Motor vehicle with electrical energy storage and power electronics

Abstract

Motor vehicle with a structure (1) for receiving an electrical energy storage device and with power electronics (2) for an electric motor of the motor vehicle, wherein the power electronics (2) are integrated into the structure (1), characterized in that the power electronics (2) have a high-voltage section (8) and a low-voltage section (9), and that the power electronics (2) have a cooling section (10) which is arranged between the high-voltage section (8) and the low-voltage section (9), wherein either the high-voltage section (8) is arranged above the cooling section (10) and the low-voltage section (9) is arranged below the cooling section (10) or the low-voltage section (9) is arranged above the cooling section (10) and the high-voltage section (8) is arranged below the cooling section (10).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a motor vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1 or according to the preamble of claim 7.

[0002] Electrically powered vehicles come in a wide variety of designs. For example, electric machines are used that can operate as motors and / or generators. These vehicles are equipped with an electrical energy storage device, such as a high-voltage battery.

[0003] In conventional vehicles, the structure housing the electrical energy storage system and the power electronics for the vehicle's electric motor are located in different areas of the vehicle. This necessitates a relatively large amount of installation space and considerable assembly effort, as two separate assemblies—the structure and the power electronics—must be mounted. The separate assemblies also result in an increased vehicle weight.

[0004] DE 10 2009 043 635 A1 discloses a motor vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1 or according to the preamble of claim 7.

[0005] DE 10 2011 001 370 A1, DE 10 2011 001 371 A1, DE 60 200 012 949 T2 and DE 10 201 043 901 A1 disclose further state of the art.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to further develop a motor vehicle which, in the area of ​​structure for accommodating the electrical energy storage device and power electronics for the electric motor of the motor vehicle, is characterized by a small installation space requirement, a low weight and a low assembly effort.

[0007] The problem is solved by a motor vehicle according to claim 1 and by a motor vehicle according to claim 7.

[0008] The structure for housing the electrical energy storage device and the power electronics for the vehicle's electric motor can be integrated into a single assembly. This significantly reduces the space required for the arrangement of the structure and power electronics, and the assembly can be installed with considerably less effort. Furthermore, since only one assembly is required instead of two, the weight of the assembly and the vehicle as a whole is reduced.

[0009] A further advantage of the vehicle according to the invention is that the integration of the power electronics into the structure enables a reduced number of interfaces and a reduced number of cables. This also saves weight and costs.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the structure comprises a frame and a housing for receiving the electrical energy storage device. The housing, for example, has two housing covers, one of which is mounted in the upper part of the frame and the other in the lower part. In particular, the frame has an opening through which the energy storage device mounted in the frame passes.

[0011] The frame primarily serves to support the energy storage device. The housing covers serve to cover the energy storage device on its top and bottom. Due to the design of the structure with the frame, the housing covers can be connected to the frame particularly easily, thus providing a closed structure that completely surrounds the energy storage device.

[0012] In this preferred embodiment of the invention, the structure, in particular the frame, is provided to be part of a subframe in a body of the vehicle, wherein the subframe serves to connect longitudinal and transverse beams for wheels of an axle of the motor vehicle.

[0013] The structure, particularly the frame, thus has a load-bearing function and is therefore ideally suited to accommodate the electrical energy storage device. If the frame has an opening, and is therefore designed as a ring, optimal force distribution within the structure, frame, or ring can be achieved.

[0014] The structure, in particular the frame or ring, is preferably made of fiber-reinforced plastic as a particularly lightweight solution; or of die-cast aluminum, which provides a cost-effective solution with good thermal conductivity.

[0015] The energy storage device is, in particular, a high-voltage battery.

[0016] According to claim 1, the power electronics are designed to have a high-voltage section and a low-voltage section. The high-voltage section is also referred to as the high-voltage side of the power electronics, and the low-voltage section as the low-voltage side of the power electronics. According to claim 1, the power electronics have at least one cooling section, which is arranged between the high-voltage section and the low-voltage section, and wherein either the high-voltage section is arranged above the cooling section and the low-voltage section is arranged below the cooling section, or the low-voltage section is arranged above the cooling section and the high-voltage section is arranged below the cooling section. According to claim 1, the two sections—the high-voltage section and the low-voltage section—are thus associated with the same cooling section.

[0017] According to claim 7, the power electronics comprise a high-voltage section, a low-voltage section, and two cooling sections connected to the structure, in particular to the frame, wherein the high-voltage section is connected to one cooling section and the low-voltage section is connected to the other cooling section. According to claim 7, the high-voltage and low-voltage sections are assigned to different cooling sections.

[0018] The integration of power electronics into the structure can be implemented in a variety of different ways.

[0019] According to a further modification, the respective cooling section is provided for in the frame.

[0020] The invention thus proposes a power electronics system that is not located remotely from the structure housing the electrical energy storage device, but rather the structure and the power electronics form a single assembly. The power electronics are attached to the structure or partially integrated within it, for example, when the respective cooling section is incorporated into the frame.

[0021] The respective cooling section is preferably designed as a cooling plate. This therefore has a relatively large heat transfer surface.

[0022] According to a particularly advantageous further development of the invention, the structure, in particular the frame, and the power electronics are provided with a cooling system using a common cooling circuit. The same cooling circuit can thus be used to cool both the power electronics and the energy storage device. Here, both the cooling section of the power electronics and the structure, in particular the frame, have suitable passages for the inflowing cooling medium.

[0023] Further features of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, the accompanying drawing and the description of the preferred embodiments shown in the drawing, without being limited thereto.

[0024] It shows, in a highly simplified representation: Fig. 1 For a first embodiment of the invention for use in a motor vehicle designed as a passenger car in an arrangement of a structure for receiving an electrical energy storage device and power electronics for an electric motor of the motor vehicle, illustrated in a side view, Fig. 2 A top view of the arrangement according to Fig. 1, Fig. 3 For a second embodiment of the invention, a modified arrangement of the structure and the power electronics compared to the first embodiment, illustrated in a side view, Fig. 4 A top view of the arrangement according to Fig. 3, Fig. 5 For a third embodiment of the invention, a modified arrangement of the structure and the power electronics compared to the first embodiment, illustrated in a side view, Fig. 6 A top view of the arrangement according to Fig. 5.

[0025] The Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5 to Fig. Figure 6 illustrates a structure 1 for housing an electrical energy storage device and a power electronics unit 2 for an electric motor of a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle or passenger car itself is not illustrated, but only the area of ​​structure 1 and the power electronics unit 2. The electric motor of the motor vehicle is preferably designed such that it can be operated both as an electric motor for propelling the motor vehicle and as an electric generator for braking the motor vehicle. The electrical energy storage device of the motor vehicle is a high-voltage battery. This battery is used to propel the motor vehicle. When the motor vehicle is braking, the energy storage device is recharged via the generator operation of the electric motor.

[0026] The gist of all three is essentially the same, in the Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5 to Fig. Figure 6 illustrates embodiments that integrate power electronics 2 into structure 1.

[0027] The embodiments illustrate structure 1, which comprises a frame 3 and a housing 4 for receiving the electrical energy storage device. The housing 4 has two housing covers 5 and 6. Housing cover 5 is mounted in the upper part of the frame 3, and housing cover 6 is mounted in the lower part of the frame 3.

[0028] Frame 3 is rectangular, with a substantially constant wall thickness, and has an opening 7. This opening is penetrated by the energy storage device (not illustrated) housed within frame 3.

[0029] The power electronics 2 comprises a high-voltage section 8 and a low-voltage section 9. Furthermore, the power electronics 2 comprises at least one cooling section 10, which is connected to the frame 3.

[0030] With regard to the embodiment according to the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 The power electronics 2 are designed such that they have a single cooling section 10, which is arranged between the high-voltage section 8 and the low-voltage section 9. Here, the high-voltage section 8 is arranged above the horizontally arranged cooling section 10 and the low-voltage section 9 is arranged below this cooling section 10.

[0031] In the embodiment according to the Fig. 3 and Fig. In contrast, the power electronics 2 in section 4 has two cooling sections 10. These are connected to the frame 3. The high-voltage section 8 is connected to one cooling section 10, and the low-voltage section 9 is connected to the other cooling section 10. The two cooling sections 10 with their associated sections 8 and 9 are arranged side by side, such that one cooling section 10 is positioned closer to one side of the vehicle, and the other cooling section 10 is positioned closer to the other side of the vehicle.

[0032] The in the Fig. 5 and Fig. The illustrated embodiment 6 differs from that shown in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 by the fact that the respective cooling section 10 is embedded in the frame 3.

[0033] The cooling section 10 described in the embodiments is preferably designed as a cooling plate.

[0034] It is not illustrated in detail that the structure 1, in particular the power electronics 2 and the frame 3, have a cooling system with a common cooling circuit.

[0035] Structure 1 is, in particular, a component of a subframe in the body of a motor vehicle. The subframe serves to connect longitudinal and transverse beams for the wheels of an axle of the motor vehicle.

[0036] Structure 1 thus has a frame for accommodating the electrical energy storage device or a resilient structure for accommodating the electrical energy storage device or the battery. Reference symbol list 1 Structure 2 Power Electronics 3 frames 4 cases 5 Case covers 6 Housing covers 7 Opening 8 High-voltage section 9 Low-voltage section 10 Cooling section

Claims

[1] Motor vehicle comprising a structure (1) for receiving an electrical energy storage device and power electronics (2) for an electric motor of the motor vehicle, wherein the power electronics (2) are integrated into the structure (1), characterized by , that the power electronics (2) comprises a high-voltage section (8) and a low-voltage section (9), and that the power electronics (2) comprises a cooling section (10) arranged between the high-voltage section (8) and the low-voltage section (9), wherein either the high-voltage section (8) is arranged above the cooling section (10) and the low-voltage section (9) is arranged below the cooling section (10), or the low-voltage section (9) is arranged above the cooling section (10) and the high-voltage section (8) is arranged below the cooling section (10). [2] Motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized by that the structure has a frame (3) and a housing (4) for receiving the electrical energy storage device. [3] Motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the housing (4) has two housing covers (5, 6), wherein one housing cover (5) is mounted in the area of ​​a top of the frame (3) and the other housing cover (6) is mounted in the area of ​​a bottom of the frame (3). [4] Motor vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by , that the frame (3) has an opening (7) through which the energy storage device stored in the frame (3) passes. [5] Motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by that the energy storage device is a high-voltage battery. [6] Motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by , that the power electronics (2) has at least one cooling section (10) which is connected to the structure (1). [7] Motor vehicle comprising a structure (1) for receiving an electrical energy storage device and power electronics (2) for an electric motor of the motor vehicle, wherein the power electronics (2) are integrated into the structure (1), characterized by , that the power electronics (2) has a high-voltage section (8) and a low-voltage section (9), and that the power electronics (2) has two cooling sections (10) connected to the structure (1), wherein the high-voltage section (7) is connected to one cooling section (10) and the low-voltage section (9) is connected to the other cooling section (10). [8] Motor vehicle according to one of claims 6 to 7, characterized by , that the respective cooling section (10) is embedded in the frame (3). [9] Motor vehicle according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized by , that the respective cooling section (10) is designed as a cooling plate. [10] Motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by , that the structure (1), in particular the frame (3) and the power electronics (2), have a cooling system with a common cooling circuit. [11] Motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized by , that the structure (1) is part of a subframe in a body of the motor vehicle, the subframe serving to connect longitudinal and transverse beams for wheels of an axle of the motor vehicle.

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