Device for temperature control loop

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for a temperature control circuit, comprising a housing (2) in which at least one channel (3) for conveying a temperature control medium is formed, the walls of the housing (2) being formed from metal sheets.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a device for a temperature control circuit, comprising a housing in which at least one channel for conveying a temperature control medium is formed. Background Art

[0002] Such a device is known, for example, from US 2019 / 0039440 A1. The device shown in this application is used in electric vehicles, in which particularly high demands are made on the air conditioning device. In electric vehicles, only limited installation space is available and the air conditioning device must be designed to be particularly compact. In addition to the passenger compartment, other components may also need to be temperature-controlled, such as the electric motor, power electronics, charging devices and batteries.

[0003] Electric vehicles have optimum efficiency only within a limited temperature range, so it may be necessary to heat or cool components connected to the air conditioning system, depending on the climate conditions and the required output. This requires complex component control and complex guidance of the temperature control medium, so the device has several fluid channels and is equipped with several valves. It is known in the prior art to provide a conduit device in the form of a casting, in which a plurality of fluid channels are formed. However, such a housing is relatively expensive to manufacture.

[0004] Temperature control, in particular cooling, can be performed by a refrigerant circuit in which a temperature control medium in the form of a refrigerant circulates, for example CO2 (R722), a halogenated hydrocarbon (R1234yf) or a hydrocarbon, for example propane (R290). For a refrigerant circuit based on CO2 refrigerant, a system pressure of 170 bar inside the circuit is higher. At a pressure of 1 bar to 35 bar, the temperature range for CO2-based refrigerants is between -40°C and 180°C, and the temperature range for hydrocarbon-based refrigerants is between -20°C and 160°C. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the invention is to provide a device for a temperature control circuit which can be produced simply and cost-effectively.

[0006] This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. The dependent claims relate to advantageous embodiments.

[0007] The device according to the invention for a temperature control circuit comprises a housing in which at least one channel for conveying a temperature control medium is formed, wherein the wall of the housing is formed by a metal sheet.

[0008] The embodiment using sheet metal allows the housing to be manufactured particularly cost-effectively. Sheet steel and aluminium are particularly suitable for this purpose. Sheet metal is available in various steel and aluminium grades and wall thicknesses and is particularly easy to shape. Depending on the shape of the housing, the result is that the housing can withstand high mechanical and thermal stresses and is therefore also suitable for conveying CO2 as a refrigerant or temperature control medium.

[0009] Preferably, the housing has at least a first housing part and a second housing part. The housing parts can be manufactured separately and then combined to form the housing. This allows the housing to be designed with a very wide variety of shapes, so that the device can be optimally adapted to the available installation space and temperature control requirements. For embodiments with more than two housing parts, a plurality of channels separated from each other can be formed in a particularly simple manner.

[0010] In particular, the housing part can be formed as a deep-drawn part or a stamped part. In this embodiment, a plate-like sheet material part is first provided and formed into the desired shape by deep drawing or stamping. Several openings can be formed in the housing, in particular, the openings in the housing part can be formed at one time together with the above-mentioned forming process. This reduces the production steps required to manufacture the device and therefore also reduces costs. The housing part can also be formed as a turned or milled part, in particular if higher tolerance requirements are adopted. In this case, it is particularly conceivable that the housing part is first produced by deep drawing and then the openings are formed in the housing part by turning or milling methods so as to achieve a particularly precise fit in the housing part. If the housing part is produced by stamping, the housing part can be reprocessed by turning or milling.

[0011] Functional elements may be arranged inside the housing and / or in the opening. Functional elements are, for example, valves, non-return valves, sensors, heat exchangers, expansion valves, etc.

[0012] The functional element can be arranged in the opening of the housing part in a form-fitting and / or materially bonded manner. In the case of materially bonded, the functional element is already connected to the housing in a media-tight manner via this connection. In the case of a form-fitting, a separate sealing element, such as an O-ring, can be provided. The sealing seat for the sealing element arranged in the housing part can be produced by stamping. This has the advantage that an additional manufacturing step for producing the sealing seat can be omitted.

[0013] A plurality of channels can be formed in the housing. This means that a plurality of temperature control media can be conducted through the device, or the temperature control medium of the cooling circuit can flow through the device in different physical states. It is conceivable that the refrigerant is conveyed between the condenser and the evaporator in a first channel; there, the refrigerant is in a liquid state. The transfer between the evaporator and the compressor can take place in a second channel, in which the refrigerant is in a gaseous state. The transfer can also take place in the direction of other components. It is also conceivable that an expansion valve is formed in the housing and assigned to a channel.

[0014] A separation element made of sheet metal may be arranged between the housing parts. Preferably, the separation element is formed such that it separates the channels. In a simple and low-cost embodiment, the sheet metal may be flat.

[0015] However, it is also conceivable that the partition element is three-dimensionally shaped. Forming such a shape can also be achieved using a stamping method. In principle, partition elements formed from sheet metal can be produced at low cost, and by means of a stamping method, partition elements with a wide variety of shapes can be produced. In addition to the stamping method, forming by deep drawing is also conceivable.

[0016] It is also conceivable that the partition element is formed as an internal heat exchanger. In this embodiment, it is advantageous if the partition element is shaped in a three-dimensional manner, resulting in an increased surface. This can be achieved by adding protrusions and depressions in the partition element, which protrusions and depressions can in particular take the shape of beads.

[0017] The internal heat exchanger allows thermal coupling of a portion of the refrigerant circuit extending between the evaporator and the compressor with a portion of the refrigerant circuit extending between the condenser and the expansion valve, and the efficiency of the refrigerant circuit can be improved by the internal heat exchange.

[0018] The housing parts can be connected to each other via a welded joint or a soldered joint. This material bonding ensures that the housing parts are media-tight and cannot be separated.

[0019] Optionally, the housing parts can be connected to each other by means of a screw connection. In this respect, at least one sealing element is preferably arranged between the housing parts. Using a screw connection to connect the housing parts is more expensive than designing a form-fit connection. However, the advantage is that the housing parts can be disassembled non-destructively. The sealing element arranged between the housing parts forms a medium-tight connection between the housing parts.

[0020] The device can form a distribution structure for an air conditioning system. The device distributes a temperature control medium to the components connected to the device. By integrating valves in the form of switching valves, proportional valves or non-return valves, the temperature control medium can be delivered to the connected components as required.

[0021] In particular, it is conceivable that the device forms a distribution structure of an air conditioning system of an electric vehicle. In an electric vehicle, the distribution structure can optionally control the temperature of the interior and / or components of an electric drive of the electric vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] An embodiment of the device is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each of the drawings:

[0023] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the device;

[0024] Figure 2 is a plan view of the device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The drawing shows a device 1 for a temperature control circuit. The device 1 forms part of a refrigerant circuit in an air conditioning system and serves as a distribution structure. The device 1 comprises a housing 2 in which at least one channel 3 is formed for conveying a temperature control medium. In this case, the temperature control medium is a refrigerant, in particular CO2 (R744) or a halogenated hydrocarbon (R1234yf). The device 1 guides the refrigerant to the various components of the refrigerant circuit.

[0026] The components of the refrigerant circuit can be directly connected to the shell 2. Depending on the available installation space and the distance between the components, the components can also be connected to the shell 2 via pipes.

[0027] The components of the refrigerant circuit are specifically heat exchangers, evaporators, coolers, condensers, gas coolers, battery cooling plates, compressors and accumulators. These components can be selectively controlled and supplied with refrigerant by the device 1 .

[0028] The wall of the housing 2 is formed by a metal plate. In the present embodiment, the metal plate is a steel plate with a wall thickness of 3 mm. Preferably, the wall thickness of the housing 2 is between 1 mm and 5 mm.

[0029] The housing 2 has a first housing part 4 and a second housing part 5, wherein the housing parts 4, 5 are formed as stamped parts. A plurality of openings 6 are formed in the housing parts 4, 5 and thus in the housing 2. The shaping of the housing parts 4, 5 and the formation of the openings 6 are carried out in a single step using a stamping method. In order to manufacture the housing parts 4, 5, a plate-like sheet is first provided and formed by stamping. The stamping of the outer contour of the housing parts 4, 5, the three-dimensional shaping and the formation of the openings 6 in the housing parts 4, 5 are performed in a single working step.

[0030] In the present embodiment, the housing parts 4, 5 are connected to one another in a materially bonded manner by means of a welded joint. Alternatively, it is conceivable to connect the housing parts 4, 5 to one another by means of a soldered connection. In a further alternative embodiment, the housing parts 4, 5 can be connected to one another by means of a screw connection. At least in the case of a screw connection, a sealing element in the form of a flat seal or a sealing element in the form of a sealing contour applied to one housing part is arranged between the housing parts 4, 5.

[0031] The functional elements 7 include sensors in the form of temperature sensors, pressure sensors and volume flow sensors, and valves in the form of solenoid switching valves, directional control valves, pressure reducing valves and non-return valves.

[0032] A separation element 8 made of sheet metal is arranged between the housing parts 4, 5. The separation element 8 separates the two channels 3, 3' from each other. The separation element 8 thus allows a plurality of channels 3, 3' to be arranged within the housing 2.

[0033] The partition element 8 is formed of a metal plate, in particular a steel plate, and has a wall thickness of 1 mm. In the present embodiment, bead-like protrusions and depressions are provided on the partition element 8, which serves as an internal heat exchanger. In an alternative embodiment, the partition element 8 is plate-shaped.

[0034] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a device 1 is shown with a housing 2, which consists of two housing parts 4, 5 connected to each other by material bonding. An opening 6 is provided on the housing 2, wherein a functional element 7 in the form of two switching valves and a non-return valve is arranged in the opening 6. The functional element 7 is inserted into the opening 6 and connected to the housing 2 in a media-tight manner using an O-ring seal. In addition, an opening is also provided on the partition element 8, so that the functional element 7 can pass through the partition element 8 and connect the channels 3, 3' to each other.

[0035] Figure 2 The details are shown according to Figure 1The present invention relates to a housing 2 of a device 1, wherein the housing part 4 does not extend completely over the housing 2. A flat partition element 8 is arranged between the housing parts 4, 5. The housing part 4 does not completely cover the partition element 8, so that the partition element 8 also partially serves as an outer wall of the housing 2. This design is particularly space-saving.

Claims

1. A device (1) for a temperature control circuit, comprising a housing (2) in which at least one channel (3) for conveying a temperature control medium is formed, characterized in that: The wall of the housing (2) is formed by metal sheet.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The housing (2) comprises at least a first housing component (4) and a second housing component (5).

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The housing parts (4, 5) are formed as deep-drawn parts or stamped parts.

4. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that A plurality of openings (6) are provided in the housing (2).

5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that The functional element (7) is arranged in the opening (6).

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that A plurality of fluid channels (3, 3') are formed in the housing (2).

7. The device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that A separation element (8) made of sheet metal is arranged between the housing parts (4, 5).

8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that The partition element (8) separates the plurality of channels (3, 3').

9. The device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that The partition element (8) is formed as an internal heat exchanger.

10. The device according to any one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that The housing parts (4, 5) are connected to each other via welded joints or soldered joints.

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that The housing parts (4, 5) are connected to one another in a media-tight manner.

12. The device according to any one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that The housing parts (4, 5) are connected to each other via a threaded connection.

13. The device according to any one of claims 2 to 11, characterized in that At least one sealing element is arranged between the housing parts (4, 5).

14. A distribution structure for delivering a temperature control medium, comprising a device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

15. A refrigerant circuit for an electric vehicle, comprising the distribution structure according to claim 14.

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