Cooling plate

Abstract

The invention relates to a cooling plate for a cooling device, in particular for cooling a battery, comprising: a first plate and a second plate which is sealingly connected to the first plate and which delimit a cooling channel between one another; a first cutout in the first plate and a second cutout in the second plate, the first cutout and the second cutout being arranged substantially aligned with each other in the case of an assembled cooling plate and thereby allowing passage through the cooling plate at this location; and a cover element which is detachably connected to the first plate and covers the first recess of the first plate, or which is detachably connected to the second plate and covers the second recess of the second plate. As a result, maintenance and / or repair costs can be significantly reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a cooling plate for a cooling device, which is used in particular for cooling a battery. The invention also relates to an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle having a component, a battery and a cooling device having at least one such cooling plate for temperature control of the battery. Background Art

[0002] For environmental reasons, electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles are gaining more and more attention from consumers and are accordingly becoming more and more common on the roads. In order to be able to increase the range and efficiency of such electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles, it is desirable to keep the traction battery of such electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles within an optimal temperature window for the traction battery, for which purpose temperature control devices, such as cooling devices, are used in a known manner.

[0003] Conventional temperature control / cooling devices have cooling plates which are arranged above, below or above and below the battery cells to be temperature controlled. So-called intermediate cell cooling is also known, in which the temperature control is not carried out above or below the battery cells, but at the sides of the battery cells.

[0004] Here, cooling plates can also be placed in the vehicle floor and assume additional functions there, such as primarily underbody protection against stone chips, so that such cooling plates are sometimes designed to be larger than actually required for cooling, which results in accessibility to other components being no longer possible or only possible to a limited extent.

[0005] Regardless of whether the cooling plate is used as a base or as a cover, the entire area below or above the cooling plate (in the battery housing) needs to be protected from the ingress of dirt and moisture. In the case of cooling plates below the battery cells (bottom cooling), access to other components is not possible or can only be achieved to a limited extent. Therefore, in the event of a failure of one of these components, the entire cooling plate must be disassembled. Since these components are usually joined to the battery cells (for example, glued together with gap fillers), this is extremely complex and expensive.

[0006] In the case of cooling plates above the battery cells (cover cooling), access to other components is not possible or is only possible to a limited extent.

[0007] Furthermore, for functional reasons, components with a high maintenance outlay or a high probability of failure are often installed directly next to the battery cells, which subsequently leads to considerable problems in the event of maintenance, since accessibility is significantly impaired. Summary of the invention

[0008] The present invention is therefore directed to the problem of specifying a cooling plate which, in particular, allows simplified maintenance of components arranged below the cooling plate.

[0009] This problem is solved according to the invention by the subject matter of independent claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0010] The invention is based on the general idea of ​​designing a cooling plate for a traction battery, for example, of an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, in particular also covering additional tasks, such as stone chip protection, in such a way that it allows simplified access to components arranged in the battery area and which in particular need to be replaced in a maintenance-intensive or periodic manner in a relatively simple manner, in particular without the need to remove the entire cooling plate of a cooling device from the battery or its cells for this purpose. In order to be able to optimally utilize the properties of a battery, in particular the properties of a traction battery of an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, it is necessary to operate the battery within an optimal temperature window, for which purpose a cooling device is usually provided. Of course, throughout the application, the term "cooling device" is to be understood as a temperature control device, so that the cooling device can not only cool but also, if necessary, heat the traction battery or its cells, if, for example, the external temperature is below the optimal temperature window for the battery cells. Of course, the same also applies to the cooling plate described in the present application, which is generally designed as a temperature control plate and can therefore also be used to heat the battery or batteries to be temperature-controlled by means of the cooling plate by means of a hot temperature control fluid flowing through it. Here, the cooling plate according to the invention has a first plate and a second plate connected to the first plate in a sealing manner, the first plate and the second plate delimiting a cooling channel between each other. Here, the first plate is provided with a pressed cooling channel, for example, and the second plate can be configured as a flat cover plate, for example, so that a cooling channel structure predetermined by the pressed portion can be realized between the first plate and the second plate. In addition, the cooling plate according to the invention has a first recess in its first plate and a second recess in its second plate, and in a position, in particular, when mounted on a battery / traction battery, the first recess and the second recess are arranged substantially aligned with each other and thus allow the cooling plate to be passed through (Durchgreifen) at this position. Therefore, the cooling plate configured in this way and arranged on the battery allows access to components arranged below the cooling plate, for example in the region of the recess. Now, according to the invention, the cooling plate has a covering element, which is connected to the first plate in a releasable manner and covers the first recess of the first plate, or the covering element is connected to the second plate in a releasable manner and covers the second recess of the second plate, depending on which of the two plates faces away from the battery. Thus, the first and / or second recess can be covered and, in particular, sealed by the covering element, so that, for example, a cooling plate arranged in the floor region of an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle can reliably protect a traction battery or other components from moisture and dirt. By making the covering element releasable from the first plate or the second plate, it can be achieved in a relatively simple manner that, in the case of maintenance or repair, components arranged, for example, below the first and second recesses can be accessed without first having to remove the entire cooling plate for this purpose.This is particularly advantageous since the cooling plate is usually bonded to the battery or battery cell to be temperature controlled by means of a thermally conductive adhesive (gap filler), which makes it extremely complicated and expensive to remove the entire cooling plate by detachment and to reapply the thermally conductive adhesive again. However, a detachable cover element allows a maintenance opening to be made accessible in a relatively simple manner, for example by unscrewing the cover element. The cover element is detachably connected to the first plate or the second plate in such a way that non-destructive disassembly is possible and that the first plate or the second plate in the assembled state seals the first or second recess against media, in particular dirt and splashing water.

[0011] In another advantageous embodiment of the cooling plate according to the present invention, the first plate and the second plate are glued, welded, screwed or brazed to each other. Roll bonding methods are also conceivable, in which two plates / sheets are joined to each other by rolling under high pressure. In the case of roll bonding, individual areas of the plates can be left free or treated with separating means so that the plates cannot be connected there.

[0012] The screwing with the corresponding seal in between, for example, allows the first and second plates to be opened or released from one another, which simplifies repair situations, in particular, in which only the second plate, for example near the bottom, is damaged, so that it can be easily replaced. Usually, the sealed connection of the two plates is achieved in a brazing furnace by means of a soldering connection, whereby not only a simple and reliable connection in terms of production technology but also an automated connection can be achieved. In principle, adhesive bonding is also conceivable, which likewise allows automated and therefore high-quality and at the same time cost-effective production.

[0013] In another advantageous embodiment of the cooling plate according to the invention, the first plate and / or the second plate are made of sheet metal, in particular aluminum sheet metal. Aluminum offers the following major advantages: on the one hand, it is light and on the other hand, it has a high thermal conductivity, thereby making it possible in particular to achieve a high heat transfer to the battery to be temperature-controlled. In this context, purely theoretically, it is of course also conceivable that the first plate is made of sheet metal, in particular aluminum sheet metal, and the second plate is made of plastic, wherein the second plate then serves as a bottom plate, for example, in the case of a lower bottom assembly of the cooling plate according to the invention. This offers the following major advantages: the heat transfer from the cooling plate via the first plate made of sheet metal, in particular aluminum sheet metal, to the battery / traction battery to be temperature-controlled is facilitated, while the heat transfer via the second plate made of plastic to the environment is impeded.

[0014] In another advantageous embodiment, the covering element is formed from a sheet metal, in particular an aluminum sheet metal. Forming the covering element from a sheet metal, in particular from the same material as the first or second plate on which the covering element is arranged, offers the great advantage that no potential differences occur between the covering element and the associated plate, which could lead to contact corrosion over a long period of time.

[0015] Alternatively, it is of course also conceivable to construct the covering element from plastic, in particular as a plastic injection-molded part, which not only allows cost-effective but also simultaneously very high-quality production of the covering element.

[0016] The covering element is expediently connected to the first plate or the second plate in a sealing manner. The sealing connection can be achieved, for example, by screwing with a corresponding seal in between, wherein such a screwing also allows the covering element to be removed in a relatively simple manner in the case of maintenance, i.e. by loosening a screw. Alternatively, clamping the covering element to the first plate or the second plate or gluing it in a releasable manner is also conceivable, wherein in all connection methods it should be ensured that the connection is implemented in a sealing, in particular fluid-tight manner, in order to protect not only the battery / traction battery arranged behind the cooling plate but also the components arranged behind the cooling plate from dirt and moisture. In the case of gluing, the bond is also formed in such a way that it can be released and can be easily reinstalled again.

[0017] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the cooling plate, the cover element has a reinforcement structure. Such a reinforcement structure can be produced, for example, by pressed grooves, recesses or the like, especially if the cover element is designed, for example, as a sheet metal part. In this case, the reinforcement structure can be pressed relatively easily.

[0018] The invention is also based on the following general idea: an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle is proposed, which has a component, a battery, in particular a traction battery, and a cooling device, which has at least one cooling plate described in the above paragraph for temperature control, in particular cooling, of the battery. In this case, the cooling plate is connected to the battery in a heat-transferring manner, in particular is bonded, wherein a covering element is arranged on the cooling plate in such a way that after removal of the covering element, access to the component is possible. For example, the component may be a component with a high probability of failure or a high maintenance cost, which in particular needs to be accessed not only in the case of maintenance, but also, for example, periodically. In this case, the use of the cooling plate according to the invention in the electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle according to the invention significantly simplifies the maintenance or repair of the electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle, because in order to access the component to be maintained or repaired, only the covering element needs to be removed from the first or second plate, while the cooling plate itself can remain on the battery, in particular on the traction battery. Compared to previous solutions, in which the entire cooling plate had to be removed and subsequently glued back to the battery, this is a considerable simplification, which also manifests itself in significantly reduced maintenance or repair costs.

[0019] The first and second recesses are expediently arranged in an area where less cooling of the battery and / or the component is required or only less cooling or even no cooling or temperature control is required. This offers the great advantage that in a normal use state in which the cover element is sealingly connected to the first or second plate, the recess located therebelow also does not negatively influence the cooling effect of the cooling plate. For example, the first and second recesses can be located in an area remote from the battery or the component which is simultaneously covered by the cooling plate only for the purpose of protecting the lower bottom. The arrangement of the two recesses in this area therefore does not influence the cooling effect of the cooling plate, but significantly simplifies access to the component in the case of maintenance.

[0020] Further important features and advantages of the invention emerge from the dependent claims, the drawings and the associated description of the figures based on the drawings.

[0021] It should be understood that the above-mentioned and the ones to be explained below can be used not only in the respectively given combination, but also in other combinations or alone, without departing from the framework of the present invention. The above-mentioned and the ones to be mentioned below individually marked components of a superordinate unit (such as a device, an apparatus or a component) can form a separate component or part of the unit or can be an integral region or section of the unit, even if this is shown in a different way in the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description, wherein identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar components or components having the same function.

[0023] The accompanying drawings schematically show:

[0024] Figure 1 The cooling plate according to the invention is shown in an exploded schematic view,

[0025] Figure 2 shows the assembled cooling plate with the cover element removed,

[0026] Figure 3 Shown with Figure 2 but with a sealingly mounted cover element,

[0027] Figure 4 A possible installation situation of a cooling plate according to the invention in an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle according to the invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] according to Figures 1 to 4 The cooling plate 1 according to the invention has a first plate 4 and a second plate 5 connected to the first plate in a sealing manner, the first plate and the second plate delimiting a cooling channel 6 between each other, and the cooling plate is used in particular for cooling a battery 2, in particular a battery in an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle 3, the battery being, for example, a traction battery 2a. In the present case, for example, the first plate 4 is designed as a pressed plate and has the cooling channel 6 as a recess, while the second plate 5 is designed as a flat cover plate, which only covers the cooling channel 6. Surface bonding to the battery 2 can be achieved via the flat second plate 5. In this case, a first recess 7 is arranged in the first plate 4, and a second recess 8 is arranged in the second plate 5, wherein, in the case of an assembled cooling plate 1, the two recesses 7, 8 are arranged substantially aligned with each other and thus allow penetration or access to the cooling plate 1 at this location. Furthermore, a covering element 9 is provided which is detachably connected to the first plate 4, in particular to the edge of the first recess 7 and covers the first recess 7, or which is detachably connected to the second plate 5 and covers the second recess 8 of the second plate. Figures 1 to 4 In the case shown, the covering element 9 is / can be connected to the first pane 4 in a releasable, sealing and fixed manner.

[0029] In all the descriptions of the figures, only reference is made to a cooling plate 1 which can of course be used not only for cooling but also for heating and thus in general for temperature control, for example of a battery 2 .

[0030] The two plates 4, 5 are here connected to each other in a sealing manner, for example by gluing, welding, soldering or screwing. Rolling joining methods are also conceivable, in which the two plates 4, 5 are joined to each other by rolling under high pressure. In the case of rolling joining, individual areas of the plates 4, 5 can be left free or treated with separating means so that the plates cannot be connected there.

[0031] The first plate 4 and / or the second plate 5 can be made of sheet metal, in particular aluminum sheet metal, whereby a high heat transfer can be achieved for cooling the battery 2. Purely theoretically, it is of course also conceivable that the first plate 4 or the second plate 5 is made of plastic, in particular as a plastic injection molded part, whereby the cooling plate 1 allows only a low heat transfer on its outer side facing away from the battery 2 to be temperature-controlled, whereby better temperature control of the battery 2, in particular better cooling of the battery, can be achieved.

[0032] The covering element 9 can again be made of plastic or also of sheet metal, for example of aluminum sheet metal, wherein in the case of a metal construction and also of the first plate 4 or the second plate 5 to which the covering element 9 is connected, it is advantageous to construct not only the covering element 9 but also the associated plates 4, 5 from the same material in order to avoid contact corrosion due to potential differences. Of course, a sealing element (not shown) can also be provided between the covering element 9 and the associated plates 4, 5 in order to reliably seal the first recess 7 or the second recess 8 against dirt and moisture.

[0033] If the covering element 9 is observed further, it can be seen that it has reinforcement structures 10, for example ribs, which impart greater rigidity to the covering element 9. For example, such reinforcement structures 10 can be produced simultaneously during the plastic injection molding process and / or in the case of a sheet metal construction can be pressed during the molding process with the aid of a molding tool.

[0034] The connection of the covering element 9 to the associated first plate 4 or second plate 5 is achieved, for example, by screwing or clamping or gluing, but in any case by a releasable and simultaneously sealed connection. In particular, the screwing of the covering element 9 to the first plate 4 or, in general, to the associated plate 4, 5 enables the associated plate to be removed in a relatively simple and non-destructive manner in the case of maintenance and repair, wherein the covering element 9 can be connected again in a sealing manner to the associated plate 4, 5 by simply screwing via a seal between the associated plate 4, 5 and the covering element 9, for example, via a seal injection-molded onto the covering element 9.

[0035] If you observe Figure 4, there can be seen an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle 3 according to the invention, which has a battery 2, for example a traction battery 2a for driving the electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle 3, in particular in the bottom region. The battery 2 is cooled by means of a cooling device 11, which also includes a cooling plate 1. Here, the cooling plate 1 is placed against the battery 2 to be cooled or to be temperature-controlled in a heat-transferring manner and is connected to the battery in a planar manner, for example, via a heat-conducting adhesive. In addition, the electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle 3 has a component 12, which does not have to be cooled or at least does not have to be cooled like the battery 2. Here, the component 12 can be, for example, a component with high maintenance costs or a high probability of failure, and therefore needs to be easily accessible in order to maintain the functionality of the electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle 3 for a long time. In this case, the invention proceeds from the cooling plate 1 according to the invention, the recesses 7, 8 of which are arranged in such a way that when the cover element 9 is removed, the component 12 can be easily accessible. Until now, it was necessary to remove the entire cooling plate 1 for this purpose, which resulted in the destruction of the heat-conducting adhesive connection between the cooling plate 1 and the battery 2 and the complicated re-installation of the adhesive connection. By means of the cover element 9 provided according to the invention, which tightly covers the recesses 7, 8 in the assembled state, accessibility, in particular accessibility for maintenance and repair purposes, can be significantly simplified, thereby significantly reducing the maintenance and repair costs. In this case, the recesses 7, 8 can be arranged in areas of the battery 2 or of the component 12 which, on the one hand, require only low temperature control costs, in particular cooling costs, and, on the other hand, need to be easily accessible in order to reduce the maintenance and repair costs.

[0036] In the cooling plate 1 according to the invention Figures 1 to 4 In the embodiment shown, the recesses 7 , 8 each have a substantially rectangular cross section, wherein the inlet 13 to the cooling channel 6 and the outlet 14 from the cooling channel 6 extend along the edges of the recesses 7 , 8 .

[0037] With the cooling plate 1 according to the invention and the electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle 3 according to the invention, the maintenance and repair costs can be significantly reduced, because in order to access the components to be maintained or repaired, only the cover element 9 needs to be removed and installed again after the maintenance or repair is completed, but the remaining cooling plate 1 can remain on the electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle 3. This offers the great advantage that the adhesive layer existing between the cooling plate 1 and, for example, the battery 2 to be cooled by the cooling plate 1 does not need to be destroyed and then re-coated again. The cooling plate 1 also does not need to be separated from the cooling device 11 of the electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle 3 in terms of its fluid connection, which is a further significant simplification.

Claims

1. A cooling plate (1) for a cooling device (11), the cooling plate being particularly used for cooling a battery (2), the cooling plate comprising: a first plate (4) and a second plate (5) connected to the first plate in a sealing manner, the first plate and the second plate delimiting a cooling channel (6) between each other; a first recess (7) in the first plate (4) and a second recess (8) in the second plate (5), which, when the cooling plate (1) is mounted, are arranged substantially aligned with one another and thus allow passage of the cooling plate (1) at this location; - a covering element (9) which is detachably connected to the first plate (4) and covers the first recess (7) of the first plate, or which is detachably connected to the second plate (5) and covers the second recess (8) of the second plate.

2. The cooling plate according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The first plate (4) and the second plate (5) are bonded, welded, screwed, soldered or connected to each other by means of a roll-joining method.

3. The cooling plate according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The first plate (4) and / or the second plate (5) are formed from sheet metal, in particular from aluminum sheet metal.

4. The cooling plate according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The first plate (4) and / or the second plate (5) are made of plastic, in particular as a plastic injection-molded part.

5. A cooling plate according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The cover element (9) is made from sheet metal, in particular aluminum sheet metal, or from plastic.

6. A cooling plate according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The covering element (9) is connected to the first plate (4) or the second plate (5) in a sealing manner.

7. A cooling plate according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The covering element (9) has a reinforcement structure (10).

8. A cooling plate according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The covering element (9) is releasably bonded, screwed or clamped to the first plate (4) or the second plate (5).

9. An electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle (3), comprising: - a member (12); - a battery (2); a cooling device (11) having at least one cooling plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims for controlling the temperature of the battery (2), -in, The cooling plate (1) is connected to the battery (2) in a heat transfer manner, in particular bonded, wherein the cover element (9) is arranged on the cooling plate (1) in such a way that after removal of the cover element, access to the component (12) and / or to the battery (2) is possible.

10. The electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle according to claim 9, It is characterized in that The first recess (7) and the second recess (8) are arranged in regions where only a small amount of cooling of the battery (2) and / or the component (12) is required.

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