Thermal management system, battery assembly and electric device

Abstract

A thermal management system, a battery assembly, and an electric device. The thermal management system comprises a heat exchange unit and an adjustment unit. The heat exchange unit comprises at least two heat exchange pipes, the heat exchange pipes are arranged in parallel, heat exchange branches are provided on the heat exchange pipes, at least one heat exchange pipe comprises at least two heat exchange branches, the heat exchange branches are arranged in parallel, and each heat exchange branch is provided with a heat exchanger. The adjustment unit comprises a first adjustment assembly, the first adjustment assembly is arranged in series with the parallel-connected heat exchange branches, and the first adjustment assembly is configured to adjust the pressure and / or flow rate of refrigerant in the same heat exchange pipe, so as to adjust the heat exchange amount of the heat exchange pipe.

Description

Thermal management system, battery pack and electrical equipment

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202421420285.X, filed on June 19, 2024, entitled "Thermal Management System, Battery Assembly and Electrical Equipment", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of battery pack thermal management technology, specifically to a thermal management system, battery assembly, and electrical equipment. Background Technology

[0004] In electrical equipment such as new energy vehicles, due to the priority of the overall vehicle layout space, when multiple battery packs or irregularly shaped battery packs are involved, there are huge differences in the heat exchange requirements between the cold plates used for heat exchange of the battery packs. The different sizes of the battery packs lead to large differences in the pressure loss of each cold plate, thus affecting the uniformity of the battery pack temperature. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a thermal management system, a battery assembly, and an electrical device. This thermal management system improves battery stability by keeping the deviation between the heat exchange amounts of each heat exchange pipeline within a preset range, thereby at least partially solving the aforementioned technical problems.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, a first aspect of this disclosure provides a thermal management system, comprising: a heat exchange unit including at least two heat exchange pipelines connected in parallel, each heat exchange pipeline having a heat exchange branch, at least one heat exchange pipeline including at least two heat exchange branches connected in parallel, each heat exchange branch having a heat exchanger; and a regulating unit, the regulating unit including a first regulating component connected in series with the parallel heat exchange branches, the first regulating component being configured to regulate the refrigerant pressure and / or flow rate in the heat exchange pipelines of the same path, thereby adjusting the heat exchange capacity of the heat exchange pipelines.

[0007] Optionally, the deviation between the heat exchange amounts in the heat exchange pipeline is no greater than 30%.

[0008] Optionally, the heat exchangers in at least two of the heat exchange branches have different heat exchange capacities.

[0009] Optionally, the heat exchange unit includes a first heat exchange pipeline, a second heat exchange pipeline, and a third heat exchange pipeline arranged in parallel. The first heat exchange pipeline includes multiple first heat exchange branches arranged in parallel, and the second heat exchange pipeline includes multiple second heat exchange branches arranged in parallel. The first heat exchange pipeline and the second heat exchange pipeline are connected in parallel and then connected in parallel with the third heat exchange pipeline. The heat exchanger includes a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, and a third heat exchanger. The first heat exchanger is disposed in each of the first heat exchange branches and is used for heat exchange of the first battery pack. The second heat exchanger is disposed in the second heat exchange branches and is used for heat exchange of the second battery pack. The third heat exchanger is disposed in the third heat exchange pipeline and is used for heat exchange of the third battery pack. The heat exchange capacity of the second heat exchanger is greater than that of the first heat exchanger, and the heat exchange capacity of the second heat exchanger is less than that of the third heat exchanger.

[0010] Optionally, the regulating unit further includes a second regulating component and a third regulating component. The second regulating component is connected in series with the parallel heat exchange pipelines. The second regulating component is configured to cooperate with the first regulating component to regulate the refrigerant pressure and / or flow rate in the heat exchange pipelines that are not connected to the first regulating component, so as to adjust the heat exchange capacity of the heat exchange pipelines. The third regulating component is located in each heat exchange branch and is configured to regulate the refrigerant pressure and / or flow rate in each heat exchange branch, so as to adjust the heat exchange capacity of the heat exchange branch.

[0011] Optionally, the first regulating component includes a first electronic expansion valve and a first pressure and temperature sensor, the first electronic expansion valve and the first pressure and temperature sensor being located at the refrigerant outlet after multiple first heat exchange branches are connected in parallel; the second regulating component includes a second electronic expansion valve, a second pressure and temperature sensor, a third electronic expansion valve and a third pressure and temperature sensor, the second electronic expansion valve and the second pressure and temperature sensor being located at the refrigerant outlet after the first heat exchange pipeline and the second heat exchange pipeline are connected in parallel, and the third electronic expansion valve and the third pressure and temperature sensor are located at the refrigerant outlet after the first heat exchange pipeline and the second heat exchange pipeline are connected in parallel and then in parallel with the third heat exchange pipeline; the third regulating component includes multiple fourth electronic expansion valves, multiple first temperature sensors and multiple second temperature sensors, wherein the multiple fourth electronic expansion valves and the first temperature sensors are respectively located at the refrigerant inlet of the first heat exchange branch, the refrigerant inlet of the second heat exchange branch and the refrigerant inlet of the third heat exchange pipeline, and the multiple second temperature sensors are respectively located at the refrigerant outlet of the first heat exchange branch, the refrigerant outlet of the second heat exchange branch and the refrigerant outlet of the third heat exchange pipeline.

[0012] Optionally, the thermal management system further includes a fourth heat exchanger, a gas-liquid separator, a liquid receiver, and a compressor. The refrigerant outlet of the fourth heat exchanger is equipped with a fifth electronic expansion valve and is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the liquid receiver. The refrigerant inlet of the fourth heat exchanger is selectively and intermittently connected to the refrigerant outlet of the compressor or to the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator. The refrigerant inlet of the compressor is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the gas-liquid separator, and the refrigerant outlet of the compressor is also connected to the third electronic expansion valve. The refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator is also connected to the third electronic expansion valve. The refrigerant outlet of the liquid receiver is connected to the refrigerant inlet of each of the heat exchange pipelines.

[0013] Optionally, the thermal management system further includes a fifth heat exchanger, the refrigerant inlet of the fifth heat exchanger is provided with a sixth electronic expansion valve and is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the liquid receiver, and the refrigerant outlet of the fifth heat exchanger is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator.

[0014] Optionally, the thermal management system further includes a first switching component connected to the third electronic expansion valve, the first switching component being configured to selectively connect the third electronic expansion valve to the refrigerant outlet of the compressor or the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator.

[0015] Optionally, the thermal management system further includes a second switching component connected to the refrigerant inlet of the fourth heat exchanger, the second switching component being configured to selectively connect the refrigerant inlet of the fourth heat exchanger to the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator or the refrigerant outlet of the compressor.

[0016] Optionally, the first switching component includes two first control valves arranged in parallel, one of which is used to control the on / off state of the refrigerant outlet of the compressor and the third electronic expansion valve, and the other of which is used to control the on / off state of the refrigerant outlet of the gas-liquid separator connected in parallel with the second heat exchange pipeline and the third heat exchange pipeline.

[0017] Optionally, the first switching component includes a seventh electronic expansion valve, which is connected in parallel with the third electronic expansion valve. The third electronic expansion valve is used to control the connection and disconnection between the refrigerant outlet of the second heat exchange pipeline and the third heat exchange pipeline connected in parallel and the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator. The seventh electronic expansion valve is used to control the connection and disconnection between the refrigerant outlet of the second heat exchange pipeline and the third heat exchange pipeline connected in parallel and the refrigerant outlet of the compressor.

[0018] Optionally, the second switching component includes two second control valves arranged in parallel, one of which is used to control the on / off state of the refrigerant outlet of the compressor and the refrigerant inlet of the fourth heat exchanger, and the other of which is used to control the on / off state of the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator and the refrigerant inlet of the fourth heat exchanger.

[0019] Optionally, the thermal management system further includes an evaporator and a condenser. The refrigerant inlet of the evaporator is equipped with an eighth electronic expansion valve and is responsively connected to the refrigerant outlet of the liquid receiver. The refrigerant outlet of the evaporator is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator. The refrigerant inlet of the condenser is equipped with a ninth electronic expansion valve and is responsively connected to the refrigerant outlet of the liquid receiver. The refrigerant outlet of the condenser is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the compressor.

[0020] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a battery assembly including the thermal management system described above.

[0021] A third aspect of this disclosure provides an electrical device including the battery assembly described above.

[0022] Through the above technical solution, at least two heat exchange pipelines in the heat exchange unit are connected in parallel, and heat exchange branches are set on the heat exchange pipelines. Each heat exchange branch is equipped with a heat exchanger. At least one heat exchange pipeline includes two heat exchange branches, which are connected in parallel. For example, for multiple battery packs of different sizes, the heat exchange capacity of different battery packs is different. The heat exchangers corresponding to the multiple battery packs can be connected in parallel in the corresponding heat exchange pipelines. Then, the first regulating component in the regulating unit is connected in series with the parallel heat exchange branches, and the heat exchange pipelines are connected in parallel. The first regulating component adjusts the refrigerant pressure and / or flow rate in the heat exchange pipelines of the same path to adjust the heat exchange capacity of the heat exchange pipeline. This ensures that the refrigerant pressure deviation between the parallel heat exchange pipelines is within a preset range, thereby enabling the heat exchangers on the heat exchange branches of each heat exchange pipeline to exchange heat evenly. This keeps the temperature of the battery located on the heat exchanger within a preset range, avoids excessive temperature difference causing battery performance degradation, and improves battery stability.

[0023] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description

[0024] 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:

[0025] Figure 1 is a flowchart of a first embodiment of the thermal management system provided in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0026] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the thermal management system provided in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0027] 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.

[0028] In this disclosure, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish one element from another and do not indicate any order or importance. When the following description relates to the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements.

[0029] In related technologies, as automotive power batteries develop towards higher capacity and higher charging rates, higher requirements are placed on the power and response speed of heating and cooling of the vehicle battery. Due to the priority given to the layout space of new energy vehicles, the battery assembly may have multiple battery packs or combinations of irregularly shaped battery packs. The different number of cells in the battery packs leads to significant differences in the heat exchange requirements of the direct cooling plates that exchange heat between the battery packs. This results in a large resistance deviation between different battery packs and a large saturation temperature of the refrigerant inlet and outlet in the corresponding direct cooling plates. This can easily lead to a larger temperature deviation between battery packs and reduce the overall performance of the battery assembly.

[0030] To address the aforementioned technical problems, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first aspect of this disclosure provides a thermal management system 1000, comprising: a heat exchange unit 1 and a regulating unit 3. The heat exchange unit 1 includes at least two parallel heat exchange pipelines, each heat exchange pipeline having at least one heat exchange branch. Multiple heat exchange branches located within the same heat exchange pipeline are connected in parallel, and each heat exchange branch is equipped with a heat exchanger 2. The regulating unit 3 includes a first regulating component 31, a second regulating component 32, and a third regulating component 33. The first regulating component 31 is located in each heat exchange branch and is configured to regulate the refrigerant flow rate within the heat exchange branch. The second regulating component 32 is located in one of two adjacent heat exchange pipelines and is configured to regulate the refrigerant pressure within each heat exchange branch of the same heat exchange pipeline. The third regulating component 33 is located at the refrigerant outlet of two adjacent heat exchange pipelines to adjust the deviation in heat exchange volume between the heat exchange pipelines within a preset range.

[0031] Through the above technical solution, at least two heat exchange pipelines in the heat exchange unit 1 are connected in parallel, and heat exchange branches are set on the heat exchange pipelines. Each heat exchange branch is equipped with a heat exchanger 2. At least one heat exchange pipeline includes two heat exchange branches, which are connected in parallel. For example, for multiple battery packs of different sizes, the heat exchange capacity of different battery packs is different. The heat exchangers 2 corresponding to the different battery packs can be connected in parallel in the corresponding heat exchange pipelines. Then, the first adjusting component 31 in the adjusting unit 3 is connected in series with the parallel heat exchange branches. The heat exchange pipelines are then connected in parallel. The first adjusting component 31 adjusts the refrigerant pressure and / or flow rate in the heat exchange pipelines of the same path to adjust the heat exchange capacity of the heat exchange pipeline. This ensures that the refrigerant pressure deviation between the parallel heat exchange pipelines is within a preset range. This ensures uniform heat exchange in the heat exchangers 2 on the corresponding heat exchange branches of each heat exchange pipeline, so that the temperature of the battery located on the heat exchanger 2 is maintained within a preset range, avoiding excessive temperature difference that could cause battery performance degradation and improving battery stability.

[0032] In order to control the deviation of the heat exchange capacity of each heat exchange pipeline within a preset range, in some feasible methods, the deviation of the heat exchange capacity of each heat exchange pipeline is not greater than 30%.

[0033] In some feasible embodiments, heat exchange unit 1 may include a first heat exchange pipeline 11, a second heat exchange pipeline 12, and a third heat exchange pipeline 13 arranged in parallel. The first heat exchange pipeline 11 includes multiple first heat exchange branches 111 arranged in parallel, the second heat exchange pipeline 12 includes multiple second heat exchange branches 121 arranged in parallel, the first heat exchange pipeline 11 and the second heat exchange pipeline 12 are connected in parallel and then connected in parallel with the third heat exchange pipeline 13. Heat exchanger 2 includes a first heat exchanger 21, a second heat exchanger 22, and a third heat exchanger 23. The first heat exchanger 21 is disposed in each of the first heat exchange branches 111 and is used for heat exchange of the first battery pack 100, the second heat exchanger 22 is disposed in the second heat exchange branch 121 and is used for heat exchange of the second battery pack 200, and the third heat exchanger 23 is disposed in the third heat exchange pipeline 13 and is used for heat exchange of the third battery pack 300. In this embodiment, the heat exchange capacity of the first heat exchanger 21 is greater than that of the first heat exchanger 21, and the heat exchange capacity of the second heat exchanger 22 is less than that of the third heat exchanger 23. The heat exchange capacity of the first heat exchanger 21, the second heat exchanger 22, and the third heat exchanger 23 is determined by the number of battery cells in the first battery pack 100 (which exchanges heat with the first heat exchanger 21), the second battery pack 200 (which exchanges heat with the second heat exchanger 22), and the third battery pack 300 (which exchanges heat with the third heat exchanger 23). For example, the first battery pack 100 has the fewest battery cells, the second battery pack 200 has a moderate number of battery cells, and the third battery pack 300 has the most battery cells, thus resulting in the first heat exchanger 21 having the lowest heat exchange capacity, the second heat exchanger 22 having a moderate heat exchange capacity, and the third heat exchanger 23 having the highest heat exchange capacity. To ensure that the refrigerant flow rate and pressure in the first heat exchange pipe 11, the second heat exchange pipe 12, and the third heat exchange pipe 13 are similar or nearly identical, the total number of battery cells in the multiple first battery packs 100 in the first heat exchange pipe 11, the total number of battery cells in the multiple second battery packs 200 in the second heat exchange pipe 12, and the total number of battery cells in the third battery pack 300 in the third heat exchange pipe 13 are similar or identical. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG1, the first battery pack 100 in the first heat exchange pipe 11 has 4 battery cells, the second battery pack 200 has 6 battery cells, and the third battery pack 300 has 12 battery cells. Thus, in order to make the heat exchange capacity of the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and the third heat exchange pipeline 13 approximately the same, the number of first heat exchangers 21 in the first heat exchange pipeline 11 is three, the number of second heat exchangers 22 in the second heat exchange pipeline 12 is two, and the number of third heat exchangers 23 in the third heat exchange pipeline 13 is one. Consequently, the number of first heat exchange branches 111 in the first heat exchange pipeline 11 is three, and the number of second heat exchange branches 121 in the second heat exchange pipeline 12 is two.

[0034] It is understood that the number of first heat exchangers 21 in the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the number of second heat exchangers 22 in the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and the number of third heat exchangers 23 in the third heat exchange pipeline 13 are illustrative. In other embodiments, the number of first heat exchangers 21, second heat exchangers 22, and third heat exchangers 23 can be other numbers, as long as the heat exchange capacity of the first heat exchange pipeline 11, second heat exchange pipeline 12, and third heat exchange pipeline 13 tends to be the same.

[0035] In some feasible embodiments, to facilitate the adjustment of refrigerant pressure and flow rate in each heat exchange pipeline and each heat exchange branch, the adjustment unit 3 further includes a second adjustment component 32 and a third adjustment component 33. The second adjustment component 32 is connected in series with the parallel heat exchange pipelines. The second adjustment component 32 is configured to cooperate with the first adjustment component 31 to adjust the refrigerant pressure and / or flow rate in heat exchange pipelines that are not connected to the first adjustment component 31, thereby adjusting the heat exchange capacity of those heat exchange pipelines. The third adjustment component 33 is located in each heat exchange branch. The third adjustment component 33 is configured to adjust the refrigerant pressure and / or flow rate in each heat exchange branch, thereby adjusting the heat exchange capacity of that heat exchange branch.

[0036] Specifically, the first regulating component 31 includes a first electronic expansion valve 311 and a first pressure-temperature sensor 312. The first electronic expansion valve 311 and the first pressure-temperature sensor 312 are located at the refrigerant outlet after multiple first heat exchange branches 111 are connected in parallel. The second regulating component 32 includes a second electronic expansion valve 321, a second pressure-temperature sensor 322, a third electronic expansion valve 323, and a third pressure-temperature sensor 324. The second electronic expansion valve 321 and the second pressure-temperature sensor 322 are located at the refrigerant outlet after the first heat exchange pipeline 11 and the second heat exchange pipeline 12 are connected in parallel. The third electronic expansion valve 323 and the third pressure-temperature sensor 324 are located at the refrigerant outlet after the first heat exchange pipeline 11 and the second heat exchange pipeline 12 are connected in parallel and then in parallel with the third heat exchange pipeline 13. The third regulating component 33 includes multiple fourth electronic expansion valves 331, multiple first temperature sensors 332, and multiple second temperature sensors 333. Among them, multiple fourth electronic expansion valves 331 and first temperature sensors 332 are respectively located at the refrigerant inlet of the first heat exchange branch 111, the refrigerant inlet of the second heat exchange branch 121 and the refrigerant inlet of the third heat exchange pipeline 13, and multiple second temperature sensors 333 are respectively located at the refrigerant outlet of the first heat exchange branch 111, the refrigerant outlet of the second heat exchange branch 121 and the refrigerant outlet of the third heat exchange pipeline 13.

[0037] As shown in Figure 1, in one specific embodiment, there are three first heat exchangers 21, each disposed on a corresponding first heat exchange branch 111, and the three first heat exchange branches 111 are connected in parallel. Each first heat exchanger 21 corresponds to a first battery pack 100 with four battery cells. There are two second heat exchangers 22, each disposed on a corresponding second heat exchange branch 121. Each second heat exchanger corresponds to a second battery pack 200 with six battery cells. There is one third heat exchanger 23, disposed on a corresponding third heat exchange pipe 13, and has twelve battery cells. Since the total number of battery cells in the corresponding first battery packs 100, the total number of battery cells in the corresponding second battery packs 200, and the number of battery cells in the corresponding third battery pack 300 are equal, the heat exchange in the first heat exchange pipe 11, the heat exchange in the second heat exchange pipe 12, and the heat exchange in the third heat exchange pipe 13 are the same. Of course, in this embodiment, the first heat exchange pipe 11 and the second heat exchange pipe 12 are connected in parallel, and then connected in parallel with the third heat exchange pipe 13. Thus, the refrigerant flow rate into each heat exchange branch can be adjusted by adjusting the fourth electronic expansion valve 331 in the third regulating assembly 33. The first temperature sensor 332 and the second temperature sensor 333 in the third regulating assembly 33 are used to monitor the refrigerant temperature on both sides of the first heat exchanger 21, the second heat exchanger 22, and the third heat exchanger 23 in real time, respectively. The first electronic expansion valve 311 in the first regulating assembly 31 is located at the intersection of the three first heat exchange branches 111 connected in parallel. The first pressure-temperature sensor 312 is used to measure the refrigerant pressure in the first heat exchange pipe 11, and the first electronic expansion valve 311 is used to regulate the refrigerant pressure in the first heat exchange pipe 11. The second electronic expansion valve 321 in the second regulating assembly 32 works in conjunction with the first electronic expansion valve 311 to adjust the refrigerant pressure in the second heat exchange pipe 12. A second pressure-temperature sensor 322 is used to measure the refrigerant pressure and temperature after the first and second heat exchange pipes 11 and 12 are connected in parallel. The third electronic expansion valve 323 in the second regulating assembly 32 works in conjunction with the second electronic expansion valve 321 to adjust the refrigerant pressure in the third heat exchange pipe 13. A third pressure-temperature sensor 324 is used to measure the refrigerant pressure and temperature after the first and second heat exchange pipes 11 and 12 are connected in parallel, and then in parallel with the third heat exchange pipe 13. Therefore, the coordination of the first regulating assembly 31, the second regulating assembly 32, and the third regulating assembly 33 facilitates the regulation of the refrigerant pressure and flow rate in the first heat exchange pipe 11, the second heat exchange pipe 12, and the third heat exchange pipe 13. By using the third electronic expansion valve 323 in conjunction with the second electronic expansion valve 321, and by using the second electronic expansion valve 321 in conjunction with the first electronic expansion valve 311, the number of electronic expansion valves controlling the refrigerant pressure in the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and the third heat exchange pipeline 13 can be reduced, thereby lowering costs.

[0038] It is understood that the quantities of the first battery pack 100, the second battery pack 200, and the third battery pack 300, as well as the number of battery cells within each battery pack, are illustrative. In other embodiments, the number of battery cells in the first battery pack 100, the second battery pack 200, and the third battery pack 300 may be other values.

[0039] When the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and the third heat exchange pipeline 13 cool and exchange heat for the first battery pack 100 corresponding to the first heat exchanger 21, the second battery pack 200 corresponding to the second heat exchanger 22, and the third battery pack 300 corresponding to the third heat exchanger 23, the heat exchange is first allocated according to the number of the first battery pack 100, the second battery pack 200, and the third battery pack 300 and the number of cells in each battery pack, so that the heat exchange of the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and the third heat exchange pipeline 13 is approximately or equal, thereby obtaining the preset target value of the required heat exchange of each heat exchange pipeline. The pressure of the refrigerant at the outlet of the refrigerant connected in parallel with the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and then the third heat exchange pipeline 13 is controlled by a third electronic expansion valve 323. A third pressure-temperature sensor 324 measures the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant at the outlet of the refrigerant connected in parallel with the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and then the third heat exchange pipeline 13 in real time. The opening degree of the third electronic expansion valve 323 is used to adjust the pressure of the refrigerant at the outlet of the refrigerant connected in parallel with the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and then the third heat exchange pipeline 13 to be within a preset range. Simultaneously, the pressure of the refrigerant after the first heat exchange pipeline 11 and the second heat exchange pipeline 12 are connected in parallel is controlled by a second electronic expansion valve 321, and a second pressure-temperature sensor 322 measures the pressure of the refrigerant at the outlet of the refrigerant after the first heat exchange pipeline 11 and the second heat exchange pipeline 12 are connected in parallel in real time. The pressure of the refrigerant outlet after the first heat exchange pipeline 11 and the second heat exchange pipeline 12 are connected in parallel is controlled by controlling the valve opening of the second electronic expansion valve 321.

[0040] Thus, the refrigerant pressure in the parallel first heat exchange pipeline 11 and the second heat exchange pipeline 12 can be controlled by the cooperation of the third electronic expansion valve 323 and the second electronic expansion valve 321. The refrigerant pressure in the first heat exchange pipeline 11 is controlled by the first electronic expansion valve 311, and the refrigerant pressure in the second heat exchange pipeline 12 is controlled by the cooperation of the second electronic expansion valve 321 and the first electronic expansion valve 311. Consequently, the lower-temperature refrigerant enters from the refrigerant inlets of the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and the third heat exchange pipeline 13. The lower-temperature refrigerant cools the first battery pack 100 through the first heat exchange branch 111 on the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the lower-temperature refrigerant cools the second battery pack 200 through the second heat exchange branch 121 on the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and the lower-temperature refrigerant cools the third battery pack 300 through the third heat exchange pipeline 13. The pressure and temperature at the refrigerant outlet of the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the second heat exchange pipeline 12 connected in parallel, and then the third heat exchange pipeline 13 are monitored in real time by a third pressure and temperature sensor 324. When the pressure value of the third pressure and temperature sensor 324 is not within the preset pressure range, the valve opening of the third electronic expansion valve 323 is adjusted to bring the pressure value measured by the third pressure and temperature sensor 324 within the preset range. At this time, the valve opening of the third electronic expansion valve 323 is fixed. The pressure and temperature at the refrigerant outlet of the first heat exchange pipeline 11 and the second heat exchange pipeline 12 connected in parallel are monitored in real time by a second pressure and temperature sensor 322. When the pressure value measured by the second pressure and temperature sensor 322 is not within the preset range, the valve opening of the second electronic expansion valve 321 is controlled to bring the pressure value measured by the second pressure and temperature sensor 322 within the preset range. At this time, the refrigerant pressure in the third heat exchange pipeline 13 is also within the preset range.

[0041] Furthermore, the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant outlet of the first heat exchange pipeline 11 are monitored in real time by the first pressure and temperature sensor 312. When the pressure value measured by the first pressure and temperature sensor 312 is not within the preset range, the refrigerant pressure of the first heat exchange pipeline 11 is adjusted by controlling the valve opening of the first electronic expansion valve 311 so that the pressure value measured by the first pressure and temperature sensor 312 falls within the preset range. In this way, the refrigerant pressures of the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and the third heat exchange pipeline 13 can be adjusted to the preset range. At this time, the saturation temperature of the refrigerant at the corresponding pressure can be calculated from the pressure values ​​of the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and the third heat exchange pipeline 13.

[0042] The refrigerant outlet temperatures at the outlets of the refrigerant in each of the following heat exchange lines are measured by the second temperature sensors 333 in the three first heat exchange branches 111 of the first heat exchange line 11, the two second heat exchange branches 121 of the second heat exchange line 12, and the third heat exchange line 13, respectively. This allows for the calculation of the superheat corresponding to the first battery pack 100, the second battery pack 200, and the third battery pack 300 in each of the first heat exchange branches 111, the second heat exchange branches 121, and the third heat exchange line 13. The refrigerant flow rate is controlled by adjusting the opening degree of the fourth electronic expansion valve 331 on the corresponding first heat exchange branches 111, the second heat exchange branches 121, and the third heat exchange line 13. This ensures that the refrigerant superheat in each of the first heat exchange branch 111, the second heat exchange branch 121, and the third heat exchange pipeline 13 is within a preset range, thereby uniformly cooling each of the first battery pack 100, the second battery pack 200, and the third battery pack 300, so that the temperatures of the first battery pack 100, the second battery pack 200, and the third battery pack 300 are similar or equal, thus improving the stability of the battery pack.

[0043] It should be noted that superheat is an important parameter in the refrigeration system. When the superheat exceeds a preset value, the fourth electronic expansion valve 331 opens to increase the refrigerant flow, thus reducing the superheat. When the superheat is below the set value, the fourth electronic expansion valve 331 closes to reduce the refrigerant flow, thus increasing the superheat, ultimately bringing the superheat within the preset range. In this embodiment, if the refrigerant superheat in the first heat exchange branch 111 of the first heat exchange pipeline 11 corresponding to the first battery pack 100 is within the preset range, the valve opening of the fourth electronic expansion valve 331 is stopped, and the heat exchange capacity of the first heat exchange branch 111 remains within the preset range. Similarly, the refrigerant flow and pressure in the second heat exchange pipeline 12 and the third heat exchange pipeline 13 can be adjusted with reference to the first heat exchange pipeline 11, ultimately ensuring that the deviation between the heat exchange capacities of the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and the third heat exchange pipeline 13 is no greater than 30%. This allows for uniform heat dissipation from the first battery pack 100, the second battery pack 200, and the third battery pack 300, keeping the overall temperature of the battery assembly within a preset range and improving battery stability.

[0044] Understandably, in order to facilitate the introduction of refrigerant into the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and the third heat exchange pipeline 13, the inlets of the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and the third heat exchange pipeline 13 can all be connected to the first refrigerant delivery pipeline 150, so that the lower temperature liquid refrigerant can be delivered to the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and the third heat exchange pipeline 13 respectively through the first refrigerant delivery pipeline 150.

[0045] In some feasible embodiments, the heat exchange capacity of the first heat exchange pipe 11 is Qa, the heat exchange capacity of the second heat exchange pipe 12 is Qb, and the heat exchange capacity of the third heat exchange pipe 13 is Qc. The deviation value between the heat exchange capacities of the heat exchange pipes is A, wherein (max(Qa, Qb, Qc) - min(Qa, Qb, Qc)) / max(Qa, Qb, Qc) = A ≤ 30%, preferably, A ≤ 20%.

[0046] When the first heat exchange pipe 11, the second heat exchange pipe 12, and the third heat exchange pipe 13 heat the first battery pack 100 corresponding to the first heat exchanger 21, the second battery pack 200 corresponding to the second heat exchanger 22, and the third battery pack 300 corresponding to the third heat exchanger 23, the higher-temperature gaseous refrigerant is transported in the opposite direction to the refrigerant used during cooling. That is, the refrigerant flows from the refrigerant outlet of the first heat exchange pipe 11, the second heat exchange pipe 12, and the third heat exchange pipe 13 towards the refrigerant inlet, thereby heating the corresponding first battery pack 100, second battery pack 200, and third battery pack 300 in the first heat exchange pipe 11, the second heat exchange pipe 12, and the third heat exchange pipe 13. The refrigerant pressure control of the first heat exchange pipe 11, the second heat exchange pipe 12, and the third heat exchange pipe 13 during heating can refer to the control method during cooling, and will not be elaborated here. At this point, the saturation temperature of the refrigerant at the corresponding pressure can be calculated using the pressure values ​​corresponding to the first heat exchange pipe 11, the second heat exchange pipe 12, and the third heat exchange pipe 13. The inlet temperature of the refrigerant entering each of the three first heat exchange branches 111 in the first heat exchange pipe 11, the two second heat exchange branches 121 in the second heat exchange pipe 12, and the third heat exchange pipe 13 can be measured by the first temperature sensors 332 corresponding to each of the first heat exchange branches 111, the second heat exchange branches 121, and the third heat exchange pipe 13. Therefore, the inlet temperature of each first battery pack 100 corresponding to each of the first heat exchange branches 111, the second heat exchange branches 121, and the third heat exchange pipe 13 can be calculated. The subcooling of the second battery pack 200 and the third battery pack 300 are controlled by adjusting the opening of the fourth electronic expansion valve 331 on the corresponding first heat exchange branch 111, second heat exchange branch 121 and third heat exchange pipeline 13. This ensures that the subcooling of the refrigerant in each of the first heat exchange branch 111, second heat exchange branch 121 and third heat exchange pipeline 13 is within a preset range, so that each of the first battery pack 100, second battery pack 200 and third battery pack 300 is heated uniformly, so that the temperatures of the first battery pack 100, second battery pack 200 and third battery pack 300 are similar or equal, thereby improving the stability of the battery pack.

[0047] It should be noted that subcooling is an important parameter in the refrigeration system. When the subcooling is greater than the preset value, the fourth electronic expansion valve 331 will increase the valve opening to increase the refrigerant flow and reduce the subcooling. When the subcooling is less than the set value, the fourth electronic expansion valve 331 will decrease the valve opening to reduce the refrigerant flow and increase the subcooling, ultimately bringing the subcooling within the preset range. In this embodiment, if the refrigerant subcooling of the first heat exchange pipe 11 is within a preset range, the valve opening of the fourth electronic expansion valve 331 is stopped from being adjusted. The heat exchange capacity of the first heat exchange pipe 11 is within the preset range. Similarly, the refrigerant flow rate and refrigerant pressure of the second heat exchange pipe 12 and the third heat exchange pipe 13 can be adjusted with reference to the first heat exchange pipe 11. Ultimately, the deviation between the heat exchange capacity of the first heat exchange pipe 11, the second heat exchange pipe 12, and the third heat exchange pipe 13 is no more than 30%, thereby enabling the first battery pack 100, the second battery pack 200, and the third battery pack 300 to be heated uniformly, so that the overall temperature of the battery assembly is within the preset range.

[0048] To facilitate the cooling or heating of the first battery pack 100, the second battery pack 200, and the third battery pack 300 by the thermal management system, in some feasible embodiments, the thermal management system further includes a fourth heat exchanger 4, a gas-liquid separator 5, a liquid receiver 6, and a compressor 7. The refrigerant outlet of the fourth heat exchanger 4 is equipped with a fifth electronic expansion valve 41 and is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the liquid receiver 6. The refrigerant inlet of the fourth heat exchanger 4 is selectively and intermittently connected to the refrigerant outlet of the compressor 7 or the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator 5. The refrigerant inlet of the compressor 7 is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the gas-liquid separator 5. The refrigerant outlet of the compressor 7 is also connected to a third electronic expansion valve 323. The refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator 5 is also connected to a third electronic expansion valve 323. The refrigerant outlet of the liquid receiver 6 is connected to the refrigerant inlets of each heat exchange pipeline.

[0049] When cooling of the first battery pack 100, the second battery pack 200, and the third battery pack 300 is required, the lower-temperature refrigerant in the reservoir 6 enters through the refrigerant inlet of the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the refrigerant inlet of the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and the refrigerant inlet of the third heat exchange pipeline 13. The refrigerant exchanges heat with the corresponding first battery pack 100 through the first heat exchanger 21 on each of the first heat exchange branches 111 in the first heat exchange pipeline 11, exchanges heat with the corresponding second battery pack 200 through the second heat exchanger 22 on each of the second heat exchange branches 121 in the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and exchanges heat with the third battery pack 300 through the third heat exchanger 23. After heat exchange and heating, the refrigerant becomes gaseous and flows from the refrigerant outlet of the first heat exchange branch 111 of the first heat exchange pipeline 11 through the fourth electronic expansion valve 331. It then connects in parallel with the second heat exchange branch 121 of the second heat exchange pipeline 12, passes through the second electronic expansion valve 321, and then connects in parallel with the third heat exchange pipeline 13. After this parallel connection, it enters the third electronic expansion valve 323 and connects to the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator 5. The higher-temperature refrigerant undergoes gas-liquid separation and enters the compressor 7 for compression. After passing through the fourth heat exchanger 4 for heat exchange and cooling, it then passes through the fifth electronic expansion valve 41 for throttling, forming a lower-temperature liquid refrigerant that enters the liquid receiver 6. This allows the lower-temperature liquid refrigerant to flow from the reservoir 6 into the corresponding first heat exchange pipe 11, second heat exchange pipe 12, and third heat exchange pipe 13 to circulate and cool the first battery pack 100, second battery pack 200, and third battery pack 300, so that the temperature of each battery pack is maintained within a preset range to maintain the performance of the battery assembly.

[0050] When heating is required for the first battery pack 100, the second battery pack 200, and the third battery pack 300, refrigerant requiring a higher temperature enters and exits from the refrigerant outlets of each heat exchange pipeline. At this time, the refrigerant is pressurized and heated by the refrigerant outlet of compressor 7, and the refrigerant outlet of compressor 7 is connected to the refrigerant outlets of the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and the third heat exchange pipeline 13, respectively. The higher-temperature refrigerant first passes through the third electronic expansion valve 323 and is then diverted sequentially. Part of the refrigerant enters the third heat exchange pipeline 13 and heats the third battery pack 300, while the remaining refrigerant passes through the second electronic expansion valve 321, where it is diverted again. Part of the refrigerant enters the two second heat exchange branches 121 within the second heat exchange pipeline 12 to heat the second battery pack 200. The remaining refrigerant passes through the first electronic expansion valve 311, and is then diverted into the three corresponding first heat exchange branches 111 of the first heat exchange pipeline 11 to heat the first battery pack 100. After heating, the refrigerant flows from the refrigerant inlets of the third heat exchange pipeline 13, the second heat exchange branch 121, and the first heat exchange branch 111 to the first refrigerant delivery pipeline 150 and then into the liquid receiver 6. The refrigerant in the liquid receiver 6 evaporates and absorbs heat through the fifth electronic expansion valve 41 and the fourth heat exchanger 4 before returning to the gas-liquid separator 5, completing the refrigerant cycle. Heating each battery pack maintains its temperature within a preset range to preserve the performance of the battery assembly.

[0051] Furthermore, when the first battery pack 100, the second battery pack 200, and the third battery pack 300 are heated, the thermal management system also includes a fifth heat exchanger 8 to quickly evaporate and absorb heat to cool the refrigerant. The refrigerant inlet of the fifth heat exchanger 8 is equipped with a sixth electronic expansion valve 81 and is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the liquid receiver 6. The refrigerant outlet of the fifth heat exchanger 8 is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator 5. The fifth heat exchanger 8 can be a plate heat exchanger. For example, the two ends of the heat exchange channel of the plate heat exchanger are connected to the cooling circuits of the vehicle's motor and electronic control system, respectively. When the battery or the passenger compartment has a heating requirement, the waste heat from the motor or electronic control system can be recovered to exchange heat with the refrigerant. The sixth electronic expansion valve 81 can control the opening and closing of the fifth heat exchanger 8 and the liquid receiver 6. The refrigerant passing through the fifth heat exchanger 8 enters the gas-liquid separator 5, achieving a high energy efficiency ratio for the entire thermal control system.

[0052] In some feasible implementations, to facilitate the switching of the thermal management system for heating or cooling the battery packs, the thermal management system also includes a first switching component 9 connected to the third electronic expansion valve 323. The first switching component 9 is configured to selectively connect the third electronic expansion valve 323 to the refrigerant outlet of the compressor 7 or the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator 5. Thus, when cooling of the first battery pack 100, the second battery pack 200, and the third battery pack 300 is required, lower-temperature liquid refrigerant enters from the reservoir 6 through the refrigerant inlets of the first heat exchange line 11, the second heat exchange line 12, and the third heat exchange line 13 to cool the corresponding first battery pack 100, second battery pack 200, and third battery pack 300. The heated refrigerant then connects the refrigerant outlet of each heat exchange line to the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator 5 via the first switching component 9. The gas-liquid separated refrigerant enters the compressor 7 for compression, is cooled by the fourth heat exchanger 4, and then throttles through the fifth electronic expansion valve 41 before re-entering the reservoir 6. Conversely, when it is necessary to heat the first battery pack 100, the second battery pack 200, and the third battery pack 300, the refrigerant flow direction is reversed. At this time, the refrigerant outlet of the heat exchange pipeline is switched to the refrigerant outlet of the compressor 7 via the first switching component 9. The higher-temperature refrigerant, compressed by the compressor 7, enters from the refrigerant outlets of the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and the third heat exchange pipeline 13, and heats the first battery pack 100, the second battery pack 200, and the third battery pack 300. The thermal management system also includes a second switching component 10 connected to the refrigerant inlet of the fourth heat exchanger 4. The second switching component 10 is configured to selectively connect the refrigerant inlet of the fourth heat exchanger 4 to either the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator 5 or the refrigerant outlet of the compressor 7.

[0053] In some specific embodiments, the first switching component 9 includes two first control valves 91 arranged in parallel. One first control valve 91 is used to control the on / off state of the refrigerant outlet of the compressor 7 and the third electronic expansion valve 323, and the other first control valve 91 is used to control the on / off state of the refrigerant outlet of the gas-liquid separator 5 connected in parallel with the second heat exchange pipeline 12 and the third heat exchange pipeline 13. The first control valves 91 can be solenoid valves. Thus, by switching the two first control valves 91 on and off, the refrigerant outlet of the heat exchange pipeline can be selectively connected to the refrigerant outlet of the compressor 7 or the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator 5, thereby facilitating the switching of cooling or heating of the battery pack.

[0054] Furthermore, the first switching component 9 can also be an electromagnetic control valve. For example, the first switching component 9 includes a seventh electronic expansion valve 92, which is connected in parallel with a third electronic expansion valve 323. The third electronic expansion valve 323 controls the opening and closing of the refrigerant outlet of the second heat exchange pipeline 12 and the third heat exchange pipeline 13 (connected in parallel) with the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator 5. The seventh electronic expansion valve 92 controls the opening and closing of the refrigerant outlet of the second heat exchange pipeline 12 and the third heat exchange pipeline 13 (connected in parallel) with the refrigerant outlet of the compressor 7. Thus, when cooling of the battery pack is required, the seventh electronic expansion valve 92 is closed and the third electronic expansion valve 323 is opened so that the refrigerant after heat exchange with the battery pack enters the gas-liquid separator 5 through the refrigerant inlet. Conversely, when heating of the battery pack is required, the seventh electronic expansion valve 92 is opened and the third electronic expansion valve 323 is closed, so that the refrigerant outlet of the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the second heat exchange pipeline 12 (connected in parallel), and the third heat exchange pipeline 13 (connected in parallel) is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the compressor 7. This allows higher-temperature refrigerant to be diverted through the seventh electronic expansion valve 92 into the third heat exchange pipeline 13 to heat the third battery pack 300, into the two second heat exchange branches 121 in the second heat exchange pipeline 12 to heat the corresponding second battery pack 200, and into the three first heat exchange branches 111 in the first heat exchange pipeline 11 to heat the corresponding first battery pack 100.

[0055] In some feasible implementations, to facilitate the thermal management system's switching between heating and cooling the battery pack, the second switching assembly 10 includes two parallel second control valves 101. Each second control valve 101 can be a solenoid valve. One second control valve 101 controls the connection between the refrigerant outlet of the compressor 7 and the refrigerant inlet of the fourth heat exchanger 4, while the other second control valve 101 controls the connection between the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator 5 and the refrigerant inlet of the fourth heat exchanger 4. Thus, by switching the two second control valves 101 on and off, the refrigerant inlet of the fourth heat exchanger 4 can be selectively connected to either the refrigerant outlet of the compressor 7 or the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator 5, thereby facilitating the thermal management system's switching between cooling and heating the battery pack.

[0056] In some feasible implementations, to facilitate the cooling or heating of the battery pack by the thermal management system, the thermal management system also includes an evaporator 110 and a condenser 120. For example, in a new energy vehicle, the evaporator 110 can be an in-vehicle evaporator, and the condenser 120 can be an in-vehicle condenser. The refrigerant inlet of the evaporator 110 is equipped with an eighth electronic expansion valve 130 and is responsively connected to the refrigerant outlet of the receiver 6. The refrigerant outlet of the evaporator 110 is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator 5. The refrigerant inlet of the condenser 120 is equipped with a ninth electronic expansion valve 140 and is responsively connected to the refrigerant outlet of the receiver 6. The refrigerant outlet of the condenser 120 is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the compressor 7. Thus, when cooling of the battery pack is required, the higher-temperature gaseous refrigerant exiting from the first heat exchange pipe 11, the second heat exchange pipe 12, and the third heat exchange pipe 13 passes through the gas-liquid separator 5 and enters the compressor 7 for compression. Part of the compressed refrigerant from the compressor 7 outlet enters the fourth heat exchanger 4 and the fifth electronic expansion valve 41 for throttling and cooling, forming a lower-temperature liquid refrigerant that enters the reservoir 6. Another portion of the compressed refrigerant enters the condenser 120 and the ninth electronic expansion valve 140 for throttling and cooling, forming a lower-temperature liquid refrigerant that enters the reservoir 6. The lower-temperature liquid refrigerant is then diverted from the reservoir 6 into the first heat exchange branch 111 of the first heat exchange pipe 11, the second heat exchange branch 121 of the second heat exchange pipe 12, and the third heat exchange pipe 13 to cool the corresponding first battery pack 100, second battery pack 200, and third battery pack 300. By incorporating the condenser 120, the efficiency of forming a lower-temperature liquid refrigerant can be accelerated, ensuring sufficient lower-temperature refrigerant to cool the first battery pack 100, the second battery pack 200, and the third battery pack 300. When heating of the battery packs is required, higher-temperature gaseous refrigerant flows from the refrigerant outlet of the compressor 7 through the third electronic expansion valve 323 into the third heat exchange pipeline 13, the second heat exchange branch 121 of the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and the first heat exchange branch 111 of the first heat exchange pipeline 11, respectively, to heat the corresponding battery packs. After heat exchange, the refrigerant cools down, and a portion of the cooled refrigerant passes through the liquid receiver 6, the fourth heat exchanger 4, and the fifth heat exchanger 8 for further heat exchange. After entering the gas-liquid separator 5, it again passes through the compressor 7 into the first heat exchange pipeline 11, the second heat exchange pipeline 12, and the third heat exchange pipeline 13 to heat the battery packs. In this embodiment, the cooled refrigerant can also enter the gas-liquid separator 5 after heat exchange through the evaporator 110, thereby accelerating the efficiency of forming a higher temperature refrigerant, so that the thermal management system has enough higher temperature refrigerant to heat the battery pack.

[0057] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a battery assembly including the aforementioned thermal management system. This thermal management system can cool and heat each battery pack within the battery assembly, keeping the temperature of each battery pack within a preset range, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the battery packs and preventing performance degradation of the battery assembly due to temperature differences. It should be noted that the aforementioned battery assembly includes all the beneficial effects of the aforementioned thermal management system, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0058] This disclosure provides a third aspect of an electrical device, including the aforementioned battery assembly. It should be noted that the electrical device can be a new energy vehicle containing a battery assembly. The battery assembly enables uniform cooling or heating of the battery packs within it, ensuring that the temperatures of each battery pack are similar and thus guaranteeing the performance of the battery packs. Of course, the description of the electrical device as a new energy vehicle containing a battery assembly is illustrative; in other embodiments, the electrical device can take other forms, such as an energy storage battery electrical device.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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.

[0061] 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 thermal management system (1000), characterized in that, include: A heat exchange unit (1) includes at least two heat exchange pipelines connected in parallel, each heat exchange pipeline having a heat exchange branch, at least one of the heat exchange pipelines including at least two heat exchange branches connected in parallel, and each heat exchange branch having a heat exchanger (2); and The regulating unit (3) includes a first regulating component (31), which is connected in series with the parallel heat exchange branch. The first regulating component (31) is configured to regulate the refrigerant pressure and / or flow rate in the heat exchange pipeline of the same route, so as to adjust the heat exchange capacity of the heat exchange pipeline.

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The deviation in the amount of heat exchanged in the heat exchange pipeline shall not exceed 30%.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The heat exchangers (2) in at least two of the heat exchange branches have different heat exchange capacities.

4. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The heat exchange unit (1) includes a first heat exchange pipeline (11), a second heat exchange pipeline (12), and a third heat exchange pipeline (13) arranged in parallel. The first heat exchange pipeline (11) includes multiple first heat exchange branches (111) arranged in parallel. The second heat exchange pipeline (12) includes multiple second heat exchange branches (121) arranged in parallel. The first heat exchange pipeline (11) and the second heat exchange pipeline (12) are connected in parallel, and then connected in parallel with the third heat exchange pipeline (13). The heat exchanger (2) includes a first heat exchanger (21), a second heat exchanger (22), and a third heat exchanger (23). The first heat exchanger (21) is disposed in each of the first heat exchange branches (111) and is used for heat exchange of the first battery pack (100). The second heat exchanger (22) is disposed in the second heat exchange branch (121) and is used for heat exchange of the second battery pack (200). The third heat exchanger (23) is disposed in the third heat exchange pipeline (13) and is used for heat exchange of the third battery pack (300). The heat exchange capacity of the second heat exchanger (22) is greater than that of the first heat exchanger (21), and the heat exchange capacity of the second heat exchanger (22) is less than that of the third heat exchanger (23).

5. The thermal management system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The adjustment unit (3) further includes a second adjustment component (32) and a third adjustment component (33). The second regulating component (33) is connected in series with the parallel heat exchange pipeline. The second regulating component (32) is configured to cooperate with the first regulating component (31) to regulate the refrigerant pressure and / or flow rate in the heat exchange pipeline that is not connected to the first regulating component (31) in order to adjust the heat exchange capacity of the heat exchange pipeline. The third regulating component (33) is disposed in each of the heat exchange branches, and the third regulating component (33) is configured to regulate the refrigerant pressure and / or flow rate in each of the heat exchange branches to adjust the heat exchange capacity of the heat exchange branch.

6. The thermal management system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first regulating component (31) includes a first electronic expansion valve (311) and a first pressure and temperature sensor (312), the first electronic expansion valve (311) and the first pressure and temperature sensor (312) being located at the refrigerant outlet after multiple first heat exchange branches (111) are connected in parallel; The second regulating component (32) includes a second electronic expansion valve (321), a second pressure and temperature sensor (322), a third electronic expansion valve (323), and a third pressure and temperature sensor (324). The second electronic expansion valve (321) and the second pressure and temperature sensor (322) are located at the refrigerant outlet after the first heat exchange pipeline (11) and the second heat exchange pipeline (12) are connected in parallel. The third electronic expansion valve (323) and the third pressure and temperature sensor (324) are located at the refrigerant outlet after the first heat exchange pipeline (11) and the second heat exchange pipeline (12) are connected in parallel and then connected in parallel with the third heat exchange pipeline (13). The third regulating component (33) includes a plurality of fourth electronic expansion valves (331), a plurality of first temperature sensors (332), and a plurality of second temperature sensors (333). The plurality of fourth electronic expansion valves (331) and the first temperature sensors (332) are respectively located at the refrigerant inlet of the first heat exchange branch (111), the refrigerant inlet of the second heat exchange branch (121), and the refrigerant inlet of the third heat exchange pipeline (13). The plurality of second temperature sensors (333) are respectively located at the refrigerant outlet of the first heat exchange branch (111), the refrigerant outlet of the second heat exchange branch (121), and the refrigerant outlet of the third heat exchange pipeline (13).

7. The thermal management system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The thermal management system also includes a fourth heat exchanger (4), a gas-liquid separator (5), a liquid receiver (6), and a compressor (7). The refrigerant outlet of the fourth heat exchanger (4) is provided with a fifth electronic expansion valve (41) and is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the liquid receiver (6). The refrigerant inlet of the fourth heat exchanger (4) is selectively connected to the refrigerant outlet of the compressor (7) or to the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator (5). The refrigerant inlet of the compressor (7) is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the gas-liquid separator (5), and the refrigerant outlet of the compressor (7) is also connected to the third electronic expansion valve (323); The refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator (5) is also connected to the third electronic expansion valve (323); The refrigerant outlet of the liquid storage tank (6) is connected to the refrigerant inlet of each of the heat exchange pipelines.

8. The thermal management system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The thermal management system further includes a fifth heat exchanger (8), the refrigerant inlet of the fifth heat exchanger (8) is provided with a sixth electronic expansion valve (81) and is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the liquid storage tank (6), and the refrigerant outlet of the fifth heat exchanger (8) is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator (5).

9. The thermal management system according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The thermal management system further includes a first switching component (9) connected to the third electronic expansion valve (323), the first switching component (9) being configured to selectively connect the third electronic expansion valve (323) to the refrigerant outlet of the compressor (7) or the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator (5).

10. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that, The thermal management system further includes a second switching component (10) connected to the refrigerant inlet of the fourth heat exchanger (4), the second switching component (10) being configured to selectively connect the refrigerant inlet of the fourth heat exchanger (4) to the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator (5) or the refrigerant outlet of the compressor (7).

11. The thermal management system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first switching component (9) includes two first control valves (91) arranged in parallel. One of the first control valves (91) is used to control the opening and closing of the refrigerant outlet of the compressor (7) and the third electronic expansion valve (323). The other first control valve (91) is used to control the opening and closing of the refrigerant outlet of the gas-liquid separator (5) after it is connected in parallel with the second heat exchange pipeline (12) and the third heat exchange pipeline (13).

12. The thermal management system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first switching component (9) includes a seventh electronic expansion valve (92), which is connected in parallel with the third electronic expansion valve (323). The third electronic expansion valve (323) is used to control the opening and closing of the refrigerant outlet of the second heat exchange pipeline (12) and the third heat exchange pipeline (13) connected in parallel with the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator (5). The seventh electronic expansion valve (92) is used to control the opening and closing of the refrigerant outlet of the second heat exchange pipeline (12) and the third heat exchange pipeline (13) connected in parallel with the refrigerant outlet of the compressor (7).

13. The thermal management system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The second switching assembly (10) includes two second control valves (101) arranged in parallel. One of the second control valves (101) is used to control the opening and closing of the refrigerant outlet of the compressor (7) and the refrigerant inlet of the fourth heat exchanger (4), and the other second control valve (101) is used to control the opening and closing of the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator (5) and the refrigerant inlet of the fourth heat exchanger (4).

14. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 7-13, characterized in that, The thermal management system also includes an evaporator (110) and a condenser (120). The refrigerant inlet of the evaporator (110) is equipped with an eighth electronic expansion valve (130), which is in a scalable manner connected to the refrigerant outlet of the liquid receiver (6). The refrigerant outlet of the evaporator (110) is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the gas-liquid separator (5). The refrigerant inlet of the condenser (120) is equipped with a ninth electronic expansion valve (140) and is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the liquid receiver (6) in a switchable manner. The refrigerant outlet of the condenser (120) is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the compressor (7).

15. A battery assembly, characterized in that, Includes the thermal management system described in claims 1-14.

16. An electrical appliance, characterized in that, Includes the battery assembly as described in claim 15.

Images