Thermal management module and vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a thermal management module and a vehicle comprising the thermal management module. The thermal management module comprises: a refrigerant manifold plate having a flow channel and a mounting surface which is provided on one side of the refrigerant manifold plate and extends in the same direction as the refrigerant manifold plate; and a silencer being columnar in shape and having an axis, the silencer being mounted on the mounting surface of the refrigerant manifold plate, and the axis of the silencer being perpendicular to the mounting surface. By means of configuring the axis of the silencer to be perpendicular to the mounting surface, the present disclosure can effectively improve the integration level of the thermal management module, so as to save the installation area, and achieves a simple structure and easy installation.

Description

Thermal management module and vehicle Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a thermal management module and a vehicle including the thermal management module, and more particularly to a thermal management module integrated with a muffler. Background Technology

[0002] In existing vehicle thermal management systems, a muffler is typically installed on the inlet or outlet piping of the compressor to reduce noise generated during system operation. However, installing the muffler on the piping leads to problems such as complex structure, inconvenient installation, and low integration.

[0003] Therefore, those skilled in the art are dedicated to developing a new thermal management module to address the aforementioned deficiencies in the prior art.

[0004] Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a thermal management module that, by setting the axis of the muffler perpendicular to the mounting surface, effectively improves the integration of the thermal management module, saves installation space, and has a simple structure that is easy to install. Furthermore, by placing the muffler between the first and second heat exchangers, which have a certain height, this disclosure not only improves the integration of the thermal management module, but also facilitates the installation and removal of the muffler by ensuring its axis is perpendicular to the mounting surface. This avoids the inconvenience caused by installing the muffler in the narrow space between the first and second heat exchangers with its axis roughly parallel to the mounting surface. Simultaneously, due to the increased integration of the thermal management module and the more compact arrangement of components, the impact of the thermal management module on the refrigerant pressure drop is minimized.

[0006] This disclosure provides a thermal management module, the thermal management module comprising: a refrigerant manifold having a flow channel and a mounting surface disposed on one side of the refrigerant manifold and having the same extension direction as the refrigerant manifold; and a muffler, which is columnar and has an axis, the muffler being mounted on the mounting surface of the refrigerant manifold; wherein the axis of the muffler is perpendicular to the mounting surface.

[0007] The thermal management module according to this disclosure may also have one or more of the following features, individually or in combination.

[0008] In one or more embodiments, the muffler has a refrigerant inlet end and a refrigerant outlet end along the axis, the refrigerant outlet end being connected to and in fluid communication with the refrigerant manifold.

[0009] In one or more embodiments, the thermal management module further includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, respectively disposed on the mounting surface, and the silencer is located between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger.

[0010] In one or more embodiments, the mounting surface is planar.

[0011] In one or more embodiments, the refrigerant outlet end of the muffler is inserted into the mounting surface.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the muffler is fixedly connected to the refrigerant manifold plate by a fastening device.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the muffler is cylindrical.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, the first heat exchanger is an internal heat exchanger, and the second heat exchanger is a water-cooled condenser.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the thermal management module further includes one or more of a desiccant bottle, a throttling mechanism, a reversing valve, and a sensor mounted on the mounting surface.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the thermal management module further includes a bracket detachably disposed on the refrigerant manifold for securing the thermal management module to the vehicle.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, the bracket has mounting holes for mounting to the vehicle, and vibration damping washers are disposed within the mounting holes.

[0018] This disclosure also provides a vehicle that includes the aforementioned thermal management module. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a thermal management module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure from a first perspective;

[0020] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a thermal management module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure from a second perspective;

[0021] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a thermal management module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure from a third perspective;

[0022] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a refrigerant manifold plate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a muffler installed on a refrigerant manifold plate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a bracket according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a vibration damping washer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this disclosure from the content disclosed in this specification.

[0027] It should be understood that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., depicted in the accompanying drawings are merely for illustrative purposes to aid those skilled in the art in understanding and reading the content disclosed herein, and are not intended to limit the implementation conditions of this disclosure. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effectiveness and purpose of this disclosure, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed herein. Furthermore, the terms such as "above" and "a" used in this specification are merely for clarity of description and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of this disclosure's implementation.

[0028] This disclosure provides a thermal management module. Specific embodiments of this disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] Please refer to Figures 1 to 5. The thermal management module 1 includes a refrigerant manifold 10 and a muffler 20. The refrigerant manifold 10 has a flow channel for refrigerant flow and a mounting surface 100 disposed on one side of the refrigerant manifold 10 and in the same direction of extension as the refrigerant manifold 10. The mounting surface 100 is mainly used for mounting various components that are in fluid communication with the refrigerant manifold 10. The muffler 20 may be generally cylindrical and has an axis X (or central axis). The muffler 20 is mounted on the mounting surface 100 of the refrigerant manifold 10, and its axis X is generally perpendicular to the mounting surface 100 of the refrigerant manifold 10. Compared to the muffler 20 having its axial direction X approximately parallel to the mounting plate 100, the above-mentioned arrangement of this disclosure can effectively improve the integration of the thermal management module and save installation area; in addition, compared to the prior art where the muffler 20 is placed on the pipeline of the compressor intake and exhaust port, the above-mentioned arrangement of this disclosure can simplify the structure, facilitate installation, and achieve high integration.

[0030] Specifically, referring to Figures 4 and 5, the refrigerant manifold 10 may be generally plate-shaped, with a mounting surface 100 on one side that extends in the same direction as the refrigerant manifold 10. In one embodiment, the mounting surface 100 of the refrigerant manifold 10 may be generally planar. The mounting surface 100 may have multiple interfaces that are in fluid communication with the flow channels of the refrigerant manifold 10, for mounting components such as a muffler 20, a heat exchanger, a throttling mechanism, and sensors.

[0031] Referring to Figure 5, the muffler 20 is generally cylindrical, having an axis X and including a refrigerant inlet end 201 and a refrigerant outlet end 202 along its axis X. The refrigerant inlet end 201 is connected to the exhaust port of a compressor (not shown), and the refrigerant outlet end 202 is mounted on a mounting surface 100, particularly on a first interface 101 (as shown in Figure 4), and fluidly communicates with the flow path of the refrigerant manifold 10. The muffler 20 is primarily designed to reduce the pulsations, vibrations, and noise generated by the pulsed discharge of refrigerant from the compressor. In one embodiment, the refrigerant outlet end 202 of the muffler 20 can be inserted into the mounting surface 100 of the refrigerant manifold 10 (particularly into the first interface 101) and fluidly communicates with the flow path of the refrigerant manifold 10 to facilitate the installation and removal of the muffler 20. To more securely mount the muffler 20 to the refrigerant manifold 10, mounting holes may be provided on the muffler 20. Correspondingly, mounting holes may also be provided on the refrigerant manifold 10, especially around the first interface 101, and the muffler 20 may be fixedly connected to the refrigerant manifold 10 by fastening devices such as screws or bolts.

[0032] Please refer back to Figures 1 and 2. The thermal management module 1 may also include a first heat exchanger 30 and a second heat exchanger 40, each with a certain height, respectively disposed on the mounting surface 100 of the refrigerant manifold 10. The muffler 20 is located between the first heat exchanger 30 and the second heat exchanger 40. This arrangement not only improves the integration of the thermal management module 1, but also facilitates the installation and removal of the muffler 20 by mounting its axis X approximately perpendicular to the mounting surface 100 (hereinafter referred to as the vertical form) on the refrigerant manifold 10. This avoids the problem of inconvenient installation caused by mounting the muffler 20 approximately parallel to the mounting surface 100 (hereinafter referred to as the parallel form) in the narrow space between the first heat exchanger 30 and the second heat exchanger 40. At the same time, due to the increased integration of the thermal management module 1 and the more compact arrangement of the components, the thermal management module 1 has a smaller impact on the pressure drop of the refrigerant.

[0033] Specifically, in one embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first heat exchanger 30 and the second heat exchanger 40 can be arranged at both ends of the mounting surface 100 of the refrigerant manifold 10 (for example, the first heat exchanger 30 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is located at the upper end of the mounting surface 100, and the second heat exchanger 40 is located at the lower end of the mounting surface 100). The first heat exchanger 30 can be an internal heat exchanger used to exchange heat between the high-pressure refrigerant and the low-pressure refrigerant in the thermal management module 1; the second heat exchanger 40 can be a water-cooled condenser used to condense the high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant in the thermal management module 1 and release heat to the coolant. However, this disclosure is not limited to this, and those skilled in the art can set the specific types of the first heat exchanger 30 and the second heat exchanger 40 according to actual needs.

[0034] Referring to Figure 4, the mounting surface 100 of the refrigerant manifold 10 has a second interface 102, a third interface 103, a fourth interface 104, and a fifth interface 105 for connecting the inlet and outlet of the high-pressure refrigerant and the inlet and outlet of the low-pressure refrigerant of the first heat exchanger 30. In one embodiment, the third interface 103 and the fourth interface 104, with larger inner diameters, are used to connect the inlet and outlet of the low-pressure refrigerant; and the second interface 102 and the fifth interface 105, with smaller inner diameters, are used to connect the inlet and outlet of the high-pressure refrigerant. Of course, this disclosure is not limited to this; the inner diameters of the above four interfaces can also be set to be the same or in other relationships, as long as the first heat exchanger 103 can be fluidly connected to the refrigerant manifold 10.

[0035] Please refer to Figure 4. The mounting surface 100 of the refrigerant manifold 10 also has a sixth interface 106 and a seventh interface 107, which are used to connect the refrigerant inlet and refrigerant outlet of the second heat exchanger 40, respectively. This allows the high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant to enter the second heat exchanger 40 through the refrigerant inlet and exchange heat with the coolant therein, and then flow out of the second heat exchanger 40 through the refrigerant outlet and into the refrigerant manifold 10. In addition, the mounting surface 100 of the refrigerant manifold 10 may also be provided with other interfaces, such as: an eighth interface 108 and a ninth interface 109, for connecting the inlet and outlet of the dryer bottle 50 (as shown in Figures 1 and 2), respectively; a tenth interface 110, for connecting, for example, a throttling mechanism 70 of an electronic expansion valve (as shown in Figures 1 and 2); an eleventh interface 111, for connecting a sensor 80 for sensing the refrigerant temperature and / or pressure (as shown in Figures 1 and 2); a twelfth interface 112, for connecting the suction end of a compressor (not shown); and / or multiple interfaces 113, 114, etc., for connecting other external components or pipelines.

[0036] Referring to Figure 3, the thermal management module 1 may further include a bracket 60, detachably mounted on the refrigerant manifold 10, for securing the thermal management module 1 to the vehicle. Specifically, the bracket 60 may be generally a long strip and can be detachably mounted to the bottom of the refrigerant manifold 10 using fasteners such as bolts or screws. In one embodiment, the thermal management module 1 may include two brackets 60 located at opposite ends of the bottom of the refrigerant manifold 10, allowing the refrigerant manifold 10 to be more securely fixed to the vehicle. Of course, this disclosure is not limited to the number of brackets 60; for example, the bottom of the refrigerant manifold 10 may also be provided with one or more brackets 60, as long as the refrigerant manifold 10 can be mounted to the vehicle.

[0037] Please refer to Figures 6 and 7. The bracket 60 may have mounting holes 61 at both ends for installation into a vehicle. Preferably, a damping washer 62 may be provided within the mounting hole 61 to mitigate and reduce vibration and impact on the thermal management module 1 during vehicle operation, thereby reducing noise and lowering the risk of damage. In one embodiment, the mounting hole 61 may be a mounting hole with a notch around its perimeter (as shown in Figure 6) to facilitate the installation of the damping washer 62. Of course, this disclosure is not limited to the above-described structure of the mounting hole 61; for example, the mounting hole 62 may also be a peripherally closed mounting hole, as long as it can be installed into a vehicle.

[0038] The following section will use Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5 to illustrate the refrigerant flow path in thermal management module 1.

[0039] As shown in Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5, the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor's exhaust port (not shown) enters the muffler 20 through the refrigerant inlet end 201 to reduce the pulsation, vibration, and noise generated by the pulsed discharge of the refrigerant from the compressor. It then enters the refrigerant manifold plate 10 through the refrigerant outlet end 202 and the first interface 101. After flowing through the sensor 80 in the eleventh interface 111 located to the lower left of the first interface 101 (as shown in Figure 4), it splits into two branches. The first branch enters the second heat exchanger 40 through the sixth interface 106 and exchanges heat with the coolant inside the second heat exchanger 40. The refrigerant flows out of the second heat exchanger 40 via the seventh port 107 and re-enters the refrigerant manifold 10; then it enters the dryer bottle 50 via the flow channel and the eighth port 108 to dry the refrigerant, and flows out of the dryer bottle 50 via the ninth port 109 and enters the refrigerant manifold 10; next, it enters the first heat exchanger 30 via the flow channel and the second port 102 (the high-pressure refrigerant entering the first heat exchanger 30 via the second port 102) and exchanges heat with the low-pressure refrigerant in the first heat exchanger 30, and flows out of the first heat exchanger 30 via the fifth port 105 and enters the refrigerant manifold 10; subsequently, it flows out of the second heat exchanger 40 via the flow channel and the two ports located to the right of the seventh port 107. The throttling mechanism 70 in the tenth interface 110 regulates the flow and pressure of the refrigerant, and enters an external component such as an evaporator via the thirteenth interface 113 (one located on the mounting surface 100 and the other on the right side of the refrigerant manifold 10) which is connected to the two throttling mechanisms 70 respectively. After passing through the external component, it returns to the refrigerant manifold 10 via the fourteenth interface 114 (one located on the mounting surface 100 and the other on the right side of the refrigerant manifold 10); and is sensed by the eleventh interface 111 (e.g., the two eleventh interfaces 111 in the upper right of Figure 4) which is connected to the two fourteenth interfaces 114 respectively. The refrigerant is sensed by sensor 80 to detect the temperature and / or pressure of the refrigerant, which is a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant at this time. Then, it enters the first heat exchanger 30 (i.e., the low-pressure refrigerant mentioned above) through the flow channel and the fourth port 104 and exchanges heat with the high-pressure refrigerant entering the first heat exchanger 30 from the second port 102. It then flows out of the first heat exchanger 30 through the third port 103 and returns to the refrigerant flow channel plate 10. After that, it flows through the sensor 80 in the eleventh port 111 located to the upper left of the third port 103 to sense the temperature and / or pressure of the refrigerant. Finally, it flows back to the suction port of the compressor through the flow channel and the twelfth port 112 to complete the refrigerant cycle.The second branch flows through the throttling mechanism 70 in the tenth interface 110 located below the twelfth interface 112 to regulate the flow and pressure of the refrigerant. It then merges with the refrigerant flowing out from the third interface 103 via the flow channel. Next, it flows through the sensor 80 in the eleventh interface 111 located to the upper left of the third interface 103 to sense the temperature and / or pressure of the refrigerant. After that, it flows back to the compressor's suction port via the flow channel and the twelfth interface 112 to form a bypass path, thereby realizing the compressor's gas replenishment function and improving the performance of the thermal management module 1 in low-temperature environments.

[0040] Although the above embodiments of this disclosure are mainly described with the example of mounting a dryer bottle 50, a throttling mechanism 70 and a sensor 80 on the mounting surface 100, this disclosure is not limited to this. For example, a reversing valve or other external components may also be mounted on the mounting surface 100, or one or more of the dryer bottle 50, the throttling mechanism 70, the reversing valve and the sensor 80 may be mounted on the mounting surface 100.

[0041] The thermal management module provided in this disclosure effectively improves the integration of the thermal management module and saves installation space by setting the axis of the muffler perpendicular to the mounting surface. It also features a simple structure and is easy to install. Furthermore, by placing the muffler between the first and second heat exchangers, which have a certain height, this not only improves the integration of the thermal management module but also facilitates its installation and removal by ensuring the muffler's axis is perpendicular to the mounting surface. This avoids the inconvenience caused by installing the muffler with its axis roughly parallel to the mounting surface in the narrow space between the first and second heat exchangers. Additionally, the increased integration of the thermal management module and the more compact arrangement of components minimize the impact of the thermal management module on refrigerant pressure drop.

[0042] This disclosure also provides a vehicle that includes the aforementioned thermal management module.

[0043] The foregoing description of exemplary embodiments of the thermal management module and vehicle provided by this disclosure refers to preferred embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and alterations can be made to the above specific embodiments without departing from the spirit of this disclosure, and various combinations can be made to the various technical features and structures proposed in this disclosure without exceeding the protection scope of this disclosure, which is determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A thermal management module (1), characterized in that, The thermal management module (1) includes: The refrigerant manifold (10) has a flow channel and a mounting surface (100) disposed on one side of the refrigerant manifold (10) and in the same extending direction as the refrigerant manifold (10); A muffler (20) is columnar and has an axis (X), and the muffler (20) is mounted on the mounting surface (100) of the refrigerant manifold (10); The axis (X) of the muffler (20) is perpendicular to the mounting surface (100).

2. The thermal management module (1) as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The muffler (20) has a refrigerant inlet end (201) and a refrigerant outlet end (202) along the axis (X), and the refrigerant outlet end (202) is connected to and in fluid communication with the refrigerant manifold plate (10).

3. The thermal management module (1) as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The thermal management module (1) further includes a first heat exchanger (30) and a second heat exchanger (40), which are respectively disposed on the mounting surface (100), and the silencer (20) is located between the first heat exchanger (30) and the second heat exchanger (40).

4. The thermal management module (1) as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The mounting surface (100) is planar.

5. The thermal management module (1) as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The refrigerant outlet end (202) of the muffler (20) is inserted into the mounting surface (100).

6. The thermal management module (1) as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The muffler (20) is fixedly connected to the refrigerant manifold plate (10) by a fastening device.

7. The thermal management module (1) as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The silencer (20) is cylindrical.

8. The thermal management module (1) as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The first heat exchanger (30) is an internal heat exchanger, and the second heat exchanger (40) is a water-cooled condenser.

9. The thermal management module (1) as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The thermal management module (1) also includes one or more of the following: a dryer bottle (50), a throttling mechanism (70), a reversing valve, and a sensor (80) mounted on the mounting surface (100).

10. The thermal management module (1) as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The thermal management module (1) also includes a bracket (60) detachably mounted on the refrigerant manifold (10) for fixing the thermal management module (1) to the vehicle.

11. The thermal management module (1) as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The bracket (60) has a mounting hole (61) for mounting to the vehicle, and a damping washer (62) is provided in the mounting hole (61).

12. A vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicle includes a thermal management module (1) as described in any one of claims 1-11.

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