US-12617253-B2 - Thermal management system

US12617253B2US 12617253 B2US12617253 B2US 12617253B2US-12617253-B2

Abstract

A thermal management system includes: a first flow path, a second flow path, a third flow path, and a fourth flow path; an electrical storage device configured to exchange heat with a heat medium in the first flow path; a drive device configured to exchange heat with a heat medium in the second flow path; a radiator provided on the third flow path; a chiller device provided on the fourth flow path; and a switching device configured to switch a connection state between the first to the fourth flow path. The switching device is configured to provide a heating circuit. The heating circuit is a flow path circuit in which a connection flow path connecting the first flow path, the third flow path, and the fourth flow path and the second flow path are disconnected from and independent of each other.

Inventors

Tomoaki Suzuki

Assignees

TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240110
Priority Date: 20230309

Claims (9)

1 . A thermal management system provided in an electrical apparatus, the thermal management system comprising: a first flow path, a second flow path, a third flow path, and a fourth flow path each configured to allow a heat medium to flow through the flow path; an electrical storage device configured to exchange heat with the heat medium in the first flow path; a drive device configured to exchange heat with the heat medium in the second flow path and generate a driving force; a radiator provided on the third flow path; a chiller device provided on the fourth flow path; and a switching device configured to switch a connection state between the first flow path, the second flow path, the third flow path, and the fourth flow path, wherein: the switching device is configured to provide a heating circuit when performing heating of the electrical storage device by a current flowing through the electrical storage device; and the heating circuit is a flow path circuit in which a connection flow path and the second flow path are disconnected from and independent of each other, and the connection flow path connects the first flow path, the third flow path, and the fourth flow path.
2 . The thermal management system according to claim 1 , wherein: the electrical apparatus is an electrified vehicle; and the electrical storage device is configured to be heated when a traveling system of the electrified vehicle is activated.
3 . The thermal management system according to claim 1 , wherein: the electrical storage device is configured to be charged from an outside with charging power supplied from charging equipment external to the electrical apparatus; and the electrical storage device is configured to be heated at start of charging from the outside to cause a temperature of the electrical storage device to reach a predetermined temperature or higher.
4 . The thermal management system according to claim 1 , wherein: the electrical apparatus is an electrified vehicle; the chiller device is configured to exchange heat with an air conditioning circuit configured to adjust a cabin temperature of the electrified vehicle; and the switching device is configured to provide the heating circuit under a condition that an outside air temperature is higher than a predetermined threshold in response to a heating request using the air conditioning circuit when performing the heating of the electrical storage device.
5 . The thermal management system according to claim 4 , further comprising a control device configured to control the switching device, wherein: the switching device includes a first six-way valve and a second six-way valve; the first flow path connects the electrical storage device and the first six-way valve; the second flow path connects the drive device to each of the first six-way valve and the second six-way valve; the third flow path connects the radiator and the second six-way valve; the fourth flow path connects the chiller device to each of the first six-way valve and the second six-way valve; and the control device is configured to control the first six-way valve and the second six-way valve to provide closed circuits in the heating circuit under the condition that the outside air temperature is higher than the predetermined threshold in response to the heating request using the air conditioning circuit when performing the heating of the electrical storage device, the closed circuits including: (i) a first closed circuit connecting the third flow path, the first flow path, the fourth flow path, the second six-way valve, and the first six-way valve, the heat medium circulating through the first closed circuit exchanging heat with the chiller device, the radiator, and the electrical storage device; and (ii) a second closed circuit connecting the second flow path, the first six-way valve, and the second six-way valve, the heat medium circulating through the second closed circuit exchanging heat with the drive device.
6 . The thermal management system according to claim 4 , further comprising a control device configured to control the switching device, wherein: the switching device includes a first six-way valve and a second six-way valve; the first flow path connects the electrical storage device and the first six-way valve; the second flow path connects the drive device to each of the first six-way valve and the second six-way valve; the third flow path connects the radiator and the second six-way valve; the fourth flow path connects the chiller device to each of the first six-way valve and the second six-way valve; and the control device is configured to control the first six-way valve and the second six-way valve to provide closed circuits in the heating circuit under a condition that the outside air temperature is not higher than the predetermined threshold in response to the heating request using the air conditioning circuit when performing the heating of the electrical storage device, the closed circuits including: (ii) a second closed circuit connecting the second flow path, the first six-way valve, and the second six-way valve, the heat medium circulating through the second closed circuit exchanging heat with the drive device; and (iii) a third closed circuit connecting the first flow path, the fourth flow path, the first six-way valve, and the second six-way valve, the heat medium circulating through the third closed circuit exchanging heat with the chiller device and the electrical storage device.
7 . The thermal management system according to claim 4 , further comprising: a pump provided on the fourth flow path and configured to circulate the heat medium; a first temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the electrical storage device; and a second temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the heat medium in the first flow path, wherein the pump is configured to, in a case where the heating request is not given when performing the heating of the electrical storage device with the heating circuit provided: stop when a detected value of the first temperature sensor is higher than a detected value of the second temperature sensor; and operate when the detected value of the first temperature sensor is equal to or lower than the detected value of the second temperature sensor.
8 . The thermal management system according to claim 1 , wherein: the electrical apparatus is an electrified vehicle; the thermal management system further includes a grille shutter configured to open and close and adjust an amount of heat that is dissipated from the radiator to an outside of the electrified vehicle; and the grille shutter is configured to close when performing the heating of the electrical storage device with the heating circuit provided.
9 . The thermal management system according to claim 1 , further comprising a control device configured to control the switching device, wherein: the switching device includes a first six-way valve and a second six-way valve; the first flow path connects the electrical storage device and the first six-way valve; the second flow path connects the drive device to each of the first six-way valve and the second six-way valve; the third flow path connects the radiator and the second six-way valve; the fourth flow path connects the chiller device to each of the first six-way valve and the second six-way valve; and the control device is configured to control the first six-way valve and the second six-way valve to provide closed circuits in the heating circuit, the closed circuits including: (i) a first closed circuit connecting the third flow path, the first flow path, the fourth flow path, the second six-way valve, and the first six-way valve, the heat medium circulating through the first closed circuit exchanging heat with the chiller device, the radiator, and the electrical storage device; (ii) a second closed circuit connecting the second flow path, the first six-way valve, and the second six-way valve, the heat medium circulating through the second closed circuit exchanging heat with the drive device; and (iii) a third closed circuit connecting the first flow path, the fourth flow path, the first six-way valve, and the second six-way valve, the heat medium circulating through the third closed circuit exchanging heat with the chiller device and the electrical storage device.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-036619 filed on Mar. 9, 2023, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field The present disclosure relates to a thermal management system. 2. Description of Related Art Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-272395 (JP 2010-272395 A) discloses an electrified vehicle. The electrified vehicle includes an electrical storage device (battery), an inverter, a motor, and a control device. The electrical storage device is connected to the inverter. The inverter is connected to the motor. The control device controls the current of the electrical storage device by controlling switching of the inverter. The control device thus controls heat that is generated due to power loss in the internal resistance of the electrical storage device. As a result, the control device can perform heating control for increasing the temperature of the electrical storage device using the current of the electrical storage device (self-heating of the electrical storage device). SUMMARY In electrical apparatuses such as electrified vehicles, it is sometimes important to effectively use heat from a drive device including an inverter and a motor. Along with this, it is necessary to perform heating of the electrical storage device. That is, it is desired to perform heating of the electrical storage device while allowing effective use of the heat generated by the drive device. The present disclosure provides a thermal management system that can perform heating of an electrical storage device while allowing effective use of heat generated by a drive device. A thermal management system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a thermal management system provided in an electrical apparatus. The thermal management system includes: a first flow path, a second flow path, a third flow path, and a fourth flow path each configured to allow a heat medium to flow through the flow path; an electrical storage device configured to exchange heat with the heat medium in the first flow path; a drive device configured to exchange heat with the heat medium in the second flow path and generate a driving force; a radiator provided on the third flow path; a chiller device provided on the fourth flow path; and a switching device configured to switch a connection state between the first flow path, the second flow path, the third flow path, and the fourth flow path. The switching device is configured to provide a heating circuit when performing heating of the electrical storage device by a current flowing through the electrical storage device. The heating circuit is a flow path circuit in which a connection flow path connecting the first flow path, the third flow path, and the fourth flow path and the second flow path are disconnected from and independent of each other. In the thermal management system, when performing the heating of the electrical storage device, the connection flow path connecting the first flow path, the third flow path, and the fourth flow path and the second flow path are disconnected from and independent of each other. It is thus possible to reduce or eliminate the possibility that heat generated in the drive device may be taken by the chiller device and the radiator that are unrelated to the heating of the electrical storage device. As a result, it is possible to perform the heating of the electrical storage device while allowing effective use of the heat generated by the drive device. In the thermal management system, the electrical apparatus may be an electrified vehicle. The electrical storage device may be configured to be heated when a traveling system of the electrified vehicle is activated. With this configuration, the temperature of the electrical storage device can be easily increased when the electrified vehicle starts to travel. As a result, the traveling performance of the electrified vehicle can be easily increased to a certain level or higher when the electrified vehicle starts to travel. In the thermal management system, the electrical storage device may be configured to be charged from an outside with charging power supplied from charging equipment external to the electrical apparatus. The electrical storage device may be configured to be heated at start of charging from the outside to cause a temperature of the electrical storage device to reach a predetermined temperature or higher. With this configuration, the temperature of the electrical storage device can be easily increased at the start of the charging from the outside. As a result, the charging rate and charging efficiency can be easily increased to a certain level or higher at the start of the charging from the outside. The phrase “at the start of the charging from the outside” means a timing when the charging power begins to be supplied to the electrical storage device. In the thermal management