SISTEMA TÉRMICO PARA UM VEÍCULO AUTOMOTOR, MÉTODO DE GERENCIAMENTO TÉRMICO PARA UM VEÍCULO AUTOMOTOR EQUIPADO COM UM SISTEMA TÉRMICO, SISTEMA DE GERENCIAMENTO TÉRMICO E VEÍCULO AUTOMOTOR
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- BR · BR
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- FLEXIS
- Filing Date
- 2024-03-11
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-04
Smart Images

Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Abstract
Description
1 / 27 “THERMAL SYSTEM FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE, THERMAL MANAGEMENT METHOD FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH A THERMAL SYSTEM, THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND MOTOR VEHICLE
[001] The invention relates to a thermal system for a motor vehicle. The invention also relates to a method for thermal management of a motor vehicle. The invention further relates to a motor vehicle equipped with a thermal system.
[002] To minimize the energy consumption of motor vehicles, especially electric vehicles, cooling circuits are designed to recover the heat generated by one circuit element to heat another circuit element. More generally, a cooling circuit should allow for different coolant circulations to adapt to different vehicle usage conditions, for example, different heating needs of the passenger compartment, while minimizing the vehicle's energy consumption. Furthermore, a cooling circuit should be designed to facilitate its maintenance, i.e., the periodic replacement of the coolant.
[003] However, the implementation of such cooling circuits can be complex and may require the use of many controllable components, including numerous pumps and solenoid valves, which increases the cost and complexity of developing the cooling system.
[004] The objective of the invention is to provide a thermal system that solves the above disadvantages and improves upon known prior art systems. In particular, the invention enables the creation of a reliable and efficient thermal system that minimizes the number of controllable components and simplifies the maintenance of the cooling circuit.
[005] For this purpose, the invention relates to a thermal system Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 108 / 139 2 / 27 for a motor vehicle comprising a first assembly which includes components, among which: - an electric motor, - a drum set, - a thermal resistor, - a cooler connected to an air conditioning circuit in a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, - a radiator, the thermal system further comprising a second assembly which includes ducts for a heat transfer fluid, which connect the components of the first assembly, and a third assembly which includes at least one solenoid valve and, in particular, at most three solenoid valves, connected to the ducts of the second assembly, and, when the solenoid valve or solenoid valves of the third assembly are all in the resting state, the thermal system implements a first circulation of the heat transfer fluid through said ducts in a first series circuit which interconnects the components of the first assembly.
[006] In one embodiment, the thermal system is able to implement, by means of actuation of the solenoid valve or valves: - a second circulation of the heat transfer fluid through said ducts, moving, on the one hand, between the radiator and the electric motor and, on the other hand, between the electric resistor or the cooler and the battery, and / or - a third circulation of the heat transfer fluid through said ducts, moving between the electric motor and the battery, and / or - a fourth circulation of the heat transfer fluid through said ducts, moving, on the one hand, between the electric motor and the battery and, on the other hand, between the electric resistor and the battery, and / or Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 109 / 139 3 / 27 - a fifth circulation of the heat transfer fluid through said ducts moving in a circuit close to the electric motor, without passing through the cooler or the battery and / or - a sixth circulation of the heat transfer fluid through said ducts moving between the electric motor and the cooler without passing through the battery.
[007] In one realization, the third assembly consists of: - a single solenoid valve with at least seven ports, or - two solenoid valves, which includes one four-way solenoid valve and one solenoid valve with at least three ways, or - three solenoid valves with at least three ports.
[008] In one embodiment, the thermal system comprises a single degassing tank, and / or the degassing tank is a circulating type tank, and / or the degassing tank and the radiator are arranged in parallel portions of the circuit by said ducts and / or an altitude of the degassing tank is greater than an altitude of each component of the first assembly.
[009] The invention also relates to a method for thermal management of a motor vehicle equipped with a thermal system according to the invention, comprising: - an initial stage of maintenance of the thermal system, and / or - a second stage of cooling the electric motor by the radiator, which additionally includes cooling and / or heating of the battery by the cooler and / or the electric resistor, wherein the second stage includes implementing the second circulation, and / or - a third stage of battery heating by recovering the heat released by the electric motor, which additionally includes heating, by the thermal resistor, of a heat transfer fluid that Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 110 / 139 4 / 27 circulates upstream of the cooler, with the third stage comprising implementing the third circulation, and / or - a fourth stage of battery heating by recovering heat released by the electric motor and the thermal resistor, which additionally includes heating, by the thermal resistor, of a heat transfer fluid circulating upstream of the cooler, the fourth stage comprising implementing the fourth circulation, and / or - a fifth stage of recovering the heat released by the electric motor to exclusively heat the electric motor, which additionally includes heating, by the thermal resistor, a heat transfer fluid circulating upstream of the cooler, the fifth stage comprising implementing the fifth circulation and / or - a sixth stage of recovering the heat released by the electric motor to heat a heat transfer fluid circulating upstream of the cooler, with the sixth stage comprising implementing the sixth circulation. [ 010] In one implementation, the first stage of thermal system maintenance comprises: - a sub-stage of the initial rollout implementation, then - a sub-stage for draining a heat transfer fluid that circulates in the ductwork assembly of the thermal system, then - a sub-step of filling the thermal system's duct assembly with a new heat transfer fluid, then - a sub-stage for evacuating gas bubbles contained within the thermal system's ductwork.
[011] The invention also relates to a thermal management system comprising hardware and / or software elements that implement the method according to the invention, notably elements Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 111 / 139 5 / 27 of hardware and / or software designed to implement a method according to the invention and / or the device comprising means to implement the method according to the invention.
[012] The invention further relates to a motor vehicle fitted with a thermal system in accordance with the invention.
[013] Figure 1 schematically represents a motor vehicle equipped with a thermal system according to an embodiment of the invention.
[014] Figure 2 represents an implementation of a first circulation of the heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to a first embodiment of the invention.
[015] Figure 3 represents an implementation of a second circulation of the heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the first embodiment of the invention.
[016] Figure 4 represents an implementation of a third circulation of the heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the first embodiment of the invention.
[017] Figure 5 represents an implementation of a fourth circulation of the heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the first embodiment of the invention.
[018] Figure 6 represents an implementation of a fifth circulation of the heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the first embodiment of the invention.
[019] Figure 7 represents an implementation of a sixth circulation of the heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the first embodiment of the invention.
[020] Figure 8 represents a functional diagram of a four-way valve of a thermal system according to a second embodiment. Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 112 / 139 6 / 27 of the invention.
[021] Figure 9 represents an implementation of the first circulation of the heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the second embodiment of the invention.
[022] Figure 10 represents an implementation of the second circulation of the heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the second embodiment of the invention.
[023] Figure 11 represents an implementation of the third circulation of the heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the second embodiment of the invention.
[024] Figure 12 represents an implementation of the fourth circulation of the heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the second embodiment of the invention.
[025] Figure 13 represents an implementation of the first circulation of the heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to a third embodiment of the invention.
[026] Figure 14 represents an implementation of the second circulation of the heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the third embodiment of the invention.
[027] Figure 15 represents an implementation of the third circulation of the heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the third embodiment of the invention.
[028] Figure 16 represents an implementation of the fourth circulation of the heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the third embodiment of the invention.
[029] Figure 17 is a flowchart of a thermal management method according to the invention.
[030] Three realizations of a motor vehicle 100 according Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 113 / 139 7 / 27 with the invention are described below with reference to Figures 1 to 17. The motor vehicle 100 is a motor vehicle of any type, notably a passenger vehicle or a utility vehicle.
[031] In an embodiment more specifically described in this document, the motor vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle and comprises a first assembly 10 which includes components among which, an electric motor 11, a battery 12, a cooler 13 connected to an air conditioning system of a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle 100, a thermal resistor 14 and a radiator 15.
[032] In the remainder of the document, the term “cooler 13” refers to a cooler connected to an air conditioning system in a passenger compartment of motor vehicle 100.
[033] In the remainder of the document, the term “motor 11” is used to refer to the electric motor itself, as well as to different components associated with the motor and located near the motor, such as current converters and a charger. In other words, the term “motor 11” encompasses a set of components dedicated to the operation of motor 11, notably the electric drive chain composed of one or more motors and inverters and / or one or more converters and / or one or more chargers.
[034] In the remainder of the document, a thermal system 1 is defined which comprises the first assembly 10. The thermal system 1 performs the thermal management of the motor 11, the battery 12, the cooler 13 (notably by means of a heat exchange in the radiator 15) and the heating resistor 14.
[035] The thermal system 1 further comprises a second assembly 20 which includes ducts and a third assembly 30 which includes a maximum of three solenoid valves 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37 connected to the ducts of the second assembly 20. The valves of the third assembly 30 are arranged so that, when all are in the rest state, the thermal system Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 114 / 139 8 / 27 implements a first circulation 101 of heat transfer fluid in a first series circuit that interconnects the components of the first assembly 10.
[036] Radiator 15 is a vehicle cooling radiator. The air passing through radiator 15 allows the cooling of the heat transfer fluid circulating in the ducts of the second assembly 20.
[037] In the embodiments presented below, the thermal system additionally comprises a first pump 41 and a second pump 42 which allow the generation of a heat transfer fluid circulation in the ducts of the second assembly 20.
[038] The third assembly 30 of a maximum of three solenoid valves consists of - a single solenoid valve 31 with at least seven ports, thus defining a first embodiment of the thermal system 1, - or two solenoid valves 32, 33, one solenoid valve 32 being a four-way valve and the other solenoid valve 33 having at least three ways, thus defining a second embodiment of the thermal system 1 - or three solenoid valves 35, 36, 37 with at least three ports, thus defining a third embodiment of the thermal system 1.
[039] A thermal system 1 according to the first, second or third embodiment is also capable of implementing - a second circulation 102 of the heat transfer fluid, moving, on the one hand, between the radiator 15 and the electric motor 11 and, on the other hand, between the electric resistor 14 or a cooler 13 and the battery 12, and / or - a third circulation 103 of the heat transfer fluid, moving between the electric motor 11 and the battery 12, and / or - a fourth circulation 104 of the heat transfer fluid, moving, on one side, between the electric motor 11 and the battery 12 and, on the other Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 115 / 139 9 / 27 side, between the electrical resistor 14 and the battery 12, and / or - a fifth circulation 105 of the heat transfer fluid moving in a circuit through the electric motor 11 without passing through the cooler 13 or the battery 12, and / or - a sixth circulation 106 of the heat transfer fluid, moving between the electric motor 11 and the cooler 13 without passing through the battery 12.
[040] With regard to Figures 2 to 7, a thermal system 1 is first described according to the first embodiment, allowing the implementation of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth circulations 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106 alternately.
[041] An implementation of the first circulation 101 according to the first embodiment of the thermal system 1 is illustrated by Figure 2. The first circulation 101, which creates a series circuit of ducts connecting all components 30, is particularly suitable for filling the thermal circuit 1 in the factory, as well as for a maintenance phase of the thermal circuit 1.
[042] In the first embodiment, the first circulation 101 is advantageously obtained when the solenoid valve 31 (with at least 7 ways 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317) is at rest, that is, when the solenoid valve does not receive an actuation command. In this case, - Paths 311 and 312 are connected to each other, creating a circuit that connects battery 12 in series to the assembly consisting of heating resistor 14 in series with cooler 13, - Paths 313 and 316 are connected to each other, creating a series circuit connecting battery 12 to motor 11, - Paths 315 and 314 are connected to each other, creating a series circuit linking motor 11 and radiator 15. Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 116 / 139 10 / 27
[043] Thus, this configuration of solenoid valve 31 allows draining and filling the ducts of the second assembly 50, without needing to activate solenoid valve 31. Then, simply by adjusting the regime of the water pumps placed in the circuit, the first circulation 101 can be used to expel all air bubbles trapped in the circuit. These treatments will be developed further in the document.
[044] Figure 3 illustrates an implementation of the second circulation 102, according to the first embodiment of the thermal system 1. An implementation of the second circulation 102 represents a main operating mode of the thermal system 1, this operating mode can be used in different phases of use of the motor vehicle 100 (driving, charging, etc.).
[045] The second circulation 102 comprises a first circulation circuit 1021 of heat transfer fluid, allowing the temperature management of the battery 12. The battery 12 can be cooled or heated by the cooler 13 and / or heated by the heating resistor 14. If the battery does not need cooling or heating, a flow of water can pass through the battery 12 to prevent the appearance of hot spots in it. For this purpose, the solenoid valve 31 is configured as follows, - Paths 311 and 312 are connected to each other, creating a series circuit that connects the assembly consisting of the heating resistor 14 in series with the cooler 13 to the battery 12 and - Paths 313 and 317 are connected to each other, creating a circuit that connects battery 12 to a first water pump 41 located upstream of the assembly consisting of the heating resistor 14 in series with the cooler 13.
[046] The second circulation 102 additionally comprises a second heat transfer fluid circulation circuit 1022, Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 117 / 139 11 / 27 allowing the cooling of the electric drive chain components, i.e., motor 11, by radiator 15. For this purpose, solenoid valve 31 is further configured as follows: ports 314 and 315 are connected to each other, creating a circuit that connects motor 11 to radiator 15.
[047] Figure 4 illustrates an implementation of the third circulation 103, according to the first embodiment of the thermal system 1.
[048] The third circulation 103 allows the implementation of a first energy recovery mode comprising two circulation circuits 1031, 1032. In the first circulation circuit 1031, the heat from the engine 11 is transmitted to the battery 12 to increase its temperature. Furthermore, in the second circulation circuit 1032, the thermal resistor can be used to support the operation of the air conditioning when the outside temperature is low and when the heat pump is used in heat pump mode for the thermal needs of the passenger compartment.
[049] In other words, in the case of low temperatures, namely below 0°, the third circuit allows for an increase in the range of the motor vehicle 100. In fact, thanks to a first circuit 1031, the heating of the battery 12 by the motor 11 allows for an increase in the energy that can be extracted from the battery without using the heating resistor 14. Furthermore, thanks to a second circuit 1032, the heat supplied by the thermal resistor 14 allows the air conditioning (operating in heat pump mode) to be quickly brought to a temperature favorable to its energy efficiency, namely through the transfer of heat through the cooler 13 which then acts as a heater for the refrigerant fluid circulating in the air conditioning circuit.
[050] For this purpose, solenoid valve 31 is configured as follows, - the first circuit 1031 which contains battery 12 and motor 11 is Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 118 / 139 12 / 27 created by connecting tracks 312 and 315 on one side and tracks 313 and 316 on the other side and - Paths 311 and 317 are connected together to create the second circuit 1032, that is, a circuit that connects the heating resistor 14 in series with the cooler 13.
[051] Figure 5 illustrates an implementation of the fourth circulation 104, according to the first embodiment of the thermal system 1.
[052] The fourth circulation 104 allows the implementation of a second energy recovery mode. In this energy recovery mode, the battery 12 receives the heat generated by the motor 11 and can also receive some of the heat released by the thermal resistor 14. The heat released by the thermal resistor 14 is also used to support the operation of the air conditioning (operating in heat pump mode).
[053] The fourth circulation 104 is particularly interesting when the outside temperature is low, notably below 10 °C.
[054] Heating battery 12 by motor 11 allows increasing the energy that can be extracted from the battery without using heating resistor 14. Furthermore, the heat supplied by thermal resistor 14 allows the air conditioning (operating in heat pump mode) to be quickly brought to a temperature favorable to its energy efficiency.
[055] For this purpose, solenoid valve 31 is configured as follows, - Paths 311 and 312 are connected to each other, thus directing a heat transfer fluid heated by heating resistor 14 to battery 12, - Paths 315 and 312 are interconnected, thus directing a heat transfer fluid heated by the motor 11 to the battery 12 and - Route 313 is connected to routes 316 and 317 for fluid return. Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 119 / 139 13 / 27 heat transfer to motor 11 and heating resistor 14.
[056] Figure 6 illustrates an implementation of the fifth circulation 105, according to the first embodiment of thermal system 1. The fifth circulation 105 is particularly interesting when the outside temperature is extremely low, for example, when the outside temperature is below 0°, for example, around -20°C.
[057] In a first circulation circuit of the heat transfer fluid, the fifth circulation 105 allows the heat generated by the operation of the engine 11 to be used exclusively for heating the engine 11. The heat produced by the operation of the engine 11 is not evacuated to any other component, notably the heat produced by the engine is not directed to the air conditioning circuit through the exchanger 13. The first circuit allows an increase in the engine oil temperature in extremely cold conditions, which improves engine operation.
[058] Furthermore, the fifth circulation 105 allows the implementation of a second closed circuit for the circulation of the heat transfer fluid, including the thermal resistance 14 in series with the cooler 13, with the heat produced by the activation of the thermal resistance 14 constituting a heat source intended for the air conditioning circuit.
[059] Thus, the fifth circulation 105 creates two isolated circulation circuits for the heat transfer fluid, on one side in the electric motor 11 and on the other side in the exchanger 13, without passing through the battery 12 which is in nominal operating state.
[060] For this purpose, solenoid valve 31 is configured as follows: - To create the first closed circuit for the circulation of the heat transfer fluid in engine 11, paths 315 and 316 are connected to each other, Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 120 / 139 14 / 27 - To create the second closed circuit for circulating the heat transfer fluid in the thermal resistor 14 in series with the exchanger 13, paths 311 and 317 are connected to each other and - To prevent circulation of the heat transfer fluid in the battery, paths 312 and 313 are connected to each other.
[061] Figure 7 illustrates an implementation of the sixth circulation 106, according to the first embodiment of thermal system 1. The sixth circulation 106 is particularly interesting when the cold outside temperature is between 0 °C and 10 °C.
[062] The sixth circulation 106 creates a heat transfer fluid circulation circuit by connecting in series the electric motor 11, the resistor 14 in series with the exchanger 13, which functions as a heater for the air conditioning circuit. Advantageously, the thermal resistor 14 can be deactivated, so that the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle is heated only by the heat produced by the motor 11. Furthermore, the battery is in thermal self-management mode due to its operation at the nominal temperature. As a result, the battery 12 is isolated from the circulation circuit that connects the electric motor 11, the resistor 14 and the exchanger 13. In other words, there is no heat exchange between the battery 12 and the cooling fluid circulating through the motor 11 and the exchanger 13.
[063] For this purpose, solenoid valve 31 is configured as follows: - To create the closed circuit for the circulation of the heat transfer fluid in motor 11, resistor 14, and exchanger 13, path 311 is connected to path 316, and path 315 is connected to path 317 and - To prevent circulation of the heat transfer fluid in the battery, paths 312 and 313 are connected to each other.
[064] With regard to Figures 8 to 12, a system is then described. Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 121 / 139 15 / 27 thermal 1 according to the second embodiment, allowing the implementation of the first, second, third and fourth circulations 101, 102, 103, 104 alternately.
[065] In the second embodiment of the thermal system 1, the solenoid valve assembly 3 consists of two solenoid valves 32, 33, with at least one four-way solenoid valve 32 and at least one three-way solenoid valve 33.
[066] Figure 8 represents a functional diagram of the four-way solenoid valve 32 of a thermal system according to the second embodiment of the invention, in which: - a first channel 321 is connected by a duct to battery 12, - a second line 322 is connected to the first pump 41, - a third channel 323 is connected to cooler 13 and - a fourth line 324 is connected to the second pump 42.
[067] Furthermore, Figure 8 describes three configurations 325, 326, 327 implemented by the four-way solenoid valve 32, each configuration being obtained by connecting at least two ways taken from the four ways 321, 322, 323, 324 of the solenoid valve 32: - the first configuration 325 connects battery 12 to the first pump 41, - the second configuration 326 connects the cooler 13 to the first pump 41 and the battery to the second pump 42, - the third configuration 327 connects battery 12 to the second pump 42.
[068] A solenoid valve with at least three ways 33 and the three configurations 325, 326, 327 described for the solenoid valve 32 allow the implementation of the first, second, third and fourth circulations 101, 102, 103, 104. Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 122 / 139 16 / 27
[069] An implementation of the first circulation 101 by a thermal system according to the second embodiment (i.e., with solenoid valves 32 and 33) is illustrated by Figure 9.
[070] In the second embodiment, the first circulation 101 is advantageously obtained when: - solenoid valve 32 is in the third configuration 327, that is, solenoid valve 32 connects battery 12 to the second pump 42 and - Solenoid valve 33 connects motor 11 to the radiator.
[071] Thus, all the components of the component set 10 are connected in series.
[072] An implementation of the second circulation 102 by a thermal system 1 according to the second embodiment is illustrated by Figure 10. The second circulation 102 is advantageously obtained when - solenoid valve 32 is in the first configuration 325, that is, solenoid valve 32 connects battery 12 to the first pump 41 and - Solenoid valve 33 connects motor 11 to the radiator.
[073] An implementation of the third circulation 103 by a thermal system 1 according to the second embodiment is illustrated by Figure 11. The third circulation 103 is advantageously obtained when - solenoid valve 32 is in the second configuration 326, that is, solenoid valve 32 connects cooler 13 to the first pump 41 and the battery to the second pump 42 and - solenoid valve 33 connects engine 11 to battery 12.
[074] An implementation of the fourth circulation 104 by a thermal system 1 according to the second embodiment is illustrated by Figure 12. The fourth circulation 104 is advantageously obtained when - solenoid valve 32 is in the third configuration 327, that is, solenoid valve 32 connects battery 12 to the second pump 42 and Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 123 / 139 17 / 27 - solenoid valve 33 connects engine 11 to battery 12.
[075] With regard to Figures 13 to 16, a thermal system 1 is then described according to the third embodiment, allowing the implementation of the first, second, third and fourth circulations 101, 102, 103, 104 alternately.
[076] In the third embodiment of the thermal system 1, the solenoid valve assembly 3 consists of three solenoid valves 35, 36, 37 with at least three ways.
[077] An implementation of the first circulation 101 by a thermal system 1 according to the third embodiment is illustrated by Figure 13. In the third embodiment, the first circulation 101 is advantageously obtained when - the solenoid valve 35 connects the battery 12 to the second pump 42 and - Solenoid valve 36 connects motor 11 to the radiator.
[078] An implementation of the second circulation 102 by a thermal system 1 according to the third embodiment is illustrated by Figure 14. In the second embodiment, the first circulation 102 is advantageously obtained when - solenoid valve 35 connects battery 12 to the first pump 41 and - Solenoid valve 36 connects motor 11 to the radiator, - Solenoid valve 37 connects the battery in series with the heating resistor and the air conditioning.
[079] An implementation of the third circulation 103 by a thermal system 1 according to the third embodiment is illustrated by Figure 15. The third circulation 103 is advantageously obtained when - solenoid valve 35 connects the battery to the second pump 42, Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 124 / 139 18 / 27 - Solenoid valve 37 connects to cooler 13 and - Solenoid valve 36 connects motor 11 to battery 12.
[080] An implementation of the fourth circulation 104 by a thermal system 1 according to the third embodiment is illustrated by Figure 16. The fourth circulation 104 is advantageously obtained when - the solenoid valve 35 connects the battery 12 to the second pump 42 and - solenoid valve 36 connects engine 11 to battery 12. In the remainder of the document, the term "tank" or "degassing tank" is used to name an expansion vessel, also called a "collector pipe." A tank in a thermal system is pressurized and serves to create sufficient pressure at the inlet of each water pump in the thermal system to prevent cavitation in the water pump. In fact, if the pressure in a pump is too low, a cavitation phenomenon can occur, that is, boiling of the heat transfer fluid on the pump blades, which damages the pump blades.
[081] Advantageously, the degassing tank 50 can be a circulating type tank, that is, the tank 50 includes a first inlet fitting for the heat transfer fluid positioned at its top and a second outlet fitting for the fluid positioned at its lowest point.
[082] In a preferred embodiment, the thermal system 1 comprises a single degassing tank 50, which facilitates maintenance operations of the thermal system 1.
[083] Furthermore, the position of tank 50 in the thermal system circuit can be chosen to favor a quick and simple degassing of the circuit, namely by creating a circuit that connects all the components of the first assembly in series. Advantageously, tank 50 Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 125 / 139 19 / 27 can be placed in a loop circuit 70 in parallel with the component that offers the greatest resistance to the passage of the heat transfer fluid, such as radiator 15. Air bubbles are then pushed towards tank 50, tank 50 allowing the separation of the liquid and gas phases.
[084] Furthermore, a degassing tank altitude of 50 is preferably greater than the altitude of each component in the first assembly of 10 components.
[085] The thermal system may additionally comprise a check valve 71 or a non-return valve 71 to prevent the heat transfer fluid from moving in the opposite direction to the desired direction of movement. Such a phenomenon may notably occur due to negative pressures in a pipeline upstream of a pump.
[086] Thermal system 1 may comprise a controller 90 that determines which heat transfer fluid circulation should be implemented, between the first, second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth circulations. The controller 90 may, for example, manage the transition conditions from one circulation to another, for example, based on the vehicle's outside air temperature and / or a passenger compartment temperature setpoint and / or a vehicle usage mode, wherein the vehicle usage mode may be a driving mode or a maintenance mode.
[087] In an advantageous embodiment, the thermal system 1 further comprises means for implementing a thermal management method according to the invention. Notably, the thermal system 1 comprises a processing unit 80 comprising a microprocessor 81, a memory 78 and communication interfaces 79.
[088] The thermal system 1 and particularly the microprocessor 81, mainly comprise the following modules that cooperate with each other: Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 126 / 139 20 / 27 - an 811 module for thermal system maintenance, this module can cooperate with the 90 controller, the solenoid valves of the third assembly 30, the first and second pumps 41,42, - an 812 module for cooling the electric motor via the radiator, this module being able to cooperate with the controller 90, the solenoid valves of the third assembly 30, the first and second pumps 41,42, - a module 813 for heating the battery by recovering the heat released by the electric motor, this module being able to cooperate with the controller 90, the solenoid valves of the third assembly 30, the first and second pumps 41, 42, - a module 814 for heating the battery by recovering the heat released by the electric motor and the thermal resistor, this module being able to cooperate with the controller 90, the solenoid valves of the third assembly 30, the first and second pumps 41,42, - a module 815 for recovering the heat released by the operation of the electric motor for exclusive heating of the electric motor, this module being able to cooperate with the controller 90, the solenoid valves of the third assembly 30, the first and second pumps 41,42, - a module 816 for recovering the heat released by the electric motor to heat a heat transfer fluid circulating upstream of the cooler, this module being able to cooperate with the controller 90, the solenoid valves of the third assembly 30, the first and second pumps 41,42.
[089] The motor vehicle 100, particularly the thermal system 1, preferably comprises all hardware and / or software elements configured to implement the method defined in the object of the invention or the method described below.
[090] With regard to Figure 17, a method is described of Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 127 / 139 21 / 27 thermal management which comprises an alternation between: - a first stage E1 of thermal system maintenance, which includes the implementation of the first circulation 101, - a second E2 stage of electric motor cooling by the radiator, which includes the implementation of the second circulation 102, - a third E3 stage of battery heating by recovering heat released by the electric motor, which includes the implementation of the third circulation 103, - a fourth stage E4 of battery heating by recovering the heat released by the electric motor and the thermal resistor, which includes the implementation of the fourth circulation 104, - a fifth stage E5 for recovering the heat released by the operation of the electric motor for exclusive heating of the electric motor, which includes the implementation of the fifth circulation 105, - a sixth stage E6 of recovering the heat released by the electric motor to heat a heat transfer fluid circulating upstream of the cooler, which comprises the implementation of the sixth circulation 106.
[091] The first stage E1 of maintenance of thermal system 1 comprises: - a sub-stage E11 of the implementation of the first circulation 101, then - a substage E12 for draining a heat transfer fluid circulating in duct assembly 20 of thermal system 1, then - a sub-stage E13 of filling the duct assembly 20 of thermal system 1 with a new heat transfer fluid, then - a substage E14 for evacuating gas bubbles contained in the duct assembly 20 of thermal system 1.
[092] The first stage E1 involves receiving a Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 128 / 139 22 / 27 maintenance order for thermal system 1, the order being issued by controller 90.
[093] After receiving a maintenance order, in sub-stage E11 the solenoid valves of thermal system 1 are configured to allow the implementation of the first circulation 101 of heat transfer fluid. For this, the solenoid valves of the third assembly 30 are commanded to implement a circuit connecting the components of the first assembly 10 in series. Advantageously, thermal system 1 is designed so that circulation 101 is implemented when the solenoid valves are in the rest state.
[094] Next, a sub-step E12 is performed to drain the heat transfer fluid contained in the thermal system 1. After opening the drain plugs, the heat transfer fluid flows naturally out of the duct assembly 20 and the components it passes through, such as the battery 12. The heat transfer fluid is then automatically replaced by air.
[095] After draining the thermal system 1, a filling tool 60 can be used for the ducts. For this purpose, the tool 60 is connected to tank 50.
[096] Tool 60 is equipped with a vacuum pump that draws air from the ducts of assembly 20. Tool 60 thus creates a vacuum in the ducts of assembly 20, notably the pressure inside the ducts is close to 900 millibars.
[097] Next, a sub-step E13 is performed to fill the ducts with a new heat transfer fluid. For this, the ducts of assembly 20 are connected to a heat transfer fluid reservoir that is part of tool 60, the fluid reservoir being at atmospheric pressure. The heat transfer fluid will be drawn into the ducts. Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pages 129 / 139 23 / 27 of assembly 20, due to the vacuum previously created in the ducts. Thus, a pressure equilibrium phenomenon allows the ducts of assembly 20 to be filled with a new heat transfer fluid. However, the filling – although facilitated by tool 60 – is not perfect, as a large amount of air may remain in the ducts and / or components of the thermal system 1.
[098] In a degassing substage E14, a heat transfer fluid circulation is activated in all the ducts of the assembly 20. In other words, the first circulation 101 is carried out, namely by starting the pumps 41,42 of the thermal system 1. Advantageously, the implementation of the first circulation 101 allows residual air pockets to be moved to the degassing tank. Upstream of substage E14, that is, imperatively before starting the pumps 41, 42, manual purge screws 111 positioned at local high points, such as on the motor 11, can be opened.
[099] In other words, - Substage E12 of the drainage process involves the suction of the heat transfer fluid, generating a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure in the ducts of the second assembly 20, and / or - Substage E13 of the filling process involves the pressurized injection of a new heat transfer fluid into the second duct assembly 20 and / or - Thermal system 1 comprises at least one pump 41, 42 and sub-stage E14 for evacuating gas bubbles contained in thermal system 1 comprises the circulation of the new fluid by actuating at least one pump 41, 42.
[100] Additionally or alternatively, the E13 filling substage comprises a pressure injection of the new transfer fluid. Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pages 130 / 139 24 / 27 of heat in the second assembly 20 of ducts.
[101] Additionally or alternatively, the thermal system 1 comprises at least one pump 41, 42 and the sub-stage of evacuating the gas bubbles contained in the thermal system comprises the circulation of the new fluid by actuating at least one pump.
[102] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the radiator comprises a purge screw and the degassing substage comprises the evacuation of gas bubbles through the opening of the purge screw.
[103] The second stage E2 involves receiving an order to implement the second circulation 102, the order being issued by controller 90. After receiving this order, the second circulation 102 is implemented. For this, the solenoid valves are activated to create - a first circulation circuit 1021 of heat transfer fluid, allowing the management of the battery temperature 12, wherein the battery 12 can be cooled or heated by air conditioning through the cooler 13 and / or heated by the heating resistor 14 and / or - a second circuit 1022 for circulating heat transfer fluid, allowing the cooling of the electric drive chain components, i.e., the motor 11, by the radiator 15.
[104] The third stage E3 involves receiving an order to implement the third circulation 103, the order being issued by controller 90. After receiving this order, the third circulation 103 is implemented. For this, the solenoid valves are activated to create - a first circulation circuit 1031, where the heat from the engine 11 is transmitted to the battery 12 to increase its temperature and / or - a second 1032 circulation circuit, in which the thermal resistor can be used to support the operation of the air conditioning when the outside temperature is low and when the heat pump is used in Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 131 / 139 25 / 27 heat pump mode for the thermal needs of the passenger compartment.
[105] The fourth stage E4 involves receiving an order to implement the fourth circulation 104, the order being issued by the controller 90. After receiving this order, the fourth circulation 104 is implemented. For this, the solenoid valves are activated so that the battery 12 receives the heat generated by the motor 11 and / or the battery can also receive part of the heat released by the thermal resistor 14.
[106] The fifth stage E5 involves receiving an order to implement the fifth circulation 105, the order being issued by controller 90. After receiving this order, the fifth circulation 105 is implemented. For this, the solenoid valves are activated to create - a first circulation circuit 1051, where the heat emitted by the operation of engine 11 is used exclusively to increase the temperature of engine 11 and / or - a second circulation circuit 1052, in which the thermal resistor can be used to support the air conditioning operation of the passenger compartment when the outside temperature is low and when the heat pump is used in heat pump mode for the thermal needs of the passenger compartment.
[107] The sixth stage E6 involves receiving an order to implement the fifth circulation 106, the order being issued by controller 90. After receiving this order, the sixth circulation 106 is implemented. For this, the solenoid valves are activated to create a circulation where the heat emitted by the operation of engine 11 is used exclusively to support the air conditioning operation of the passenger compartment when the outside temperature is low and when the heat pump is used in heat pump mode for the thermal needs of the compartment. Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 132 / 139 26 / 27 passengers.
[108] Finally, the thermal system according to the invention and the thermal management method according to the invention have several advantages.
[109] First, they improve the energy autonomy of the motor vehicle equipped with the invention. In fact, thanks to the different heat transfer fluid circulations implemented by the thermal system, several modes of energy recovery from the electric drive chain to the battery are possible. Similarly, it is also possible to use heat from the cooling circuit to heat the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle through the cooler connected to the air conditioning circuit. This limits the activation of the heating resistor to heat the battery or the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle. It is also possible to cool the electric motor and the battery by the radiator located at the front of the vehicle, which limits the activation of the compressor of the electric air conditioning system that consumes a lot of energy.
[110] Secondly, the thermal system according to the invention and the thermal management method according to the invention allow for time savings in the tasks of filling the cooling circuit in the factory. In fact, the thermal system according to the invention comprises only one tank, which reduces the filling time in the factory compared to thermal systems comprising two or more tanks. The filling tasks can also be performed with a single filling machine, whereas, for cooling circuits composed of several tanks, it was sometimes necessary to invest in several machines to save time in the filling phase.
[111] Thirdly, the thermal system according to the invention and the thermal management method according to the invention Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 133 / 139 27 / 27 systems allow for time savings in after-sales maintenance. In fact, thanks to the ideal positioning of the cooling circuit reservoir in the system, with the reservoir directly feeding the two water pumps, the time required for a technician to fill the cooling circuit is reduced. Furthermore, a coolant circulation mode, corresponding to the first circulation described earlier, has been designed to facilitate the degassing of the cooling circuit after a fill during a vehicle maintenance visit. This mode allows all components of the cooling circuit to be degassed simultaneously through the tank mounted in parallel with the radiator. The time required to degas the cooling circuit is significantly reduced, which contributes to reducing the vehicle's TCO (Total Cost of Ownership).
[112] Fourthly, the first embodiment of the thermal system (and, to a lesser extent, the second embodiment) allows a significant reduction in the number of solenoid valves required to implement the thermal system. This results in a reduction in the number of actuators and therefore a reduction in the cost of the parts that make up the cooling circuit. Moreover, this simplifies the calibration phase of the thermal system, reducing the costs associated with the calibration phase. Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, pp. 134 / 139
Claims
1 / 4 Claims 1. THERMAL SYSTEM (1) FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE (100) characterized by comprising a first assembly (10) which includes components among which: - an electric motor (11), - a battery (12), - a thermal resistor (14), - a cooler (13) connected to an air conditioning circuit of a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle (100), - a radiator (15) and which further comprises a second assembly (20) which includes ducts for a heat transfer fluid, which connect the components of the first assembly (10) and a third assembly (30) which includes at least one solenoid valve (31) and, in particular, at most three solenoid valves (35, 36, 37), connected to the ducts of the second assembly (20) and, where the solenoid valve (31) or solenoid valves (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37) of the third assembly (30) are all in a state of rest,The thermal system (1) implements a first circulation (101) of the heat transfer fluid through the ducts in a first series circuit that interconnects the components of the first assembly (10).
2. THERMAL SYSTEM (1), according to claim 2, characterized by being able to implement, by means of the actuation of the solenoid valve (31) or solenoid valves (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37): - a second circulation (102) of the heat transfer fluid through the ducts, moving, on the one hand, between the radiator (15) and the electric motor (11) and, on the other hand, between the electric resistor (14) or the cooler (13) and the battery (12), and / or Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, page.135 / 139 2 / 4 - a third circulation (103) of the heat transfer fluid through the ducts, moving between the electric motor (11) and the battery (12), and / or - a fourth circulation (104) of the heat transfer fluid through the ducts, moving, on one side, between the electric motor (11) and the battery (12) and, on the other side, between the electric resistor (14) and the battery (12), and / or - a fifth circulation (105) of the heat transfer fluid through the ducts moving in a circuit close to the electric motor (11), without passing through the cooler (13) or the battery (12) and / or - a sixth circulation (106) of the heat transfer fluid through the ducts moving between the electric motor (11) and the cooler (13) without passing through the battery (12).
3. THERMAL SYSTEM (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the third assembly (30) consists of: - a single solenoid valve (31) with at least seven ways, or - two solenoid valves (32, 33), among which one solenoid valve (32) has four ways and one solenoid valve (33) has at least three ways, or - three solenoid valves (35, 36, 37) with at least three ways.
4. THERMAL SYSTEM (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by comprising a single degassing tank (50) and / or by the degassing tank (50) being a circulating type tank and / or by the degassing tank (50) and the radiator (15) being arranged in parallel portions of the circuit by the ducts and / or by the altitude of the degassing tank (50) being greater than the altitude of each component of the first assembly (10).
5. THERMAL MANAGEMENT METHOD FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE (100) EQUIPPED WITH A THERMAL SYSTEM (1), according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by Petition 870250084825, dated 09 / 19 / 2025, page. 136 / 139 3 / 4 comprise: - a first stage (E1) of maintenance of the thermal system (1), and / or - a second stage (E2) of cooling the electric motor (11) by the radiator (15) which additionally comprises cooling and / or heating of the battery (12) by the cooler (13) and / or by the electric resistor (14), wherein the second stage (E2) comprises implementing the second circulation (102), and / or - a third stage (E3) of heating the battery (12) by recovering the heat released by the electric motor (11) which additionally comprises heating, by the thermal resistor (14), of a heat transfer fluid that circulates upstream of the cooler (13), wherein the third stage (E3) comprises implementing the third circulation (103),and / or - a fourth stage (E4) of heating the battery (12) by recovering the heat released by the electric motor (11) and the thermal resistor (14), which additionally includes heating, by the thermal resistor (14), a heat transfer fluid circulating upstream of the cooler (13), wherein the fourth stage (E4) comprises implementing the fourth circulation (104), and / or - a fifth stage (E5) of recovering the heat released by the electric motor (11) to exclusively heat the electric motor (11), which additionally includes heating, by the thermal resistor (14), a heat transfer fluid circulating upstream of the cooler (13), wherein the fifth stage (E5) comprises implementing the fifth circulation (105) and / or - a sixth stage (E6) of recovering the heat released by the electric motor (11) to heat a heat transfer fluid circulating upstream of the cooler (13),whereby the sixth stage (E6) comprises implementing the sixth circulation (106). Petition 870250084825, dated 19 / 09 / 2025, pp. 137 / 139 4 / 4, 6. THERMAL MANAGEMENT METHOD, according to claim 5, characterized by the first stage (E1) of maintenance of the thermal system (1) comprising: - a sub-stage (E11) of implementing the first circulation (101), then - a sub-stage (E12) of draining a heat transfer fluid circulating in the duct assembly of the thermal system (1), then - a sub-stage (E13) of filling the duct assembly of the thermal system (1) with a new heat transfer fluid, then - a sub-stage (E14) of evacuating gas bubbles contained in the duct assembly of the thermal system (1).
7. THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (1), of a thermal system as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the system is characterized by comprising hardware elements and / or computer-readable instructions (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 40, 41, 42, 50, 60, 61, 70, 71, 78, 79, 80, 81, 811, 812, 813, 814, 815, 816) that implement the method as defined in any one of claims 5 to 6, notably hardware elements (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 40, 41, 42, 50, 60, 61, 70, 71, 78, 79, 80, 81) and / or computer-readable instructions (811, 812, 813, 814, 815, 816) designed to implement a method, as defined in any one of claims 5 to 6, and / or the device comprising means for implementing the method, as defined in any one of claims 5 to 6.
8. MOTOR VEHICLE (100) characterized by being equipped with a thermal system (1), as defined in claim 7, and / or, as defined in any of claims 1 to 4. Petition 870250084825, dated 19 / 09 / 2025, pp. 138 / 139