Electrical energy storage device of a motor vehicle

Abstract

Electrical energy storage device (11) of a motor vehicle (10), namely a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, with a housing (12) and with storage modules (17) included in the housing (12), characterized by at least one spray device (21) by means of which coolant to be evaporated can be sprayed onto at least one housing wall (13) of the housing (12) exposed to airflow (20).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an electrical energy storage device of a motor vehicle, namely a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, according to the preamble of patent claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a motor vehicle, namely a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, according to the preamble of patent claim 6.

[0002] In a hybrid or electric vehicle, electrical energy storage devices designed as high-voltage energy storage devices are used. These devices are discharged more intensively during motor operation of an electric motor in the hybrid or electric vehicle and charged more intensively during generator operation of the respective electric motor. Electrical energy storage devices have a housing and storage modules housed within the housing.

[0003] During charging and discharging processes of an electrical energy storage device, electrical currents flow, causing the electrical energy storage device to heat up. To ensure the longest possible service life of an electrical energy storage device, it must not be overheated. Therefore, cooling electrical energy storage devices is already known in practice.

[0004] The current practice for cooling electrical energy storage devices is to couple the electrical energy storage device to a cooling circuit of a coolant, with the coolant being passed through sections of the cooling circuit to cool the electrical energy storage device. Such cooling of an electrical energy storage device is structurally complex. Therefore, there is a need for an electrical energy storage device in a motor vehicle with simple and effective cooling.

[0005] EP 2 045 852 A1, WO 2011 / 020 616 A1, JP H09- 259 940 A and DE 10 2004 025 831 A1 disclose prior art.

[0006] Based on this, the present invention is based on the object of creating a novel electrical energy storage device for a motor vehicle and a novel motor vehicle with such an electrical energy storage device.

[0007] The object is achieved by an electrical energy storage device according to claim 1. The electrical energy storage device according to the invention comprises at least one spray device, with the aid of which coolant to be evaporated can be sprayed onto at least one housing wall of the housing over which airflow flows.

[0008] The present invention proposes, for the first time, to cool an electrical energy storage device by spraying a housing wall of the electrical energy storage device, which is exposed to airflow, with a coolant to be evaporated. This evaporation ensures effective cooling of the electrical energy storage device on the housing wall, which is exposed to airflow and sprayed with the coolant to be evaporated. This cooling method is structurally simple, cost-effective, and particularly effective.

[0009] Preferably, the or each spray device is assigned to an upstream section, as seen in the direction of the airstream, of the respective housing wall to be sprayed with the coolant to be evaporated, wherein a spray direction of the or each spray device is directed in the direction of the airstream, and wherein the respective housing wall to be sprayed extends somewhat horizontally in the installation situation of the energy storage device in the region of an underbody of the motor vehicle. This embodiment of the electrical energy storage device is particularly simple and therefore particularly preferred. The housing wall to be sprayed with the coolant to be evaporated extends approximately horizontally in the region of an underbody of the motor vehicle and is therefore exposed to the airstream.Coolant sprayed by the or each spray device is distributed evenly over the housing wall to be sprayed due to the positioning of the spray device, the spray direction thereof and the direction of the airflow via the airflow and thus ensures even and effective cooling over the entire sprayed housing wall of the housing of the electrical energy storage device.

[0010] The motor vehicle according to the invention is defined in claim 6.

[0011] Preferred developments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims and the following description. Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail, without being limited thereto, with reference to the drawings. Herein: Fig. 1 a schematic view of a motor vehicle with an electrical energy storage device; and Fig. 2 a schematic view of the electrical energy storage device.

[0012] The invention relates to an electrical energy storage device of a motor vehicle, in particular a high-voltage energy storage device, of a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, and to a motor vehicle with such an electrical energy storage device.

[0013] The drive unit of a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle comprises an electric machine that can be operated as a motor or generator. When the electric machine is operating in motor mode, the electrical energy storage device, designed as a high-voltage energy storage device, is discharged more intensively by the electric machine. When the electric machine is operating in generator mode, the electrical energy storage device, designed as a high-voltage energy storage device, is charged more intensively by the electric machine.

[0014] Fig. 1 shows a highly schematic representation of a motor vehicle 10 with an electrical energy storage device 11, wherein the electrical energy storage device 11 is arranged according to Fig. 2 comprises a housing 12 with a plurality of housing walls. Thus, the housing 12 comprises two approximately horizontally extending housing walls 13 and 14, namely a lower housing wall 13 and an upper housing wall 14, as well as a plurality of housing walls 15 extending substantially vertically between the lower housing wall 13 and the upper housing wall 14. The housing walls 13, 14, and 15 of the housing 12 of the electrical energy storage device 11 define an interior space 16 of the electrical energy storage device 11, in which a plurality of storage modules 17 are accommodated.

[0015] Fig. 1 shows the installation situation of the electrical energy storage device 11 in the motor vehicle 10, wherein in the Fig. 1, the housing bottom wall 13 of the housing 12 of the electrical energy storage device 11 runs approximately horizontally in the region of an underbody 18 of the motor vehicle 10.

[0016] In the installation situation, the housing wall 13 of the housing 12 of the electrical energy storage device 11 complements a mounting opening formed in the underbody 18 of the motor vehicle 10 for receiving the electrical energy storage device 11 in the motor vehicle 10.

[0017] In Fig. 1, a direction of travel of the motor vehicle 10 is visualized by an arrow 19, wherein a wind direction 20 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 is visualized by dashed arrows.

[0018] In the installation situation of the electrical energy storage device 11 in the motor vehicle 10, the housing wall 13 of the housing 12 of the electrical energy storage device 11, which extends essentially horizontally in the area of ​​the underbody 18, is overflowed by airstream 20, so that a certain cooling of the electrical energy storage device 11 can be ensured simply by the airstream 20 flowing over this housing wall 13.

[0019] To increase this cooling effect by the airstream 20, the electrical energy storage device 11 comprises, according to the invention, at least one spray device 21 (see Fig. 2), by means of which coolant, which is preferably water, to be evaporated can be sprayed onto the housing wall 13 of the housing 12 of the electrical energy storage device 11, over which the airstream 20 flows and which is sprayed with the coolant to be evaporated. The or each spray device 21 is preferably designed as a spray nozzle. The evaporation of the coolant ensures effective cooling of the electrical energy storage device 11 at the housing wall 13 of the housing 12 over which the airstream 20 flows and which is sprayed with the coolant to be evaporated. This cooling is structurally simple, cost-effective, and particularly effective.

[0020] As in Fig. 2, the or each spray device 21 is arranged, viewed in the direction of travel wind 20, in the region of a downstream section 22 of the housing wall 13 to be sprayed with the coolant to be evaporated, wherein a spray direction 23 of the or each spray device 21 is directed in the direction of travel wind 20, so that the coolant sprayed by the or each spray device 21 and to be evaporated can be distributed approximately uniformly by the travel wind 20 over the housing wall 13 to be sprayed. Fig. 2 shows, in a highly schematic manner, a spray mist 24 of the coolant forming along the housing wall 13.

[0021] According to the invention, it is therefore proposed that an electrical energy storage device 11 of a motor vehicle 10 has at least one housing wall over which airstream 20 flows and which serves as a cooling surface for the electrical energy storage device 11, wherein with the aid of at least one spray device 21 a coolant to be evaporated is sprayed onto the or each cooling surface and thus onto the or each housing wall 13 of the housing 12 of the electrical energy storage device 11 over which airstream 20 flows, said coolant being preferably water which evaporates and enables a large amount of heat to be dissipated from the electrical energy storage device 11 via the respective housing wall 13 over which airstream 20 flows and sprayed with coolant to be evaporated.The housing wall 13 of the electrical energy storage device 11 to be sprayed with the aid of the or each spraying device 21 is preferably a lower housing wall 13 of the housing 12, which, in the installation situation of the electrical energy storage device 11 in the motor vehicle, runs approximately horizontally in the area of ​​an underbody 18 of the motor vehicle.

[0022] The invention allows a large amount of heat to be dissipated from the electrical energy storage device 11 in a simple and cost-effective manner, thus ensuring effective cooling of the same.

Claims

[1] Electrical energy storage device (11) of a motor vehicle (10), namely a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, with a housing (12) and with storage modules (17) accommodated in the housing (12), characterized by at least one spray device (21) with the aid of which coolant to be evaporated can be sprayed onto at least one housing wall (13) of the housing (12) over which airflow (20) flows. [2] Electrical energy storage device (11) according to claim 1, characterized by that the or each spray device (21) is designed as a spray nozzle. [3] Electrical energy storage device (11) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that with the aid of the or each spray device (21) water can be sprayed as a coolant to be evaporated onto at least one housing wall (13) over which airflow (20) flows. [4] Electrical energy storage device (11) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized bythat the or each spray device (21) is arranged in the region of an upstream section (22), seen in the direction of the airstream, of the respective housing wall (13) to be sprayed with coolant to be evaporated, and that a spray direction (23) of the or each spray device (21) is directed in the direction of the airstream, so that the coolant sprayed by the or each spray device (21) can be distributed approximately uniformly by the airstream (20) over the respective housing wall (13) to be sprayed. [5] Electrical energy storage device (11) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by that with the aid of the or each spray device (21) the coolant can be sprayed onto a lower housing wall (13) of the housing (12), which in the installation situation of the electrical energy storage device (11) in the motor vehicle (10) runs approximately horizontally in the region of an underbody (18) of the motor vehicle (10). [6] Motor vehicle (10), namely hybrid vehicle or electric vehicle, characterized by an electrical energy storage device (11) according to one or more of claims 1 to 5. [7] Motor vehicle (10) according to claim 6, characterized by that the housing wall (13) of the housing (12) to be sprayed with the aid of the or each spraying device (21) supplements a mounting opening in the underbody (18) for the electrical energy storage device (11) in the installation situation of the electrical energy storage device (11) in the motor vehicle (10).

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