Cooling system and vehicle including such a cooling system

Abstract

A cooling system, comprising: - a first cooling circuit (10), the first cooling circuit having a first coolant pump (12); - a second cooling circuit (20), the second cooling circuit having a second coolant pump (22); - an expansion tank (30), the expansion tank being provided with an expansion chamber (31) for accumulating coolant, wherein the expansion chamber is connected to the second cooling circuit (20) so as to allow the expansion chamber to receive coolant from the second cooling circuit; and - a degassing device (40), the degassing device being arranged in the first cooling circuit for separating bubbles from the coolant circulating therein. The degassing device (40) is located at a position lower than the expansion tank (30) and is connected to the expansion chamber (31) via a static pipeline (5) so as to allow the bubbles separated from the coolant in the degassing device to migrate upward in the static pipeline towards the expansion chamber.

Description

Background Art

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling system according to the preamble of claim 1. The present invention also relates to a vehicle comprising such a cooling system.

[0002] Motor vehicles generally have vehicle components with different cooling requirements and usually require separate cooling circuits to cool these vehicle components. For example, a hybrid or fully electric vehicle may include an electrical energy storage device in the form of a battery or a set of batteries for supplying electrical energy to the electric traction motor of the vehicle and one or more power electronic devices, which are, for example, an inverter and a DC / DC converter for controlling the flow of electrical energy between the electrical energy storage device and the electric traction motor. These types of vehicle components are heated during use and must be cooled to operate satisfactorily. The temperature of the battery of a hybrid or fully electric vehicle should be kept at a relatively low level, usually below about 40 °C, to prevent it from aging too quickly, while the inverter and DC converter can withstand higher temperatures, usually up to about 60 - 75 °C. Therefore, two separate cooling circuits are usually used to cool such vehicle components, where a cooling circuit using a circulating coolant with a lower temperature is used to cool the battery, and another cooling circuit using a circulating coolant with a higher temperature is used to cool the inverter and DC converter and other possible power electronic devices that need to be cooled.

[0003] When a vehicle component is cooled by a coolant circulating in a cooling circuit, the vehicle component releases heat to the coolant, which is thereby heated and expands. The resulting increase in the total volume of the coolant in the cooling circuit depends on the original coolant volume and the temperature increase. To prevent the pressure in the cooling circuit from increasing too much, the cooling circuit is provided with an expansion tank that can accommodate the excess coolant volume generated related to the expansion of the coolant.

[0004] Another important function of a conventional expansion tank in a cooling system of the above type is that the coolant received in the expansion tank should be able to be degassed in the expansion tank before leaving the expansion tank. In such a conventional cooling system where the cooling circuit is connected to an expansion tank in a motor vehicle, there is a small continuous coolant flow from the cooling circuit to the expansion tank and from the expansion tank back to the cooling circuit. The air accompanying the coolant into the expansion tank is intended to rise to the surface of the volume of coolant received in the expansion tank so as to accumulate in the air-filled space in the upper part of the expansion tank. Thereby, the coolant in the expansion tank is degassed. As an alternative, the cooling system may include a separate degassing device arranged in the cooling circuit for separating bubbles from the coolant circulating in the cooling circuit, wherein the degassing device is connected to the expansion tank via a static line so as to allow the bubbles separated from the coolant in the degassing device to migrate upward in the static line to the expansion tank. A cooling system of the latter type is known, for example, from US 7 395 787 B1 previously.

[0005] In a cooling system of a motor vehicle having two different cooling circuits, it has previously been known to use a two-chamber expansion tank having a first expansion chamber and an adjacent second expansion chamber, the first expansion chamber for accumulating the coolant circulating in the first cooling circuit of the cooling system and the adjacent second expansion chamber for accumulating the coolant circulating in the second cooling circuit of the cooling system, thereby saving space in the vehicle and reducing installation costs. For example, a two-chamber expansion tank of this type has previously been known from US 2011 / 0284107 A1 and WO 2019 / 113232 A1.

[0006] Object of the Invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to achieve a further development of a cooling system of the above type having two or more separate cooling circuits so as to provide an improved cooling system in at least some aspects. Summary of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, the above object is achieved by a cooling system having the features defined in claim 1.

[0009] The cooling system of the present invention comprises:

[0010] - a first cooling circuit for cooling at least one first component by means of coolant circulating in the first cooling circuit;

[0011] - a second cooling circuit for cooling at least one second component by means of coolant circulating in the second cooling circuit;

[0012] - A first coolant pump for circulating coolant in the first coolant circuit;

[0013] - A second coolant pump for circulating coolant in the second coolant circuit;

[0014] - An expansion tank having an expansion chamber for accumulating coolant, wherein the expansion chamber is connected to the second coolant circuit to allow the expansion chamber to receive coolant from the second coolant circuit; and

[0015] - A degassing device (hereinafter referred to as the first degassing device) arranged in the first coolant circuit for separating gas bubbles from the coolant circulating in the first coolant circuit, wherein the first degassing device is located at a position lower than the expansion tank and is connected to the expansion chamber via a static pipeline (hereinafter referred to as the first static pipeline) to allow gas bubbles separated from the coolant in the first degassing device to migrate upward in the first static pipeline towards the expansion chamber.

[0016] In the cooling system of the present invention, two separate coolant circuits of the cooling system are connected to the same expansion chamber in the expansion tank included in the cooling system. By using a separate degassing device in the first coolant circuit and allowing gas bubbles separated from the coolant in the degassing device to migrate upward in the static pipeline towards the expansion chamber of the expansion tank, the expansion chamber can receive air from the coolant in the first coolant circuit and air from the coolant in the second coolant circuit without any coolant flowing from the first coolant circuit to the expansion chamber, which in turn means that the first coolant circuit and the second coolant circuit can be connected to the same expansion chamber in the expansion tank without any mixing of the coolant from the first coolant circuit and the coolant from the second coolant circuit in the expansion chamber. Therefore, it will be possible to maintain different temperature levels in the two coolant circuits even though they are connected to the same expansion chamber in the expansion tank. When the cooling system is used in a hybrid or all-electric vehicle, the first coolant circuit can be a low-temperature coolant circuit for cooling the electrical energy storage device of the vehicle, and the second coolant circuit can be a high-temperature coolant circuit for cooling the power electronics of the vehicle. Enabling the two coolant circuits to be connected to the same expansion chamber means that, also when the coolant is at different temperature levels in the different coolant circuits, it will be possible to use a conventional and simply designed expansion tank as a common expansion tank for the coolant circuits. In addition, achieving degassing of the coolant in the first coolant circuit by means of the first degassing device without any coolant flowing from the first coolant circuit to the expansion tank means that it will be possible to dispense with the conventional degassing pipeline for supplying coolant from the first coolant circuit to the expansion tank. Such degassing pipelines can be quite expensive and may also take up a lot of space, so being able to dispense with the degassing pipeline is advantageous.

[0017] The first degassing device includes a degassing chamber, and the degassing chamber includes:

[0018] - A coolant inlet that is connected to the supply pipe of the first cooling circuit so as to allow the coolant circulating in the first cooling circuit to flow from the supply pipe into the degassing chamber via the coolant inlet;

[0019] - A first coolant outlet that is connected to the first coolant pump so as to allow the coolant to flow from the degassing chamber to the first coolant pump via the first coolant outlet, wherein the first coolant pump is arranged immediately downstream of the first coolant outlet;

[0020] - A second coolant outlet that is connected to the expansion chamber via the first static pipeline, wherein the second coolant outlet is located at a position higher than the first coolant outlet.

[0021] In this context, a first object being "at a higher position" than a second object means that when the cooling system is installed in a vehicle and the vehicle is positioned in an upright use position on a horizontal surface, the first object is at a higher position relative to the local gravity vector gv than the second object.

[0022] In this context, the first coolant pump being arranged "immediately downstream" of the first coolant outlet means that the first coolant pump is the first main component arranged downstream of the first coolant outlet. However, the first coolant pump does not have to be physically close to the first coolant outlet, even though this is a possibility. In this context, the first main component means that no other component that can generate such an amount of bubbles that may have an adverse effect on the first coolant pump is arranged between the first coolant outlet and the first coolant pump. Therefore, another way of stating this is that the first coolant pump is arranged downstream of the first coolant outlet in such a way that the amount of bubbles generated in the coolant between the first coolant outlet and the first coolant pump is negligible for the long-term operation of the pump. Thus, it is obvious that a component such as a temperature sensor can be arranged between the first coolant outlet and the first coolant pump because such a component does not affect the coolant flow in such a way as to generate a large amount of bubbles. On the other hand, a component such as a heat exchanger may not be arranged between the first coolant outlet and the first coolant pump because a heat exchanger may cause such a large amount of bubbles to be generated in the coolant that may be detrimental to the operation of the first coolant pump.

[0023] The first coolant pump can be the first component arranged downstream of the first coolant outlet.

[0024] The first coolant pipe may be arranged between the first coolant outlet and the first coolant pump. In this case, the first end of the first coolant pipe may be connected to the first coolant outlet, and the second end of the first coolant pipe may be connected to the inlet of the first coolant pump.

[0025] By having a degassing device of this type, the coolant in the first coolant circuit can be degassed in a simple manner, and by placing the first coolant pump immediately downstream of the first coolant outlet, it is ensured that no or a minimal amount of air bubbles reach the first coolant pump. As is well known, air or air bubbles in the coolant are harmful to the pump, for example, because it may cause cavitation, which may damage the pump during long-term operation. Therefore, this solution increases the lifespan of the system in a simple and cost-effective manner.

[0026] The coolant inlet and the first coolant outlet may be spaced apart from each other, for example, in the longitudinal direction of the degassing chamber.

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cross-sectional dimension of the degassing chamber is larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the supply pipe, so as to allow air bubbles carried along with the coolant flowing through the supply pipe to enter the degassing chamber via the coolant inlet and then migrate to the second coolant outlet in the degassing chamber. With a degassing device of this type, the coolant in the first cooling circuit can be degassed in a simple and efficient manner using components with a simple structure that can be produced at low cost.

[0028] The cross-sectional dimension of the degassing chamber is preferably much larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the supply pipe, such that the relationship between the flow rate of the coolant flowing through the degassing chamber between the coolant inlet and the first coolant outlet and the flow rate of the coolant flowing through the supply pipe is 1:2 or lower, preferably 1:3 or lower. Accordingly, the first coolant pump can be controlled appropriately to adapt the coolant flow through the first coolant circuit in such a way that the flow rate of the coolant in the supply pipe is high enough to allow the coolant to move air bubbles forward along the supply pipe and move them into the degassing chamber, while the flow rate of the coolant in the expansion chamber is low enough to allow the air bubbles to migrate to the second coolant outlet of the degassing chamber in the degassing chamber. If the flow rate of the coolant in the supply pipe is too low, the air bubbles may get stuck in the supply pipe. If the flow rate of the coolant in the degassing chamber is too high, the coolant may carry air bubbles out of the degassing chamber via the first coolant outlet. The first coolant pump can be controlled such that the coolant circulated in the first coolant circuit is continuously degassed. However, as an alternative, the first coolant pump can be configured to adapt the coolant flow in the first coolant circuit in such a way that degassing is achieved intermittently or only on specific occasions.

[0029] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the second coolant outlet is located relative to the coolant inlet and the first coolant outlet such that the coolant flow between the coolant inlet and the first coolant outlet in the degassing chamber will move the migrating bubbles in the longitudinal direction of the degassing chamber towards the second coolant outlet. Thus, the bubbles migrating towards the second coolant outlet in the degassing chamber do not have to move against the flow direction of the coolant in the degassing chamber, and the coolant flow in the degassing chamber will not resist the migration of the bubbles towards the second coolant outlet. On the contrary, the coolant flow in the degassing chamber will promote the migration of the bubbles in the degassing chamber towards the second coolant outlet, and thus efficient separation of the bubbles from the circulating coolant can be achieved in the degassing chamber.

[0030] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the degassing chamber has an elongated shape and is arranged such that its longitudinal axis is vertical or inclined at an angle of 0 - 90° relative to the horizontal plane, preferably at an angle of >0° and <=90°, more preferably at an angle of 10 - 90°, and most preferably at an angle of 15 - 90°. The degassing device having such a degassing chamber has a rather simple construction and can be produced in a simple and cost - effective manner. Herein, the horizontal plane means a plane whose normal is parallel to the main gravity vector. When the degassing chamber is arranged such that its longitudinal axis is inclined at an angle greater than 0° relative to the horizontal plane, the bubbles can rise in the degassing chamber and impinge on the inclined upper wall surface in the degassing chamber. Thus, under the effect of the coolant flow between the coolant inlet and the first coolant outlet in the degassing chamber, the bubbles will be transported along the wall surface towards the second coolant outlet. Additionally, even at very low flows, due to the buoyancy of the bubbles, the bubbles that have been separated from the coolant will rise towards the static pipeline. Therefore, improved degassing will be achieved. By making the inclination angle between 10 - 90°, in most cases, even when the vehicle is traveling on a downward slope, the chamber will be inclined towards the horizontal plane. Thus, even when the vehicle is moving in hilly terrain, the above - mentioned effect is maintained. By making the inclination angle between 15 - 90°, it is ensured that for the vast majority of standard trips, the chamber will be inclined relative to the horizontal plane. This ensures that the degassing of the cooling system is almost always in an optimal operating state, thereby minimizing the risk of adverse effects due to bubbles in the system. The inclination angle can also be 10 - 80° or 15 - 75° to take into account both upward and downward slopes.

[0031] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the first static pipeline has a lower end and an upper end, wherein the first static pipeline is connected to the first degassing device at its lower end, and wherein:

[0032] - the first static pipeline slopes upward along its entire length from its lower end to its upper end, or

[0033] - The first static pipeline is formed by a plurality of interconnected length segments, the plurality of interconnected length segments are arranged in series with each other, and are composed of one or more first length segments and one or more horizontal second length segments, and each of the one or more first length segments slopes upward when viewed in a direction from its lower end towards its upper end along the second static pipeline.

[0034] Thus, the first static pipeline lacks downward-sloping segments that could prevent bubbles from migrating from the first degassing device towards the expansion chamber of the expansion tank.

[0035] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the cooling system further includes a second degassing device arranged in the second cooling circuit for separating bubbles from the coolant circulating in the second cooling circuit, wherein the second degassing device is located at a position lower than the expansion tank and is connected to the expansion chamber via a second static pipeline so as to allow the bubbles separated from the coolant in the second degassing device to migrate upward in the second static pipeline towards the expansion chamber. By also using a separate degassing device in the second cooling circuit and allowing the bubbles separated from the coolant in the degassing device to migrate upward in the second static pipeline towards the expansion chamber of the expansion tank, the expansion chamber can receive air from the coolant in the second cooling circuit without any coolant flowing from the second cooling circuit to the expansion chamber, which in turn means that it will be possible to dispense with the conventional degassing pipeline for supplying coolant from the second cooling circuit to the expansion tank.

[0036] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the second degassing device includes a degassing chamber having:

[0037] - A coolant inlet connected to the supply pipe of the second cooling circuit so as to allow the coolant circulating in the second cooling circuit to flow from the supply pipe into the degassing chamber of the second degassing device via the coolant inlet;

[0038] - A first coolant outlet connected to the second coolant pump so as to allow the coolant to flow from the degassing chamber of the second degassing device to the second coolant pump via the first coolant outlet, wherein the second coolant pump is arranged immediately downstream of the first coolant outlet; and

[0039] - A second coolant outlet connected to the expansion chamber via the second static pipeline and located at a position higher than the first coolant outlet of the degassing chamber of the second degassing device,

[0040] The cross-sectional dimension of the degassing chamber of the second degassing device is larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the supply pipe of the second cooling circuit, thereby allowing the bubbles carried with the coolant flowing through the supply pipe of the second cooling circuit to enter the degassing chamber of the second degassing device via the coolant inlet, and then migrate to the second coolant outlet in the degassing chamber.

[0041] With a degassing device of this type, the coolant in the second cooling circuit can be degassed in a simple and efficient manner using components with a simple structure that can be produced at low cost.

[0042] In this context, the second coolant pump being arranged "immediately downstream" of the first coolant outlet means that the second coolant pump is the first main component arranged downstream of the first coolant outlet. However, the first coolant pump does not have to be physically located close to the first coolant outlet, even though this is a possibility. In this context, the first main component means that no other component that can generate such an amount of bubbles that may have an adverse effect on the second coolant pump is arranged between the first coolant outlet and the second coolant pump. Therefore, another way of stating it is that the second coolant pump is arranged downstream of the first coolant outlet in such a way that the amount of bubbles generated in the coolant between the first coolant outlet and the second coolant pump is negligible for the long-term operation of the second coolant pump. Therefore, it is obvious that components such as temperature sensors can be arranged between the first coolant outlet and the second coolant pump because such components do not affect the coolant flow in such a way as to generate a large amount of bubbles. On the other hand, components such as heat exchangers may not be arranged between the first coolant outlet and the second coolant pump because a heat exchanger may cause such a large amount of bubbles to be generated in the coolant that may be detrimental to the operation of the second coolant pump.

[0043] The second coolant pump can be the first component arranged downstream of the first coolant outlet.

[0044] The second coolant pipe can be arranged between the first coolant outlet and the second coolant pump. In this case, the first end of the second coolant pipe can be connected to the first coolant outlet, and the second end of the second coolant pipe can be connected to the inlet of the second coolant pump.

[0045] By having a degassing device of this type, the coolant in the second cooling circuit can be degassed in a simple manner, and by placing the second coolant pump immediately downstream of the first coolant outlet, it is ensured that no bubbles or a minimal amount of bubbles reach the second coolant pump. It is well known that air or bubbles in the coolant are harmful to the pump, for example, because it may cause cavitation, which may damage the pump during long-term operation. Therefore, this solution increases the lifespan of the system in a simple and cost-effective manner.

[0046] The coolant inlet and the first coolant outlet of the degassing chamber of the second degassing device may be spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the degassing chamber.

[0047] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the cross-sectional dimension of the degassing chamber of the second degassing device is larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the supply pipe of the second cooling circuit, such that the relationship between the flow velocity of the coolant flowing through the degassing chamber between the coolant inlet and the first coolant outlet and the flow velocity of the coolant flowing through the supply pipe is 1:2 or lower, preferably 1:3 or lower. Accordingly, the second coolant pump can be appropriately controlled to adapt to the coolant flow through the second cooling circuit in such a way that the flow velocity of the coolant in the supply pipe of the second cooling circuit is high enough to allow the coolant to move the bubbles forward along the supply pipe and move them into the degassing chamber of the second degassing device, while the flow velocity of the coolant in the expansion chamber is low enough to allow the bubbles to migrate to the second coolant outlet of the degassing chamber in the degassing chamber. The second coolant pump can be controlled in such a way that the coolant circulated in the second cooling circuit is continuously degassed. However, as an alternative, the second coolant pump can be configured to adapt to the coolant flow in the second cooling circuit in such a way that degassing is achieved intermittently or only on specific occasions.

[0048] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the second coolant outlet of the degassing chamber of the second degassing device is located relative to the coolant inlet and the first coolant outlet of the degassing chamber such that the coolant flow between the coolant inlet and the first coolant outlet in the degassing chamber will move the migrating bubbles in the longitudinal direction of the degassing chamber towards the second coolant outlet. Thus, the bubbles migrating towards the second coolant outlet in the degassing chamber of the second degassing device do not have to move against the flow direction of the coolant in the degassing chamber, and therefore, the coolant flow in the degassing chamber will not resist the migration of the bubbles towards the second coolant outlet. On the contrary, the coolant flow in the degassing chamber of the second degassing device will promote the migration of the bubbles in the degassing chamber towards the second coolant outlet, and thus efficient separation of the bubbles from the circulating coolant can be achieved in the degassing chamber.

[0049] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the degassing chamber of the second degassing device has an elongated shape and is arranged such that its longitudinal axis is vertical or inclined at an angle of 0 - 90° with respect to the horizontal plane, preferably vertical or inclined at an angle >0° and <=90°, more preferably vertical or inclined at an angle of 10 - 90°, and most preferably vertical or inclined at an angle of 15 - 90°. The advantages associated with tilting the degassing device in this way have been described above, and for the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here. Similarly, the inclination can also be 10 - 80° or 15 - 75° to account for both upward and downward slopes.

[0050] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the second static pipeline has a lower end and an upper end, wherein the second static pipeline is connected to the second degassing device at its lower end, and wherein:

[0051] - the second static pipeline slopes upward along its entire length from its lower end to its upper end, or

[0052] - the second static pipeline is formed by a number of interconnected length segments, the number of interconnected length segments are arranged in series with each other, and consists of one or more first length segments and one or more horizontal second length segments, each of the one or more first length segments slopes upward when viewed in the direction along the second static pipeline from its lower end towards its upper end.

[0053] The cooling system may include a radiator for cooling the coolant circulating in the first cooling circuit and / or a radiator for cooling the coolant circulating in the second cooling circuit.

[0054] Additional advantageous features of the cooling system according to the present invention will be presented from the following description.

[0055] The present invention also relates to a vehicle having the features defined in claim 15.

[0056] Additional advantageous features of the vehicle according to the present invention will be presented from the following description. Description of the Drawings

[0057] With reference to the drawings, the following is a specific description of the embodiments of the present invention cited as examples. In the drawings:

[0058] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a cooling system according to a first embodiment of the present invention,

[0059] Figure 2 is through Figure 1 a schematic vertical section of the degassing device included in the cooling system,

[0060] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a cooling system according to a second embodiment of the present invention,

[0061] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a cooling system according to a third embodiment of the present invention,

[0062] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a cooling system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and

[0063] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a cooling system according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Description

[0064] Figure 1 Figure 1 schematically shows a cooling system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cooling system 1 includes: a first cooling circuit 10 for cooling at least one first component 11 by means of a coolant circulating in the first cooling circuit; and a second cooling circuit 20 for cooling at least one second component 21a, 21b by means of a coolant circulating in the second cooling circuit. The coolant flowing through the first cooling circuit 10 and the second cooling circuit 20 is preferably water, possibly with anti-freeze additives such as ethylene glycol. A first coolant pump 12 is provided in the first cooling circuit 10 to circulate the coolant in the first cooling circuit, and a second coolant pump 22 is provided in the second cooling circuit 20 to circulate the coolant in the second cooling circuit. The first coolant pump 12 and the second coolant pump 22 are preferably electrically driven pumps. The cooling system 1 may further include an electronic control unit 2, which is connected to the first coolant pump 12 and the second coolant pump 22 and is configured to control their operation, thereby controlling the flow rate of the coolant circulating in the first cooling circuit 10 and the second cooling circuit 20.

[0065] In addition, cooling devices 13, 23 (e.g., in the form of heat exchangers) are provided in each cooling circuit 10, 20 to remove heat from the coolant circulating therein. The cooling system 1 can be used, for example, in a motor vehicle 3 in the form of a hybrid or fully electric vehicle, where each cooling device 13, 23 may have a radiator, e.g., in the form of a conventional coolant radiator. In this case, the first cooling circuit 10 may be a low-temperature cooling circuit for cooling a vehicle component in the form of an electrical energy storage device 11 (e.g., a battery or a battery pack) for supplying electrical energy to the electric traction motor of the vehicle, while the second cooling circuit 20 may be a high-temperature cooling circuit for cooling a vehicle component in the form of a power electronics device (e.g., an inverter 21a and a DC converter 21b) for controlling the flow of electrical power between the electrical energy storage device 11 and the electric traction motor.

[0066] In the illustrated embodiment, the second cooling circuit 20 includes a radiator bypass line 24 and a valve device 25 for controlling the coolant flow through the radiator 23 and the bypass line 24. The coolant flowing through either of the radiators 13, 23 is cooled by means of ambient air, which is blown against the radiator when the vehicle 3 is in motion. The vehicle 3 may also be provided with a fan 4, which can be operated when needed to generate an air flow through the radiators 13, 23. Even though the radiators 13, 23 are depicted as being arranged in parallel and being fed air from a common fan 4 in Figure 1 Figure 1, it is of course also possible to arrange the radiators 13, 23 far apart from each other and to feed them air from separate individual fans.

[0067] The cooling system 1 includes an expansion tank 30, which is provided with an expansion chamber 31 for accumulating coolant, and the expansion chamber 31 is surrounded by an outer housing 32 of the expansion tank. The expansion tank 30 is provided with a closable refill opening 33, and the closable refill opening is arranged in the upper part of the housing 32. Coolant can be introduced into the expansion chamber 31 via the refill opening 33 to provide replenishment to the cooling system. The refill opening 33 is closed by means of a removable cap 34. In addition, the expansion tank 31 is provided with valve means (not shown), and the valve means includes a pressure relief valve for limiting the pressure in the expansion chamber 31 and a reflux valve. The valve means can be arranged in the cap 34 or the housing 32. When the pressure in the expansion chamber exceeds the pressure level given by the pressure relief valve due to the increase in the volume of the coolant, the pressure relief valve allows air and coolant to flow out from the upper part of the expansion chamber 31. Therefore, the pressure relief valve ensures that the pressure in the expansion chamber 31 cannot exceed a predetermined pressure level. When the pressure in the expansion chamber becomes lower than the pressure level given by the reflux valve due to the decrease in the volume of the coolant, the reflux valve allows air to flow into the upper part of the expansion chamber 31 from the surrounding environment.

[0068] The expansion chamber 31 is connected to the second cooling circuit 20 to allow the expansion chamber 31 to receive coolant from the second cooling circuit 20.

[0069] The cooling system 1 includes a degassing device 40 arranged in the first cooling circuit 10 for separating air bubbles from the coolant circulating in the first cooling circuit, and the degassing device 40 is located at a position lower than the expansion tank 30 and is connected to the expansion chamber 31 of the expansion tank 30 via a first static pipeline 5 to allow the air bubbles separated from the coolant in the degassing device 40 to migrate upward in the first static pipeline 5 towards the expansion chamber 31. In Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the first static pipeline 5 is directly connected to the expansion chamber 31 via a first opening 35a provided in the housing 32 of the expansion tank.

[0070] The first static pipeline 5 has a lower end 5a and an upper end 5b, and the first static pipeline 5 is connected to the degassing device 40 at its lower end 5a. In Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the first static pipeline 5 slopes upward along its entire length from its lower end 5a to its upper end 5b. However, as Figure 4 shown, as an alternative, the first static pipeline 5 can be composed of a combination of one or more first length segments 8a and one or more horizontal second length segments 8b, and each of the one or more first length segments slopes upward when observed in the direction along the first static pipeline from its lower end towards its upper end, and the first length segments 8a and the second length segments 8b are interconnected and arranged in series with each other.

[0071] In Figure 1In the illustrated embodiment, the expansion chamber 31 is connected to the second cooling circuit 20 via a degassing line 6 and a second static line 7. When the second coolant pump 22 is in operation and circulating the coolant in the second cooling circuit 20, in this case, a small flow of coolant is continuously directed from the second cooling circuit 20 to the expansion chamber 31 via the degassing line 6 and returns from the expansion chamber 31 to the second cooling circuit 20 via the second static line 7. Bubbles accompanying the coolant entering the expansion chamber 31 via the degassing line 6 are allowed to migrate towards the surface 36 of the coolant in the expansion chamber, and the air included in these bubbles accumulates in the air-filled space 37 in the upper part of the expansion chamber 31. Thus, in this case, degassing of the coolant in the second cooling circuit 20 is achieved in the expansion tank 30, while degassing of the coolant in the first cooling circuit 10 is achieved in the degassing device 40. However, the air separated from the coolant in the first cooling circuit 10 accumulates together with the air separated from the coolant in the second cooling circuit 20 in the expansion chamber 31 of the expansion tank. In the illustrated example, the second static line 7 is directly connected to the expansion chamber 31 via a second opening 35b provided in the housing 32 of the expansion tank, and the degassing line 6 is directly connected to the expansion chamber 31 via a third opening 35c provided in the housing 32. As an alternative, the degassing line 6 can instead be connected to the second static line 7 and thereby indirectly connected to the expansion chamber 31 via the second static line. In the latter case, bubbles accompanying the coolant entering the second static line 7 from the degassing line 6 are allowed to migrate upwards in the second static line 7 towards the expansion chamber 31.

[0072] In Figure 1 the illustrated embodiment, the degassing device 40 includes a degassing chamber 41 (see Figure 2 ), which is surrounded by a housing 42 and has:

[0073] - a coolant inlet 43, which is connected to the supply pipe 15 of the first cooling circuit 10 so as to allow the coolant circulating in the first cooling circuit to flow into the degassing chamber 41 from the supply pipe 15 via this coolant inlet 43;

[0074] - a first coolant outlet 44, which is connected to the first coolant pump 12 so as to allow the coolant to flow from the degassing chamber 41 to the first coolant pump 12 via this first coolant outlet 44, wherein the first coolant pump 12 is arranged immediately downstream of the first coolant outlet; and

[0075] - a second coolant outlet 45, which is connected to the expansion chamber 31 via a first static line 5 and is located at a higher position than the first coolant outlet 44.

[0076] The coolant inlet 43 and the first coolant outlet 44 are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the degassing chamber 41.

[0077] In Figure 1 the illustrated embodiment, the first coolant outlet 44 is connected to the first end of the first coolant pipe 16, and the inlet of the first coolant pump 12 is connected to the second end of the first coolant pipe 16.

[0078] The second coolant outlet 45 is located in the upper part of the degassing chamber 41 so as to allow the bubbles that have migrated to the upper part of the degassing chamber to leave the degassing chamber and enter the first static pipeline 5 via the second coolant outlet 45. Thus, the bubbles can be separated from the coolant in the first cooling circuit 10. The second coolant outlet 45 is preferably located at the highest point in the degassing chamber 41, but as an alternative, it may be located slightly below the highest point in the degassing chamber 41.

[0079] The cross-sectional dimension of the degassing chamber 41 is larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the supply pipe 15, such that the flow rate of the coolant in the degassing chamber 41 is lower than the flow rate of the coolant in the supply pipe 15 leading to the degassing chamber, thereby allowing the bubbles to be carried along with the relatively fast coolant flow in the supply pipe 15 and enter the degassing chamber 41 via the coolant inlet 43, and then migrate to the second coolant outlet 45 in the degassing chamber 41. The slower coolant flow in the degassing chamber 41 will increase the residence time of the coolant in the degassing chamber, which in turn will give the bubbles in the coolant the opportunity to migrate to the second coolant outlet 45 in the degassing chamber 41.

[0080] The cross-sectional dimension of the degassing chamber 41 is preferably much larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the supply pipe 15, such that the relationship between the flow rate v1 of the coolant flowing through the degassing chamber 41 between the coolant inlet 43 and the first coolant outlet 44 and the flow rate v2 of the coolant flowing through the supply pipe 15 is 1:2 or lower, preferably 1:3 or lower.

[0081] The degassing chamber 41 may have a columnar shape, such as a cylindrical shape, but as an alternative, it may have any other suitable shape.

[0082] The electronic control unit 2 may be configured to control the first coolant pump 12 in such a way that the flow rate of the coolant circulating through the first cooling circuit 10 is maintained during normal operating conditions at a value such that the first cooling circuit is continuously degassed during normal operating conditions. However, as an alternative, the electronic control unit 2 may be configured to control the first coolant pump 12 in such a way that the flow rate is set intermittently or only on specific occasions to a value suitable for efficient degassing of the coolant in the first cooling circuit 10.

[0083] The second coolant outlet 45 is preferably positioned relative to the coolant inlet 43 and the first coolant outlet 44 such that the coolant flow between the coolant inlet 43 and the first coolant outlet 44 in the degassing chamber 41 will move in the longitudinal direction of the degassing chamber 41 towards the second coolant outlet 45 to migrate the bubbles in the degassing chamber 41. Thus, in this case, the migration direction of the bubbles in the degassing chamber 41 corresponds to the flow direction of the coolant in the degassing chamber 41, and the coolant flow in the degassing chamber 41 will thereby promote the movement of the bubbles towards the second coolant outlet 45.

[0084] In Figure 1 and 2 the illustrated embodiment, the degassing chamber 41 has an elongated shape and is arranged such that its longitudinal axis 46 extends in the vertical direction. In this case, the above-described flow direction of the coolant in the degassing chamber 41 is achieved by positioning the coolant inlet 43 at a lower position than the first coolant outlet 44, which results in an upward coolant flow in the degassing chamber 41. However, as an alternative, the degassing chamber 41 can be arranged such that its longitudinal axis 46 is inclined at an angle α of 0 - 90° relative to the horizontal plane, for example an angle greater than 0° and less than or equal to 90°, or an angle between 10 - 90° or 15 - 90°. When the degassing chamber 41 is arranged such that its longitudinal axis 46 is inclined, for example in the manner Figure 3 illustrated, the bubbles can rise in the degassing chamber 41 and impinge on the inclined upper wall surface 47 in the degassing chamber, and thus under the effect of the coolant flow between the coolant inlet 43 and the first coolant outlet 44 in the degassing chamber 41, the bubbles will be conveyed along the wall surface 47 towards the second coolant outlet 45.

[0085] In Figure 3 the illustrated embodiment, the coolant in the second cooling circuit 20 circulates through the expansion chamber 31 of the expansion tank 30, where the circulated coolant is guided into the expansion chamber 31 by the first coolant line 26 included in the second cooling circuit and is guided from the expansion chamber 31 towards the second coolant pump 22 by the second coolant line 27 included in the second cooling circuit. The bubbles accompanying the coolant entering the expansion chamber 31 via the first coolant line 26 are allowed to migrate towards the surface 36 of the coolant in the expansion chamber, and the air included in these bubbles accumulates in the air-filled space 37 in the upper part of the expansion chamber 31. Thus, in this case, the degassing of the coolant in the second cooling circuit 20 is achieved in the expansion tank 30.

[0086] In Figure 3In the illustrated embodiment, the first static line 5 is indirectly connected to the expansion chamber 31 by connecting its upper end 5b to the second coolant line 27 of the second cooling circuit 20. If the flow rate of the coolant circulating in the second cooling circuit 20 is low enough, the bubbles entering the second coolant line 27 from the first static line 5 can migrate upward in the second coolant line 27 towards the expansion chamber 31. If the flow rate of the coolant circulating in the second cooling circuit 20 is high, the bubbles will move with the coolant circulating in the second cooling circuit and enter the expansion chamber 31 via the first coolant line 26 described above.

[0087] In Figures 4 - 6 the illustrated embodiment, the cooling system 1 includes a first cooling circuit 10 and a second cooling circuit 20 that substantially correspond to the first and second cooling circuits described above with reference to Figure 1 In these embodiments, the cooling system 1 includes a first degassing device 40 of the type described above, which is arranged in the first cooling circuit 10 for separating bubbles from the coolant circulating in the first cooling circuit. In addition, the cooling system 1 further includes a second degassing device 50, which is arranged in the second cooling circuit 20 for separating bubbles from the coolant circulating in the second cooling circuit, wherein the degassing device 50 is located at a position lower than the expansion tank 30 and is connected to the expansion chamber 31 of the expansion tank 30 via a second static line 7 so as to allow the bubbles separated from the coolant in the second degassing device 50 to migrate upward in the second static line 7 towards the expansion chamber 31. In the illustrated example, the second static line 7 is directly connected to the expansion chamber 31 via an opening 35b provided in the housing 32 of the expansion tank.

[0088] The second static line 7 has a lower end 7a and an upper end 7b, wherein the second static line 7 is connected to the second degassing device 50 at its lower end 7a. In Figures 4 - 6 the illustrated embodiment, the second static line 7 slopes upward along its entire length from its lower end 7a to its upper end 7b. However, as an alternative, the second static line 7 may consist of a combination of one or more first length segments and one or more horizontal second length segments, each of the one or more first length segments sloping upward when viewed in the direction along the second static line from its lower end towards its upper end, wherein these first length segments and second length segments are interconnected and arranged in series with each other.

[0089] In Figures 4 - 6 the illustrated embodiment, the second degassing device 50 includes a degassing chamber 51, which is surrounded by a housing 52 and has:

[0090] - A coolant inlet 53, which is connected to a supply pipe 25 of a second cooling circuit 20 so as to allow coolant circulating in the second cooling circuit to flow from the supply pipe 25 into the degassing chamber 51 via the coolant inlet 53;

[0091] - A first coolant outlet 54, which is connected to a second coolant pump 22 so as to allow coolant to flow from the degassing chamber 51 to the second coolant pump 22 via the first coolant outlet 54, wherein the second coolant pump 22 is arranged immediately downstream of the first coolant outlet; and

[0092] - A second coolant outlet 55, which is connected to an expansion chamber 31 via a second static pipeline 7 and is located at a position higher than the first coolant outlet 54.

[0093] The coolant inlet 53 and the first coolant outlet 54 are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the degassing chamber 51.

[0094] In Figures 4 - 6 the illustrated embodiment, the first coolant outlet 54 is connected to a first end of a second coolant pipe 17, and an inlet of the second coolant pump 22 is connected to a second end of the second coolant pipe 17.

[0095] The second coolant outlet 55 is located in an upper part of the degassing chamber 51 so as to allow bubbles that have migrated to the upper part of the degassing chamber to leave the degassing chamber via the second coolant outlet 55 and enter the second static pipeline 7. Thus, the bubbles can be separated from the coolant in the second cooling circuit 20. The second coolant outlet 55 is preferably located at the highest point in the degassing chamber 51, but as an alternative, it can be located slightly below the highest point in the degassing chamber 51.

[0096] The cross-sectional dimension of the degassing chamber 51 is larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the supply pipe 25, such that the flow rate of the coolant in the degassing chamber 51 is lower than the flow rate of the coolant in the supply pipe 25 leading to the degassing chamber, thereby allowing the bubbles to be carried along with the relatively fast coolant flow in the supply pipe 25 and enter the degassing chamber 51 via the coolant inlet 53, and then migrate to the second coolant outlet 55 in the degassing chamber 51. The slower coolant flow in the degassing chamber 51 will increase the residence time of the coolant in the degassing chamber, which in turn will give the bubbles in the coolant the opportunity to migrate to the second coolant outlet 55 in the degassing chamber 51.

[0097] The cross-sectional dimension of the degassing chamber 51 is preferably much larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the supply pipe 25, such that the relationship between the flow rate v3 of the coolant flowing through the degassing chamber 51 between the coolant inlet 53 and the first coolant outlet 54 and the flow rate v4 of the coolant flowing through the supply pipe 25 is 1:2 or lower, preferably 1:3 or lower.

[0098] The degassing chamber 51 may have a cylindrical shape, for example a cylindrical shape, but alternatively it may have any other suitable shape.

[0099] The electronic control unit 2 may be configured to control the second coolant pump 22 in such a way that the flow rate of the coolant circulating through the second cooling circuit 20 is maintained during normal operating conditions at a value such that the second cooling circuit is continuously degassed during normal operating conditions. However, alternatively, the electronic control unit 2 may be configured to control the second coolant pump 22 in such a way that the flow rate is set intermittently or only on specific occasions to a value suitable for efficient degassing of the coolant in the second cooling circuit 20.

[0100] In Figures 4 - 6 the illustrated embodiment, the second coolant outlet 55 is located relative to the coolant inlet 53 and the first coolant outlet 54 such that the coolant flow between the coolant inlet 53 and the first coolant outlet 54 in the degassing chamber 51 will migrate the bubbles in the degassing chamber 51 in the longitudinal direction of the degassing chamber 51 towards the second coolant outlet 55. Thus, in this case, the migration direction of the bubbles in the degassing chamber 51 corresponds to the flow direction of the coolant in the degassing chamber, and the coolant flow in the degassing chamber 51 will thereby promote the movement of the bubbles towards the second coolant outlet 55.

[0101] In Figures 4 - 6 the illustrated embodiment, the degassing chamber 51 has an elongated shape and is arranged such that its longitudinal axis 56 extends in the vertical direction. However, alternatively, the degassing chamber 51 may be arranged such that its longitudinal axis 56 is inclined at an angle of 0 - 90° relative to the horizontal plane, for example an angle of >0° and <=90°, or an angle of 10 - 90° or 15 - 90°.

[0102] In Figure 5 and 6 the illustrated embodiment, the cooling system 1 further includes a cab heating circuit 60. A third coolant pump 62 is provided in the cab heating circuit 60 to circulate the coolant in the cab heating circuit. In addition, a heat exchanger 63 configured to heat the air to be supplied to the vehicle cab is provided in the cab heating circuit 60.

[0103] In Figure 5 the illustrated embodiment, the cab heating circuit 60 is connected to the second degassing device 50. In this case, the coolant circulating in the cab heating circuit 60 is degassed in the second degassing device 50, and the coolant is also configured to absorb heat in the second degassing device 50 from the hotter coolant circulating in the second cooling circuit 20.

[0104] In Figure 6In the illustrated embodiment, the cooling system 1 includes a third degassing device 64 which is arranged in the cab heating circuit 60 for separating bubbles from the coolant circulating in the cab heating circuit, wherein the degassing device 64 is located at a position lower than the expansion tank 30 and is connected via a third static pipeline 9 to the expansion chamber 31 of the expansion tank 30 so as to allow the bubbles separated from the coolant in the third degassing device 64 to migrate upward in the third static pipeline 9 towards the expansion chamber 31. The third degassing device 64 can be designed in the same manner as the first degassing device 40 and / or the second degassing device 50. In Figure 6 the illustrated embodiment, a heating device 90 is provided in the cab heating circuit 60 for heating the coolant circulating in the cab heating circuit.

[0105] Of course, the present invention is in no way limited to the above-described embodiments. On the contrary, many possibilities for modification will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the basic concept of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cooling system, comprising: - a first cooling circuit (10) for cooling at least one first component (11) by means of a coolant circulating in the first cooling circuit (10); - a second cooling circuit (20) for cooling at least one second component (21a, 21b) by means of a coolant circulating in the second cooling circuit (20); - a first coolant pump (12) for circulating the coolant in the first cooling circuit (10); - a second coolant pump (22) for circulating the coolant in the second cooling circuit (20); and - an expansion tank (30) provided with an expansion chamber (31) for accumulating coolant, wherein the expansion chamber (31) is connected to the second cooling circuit (20) to allow the expansion chamber (31) to receive coolant from the second cooling circuit, characterized in that the cooling system (1) comprises a first degassing device (40) arranged in the first cooling circuit (10) for separating air bubbles from the coolant circulating in the first cooling circuit, wherein the first degassing device (40) is located at a lower position than the expansion tank (30) and is connected to the expansion chamber (31) via a first static pipeline (5) to allow the air bubbles separated from the coolant in the first degassing device (40) to migrate upward in the first static pipeline (5) towards the expansion chamber (31), wherein the first degassing device (40) comprises a degassing chamber (41) having: - a coolant inlet (43) connected to a supply pipe (15) of the first cooling circuit (10) to allow the coolant circulating in the first cooling circuit (10) to flow into the degassing chamber (41) from the supply pipe (15) via the coolant inlet (43); - a first coolant outlet (44) connected to the first coolant pump (12) to allow coolant to flow from the degassing chamber (41) to the first coolant pump (12) via the first coolant outlet (44), wherein the first coolant pump (12) is arranged immediately downstream of the first coolant outlet; and - a second coolant outlet (45) connected to the expansion chamber (31) via the first static pipeline (5), wherein the second coolant outlet is located at a higher position than the first coolant outlet.

2. The cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that The coolant inlet (43) and the first coolant outlet (44) are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the degassing chamber (41), wherein the cross-sectional dimension of the degassing chamber (41) is larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the supply pipe (15), so as to allow the bubbles carried with the coolant flowing through the supply pipe (15) to enter the degassing chamber (41) via the coolant inlet (43), and then migrate to the second coolant outlet (45) in the degassing chamber (41).

3. The cooling system according to claim 2, wherein, the cross-sectional dimension of the degassing chamber (41) is larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the supply pipe (15), such that the relationship between the flow velocity (v1) of the coolant flowing through the degassing chamber (41) between the coolant inlet (43) and the first coolant outlet (44) and the flow velocity (v2) of the coolant flowing through the supply pipe (15) is 1:2 or less.

4. The cooling system according to claim 2, wherein, the second coolant outlet (45) is located relative to the coolant inlet (43) and the first coolant outlet (44) such that the coolant flow between the coolant inlet (43) and the first coolant outlet (44) in the degassing chamber (41) will move the migrating bubbles towards the second coolant outlet (45) in the longitudinal direction of the degassing chamber (41).

5. The cooling system according to claim 4, wherein, the degassing chamber (41) has an elongated shape and is arranged such that its longitudinal axis (46) is vertical or inclined at an angle (α) of 0 - 90° with respect to the horizontal plane.

6. The cooling system according to any one of claims 1 - 5, wherein, the first static pipeline (5) has a lower end (5a) and an upper end (5b), wherein the first static pipeline (5) is connected to the first degassing device (40) at its lower end (5a), and wherein: - the first static pipeline (5) slopes upward along its entire length from its lower end to its upper end, or - the first static pipeline (5) is formed by a number of interconnected length segments (8a, 8b) arranged in series with each other and consisting of one or more first length segments (8a) and one or more horizontal second length segments (8b), and each of the one or more first length segments slopes upward when viewed in the direction along the first static pipeline from its lower end towards its upper end.

7. The cooling system according to any one of claims 1 - 5, wherein, The cooling system (1) includes a second degassing device (50) arranged in the second cooling circuit (20) for separating bubbles from the coolant circulating in the second cooling circuit, wherein the second degassing device (50) is located at a position lower than the expansion tank (30) and is connected to the expansion chamber (31) via a second static pipeline (7) so as to allow the bubbles separated from the coolant in the second degassing device (50) to migrate upward in the second static pipeline (7) towards the expansion chamber (31).

8. The cooling system according to claim 7, wherein, the second degassing device (50) includes a degassing chamber (51), and the degassing chamber has: - a coolant inlet (53) connected to the supply pipe (25) of the second cooling circuit (20) so as to allow the coolant circulating in the second cooling circuit (20) to flow from the supply pipe (25) into the degassing chamber (51) of the second degassing device via the coolant inlet (53); - a first coolant outlet (54) connected to the second coolant pump (22) so as to allow the coolant to flow from the degassing chamber (51) of the second degassing device to the second coolant pump (22) via the first coolant outlet (54), wherein the second coolant pump (22) is arranged immediately downstream of the first coolant outlet (54); and - a second coolant outlet (55) connected to the expansion chamber (31) via the second static pipeline (7) and located at a position higher than the first coolant outlet (54) of the degassing chamber (51) of the second degassing device, wherein the cross-sectional dimension of the degassing chamber (51) of the second degassing device is larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the supply pipe (25) of the second cooling circuit, so as to allow the bubbles carried with the coolant flowing through the supply pipe (25) of the second cooling circuit to enter the degassing chamber (51) of the second degassing device via the coolant inlet (53) and then migrate to the second coolant outlet (55) in the degassing chamber (51).

9. The cooling system according to claim 8, wherein, the cross-sectional dimension of the degassing chamber (51) of the second degassing device is larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the supply pipe (25) of the second cooling circuit, such that the relationship between the flow velocity (v3) of the coolant flowing through the degassing chamber (51) between the coolant inlet (53) and the first coolant outlet (54) and the flow velocity (v4) of the coolant flowing through the supply pipe (25) is 1:2 or lower.

10. The cooling system according to claim 8, wherein, The second coolant outlet (55) of the second degassing chamber (51) of the second degassing device is located relative to the coolant inlet (53) and the first coolant outlet (54) of the degassing chamber (51) such that the coolant flow between the coolant inlet (53) and the first coolant outlet (54) in the degassing chamber (51) will move the migrating bubbles towards the second coolant outlet (55) in the longitudinal direction of the degassing chamber (51).

11. The cooling system according to claim 10, wherein, the degassing chamber (51) of the second degassing device has an elongated shape and is arranged such that its longitudinal axis (56) is vertical or inclined at an angle (α) of 0 - 90° relative to the horizontal plane.

12. The cooling system according to claim 7, wherein, the second static pipeline (7) has a lower end (7a) and an upper end (7b), wherein the second static pipeline (7) is connected to the second degassing device (50) at its lower end (7a), and wherein: - the second static pipeline (7) slopes upward along its entire length from its lower end to its upper end, or - the second static pipeline (7) is formed by a number of interconnected length segments arranged in series with each other and consisting of one or more first length segments and one or more horizontal second length segments, each of the one or more first length segments sloping upward when viewed in the direction along the second static pipeline from its lower end towards its upper end.

13. The cooling system according to any one of claims 1 - 5, wherein, the cooling system (1) includes a radiator (13) for cooling the coolant circulating in the first cooling circuit (10) and / or a radiator (23) for cooling the coolant circulating in the second cooling circuit (20).

14. The cooling system according to any one of claims 1 - 5, wherein, the first cooling circuit (10) is a low - temperature cooling circuit and the second cooling circuit (20) is a high - temperature cooling circuit.

15. The cooling system according to claim 3, wherein, the cross - sectional dimension of the degassing chamber (41) is larger than the cross - sectional dimension of the supply pipe (15) such that the relationship between the flow velocity (v1) of the coolant flowing through the degassing chamber (41) between the coolant inlet (43) and the first coolant outlet (44) and the flow velocity (v2) of the coolant flowing through the supply pipe (15) is 1:3 or lower.

16. The cooling system according to claim 5, wherein, the degassing chamber (41) has an elongated shape and is arranged such that its longitudinal axis (46) is vertical or inclined at an angle (α) greater than 0° and less than or equal to 90° relative to the horizontal plane.

17. The cooling system according to claim 5, wherein, the degassing chamber (41) has an elongated shape and is arranged such that its longitudinal axis (46) is vertical or inclined at an angle (α) of 10 - 90° relative to the horizontal plane.

18. The cooling system according to claim 5, characterized in that, the degassing chamber (41) has an elongated shape and is arranged such that its longitudinal axis (46) is vertical or inclined at an angle (α) of 15 - 90° with respect to the horizontal plane.

19. The cooling system according to claim 9, characterized in that, the cross-sectional dimension of the degassing chamber (51) of the second degassing device is larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the supply pipe (25) of the second cooling circuit, such that the relationship between the flow velocity (v3) of the coolant flowing through the degassing chamber (51) between the coolant inlet (53) and the first coolant outlet (54) and the flow velocity (v4) of the coolant flowing through the supply pipe (25) is 1:3 or lower.

20. The cooling system according to claim 11, characterized in that, the degassing chamber (51) of the second degassing device has an elongated shape and is arranged such that its longitudinal axis (56) is vertical or inclined at an angle (α) greater than 0° and less than or equal to 90° with respect to the horizontal plane.

21. The cooling system according to claim 11, characterized in that, the degassing chamber (51) of the second degassing device has an elongated shape and is arranged such that its longitudinal axis (56) is vertical or inclined at an angle (α) of 10 - 90° with respect to the horizontal plane.

22. The cooling system according to claim 11, characterized in that, the degassing chamber (51) of the second degassing device has an elongated shape and is arranged such that its longitudinal axis (56) is vertical or inclined at an angle (α) of 15 - 90° with respect to the horizontal plane.

23. A vehicle, characterized in that, the vehicle (3) comprises a cooling system (1) according to any one of claims 1 - 22.

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