Thermal conditioning device for cooling electrical energy storage component

Abstract

The invention relates to a thermal conditioning device (1) for cooling an electrical energy storage unit (6), comprising a first stage (10) and a second stage (12), the first stage (10) comprising a first support plate (18) and a first distribution plate. According to the invention, the thermal conditioning device (1) comprises at least one additional plate (38) positioned against the first support plate (18) and defining at least one conduit (40) for circulation of a cooling fluid, the first stage (10) and the second stage (12) being in fluid communication via the additional plate (38) and the connecting means (50).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of thermal regulation devices, and in particular to a device implemented for regulating the temperature of an electric energy storage unit equipped with a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Today, it is known that electric, thermal or hybrid vehicles are equipped with electrical energy storage units that allow the different elements of the vehicle to be supplied with electricity. These electrical energy storage units are generally composed of electrical energy storage cells located in a battery pack.

[0003] When the vehicle is running, the battery packs may release a lot of heat and therefore experience a temperature increase that may damage or even destroy them in certain cases. Their cooling is therefore necessary in order to keep them in good condition and thus ensure the reliability, autonomy and performance level of the vehicle. In addition, in low temperature conditions, the operating efficiency of the battery packs may be reduced, wherein the electrical or electronic components equipped with these battery packs need time to accumulate temperature before they can operate at full load.

[0004] For this purpose, one or more thermal regulation devices are implemented which are designed to regulate the temperature of the battery packs in order to ensure the heating and / or cooling functions of the electrical or electronic components inside these battery packs and thus optimize the operation of the different components.

[0005] These heat regulating devices generally have a heat regulating fluid passing through them which is capable of absorbing the heat given off by each battery pack in order to cool the battery pack, or supplying heat if the temperature of the battery pack is insufficient for its proper operation, as required.

[0006] These heat regulating devices may, for example, consist of a flat plate to which a stamped plate is added, such as to form channels between the flat plate and protrusions formed in the stamped plate, these channels being designed to allow a heat regulating fluid to pass through them. This type of heat regulating device generally extends over all the surfaces formed by the corresponding battery pack, and the plates are arranged in the battery pack so that each storage cell can be positioned against the plates so that the heat regulating fluid circulating in the channels of the heat regulating device can exchange heat with the components of the electrical energy storage cells.

[0007] Motor vehicle manufacturers are now seeking to provide more powerful electric or hybrid vehicles with increased electrical autonomy. For this purpose, more and more battery packs and / or increasingly larger battery packs are installed on these electric or hybrid vehicles.

[0008] Thus, the electrical energy storage cells of a single battery pack may be distributed over two levels of the battery pack, such as to optimize the space required for installation of the battery pack inside the vehicle in which it is equipped.

[0009] Therefore, it is necessary to circulate the heat regulating fluid in these two stages (e.g., the first stage and the second stage). If the cooling fluid circulates in the heat regulating device so that it first cools the electric energy storage cells located on the first stage and then cools the electric energy storage cells located on the second stage, or vice versa, it is possible to reduce the heat regulating characteristics of the heat regulating fluid. It should be understood that in order to cool the two stages in sequence, the circulation of this type of heat regulating fluid will cause excessive heating of the heat regulating fluid, which will reduce the heat regulating characteristics that the heat regulating fluid should have when regulating the temperature of the electric energy storage cells located on the second stage. Summary of the invention

[0010] The object of the present invention is to eliminate this drawback by proposing a thermal regulation device which makes it possible to cool the first and second stages of a single battery pack by means of a single closed cooling fluid circuit, which allows the thermal regulation fluid to circulate within the first stage without this fluid being allocated to the cooling of the energy storage cells of the second stage, thus allowing optimal cooling of the energy storage cells of the second stage.

[0011] Therefore, the main object of the present invention is a thermal regulation device for cooling an energy storage device by a cooling fluid, comprising: a first stage, which is configured to contact a first part of the energy storage unit; and a second stage, which is configured to contact a second part of the energy storage unit, the second stage is at least partially offset with respect to the first stage in the vertical stacking direction, the first stage comprising a first support plate and a first distribution plate, the first support plate having a first face designed to contact the energy storage unit, and a second face opposite to the first face, the first distribution plate being in contact with the second face and locally deformed to define a cooling fluid circulation channel for the circulation of the cooling fluid. According to the present invention, the thermal regulation device comprises at least one additional plate, which is positioned against the first face of the first support plate and defines at least one duct for the circulation of the cooling fluid, the first stage and the second stage being in fluid communication via the additional plate and the connecting device.

[0012] The thermal conditioning device according to the invention is designed to cool an energy storage unit, for example a battery pack of a motor vehicle. An energy storage unit of this type comprises an electrical energy storage cell, which in this case constitutes a first part and a second part of the energy storage unit. The two parts are located in the thermal conditioning device on a first thermal conditioning stage and a second thermal conditioning stage, respectively, which are in fluid communication; in this case, this means that the first stage and the second stage have the same cooling fluid passing through them. These first and second stages are in this case offset in a vertical stacking direction, in which direction the second stage is superimposed on the first stage.

[0013] The second stage may have a similar structure, with a second support plate and a second distribution plate.

[0014] Each stage comprises a substantially flat support plate and a locally deformed distribution plate, which support plate and distribution plate create between them a cooling fluid circulation channel in order to cool the corresponding stage of the thermal regulator. According to the invention, the support plate of the first stage, or the first support plate, is also positioned against an additional plate, which is locally deformed similarly to the distribution plate. The first support plate and the additional plate define between them ducts for the circulation of the cooling fluid. These ducts for the circulation of the cooling fluid therefore belong to the first stage, allowing the cooling fluid to circulate within the first stage, but not being distributed to the cooling of the energy storage cells located on the first stage. These circulation ducts comprise a fluid supply duct and a fluid discharge duct, the fluid supply duct participating in bringing the cooling fluid into the second stage, the fluid discharge duct participating in discharging the cooling fluid from the thermal regulator.

[0015] The additional plate is positioned on the portion of the first support plate that is free of electrical energy storage cells. It thus forms a bypass circuit for the cooling fluid in the first stage with respect to the distribution plate of the first stage or the first distribution plate. The additional plate contributes to ensuring fluid communication between the first stage and the second stage, since the cooling fluid that circulates in the ducts of the additional plate for the circulation of the cooling fluid, i.e. in the first stage, is designed to subsequently circulate in the second stage and thus cool the electrical energy storage cells of the second stage.

[0016] The additional plate is in fluid communication with the connection means which participate in circulating the cooling fluid of the first stage to the second stage and conversely of the cooling fluid of the second stage to the first stage.

[0017] Thus, the thermal conditioning device according to the invention makes it possible to ensure that the energy storage unit it is equipped with is correctly cooled. Without this additional plate, the connection means would be connected to the cooling fluid circulation channel and the cooling fluid reaching the second stage would be heated too much after having conditioned the first part of the electrical storage unit located on the first stage, and it would not be able to ensure optimal cooling of the second part of this electrical storage unit located on the second stage.

[0018] According to another characteristic of the invention, the connection means comprise two vertical tubes. The additional plate is configured to communicate with the connection means so that the plate is in line with the cooling fluid supply of the second stage and may take the form of a rigid straight tube.

[0019] One of the tubes forms a supply tube for supplying cooling fluid to the second stage, and another of the tubes forms a discharge tube for discharge of the second stage.

[0020] According to a feature of the invention, the tube is located between the first support plate and the second stage.

[0021] According to another characteristic of the invention, the tube is located between the additional plate and the second stage.

[0022] This solution may be preferred when the tubes cannot be placed inside the casing, in order to facilitate the peripheral sealing between the support plate and the structural frame.

[0023] It should be understood that in this case, there are multiple embodiments of the present invention, which differ from each other in terms of the connection of the connecting device on the first level, namely, direct connection to the additional plate and the pipeline for the circulation of cooling fluid formed by the additional plate, or indirect connection via a bypass channel formed on the first level, which connects the additional plate to the connecting device.

[0024] According to one feature, the additional plate has a first end and a second end opposite in a main extension direction of the additional plate, wherein at least the first end is positioned to abut against the first support plate facing at least one proximal orifice provided in the first support plate, wherein the additional plate is connected through the proximal orifice to a proximal bypass channel formed by a protrusion of the first distribution plate and forming a bypass of the cooling fluid circulation channel.

[0025] The orifices provided in the first support plate allow the cooling fluid to pass from one side of the first support plate to the other side. More specifically, the cooling fluid is passed through the first support plate so as to flow through the face facing the first support plate and the first distribution plate in the first stage, and through the other face facing the first support plate and the additional plate in the second stage, and vice versa.

[0026] According to a feature of the invention, the additional plate is fluidically connected to the second stage and the connecting device at its second end by means of at least one distal bypass channel formed by a protrusion of the first distribution plate, the first end of the distal bypass channel covering one of the orifices, which is covered by the additional plate on the other side of the first support plate, wherein the connecting device also opens into the bypass channel at its second end.

[0027] It will be appreciated that this type of feature corresponds in particular to embodiments in which a tube connects the first support plate and the second support plate.

[0028] According to an alternative feature of the invention, the additional plate is in direct fluid communication with the connection means, in its face opposite to the first support plate, by means of two perforations provided in the second end of the additional plate.

[0029] In this particular embodiment, the cooling fluid can therefore circulate between the flow duct provided in the additional plate and the connecting means without having to pass through the bypass channel for this purpose.

[0030] According to one feature, the additional plate comprises two ducts for the circulation of a cooling fluid, which extend close to each other at a central location of the first stage, comprising a supply duct for supplying the cooling fluid and a discharge duct for discharging the cooling fluid.

[0031] The two circulation channels have the same size and are parallel to each other. They allow the cooling fluid to be transported from one end to the other end of the additional plate; more specifically, the cooling fluid supply channel for supplying the cooling fluid allows the cooling fluid to circulate from the first end to the second end, and conversely, the cooling fluid discharge channel for discharging the cooling fluid allows it to circulate from the second end to the first end.

[0032] In some alternative embodiments, they are offset on one side.

[0033] According to an alternative feature of the invention, the additional plate is formed from two distinct parts, comprising a first additional plate and a second additional plate extending along opposite edges of the first support plate.

[0034] This constitutes a variant embodiment in which the thermal conditioning device comprises two different additional plates positioned spaced apart from each other so as to provide fluid communication between the first stage and the second stage. The two additional plates are symmetrical relative to each other in a plane passing through the middle of the thermal conditioning device. They follow the contour of the first support plate; it will therefore be understood that they are positioned on a first face on the periphery of the support plate along opposite edges of the support plate. In other words, the first additional plate extends in particular along a side edge of the support plate and the second additional plate extends in particular along the opposite side edge of the support plate (optionally in parallel).

[0035] According to another feature of the invention, the first additional plate and the second additional plate each include a conduit for cooling fluid circulation, the conduit for cooling fluid circulation of the first additional plate is a cooling fluid supply conduit, and the conduit for cooling fluid circulation of the second additional plate is a cooling fluid discharge conduit.

[0036] It will therefore be understood that the first additional plate is responsible for supplying cooling fluid to the second stage, whereas the second additional plate enables the cooling fluid to be discharged once it has conditioned the temperature of the second portion of the energy storage unit associated with the second stage.

[0037] According to a feature of the invention, the duct for the circulation of the cooling fluid delimited by the additional plate has a constant cross section for the passage of the fluid from the first end to the second end of the additional plate, the cross section being measured in a plane perpendicular to the main extension direction of the additional plate.

[0038] According to one feature, the fluid passage cross section of the duct for the circulation of the cooling fluid delimited by the additional plate is identical to the fluid passage cross section of the cooling fluid circulation channel provided in the first stage between the first support plate and the first distribution plate. This constant cross section contributes to ensuring that the cooling fluid flow rate for the circulation of the fluid in the first stage of the thermal conditioning device and the cooling fluid flow rate for the circulation of the fluid in the second stage of the thermal conditioning device are similar and therefore contributes to ensuring uniform thermal conditioning of the energy storage unit regardless of the stage involved.

[0039] According to one feature, the plates forming the first and second stages and the additional plates are made of the same material.

[0040] The same properties of this type of material facilitate the manufacture of the heat regulating device according to the invention.

[0041] According to a feature of the invention, the plates forming the first and second stages and the additional plates are made of aluminium.

[0042] In particular, the plates of the heat regulating device can be assembled by welding. Optionally, the aluminum is covered with a material that facilitates such welding.

[0043] According to one feature, the plates forming the first and second stages and the additional plates are made of composite material.

[0044] Compared to aluminum, the composite material complies with ecological considerations by reducing carbon emissions. The composite material also has a reduced mass. The composite material can be associated with plastics in particular. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] Other characteristics, details and advantages of the invention will become more apparent on reading the following description and on studying an example given by way of non-limiting illustration, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0046] Figure 1 A heat regulating device according to the invention with two regulating stages according to a first embodiment is schematically shown and in perspective;

[0047] Figure 2 Schematically shows the Figure 1 A thermal regulating device, the perspective showing the bottom of the device;

[0048] Figure 3 The schematic diagram shows a method according to the second embodiment. Figure 1 Similar perspective view of thermal conditioning device;

[0049] Figure 4 schematically shows a heat conditioning device according to a third embodiment, seen from above;

[0050] Figure 5 Schematically shows the Figure 1 and Figure 2 A thermal regulator of the embodiment of the present invention, this view showing the additional plate and the connection means for fluid communication between the two stages of the thermal regulator;

[0051] Figure 6 Schematically shows a cross-sectional view of Figure 1 and Figure 2an additional plate of a heat regulating device of the first stage, the cross-sectional view showing the fluid communication between the bypass channel and the duct defined by the additional plate, via the orifice formed in the support plate of the first stage;

[0052] Figure 7 Schematically shows Figure 3 Connecting devices for heat regulating devices;

[0053] Figure 8 Schematically shows a cross-sectional view of Figure 7 Connecting devices;

[0054] Fig. 9 Schematically shows a perspective view of Figure 4 Connecting device for heat regulating device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] The features, variants and different embodiments of the present invention may be associated with each other in various combinations, as long as they are not mutually incompatible or exclusive. In particular, it is conceivable that the variants of the present invention only include a selection of features separated from other described features selected below, if this feature selection is sufficient to give technical advantages and / or distinguish the present invention from the prior art.

[0056] In the drawings, elements common to several figures retain the same reference numerals.

[0057] In the detailed description that follows, the designations "longitudinal", "transverse" and "vertical" refer to the orientation of the thermal conditioning device according to the invention. The longitudinal direction corresponds to the main extension direction of the thermal conditioning device, which is parallel to the longitudinal axis L of the coordinate system L, V, T shown in the figures. The vertical direction corresponds to the stacking direction of the first and second stages, which is parallel to the vertical axis V of the coordinate system L, V, T and which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L. Finally, the transverse direction corresponds to a direction parallel to the transverse axis T of the coordinate system L, V, T, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L and the vertical axis V.

[0058] Furthermore, in this specification, the term "cooling fluid" may refer to any heat transfer, coolant, heat regulating, dielectric or two-phase fluid, as long as the liquid or gaseous fluid has the effect of cooling or heating the electrical energy storage unit.

[0059] therefore, Figure 1 and Figure 2 A thermal conditioning device 1 according to the invention according to a first embodiment is schematically shown in views from above and from below respectively.The thermal conditioning device 1 extends mainly from a first longitudinal end 2 to a second longitudinal end 4 in an extension direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction.

[0060] The thermal conditioning device 1 is designed to equip a vehicle, for example a motor vehicle, in order to regulate the temperature of an energy storage unit 6 of the vehicle by means of a cooling fluid. The energy storage unit 6 is composed, for example, of a plurality of electrical energy storage cells 8 designed to be cooled or heated due to the cooling fluid. The energy storage unit 6 comprises different levels of electrical energy storage cells offset from one another in the vertical direction (i.e. perpendicular to the ground on which the vehicle equipped with the thermal conditioning device 1 stands), in particular in order to incorporate a maximum number of electrical energy storage cells in the confined space of the motor vehicle.

[0061] In this case, the heat conditioning device 1 has a first stage 10 and a second stage 12, and the electrical energy storage cells 8 are distributed on the first stage 10 and the second stage 12. The first stage 10 and the second stage 12 are superimposed in the vertical stacking direction E. In this case, "superimposed" means that the second stage 12 is located above the first stage 10 in the vertical stacking direction E. Figure 1 As particularly shown in the figure, the second stage 12 has smaller dimensions than the first stage 10, so that it receives a smaller number of electrical energy storage cells 8. Therefore, the second stage 12 is offset in the longitudinal direction with respect to the first stage 10, that is to say, unlike the first stage 10, the second stage 12 does not extend from the first longitudinal end 2 of the thermal conditioning device 1 to its second longitudinal end 4.

[0062] The electric energy storage cells 8 of the energy storage unit 6 are divided into two parts 14, 16, including a first part 14 and a second part 16. The first part 14 of the energy storage unit 6 is positioned on the first stage 10, while the second part 16 thereof is positioned on the second stage 12. The electric energy storage cells 8 forming the first part 14 are distributed on the first stage 10 of the thermal conditioning device 1 in two substantially symmetrical rows along the longitudinal vertical plane from the first longitudinal end 2 to the second longitudinal end 4 of the thermal conditioning device 1. The electric energy storage cells 8 forming the second part 16 can be distributed on the second stage 12 according to an equivalent configuration without limiting the present embodiment.

[0063] The thermal regulation of the first and second parts 14, 16 of the energy storage unit 6, more specifically their cooling, is ensured by the circulation of a cooling fluid within the thermal regulation device 1. To this end, the first stage 10 and the second stage 12 each comprise a support plate and a distribution plate. Thus, the first stage 10 has a first support plate 18 and a first distribution plate 20, and the second stage 12, for its part, comprises a second support plate 22 and a second distribution plate 24.

[0064] The first support plate 18 comprises a first face 26 and a second face 28 opposite to each other in the vertical stacking direction E. The first face 26 is in contact with the energy storage cells 8 of the first portion 14, while the second face 28 faces the first distribution plate 20. The two faces 26, 28 of the first support plate 18 are substantially flat, i.e. they do not have any roughness. On the other hand, the first distribution plate 20 is locally deformed so that the first distribution plate 20 has a network of protrusions away from the first support plate 18. These protrusions of the first distribution plate 20 define between them and with the second face 28 of the first support plate 18 cooling fluid circulation channels 30, in which a cooling fluid circulates for thermally regulating the first portion 14 of the energy storage cells 8 associated with the first stage 10. Figure 2 The cooling fluid flow channels 30 of the first distribution plate 20 are particularly shown in FIG.

[0065] Similarly, the second support plate 22 comprises a first surface 32 and a second surface 34 opposite to each other in the vertical stacking direction E. The first surface 32 is in contact with the energy storage cells 8 of the second portion 16, while the second surface 34 faces the second distribution plate 24. The two surfaces 32, 34 of the second support plate 22 are essentially flat, i.e. they do not have any roughness. On the other hand, the second distribution plate 24 is locally deformed so as to form further cooling fluid circulation channels between the second distribution plate and the second surface 34 of the second support plate, in which channels the cooling fluid circulates, this time for thermal regulation of the second portion 16 of energy storage cells 8 associated with the second stage 12. Figure 2 In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the cooling fluid flow channels of the second distribution plate 24 are covered by the electric energy storage cells 8 of the first stage 10 .

[0066] In order to deliver the cooling fluid to the heat regulating device 1 and discharge it, the heat regulating device 1 has a connection joint 36. These connection joints 36 are positioned at the first longitudinal end 2 of the heat regulating device 1, that is, the end thereof not covered by the second stage 12. In this case, the heat regulating device 1 includes a connection joint 36 corresponding to the cooling fluid inlet and a connection joint 36 corresponding to the cooling fluid outlet. In the example shown, these connection joints 36 are positioned on the portion corresponding to the longitudinal protrusion 37 of the first longitudinal end 2. The connection joints are each positioned to face the hole formed in the support plate so as to communicate with the supply branch 301 and the discharge branch 302, respectively, which are connected to the cooling fluid circulation channel 30 in the first stage 10. Then, at least a part of the cooling fluid entering the heat regulating device is transmitted via the first connection joint 36, the supply branch 301, the network of the cooling fluid circulation channel 30 in the first stage 10, and then sequentially transmitted via the discharge branch 302, so as to be discharged from the heat regulating device via the second connection joint 36.

[0067] In some embodiments, the first support plate 18 is flat.

[0068] According to the invention, the thermal conditioning device 1 comprises at least one additional plate 38 and connection means making it possible to branch off a portion of the cooling fluid entering the thermal conditioning device in order to direct it to the second stage of the thermal conditioning device.

[0069] The additional plate 38 is positioned on the first face 26 of the first support plate 18, i.e. opposite the first distribution plate 20. Similar to the first distribution plate 20, the additional plate 38 is locally deformed and has projections which define between each other and with the first face 26 of the first support plate 18 at least one cooling fluid flow channel 40 for the flow of cooling fluid.

[0070] The additional plate 38, which is in particular associated with the connection means 50 that will be described below, allows fluid communication between the first stage 10 and the second stage 12. More specifically, this additional plate 38 allows a portion of the cooling fluid to pass from the first stage 10 to the second stage 12 without the temperature of this cooling fluid travelling inside the second stage 12 being completely altered by the previous thermal conditioning of the first portion 14 of the energy storage unit 6 positioned on this first stage 10. It will be understood that the additional plate 38 constitutes a bypass for the cooling fluid with respect to the first distribution plate 20 before it is delivered to the second distribution plate 24.

[0071] The additional plate 38 and the plates also forming the first stage, namely the first support plate 18 and the first distribution plate 20, can advantageously be made of the same material. According to a variant of the invention, this type of single material can be aluminum or also a composite material, for example made of plastic.

[0072] In the figures, the additional plate 38 and the associated connection means are shown according to different embodiments. Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 Corresponding to the first embodiment, Figure 3 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 corresponds to the second embodiment, and finally Figure 4 and Fig. 9 Corresponding to the third embodiment. These embodiments will now be described in sequence.

[0073] The additional plate 38 according to the first embodiment extends from the first longitudinal end 2 to the second longitudinal end 4 of the thermal conditioning device 1. It is positioned substantially in the middle of the first support plate 18 in the longitudinal direction, i.e. along a longitudinal vertical plane that divides the thermal conditioning device 1 into two symmetrical parts. It can therefore be understood that the additional plate 38 is positioned between the two rows of electrical energy storage cells 8 that constitute the first part 14.

[0074] Furthermore, according to this first embodiment, the additional plate 38 has a first end 42 positioned near the first longitudinal end 2 of the thermal conditioning device 1, and a second end 44 opposite to the first end 42, which second end 44 is therefore near the second longitudinal end 4 of the thermal conditioning device 1. The additional plate 38 is in this case substantially straight from its first end 42 to its second end 44.

[0075] like Figure 6 As specifically shown in FIG. 1 , the additional plate 38 comprises two cooling fluid circulation ducts 40. More specifically, with respect to these cooling fluid circulation ducts 40, the additional plate 38 comprises a cooling fluid supply duct 40A for supplying cooling fluid and a cooling fluid discharge duct 40B for discharging cooling fluid. The cooling fluid supply duct 40A and the cooling fluid discharge duct 40B have passage cross sections, i.e. surfaces measured on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, which are identical to each other and constant from one end to the other end of the additional plate. The cross section of a cooling fluid circulation duct 40 of this type can advantageously be identical to the cross section of a cooling fluid circulation channel 30 formed in the first stage 10 and / or in the second stage 12.

[0076] The cooling fluid circulates in two opposite directions in the two pipes 40A, 40B for supplying and discharging the cooling fluid. To this end, the first end 42 of the additional plate 38 is positioned at the first longitudinal end 2 of the heat conditioning device 1, so that the cooling fluid supply pipe 40A faces the connecting joint 36 in the longitudinal direction, which corresponds to the inlet of the cooling fluid in the heat conditioning device 1, and the cooling fluid discharge pipe 40B faces the connecting joint 36 in the longitudinal direction, which is the outlet for the cooling fluid.

[0077] However, the cooling fluid supply conduit 40A and the cooling fluid exhaust conduit 40B are not directly connected to the connection joint 36. Figure 2As shown, the cooling fluid circulates between the connection joint 36 and the cooling fluid supply duct 40A by means of a first proximal bypass channel 46 that branches off from the supply branch 301, and the cooling fluid circulates between the cooling fluid exhaust duct 40B and the connection joint 36 by means of a second proximal bypass channel 46 that converges toward the exhaust branch 302. These proximal bypass channels 46 are formed by protrusions from the first distribution plate 20, similar to the cooling fluid circulation channels 30. They make it possible to form a parallel circuit in which a portion of the cooling fluid diverted from the cooling fluid circulation channels 30 associated with the first stage 10 circulates. In other words, when the cooling fluid is delivered to the first distribution plate 20, a portion of this fluid is designated to circulate in the cooling fluid circulation channels 30 of the first stage 10, while another portion is designated to follow these proximal bypass channels 36 in order to be delivered to the additional plate 38 and then to the second stage 12. Once the fluid has circulated within the second stage and heat has been recovered from or generated to the second portion 16 of the energy storage unit 6, the transferred cooling fluid portion is re-injected into the cooling fluid circulation channel before passing to the connecting joint 36 corresponding to the joint for discharging the cooling fluid.

[0078] In order to allow the cooling fluid to pass through the first support plate 18, so as to pass from the flow channel 30 between the second face 28 of the first support plate 18 and the first distribution plate 20 to the flow duct 40 between the first face 26 of the first support plate and the additional plate 38, and in order to allow passing from the flow duct to the flow channel 30 in the opposite direction, the first support plate 18 has proximal orifices 48 passing through it from one side to the other, that is, orifices opening both on its first face 26 and on its second face 28. These proximal orifices 48 are arranged in the first support plate 18 at the first end 42 of the additional plate 38, so that the proximal orifices 48 open into the cooling fluid supply duct 40A and the proximal orifices 48 open into the cooling fluid exhaust duct 40B. This type of proximal orifices 48 is provided in the first support plate 18 at the first end 42 of the additional plate 38. Figure 2 It is schematically shown by a dotted line.

[0079] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the second end 44 of the additional plate 38 is positioned below the second stage 12, this second end of the additional plate being the end facing the second longitudinal end 4 of the thermal conditioning device 1. The additional plate 38 is fluidically connected to this second stage 12 by means of connection means, which is in particular Figure 2 and 5. In this case, this type of connection means takes the form of two rigid and straight tubes 50. These tubes 50 are vertical, i.e. substantially perpendicular to the first stage 10 and the second stage 12. In this case, the tubes 50 are positioned between the first support plate 18, in particular the first face 26 of the first support plate and the second support plate 22. These tubes 50 include a first tube 50A and a second tube 50B, wherein the first tube 50A is positioned facing the cooling fluid supply pipe 40A in the longitudinal direction, and the second tube 50B is positioned facing the cooling fluid discharge pipe 40B in the longitudinal direction. It should be understood that the first tube 50A participates in the supply of cooling fluid to the second stage, and in this case supplies the cooling fluid from the cooling fluid supply pipe 40A circulating in the additional plate 38 to the circulation channel arranged between the second support plate 22 and the second distribution plate 24, more specifically its cooling fluid supply pipe 40A, wherein the second pipe 50B is designed for its part to discharge the cooling fluid of the second stage 12 by means of the cooling fluid discharge pipe 40B.

[0080] In this first embodiment, and as described for the connecting joint 36, the tubes 50 do not open directly into the additional plate 38. To enter these tubes 50 from the ducts defined by the additional plate 38, the cooling fluid therefore follows the distal bypass channel 47 formed by the protrusion of the first distribution plate 20, similar to the proximal bypass channel 46 located at the first end 42. The distal bypass channel 47 fluidly connects the cooling fluid supply duct 40A and the first tube 50A, and the distal bypass channel 47 fluidly connects the cooling fluid exhaust duct 40B and the second tube 50B.

[0081] To allow such fluid communication, each distal bypass channel 47 extends between a distal orifice 49 and a connecting orifice 51, which is provided in the first support plate 18 between the second end 44 of the additional plate and the corresponding distal bypass channel, and which is provided in the first support plate 18 between the tubes 50A, 50B and the corresponding distal bypass channel. Figure 2 Indicated by a dotted line in Figure 6 It should be understood that, similar to the proximal apertures 48 positioned near the first end 42 of the additional plate, these distal apertures 49 and these connecting apertures allow the cooling fluid to pass from one side of the first support plate 18 to the other side.

[0082] The distal bypass channel 47 of the second end 44 is connected to the tube 50 at a projection 52 of the first support plate 18, in which case the distal orifice is therefore provided in the projection 52. The projection 52 in the vertical stacking direction E faces the tongue 54 of the second stage 12 cantilevered from the second support plate 22 so as to be in line with the projection 52. It will be understood that the protrusion 37, the projection 52 and the tongue 54 make it possible to position the connection joint and the connection tube on the periphery of the stage of the thermal conditioning device so as not to reduce the heat exchange surface area with the energy storage unit 6.

[0083] The tongue 54 is pierced by two through holes (not shown in the drawings), each of which allows the cooling fluid channel of the second stage to be connected to one of the first and second tubes 50A, 50B. Figure 1 As shown, the cover 58 is configured to direct cooling fluid in a manner similar to the function of the bypass channels 46, 47 of the first distribution plate 20, in that they each allow cooling fluid to pass from one face 26 to the other face 28 of the support plate 18 of the first stage 10, or from one surface 32 to the other surface 34 of the support plate 22 of the second stage 12.

[0084] As can be understood from the above, in order to circulate in the second stage 12, the cooling fluid enters the thermal conditioning device 1 via the connection joint 36, which corresponds to the input at the first longitudinal end 2 of the thermal conditioning device 1. The cooling fluid circulates through the supply branch 301, and then a part of this cooling fluid circulates in one of the proximal bypass channels 46 and passes through one of the proximal orifices 48 of the first support plate 18, so as to pass into the cooling fluid supply duct 40A of the additional plate 38. The cooling fluid present in this supply duct 40A can then circulate in the first stage 10 without being distributed to the cooling of the electrical energy storage cells 8 located in this first stage 10, this type of cooling being performed in parallel by the part of the cooling fluid that is not transferred to the proximal bypass channel previously described and that circulates in the cooling fluid circulation channel 30 defined between the first support plate 18 and the first distribution plate 20. When it reaches the second end 44 of the additional plate 38, the cooling fluid present in this supply duct 40A passes through one of the distal orifices 49 of the first support plate 18, such as to circulate in one of the distal bypass channels 47. The distal bypass channel 47 opens into a first tube 50A which participates in forming a connection means between the first stage 10 and the second stage 12. In this second stage 12, the cooling fluid circulates as close as possible to the second portion 16 of the energy storage cell 6, in this case between the second support plate 22 and the second distribution plate 24, in order to cool this second portion 16 of the energy storage cell 6.

[0085] The cooling fluid then exits the second stage by means of the second pipe 50B, for which purpose it passes through one of the through holes provided in the tongue 54. After having passed the first support plate 18, the cooling fluid circulates in the distal bypass channel 47, facing the second face 28 of the first support plate 18, until the cooling fluid discharge duct 40B of the additional plate 38, to which it reaches via another distal orifice 49 provided in the first support plate 18. The cooling fluid then circulates in the additional plate 38 along the first face 26 of the first support plate 18, from the second end 44 of the additional plate 38 until its first end 42, and then enters via another proximal orifice 4 another proximal bypass channel 46 located at the first end 42. The cooling fluid then reaches the connection joint 36 dedicated to discharge and then leaves the thermal conditioning device 1.

[0086] A second embodiment of the present invention will now be described. Figure 3 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 The heat conditioning device 1 according to the second embodiment differs from the heat conditioning device 1 according to the first embodiment in that the connecting means in the form of a tube 50 fluidically connecting the first stage 10 and the second stage 12 are no longer located near the second longitudinal end 4 of the heat conditioning device 1. Figure 3 4, these tubes 50 are located between the electrical energy storage cells 8, between the first longitudinal end 2 and the second longitudinal end 4, in a central region 60 of the thermal conditioning device 1. This central region 60 is not shown in this case equidistant from the first and second longitudinal ends 2, 4, but closer to the second longitudinal end 4. However, it should be understood that other arrangements of the tubes 50 between the first longitudinal end 2 and the second longitudinal end 4 are also possible. The arrangement of the tubes 50 depends on the longitudinal dimension of the second stage 12, and these tubes 50 extend vertically and open near the longitudinal ends of this second stage 12.

[0087] In this second embodiment, the additional plate 38 has reduced dimensions measured in the longitudinal direction relative to the dimensions of the additional plate 38 of the first embodiment, due to the specific arrangement of the tube 50. In this case, the additional plate 38 extends from the first longitudinal end 2, where the first end 42 is located, to the tube 50, where the second end 44 is located.

[0088] Especially in Figure 3 and 7 It can be seen that the tongue 54 is no longer cantilevered relative to the projection 52 in the vertical stacking direction E; it is now oriented towards the first longitudinal end 2 of the thermal regulator 1 so that it overhangs the additional plate 38, more specifically the second end 44 thereof.

[0089] The heat conditioning device 1 according to the second embodiment also differs from the first embodiment in that the tube 50 is directly connected to the additional plate 38. In other words, the tube 50 is positioned between the second stage 2 and the additional plate 38, in particular Figure 7 and 8 Visible in.

[0090] The tube 50 leads to the additional plate 38 by means of a perforation 62 provided in the additional plate 38. More specifically, the additional plate 38 has a perforation 62 provided on its cooling fluid supply conduit 40A, and a perforation 62 provided on its cooling fluid discharge conduit 40B, as shown in FIG. Figure 8 As shown. The perforations 62 positioned on the cooling fluid supply conduit 40A are connected to the first tube 50A, while the perforations 62 positioned on the cooling fluid exhaust conduit 40B are connected to the second tube 50B. Due to these perforations 62, the cooling fluid flows directly from the circulation conduit 40 formed in the additional plate 38 to the tube 50 of the connecting device without passing through the first support plate 18 in order to flow in the bypass channel. Therefore, the distal orifice and the distal bypass channel of the first embodiment are not present in the thermal regulating device according to the second embodiment. With this exception, the circulation of the cooling fluid from one connecting joint to another within the thermal regulating device, wherein a portion of the cooling fluid is transferred through the additional plate to supply the second stage, remains the same as described for the first embodiment.

[0091] Now refer to Figure 4 and 9 A third embodiment is described. In this third embodiment, the heat conditioning device 1 comprises a first additional plate 38A and a second additional plate 38B. These first and second additional plates 38B, 38B each extend on the periphery of the first support plate 18 and no longer extend centrally as was the case in the first two embodiments. The first additional plate 38A and the second additional plate 38B are symmetrical on a longitudinal-vertical plane that divides the heat conditioning device 1 into two substantially equal parts.

[0092] Unlike the first and second embodiments, the additional plates 38A, 38B of the third embodiment comprise only a single duct for the circulation of a cooling fluid 40. Thus, the first additional plate 38A defines a cooling fluid supply duct 40A, while the second additional plate 38B defines a cooling fluid exhaust duct 40B. It should therefore be understood that the first additional plate 38A serves the purpose of conveying the cooling fluid to the second stage 12, and that the second additional plate 38B is dedicated to its exhaustion once it has cooled the electrical energy storage cells 8 positioned on the second stage 12.

[0093] Thus, these additional plates 38A, 38B are not straight as for the first two embodiments, but they have a substantially right-angled bend so as to follow the perimeter, and in particular the corners, of the rectangular first support plate 18. Thus, each additional plate 38A, 38B comprises a first portion extending along the first longitudinal end 2 of the thermal conditioning device 1, a second portion extending along the second longitudinal end 4, and a third portion connecting these first and second portions and extending in the longitudinal direction.

[0094] Other features described for the first embodiment, in particular those of these features relating to the connection means, are applicable to the third embodiment, provided they are not incompatible with the third embodiment. Fig. 9 As shown, in this third embodiment, the connection means is positioned at the second longitudinal end 4 of the heat regulating device 1, and the tubes 50 constituting it are positioned facing the first and second additional plates 38A, 38B, wherein the first tube 50A faces the first additional plate 38A, and the second tube 50B faces the second additional plate 38B. The first tube 50A and the second tube 50B each open into a distal bypass channel 47, so that they can be fluidically connected to the first additional plate 38A and the second additional plate 38B, respectively.

[0095] The invention therefore proposes a thermal regulation device capable of cooling, with a single closed cooling fluid circuit, the first stage and the second stage of a single energy storage cell, through the presence of an additional plate added to the surface of the first stage, making it possible to divert part of the cooling fluid and direct it to the second stage, without the temperature of this second stage being adversely altered by variations in the heat of the cells of the energy storage cell during its circulation along the first stage.

[0096] However, the present invention is not limited to the devices and configurations described and shown here, but also extends to all equivalent devices and configurations, and any technical operational combinations of these devices.

Claims

1. A thermal conditioning device (1) for cooling an energy storage device (6) by means of a cooling fluid, comprising a first stage (10) configured to contact a first portion (14) of the energy storage unit (6), and a second stage (12) configured to contact a second portion (16) of the energy storage unit (6), the second stage (12) being at least partially offset relative to the first stage (10) in a vertical stacking direction (E), the first stage (10) comprising a first support plate (18) and a first distribution plate (20), the first support plate (18) having a first face (26) designed to contact the energy storage unit (6) ) and a second face (28) opposite to the first face (26), the first distribution plate (20) contacts the second face (28) and is locally deformed to define a cooling fluid circulation channel (30) for circulating a cooling fluid, the thermal regulating device (1) is characterized in that the thermal regulating device includes at least one additional plate (38) positioned against the first face (26) of the first support plate (18) and defining at least one cooling fluid circulation channel (40) for circulating the cooling fluid, the first stage (10) and the second stage (12) being fluidically connected via the additional plate (38) and a connecting device (50).

2. The heat conditioning device (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The connection device comprises two vertical tubes (50, 50A, 50B).

3. The heat conditioning device (1) according to claim 2, wherein: The tube (50, 50A, 50B) is positioned between the first support plate (18) and the second stage (12).

4. The heat conditioning device (1) according to claim 2, wherein: The tube (50, 50A, 50B) is positioned between the additional plate (38) and the second stage (12).

5. A thermal conditioning device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The additional plate (38) has a first end (42) and a second end (44) opposite to each other in the main extension direction of the additional plate (38), wherein at least the first end (42) is positioned to abut against the first support plate (18) facing at least one proximal orifice (48) provided in the first support plate (18), and the additional plate (38) is connected to a proximal bypass channel (46) through the proximal orifice, and the proximal bypass channel (46) is formed by a protrusion of the first distribution plate (20) and forms a bypass of the cooling fluid circulation channel (30).

6. The heat conditioning device (1) according to claim 5, wherein: The additional plate (38) is in fluid communication with the second stage (12) and the connecting device (50) at its second end (44) by means of at least one distal bypass channel (47) formed by a protrusion of the first distribution plate (20), the first end of the distal bypass channel covering one of the orifices (49) of the support plate (18), which is covered by the additional plate (38) on the other side of the first support plate (18), and the connecting device (50) also opens into the distal bypass channel (47) at the second end of the distal bypass channel (47).

7. The heat conditioning device (1) according to claim 5, wherein: The additional plate (38) is in direct fluid communication with the connecting device (50) at its second end, on its face opposite to the first support plate (18), by means of at least one, preferably two, through-holes (62) provided in the second end (44) of the additional plate.

8. A thermal conditioning device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The additional plate (38) comprises two cooling fluid circulation ducts (40) for circulating cooling fluid, which preferably extend in the vicinity of each other at a central position of the first stage (10) and include a cooling fluid supply duct (40A) and a cooling fluid exhaust duct (40B).

9. The heat conditioning device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The additional plate is formed of two distinct parts, including a first additional plate (38A) and a second additional plate (38B) extending along the opposite edge of the first support plate (18).

10. The heat conditioning device (1) according to claim 9, wherein: The fluid passage cross section of the cooling fluid circulation duct (40) defined by the additional plate (38) is the same as the fluid passage cross section of the cooling fluid circulation channel (30) provided between the first support plate (18) and the first distribution plate (20) in the first stage.

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