact with the battery module and the other side is not in surface contact with the battery module, the thickness of the side wall that is not in surface contact with the battery module among the pair of facing side walls may be thicker than the thickness of the side wall that is in surface contact.

[0108] The cross-sectional shape of the coolant passage (450) may be a square with a curved corner (452). This is to prevent stress from being concentrated at the corner (452). However, the cross-sectional shape of the coolant passage (450) is not limited to the shape illustrated in FIG. 7, and may be, for example, circular or oval.

[0109] Among the two ends of the coolant tube (430) penetrating the coolant tube (430), one end may be connected to the coolant flow path upstream of the battery pack (400) along the circulation path of the battery coolant, and the other end may be connected to the coolant flow path downstream of the battery pack (400) along the circulation path of the battery coolant.

[0110] A pair of coolant tubes (430) may be arranged vertically in the Z-axis direction and extend parallel to penetrate the pack housing (401) so that multiple battery modules (420) are evenly cooled. In this case, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 5, the direction of movement of coolant flowing through one of the pair of coolant tubes (430) and the direction of movement of coolant flowing through the other coolant tube (430) may be opposite to each other.

[0111] The integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle of the present invention may include a battery pack (500) as shown in FIG. 8 instead of the battery pack (400) as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 8, a battery pack (500) according to another example of the present invention may include a pack housing (501), a plurality of battery modules (not shown), a cooling plate (540), and a coolant tube (550).

[0112] The pack housing (501) may include a base (502) and a cover (508) coupled to the base (502). A plurality of battery modules (not shown) may be accommodated in an internal space provided within the pack housing (501). Each battery module may include a plurality of battery cells. The battery cells may be rechargeable secondary batteries.

[0113] A cooling plate (540) may be positioned so as to be in surface contact with the bottom of the base (502). A coolant tube (550) may pass through the cooling plate (540). Battery coolant may flow along the coolant tube (550) to cool the cooling plate (540). Heat exchange may occur between the cooled cooling plate (540) and the pack housing (502).

[0114] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a circulation path of battery coolant, a circulation path of drive unit coolant, and a circulation path of refrigerant in the integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle of FIG. 1 when the electric vehicle is being charged and cooling of the battery pack is required.

[0115] In the thermal management mode of the electric vehicle illustrated in Figure 9, the bold dashed lines represent the refrigerant flow paths through which the refrigerant passes, and the thin dashed lines represent the refrigerant flow paths through which the refrigerant does not pass. The bold solid lines represent the battery coolant flow paths through which the battery coolant passes, and the thin solid lines represent the battery coolant flow paths through which the battery coolant does not pass. The thin dashed-dotted lines represent the drive unit coolant flow paths through which the drive unit coolant does not pass.

[0116] Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, and 9, when an electric vehicle is parked and charging, the refrigerant of the integrated thermal management device (100A) for the electric vehicle circulates along a cycle that sequentially passes through a compressor (301), an air conditioning condenser (120), a composite expander (170), an integrated heat exchanger (330), a four-way valve (190), and an accumulator (195).

[0117] Specifically, the refrigerant is introduced into the compressor (301) through the compressor inlet (310), compressed to a high pressure, and discharged through the compressor outlet (315). The compressed refrigerant passes through the air conditioning condenser (120) and is condensed, and is introduced into the composite expander (170) through the first inlet (175), and is expanded through the first expansion unit (171) to lower the temperature.

[0118] In this state, when the blower (110) operates and the blocking damper (126) opens, the heated air passes through the air conditioning condenser (120) and advances to the passenger space (10), so that the passenger space (10) can be heated. On the other hand, when the blocking damper (126) closes, a blowing state can be established in which the unheated air advances to the passenger space (10).

[0119] When charging an electric vehicle in a low-temperature external environment such as winter, when the blocking damper (126) opens and the blower (110) operates, the heated air passes through the air conditioning condenser (120) and advances to the passenger compartment (10), thereby heating the passenger compartment (10), and the passenger of the electric vehicle can comfortably drive by boarding the heated passenger compartment (10) after charging is completed. In addition, by minimizing additional power consumption due to heating during driving, it is possible to improve fuel efficiency and increase driving range in winter.

[0120] The refrigerant, whose temperature has been lowered, flows into the heat exchanger core (370) through the refrigerant inlet (362) of the integrated heat exchanger (330), passes through the battery pack (400), absorbs heat from the battery coolant, whose temperature has been raised, and is heated. The refrigerant, which has been heated while passing through the heat exchanger core (370), is discharged from the integrated heat exchanger (330) through the refrigerant outlet (364), passes through the four-way valve (190) and the accumulator (195), and flows back into the compressor (301) through the compressor inlet (310) of the compressor (301).

[0121] The battery coolant passes through the battery pack (400), absorbs heat from the battery pack (400), and releases heat to the refrigerant in the integrated heat exchanger (330). In detail, the battery coolant may circulate in a cycle sequentially passing through the battery pack (400), the coolant heater (156), the three-way valve (146), the integrated heat exchanger (330), and the water pump (153).

[0122] In the thermal management mode illustrated in Fig. 9, the coolant heater (156) does not operate. The coolant heated by passing through the battery pack (400) flows into the heat exchanger core (370) through the battery coolant inlet (352) of the coolant inlet (350) of the integrated heat exchanger (330), and is cooled by releasing heat as a refrigerant that has expanded and cooled by passing through the composite expander (170). The coolant cooled by passing through the heat exchanger core (370) is discharged from the integrated heat exchanger (330) through the battery coolant discharge (357) of the coolant outlet (355), and re-enters the battery pack (400) through the water pump (153).

[0123] Since the electric vehicle is not running, there is no need for forced cooling of the drive unit (30). Therefore, the drive unit coolant may not circulate.

[0124] While the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, these are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent alternative embodiments are possible. Accordingly, the true scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An air conditioning unit including an air conditioning condenser in which a refrigerant releases heat and is condensed, an air conditioning evaporator in which the refrigerant absorbs heat and is evaporated, and a blower for causing air to flow through the air conditioning evaporator and the air conditioning condenser and toward a passenger compartment of an electric vehicle; A compressor that compresses the refrigerant and supplies it to the air conditioning condenser; An integrated heat exchanger that induces heat exchange between at least one coolant among battery coolant that exchanges heat while passing through the battery pack of the electric vehicle and drive unit coolant that exchanges heat while passing through the drive unit of the electric vehicle, and refrigerant discharged from the air conditioning unit; and A composite expander is disposed outside the air conditioning unit and expands the refrigerant that has passed through the air conditioning condenser; An integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle, characterized in that the battery coolant circulates along a cycle sequentially passing through the battery pack and the integrated heat exchanger.

2. In paragraph 1, An integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle, characterized in that the refrigerant circulates along a cycle sequentially passing through the compressor, the air conditioning condenser, the composite expander, and the integrated heat exchanger.

3. In paragraph 1, An integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle, characterized in that the battery coolant passes through the battery pack, absorbs heat from the battery pack, and releases heat to the refrigerant in the integrated heat exchanger.

4. In paragraph 1, An integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle, characterized in that it further includes a blocking damper that blocks air flowing toward an air conditioning condenser so that air passing through the interior of the air conditioning unit avoids the air conditioning condenser.

5. In paragraph 4, An integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle, characterized in that the above-mentioned blocking damper is located upstream of the air conditioning condenser along the air flow path and includes a shutter that selectively opens and closes the air flow path.

6. In paragraph 1, The above integrated thermal management device for electric vehicles is, Further comprising a refrigerant-air heat exchanger that induces heat exchange between the refrigerant and air; The above composite expander, A first expansion unit that expands the refrigerant that has passed through the air conditioning condenser and guides it to the integrated heat exchanger; and An integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle, characterized by including a second expansion unit that expands the refrigerant passing through and flowing into the integrated heat exchanger and guides it to the refrigerant-air heat exchanger.

7. In paragraph 1, An integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle, characterized in that the integrated heat exchanger is coupled and fixed to the compressor.

8. In paragraph 1, The above integrated heat exchanger, A heat exchanger core including a plurality of coolant passages through which at least one of the battery coolant and the drive unit coolant passes, and a plurality of coolant passages through which the coolant passes and which are arranged alternately with the plurality of coolant passages; A cooling water inlet for guiding at least one cooling water to flow into the heat exchanger core; A refrigerant inlet that guides the refrigerant to flow into the heat exchanger core; A cooling water outlet for guiding at least one cooling water passing through the heat exchanger core to be discharged from the heat exchanger core; and An integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle, characterized in that it includes a refrigerant outlet that guides the refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger core to be discharged from the heat exchanger core.

9. In paragraph 1, The above battery pack, multiple battery modules; and An integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle, characterized by comprising: a cooling water tube made of a drawn metal material, extending in contact with a plurality of the above battery modules and having a cooling water path formed therein along the length direction; 10. In paragraph 9, The above coolant tube has a contact side wall that makes surface contact with the battery module, and a non-contact side wall that does not make surface contact with the battery module, An integrated thermal management device for an electric vehicle, characterized in that the thickness of the contact side wall is thinner than the thickness of the non-contact side wall.

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