Thermal management system and electric vehicle having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11780287-B2
Application number	US-202117357674-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2021
Priority date	Jun 24, 2021
Publication date	Oct 10, 2023
Grant date	Oct 10, 2023

Abstract

A thermal management system includes a refrigerant loop, a battery coolant loop, and a motor coolant loop. The refrigerant loop includes a compressor selectively communicating with at least two of a condenser, an evaporator, and a heat exchanger. The battery coolant loop includes a first bypass path connected to the heat exchanger. The motor coolant loop includes a second bypass path connected to the radiator. A valve package includes ten outer ports and eight inner channels. Three outer ports connect to the heat exchanger, one of which is connected to the first bypass path. Two outer ports connect to the power supply system. Two outer ports connect to the powertrain system. Three outer ports connect to the radiator, one of which is connected to the second bypass path. Eight of the ten outer ports selectively communicate with four of the eight inner channels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermal management system usable in an electric vehicle, comprising:
a refrigerant loop comprising a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and a heat exchanger, the compressor selectively communicating with at least two of the condenser, the evaporator, and the heat exchanger, thereby facilitating a refrigerant to circulate in the refrigerant loop;
a battery coolant loop comprising a power supply system and a first bypass path connected to the heat exchanger;
a motor coolant loop comprising a powertrain system, a radiator, and a second bypass path connected to the radiator; and
a valve package configured for connecting the refrigerant loop, the battery coolant loop, and the motor coolant loop, the valve package comprising ten outer ports and eight inner channels, wherein three of the ten outer ports are connected to the heat exchanger, one of the three of the ten outer ports also being connected to the first bypass path, wherein two of the ten outer ports are connected to the power supply system, wherein two of the ten outer ports are connected to the powertrain system, wherein three of the ten outer ports are connected to the radiator, one of the three of the ten outer ports also being connected to the second bypass path, and wherein the valve package is arranged to allow eight of the ten outer ports to selectively communicate with four of the eight inner channels, thereby facilitating a coolant to circulate in the battery coolant loop and the motor coolant loop.

2. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the valve package is an octovalve.

3. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the valve package comprises two four-way valves.

4. The thermal management system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an HVAC box, the condenser and the evaporator being disposed in the HVAC box, wherein the HVAC box defines a first air vent, a second air vent, and a third air vent, the first air vent is configured to communicate the condenser with a passenger cabin of the vehicle, the second air vent is configured to communicate the condenser with an ambient environment, the third air vent is configured to communicate the evaporator with the ambient environment.

5. The thermal management system of claim 4 , wherein the compressor, the condenser, and the heat exchanger successively communicate, the first air vent communicates the condenser with the passenger cabin; and
the valve package is arranged to cause the battery coolant loop and the motor coolant loop to connect in series, bypassing the radiator.

6. The thermal management system of claim 5 , wherein the HVAC box further comprises a blower to blow warm air from the condenser across the passenger cabin.

7. The thermal management system of claim 5 , wherein the HVAC box further comprises at least one heater disposed in in front of the blower or the condenser.

8. The thermal management system of claim 4 , wherein the compressor, the condenser, and the heat exchanger successively communicate, the first air vent communicates the condenser with the passenger cabin; and
the valve package is arranged to cause the battery coolant loop and the motor coolant loop to connect in parallel.

9. The thermal management system of claim 8 , wherein one or more fans are positioned in front of the radiator.

10. The thermal management system of claim 4 , wherein the compressor, the condenser, and the evaporator successively communicate, the first air vent communicates the condenser with the passenger cabin; and
the valve package is arranged to cause the battery coolant loop and the motor coolant loop to connect in parallel.

11. The thermal management system of claim 4 , wherein the compressor and the condenser communicate, the evaporator and the heat exchanger connect in parallel to a downstream end of the condenser, the first air vent communicates the condenser to the passenger cabin, the third air vent communicates the evaporator and the ambient environment; and
the valve package is arranged to cause the battery coolant loop and the motor coolant loop to connect in series, bypassing the radiator.

12. The thermal management system of claim 4 , wherein the compressor and the condenser communicate, the evaporator and the heat exchanger connect in parallel to a downstream end of the condenser, the first air vent communicate the condenser with the passenger cabin, and an air path is formed between the HVAC box and the passenger cabin; and
the valve package is arranged to cause the battery coolant loop and the motor coolant loop to connect in series, bypassing the radiator.

13. The thermal management system of claim 4 , wherein the condenser and the heat exchanger connect in parallel, the compressor communicates with upstream ends of the condenser and the heat exchanger, the evaporator communicates with downstream ends of the condenser and the heat exchanger; the first air vent communicates the condenser with the passenger cabin, the third air vent communicates the evaporator with the ambient environment; and
the valve package is arranged to cause the battery coolant loop and the motor coolant loop to connect in series, bypassing the radiator.

14. The thermal management system of claim 4 , wherein the compressor, the heat exchanger, and the evaporator successively communicate; the third air vent communicates the evaporator with the ambient environment; and
the valve package is arranged to cause the battery coolant loop and the motor coolant loop to connect in parallel, bypassing the radiator.

15. The thermal management system of claim 4 , wherein the evaporator and the condenser connect in parallel, the heat exchanger communicates with upstream ends of the evaporator and the condenser, each of the condenser and the evaporator functions as an evaporator; the second air vent and the third air vent respectively communicate the condenser and the evaporator with the ambient environment; and
the valve package is arranged to cause the battery coolant loop and the motor coolant loop to connect in parallel.

16. The thermal management system of claim 4 , wherein the compressor, the heat exchanger, and the evaporator successively communicate, the first air vent communicates the evaporator with the passenger cabin; and
the valve package is arranged to cause the battery coolant loop and the motor coolant loop to connect in series.

17. The thermal management system of claim 4 , wherein the compressor and the condenser successively communicate, the evaporator and the heat exchanger connect in parallel at a downstream end of the condenser; the first air vent communicates the evaporator with the passenger cabin, the second air vent communicates the condenser with the ambient environment; and
the valve package is arranged to cause the battery coolant loop and the motor coolant loop to connect in series.

18. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the battery coolant loop comprises a battery and an autopilot electronic control unit, the battery coolant loop is configured to circulate the coolant through the battery and the autopilot electronic control unit; and
the motor coolant loop comprises a motor, an inverter, a DC/DC converter, the motor coolant loop is configured to circulate the coolant through the motor, the inverter, the DC/DC converter.

19. The thermal management system of claim 18 , wherein the motor coolant loop further comprises a third bypass path connected to DC/DC converter, the third bypass path comprises a shut-off valve operable between open and close to

Assignees

• Guangzhou Automobile Group Co

Inventors

• Li Xiaohui
• Yang Qin
• Yang Bozhi

Classifications

• B60H1/00278 Primary

  for the battery · CPC title

• B60H1/00035

  for sending an air stream of uniform temperature into the passenger compartment · CPC title

• B60H1/00485

  Valves for air-conditioning devices, e.g. thermostatic valves · CPC title

• B60H1/00907

  where the flow direction of the refrigerant changes and an evaporator becomes condenser · CPC title

• B60H1/323

  characterised by comprising auxiliary or multiple systems, e.g. plurality of evaporators, or by involving auxiliary cooling devices · CPC title