Apparatus for leak detection in cooling system

Abstract

The present application relates to a device for leak detection in a cooling system, in particular a device (100) configured to detect a leakage of a liquid coolant from a cooling circuit (203) of a cooling system (200), such as a battery pack (300) in a vehicle, the device comprising:-a sensor assembly (104), the invention relates to a cooling circuit (100) comprising a sensor assembly (102) configured to measure an electrical parameter between an inlet (201) and an outlet (202) of the cooling circuit, the electrical parameter depending on an amount of liquid coolant present between the inlet and the outlet, where the sensor assembly comprises a pair of probes (101, 102), and an electronic control unit (103), the electronic control unit is configured to receive data including the measured electrical parameter from the sensor assembly and determine whether the measured electrical parameter between the inlet and the outlet is indicative of a leakage of liquid coolant from the cooling circuit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to leak detection in liquid cooling systems such as in vehicles. In particular aspects, the present disclosure relates to a device configured to detect leakage of liquid coolant from a cooling circuit, a cooling system, a battery pack, a vehicle, and a method for detecting leakage of liquid coolant from a cooling circuit. The present disclosure may be applicable to heavy vehicles such as trucks, buses, and construction equipment, as well as other vehicle types. The present disclosure may also be applicable to marine vessels and in stationary applications. Although the present disclosure may be described with respect to a particular vehicle, the present disclosure is not limited to any particular vehicle. Background Art

[0002] In fully electric or partially electric vehicles, batteries are provided for storing the electrical energy required for the propulsion of the vehicle. The batteries require cooling to maintain the desired operating temperature of the battery cells and to protect them from overheating. Liquid cooling systems are usually provided for this purpose, wherein a liquid coolant is used to efficiently dissipate the heat generated by the battery cells. However, leakage of the liquid coolant from the cooling system may lead to a short circuit and severe damage to the battery, and as a result, a dangerous situation may occur. Therefore, it is crucial that leaks from such liquid cooling systems can be detected quickly and reliably. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus configured to detect leakage of liquid coolant from a cooling circuit, the apparatus comprising: - a sensor assembly configured to measure an electrical parameter between an inlet and an outlet of the cooling circuit, the electrical parameter being dependent on the amount of liquid coolant present between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the sensor assembly comprises a pair of probes, and - an electronic control unit configured to receive data including a measured electrical parameter from the sensor assembly and to determine whether the measured electrical parameter between the inlet and the outlet indicates a leakage of liquid coolant from the cooling circuit.

[0004] A first aspect of the present disclosure may seek to provide an apparatus for detecting leakage of liquid coolant from a cooling circuit, such as in a cooling system for cooling a battery pack in a vehicle, in at least some aspects. Technical benefits may include leak detection in the presence of a slow and persistent leak and regardless of any isolated failure due to the leak.

[0005] Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, a pair of probes includes a first probe configured to be positioned in the inlet of a cooling circuit and a second probe configured to be positioned in the outlet of the cooling circuit. Technical benefits may include accurate measurement of electrical parameters (such as voltage) between the inlet and the outlet using the first probe and the second probe. In addition, when the inlet and outlet are the inlet and outlet of a cooling circuit in a battery pack, such placement of the probes makes it possible to install and / or replace the probes without having to disassemble the battery pack. Thus, repair, modification, and replacement may be facilitated.

[0006] Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, the sensor assembly is a voltage sensor assembly, such as a resistive voltage sensor or a capacitive voltage sensor. Thus, the measured electrical parameter is a voltage indicative of a resistance or capacitance between a pair of probes, the capacitance or resistance depending on the amount of liquid coolant within the cooling circuit. Technical benefits may include a space-efficient sensor assembly that provides fast and accurate detection of the amount of liquid coolant. In other examples, the sensor assembly may be a current sensor assembly.

[0007] Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, the electronic control unit is configured to determine whether the measured electrical parameter between the inlet and the outlet indicates a leak by determining the amount of liquid coolant within the cooling circuit using a model of the cooling circuit. The model may be a mathematical model of the cooling circuit. The model may relate the measured electrical parameter between the inlet and the outlet to the amount of coolant present within the cooling circuit (such as between the inlet and the outlet). Technical benefits may include that accurate determination of leaks may be achieved at the time of measurement without access to reference data.

[0008] Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, the model is a mathematical model that describes the amount of liquid coolant within the cooling circuit as a polynomial function of the measured electrical parameter between the inlet and the outlet. Technical benefits may include that a sufficiently accurate model may be achieved that is relatively computationally efficient. The order of the polynomial function may be selected so that a desired accuracy is achieved. The polynomial fit may be performed during a calibration process for a particular cooling circuit.

[0009] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the electronic control unit is configured to detect leakage of liquid coolant from the cooling circuit by comparing the determined amount of liquid coolant with a threshold value. Thus, a direct way of detecting leakage can be achieved.

[0010] Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, the electronic control unit is configured to determine whether the measured electrical parameter between the inlet and the outlet indicates a leak by using predetermined reference data. As an example, the reference data may be provided in a lookup table. The reference data may be data collected during a calibration process.

[0011] Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, the electronic control unit is configured to determine whether the measured electrical parameter between the inlet and the outlet indicates a leak by using predetermined reference data correlating the measured electrical parameter with the amount of liquid coolant. Optionally, the reference data may be provided in a lookup table.

[0012] Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, the sensor assembly is configured to continuously monitor an electrical parameter between the inlet and the outlet, or to measure an electrical parameter between the inlet and the outlet at a predetermined frequency.Technical benefits may include rapid and early detection of leaks.

[0013] Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, the electronic control unit is further configured to determine the amount of liquid coolant leakage from the cooling circuit based on the measured electrical parameter. Technical benefits may include providing quantification of the leakage, thereby facilitating an operator to take appropriate action. A calibrated model, such as a mathematical model of the cooling circuit, may preferably be used for such quantitative determination.

[0014] Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, the apparatus is configured to detect a leak from the cooling circuit as liquid coolant circulates through the cooling circuit. Technical benefits may include that leaks may be detected during actual use of the cooling system rather than only during maintenance or similar operations.

[0015] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the cooling circuit is configured for cooling of the battery pack.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a cooling system is provided, the cooling system comprising: a cooling circuit having an inlet and an outlet; and the apparatus of the first aspect. The first probe is positioned in the inlet and the second probe is positioned in the outlet. The second aspect of the present disclosure may seek to provide a cooling system in which detection of leaks of liquid coolant is facilitated. Technical benefits may include that, due to the positioning of the probes in the inlet and the outlet, respectively, an accurate determination of the amount of liquid coolant in the cooling circuit can be made. Another technical benefit may include that the probes may be repaired, modified, and replaced without having to disassemble the components in which the cooling circuit is provided.

[0017] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a battery pack is provided. The battery pack comprises: a plurality of battery cells; a cooling circuit configured to cool the plurality of battery cells and having an inlet and an outlet for circulating a liquid coolant through the cooling circuit; and a device of the first aspect, configured to detect leakage of the liquid coolant from the cooling circuit. The battery pack may be a battery pack of a vehicle. A third aspect of the present disclosure may seek to provide a battery pack in which the risk of short circuit and severe damage to the battery pack due to, for example, thermal runaway may be mitigated. Technical benefits may include the ability to achieve rapid and early detection of leakage of the liquid coolant, thereby reducing the risk of overheating of the battery pack.

[0018] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided, the vehicle comprising: a cooling system according to the second aspect; and / or a battery pack according to the third aspect. The vehicle may comprise a plurality of battery packs according to the third aspect. The vehicle may be an electric vehicle comprising at least one battery pack configured to provide power for vehicle propulsion.

[0019] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a method for detecting leakage of liquid coolant from a cooling circuit is provided. The method comprises: - using a sensor assembly comprising a pair of probes to measure an electrical parameter between the inlet and the outlet of the cooling circuit, - in the electronic control unit, receiving data comprising the measured electrical parameter from the sensor assembly, and - In the electronic control unit, determining whether the measured electrical parameter between the inlet and the outlet indicates a leakage of liquid coolant from the cooling circuit. The advantages and advantageous features associated with the fifth aspect are largely similar to those of the first aspect. The method is particularly useful for detecting leaks from a coolant circuit such as a battery pack in a vehicle.

[0020] Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, determining whether the measured electrical parameter between the inlet and the outlet indicates a leak includes using a model of the cooling circuit to determine an amount of liquid coolant within the cooling circuit.

[0021] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the method further comprises determining, in the electronic control unit, an amount of liquid coolant leakage from the cooling circuit based on the measured electrical parameter.

[0022] The disclosed aspects, examples (including any preferred examples), and / or the appended claims may be appropriately combined with each other, which is obvious to any person skilled in the art. Additional features and advantages are disclosed in the following description, claims, and drawings, and in part will be obvious to those skilled in the art or recognized by practicing the disclosure as described herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Examples are described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 is an exemplary vehicle in which the apparatus according to examples of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0025] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a battery pack including an apparatus according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a sensor assembly according to an example.

[0027] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary computer system for implementing the examples disclosed herein, according to an example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The detailed description set forth below provides information and examples of the disclosed technology in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure.

[0030] Battery packs require cooling to maintain the desired operating temperature of the battery cells within the battery pack and to protect them from overheating. This is particularly important in electric vehicle applications, where overheating of the battery pack used for propulsion of the vehicle may result in serious risks to the driver and / or occupants of the vehicle. Liquid cooling systems are typically provided for cooling of battery packs, wherein a liquid coolant is used to dissipate the heat generated by the battery cells. The cooling circuit of the liquid cooling system may be close to the battery cell arrangement so that the cooling is as efficient as possible. However, a risk associated with such liquid cooling systems is that leakage of the liquid coolant from the cooling circuit may result in a short circuit of the battery cells and thereby lead to damage to the battery pack and potentially hazardous situations. It is therefore crucial that leaks from such liquid cooling systems can be detected quickly and reliably.

[0031] Figure 1A vehicle 1 according to an example of the present disclosure is schematically shown. The vehicle 1 is in the form of a heavy truck, which includes at least one battery pack 300, which provides power for propulsion of the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 can be a partially electric or fully electric vehicle, and it can include several battery packs 300, such as two, three or four battery packs. However, the present disclosure is not only applicable to this type of vehicle, but can also be used for many other types of electrically operated vehicles and vessels, such as other trucks, buses, passenger cars, construction equipment, including but not limited to wheel loaders, dump trucks, excavators, etc. The present disclosure is also applicable to fixed applications including battery packs, such as fixed machinery and / or fixed energy sources for providing power to electrical equipment.

[0032] Figure 2 Such as Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a battery pack 300 and a liquid cooling system 200 configured to cool the battery pack 300 is shown. The battery pack 300 includes a plurality of battery cells 301, such as hundreds of battery cells 301, arranged in a housing 302 of the battery pack 300. The battery cells 301 can be connected in series and / or in parallel to provide an output DC voltage having a desired voltage level. Suitably, the battery cells 301 are of lithium-ion type, but other types may also be used. The number of battery cells 301 per battery pack 300 may typically be in the range of 50 to 500 battery cells. The battery cells 301 may be grouped in battery modules (not shown) within the housing 302, the battery modules being connected in series or in parallel.

[0033] The liquid cooling system 200 includes at least one conduit 205 configured for circulation of a liquid coolant through a cooling circuit 203 passing through the battery pack 300. Common liquid coolants that can be used include, for example, ethylene glycol-based liquid coolants and propylene glycol-based liquid coolants. The cooling system 200 may also include a heat exchanger 206 for cooling the liquid coolant within the conduit 205. The heat exchanger 206 may be any type of heat exchanger suitable for the purpose, such as a liquid-liquid heat exchanger or an air-liquid heat exchanger. One or more pumps 204 may be provided for circulating the liquid coolant within the conduit 205.

[0034] The cooling circuit 203 passing through the battery pack 300 includes an inlet 201, through which liquid coolant enters the cooling circuit 203, and an outlet 202, through which liquid coolant exits the cooling circuit 203. The cooling circuit 203 is schematically shown herein as a straight conduit, but of course, the cooling conduit can have any shape suitable for cooling the battery cells 301 within the battery pack 300. The cooling conduit 203 can include a single branch, which can be arranged to pass through all of the battery cells 301, or in some cases, include multiple branches, for example, one branch for each battery module within the battery pack 300.

[0035] Also provided is an apparatus 100 configured to detect leakage of liquid coolant from a cooling circuit 203 within a battery pack 300. The apparatus 100 includes a sensor assembly configured to measure an electrical parameter between an inlet 201 and an outlet 202 of the cooling circuit 203, the electrical parameter being dependent on the amount of liquid coolant present between the inlet 201 and the outlet 202. The electrical parameter may be, for example, a resistance or a capacitance between the inlet 201 and the outlet 202. The sensor assembly includes a pair of probes 101, 102, which are herein a first voltage probe 101 positioned in the inlet 201 and a second voltage probe 102 positioned in the outlet 202.

[0036] An electronic control unit 103 is also provided, which is configured to receive data including measured electrical parameters from the sensor assembly and determine whether the measured electrical parameters between the inlet 201 and the outlet 202 indicate leakage of liquid coolant from the cooling circuit 203. The electronic control unit 103 may be an electronic control unit of the battery pack 300, or a separate electronic control unit. When the vehicle 1 includes several battery packs 300, a single electronic control unit 103 may be used to determine leakage of liquid coolant from several cooling circuits 203, or one electronic control unit per battery pack 300 / cooling system 200 may be provided. The electronic control unit 103 may be included in a computer system, which will be referred to below. Figure 5 The computer system is described in detail.

[0037] Figure 3A sensor assembly 104 in the form of a resistive voltage sensor assembly is shown which can be used to measure the resistance between an inlet 201 and an outlet 202 by applying a reference voltage V_ref and measuring an output voltage V_out. The voltage probes 101, 102 detect a voltage drop across a cooling circuit 203, which has a variable resistance R1 that depends on the amount of coolant within the cooling circuit 203. A fixed resistance R2 is provided between the second probe 102 and ground, and an amplifier 105 is arranged to buffer the input signal. The output voltage V_out will depend on the amount of coolant within the cooling circuit 203. If a leak occurs, the output voltage V_out will change. Thus, the resistive voltage sensor assembly 104 can be used in Figure 2 The device 100 is shown.

[0038] In other examples, the sensor assembly may be a capacitive voltage sensor assembly, or a current sensor assembly, or any other type of sensor assembly that may be used to determine an electrical parameter indicative of the amount of liquid present within the cooling circuit 203. Regardless of which type of sensor assembly is used, it may be configured to continuously monitor the electrical parameter between the inlet 201 and the outlet 202, or to measure the electrical parameter between the inlet 201 and the outlet 202 at a predetermined frequency. Thus, monitoring and detection may be performed during actual use of the cooling system 200, such as when the vehicle 1 is traveling and the battery pack 300 is providing propulsion power.

[0039] Prior to determining whether the measured electrical parameter between the inlet 201 and the outlet 202 indicates leakage of liquid coolant from the cooling circuit 203 , the measurement data from the sensor assembly may be filtered to remove high frequency noise.

[0040] The electronic control unit 103 may be configured to determine whether the measured electrical parameter between the inlet 201 and the outlet 202 indicates a leak by determining the amount of liquid coolant within the cooling circuit 203 using a model of the cooling circuit 203. The model may be a mathematical model that describes the amount of liquid coolant within the cooling circuit 203 as a function (such as a polynomial function) of the electrical parameter measured between the inlet 201 and the outlet 202. As an example, when the sensor assembly 104 is a voltage sensor assembly, the polynomial function may be represented as f(V_out)=a n V_out n +a n-1 V_out n-1 +...+a 1 V_out+a 0。

[0041] The order of the polynomial function can be set to ensure an accurate model of the amount of liquid coolant as a function of the voltage V_out. 0 ,……,a n The determination of can be determined by optimization based on laboratory data collected during calibration of the device 100 for a particular cooling system 200. For example, the coefficients can be found by minimizing the following: (sum i ||f(V_out i )-m i || 2 ), where V_out i is the measured voltage, and m i is the coolant dosage, i=1, 2, …, n.

[0042] The model may be stored in the electronic control unit 103 and used for the determination of leaks. When the vehicle 1 includes several battery packs 300, the model may be calibrated for the cooling circuit 203 of each battery pack 300. The model may also be determined and calibrated for the specific coolant used in the cooling system 200. Different liquid coolants may produce different polynomial functions.

[0043] The electronic control unit 103 may be configured to determine the amount of liquid coolant in the cooling circuit 203 by inputting the output voltage V_out into the calibrated model, and to detect leakage of the liquid coolant from the cooling circuit 203 by comparing the determined amount of liquid coolant with a threshold value. In this way, not only leakage but also the amount of liquid coolant that has leaked from the cooling circuit 203 may be detected.

[0044] In some examples, the electronic control unit 103 may instead be configured to determine whether the measured electrical parameter between the inlet 201 and the outlet 202 indicates a leak by using predetermined reference data relating the measured electrical parameter to the amount of liquid coolant, such as a voltage value obtained during a calibration process. The reference data may, for example, be provided as a lookup table to which the measured voltage is compared.

[0045] Figure 4 An example of a method for detecting the flow of liquid coolant from a cooling circuit 203 (such as from Figure 2 The method for leak detection of the coolant circuit 203 shown in FIG. 2 includes the following actions:

[0046] S1: Use a sensor assembly 104 comprising a pair of probes 101, 102 to measure an electrical parameter between the inlet 201 and the outlet 202 of the cooling circuit 203. The sensor assembly can be any of the types mentioned above. The sensor assembly 104 can monitor the electrical parameter continuously, or it can measure the electrical parameter at a predetermined frequency.

[0047] S2: In the electronic control unit 103, data including measured electrical parameters are received from the sensor assembly 104. The data may be filtered data or may be unfiltered data that is filtered in the electronic control unit 103 to remove high frequency noise.

[0048] S3: In the electronic control unit 103, it is determined whether the measured electrical parameter between the inlet 201 and the outlet 202 indicates leakage of liquid coolant from the cooling circuit 203. This may include using a model of the cooling circuit 203 to determine the amount of liquid coolant within the cooling circuit 203, as described in detail above, or this may include using reference data.

[0049] The method may further include determining, in the electronic control unit 103 , an amount of liquid coolant leakage from the cooling circuit 203 based on the measured electrical parameter.

[0050] Figure 5 4 is a schematic diagram of a computer system 400 for implementing the examples disclosed herein. The computer system 400 is adapted to execute instructions from a computer-readable medium to perform these and / or any of the functions or processes described herein. The computer system 400 may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines in a local area network (LAN), a controller area network (CAN), FlexRay, a local interconnect network (LIN), an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet. Although only a single device is shown, the computer system 400 may include any device collection that executes an instruction set (or multiple instruction sets) individually or jointly to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein. Therefore, any reference to a computer system, a computing system, a computer device, a computing device, a control system, a control unit, an electronic control unit (ECU), a processor device, a processing circuit, etc. in the present disclosure and / or claims includes a reference to one or more such devices that execute an instruction set (or multiple instruction sets) individually or jointly to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein. For example, the control system may include a single control unit or multiple control units that are connected to each other or otherwise communicatively coupled, so that any executed function can be distributed between the control units as needed. Additionally, such devices may communicate with each other or other devices through various system architectures, such as directly or via a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, etc.

[0051] Computer system 400 may include at least one computing device or electronic device that can include firmware, hardware and / or execute software instructions to implement the functionality described herein. Computer system 400 may include processing circuitry 402 (e.g., a processing circuit that includes one or more processor devices or control units), memory 404, and system bus 406. Computer system 400 may include at least one computing device with processing circuitry 402. System bus 406 provides interfaces for system components including, but not limited to, memory 404 and processing circuitry 402. Processing circuitry 402 may include any number of hardware components for performing data or signal processing or for executing computer code stored in memory 404. Processing circuitry 402 may include, for example, a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, a microcontroller unit (MCU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a circuit containing a processing component, a group of distributed processing components, a group of distributed computers configured for processing, or other programmable logic devices designed to perform the functions described herein, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. Processing circuitry 402 may also include computer executable code that controls the operation of a programmable device.

[0052] The system bus 406 can be any of several types of bus structures, which can also be interconnected to a memory bus (with or without a memory controller), a peripheral bus, and / or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. Memory data 404 can be one or more devices for storing and / or computer code to complete or facilitate the methods described herein. Memory 404 can include database components, object code components, script components, or other types of information structures for supporting various activities herein. Any distributed or local memory device can be utilized with the systems and methods of this specification. Memory 404 can be communicatively connected to processing circuit 402 (e.g., via circuit or any other wired, wireless, or network connection) and can include computer code for performing one or more processes described herein. The memory 404 may include nonvolatile memory 408 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), etc.) and volatile memory 410 (e.g., random access memory (RAM)) or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and accessed by a computer or other machine having the processing circuit 402. A basic input / output system (BIOS) 412 may be stored in the nonvolatile memory 408 and may include the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer system 400.

[0053] The computer system 400 may also include or be coupled to non-transitory computer-readable storage media such as storage device 414, which may include, for example, an internal or external hard disk drive (HDD) (e.g., Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics (EIDE) or Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA)), a HDD for storage (e.g., EIDE or SATA), flash memory, etc. The storage device 414 and other drives associated with computer-readable and computer-usable media may provide non-volatile storage of data, data structures, computer-executable instructions, etc.

[0054] The hard-coded or soft-coded computer code may be provided in the form of one or more modules. The module may be implemented as software and / or hard-coded in a circuit to implement the functionality described herein in whole or in part. The module may be stored in a storage device 414 and / or in a volatile memory 410 that may include an operating system 416 and / or one or more program modules 418. All or part of the examples disclosed herein may be implemented as a computer program 420 stored on a temporary or non-temporary computer-available or computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a single medium or multiple media) such as a storage device 414, which includes complex programming instructions (e.g., complex computer-readable program code) that cause the processing circuit 402 to perform the actions described herein. Therefore, the computer-readable program code of the computer program 420 may include software instructions for implementing the functionality of the examples described herein when executed by the processing circuit 402. In some examples, storage device 414 may be a computer program product (e.g., a readable storage medium) on which computer program 420 is stored, wherein at least a portion of computer program 420 may be loadable (e.g., loadable into a processor) for implementing the functionality of the examples described herein when executed by processing circuit 402. Processing circuit 402 may serve as a controller or control system of computer system 400 for implementing the functionality described herein.

[0055] The computer system 400 may include an input device interface 422 configured to receive input and selections to be communicated to the computer system 400 when executing instructions, such as from a keyboard, mouse, touch-sensitive surface, etc. Such input devices may be connected to the processing circuit 402 through an input device interface 422 coupled to the system bus 406, but may be connected through other interfaces such as a parallel port, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 serial port, a universal serial bus (USB) port, an IR interface, etc. The computer system 400 may include an output device interface 424 configured to forward output to a display, a video display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system 400 may include a communication interface 426 suitable for communicating with a network as appropriate or as needed.

[0056] The operational actions described in any of the exemplary aspects of this article are described to provide examples and discussions. The actions can be performed by hardware components, can be embodied in machine executable instructions so that a processor performs the actions, or can be performed by a combination of hardware and software. Although a specific order of method actions can be shown or described, the order of the actions can be different. In addition, two or more actions can be performed simultaneously or partially simultaneously.

[0057] In the following, possible features and feature combinations of the present disclosure are presented as a series of numbered examples.

[0058] Example 1: A device (100) configured to detect leakage of liquid coolant from a cooling circuit (203), the device (100) comprising: - a sensor assembly configured to measure an electrical parameter between an inlet (201) and an outlet (202) of the cooling circuit (203), the electrical parameter being dependent on the amount of liquid coolant present between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the sensor assembly comprises a pair of probes (101, 102), and - an electronic control unit (103) configured to receive data including measured electrical parameters from the sensor assembly (101, 102) and to determine whether the measured electrical parameters between the inlet (201) and the outlet (202) indicate leakage of liquid coolant from the cooling circuit (203).

[0059] Example 2: An apparatus as described in Example 1, wherein the pair of probes (101, 102) includes a first probe (101) configured to be positioned in the inlet (201) of the cooling circuit (203) and a second probe (102) configured to be positioned in the outlet (202) in the cooling circuit (203).

[0060] Example 3: The apparatus of Example 2, wherein the sensor assembly is a voltage sensor assembly.

[0061] Example 4: An apparatus as described in any of the preceding examples, wherein the electronic control unit (103) is configured to determine whether the measured electrical parameter between the inlet (201) and the outlet (202) indicates a leak by determining the amount of liquid coolant within the cooling circuit (203) using a model of the cooling circuit (203).

[0062] Example 5: The apparatus of Example 4, wherein the model is a mathematical model that describes the amount of liquid coolant within the cooling circuit (203) as a polynomial function of the electrical parameter measured between the inlet (201) and the outlet (202).

[0063] Example 6: The apparatus of Example 4 or 5, wherein the electronic control unit (103) is configured to detect leakage of the liquid coolant from the cooling circuit (203) by comparing the determined amount of liquid coolant with a threshold value.

[0064] Example 7: An apparatus as described in any of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the electronic control unit (103) is configured to determine whether the measured electrical parameter between the inlet (201) and the outlet (202) indicates a leak by using predetermined reference data that relates the measured electrical parameter to the amount of liquid coolant.

[0065] Example 8: An apparatus as described in any of the preceding examples, wherein the sensor assembly is configured to continuously monitor the electrical parameter between the inlet (201) and the outlet (202), or to measure the electrical parameter between the inlet (201) and the outlet (202) at a predetermined frequency.

[0066] Example 9: The apparatus of any of the preceding examples, wherein the electronic control unit (103) is further configured to determine an amount of liquid coolant leakage from the cooling circuit (203) based on the measured electrical parameter.

[0067] Example 10: The apparatus of any of the preceding examples, wherein the apparatus (100) is configured to detect a leak from the cooling circuit (203) when liquid coolant is circulated through the cooling circuit (203).

[0068] Example 11: An apparatus as described in any of the preceding examples, wherein the cooling circuit (203) is configured for cooling the battery pack (300).

[0069] Example 12: A cooling system comprising: a cooling circuit (203) having an inlet (201) and an outlet (202); and a device (100) as described in any one of Examples 1 to 11, wherein the first probe (101) is positioned in the inlet (201) and the second probe (102) is positioned in the outlet (202).

[0070] Example 13: A battery pack (300) comprising: a plurality of battery cells (301); a cooling circuit (203), the cooling circuit being configured to cool the plurality of battery cells (301) and having an inlet (201) and an outlet (202) for circulating a liquid coolant through the cooling circuit (203); and a device (100) as described in any one of Examples 1 to 11, the device being configured to detect leakage of the liquid coolant from the cooling circuit (203).

[0071] Example 14: A vehicle (1) comprising: a cooling system (200) according to Example 12; and / or a battery pack (300) according to Example 13.

[0072] Example 15: A method for detecting leakage of liquid coolant from a cooling circuit (203), comprising: - using a sensor assembly comprising a pair of probes (101, 102) to measure (S1) an electrical parameter between an inlet (201) and an outlet (202) of the cooling circuit (203), - in the electronic control unit (103), receiving (S2) data comprising the measured electrical parameter from the sensor assembly (104), and - In the electronic control unit (103), it is determined (S3) whether the measured electrical parameter between the inlet (201) and the outlet (202) indicates leakage of liquid coolant from the cooling circuit (203).

[0073] Example 16: The method of Example 15, wherein determining whether the measured electrical parameter between the inlet (201) and the outlet (202) indicates a leak comprises using a model of the cooling circuit (203) to determine an amount of liquid coolant within the cooling circuit (203).

[0074] Example 17: The method according to Example 15 or 16, further comprising determining, in the electronic control unit (103), an amount of liquid coolant leakage from the cooling circuit (203) based on the measured electrical parameter.

[0075] Example 18: A method according to any one of Examples 15 to 17, wherein the sensor assembly continuously monitors the electrical parameter between the inlet (201) and the outlet (202), or wherein the sensor assembly measures the electrical parameter between the inlet (201) and the outlet (202) at a predetermined frequency.

[0076] Example 19: The method of any one of Examples 15 to 18, wherein the method is performed while a liquid coolant is circulated through the cooling circuit (203).

[0077] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific aspects and are not intended to be limitations of the present disclosure. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It should also be understood that the terms "include" and / or "comprise" when used herein indicate the presence of stated features, integers, actions, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, actions, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their groups.

[0078] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. can be used to describe various elements in this article, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the first element can be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element can be referred to as the first element.

[0079] Relative terms such as "below" or "above" or "upper" or "lower" or "horizontal" or "vertical" may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element to another element as shown in the figures. It should be understood that these terms and the terms discussed above are intended to cover different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. It should be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, the element may be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there may be intervening elements. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no intervening elements.

[0080] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. It should also be understood that, unless otherwise clearly defined herein, the terms used herein should be interpreted as meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense.

[0081] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the aspects described above and shown in the accompanying drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims. In the drawings and description, various aspects have been disclosed for the purpose of illustration only and not for the purpose of limitation, and the scope of the present disclosure is set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device (100) configured to detect leakage of liquid coolant from a cooling circuit (203), the device (100) comprising: - a sensor assembly (104) configured to measure an electrical parameter between an inlet (201) and an outlet (202) of the cooling circuit (203), the electrical parameter being dependent on the amount of liquid coolant present between the inlet (201) and the outlet (202), wherein the sensor assembly (104) comprises a pair of probes (101, 102), and - an electronic control unit (103) configured to receive data including measured electrical parameters from the sensor assembly (101, 102) and to determine whether the measured electrical parameters between the inlet (201) and the outlet (202) indicate leakage of liquid coolant from the cooling circuit (203).

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pair of probes (101, 102) comprises a first probe (101) configured to be positioned in the inlet (201) of the cooling circuit (203) and a second probe (102) configured to be positioned in the outlet (202) in the cooling circuit (203).

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the sensor component (104) is a voltage sensor component.

4. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electronic control unit (103) is configured to determine whether the measured electrical parameter between the inlet (201) and the outlet (202) indicates a leak by determining an amount of liquid coolant within the cooling circuit (203) using a model of the cooling circuit (203).

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the model is a mathematical model describing the amount of liquid coolant within the cooling circuit (203) as a polynomial function of the electrical parameter measured between the inlet (201) and the outlet (202).

6. The apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the electronic control unit (103) is configured to detect leakage of the liquid coolant from the cooling circuit (203) by comparing the determined liquid coolant amount with a threshold value.

7. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the electronic control unit (103) is configured to determine whether the measured electrical parameter between the inlet (201) and the outlet (202) indicates a leak by using predetermined reference data relating the measured electrical parameter to an amount of liquid coolant.

8. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor assembly (104) is configured to continuously monitor the electrical parameter between the inlet (201) and the outlet (202), or to measure the electrical parameter between the inlet (201) and the outlet (202) at a predetermined frequency.

9. The arrangement of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electronic control unit (103) is further configured to determine a leakage amount of liquid coolant from the cooling circuit (203) based on the measured electrical parameter.

10. The device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (100) is configured to detect a leak from the cooling circuit (203) while liquid coolant is circulated through the cooling circuit (203).

11. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling circuit (203) is configured for cooling of a battery pack (300).

12. A cooling system comprising: a cooling circuit (203) having an inlet (201) and an outlet (202); And the device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, the first probe (101) is positioned in the inlet (201) and the second probe (102) is positioned in the outlet (202).

13. A battery pack (300), comprising: A plurality of battery cells (301); a cooling circuit (203), the cooling circuit being configured to cool the plurality of battery cells (301) and having an inlet (201) and an outlet (202) for circulating a liquid coolant through the cooling circuit (203); and a device (100) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, the device being configured to detect leakage of the liquid coolant from the cooling circuit (203).

14. A vehicle (1) comprising: The cooling system (200) according to claim 12; And / or the battery pack (300) according to claim 13.

15. A method for detecting leakage of liquid coolant from a cooling circuit (203), comprising: - using a sensor assembly (104) comprising a pair of probes (101, 102) to measure (S1) an electrical parameter between an inlet (201) and an outlet (202) of the cooling circuit (203), - in the electronic control unit (103), receiving (S2) data comprising the measured electrical parameter from the sensor assembly (104), and - In the electronic control unit (103), it is determined (S3) whether the measured electrical parameter between the inlet (201) and the outlet (202) indicates leakage of liquid coolant from the cooling circuit (203).

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