Motor vehicle and method for adjusting the available heating power in a motor vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a motor vehicle, in particular an electrically driven motor vehicle, which comprises: a thermal fluid circuit and a heating device for heating a thermal fluid, wherein the thermal fluid, in particular water, can be guided to at least one component of the motor vehicle to be heated through the thermal fluid circuit, and the heating device comprises a basic component mounted in the motor vehicle, the basic component having a heating channel as part of the thermal fluid circuit and an electrical connector connected to an onboard power supply of the motor vehicle, the basic component being provided with a plurality of interfaces for heating modules which are independently constructed relative to the basic component, the interfaces respectively having current connectors for supplying current to the corresponding heating modules, the interfaces being provided for fixing the corresponding heating modules, a heating module being mounted on at least one of the interfaces, and heat for heating the thermal fluid guided through the heating channel being provided by operation of the heating module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a motor vehicle, in particular an electrically driven motor vehicle, having a thermal fluid circuit, through which a thermal fluid, in particular water, can be conducted to at least one component of the motor vehicle to be heated, and a heating device for heating the thermal fluid, wherein the heating device comprises a basic component installed in the motor vehicle, the basic component having a heating channel as part of the thermal fluid circuit and an electrical connection connected to the onboard power supply of the motor vehicle. The invention also relates to a method for adjusting the available heating power in a motor vehicle. Background Art

[0002] In electrically driven motor vehicles, the vehicle is heated primarily by means of electric heaters, which not only heat the vehicle interior but also heat the water circuit for heating the high-voltage components, since no waste heat from the internal combustion engine is available for heating. In this case, a high-voltage heater is preferably used, which is connected on the one hand to the high-voltage power grid of the motor vehicle and on the other hand to the water circuit or generally to the hot fluid circuit, in order to conduct heat to the components to be heated. For example, the corresponding heating of batteries is discussed in patent document CN 109301396 A.

[0003] After purchase, motor vehicles are typically used in certain regions, which can differ significantly with regard to the lowest temperatures achieved locally and thus with regard to the required heating powers. It is therefore known to offer motor vehicles with different heating powers. For example, when ordering a motor vehicle, a heating power between 3 kW and 9 kW can be selected from the user's perspective in certain preset levels. This makes it possible to heat the vehicle quickly to the desired temperature in the expected operating area without having to carry unnecessary weight.

[0004] However, the problem here is that the subsequent adjustment of the available heating power is often only possible at great cost, since the entire heating device must eventually be replaced, which requires at least one return to the factory and the ordering of additional components. Due to this high cost, such a conversion is usually not performed. However, this may lead to a significant loss of comfort when the area of ​​use changes, such as when traveling for a long time, when the user moves to another area, because it is not possible to heat the vehicle components quickly enough, and thus, for example, the interior of the vehicle remains cold for a long time, or it takes a relatively long time to provide the full driving power of the motor vehicle. It is also disadvantageous to move to a hotter area without such a conversion, because when no conversion is performed, an unnecessary heavy heating device must be carried. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a possibility for adjusting the available heating power in a motor vehicle at reduced cost, wherein in particular it should be possible for the vehicle user or the vehicle owner to carry out such a conversion himself at reduced cost.

[0006] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a motor vehicle of the type described at the outset, wherein a basic component is provided with a plurality of interfaces for a heating module constructed independently of the basic component, the interfaces each having a current connection for supplying current to the corresponding heating module, and the interfaces are provided for holding the corresponding heating module, wherein at least one of the interfaces is equipped with a heating module, and heat for heating a thermal fluid flowing through the heating channel is provided by the operation of the heating module.

[0007] The invention is based on the idea that, in order to adjust the available heating power of a heating device in a cost-effective manner by removing, inserting or replacing heating modules, the number and type of heating modules used can be adjusted as required by providing a plurality of interfaces on the basic component. In this case, in particular, the total heating power of the heating device can be provided by at least one heating module. However, it is also possible as an alternative that the basic component itself already comprises at least one heating element for providing a basic heating power, wherein the basic heating power is further increased as required by the heating power of the connected heating modules.

[0008] The basic module can in particular include a control device fixed to the vehicle, by which the heating power of the individual heating modules can be controlled. Alternatively, however, a motor vehicle control device that is designed independently of the heating device and fixed to the vehicle can also be used, wherein in this case, preferably corresponding control or communication signals of the external control device are forwarded via the basic module to the corresponding interface.

[0009] The electrical connection can be, in particular, a connection to a high-voltage power supply network for providing a high voltage for operating the heating module, more precisely for operating the heating element arranged in the heating module. If a low-voltage power supply network, such as a 12V power supply network, is additionally present in the motor vehicle, the basic component can also additionally have an electrical connection for connecting to the low-voltage power supply network, thereby, for example, realizing a power supply of a control device fixed to the vehicle in the basic component at low cost. Preferably, in this case, both a low-voltage power supply and a high-voltage power supply are also provided for the individual heating modules via corresponding interfaces, wherein the low-voltage power supply can be used, for example, to operate a local control device of the corresponding heating module, here a sensor device or the like.

[0010] In order to exchange control or communication signals with other devices of the motor vehicle, for example with a central control unit, a vehicle-side network or bus, etc., the basic component can have further electrical connections, or corresponding electrical connections can be provided, for example, via a common plug connection to a low-voltage power supply. The corresponding interface can also have connections for control and / or communication signals, i.e. data connections, on the one hand for communication with a control unit arranged in the basic component and / or on the other hand for communication with components external to the heating device, for example via corresponding connections of the basic component.

[0011] The high voltage range is considered to be AC ​​voltages above 30 V or DC voltages above 60 V. The onboard electrical system in a motor vehicle typically provides a DC voltage, and the heating element typically also operates with a DC voltage, so that mainly the DC voltage is important for the operation of the heating device.

[0012] The corresponding heating modules can provide a maximum heating power of between 1 kW and 3 kW. In this case, all available or used heating modules can have the same maximum power. Preferably, however, heating modules with different heating powers can also be used simultaneously on different interfaces. As a heating element or a component of a corresponding heating module that provides heating power, a PTC heating element can be used in particular, because it is self-regulating to a certain extent for resistive heat generation by using a conductor with a positive temperature coefficient.

[0013] The thermal fluid circuit can only be used to heat the corresponding components in certain operating states of the motor vehicle. In particular, the thermal fluid circuit can be used to cool the components in other operating states and is therefore generally referred to as a temperature control fluid circuit, and the thermal fluid can be generally referred to as a temperature control fluid. However, since the heating of the components is carried out here by means of a heating device and a thermal fluid circuit, the expression suitable for heating is selected for better understanding. When the components to be heated or cooled are batteries or power electronics, the described solution in which the thermal fluid circuit is also used for cooling may be particularly suitable, because these components typically need to be cooled during longer operating times. However, for example, during cold starts, in order to reduce, for example, the internal resistance of the battery or the residual resistance of the semiconductor switch that has been switched to disconnection and thus increase the effective power, it is advantageous to heat it initially.

[0014] The corresponding heating module may include at least one heating element and a local control device, wherein the local control device is set to receive a communication signal via at least one data connection realized by an interface and control the power supply of the heating element according to the communication signal. The corresponding communication signal can be sent by a control device arranged in the basic component, or by a control device outside the heating device, or further transmitted by the basic component. This communication is especially realized that the specific design of the heating element must only be considered when the local control device is running, for example, when programming the control device, and communication can be carried out via a data connection via relatively abstract commands. For example, a command can be transmitted via a data connection so that a certain heating power should be provided, or heating should be performed until a certain temperature is reached. This is especially realized that heating modules with different structures inside are controlled in the same way and can be operated together in the same basic component without any problems.

[0015] The data connection can in particular also enable communication in the opposite direction, for example for providing sensor data for monitoring the corresponding heating module to a control device or for providing parameters of the heating module, which parameters may relate to, for example, the maximum heating power that can be provided by the corresponding heating module, the time constant of the heating module's response to changes in the heating power requirement, etc.

[0016] Preferably, the motor vehicle comprises a control device fixed to the vehicle, which is configured to control the heating power of the respective heating module by communicating with the or a local control device as part of the respective heating module and / or by presetting the power supplied to the respective heating module via the power connection. The control device fixed to the vehicle can in particular be part of a basic component, but can also be designed independently of the heating device and, for example, be arranged spaced apart from the heating device.

[0017] The communication can take place in that the local control unit communicates as a participant via a vehicle-side bus or a vehicle-side network which is also used for communication with other components.

[0018] Alternatively, it can be advantageous if the local control device communicates with the control device fixed to the vehicle via a dedicated data connection, thereby providing, for example, functions that are not available in other vehicle-side buses or networks. Complex communication functions, such as server-based architectures, etc. can thus be implemented. Alternatively, a communication can also be implemented via a dedicated data connection, which communication allows a particularly simple design of the local control device. For example, power control can be implemented via the pulse width of the communication signal. The communication can take place via the data connection or via a data connection implemented via an interface.

[0019] The control device fixed to the vehicle can be configured to, on the one hand, acquire installation information indicating whether a corresponding interface is equipped with a heating module and / or describing at least one parameter of the heating module installed on the interface, and on the other hand, control the current heating power of at least one heating module present in the heating device based on the installation information. In particular, the heating power of at least one heating module installed on a first interface is preset independently of whether another interface is installed, how many further interfaces are installed, and what parameters, in particular maximum power, the heating modules installed on the other interfaces have. This makes it possible to provide a desired total heating power by presetting the current heating powers for the individual heating modules present, which are added to form the desired total heating power, wherein, for example, it is possible to achieve a distribution of the required heating power as evenly as possible among the individual heating modules.

[0020] By digital communication with the local control of the heating module, it can be detected whether a certain interface is equipped with a heating module, or the parameters of the corresponding heating module can be queried. However, the corresponding information can also be obtained without the use of a local control, for example by the heating module connected to the interface being connected to the electrical connection of the interface via a defined resistor in order to signal the presence of the heating module or to transmit certain parameters. For example, a fixedly connected resistor is provided between two specific electrical contacts of the heating module, so that, for example, the maximum heating power of the heating module can be known by suitable selection of the resistor value.

[0021] Identifying whether a certain interface is equipped with a heating module can also be used for other purposes. For example, if a design of the heating device, which will be explained later, is used (in which the hot fluid is guided through the corresponding module channel of the corresponding heating module), the fluid connection of the interface can be closed by means of a valve or the like when the interface is not occupied, and the valve is only opened during operation of the motor vehicle if the occupation of the interface has previously been detected, for example by communication with a local control device of the heating module.

[0022] It can also be advantageous to supply the high voltage supply for an individual heating module at the corresponding interface only if it has previously been recognized that the interface is occupied. For example, initially only the low voltage supply of the heating module can take place and only after authorization / release by the local control of the corresponding heating module can the high voltage supply be supplied. This can be appropriate, for example, for reasons of contact protection.

[0023] The heating channel is closed in a fluid-tight manner, except for the fluid inlet connected to the hot fluid circuit and the fluid outlet connected to the hot fluid circuit. As a result, in particular no part of the heating module can come into contact with the hot fluid located in the hot fluid circuit. This design is advantageous because the heating module is dry and no seals are required at the connection between the respective heating module and the base component.

[0024] The or a heating element of the corresponding heating module can contact the heating channel directly or via a heat conducting device, in particular a heat pipe. The heating element or the heat conducting device can be flat against the side wall of the heating channel and in particular pressed against the side wall with a defined force, for example by a spring or other elastic element. This also enables effective heating of the thermal fluid contained in the heating channel despite the closure of the heating channel.

[0025] In an alternative design, the respective interface has a fluid connection for the respective heating module, wherein at least one heating module has a module channel, which is connected to the heating channel via a fluid connection to which the respective interface of the respective module is mounted. By guiding the hot fluid through the heating module, a better heat transfer and a faster response of the heating device can be achieved in some cases. However, it is necessary that the fluid connection is sealed when the respective heating module is connected and that the fluid connection is closed when the respective interface is not occupied by the heating module. As explained above, this can be achieved by suitable valve control or the like. However, self-sealing fluid connections can also be used.

[0026] The control device fixed to the vehicle or the processing device of the motor vehicle can be set to predict the expected required heating power of the heating device based on the current position of the motor vehicle and / or the planned driving destination and / or the planned driving route, select a suitable assembly scheme for the heating module interface based on this, and control the output device of the motor vehicle to output assembly information related to the suitable assembly scheme to the user and / or transmit it to an external device. For direct output to the user, for example, a display device, such as an image display or a signal light, or voice output can be used. The external device can especially be a communication device of the user, such as a smart phone, a notebook, etc.

[0027] In an improvement of the process described above, it is particularly possible to output the installation information only when it is beneficial to change the installation scheme of the interface, for example when, due to the planned driving destination, it is recognized that a higher heating power is required at the destination for optimal comfort - compared to the heating power achieved by the currently installed heating module.

[0028] A suitable assembly concept can be selected such that the estimated maximum required heating power is achieved or exceeds it by at least a predetermined reserve amount, for example by using a minimum number of heating modules or a combination of heating modules with the lowest weight.

[0029] In particular, the required heating power can be predicted as a function of the expected outdoor temperature, wherein in particular it can also be taken into account what outdoor temperature is to be expected in what operating state, in particular when a cold start may be required. The expected outdoor temperature can only be set as a function of the location, for example by means of a suitable map. However, it is preferably determined in relation to time, so that, for example, in certain regions a distinction can be made between cold starts during the day and at night and / or the season and / or a weather forecast received from an external device can be taken into account.

[0030] In order to keep costs low for adding or removing a heating module or replacing a heating module, it is advantageous if the interface is easily accessible in the motor vehicle. For example, the interface is directly accessible or arranged in the vehicle front and the front hood, or the interface is also arranged in the luggage compartment, for example, or in the vehicle interior under a cover that can be removed, in particular without the use of tools.

[0031] The respective interface and the respective heating module can be configured such that the respective heating module can be connected and / or disconnected from the interface without the use of tools. If a separate step is provided for fastening the heating module to the interface or for releasing this fastening, for example using a cover or a fastening collar, this step can preferably also be carried out without the use of tools.

[0032] The heating module can be configured as a plug-in module, for example, which is guided by an interface and fixed in a force-locking manner. Optionally, additional fixing can be achieved, for example, by at least one latching lug, snap hook, mechanical locking pin or cover.

[0033] The thermal fluid circuit can be designed in such a way that the thermal fluid can be directed to the battery and / or the power electronics and / or the electric machine as components to be heated and / or to a heat exchanger for supplying air to the interior of the motor vehicle. If the air supplied to the interior of the motor vehicle is heated by such a heat exchanger, it can be advantageous to provide an additional heating element which further heats the air before it is supplied to the interior in series upstream of the heat exchanger or preferably also in series downstream of the heat exchanger. This is advantageous because the thermal fluid circuit has a certain thermal inertia and therefore heating the interior solely by means of the thermal fluid circuit and the heat exchanger may not achieve optimal comfort, since sufficient heating of the interior would take a considerable time.

[0034] As power electronics, for example, DC / DC converters, pulse inverters, charging electronics and / or the like, in particular for the drive motors of motor vehicles, can be heated. Typically, temperature control concepts for cooling these components are provided for these components during normal operation of the motor vehicle. For example, during a cold start, the effective power of the motor vehicle can be significantly limited due to the excessively low temperature of these components, for example due to the high internal resistance of the battery or the low electrical conductivity of the semiconductors. It can therefore be advantageous to heat these components at least primarily by means of a thermal fluid circuit.

[0035] In addition to the motor vehicle according to the invention, the invention also relates to a method for adjusting the heating power available in a motor vehicle, in particular in an electrically driven motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle comprises a thermal fluid circuit and a heating device for heating a thermal fluid, via which the thermal fluid, in particular water, can be supplied to at least one component of the motor vehicle to be heated, wherein the heating device comprises a basic component installed in the vehicle, the basic component having a heating channel as part of the thermal fluid circuit and an electrical connection connected to the onboard power supply of the motor vehicle, wherein the basic component has a plurality of interfaces for heating modules which are designed independently of the basic component, the interfaces each having a current connection for supplying current to the corresponding heating module, the interfaces being provided for holding the corresponding heating module, wherein when the corresponding interface is equipped with a heating module, heat for heating the thermal fluid guided through the heating channel can be provided by operation of the heating module, wherein the available heating power can be adjusted by installing a heating module for at least one interface which is not currently installed and / or by separating a heating module installed on an interface from the interface and / or by replacing it with another heating module.

[0036] When replacing a heating module for adjusting the available heating power, it is expedient if the replacement heating module has a different maximum heating power than the replaced heating module. In particular, a motor vehicle according to the invention can be used as a motor vehicle, wherein it is also possible here that no heating module is installed in any of the interfaces at the beginning or at the end of the method. This may be the case in particular when the basic component itself already has a heating element which provides a basic heating power.

[0037] The features explained for the motor vehicle according to the invention can be transferred to the method according to the invention with the advantages described here, and vice versa.

[0038] In the method according to the present invention, the current position and / or the planned driving destination and / or the planned driving route of the motor vehicle can be determined, and the estimated required heating power of the heating device can be predicted by a processing device based on the current position and / or the planned driving destination and / or the planned driving route, and a suitable assembly scheme of the heating module on the interface is selected based on this, and assembly information about this suitable assembly scheme is output to the user.

[0039] The corresponding process has been explained above for the case where a suitable assembly solution is determined by a control device fixed to the vehicle or a processing device of the motor vehicle and an output device of the motor vehicle is used for output. However, it is also possible in the method according to the invention that the device on the vehicle side is used only for one of the purposes, or that both the determination of a suitable assembly solution and the output of assembly information are performed independently of the vehicle. For example, these functions can be provided by an App (application) of a smartphone, or the user can access a backend server of, for example, a vehicle manufacturer via an Internet connection, which backend server provides the functions or at least some of the functions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Further advantages and details of the invention can be seen from the following embodiments and the accompanying drawings, which schematically show:

[0041] Figure 1 An exemplary embodiment of a motor vehicle according to the invention is shown, which is used within the scope of an exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention.

[0042] Figure 2 and Figure 3 Shown in Figure 1 A detailed view of a motor vehicle heating device is shown in FIG.

[0043] Figure 4 A detailed view of a heating device according to a further exemplary embodiment of a motor vehicle is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Figure 1 A motor vehicle is shown which has a plurality of components 3 to 8 to be heated and which can be heated by a thermal fluid conducted in a thermal fluid circuit 2. In this case, a heating device 9 is used for electrically heating the thermal fluid.

[0045] Due to the different outdoor temperatures in different regions, different heating powers are required to achieve sufficient comfort in these different regions for adequate heating. At the same time, it is also possible to avoid carrying an oversized and therefore overweight heating device. Therefore, a heating device 9 is used, which comprises a base assembly 10 fixedly mounted in the motor vehicle 1 and has a Figure 1In the case shown in FIG. 4 , three independently constructed, removable heating modules 11, 12, 13 are provided, which together also provide the heating power of the heating device 9. Here, in order to make it easier for the user 43 to access, the heating device 9 is arranged in the front part of the vehicle under the front cover 44, so that the user can remove, add or replace the heating modules 11, 12, 13 as required.

[0046] Below, by additional reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 A possible design of the heating device 9 for realizing this solution is explained, wherein: Figure 2 The plan view onto the heating device 9 is shown in a state in which the heating device is equipped with only one heating module 12 and in which: Figure 3 Shown along Figure 2 A view taken along line III-III in FIG.

[0047] For example, the user 43 removes the heating modules 11 and 13 from the base assembly 10 to obtain Figure 2 At this point, the heating device 9 can continue to work, but with a lower heating power, for example, the heating power is only one-third of when heating is performed completely by three heating modules 11, 12, 13 each having the same heating power.

[0048] The basic component 10 has a heating channel 14, which is connected to the hot fluid circuit 2 via a fluid inlet 45 and a fluid outlet 46 and is closed in a fluid-tight manner at other locations. In addition, the basic component 10 is connected to the onboard power supply 17 of the motor vehicle via electrical connections 15, 16. The electrical connection 15 is connected to a low-voltage power supply, for example a 12V power supply, which is supplied by a battery 18. The low-voltage power supply is also used to supply power to a central control unit 30 of the motor vehicle, which communicates with a vehicle-mounted control unit 28 of the basic component 10 via a data connection 29 in order to control and monitor the operation of the entire heating device 9 as required. For example, a desired total heating power can be preset by the control unit 30 to the control unit 28 via a control command.

[0049] The electrical connection 16 is connected to a high-voltage vehicle electrical system which is supplied by the high-voltage battery 5 and is coupled to a low-voltage electrical system via a component 8 , in particular a DC / DC converter.

[0050] In this example, the basic component 10 has three interfaces 19, 20, 21, which respectively include current connections 22, 23 for supplying current to the heating modules 11, 12, 13, namely high-voltage current connections and low-voltage current connections. The basic component is configured to fix the corresponding heating modules 11, 12, 13, which is schematically shown by the intermediate wall 47.

[0051] The electrical contacting of the respective heating modules 11 , 12 , 13 is achieved via a plug connector 48 which comprises, on the one hand, a power connection 22 for a low-voltage power supply and, on the other hand, a connection for Figure 3 27 for communication between the local control device 25 of the respective heating module 11, 12, 13 and the control devices 28 and 30. For example, the control device 28 can send instructions to the local control device via the data connection 27 for adjusting the heating power of the heating modules 11, 12, 13 in such a way that the total heating power preset by the central control device 30 is achieved as a whole.

[0052] Furthermore, the control device 28 can detect, based on the communication via the data connection 27, whether the corresponding interface 19, 20, 21 is occupied by the corresponding heating module 11, 12, 13, and can also, for example, inquire about the maximum heating power that the corresponding heating module 11, 12, 13 can provide. Based on this, it can be determined in the control device 28, for example, in what way the actually existing heating modules 11, 12, 13 should interact to provide the heating power predefined by the control device 30, thereby, for example, making it possible to load the heating modules 11, 12, 13 as evenly as possible.

[0053] On the other hand, the respective heating modules 11 , 12 , 13 are supplied with a high-voltage power supply via a plug connector 49 , which comprises a current connection 23 for the high-voltage power supply.

[0054] The advantage of using a local control device 25 is that a common high-voltage power supply can be used for all heating modules 11, 12, 13. The actual heating power is preset by the local control device 25 based on the communication signal received via the data connection 27. For this purpose, Figure 3 In the example shown in , the local control device 25 drives, for example, a semiconductor switch 26 in order to control the heating power supplied to the heating element 24 by pulse width modulation and optionally also by subsequent leveling of the voltage, not shown.

[0055] In the simplest case, the heating element, for example a PTC heating element, can directly contact the outer wall 50 of the heating channel 14. However, depending on the specific design of the heating device 9 or more specifically the individual heating modules 11, 12, 13, it may be advantageous to use a heat conducting element 31, for example a heat pipe, instead for transferring the heat of the heating element 24 to the heating channel 14. In order to achieve good heat transfer, Figure 3 In the example shown in FIG. 1 , a spring element 32 is used, in which a spring is used to press the heat conducting element 31 against the outer wall 50 of the heating channel 14 .

[0056] exist Figure 1, the thermal fluid circuit 2 is schematically shown in such a way that it flows sequentially through the components 3 to 7 to be heated. In a real motor vehicle, a more complex thermal fluid circuit is typically used, which also allows only some of the components 3 to 8 to be heated to be heated, and does not flow through other parts of the components 3 to 8, or flows through other parts of the components 3 to 8 with a liquid that has previously been cooled by a device not shown, so that, for example, the vehicle interior can still be heated, but the battery can be cooled, etc.

[0057] Components 3 and 6 are each power electronics, component 3 being a pulse-controlled inverter for driving an electric motor, and components 4 and 6, which are also heated, being charging electronics that connect the high-voltage onboard electrical system to a charging connection 54 of motor vehicle 1. In addition, component 8 can be heated as a power electronics, i.e., in particular a DC / DC converter. Component 5 is a high-voltage battery.

[0058] Furthermore, the heating device 9 can be used to heat the interior 55 of the motor vehicle 1. For this purpose, the heat exchanger 7 is connected to the thermal fluid circuit 2, which heats the air supplied to the interior 55 of the motor vehicle 1. For example, air can be sucked in from the outside through the air duct 51 and released into the interior 55 through the air outlet 52, wherein before being released into the interior 55, the air flows through the heat exchanger 7 and thereby absorbs heat from the thermal fluid in the thermal fluid circuit 2.

[0059] Since the thermal fluid circuit 2 has a certain inertia, it may be advantageous to provide an additional heating element 53 in the flow path of the air, for example in the region of the air outlet 52, which directly heats the air flowing through. The heating element 53 may be supplied with electricity selectively from the low-voltage or high-voltage grid of the motor vehicle 1.

[0060] The user 43 is often unable to estimate without doubt how much heating power may be required for a future driving operation. It is therefore advantageous if the control device 30 or, alternatively, the control device 28 predicts the heating power that is expected to be required by the heating device 9 as a function of the current position and / or the planned driving destination and / or the planned driving route. For example, the position, driving destination or driving route may be provided by a navigation device 39 of the motor vehicle.

[0061] Subsequently, the outdoor temperature that is expected to occur in the area of ​​the current location or planned driving destination or along the driving route can be determined, for example, with the help of map data, received weather forecasts, etc., and the expected maximum heating power required can be predicted based on this outdoor temperature - for example with the help of a lookup table, by machine learning methods, etc.

[0062] It can then be determined how many or which heating modules 11, 12, 13 are expected to be required to provide sufficient heating power, and the relevant installation information can be output to the user 43. This can be done directly via an output device 40 of the motor vehicle 1, which can be, for example, a display or a loudspeaker. However, it can also be advantageous to transmit this information via an output device 41, such as a transmission device for mobile radio communication, to an external device 42, such as a smartphone of the user 43, in order to output the information there.

[0063] In an alternative embodiment, it is also possible to predict the expected required heating power or to select a suitable installation solution outside the motor vehicle, for example on a backend server of the vehicle manufacturer or by an external device 42 such as an app running on a smartphone.

[0064] Figure 4 Detailed illustration of an alternative heating device 33 which can be used in place of the heating device 9 in the motor vehicle 1 is shown. Here, only a single interface 38 and a single heating module 34 arranged at this interface are shown. Figures 1 to 3 The other interfaces are arranged as explained and can be equipped with other heating modules as required.

[0065] The heating device 33 differs from the heating device 9 discussed above mainly in that Figure 4 The interface 38 used in the embodiment for receiving the heating module 34 has fluid connections 35, 36, which connect the module channel 39 of the corresponding heating module 34 with the heating channel 14. As a result, the hot fluid is guided through the heating module 34 itself, which can achieve better heat transfer and faster response time of the heating device 33. However, for this purpose, it is necessary to use a relatively complex interface 38 due to the fluid connections 35, 36. For example, the fluid connections 35, 36 are sealed by themselves, or a valve can be arranged in the area of ​​the fluid connections 35, 36, which is controlled, for example, by a control device (not shown) of the basic component 37, in order to close the fluid connections 35, 36 when the heating module 34 is not mounted on the corresponding interface 38.

[0066] Another difference between the heating device 33 and the heating device 9 is that in the heating device 33 or in the heating module 34, the heating element 24 is supplied with power directly via the power connection 23. This allows a very simple design of the individual heating modules 34, but in order to control the heating power, the current supply must be controlled via the power connection 23, for example by a control device of the basic component 37.

Claims

1. An electrically driven motor vehicle (1), comprising: a thermal fluid circuit (2), through which a thermal fluid can be conducted to at least one component (3-8) of the motor vehicle (1) to be heated; and a heating device (9, 33) for heating the thermal fluid, wherein: The heating device (9, 33) comprises a basic component (10, 37) installed in a motor vehicle (1) and a plurality of heating modules (11-13, 34) which are constructed independently of the basic component (10, 37) and can be removed, the basic component having a heating channel (14) as part of a thermal fluid circuit (2) and electrical connections (15, 16) connected to an onboard power supply (17) of the motor vehicle (1), characterized in that: The basic component (10, 37) has a plurality of interfaces (19-21, 38) for the heating modules (11-13, 34), each of the interfaces having a current connection (22, 23) for supplying current to the corresponding heating modules (11-13, 34), the interfaces being provided for holding the corresponding heating modules (11-13, 34), wherein at least one of the interfaces (19-21, 38) is equipped with a heating module (11-13, 34), through the operation of which heat is provided for heating a thermal fluid guided through the heating channel (14), The heating modules can be removed, added or replaced independently of each other as required. The available heating power is adjusted by equipping at least one currently unequipped interface (19-21, 38) with a heating module (11-13, 34) and / or by detaching at least one heating module (11-13, 34) mounted on the interface (19-21, 38) from the interface and / or by replacing it with another heating module (11-13, 34). The respective heating module (11-13, 34) comprises at least one heating element (24) and a local control device (25), wherein the local control device (25) is configured to receive a communication signal via at least one data connection (27) implemented by an interface (19-21, 38) and to control the energization of the heating element (24) in accordance with the communication signal. The motor vehicle comprises a control device (28, 30) fixed to the vehicle, which is arranged to control the heating power of the respective heating module (11-13, 34) by communicating with a local control device (25) which is part of the respective heating module (11-13).

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thermal fluid is water.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The control device fixed to the vehicle is configured to control the heating power of the corresponding heating module (11-13, 34) by presetting the power supplied to the corresponding heating module (34) via the power connection (23).

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A control device (28, 30) fixed to a vehicle is configured to, on the one hand, obtain assembly information indicating whether a corresponding interface (19-21, 38) is equipped with a heating module (11-13, 34) and / or describe at least one parameter of a heating module (11-13, 34) mounted on the interface (19-21, 38), and on the other hand, control the current heating power of at least one heating module (11-13, 34) present in the heating device (9, 33) according to the assembly information.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The heating channel (14) is closed in a fluid-tight manner, with the exception of a fluid inlet (45) connected to the thermal fluid circuit (2) and a fluid outlet (46) connected to the thermal fluid circuit (2).

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that The heating elements (24) of the corresponding heating modules (11-13) are in contact with the heating channel (14) directly or via heat conducting means (31).

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that The heat conducting device is a heat pipe.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The corresponding interface (38) has a fluid connection (35, 36) for the corresponding heating module (34), wherein at least one of the heating modules (34) has a module channel (39) which is connected to the heating channel (14) via the fluid connection (35, 36) of the corresponding interface (38) equipped with the corresponding heating module (34).

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A control device (28, 30) fixed to the vehicle or a processing device of the motor vehicle (1) is configured to predict the estimated required heating power of the heating device (9, 33) based on the current position of the motor vehicle (1) and / or the planned driving destination and / or the planned driving route, select a suitable assembly scheme of the heating module (11-13, 34) on the interface (19-21, 38) according to the estimated required heating power, and control an output device (40, 41) of the motor vehicle (1) to output assembly information related to the suitable assembly scheme to a user (43) and / or transmit it to an external device (42).

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The corresponding interfaces (19-21, 38) and the corresponding heating modules (11-13, 34) are configured to achieve connection of the corresponding heating modules (11-13, 34) and the interfaces (19-21, 38) and / or separation of the corresponding heating modules (11-13, 34) and the interfaces (19-21, 38) without using tools.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The thermal fluid circuit (2) is designed to conduct the thermal fluid to batteries and / or power electronics and / or electric machines as components (3-8) to be heated and / or to heat exchangers for air to be fed into the interior of the motor vehicle.

12. A method for regulating the available heating power in an electrically driven motor vehicle (1), wherein: A motor vehicle (1) comprises a thermal fluid circuit (2) and a heating device (9, 33) for heating a thermal fluid, through which the thermal fluid can be directed to at least one component (3-8) to be heated in the motor vehicle (1), wherein the heating device (9, 33) comprises a basic component (10, 37) installed in the motor vehicle (1) and a plurality of heating modules (11-13, 34) which are constructed independently of the basic component (10, 37) and are removable, the basic component having a heating channel (14) as part of the thermal fluid circuit (2) and electrical connections (15, 16) connected to an onboard power supply (17) of the motor vehicle (1), It is characterized in that The basic component (10, 37) has a plurality of interfaces (19-21, 38) for the heating modules (11-13, 34), each of the interfaces having a current connector (22, 23) for supplying current to the corresponding heating modules (11-13, 34), and the interfaces are configured to hold the corresponding heating modules (11-13, 34), wherein when the corresponding interfaces (19-21, 38) are equipped with the heating modules (11-13, 34), the operation of the heating modules can provide power for heating the lead The invention relates to a method for conducting heat of a hot fluid through a heating channel (14), wherein heating modules are removed, added or replaced independently of one another as required, wherein the available heating power is adjusted by equipping at least one currently unequipped interface (19-21, 38) with a heating module (11-13, 34) and / or by detaching at least one heating module (11-13, 34) mounted on an interface (19-21, 38) from the interface and / or by replacing it with another heating module (11-13, 34), The respective heating module (11-13, 34) comprises at least one heating element (24) and a local control device (25), wherein the local control device (25) is configured to receive a communication signal via at least one data connection (27) implemented by an interface (19-21, 38) and to control the energization of the heating element (24) in accordance with the communication signal. The motor vehicle comprises a control device (28, 30) fixed to the vehicle, which is configured to control the heating power of the corresponding heating module (11-13, 34) by communicating with a local control device (25) which is part of the corresponding heating module (11-13).

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The thermal fluid is water.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that The present position and / or the planned destination and / or the planned route of travel of the motor vehicle (1) are determined, and the expected required heating power of the heating device (9, 33) is predicted by a processing device based on the present position and / or the planned destination and / or the planned route of travel, and a suitable assembly scheme of the heating module (11-13, 34) on the interface (19-21, 38) is selected according to the expected required heating power, and assembly information about the suitable assembly scheme is output to a user (43).

Images