Electronic expansion valve and thermal management assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal management systems in automotive air conditioning, heat pump, and battery cooling systems have low flow control accuracy due to their reliance on thermal characteristics, which results in relatively low response sensitivity.
Innovation Solution
An electronic expansion valve with a rotor assembly, stator assembly, and circuit board is introduced, driven by an electromagnetic method, allowing for high response sensitivity and improved flow control accuracy. The valve includes a valve body with first and second flow portions and cavities, where the valve core moves to adjust the valve port opening degree, enhancing flow control precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If thermal characteristics are used to drive the expansion valve, then the system structure is simple, but the response sensitivity is low and flow control accuracy is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermal-driven mechanical system with an electromagnetic control system. The electromagnetic expansion valve uses an electromagnetic actuator to directly control the valve core position, eliminating the need for thermal expansion mechanisms. This substitution enables precise electronic control of the valve opening degree, significantly improving flow control accuracy while maintaining structural simplicity through integrated electromagnetic components.
2Device complexity
If thermal characteristics are used to drive the expansion valve, then the device structure is simple, but the response sensitivity is low
Solution Approach 1:
The electromagnetic actuator replaces the slow thermal expansion mechanism with an electromagnetic field-based actuation system. The electromagnetic coil generates magnetic force directly proportional to the control signal, enabling rapid response times. This allows the valve to quickly adjust to changing system conditions, dramatically improving response sensitivity while keeping the device structure compact and integrated.
3Measurement precision
If the valve core moves to adjust the valve port opening degree, then the flow control accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the electromagnetic actuator, valve core, and valve body into an integrated assembly. The electromagnetic coil is positioned directly around the valve core, and the magnetic coupling mechanism directly translates electromagnetic force to valve core displacement. This integration eliminates separate linkage mechanisms and reduces the number of moving parts, achieving precise flow control without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The electromagnetic drive method significantly improves flow control accuracy while maintaining the relative positions of connection pipes unchanged, enabling precise throttling and efficient operation in thermal management systems.
Implementation Method 1
The electronic expansion valve is driven by an electromagnetic method
Implementation Method 2
the power medium is able to receive the superheat of the working medium inside an outlet passage 5012' of the heat exchanger, which causes the power medium to expand or contract and act on the membrane 44' to generate an axial force
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
Disclosed are an electronic expansion valve (1) and a thermal management assembly (400). The electronic expansion valve comprises a valve core (13), a rotor assembly (14), a stator assembly (15) and a circuit board (16), wherein the rotor assembly is electrically connected to the circuit board. The electronic expansion valve has a valve port (120), and the valve core moves with respect to the valve port; a valve body (11) comprises a first flow portion (23), a second flow portion (24), a first cavity (210) and a second cavity (220), wherein the first cavity is located above the valve port and the second cavity is located below the valve port; the first flow portion comprises a first connection section (232) and a first subsection (231), the first connection section is used for connecting to an external connection pipe (10), and the first subsection is directly in communication with the first cavity; the second flow portion comprises a second connection section (243) and a second subsection (241), the second connection section is used for connecting to an external connection pipe (5011), and the second subsection is directly in communication with the second cavity; in a clockwise direction, an angle formed between at least one of the center line of the first subsection and the center line of the second subsection and the center line of the valve core is an acute angle; and in this way, the electronic expansion valve can be mounted to a connection pipe of an adapter (501) and a connection pipe of an external system in a matching manner.