Thermal management system and control method therefor

Abstract

A thermal management system and a control method therefor. The thermal management system comprises: a compressor, a refrigeration branch and a battery branch sharing the compressor, and a controller. The controller is configured to: on the basis of cooling demand information of a thermal management object, control the thermal management system to operate in a target operating mode matching the cooling demand information. The thermal management object comprises a refrigerator and a battery.

Description

Thermal management system and its control method

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202411555402.8, filed on October 31, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of vehicle technology, and in particular to a thermal management system and its control method. Background Technology

[0003] As people's living standards improve, the market demand for car refrigerators, as an important accessory to enhance the quality of life while driving, is increasing. With the rapid development of new energy vehicles, equipping them with refrigerators can meet people's needs for high-quality travel. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure provides a thermal management system and its control method.

[0005] In a first aspect, a thermal management system is provided, comprising: a compressor, a refrigerator branch of the shared compressor, a battery branch, and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to: control the thermal management system to operate in a target working mode that matches the cooling demand information of the thermally managed objects; the thermally managed objects include a refrigerator and a battery.

[0006] Based on the thermal management system provided in some embodiments of this disclosure, by sharing a compressor between the refrigerator branch and the battery branch, the vehicle's thermal management system can allocate and manage the cooling needs of the refrigerator and battery, thereby improving energy utilization efficiency. The compressor can utilize energy more efficiently, thus reducing the overall energy consumption of the vehicle. Furthermore, when the vehicle's thermal management system has different cooling needs, by determining the target operating mode of the thermal management system, the operating mode can be adjusted, enabling the thermal management system to orderly control the cooling process of each module, thereby ensuring that the cooling capacity is rationally allocated and utilized.

[0007] Secondly, a control method for a thermal management system is provided, comprising: acquiring cooling demand information of a thermally managed object; the thermally managed object includes a refrigerator and a battery; and controlling the thermal management system to operate in a target working mode that matches the cooling demand information based on the cooling demand information of the thermally managed object.

[0008] Thirdly, a vehicle is provided, comprising: the thermal management system described in the first aspect above.

[0009] Fourthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which instructions are stored, such that when the instructions in the computer-readable storage medium are executed by a device, the device is able to perform any of the control methods of the thermal management system described in the second aspect above.

[0010] Fifthly, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product including computer instructions that, when executed on a processor of a device, enable the device to perform a control method of any of the thermal management systems described in the second aspect above.

[0011] The descriptions of the second to fifth aspects and various implementations of each aspect in this disclosure can be referred to the detailed descriptions in the first aspect and its various implementations; and the beneficial effects of the second to fifth aspects and various implementations of each aspect can be referred to the beneficial effect analysis in the first aspect and its various implementations, which will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0012] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in some embodiments of this disclosure will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0013] Figure 1 is a flowchart of the control logic of the electronic expansion valve in a vehicle refrigerator system in the related technology;

[0014] Figure 2 is a flowchart of the fan control logic in a vehicle-mounted refrigerator system in the related technology;

[0015] Figure 3 is a flowchart of the control logic of a vehicle-mounted refrigerator in the related technology;

[0016] Figure 4 is a structural diagram of a thermal management system according to some embodiments;

[0017] Figure 5 is a structural diagram of another thermal management system according to some embodiments;

[0018] Figure 6 is a structural diagram of another thermal management system according to some embodiments;

[0019] Figure 7 is a structural diagram of a coaxial tube according to some embodiments;

[0020] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of refrigerant flow for air conditioning cooling according to a thermal management system according to some embodiments;

[0021] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of refrigerant flow for refrigerator cooling according to a thermal management system according to some embodiments;

[0022] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the refrigerant flow for battery cooling in a thermal management system according to some embodiments;

[0023] Figure 11 is a control logic flowchart of a thermal management system for battery and refrigerator cooling according to some embodiments;

[0024] Figure 12 is a control logic flowchart of a thermal management system for battery, refrigerator and air conditioning according to some embodiments;

[0025] Figure 13 is a flowchart of a control method for a thermal management system according to some embodiments;

[0026] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the control logic of the expansion valve of a thermal management system for a battery and a refrigerator during cooling, according to some embodiments.

[0027] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the control logic of the expansion valve in a thermal management system for a battery, refrigerator and air conditioner according to some embodiments.

[0028] Figure 16 is a block diagram of a vehicle according to some embodiments.

[0029] Reference numerals: 100, Thermal management system; 10, Compressor; 20, Condenser; 30, Air conditioning branch; 31, Air conditioning evaporator; 32, First expansion valve; 33, Second expansion valve; 40, Refrigerator branch; 41, Refrigerator evaporator; 42, Third expansion valve; 50, Battery branch; 51, Battery cooling plate; 52, Fourth expansion valve; 53, Fifth expansion valve; 60, Coaxial tube; 61, Central channel; 62, External pipe channel; 70, Liquid receiver; 80 90. Gas-liquid separator; 91. Heating branch; 92. In-vehicle condenser; 93. Sixth expansion valve; 94. Plate heat exchanger; 95. Four-way valve; 96. Motor radiator; 97. Powertrain; 108. Water pump; 109. First solenoid valve; 100. Second solenoid valve; 101. Third solenoid valve; 102. Fourth solenoid valve; 103. Fifth solenoid valve; 104. First check valve; 105. Second check valve; 106. Third check valve. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solutions of this disclosure will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0031] It should be noted that in this disclosure, the words "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in this disclosure should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts by way of example.

[0032] Hereinafter, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0033] In the description of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or," for example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone. Furthermore, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more.

[0034] In related technologies, vehicle refrigerators are mainly divided into semiconductor refrigerators and independent compressor refrigerators. Although semiconductor refrigerators have advantages such as high system stability and low noise, their limited cooling capacity is increasingly failing to meet user needs. To meet users' performance requirements for refrigerator products, mainstream vehicle refrigerator technology solutions are increasingly leaning towards compressor-type vehicle refrigerators.

[0035] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, based on the refrigerator's set temperature, the opening of the electronic expansion valve in the vehicle refrigerator system is corrected according to parameters such as the collected refrigerant temperature, the set storage compartment temperature (e.g., TempStore_Set in Figures 1 and 2), speed (e.g., EAC_Speed ​​in Figure 1), and pressure (e.g., Pso, Ps in Figure 1). The fan speed is adjusted based on the temperature difference between the refrigerant temperature (e.g., Temp_IceGel in Figures 1 and 2) and the storage compartment temperature (e.g., Temp_Store in Figures 1 and 2). This proposed strategy only addresses the expansion valve control strategy when the vehicle refrigerator has thermal management needs, and does not consider the system's execution logic when other modules simultaneously have thermal management requirements.

[0036] Referring to Figure 3, this related technology provides a control method for an in-vehicle refrigerator. When the system detects a new load inside the refrigerator, the refrigerator automatically responds to a rapid cooling mode to quickly cool the new load and prevent the temperature of other items inside the refrigerator from rising due to the new load. Simultaneously, the number of responses is limited; if the rapid cooling response exceeds the limit, it will no longer be executed. This method only considers thermal management control of the in-vehicle refrigerator and does not consider the system's execution logic when other modules in the system simultaneously have thermal management needs.

[0037] Therefore, since the vehicle's onboard refrigerator and air conditioning systems share a single compressor, and given a fixed cooling capacity of the vehicle's refrigerant, how to rationally allocate the cooling capacity of the thermal management system when it needs to control multiple modules (such as air conditioning, battery, and refrigerator) is a pressing technical problem that needs to be solved.

[0038] To address the aforementioned problems, some embodiments of this disclosure provide a thermal management system, which includes: a compressor; a refrigerator branch and a battery branch sharing the compressor; and a controller configured to: control the thermal management system to operate in a target operating mode matching the cooling demand information of the thermally managed objects; here, the thermally managed objects include the refrigerator and the battery. Therefore, by having the refrigerator branch and the battery branch share a single compressor, the vehicle thermal management system can manage the allocation of cooling demand for the refrigerator and battery, improving energy utilization efficiency. The compressor can utilize energy more efficiently, thereby reducing the overall energy consumption of the vehicle. Furthermore, when the vehicle thermal management system has different cooling demands, by determining the target operating mode of the thermal management system, the operating mode of the thermal management system can be adjusted, enabling the thermal management system to orderly control the cooling process of each module, thereby ensuring that the cooling capacity is rationally allocated and utilized.

[0039] For ease of understanding, the thermal management system provided in this disclosure is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] This disclosure provides a vehicle, including a thermal management system 100. It should be noted that the thermal management system 100 can both cool and heat the vehicle. This disclosure uses the thermal management system 100 cooling a vehicle as an example for illustration.

[0041] As shown in Figure 4, the thermal management system 100 includes: a compressor 10, a refrigerator branch 40 sharing the compressor 10, and a battery branch 50. Here, the refrigerator branch 40 and the battery branch 50 are connected in parallel.

[0042] Referring to Figures 4 and 5, in some embodiments, based on Figure 4, the above-mentioned thermal management system 100 further includes: an air conditioning branch 30, which is connected in parallel with the refrigerator branch 40 and the battery branch 50.

[0043] In some embodiments, the thermal management system 100 includes a controller configured to control the thermal management system to operate in a target operating mode matching the cooling demand information of the thermally managed objects, where the thermally managed objects include refrigerators and batteries. If the thermal management system includes an air conditioning branch 30, the thermally managed objects also include air conditioners.

[0044] Here, the target working modes include at least: the first working mode, the second working mode, the third working mode, the fourth working mode, the fifth working mode, the sixth working mode, and the seventh working mode.

[0045] Here, the first operating mode is used to meet only the refrigeration needs of the refrigerator.

[0046] The second operating mode is used to meet only the cooling needs of the battery.

[0047] The third operating mode is used to meet only the cooling needs of the refrigerator and battery.

[0048] The fourth operating mode is used to meet only the cooling needs of the air conditioner.

[0049] The fifth operating mode is used to meet only the cooling needs of air conditioners and refrigerators.

[0050] The sixth operating mode is used to meet only the cooling needs of the air conditioner and battery.

[0051] The seventh operating mode is used to meet the cooling needs of air conditioners, refrigerators, and batteries.

[0052] It's important to understand that when the thermal management target is an air conditioner, the cooling demand information includes the air conditioner's set temperature. When the thermal management target is a refrigerator, the cooling demand information includes the refrigerator's set temperature. When the thermal management target is a battery, the cooling demand information includes the battery's set temperature.

[0053] In some embodiments, the refrigerator has 6 cooling settings, with setting 6 being the highest cooling setting and corresponding to the lowest evaporator outlet pressure, and setting 1 being the lowest setting and corresponding to the highest evaporator outlet pressure. The battery has 3 cooling settings, with setting 3 being the highest cooling setting, representing the greatest cooling demand of the battery, and setting 1 being the lowest setting, representing the least cooling demand of the battery.

[0054] In some embodiments, since the thermal management system 100 includes at least one of a plurality of refrigerator branches 40 and a plurality of battery branches 50, the cooling demand information also includes a target refrigerator identifier and a target battery cooling plate identifier, so that the controller controls the target refrigerator and the target battery cooling plate to perform cooling.

[0055] In summary, the thermal management system provided in some embodiments of this disclosure allows the refrigerator branch and the battery branch to share a single compressor. By allocating and managing the cooling demands of the refrigerator and battery through the vehicle thermal management system, energy utilization efficiency can be improved, and the compressor can utilize energy more efficiently, thereby reducing the overall energy consumption of the vehicle. Furthermore, when the vehicle thermal management system has different cooling demands, by determining the target operating mode of the thermal management system, the operating mode can be adjusted, enabling the thermal management system to orderly control the cooling process of each module, thereby ensuring that the cooling capacity is rationally allocated and utilized.

[0056] Referring to Figures 6 and 7, based on Figure 4, the thermal management system 100 further includes: a condenser 20, a coaxial tube 60, a liquid receiver 70, and a gas-liquid separator 80. The outlet of the compressor 10 is connected to the inlet of the condenser 20. The inlet of the liquid receiver 70 is connected to the outlet of the condenser 20, and the outlet of the liquid receiver 70 is connected to the inlet of the central channel 61 of the coaxial tube 60. The inlet of the gas-liquid separator 80 is connected to the outlet of the outer pipe channel 62, and the outlet of the gas-liquid separator 80 is connected to the inlet of the compressor 10.

[0057] The air conditioning branch circuit 30 includes an air conditioning evaporator 31 and a first expansion valve 32. The inlet of the first expansion valve 32 is connected to the outlet of the central channel 61, and the outlet of the first expansion valve 32 is connected to the inlet of the air conditioning evaporator 31.

[0058] In some embodiments, the air conditioning branch 30 further includes a second expansion valve 33, the outlet of the air conditioning evaporator 31 is connected to the inlet of the second expansion valve 33, the inlet of the second expansion valve 33 is connected to the outlet of the air conditioning evaporator 31, and the outlet of the second expansion valve 33 is connected to the outlet of the inlet of the gas-liquid separator 80.

[0059] The refrigerator branch circuit 40 includes a refrigerator evaporator 41 and a third expansion valve 42. The inlet of the third expansion valve 42 is connected to the outlet of the central channel 61, the outlet of the third expansion valve 42 is connected to the inlet of the refrigerator evaporator 41, and the outlet of the refrigerator evaporator 41 is connected to the inlet of the gas-liquid separator 80.

[0060] The thermal management system 100 also includes a battery branch 50. The battery branch 50 includes a battery cooling plate 51, a fourth expansion valve 52, and a fifth expansion valve 53. The inlet of the fourth expansion valve 52 is connected to the outlet of the central channel 61, the outlet of the fourth expansion valve 52 is connected to the inlet of the battery cooling plate 51, the outlet of the battery cooling plate 51 is connected to the inlet of the fifth expansion valve 53, the inlet of the fifth expansion valve 53 is connected to the outlet of the battery cooling plate 51, and the outlet of the fifth expansion valve 53 is connected to the outlet of the gas-liquid separator 80.

[0061] It should be noted that the number of refrigerator branch 40 and battery branch 50 can be one or more. This disclosure does not limit this and can be set according to the actual situation.

[0062] It should be understood that the thermal management system is in the first operating mode, with the first expansion valve 32, the second expansion valve 33, the fourth expansion valve 52 and the fifth expansion valve 53 closed, and the third expansion valve 42 open.

[0063] The thermal management system is in the second operating mode, with the first expansion valve 32, the second expansion valve 33 and the third expansion valve 42 closed, and the fourth expansion valve 52 and the fifth expansion valve 53 open.

[0064] The thermal management system is in the third operating mode, with the first expansion valve 32 and the second expansion valve 33 closed, and the third expansion valve 42, the fourth expansion valve 52 and the fifth expansion valve 53 open.

[0065] The thermal management system is in the fourth operating mode, with the first expansion valve 32 and the second expansion valve 33 open, and the third expansion valve 42, the fourth expansion valve 52 and the fifth expansion valve 53 closed.

[0066] The thermal management system is in the fifth operating mode, with the first expansion valve 32, the second expansion valve 33 and the third expansion valve 42 open, and the fourth expansion valve 52 and the fifth expansion valve 53 closed.

[0067] The thermal management system is in the sixth operating mode, with the first expansion valve 32, the second expansion valve 33, the fourth expansion valve 52, and the fifth expansion valve 53 open, and the third expansion valve 42 closed.

[0068] The thermal management system is in the seventh operating mode, with the first expansion valve 32, the second expansion valve 33, the third expansion valve 42, the fourth expansion valve 52, and the fifth expansion valve 53 all open.

[0069] Referring to Figure 8, during air conditioning cooling, the outlet of compressor 10 is connected to the inlet of condenser 20. After compressor 10 starts working, it compresses the refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant releases heat through condenser 20, becoming a high-pressure subcooled liquid refrigerant. After passing through the first expansion valve 32, the high-pressure subcooled liquid refrigerant is throttled and depressurized into a low-pressure subcooled liquid refrigerant. The low-pressure subcooled liquid refrigerant absorbs heat and evaporates in air conditioning evaporator 31, returning to compressor 10 to enter the next cycle.

[0070] Referring to Figure 9, during refrigerator cooling, the outlet of compressor 10 is connected to the inlet of condenser 20. After compressor 10 starts working, it compresses the refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant releases heat through condenser 20, becoming a high-pressure subcooled liquid refrigerant. After passing through the third expansion valve 42, the high-pressure subcooled liquid refrigerant is throttled and depressurized into a low-pressure subcooled liquid refrigerant. The low-pressure subcooled liquid refrigerant absorbs heat and evaporates in the refrigerator evaporator 41, returning to compressor 10 to enter the next cycle.

[0071] Referring to Figure 10, during the refrigeration cycle, the outlet of compressor 10 is connected to the inlet of condenser 20. After compressor 10 starts working, it compresses the refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant releases heat through condenser 20, becoming a high-pressure subcooled liquid refrigerant. After passing through the fourth expansion valve 52, the high-pressure subcooled liquid refrigerant is throttled and depressurized into a low-pressure subcooled liquid refrigerant. The low-pressure subcooled liquid refrigerant absorbs heat and evaporates in the battery cooling plate 51, returning to compressor 10 to enter the next cycle.

[0072] It should be noted that this thermal management system can also realize air conditioning heating and battery cooling plate heating. Referring to Figure 6, in some embodiments, the thermal management system 100 further includes a heating branch 90. The heating branch 90 includes an in-vehicle condenser 91, a sixth expansion valve 92, and a plate heat exchanger 93. The inlet of the in-vehicle condenser 91 is connected to the compressor 10, the outlet of the in-vehicle condenser 91 is connected to the inlet of the sixth expansion valve 92, the outlet of the sixth expansion valve 92 is connected to the plate heat exchanger 93, and the outlet of the plate heat exchanger 93 is connected to the inlet of the compressor 10.

[0073] The thermal management system 100 also includes: a first solenoid valve 101, a second solenoid valve 102, a third solenoid valve 103, a fourth solenoid valve 104, a fifth solenoid valve 105, a first check valve 106, a second check valve 107, and a third check valve 108. By controlling the opening and closing states of the first solenoid valve 101, the second solenoid valve 102, the third solenoid valve 103, the fourth solenoid valve 104, the fifth solenoid valve 105, the first check valve 106, the second check valve 107, and the third check valve 108, the flow circuit of the refrigerant is controlled, thereby achieving the switching between cooling and heating modes.

[0074] During the heating cycle, the outlet of compressor 10 is connected to the inlet of the vehicle condenser 91. After compressor 10 starts working, it compresses the refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant releases heat through the vehicle condenser 91, becoming a high-pressure subcooled liquid refrigerant. After passing through the sixth expansion valve 92, the high-pressure subcooled liquid refrigerant is depressurized into a low-pressure subcooled liquid refrigerant. The low-pressure subcooled liquid refrigerant absorbs heat and evaporates in the plate heat exchanger 93, returning to compressor 10 to enter the next cycle.

[0075] In addition, another circulation loop within the plate heat exchanger 93 includes a four-way valve 94, a motor radiator 95, a powertrain 96, and a water pump 97. That is, the refrigerant in this circulation loop absorbs heat from the motor radiator 95 and dissipates it within the plate heat exchanger 93.

[0076] In some embodiments, when both the battery and the refrigerator have cooling needs, the controller can determine the target operating mode of the thermal management system in the following manner: if the cooling demand information at least indicates that the battery has a cooling demand, the target operating mode is determined based on the cooling capacity required by the battery.

[0077] In one possible implementation, given that both the refrigerator and the battery have cooling needs as indicated by the cooling demand information, the target operating mode is determined based on the ambient temperature and the cooling capacity required by the battery.

[0078] In some embodiments, a control method for a thermal management system is provided, the control method being applied to a controller. As shown in FIG11, the control method includes S100 to S150.

[0079] S100: Obtain the cooling demand information of the current thermal management object.

[0080] S110, refrigerators, and batteries all have cooling requirements.

[0081] S120. Determine whether the ambient temperature is greater than the preset temperature threshold. If yes, proceed to S140; otherwise, proceed to S130.

[0082] S130, The target working mode is the third working mode.

[0083] The process by which the controller determines the target operating mode based on the ambient temperature and the cooling capacity required by the battery may include: if the ambient temperature is less than or equal to a preset temperature threshold, determining the target operating mode as the third operating mode.

[0084] S140. Determine whether the cooling capacity required by the battery is greater than the preset cooling capacity threshold. If yes, proceed to S150; otherwise, proceed to S130.

[0085] S150, the target working mode is the second working mode.

[0086] The process by which the controller determines the target operating mode based on ambient temperature and the cooling capacity required by the battery may further include: if the ambient temperature is higher than a preset temperature threshold and the cooling capacity required by the battery is less than or equal to a preset cooling capacity threshold, determining the target operating mode as a third operating mode; and if the ambient temperature is higher than a preset temperature threshold and the cooling capacity required by the battery is greater than a preset cooling capacity threshold, determining the target operating mode as a second operating mode.

[0087] It's important to understand that when the ambient temperature is low, the refrigerant in the circuit can meet the user's cooling needs. Therefore, when the ambient temperature is below the preset temperature threshold, the thermal management system 100 can simultaneously perform refrigerator cooling and battery cooling, i.e., it operates in the third working mode. Here, the preset temperature threshold can be 5℃.

[0088] It's important to understand that the performance of new energy vehicles is determined by the performance of the battery. Battery temperature affects battery performance. Therefore, when the ambient temperature is high and the battery requires significant cooling, the battery's cooling needs should be prioritized. That is, when the battery's required cooling capacity exceeds a preset cooling capacity threshold, the thermal management system 100 can only perform battery cooling, operating in the second working mode. Here, the relationship between the battery's required cooling capacity and the preset cooling capacity threshold can be determined based on the battery's operating level and the number of battery cooling plates. For example, if the battery is at level 3 or there are multiple battery cooling plates, it indicates that the battery's required cooling capacity exceeds the preset cooling capacity threshold.

[0089] That is, when the ambient temperature is less than or equal to a preset temperature threshold, the first expansion valve 32 and the second expansion valve 33 are closed, while the third expansion valve 42, the fourth expansion valve 52, and the fifth expansion valve 53 are open. When the ambient temperature is greater than the preset temperature threshold, and the cooling capacity required by the battery is less than or equal to a preset cooling capacity threshold, the first expansion valve 32 and the second expansion valve 33 are closed, while the third expansion valve 42, the fourth expansion valve 52, and the fifth expansion valve 53 are open. When the ambient temperature is greater than the preset temperature threshold and the cooling capacity required by the battery is greater than the preset cooling capacity threshold, the first expansion valve 32, the second expansion valve 33, and the third expansion valve 42 are closed, while the fourth expansion valve 52 and the fifth expansion valve 53 are open.

[0090] In some embodiments, another control method for a thermal management system is provided, which is applied to a controller. As shown in Figure 12, when the air conditioner, battery, and refrigerator all have cooling needs, the control method may include steps S200 to S290.

[0091] S200: Obtain the cooling demand information of the current thermal management object.

[0092] The controller can determine the target operating mode of the thermal management system in the following way: when the cooling demand information indicates that the battery, air conditioner and refrigerator all have cooling demand, the target operating mode is determined based on the current operating mode of the thermal management system 100 and the cooling capacity required by the battery.

[0093] S210, the thermal management system is currently in the fifth operating mode, and the battery requires cooling.

[0094] The S220 thermal management system is currently in its sixth operating mode, indicating that the refrigerator is in a cooling demand.

[0095] S230. Determine whether the cooling capacity required by the battery is greater than the preset cooling capacity threshold. If yes, execute S240; otherwise, execute S250.

[0096] S240, The target working mode is the sixth working mode.

[0097] S250, the target working mode is the seventh working mode.

[0098] In one possible implementation, if the thermal management system 100 is currently in either the fifth or sixth operating mode, and the battery's required cooling capacity is greater than a preset cooling capacity threshold, the target operating mode is determined to be the sixth operating mode. If the battery's required cooling capacity is less than or equal to the preset cooling capacity threshold, the target operating mode is determined to be the seventh operating mode.

[0099] It should be noted that when the thermal management system 100 has an air conditioning cooling demand, the air conditioning cooling demand must be responded to; that is, the air conditioning branch 30 cannot be shut down. In other words, when the battery's cooling demand is high, the thermal management system 100 prioritizes meeting the battery's cooling demand and the air conditioning's cooling demand, and the refrigerator can be turned off first. The refrigerator can then be turned on after the battery's cooling demand decreases.

[0100] S260, the thermal management system is currently in the third operating mode, and the air conditioner has a cooling demand.

[0101] S270: Determine whether the cooling capacity required by the battery is greater than the preset cooling capacity threshold. If yes, proceed to S240; otherwise, proceed to S290. In another possible implementation, if the thermal management system 100 is currently in the third operating mode, and the cooling capacity required by the battery is greater than the preset cooling capacity threshold, determine the target operating mode as the sixth operating mode.

[0102] S280. Determine whether the absolute value of the difference between the air conditioner outlet temperature and the target outlet temperature is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold. If yes, execute S250; otherwise, execute S290.

[0103] S290, The target working mode is the fifth working mode.

[0104] If the cooling capacity required by the battery is less than or equal to the preset cooling capacity threshold, the target operating mode is determined to be the seventh operating mode or the fifth operating mode based on the actual air outlet temperature and the target air outlet temperature.

[0105] It should be noted that when the thermal management system 100 has an air conditioning cooling demand, this demand must be met; that is, the air conditioning branch 30 cannot be shut down. In other words, when the air conditioning cooling demand is high and the battery cooling demand is low, the thermal management system 100 prioritizes meeting the cooling demands of both the refrigerator and the air conditioning, and the battery can be shut down initially. Once the air conditioning cooling demand decreases, the battery is then turned on. If the battery cooling demand is high, the refrigerator is shut down simultaneously with the battery being turned on.

[0106] Therefore, if the absolute value of the difference between the actual air outlet temperature and the target air outlet temperature is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold, the target operating mode is determined to be the seventh operating mode. If the absolute value of the difference between the actual air outlet temperature and the target air outlet temperature is greater than the first temperature threshold, the target operating mode is determined to be the fifth operating mode. Here, the first temperature threshold can be 2℃.

[0107] That is, when the thermal management system 100 is currently in the fifth or sixth operating mode, if the cooling capacity required by the battery is greater than the preset cooling capacity threshold, the first expansion valve 32, the second expansion valve 33, the fourth expansion valve 52, and the fifth expansion valve 53 are opened, while the third expansion valve 42 is closed. If the cooling capacity required by the battery is less than or equal to the preset cooling capacity threshold, all of the first expansion valve 32, the second expansion valve 33, the third expansion valve 42, the fourth expansion valve 52, and the fifth expansion valve 53 are opened.

[0108] When the thermal management system 100 is currently in its third operating mode, if the cooling capacity demanded by the battery exceeds a preset cooling capacity threshold, the first expansion valve 32, the second expansion valve 33, the fourth expansion valve 52, and the fifth expansion valve 53 are opened, while the third expansion valve 42 is closed. If the cooling capacity demanded by the battery is less than or equal to the preset cooling capacity threshold, and the absolute value of the difference between the air conditioner outlet temperature and the target outlet temperature is less than or equal to a first temperature threshold, all of the first expansion valve 32, the second expansion valve 33, the third expansion valve 42, the fourth expansion valve 52, and the fifth expansion valve 53 are opened. If the cooling capacity demanded by the battery is less than or equal to the preset cooling capacity threshold, and the absolute value of the difference between the air conditioner outlet temperature and the target outlet temperature is greater than a first temperature threshold, the first expansion valve 32, the second expansion valve 33, and the third expansion valve 42 are opened, while the fourth expansion valve 52 and the fifth expansion valve 53 are closed.

[0109] In some embodiments, when both the battery and the refrigerator have cooling needs, the process of adjusting the speed of the compressor 10 may include: when the thermal management system 100 is in the sixth operating mode, the speed of the compressor 10 is adjusted according to the actual outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator 41 in the refrigerator branch 40 and the target outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator 41.

[0110] It should be noted that the speed of compressor 10 determines the pressure of the refrigerant in the circuit; the higher the speed of compressor 10, the lower the pressure of the refrigerant in the circuit. The target pressure required for refrigerator cooling is lower than that required for battery cooling, so the speed of compressor 10 should be adjusted according to the actual outlet pressure of refrigerator evaporator 41 and the target outlet pressure of refrigerator evaporator 41.

[0111] It should be understood that, since the thermal management system 100 includes multiple refrigerator branches, when the thermal management system 100 is in the third operating mode, the speed of the compressor 10 is determined based on the branch with the lowest target outlet pressure among all refrigerator branches 40.

[0112] For example, when the thermal management system 100 is in the third working mode, the compressor speed 10 is adjusted between [0 rpm, 7000 rpm] based on the saturation temperature corresponding to the actual outlet pressure and the target outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator 41 collected in real time and proportional integration differentiation (PID) control based on the temperature difference between the two.

[0113] In other embodiments, when the air conditioner, battery, and refrigerator all have cooling needs, the process of adjusting the speed of the compressor 10 may include: when the thermal management system 100 is in the seventh operating mode, the speed of the compressor 10 is adjusted based on the actual air outlet temperature and the target air outlet temperature.

[0114] For example, when the thermal management system 100 is in the seventh working mode, the speed of the compressor 10 is calculated by PID based on the temperature difference between the actual air outlet temperature and the target air outlet temperature, and the speed range of the compressor 10 can be adjusted between [0 rpm, 7000 rpm].

[0115] It should be noted that the target pressure required for refrigerator cooling and air conditioner cooling are similar, both lower than the target pressure required for battery cooling. Therefore, the compressor speed should be adjusted according to the target outlet pressure of the refrigerator or air conditioner. Furthermore, when the air conditioner, battery, and refrigerator all have cooling needs simultaneously, the air conditioner's cooling demand must be met; that is, the air conditioner circuit cannot be shut off. Therefore, the compressor speed 10 is adjusted based on the actual and target outlet air temperatures of the air conditioner.

[0116] In some embodiments, the air conditioning branch 30 includes at least an air conditioning evaporator 31 and a first expansion valve 32 connected to the inlet of the air conditioning evaporator 31. When the thermal management system 100 meets the cooling demand of the air conditioning, the opening of the first expansion valve 32 is adjusted according to the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the air conditioning evaporator 31 and the target outlet superheat of the air conditioning evaporator 31.

[0117] In one possible implementation, if the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the air conditioner evaporator 31 and the target outlet superheat of the air conditioner evaporator 31 is less than the lower limit of the first interval, the opening of the first expansion valve 32 is reduced. If the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the air conditioner evaporator 31 and the target outlet superheat of the air conditioner evaporator 31 is within the first interval, the opening of the first expansion valve 32 is maintained. Alternatively, if the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the air conditioner evaporator 31 and the target outlet superheat of the air conditioner evaporator 31 is greater than the upper limit of the first interval, the opening of the first expansion valve 32 is increased.

[0118] In some embodiments, the first range can be [-2℃, 2℃]. When the actual outlet superheat of the air conditioner evaporator 31 minus the target outlet superheat is less than -2℃, the opening of the first expansion valve 32 is reduced, and the refrigerant flow rate of the air conditioning branch 30 is adjusted to make the actual superheat approach the target superheat. When the actual outlet superheat of the air conditioner evaporator 31 minus the target outlet superheat is greater than 2℃, the opening of the first expansion valve 32 is increased. When 2 ≥ the actual outlet superheat of the air conditioner evaporator 31 minus the target outlet superheat is ≥ -2℃, the opening of the first expansion valve 32 remains unchanged, and the opening of the first expansion valve 32 can be adjusted between [0 steps, 576 steps].

[0119] In some embodiments, the air conditioning branch 30 further includes a second expansion valve 33 connected to the outlet of the air conditioning evaporator 31. When the thermal management system 100 meets the cooling needs of the air conditioner and the refrigerator, the opening of the second expansion valve 33 is adjusted according to the difference between the actual outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator 41 in the refrigerator branch 40 and the target outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator 41.

[0120] In one possible implementation, the opening of the second expansion valve 33 is increased when the difference between the actual outlet pressure and the target outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator 41 is less than the lower limit of the second interval. Alternatively, the opening of the second expansion valve 33 is maintained when the difference between the actual outlet pressure and the target outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator 41 is within the second interval. The opening of the second expansion valve 33 is decreased when the difference between the actual outlet pressure and the target outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator 41 is greater than the upper limit of the second interval.

[0121] In some embodiments, the second range can be [-20 kPa, 10 kPa]. When the actual outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator 41 minus the target outlet pressure is less than -20 kPa, the opening of the second expansion valve 33 is increased. When the actual outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator 41 minus the target outlet pressure is greater than 10 kPa, the opening of the second expansion valve 33 is decreased. When 10 kPa ≥ the actual outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator 41 minus the target outlet pressure ≥ -20 kPa, the opening of the second expansion valve 33 remains unchanged, and the opening of the second expansion valve 33 can be adjusted between [0 steps, 576 steps].

[0122] It should be noted that when the thermal management system 100 includes multiple refrigerator branches 40, the opening of the second expansion valve 33 is adjusted according to the difference between the minimum actual outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator 41 in the multiple refrigerator branches 40 and the target outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator 41.

[0123] In some embodiments, the refrigerator branch 40 includes at least a refrigerator evaporator 41 and a third expansion valve 42 connected to the inlet of the refrigerator evaporator 41. When the thermal management system 100 meets the refrigeration needs of the refrigerator, the opening of the third expansion valve 42 is adjusted according to the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator 41 and the target outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator 41.

[0124] In one possible implementation, if the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator 41 and the target outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator 41 is less than the lower limit of the third interval, the opening of the third expansion valve 42 is reduced. If the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator 41 and the target outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator 41 is within the third interval, the opening of the third expansion valve 42 is maintained. If the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator 41 and the target outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator 41 is greater than the upper limit of the third interval, the opening of the third expansion valve 42 is increased.

[0125] In some embodiments, the third range can be [-2℃, 0℃]. When the actual outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator 41 minus the target outlet superheat is less than -2℃, the opening of the third expansion valve 42 is reduced. When the actual outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator 41 minus the target outlet superheat is greater than 0℃, the opening of the third expansion valve 42 is increased. When 0℃ ≥ the actual outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator 41 minus the target outlet superheat ≥ -2℃, the opening of the third expansion valve 42 remains unchanged, and the opening of the third expansion valve 42 can be adjusted between [0 steps, 576 steps].

[0126] In some embodiments, the battery branch 50 includes at least a battery cooling plate 51 and a fourth expansion valve 52 communicating with the inlet of the battery cooling plate 51. When the thermal management system 100 meets the cooling needs of the battery, the opening degree of the fourth expansion valve 52 is adjusted according to the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate 51 and the target outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate 51.

[0127] In one possible implementation, if the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate 51 and the target outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate 51 is less than the lower limit of the fourth interval, the opening of the fourth expansion valve 52 is reduced. If the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate 51 and the target outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate 51 is within the fourth interval, the opening of the fourth expansion valve 52 is maintained. If the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate 51 and the target outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate 51 is greater than the upper limit of the fourth interval, the opening of the fourth expansion valve 52 is increased.

[0128] In some embodiments, the fourth range can be [-5℃, 0℃]. When the actual outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate 51 minus the target outlet superheat is less than -5℃, the opening of the fourth expansion valve 52 is reduced, and the refrigerant flow rate of the air conditioning branch 30 is adjusted to make the actual superheat approach the target superheat. When the actual outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate 51 minus the target outlet superheat is greater than 0℃, the opening of the fourth expansion valve 52 is increased. When 0℃ ≥ the actual outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate 51 minus the target outlet superheat ≥ -5℃, the opening of the fourth expansion valve 52 remains unchanged, and the opening of the fourth expansion valve 52 can be adjusted between [0 steps, 576 steps].

[0129] In some embodiments, the battery branch 50 further includes a fifth expansion valve 53 communicating with the outlet of the battery cooling plate 51. When the thermal management system 100 meets the cooling needs of the battery, the opening of the fifth expansion valve 53 is adjusted based on the difference between the actual outlet pressure of the battery cooling plate 51 and the target outlet pressure of the battery cooling plate 51.

[0130] In one possible implementation, if the difference between the actual outlet pressure and the target outlet pressure of the battery cooling plate 51 is less than the lower limit of the fifth interval, the opening of the fifth expansion valve 53 is reduced. If the difference between the actual outlet pressure and the target outlet pressure of the battery cooling plate 51 is within the fifth interval, the opening of the fifth expansion valve 53 is maintained. If the difference between the actual outlet pressure and the target outlet pressure of the battery cooling plate 51 is greater than the upper limit of the fifth interval, the opening of the fifth expansion valve 53 is increased.

[0131] In some embodiments, the fifth range can be [-20 kPa, 20 kPa]. When the actual outlet pressure of the battery cooling plate 51 minus the target outlet pressure is less than -20 kPa, the opening of the fifth expansion valve 53 is reduced. When the actual outlet pressure of the battery cooling plate 51 minus the target outlet pressure is greater than 20 kPa, the opening of the fifth expansion valve 53 is increased. When 20 kPa ≥ the actual outlet pressure of the battery cooling plate 51 minus the target outlet pressure ≥ -20 kPa, the opening of the fifth expansion valve 53 remains unchanged, and the opening of the fifth expansion valve 53 can be adjusted between [0 steps, 576 steps].

[0132] Figure 13 is a schematic flowchart of a control method for a thermal management system according to some embodiments. Referring to Figure 13, some embodiments of this disclosure provide a control method for a thermal management system, used to control the above-mentioned vehicle thermal management system, including:

[0133] S101. Obtain the cooling demand information of the thermal management object.

[0134] Here, thermal management includes refrigerators and batteries.

[0135] S102. Based on the cooling demand information of the thermal management object, control the thermal management system to operate in a target working mode that matches the cooling demand information.

[0136] In some embodiments, the target operating mode includes at least: a first operating mode, a second operating mode, and a third operating mode; here, the first operating mode is used to meet only the cooling needs of the refrigerator; the second operating mode is used to meet only the cooling needs of the battery; and the third operating mode is used to meet only the cooling needs of the refrigerator and the battery.

[0137] In some embodiments, the target operating mode is determined as follows: when the cooling demand information at least indicates that the battery has a cooling demand, the target operating mode is determined based on the cooling capacity required by the battery.

[0138] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to determine a target operating mode based on the cooling capacity required by the battery when the cooling demand information at least indicates that the battery has a cooling demand, including: when the cooling demand information indicates that both the refrigerator and the battery have a cooling demand, determining the target operating mode based on the ambient temperature and the cooling capacity required by the battery.

[0139] In some embodiments, determining the target operating mode based on ambient temperature and the cooling capacity required by the battery includes: determining the target operating mode as a third operating mode when the ambient temperature is less than or equal to a preset temperature threshold; or, determining the target operating mode as a third operating mode when the ambient temperature is greater than a preset temperature threshold and the cooling capacity required by the battery is less than or equal to a preset cooling capacity threshold; and determining the target operating mode as a second operating mode when the ambient temperature is greater than a preset temperature threshold and the cooling capacity required by the battery is greater than a preset cooling capacity threshold.

[0140] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned thermal management object further includes: an air conditioner; the above-mentioned target operating mode further includes: a fourth operating mode, a fifth operating mode, a sixth operating mode, and a seventh operating mode; here, the fourth operating mode is used to achieve only the cooling needs of the air conditioner; the fifth operating mode is used to achieve only the cooling needs of the air conditioner and the refrigerator; the sixth operating mode is used to achieve only the cooling needs of the air conditioner and the battery; and the seventh operating mode is used to achieve the cooling needs of the air conditioner, the refrigerator, and the battery.

[0141] In some embodiments, the target operating mode is determined as follows: when the cooling demand information indicates that the battery, air conditioner, and refrigerator all have cooling demand, the target operating mode is determined based on the current operating mode of the thermal management system and the cooling capacity required by the battery.

[0142] In some embodiments, determining the target operating mode based on the current operating mode of the thermal management system and the cooling capacity required by the battery includes: if the thermal management system is currently in the fifth or sixth operating mode, and the cooling capacity required by the battery is greater than a preset cooling capacity threshold, determining the target operating mode as the sixth operating mode; or, if the cooling capacity required by the battery is less than or equal to the preset cooling capacity threshold, determining the target operating mode as the seventh operating mode.

[0143] In some embodiments, determining the target operating mode based on the current operating mode of the thermal management system and the cooling capacity required by the battery includes: if the thermal management system is currently in the third operating mode, and the cooling capacity required by the battery is greater than a preset cooling capacity threshold, determining the target operating mode as the sixth operating mode; or, if the cooling capacity required by the battery is less than or equal to the preset cooling capacity threshold, determining the target operating mode as the seventh operating mode or the fifth operating mode based on the air conditioner outlet temperature and the target outlet temperature.

[0144] In some embodiments, determining the target operating mode as the seventh operating mode or the fifth operating mode based on the air conditioner outlet temperature and the target outlet temperature includes: determining the target operating mode as the seventh operating mode when the absolute value of the difference between the air conditioner outlet temperature and the target outlet temperature is less than or equal to a first temperature threshold; or, determining the target operating mode as the fifth operating mode when the absolute value of the difference between the air conditioner outlet temperature and the target outlet temperature is greater than the first temperature threshold.

[0145] In some embodiments, the cooling capacity required by the battery is determined based on at least one of the following: the cooling level of the battery, and the number of cooling plates to be cooled on the battery.

[0146] It should be noted that the implementation method of the control method of the thermal management system can be referred to the description of the thermal management system section above, and will not be repeated here.

[0147] The control methods of the thermal management system provided in some embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to two examples.

[0148] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the control logic of the expansion valves in a thermal management system for a battery and a refrigerator during refrigeration, according to some embodiments. It illustrates the control process of the opening degrees of the third, fourth, and fifth expansion valves when the thermal management system is in its third operating mode. As shown in Figure 14, when the thermal management system is operating in the third operating mode, the target outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator is determined based on the refrigeration demand information of the object under thermal management. The actual outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator is obtained through a detection device in the thermal management system, and the compressor speed can be adjusted based on the actual outlet pressure and the target outlet pressure.

[0149] The system obtains the actual and target outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator. If the difference between the actual and target outlet superheat is less than the lower limit of the third interval, the opening of the third expansion valve is reduced. If the difference is within the third interval, the opening of the third expansion valve remains unchanged. If the difference is greater than the upper limit of the third interval, the opening of the third expansion valve is increased.

[0150] Obtain the actual outlet superheat and target outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate. If the difference between the actual and target outlet superheat is less than the lower limit of the fourth interval, decrease the opening of the fourth expansion valve. If the difference is within the fourth interval, maintain the opening of the fourth expansion valve. If the difference is greater than the upper limit of the fourth interval, increase the opening of the fourth expansion valve.

[0151] Obtain the actual and target outlet pressures of the refrigerator evaporator. If the difference between the actual and target outlet pressures is less than the lower limit of the second range, increase the opening of the second expansion valve. Alternatively, if the difference between the actual and target outlet pressures is within the second range, maintain the opening of the second expansion valve. If the difference between the actual and target outlet pressures is greater than the upper limit of the second range, decrease the opening of the second expansion valve.

[0152] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the control logic of the expansion valves in a thermal management system according to some embodiments, used for cooling batteries, refrigerators, and air conditioners. It illustrates the control process of the opening degrees of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth expansion valves when the thermal management system is in its seventh operating mode. As shown in Figure 15, when the thermal management system is operating in its seventh operating mode, the target air outlet temperature of the air conditioner is determined based on the cooling demand information of the object being managed. The actual air outlet temperature of the air conditioner is obtained through a detection device in the thermal management system, and the compressor speed can be adjusted based on the actual air outlet temperature and the target air outlet temperature.

[0153] The system obtains the actual outlet superheat and the target outlet superheat of the air conditioner evaporator. If the difference between the actual and target outlet superheat is less than the lower limit of a first interval, the opening of the first expansion valve is reduced. Alternatively, if the difference is within the first interval, the opening of the first expansion valve is kept constant. If the difference is greater than the upper limit of the first interval, the opening of the first expansion valve is increased.

[0154] The system obtains the actual and target outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator. If the difference between the actual and target outlet superheat is less than the lower limit of the third interval, the opening of the third expansion valve is reduced. If the difference is within the third interval, the opening of the third expansion valve remains unchanged. If the difference is greater than the upper limit of the third interval, the opening of the third expansion valve is increased.

[0155] Obtain the actual outlet superheat and target outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate. If the difference between the actual and target outlet superheat is less than the lower limit of the fourth interval, decrease the opening of the fourth expansion valve. If the difference is within the fourth interval, maintain the opening of the fourth expansion valve. If the difference is greater than the upper limit of the fourth interval, increase the opening of the fourth expansion valve.

[0156] Obtain the actual and target outlet pressures of the refrigerator evaporator. If the difference between the actual and target outlet pressures is less than the lower limit of the second range, increase the opening of the second expansion valve. Alternatively, if the difference between the actual and target outlet pressures is within the second range, maintain the opening of the second expansion valve. If the difference between the actual and target outlet pressures is greater than the upper limit of the second range, decrease the opening of the second expansion valve.

[0157] Obtain the actual and target outlet pressures of the battery cooling plate. If the difference between the actual and target outlet pressures is less than the lower limit of the fifth interval, decrease the opening of the fifth expansion valve. If the difference is within the fifth interval, maintain the opening of the fifth expansion valve. If the difference is greater than the upper limit of the fifth interval, increase the opening of the fifth expansion valve.

[0158] As shown in Figure 16, some embodiments of this disclosure also provide a vehicle 1000, including the thermal management system 100 described above.

[0159] In some embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as a read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage device.

[0160] Some embodiments of this disclosure also provide a computer program product including one or more instructions that can be executed by a controller to perform the methods described above.

[0161] It should be noted that when one or more instructions in the computer-readable storage medium or computer program product are executed by the controller, they implement the various processes of the above method embodiments and achieve the same technical effect as the above method. To avoid repetition, they will not be described again here.

[0162] Although this disclosure has been described in conjunction with its features and embodiments, it will be apparent that various modifications and combinations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and are to be considered as covering any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of this disclosure. It is obvious that those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to this disclosure without departing from its spirit and scope. Thus, this disclosure is also intended to include any such modifications and modifications that fall within the scope of the claims of this disclosure and their equivalents.

[0163] The above are merely specific embodiments of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A thermal management system (100) applied to a vehicle, wherein, The thermal management system (100) includes: Compressor (10); The refrigerator branch (40) and battery branch (50) of the compressor (10) are shared; The controller is configured to: Based on the cooling demand information of the thermal management object, the thermal management system (100) is controlled to operate in a target working mode that matches the cooling demand information; wherein, the thermal management object includes a refrigerator and a battery.

2. The thermal management system (100) according to claim 1, wherein, The refrigerator branch (40) is connected in parallel with the battery branch (50).

3. The thermal management system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The target operating modes include at least: a first operating mode, a second operating mode, and a third operating mode; The first working mode is used to meet the refrigeration requirements of the refrigerator. The second operating mode is used to meet the cooling requirements of the battery; The third operating mode is used to meet the cooling needs of the refrigerator and the battery.

4. The thermal management system (100) according to claim 3, wherein, The target operating mode is determined in the following manner: If the cooling demand information at least indicates that the battery has a cooling demand, the target operating mode is determined based on the cooling capacity required by the battery.

5. The thermal management system (100) according to claim 4, wherein, The controller is also configured to: When the cooling demand information indicates that both the refrigerator and the battery have cooling needs, the target operating mode is determined based on the ambient temperature and the cooling capacity required by the battery.

6. The thermal management system (100) according to claim 5, wherein, The controller is also configured to: When the ambient temperature is less than or equal to a preset temperature threshold, the target operating mode is determined to be the third operating mode; If the ambient temperature is greater than the preset temperature threshold and the cooling capacity required by the battery is less than or equal to the preset cooling capacity threshold, the target operating mode is determined to be the third operating mode; or, If the ambient temperature is greater than the preset temperature threshold and the cooling capacity required by the battery is greater than the preset cooling capacity threshold, the target operating mode is determined to be the second operating mode.

7. The thermal management system (100) according to any one of claims 3 to 6 further comprises: Air conditioning branch (30); the air conditioning branch (30) is connected in parallel with the refrigerator branch (40) and the battery branch (50).

8. The thermal management system (100) according to claim 7, wherein, The target working modes also include: the fourth working mode, the fifth working mode, the sixth working mode, and the seventh working mode; The fourth operating mode is used to meet the cooling needs of the air conditioner. The fifth operating mode is used to meet the cooling needs of the air conditioner and the refrigerator; The sixth operating mode is used to meet the cooling needs of the air conditioner and the battery; The seventh operating mode is used to meet the cooling needs of the air conditioner, the refrigerator, and the battery.

9. The thermal management system (100) according to claim 8, wherein, The target operating mode is determined in the following manner: When the cooling demand information indicates that the battery, the air conditioner, and the refrigerator all have cooling needs, the target operating mode is determined based on the current operating mode of the thermal management system (100) and the cooling capacity required by the battery.

10. The thermal management system (100) according to claim 9, wherein, The controller is also configured to: When the thermal management system (100) is currently in the fifth or sixth operating mode, If it is determined that the cooling capacity required by the battery is greater than the preset cooling capacity threshold, then the target working mode is determined to be the sixth working mode. If it is determined that the cooling capacity required by the battery is less than or equal to the preset cooling capacity threshold, then the target operating mode is determined to be the seventh operating mode.

11. The thermal management system (100) according to claim 9, wherein, The controller is also configured to: With the thermal management system (100) currently in the third operating mode, If it is determined that the cooling capacity required by the battery is greater than the preset cooling capacity threshold, then the target working mode is determined to be the sixth working mode; if it is determined that the cooling capacity required by the battery is less than or equal to the preset cooling capacity threshold, then based on the actual air outlet temperature and the target air outlet temperature, the target working mode is determined to be the seventh working mode or the fifth working mode.

12. The thermal management system (100) according to claim 11, wherein, The controller is also configured to: If the absolute value of the difference between the actual air outlet temperature and the target air outlet temperature is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold, the target operating mode is determined to be the seventh operating mode. If the absolute value of the difference between the actual air outlet temperature and the target air outlet temperature is greater than the first temperature threshold, the target operating mode is determined to be the fifth operating mode.

13. The thermal management system (100) according to any one of claims 4 to 12, wherein, The required cooling capacity of the battery is determined based on at least one of the following: the cooling level of the battery, and the number of cooling plates to be cooled in the battery.

14. The thermal management system (100) according to any one of claims 3 to 13, wherein, When the thermal management system (100) is in the third working mode, the speed of the compressor (10) is adjusted according to the actual outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator (41) in the refrigerator branch (40) and the target outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator (41); When the thermal management system (100) is in the seventh operating mode, the speed of the compressor (10) is adjusted based on the actual air outlet temperature of the air conditioner and the target air outlet temperature.

15. The thermal management system (100) according to any one of claims 7 to 12, wherein, The air conditioning branch (30) includes at least an air conditioning evaporator (31) and a first expansion valve (32) connected to the inlet of the air conditioning evaporator (31); When the thermal management system (100) meets the cooling requirements of the air conditioner, the opening degree of the first expansion valve (32) is adjusted according to the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the air conditioner evaporator (31) and the target outlet superheat of the air conditioner evaporator.

16. The thermal management system (100) according to claim 15, wherein, If the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the air conditioner evaporator (31) and the target outlet superheat of the air conditioner evaporator (31) is less than the lower limit of the first interval, the opening of the first expansion valve (32) is reduced. When the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the air conditioner evaporator (31) and the target outlet superheat of the air conditioner evaporator (31) is within the first range, the opening of the first expansion valve (32) is maintained. or, If the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the air conditioner evaporator (31) and the target outlet superheat of the air conditioner evaporator (31) is greater than the upper limit of the first interval, the opening of the first expansion valve (32) is increased.

17. The thermal management system (100) according to claim 15 or 16, wherein, The air conditioning branch (30) also includes a second expansion valve (33) connected to the outlet of the air conditioning evaporator (31); When the thermal management system (100) meets the cooling needs of the air conditioner and the refrigerator, the opening of the second expansion valve (33) is adjusted according to the difference between the actual outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator (41) in the refrigerator branch (40) and the target outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator (41).

18. The thermal management system (100) according to claim 17, wherein, If the difference between the actual outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator (41) and the target outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator (41) is less than the lower limit of the second range, the opening of the second expansion valve (33) is increased. If the difference between the actual outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator (41) and the target outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator (41) is within the second range, the opening of the second expansion valve (33) is maintained; or, If the difference between the actual outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator (41) and the target outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator (41) is greater than the upper limit of the second range, the opening of the second expansion valve (33) is reduced.

19. The thermal management system (100) according to claim 17 or 18, wherein, In the case where the thermal management system (100) includes multiple refrigerator branches (40), the opening of the second expansion valve (33) is adjusted according to the difference between the minimum actual outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator (41) in the multiple refrigerator branches (40) and the target outlet pressure of the refrigerator evaporator (41).

20. The thermal management system (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein, The refrigerator branch (40) includes at least a refrigerator evaporator (41) and a third expansion valve (42) connected to the inlet of the refrigerator evaporator (41); When the thermal management system (100) meets the refrigeration requirements of the refrigerator, the opening degree of the third expansion valve (42) is adjusted according to the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator (41) and the target outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator (41).

21. The thermal management system (100) according to claim 20, wherein, If the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator (41) and the target outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator (41) is less than the lower limit of the third interval, the opening of the third expansion valve (42) is reduced. When the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator (41) and the target outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator (41) is within the third range, the opening of the third expansion valve (42) is maintained. or, If the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator (41) and the target outlet superheat of the refrigerator evaporator (41) is greater than the upper limit of the third interval, the opening of the third expansion valve (42) is increased.

22. The thermal management system (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein, The battery branch (50) includes at least a battery cooling plate (51) and a fourth expansion valve (52) connected to the inlet of the battery cooling plate (51); When the thermal management system (100) meets the cooling requirements of the battery, the opening of the fourth expansion valve (52) is adjusted according to the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate (51) and the target outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate (51).

23. The thermal management system (100) according to claim 22, wherein, If the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate (51) and the target outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate (51) is less than the lower limit of the fourth interval, the opening of the fourth expansion valve (52) shall be reduced. If the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate (51) and the target outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate (51) is within the fourth interval, the opening of the fourth expansion valve (52) is maintained; or, If the difference between the actual outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate (51) and the target outlet superheat of the battery cooling plate (51) is greater than the upper limit of the fourth interval, the opening of the fourth expansion valve (52) is increased.

24. The thermal management system (100) according to claim 22 or 23, wherein, The battery branch (50) also includes a fifth expansion valve (53) connected to the outlet of the battery cooling plate (51); When the thermal management system (100) meets the cooling requirements of the battery, the opening of the fifth expansion valve (53) is adjusted according to the difference between the actual outlet pressure of the battery cooling plate (51) and the target outlet pressure of the battery cooling plate (51).

25. The thermal management system (100) according to claim 24, wherein, If the difference between the actual outlet pressure of the battery cooling plate (51) and the target outlet pressure of the battery cooling plate (51) is less than the lower limit of the fifth interval, the opening of the fifth expansion valve (53) is reduced. When the difference between the actual outlet pressure of the battery cooling plate (51) and the target outlet pressure of the battery cooling plate (51) is within the fifth range, the opening of the fifth expansion valve (53) is maintained. or, If the difference between the actual outlet pressure of the battery cooling plate (51) and the target outlet pressure of the battery cooling plate (51) is greater than the upper limit of the fifth interval, the opening of the fifth expansion valve (53) is increased.

26. A control method for a thermal management system, comprising: Obtain cooling demand information of thermal management objects; wherein, the thermal management objects include refrigerators and batteries; Based on the cooling demand information of the thermal management object, the thermal management system (100) is controlled to operate in a target working mode that matches the cooling demand information.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein, The target operating modes include at least: a first operating mode, a second operating mode, and a third operating mode; The first working mode is used to meet the refrigeration requirements of the refrigerator. The second operating mode is used to meet the cooling requirements of the battery; The third operating mode is used to meet the cooling needs of the refrigerator and the battery.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein, The target operating mode is determined in the following manner: If the cooling demand information at least indicates that the battery has a cooling demand, the target operating mode is determined based on the cooling capacity required by the battery.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein, When the cooling demand information at least indicates that the battery has a cooling demand, determining the target operating mode based on the cooling capacity required by the battery includes: When the cooling demand information indicates that both the refrigerator and the battery have cooling needs, the target operating mode is determined based on the ambient temperature and the cooling capacity required by the battery.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein, The determination of the target operating mode based on the ambient temperature and the cooling capacity required by the battery includes: When the ambient temperature is less than or equal to a preset temperature threshold, the target operating mode is determined to be the third operating mode; If the ambient temperature is greater than the preset temperature threshold and the cooling capacity required by the battery is less than or equal to the preset cooling capacity threshold, the target operating mode is determined to be the third operating mode; or, If the ambient temperature is greater than the preset temperature threshold and the cooling capacity required by the battery is greater than the preset cooling capacity threshold, the target operating mode is determined to be the second operating mode.

31. The method according to any one of claims 27 to 30, wherein, The thermal management object also includes: air conditioners; The target working modes also include: the fourth working mode, the fifth working mode, the sixth working mode, and the seventh working mode; The fourth operating mode is used to meet the cooling needs of the air conditioner. The fifth operating mode is used to meet the cooling needs of the air conditioner and the refrigerator; The sixth operating mode is used to meet the cooling needs of the air conditioner and the battery; The seventh operating mode is used to meet the cooling needs of the air conditioner, the refrigerator, and the battery.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein, The target operating mode is determined in the following manner: When the cooling demand information indicates that the battery, the air conditioner, and the refrigerator all have cooling needs, the target operating mode is determined based on the current operating mode of the thermal management system (100) and the cooling capacity required by the battery.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein, Determining the target operating mode based on the current operating mode of the thermal management system (100) and the cooling capacity required by the battery includes: When the thermal management system (100) is currently in the fifth operating mode or the sixth operating mode, If it is determined that the cooling capacity required by the battery is greater than the preset cooling capacity threshold, then the target working mode is determined to be the sixth working mode. If it is determined that the cooling capacity required by the battery is less than or equal to the preset cooling capacity threshold, then the target operating mode is determined to be the seventh operating mode.

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein, Determining the target operating mode based on the current operating mode of the thermal management system (100) and the cooling capacity required by the battery includes: With the thermal management system (100) currently in the third operating mode, If it is determined that the cooling capacity required by the battery is greater than the preset cooling capacity threshold, then the target working mode is determined to be the sixth working mode. If it is determined that the cooling capacity required by the battery is less than or equal to the preset cooling capacity threshold, then based on the actual air outlet temperature and the target air outlet temperature, the target operating mode is determined to be the seventh operating mode or the fifth operating mode.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein, The step of determining the target operating mode as the seventh operating mode or the fifth operating mode based on the actual air outlet temperature and the target air outlet temperature includes: If the absolute value of the difference between the actual air outlet temperature and the target air outlet temperature is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold, the target operating mode is determined to be the seventh operating mode. If the absolute value of the difference between the actual air outlet temperature and the target air outlet temperature is greater than the first temperature threshold, the target operating mode is determined to be the fifth operating mode.

36. The method according to any one of claims 28 to 35, wherein, The required cooling capacity of the battery is determined based on at least one of the following: the cooling level of the battery, and the number of cooling plates to be cooled in the battery.

37. A vehicle (1000), comprising: The thermal management system (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 25 above.

38. A computer-readable storage medium, wherein, When the computer-executable instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium are executed by the processor of the device, the device is capable of performing the method according to any one of claims 26 to 36.

39. A computer program product comprising computer instructions, wherein, When the computer instructions are executed on the processor of the device, the device is enabled to perform the method according to any one of claims 26 to 36.

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