Thermal management module, thermal management system, and vehicle

Abstract

A thermal management module, comprising: a manifold (100), having an axis (X) extending in an up-down direction; and an internal heat exchanger (200), arranged below the manifold (100) and provided with a low-pressure flow channel and a high-pressure flow channel capable of performing heat exchange. The manifold (100) is provided with a first channel (110), and the first channel (110) extends, from top to bottom, to a lower end of the manifold (100) and forms a first outlet (111) at the lower end. The low-pressure flow channel of the internal heat exchanger (200) is provided with a low-pressure inlet (210) and a low-pressure outlet (220), the low-pressure inlet (210) is connected to and communicated with the first outlet (111) of the first channel (110) of the manifold (100), and the low-pressure outlet (220) is located at a lower level than the low-pressure inlet (210). Also disclosed is a thermal management system, comprising the thermal management module. Also disclosed is a vehicle, comprising the thermal management system.

Description

Thermal management module, thermal management system and vehicle TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of thermal management, and more particularly to thermal management in a vehicle, such as an electric vehicle. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a thermal management module; further to a thermal management system comprising such a thermal management module; further to a vehicle comprising such a thermal management system. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the rapid development of vehicles, especially electric vehicles, the integrated thermal management design in vehicles is constantly improved to meet the diversified needs of users. It is known that a thermal management module comprising a manifold and a multi-way valve is used in a vehicle to communicate different components in the thermal management system of the vehicle, including a compressor, an evaporator and an internal heat exchanger, etc. It is known that the internal heat exchanger can be configured to have a first flow passage for refrigerant and a second flow passage, the first flow passage having a high-pressure refrigerant inlet and a high-pressure refrigerant outlet, the second flow passage having a low-pressure refrigerant inlet and a low-pressure refrigerant outlet, the high-pressure refrigerant inlet being in communication with the outlet of the compressor, the low-pressure refrigerant outlet being in communication with the inlet of the compressor. When the thermal management system is working, the high-pressure refrigerant fluid at the outlet of the compressor and the low-pressure refrigerant fluid at the inlet of the compressor flow through the first flow passage and the second flow passage of the internal heat exchanger, respectively, to exchange heat therebetween, thereby improving the superheat degree of the refrigerant at the inlet of the compressor.

[0003] In the prior art, due to the fact that the refrigerant in the low-pressure flow passage of the thermal management module is basically in a gaseous state and the spatial arrangement of the low-pressure flow passage is not continuous from high to low, it is difficult for the compressor lubricating oil in the low-pressure flow passage to circulate to the compressor along with the refrigerant, thereby causing the technical problem of low oil return efficiency. In addition, it is also necessary to realize the miniaturized and compact structure of the thermal management module, while ensuring that it can integrate more functions to meet the diversified and personalized thermal management needs of the vehicle.

[0004] The present disclosure aims to propose a brand new thermal management module to solve at least one of the problems in the prior art, and intends to bring other advantages. SUMMARY

[0005] To this end, a first aspect of the present disclosure proposes a thermal management module, according to an embodiment, the thermal management module comprising:

[0006] a manifold having an axis extending in an up-down direction; and

[0007] an internal heat exchanger disposed below the manifold and having a low-pressure flow passage and a high-pressure flow passage capable of heat exchange;

[0008] The manifold has a first passage extending from top to bottom to a lower end of the manifold and forming a first outlet at the lower end.

[0009] The low-pressure inlet of the low-pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger is connected and communicated with the first outlet of the first passage of the manifold, and the low-pressure outlet of the low-pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger is positioned at a lower level than the low-pressure inlet.

[0010] Thus, in the heat management module proposed in the present application, the internal heat exchanger is arranged below the manifold, a first passage extending from top to bottom to a lower end of the manifold and forming a first outlet at the lower end is arranged in the manifold, the first outlet of the first passage is connected and communicated with the low-pressure inlet of the low-pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger, and the low-pressure outlet of the low-pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger is positioned at a lower level than the low-pressure inlet, allowing a spatial arrangement of the low-pressure refrigerant flow passage portion continuously extending from high to low in the heat management module, so that the compressor lubricating oil in the low-pressure refrigerant flow passage can flow smoothly to the low-pressure outlet along with the refrigerant in the low-pressure refrigerant flow passage portion, effectively improving the oil return efficiency.

[0011] According to various embodiments, the heat management module proposed in the present application can further include one or more of the following further developments.

[0012] In some embodiments, the low-pressure inlet of the low-pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger is arranged at the upper end plate of the internal heat exchanger, and the low-pressure outlet of the low-pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger is arranged at the lower end plate of the internal heat exchanger. This arrangement allows a compact and simple construction of the internal heat exchanger and the manifold, and allows the low-pressure flow passage to be arranged spatially from top to bottom in a simple structure, and thus facilitates the return flow of lubricating oil.

[0013] In some embodiments, the low-pressure inlet and the low-pressure outlet of the low-pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger are arranged in alignment with each other in the up-down direction. This further facilitates the formation of a compact and simple construction of the internal heat exchanger, and further facilitates the smooth circulation of compressor lubricating oil in the low-pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger along with the refrigerant, so that the flow resistance of the lubricating oil is minimized, thereby further improving the oil return efficiency.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first passage is arranged in alignment with the low-pressure inlet and the low-pressure outlet of the low-pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger in the up-down direction. This further facilitates the formation of a compact and simple construction of the heat management module, and forms a low-pressure refrigerant flow passage of the heat management module extending completely from top to bottom, so that the lubricating oil can flow smoothly and unobstructed in the entire low-pressure refrigerant flow passage, further facilitating the improvement of the oil return efficiency.

[0015] In some embodiments, a plurality of transverse channels extending in a direction transverse to the axis is formed within the manifold. This allows flexible arrangement and controlled flow passages of the heat management module, allowing multi-functional heat management functions to be achieved.

[0016] In some embodiments, at least part of the plurality of transverse channels is distributed in multiple layers along the axis. In this way, the transverse channels do not interfere with each other, ensuring flexibility of flow passage arrangement within the manifold.

[0017] In some embodiments, at least part of the plurality of transverse channels at least partially coincides along the axis. In this way, it allows to reduce the dimension of the manifold along the axis, reducing the volume of the manifold, thus making the heat management module more compact while reducing the cost of the manifold.

[0018] In some embodiments, the manifold comprises: peripheral interfaces provided on the peripheral wall of the manifold; and / or upper end interfaces provided at the upper end of the manifold; and / or lower end interfaces provided at the lower end of the manifold. This allows to make full use of the manifold to achieve flexible arrangement of the interfaces of the manifold while achieving a compact configuration.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first channel is connected to a third one of the peripheral interfaces via a third one of the transverse channels.

[0020] In some embodiments, each of the transverse channels leads to a respective peripheral interface.

[0021] In some embodiments, the manifold comprises a plurality of communication channels, wherein each of the communication channels is provided to communicate a respective transverse channel with a respective upper end interface or a respective lower end interface. This allows flexible arrangement of flow passages within the manifold and allows flexible control of individual flow passages.

[0022] In some embodiments, the heat management module further comprises a multi-way valve at least partially accommodated in a chamber of the upper end of the manifold, the multi-way valve being provided to control the upper end interfaces. This allows compact design of the compact heat management module.

[0023] In some embodiments, each of the lower end interfaces communicates with a respective upper connection port of the internal heat exchanger, the upper connection port being provided on an upper end plate of the internal heat exchanger. This further facilitates compact design of the heat management module, reduces the number of components, and improves cost effectiveness.

[0024] In some embodiments, the heat management module further comprises a drying bottle provided at a first peripheral side of the manifold and provided to be connected to a second one of the peripheral interfaces and an eighth one of the peripheral interfaces. This allows the drying bottle to be provided in a compact structure.

[0025] In some embodiments, the thermal management module further comprises an electronic expansion valve, which is arranged at a third perimeter side of the manifold different from the first perimeter side and is arranged to be connected to a fifth perimeter interface of the perimeter interfaces. This allows arranging the electronic expansion valve in a compact structure.

[0026] In some embodiments, the third perimeter side and the first perimeter side are arranged opposite to each other.

[0027] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a thermal management system comprising the thermal management module according to any one of the above embodiments, and thus has the corresponding advantages.

[0028] In some embodiments, the thermal management system comprises a compressor, and a compressor inlet of the compressor is connected to the low-pressure outlet of the low-pressure flow channel of the internal heat exchanger. This allows the compressor lubricating oil to flow into the compressor via the low-pressure outlet smoothly, further improving the oil return efficiency.

[0029] A third aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle comprising the thermal management system according to any one of the above embodiments, and thus has the corresponding advantages. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and therefore should not be considered as a limitation to the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can also be obtained without creative labor. In the drawings:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a perspective schematic view of a thermal management module according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a perspective schematic view of the thermal management module according to an exemplary embodiment from another angle;

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a perspective schematic view of the thermal management module according to an exemplary embodiment from yet another angle; and

[0034] FIG. 5 shows a perspective schematic view of the manifold of the thermal management module according to an exemplary embodiment from another angle;

[0035] FIG. 6 shows a perspective schematic view of the manifold of the thermal management module according to an exemplary embodiment from yet another angle;

[0036] FIG. 7 shows a bottom of the manifold of the thermal management module according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0037] FIG. 8 illustrates a top portion of an internal heat exchanger of a thermal management module according to an example embodiment in a perspective view;

[0038] FIG. 9 illustrates a bottom portion of an internal heat exchanger of a thermal management module according to an example embodiment in a perspective view;

[0039] FIG. 10 illustrates a first longitudinal cross-sectional view of a thermal management module according to an example embodiment;

[0040] FIG. 11 illustrates a second longitudinal cross-sectional view of a thermal management module according to an example embodiment;

[0041] FIG. 12 illustrates a third longitudinal cross-sectional view of a thermal management module according to an example embodiment;

[0042] FIG. 13 illustrates a fourth longitudinal cross-sectional view of a thermal management module according to an example embodiment;

[0043] FIG. 14 illustrates a fifth longitudinal cross-sectional view of a thermal management module according to an example embodiment;

[0044] FIG. 15 illustrates a sixth longitudinal cross-sectional view of a thermal management module according to an example embodiment;

[0045] FIG. 16 illustrates a transverse cross-sectional view of a thermal management module according to an example embodiment.

[0046] List of Reference Signs

[0047] 10 thermal management module

[0048] 100 manifold

[0049] 100a first perimeter side

[0050] 100b second perimeter side

[0051] 100c third perimeter side

[0052] 100d fourth perimeter side

[0053] 110 first passage

[0054] 111 first outlet

[0055] 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7, 120-8, 120-9 transverse passage

[0056] 130-1, 130-2, 130-3, 130-4, 130-5, 130-6, 130-7 communication passage

[0057] Peripheral interfaces for 140-1, 140-2, 140-3, 140-4, 140-5, 140-6, 140-7, 140-8, and 140-9

[0058] Upper interfaces of 150-1, 150-2, 150-3, 150-4, and 150-5

[0059] 160-1, 160-2, 160-3 Lower Interface

[0060] 170 chambers

[0061] 171 bottom wall

[0062] 180 First protruding installation part

[0063] 181 First flat mounting surface

[0064] 190 Second protruding mounting part

[0065] 191 Second flat mounting surface

[0066] 200 Internal Heat Exchanger

[0067] 210 Low-pressure inlet

[0068] 220 Low-pressure outlet

[0069] 250-1 First Down Connection Port

[0070] 250-2 Second Lower Connection Port

[0071] Connection ports on 260-1, 260-2, and 260-3

[0072] 270 top plate

[0073] 280 lower end plate

[0074] 300-way valve

[0075] 400 desiccator

[0076] 410 desiccant bottle inlet

[0077] 420 desiccant bottle outlet

[0078] 500 Electronic Expansion Valve

[0079] X-axis Detailed Implementation

[0080] Hereinafter, a heat management module, a heat management system, and a vehicle according to embodiments of the disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In order to make the objects, technical solutions, and advantages of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0081] Therefore, the detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure provided below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed present disclosure, but only represents selected embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative labor fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0082] Unless otherwise defined in context, the singular forms include the plural forms. Throughout the specification, the terms "include", "have", and the like are used herein to designate the presence of the described features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, but not to preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

[0083] In addition, even though terms including ordinal numbers such as "first", "second", etc. can be used to describe various components, the components are not limited by the terms and the terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first component can be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component can be referred to as a first component without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0084] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the disclosed product is usually placed, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly understood by those skilled in the art, and are only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present disclosure.

[0085] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a heat management module 10 is proposed. In a specific application example, the heat management module 10 is used, for example, in a vehicle, more specifically in an electric vehicle, and more specifically in a heat management system of a vehicle.

[0086] As shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 10-11, according to one embodiment, the thermal management module 10 can be configured to include a manifold 100 and an internal heat exchanger 200. The manifold 100 can define an axis X extending in an up-down direction. Illustratively and without limitation, the up-down direction is based on the thermal management module being in an operational position, e.g., installed in a vehicle. At least a first passage 110 is provided within the manifold 100, which is configured to extend from an upper end to a lower end of the manifold 100 and form a first outlet 111 at the lower end. More particularly, the first passage 110 is configured to extend generally parallel to the axis X. More particularly, refrigerant fluid at a low pressure can flow through the first passage 110. The internal heat exchanger 200 is disposed below the manifold 100 and has a low pressure flow passage and a high pressure flow passage capable of heat exchange. For example, refrigerant fluid at a low pressure flows within the low pressure flow passage, and refrigerant fluid at a high pressure can flow within the high pressure flow passage. The low pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger 200 has a low pressure inlet 210 and a low pressure outlet 220 for refrigerant fluid at a low pressure to enter and exit the low pressure flow passage, respectively. The low pressure inlet 210 of the low pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger 200 is configured to be connected and in communication with the first outlet 111 of the first passage 110 in the manifold 100, and the low pressure outlet 220 of the low pressure flow passage is positioned at a lower level than the low pressure inlet 210. More particularly, in the operational position of the thermal management module 10, the low pressure outlet 220 is positioned lower than the low pressure inlet 210.

[0087] Thus, in the thermal management module 10 proposed in the present disclosure, the internal heat exchanger 200 is disposed below the manifold 100, while the first passage 110 extending from an upper end to a lower end of the manifold 100 and forming a first outlet 111 at the lower end is provided in the manifold 100, and the first outlet 111 of the first passage 110 is connected and in communication with the low pressure inlet 210 of the low pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger 200, and the low pressure outlet 220 of the low pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger 200 is positioned at a lower level than the low pressure inlet 210, allowing a low pressure refrigerant flow passage portion of the thermal management module 10 formed by the first passage 110 in the manifold 100 and the low pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger 200 to be formed, in which refrigerant fluid at a low pressure flows, and the low pressure refrigerant flow passage portion is arranged in the thermal management module 10 to extend continuously from high to low, thereby allowing the compressor lubricating oil in the low pressure refrigerant flow passage to flow smoothly with the refrigerant fluid therein to the low pressure outlet 220 of the low pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger 200, effectively improving the oil return efficiency.

[0088] As will be detailed hereinafter, the second aspect of the present disclosure also proposes a thermal management system (not shown) comprising such a thermal management module 10, the thermal management system 10 further comprising a compressor (not shown) having a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet, the compressor being arranged with its compressor inlet connected to the low-pressure outlet 220 of the low-pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger 200. Thereby, the compressor lubricating oil can flow smoothly into the compressor via the low-pressure outlet 220 of the low-pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger 200, effectively ensuring the oil return efficiency. In addition, the low-pressure refrigerant fluid flowing into the compressor via the compressor inlet can undergo compression in the compressor to become refrigerant fluid at high pressure, which can then exit the compressor via the compressor outlet, more particularly into other thermal management components downstream of the compressor in the thermal management system.

[0089] In some embodiments of the thermal management module 10, as shown in Figs. 8-9, the internal heat exchanger 200 further comprises an upper end plate 270 and a lower end plate 280 arranged opposite to each other in the axial direction. It should be noted that the axial direction is defined by the axis X in the sense of the present disclosure. The low-pressure inlet 210 of the low-pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger 200 can be arranged at the upper end plate 270 of the internal heat exchanger 200, and the low-pressure outlet 220 of the low-pressure flow passage can be arranged at the lower end plate 280. Such an arrangement allows forming a compact and simple construction of the internal heat exchanger 200 and the manifold 100, and allows achieving a spatially arranged low-pressure flow passage from top to bottom in a simple structure, and thus facilitates the return flow of the lubricating oil.

[0090] In more specific embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 8-11, the low-pressure inlet 210 and the low-pressure outlet 220 of the low-pressure flow passage in the inner heat exchanger 200 are arranged to be aligned with each other in the up-down direction. This further facilitates the formation of a compact and simple configuration of the inner heat exchanger 200, and further facilitates the smooth circulation of the lubricating oil in the low-pressure flow passage of the inner heat exchanger 200 along with the refrigerant, so that the flow resistance experienced by the lubricating oil is minimized, thereby further improving the oil return efficiency. In more specific embodiments, the first channel 110 in the manifold 100 is arranged to be aligned with the low-pressure inlet 210 and the low-pressure outlet 220 of the low-pressure flow passage of the inner heat exchanger 200 in the up-down direction. This further facilitates the formation of a compact and simple configuration of the thermal management module 10, and forms a completely top-to-bottom extending low-pressure refrigerant flow passage portion in the thermal management module 10, so that the lubricating oil can circulate smoothly and unobstructed in the entire low-pressure refrigerant flow passage portion, further facilitating the improvement of the oil return efficiency. In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 11-16, a plurality of transverse channels 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7, 120-8, 120-9 extending in a direction transverse to the axis X are formed in the manifold 100. This allows the formation of a flexible arrangement and controlled flow passage of the thermal management module 10, allowing the realization of multifunctional thermal management. Exemplarily but not exclusively, the plurality of transverse channels can include a first transverse channel 120-1, a second transverse channel 120-2, a third transverse channel 120-3, a fourth transverse channel 120-4, a fifth transverse channel 120-5, a sixth transverse channel 120-6, a seventh transverse channel 120-7, an eighth transverse channel 120-8, and a ninth transverse channel 120-9. More specifically, at least some of the plurality of transverse channels 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7, 120-8, 120-9 are arranged perpendicularly to the axis X. This allows the convenient formation of the respective transverse channels in the manifold 100. According to some specific embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 11-16, at least part of the plurality of transverse channels 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7, 120-8, 120-9, i.e. at least some, are distributed in multiple layers along the axis X, i.e. distributed in multiple layers offset from each other in the axial direction. In this way, the transverse channels do not interfere with each other, ensuring the flexibility of the flow passage arrangement in the manifold 100. According to some specific embodiments, at least some of the plurality of transverse channels 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7, 120-8, 120-9 can be arranged to at least partially coincide with each other along the axis X, more specifically, to coincide with each other in the projection perpendicular to the axis X.Thus, it is allowed to reduce the size of the manifold 100 along the axis X, reducing the volume of the manifold 100, thus making the thermal management module 10 more compact while reducing the cost of the manifold 100.

[0091] According to some embodiments, as shown in Figs. 7, 10-11 and 14-15, the manifold 100 can comprise at least one lower end interface 160-1, 160-2, 160-3 arranged at the lower end of the manifold 100 for communicating the respective passage or flow channel in the manifold 100 at the lower end of the manifold 100 to other external components, including for example the internal heat exchanger 200 as described above. Exemplarily but not exclusively, the manifold is provided with three lower end interfaces at the lower end, including a first lower end interface 160-1, a second lower end interface 160-2 and a third lower end interface 160-3. In one implementation, one of the at least one lower end interface, for example the third lower end interface 160-3, is arranged in communication with, and more particularly in a continuous manner with, the first opening 111 of the first passage 110 in the manifold 100, so that the first opening 111 of the first passage 110 can be connected to the low pressure inlet 210 of the low pressure flow channel of the internal heat exchanger 200 via the third lower end interface 160-3.

[0092] According to some embodiments, as shown in Figs. 8-11, the upper end plate 270 of the internal heat exchanger 200 has an upper connection port communicating the low pressure inlet 210 of the low pressure flow channel, which can be referred to herein as a third upper connection port 260-3, which is more particularly arranged to protrude outwardly from the upper end plate 270 for facilitating connection to other components, such as the third lower end interface 160-3 of the manifold 100 as described above. According to a more particular implementation, the internal heat exchanger 200 is arranged below the manifold 100 with its third upper connection port 260-3 directly plugged into the third lower end interface 160-3 of the manifold 100, so as to achieve the connection and communication of the first passage 110 of the manifold 100 with the low pressure flow channel of the internal heat exchanger 200 in a convenient and compact manner.

[0093] According to some embodiments, as shown in Figs. 8 and 11-15, the upper end plate 270 of the internal heat exchanger 200 can be further provided with other upper connection ports, such as a first upper connection port 260-1 and a second upper connection port 260-2. More specifically, at least one of all the upper connection ports can be provided to protrude outwardly, more specifically upwardly, from the upper end plate 270. According to a specific implementation, as shown, each of the upper connection ports of the internal heat exchanger 200 is connected to and in communication with a corresponding one of the lower end interfaces of the manifold 100. More specifically, the first upper connection port 260-1 of the internal heat exchanger 200 is connected to and in communication with the first lower end interface 160-1 of the manifold 100, such as the protruding first upper connection port 260-1 can be directly plugged into the first lower end interface 160-1. Additionally or alternatively, the second upper connection port 260-2 of the internal heat exchanger 200 is connected to and in communication with the second lower end interface 160-2 of the manifold 100, such as the protruding second upper connection port 260-2 can be directly plugged into the second lower end interface 160-2. This further ensures that the overall heat management module 10 is very compact in construction, and no additional connection components are needed for achieving the connection of the internal heat exchanger 200 with the manifold 100, thereby reducing the number of components, simplifying the assembly, and improving the cost effectiveness. According to some embodiments, the first upper connection port 260-1 of the internal heat exchanger 200 is in communication with the high pressure outlet of the high pressure flow passage, and the second upper connection port 260-2 is in communication with the high pressure inlet of the high pressure flow passage. Of course, this arrangement is merely illustrative and non-limiting.

[0094] According to some embodiments, as shown schematically in Figs. 8-11 and 12-15, the lower end plate 280 of the internal heat exchanger 200 can be further provided with a lower connection port for communicating the low pressure outlet 220 of the low pressure flow passage, which can be referred to as a first lower connection port 250-1. In a specific implementation, the first lower connection port 250-1 is provided to protrude outwardly relative to the lower end plate 280, which allows for easy connection of the first lower connection port 250-1 with its components, such as the compressor inlet of the compressor of the heat management system. According to some embodiments, as shown schematically in Figs. 8-11 and 12-15, the lower end plate 280 of the internal heat exchanger 200 can be further provided with another lower connection port, which can be referred to as a second lower connection port 250-2. The second lower connection port 250-2 is also provided to protrude outwardly relative to the lower end plate 280, for example. More specifically, the second lower connection port 250-2 is in communication with another low pressure inlet of the internal heat exchanger 200, which is in connection and communication with the evaporator outlet of the evaporator (not shown) of the heat management system, for example.

[0095] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1-6 and 10-16, the manifold 100 is further configured to include perimeter interfaces 140-1, 140-2, 140-3, 140-4, 140-5, 140-6, 140-7, 140-8, 140-9 disposed on the perimeter wall of the manifold 100. The perimeter interfaces are used to connect and / or communicate with other components of the thermal management module 10 or the thermal management system, such as the dry bottle 400 of the thermal management module 10 and a throttling mechanism such as an electronic expansion valve 500, as well as optional condensers (water-cooled condensers and / or evaporative condensers) and battery heat exchangers of the thermal management system, as will be described below. Exemplarily but not exclusively, the manifold 100 includes a first perimeter interface 140-1, a second perimeter interface 140-2, a third perimeter interface 140-3, a fourth perimeter interface 140-4, a fifth perimeter interface 140-5, a sixth perimeter interface 140-6, a seventh perimeter interface 140-7, an eighth perimeter interface 140-8, and a ninth perimeter interface 140-9. According to one specific implementation, as shown, each of the above-mentioned lateral passages 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7, 120-8, 120-9 can lead to a corresponding one of the perimeter interfaces 140-1, 140-2, 140-3, 140-4, 140-5, 140-6, 140-7, 140-8, 140-9, e.g., the first lateral passage 120-1 leads to the first perimeter interface 140-1, the second lateral passage 120-2 leads to the second perimeter interface 140-2, and so on. Thereby, allowing the manifold 100 to achieve diversified functions in a compact manner.

[0096] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1-6 and 15, the perimeter of the manifold 100 can generally include a first perimeter side 100a, a second perimeter side 100b, a third perimeter side 100c, and a fourth perimeter side 100d disposed in succession. More particularly, the first perimeter side 100a and the third perimeter side 100c are generally disposed opposite one another. Additionally or alternatively, the second perimeter side 100b and the fourth perimeter side 100d are generally disposed opposite one another. In some implementations, each of the first perimeter side 100a, the second perimeter side 100b, the third perimeter side 100c, and the fourth perimeter side 100d is provided with some of the above-mentioned perimeter interfaces 140-1, 140-2, 140-3, 140-4, 140-5, 140-6, 140-7, 140-8, 140-9. Illustratively and without limitation, the first perimeter side 100a can be provided with the second perimeter interface 140-2 and the eighth perimeter interface 140-8, as shown in FIG. 6; the second perimeter side 100b can be provided with the fourth perimeter interface 140-4, the sixth perimeter interface 140-6, and the seventh perimeter interface 140-7, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 5; the third perimeter side 100c can be provided with the fifth perimeter interface 140-5, as shown in FIG. 15; and the fourth perimeter side 100d can be provided with the first perimeter interface 140-1, the third perimeter interface 140-3, and the ninth perimeter interface 140-9, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

[0097] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1-6 and 15, at least some of the perimeter interfaces 140-1, 140-2, 140-3, 140-4, 140-5, 140-6, 140-7, 140-8, 140-9 are configured to protrude outwardly relative to the rest of the perimeter of the manifold 100, which allows for convenient connection of the perimeter interfaces to other thermal management components. In one particular implementation, as shown in FIG. 6, the first perimeter side 100a includes a first protruding mounting portion 180 on which the second perimeter interface 140-2 and the eighth perimeter interface 140-8 can be disposed. More particularly, the first protruding mounting portion 180 has a first outwardly facing planar mounting surface 181 that facilitates compact and secure connection of the second perimeter interface 140-2 and the eighth perimeter interface 140-8 to external components. Additionally or alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 5, the second perimeter side 100b includes a second protruding mounting portion 190 on which the fourth perimeter interface 140-4, the sixth perimeter interface 140-6, and the seventh perimeter interface 140-7 can be disposed. More particularly, the second protruding mounting portion 190 has a second outwardly facing planar mounting surface 191 that facilitates compact and secure connection of the fourth perimeter interface 140-4, the sixth perimeter interface 140-6, and the seventh perimeter interface 140-7 to external components. In one implementation, the outwardly facing surface of each of the protruding perimeter interfaces is formed as a planar mounting surface.

[0098] In some embodiments, with reference to FIGS. 1-3 and 14-15, the thermal management module 10 can further include a desiccant bottle 400. The desiccant bottle 400 can include a desiccant bottle inlet 410 and a desiccant bottle outlet 420 configured to be in fluid communication with some of the channels within the manifold 100. More particularly, the desiccant bottle 400 can be disposed at the first perimeter side 100a of the manifold 100 and configured to be connected to the second perimeter interface 140-2 and the eighth perimeter interface 140-8 of the perimeter interfaces. For example, the desiccant bottle inlet 410 is connected to and in communication with the second perimeter interface 140-2, and the desiccant bottle outlet 420 is connected to and in communication with the eighth perimeter interface 140-8. This allows for compact structuring of the desiccant bottle 400 and facilitates compact structuring of the thermal management module 10 as a whole.

[0099] In some embodiments, as schematically shown in Figs. 1-3 and 15, the thermal management module 10 can further comprise a throttling mechanism, more specifically an electronic expansion valve 500. More specifically, the electronic expansion valve 500 can be arranged at the third peripheral side 100c of the manifold 100 and arranged to be connected to a corresponding peripheral interface, such as the fifth peripheral interface 140-5. This allows arranging the electronic expansion valve 500 in a compact manner and facilitates forming an overall compact structure of the thermal management module 10. Exemplarily, as mentioned above, the third peripheral side 100c can be arranged opposite to the first peripheral side 100a. However, it is to be understood that this arrangement is merely illustrative and not limiting.

[0100] In some embodiments, as exemplarily shown in Fig. 11, the first passage 110 in the manifold 100 is connected to one of the peripheral interfaces, more specifically the third peripheral interface 140-3, via a corresponding transverse passage, such as the third transverse passage 120-3. In a specific implementation, the first passage 110 intersects and communicates with the third transverse passage 120-3 near an end thereof opposite to the first opening 111, the third transverse passage 120-3 leading to the third peripheral interface 140-3. More specifically, the third transverse passage 120-3 also constitutes a part of the low-pressure refrigerant flow path within the manifold 100. More specifically, the third transverse passage 120-3 is arranged perpendicular to the axis X. This ensures that the entire low-pressure refrigerant flow path within the manifold 100 is an overall vertically extending spatial structure, which facilitates the backflow of the lubricating oil.

[0101] In some embodiments, as schematically illustrated in Figures 3-4, 11 and 14-15, the manifold 100 further comprises upper end interfaces 150-1, 150-2, 150-3, 150-4, 150-5 disposed at an upper end of the manifold 100. Illustratively, but not exclusively, the manifold 100 comprises a first upper end interface 150-1, a second upper end interface 150-2, a third upper end interface 150-3, a fourth upper end interface 150-4 and a fifth upper end interface 150-5. Illustratively, but not exclusively, all the upper end interfaces are disposed on one circle. In some embodiments, the thermal management module 10 further comprises a multi-way valve 300, as illustrated in Figures 1-2, disposed for controlling opening and closing of at least one of the upper end interfaces 150-1, 150-2, 150-3, 150-4, 150-5, thereby controlling use and deactivation of the flow channels associated with the respective upper end interface, and thus controlling activation and deactivation of the respective functionality of the thermal management module 10. In a specific implementation, as illustrated in Figure 5, the upper end of the manifold 100 is provided with a chamber 170, in which the multi-way valve 300 is at least partially housed, more particularly a bottom portion of the multi-way valve 300 is housed in the chamber 170. More particularly, the upper end interfaces 150-1, 150-2, 150-3, 150-4, 150-5 each open into a bottom wall 171 of the chamber 170. This allows for a compact design of the compact thermal management module 10. The multi-way valve 300 comprises a valve core (not illustrated) rotatably disposed in the chamber 170; the valve core is rotatable about an axis X. The valve core of the multi-way valve 300 is disposed for controlling opening and closing of at least one of the upper end interfaces 150-1, 150-2, 150-3, 150-4, 150-5.

[0102] In some embodiments, as schematically shown in FIGS. 11-15, the manifold 100 can further include a plurality of communication passages 130-1, 130-2, 130-3, 130-4, 130-5, 130-6, 130-7. Illustratively and without limitation, the manifold 100 can include a first communication passage 130-1, a second communication passage 130-2, a third communication passage 130-3, a fourth communication passage 130-4, a fifth communication passage 130-5, a sixth communication passage 130-6, and a seventh communication passage 130-7. In one implementation, each of the communication passages 130-1, 130-2, 130-3, 130-4, 130-5, 130-6, 130-7 can be configured to communicate a corresponding one of the lateral passages 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7, 120-8, 120-9 with a corresponding one of the upper end interfaces 150-1, 150-2, 150-3, 150-4, 150-5 or a corresponding one of the lower end interfaces 160-1, 160-2, 160-3. This allows flexible arrangement of flow paths within the manifold 100 and allows flexible control of individual flow paths. It should be noted that at least one of the lateral passages 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7, 120-8, 120-9 can not be connected to the upper end interfaces 150-1, 150-2, 150-3, 150-4, 150-5 or the lower end interfaces 160-1, 160-2, 160-3. In a more specific implementation, each of the communication passages 130-1, 130-2, 130-3, 130-4, 130-5, 130-6, 130-7 extends substantially parallel to the axis X.

[0103] A heat management system according to a second aspect of the present disclosure can include the heat management module 10 according to any one of the above embodiments and thus has the corresponding advantages. In some embodiments, a flow path in a refrigerant circuit defining the heat management system, which is located downstream of the evaporator to the inlet of the compressor, is a low pressure refrigerant flow path (including the low pressure flow path of the internal heat exchanger), and a flow path which is located upstream of the evaporator relative to the throttling mechanism to the outlet of the compressor is a high pressure refrigerant flow path (including the high pressure flow path of the internal heat exchanger). More specifically, the refrigerant in the high pressure refrigerant flow path is substantially in a liquid state, and the refrigerant in the low pressure refrigerant flow path is substantially in a gaseous state. The heat management system according to the present disclosure allows the compressor lubricating oil in the low pressure refrigerant flow path to flow smoothly with the refrigerant in the low pressure refrigerant flow path portion of the heat management module 10 to the low pressure outlet 220 of the low pressure flow path of the internal heat exchanger 200, effectively improving the oil return efficiency.

[0104] The third application of the present disclosure proposes a vehicle comprising the thermal management system according to any one of the preceding embodiments and thus has the corresponding advantages. It should be noted that herein, the vehicle can be an Electrified Vehicle, such as a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), a Range extended EV (REEV), a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). The vehicle can also be a hydrogen energy vehicle.

[0105] The exemplary embodiments of the thermal management module, the thermal management system and the vehicle proposed by the present application are described in detail above with reference to the preferred embodiments, however, it can be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made to the above specific embodiments, and various technical features and structures proposed by the present application can be combined without departing from the concept of the present application, and without exceeding the protection scope of the present application.

[0106] The scope of the present disclosure is not limited by the above-described embodiments, but is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A thermal management module, wherein, The heat management module (10) comprises: a manifold (100) having an axis (X) extending in an up-down direction; and an internal heat exchanger (200) disposed below the manifold (100) and having a low-pressure flow passage and a high-pressure flow passage capable of heat exchange; wherein the manifold (100) has a first passage (110) extending upwardly to a lower end of the manifold (100) and forming a first outlet (111) at the lower end; wherein the low-pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger (200) has a low-pressure inlet (210) connected and communicated with the first outlet (111) of the first passage (110) of the manifold (100), and a low-pressure outlet (220) located at a lower level than the low-pressure inlet (210).

2. The thermal management module of claim 1, wherein, The low-pressure inlet (210) of the low-pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger (200) is disposed at an upper end plate (270) of the internal heat exchanger (200), and the low-pressure outlet (220) of the low-pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger (200) is disposed at a lower end plate (280) of the internal heat exchanger (200).

3. The thermal management module of claim 2, wherein, The low-pressure inlet (210) and the low-pressure outlet (220) of the low-pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger (200) are disposed in alignment with each other in the up-down direction.

4. The thermal management module of claim 3, wherein, The first passage (110) is disposed in alignment with the low-pressure inlet (210) and the low-pressure outlet (220) of the low-pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger (200) in the up-down direction.

5. The thermal management module of any of claims 2-4, wherein, A plurality of transverse passages (120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7, 120-8, 120-9) extending in a direction transverse to the axis (X) are formed in the manifold (100).

6. The thermal management module of claim 5, wherein, At least part of the plurality of transverse passages (120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7, 120-8, 120-9) are distributed in multiple layers along the axis (X).

7. The thermal management module of claim 5, wherein, At least part of the plurality of transverse passages (120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7, 120-8, 120-9) at least partially coincide along the axis (X).

8. The thermal management module of claim 5, wherein, The manifold (100) comprises: a peripheral interface (140-1, 140-2, 140-3, 140-4, 140-5, 140-6, 140-7, 140-8, 140-9) disposed on a peripheral wall of the manifold (100); and / or an upper end interface (150-1, 150-2, 150-3, 150-4, 150-5) disposed at an upper end of the manifold (100); and / or a lower end interface (160-1, 160-2, 160-3) disposed at a lower end of the manifold (100).

9. The thermal management module of claim 8, wherein, The first channel (110) is connected to a third peripheral interface (140-3) of the peripheral interfaces via a third transverse channel (120-3) of the transverse channels.

10. The thermal management module of claim 8, wherein, Each of the transverse channels (120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7, 120-8, 120-9) leads to a corresponding peripheral interface (140-1, 140-2, 140-3, 140-4, 140-5, 140-6, 140-7, 140-8, 140-9).

11. The thermal management module of claim 10, wherein, The manifold comprises a plurality of communication channels (130-1, 130-2, 130-3, 130-4, 130-5, 130-6, 130-7), wherein each of the communication channels (130-1, 130-2, 130-3, 130-4, 130-5, 130-6, 130-7) is configured to communicate a corresponding transverse channel (120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-4, 120-5, 120-6, 120-7, 120-8, 120-9) with a corresponding upper end interface (150-1, 150-2, 150-3, 150-4, 150-5) or a corresponding lower end interface (160-1, 160-2, 160-3).

12. The thermal management module of claim 8, wherein, The thermal management module (10) further comprises a multi-way valve (300) at least partially accommodated in a chamber (170) of an upper end of the manifold (100), the multi-way valve (300) being configured to control the upper end interfaces (150-1, 150-2, 150-3, 150-4, 150-5).

13. The thermal management module of claim 8, wherein, Each of the lower end interfaces (160-1, 160-2, 160-3) communicates with a corresponding upper connection port (260-1, 260-2, 260-3) of the internal heat exchanger (200), the upper connection port being disposed on an upper end plate of the internal heat exchanger.

14. The thermal management module of claim 11, wherein, The thermal management module further comprises a dry bottle, the dry bottle being disposed at a first peripheral side of the manifold and being configured to be connected to a second peripheral interface (140-2) and an eighth peripheral interface (140-8) of the peripheral interfaces.

15. The thermal management module of claim 14, wherein, The thermal management module further comprises an electronic expansion valve, the electronic expansion valve being disposed at a third peripheral side of the manifold different from the first peripheral side and being configured to be connected to a fifth peripheral interface (140-5) of the peripheral interfaces.

16. The thermal management module of claim 15, wherein, The third peripheral side and the first peripheral side are disposed opposite to each other.

17. A thermal management system comprising the thermal management module (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. The thermal management system according to claim 17, comprising a compressor, a compressor inlet of the compressor being connected to the low-pressure outlet (220) of the low-pressure flow passage of the internal heat exchanger (200).

19. A vehicle comprising the thermal management system according to claim 17 or 18.

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