Heat network for an electric vehicle

Abstract

Thermal assembly (100) for an electric vehicle (200), comprising a battery device (110) and a cooling device (120) for cooling the battery device (110), further comprising at least one additional cooling device (10), wherein the additional cooling device (10) is designed for additional cooling of an already existing cooling device (120) of a thermal assembly (100) of a battery device (110) of an electric vehicle (200), comprising a liquid tank (20) for storing additional cooling liquid (ZKF) and at least one spray module (40) for spraying the additional cooling liquid (ZKF) onto an additional cooling section (130) of the thermal assembly (100), further comprising a pump device (30) in fluid communication with the liquid tank (20) and the at least one spray module (40) for conveying the additional cooling liquid (ZKF) to the at least one spray module (40), wherein the cooling device (120) has at least one additional cooling section (130),wherein the at least one spray module (40) has a spray direction (SR) onto the at least one additional cooling section (130).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a thermal composite for an electric vehicle.

[0002] It is known that vehicles are equipped with battery devices for electric propulsion. These battery devices provide the electrical power required to drive the electric vehicle. When the power is delivered from the battery device to the corresponding electric motor drive devices, waste heat is generated depending on the intensity of the power output. This means that the battery device heats up when electrical power is delivered. Temperature plays a decisive influence on the durability and performance of the battery device. For this reason, known battery devices are usually equipped with cooling devices to protect the battery device from excessive heating. These cooling devices are usually liquid cooling devices, which are coupled, for example, to the vehicle's cooling circuit.

[0003] A disadvantage of the known solutions is that the battery device in the electric vehicle is subject to relatively small temperature fluctuations or heating situations during normal operation. Only in exceptional situations, such as when the vehicle accelerates sharply, is the battery device subjected to significantly greater load in terms of power output, resulting in significantly greater heating. However, the cooling device must be designed for this maximum load, so that a cooling device is provided whose maximum cooling capacity is actually only required in minor usage situations or for short usage times. For the rest of the usage time, the cooling device is actually oversized and therefore significantly more expensive, heavier, and requires more space than would be necessary for the majority of the operating time.

[0004] US 2011 / 0 200 860 A1 discloses a motor vehicle with a battery and a battery cooling device that operates by vapor evaporation and vapor condensation to cool the battery. The vapor flows between battery cells.

[0005] US 2012 / 0 247 713 A1 discloses a motor vehicle with a battery and with a battery cooling device with a fluid circuit, wherein a fluid previously cooled by a heat exchanger is sprayed in the form of a spray for cooling onto the battery to be cooled, wherein the fluid is then collected in a reservoir and returned to the cooling circuit.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to at least partially remedy the disadvantages described above. In particular, the object of the present invention is to provide a thermal composite with a flexible additional cooling function in a cost-effective and simple manner in order to ensure additional cooling, particularly during peak power operation of the battery device.

[0007] The above object is achieved by a thermal composite having the features of claim 1. Further features and details of the invention emerge from the subclaims, the description, and the drawings. Features and details described in connection with the additional cooling device naturally also apply in connection with the thermal composite according to the invention, and vice versa, so that reciprocal reference is or can always be made to the individual aspects of the invention with regard to the disclosure.

[0008] According to the invention, a thermal assembly with an additional cooling device is designed for additional cooling of the thermal assembly of a battery device of an electric vehicle. For this purpose, the additional cooling device has a liquid tank for storing additional cooling liquid. Furthermore, at least one spray module is provided for spraying the additional liquid onto an additional cooling section of the thermal assembly.

[0009] Furthermore, a pumping device is provided which is in fluid communication with the liquid tank and the at least one spray module for conveying the additional cooling liquid to the at least one spray module.

[0010] A thermal assembly according to the invention with an additional cooling device has, as the name suggests, additional cooling functionality to a normal cooling device, such as is already present for the battery device of an electric vehicle. The term "thermal assembly" in the context of the present invention refers to a system of the electric vehicle in which the battery device is in heat-transferring contact with various other components. In particular, the thermal assembly has at least one cooling device in addition to the battery device. This cooling device, as part of the thermal assembly, is in heat-transferring contact with the battery device and is able to ensure cooling of the battery device in normal operating situations. The cooling device, as part of the thermal assembly, is therefore an embodiment of a known cooling device.

[0011] The use of an additional cooling device according to the present invention now allows for additional cooling capacity to be added to the normal cooling capacity of the existing cooling device in the heat network. Thus, additional cooling can be provided in an additive manner, while the normal cooling device provides the necessary normal cooling functionality during normal operation, regardless of peak load situations of the battery device.

[0012] To provide additional cooling functionality, the auxiliary cooling device is equipped with a fluid tank in which the auxiliary coolant is stored. In particular, this is a water-based auxiliary coolant, or essentially water. The source of the auxiliary coolant in the fluid tank will be explained in more detail later.

[0013] The pumping device now makes it possible to transport the additional coolant from the liquid tank to at least one spray module. The additional liquid can be dispensed in a spray form via the spray module and sprayed onto an additional cooling section of the thermal network. By spraying, i.e. finely distributing the additional liquid over the additional cooling section, additional cooling functionality can be achieved. The additional coolant reaches the additional cooling section and precipitates there in liquid form. If the additional cooling section is a heated section of the thermal network, the additional coolant applied there will also be heated in the form of droplets after precipitating. The droplets evaporate or vaporise and give off evaporative cooling during the phase transition to the gaseous state.absorb evaporative heat to provide the necessary energy for this phase transition. This evaporative cooling serves as additional cooling in the additional cooling section.

[0014] As can be seen from the above explanation, it is now possible to ensure an additional cooling function by simply spraying additional coolant onto a defined additional cooling section. For example, such an additional cooling section is arranged on the battery device itself. If the battery device heats up by one degree, as is the case, for example, during a peak load requirement, the normal cooling device can no longer dissipate this increased waste heat. In order to still ensure dissipation, additional cooling is possible with the help of the additional cooling device by spraying additional coolant onto the additional cooling section of the battery device only at this peak time in the load output. Of course, an additional cooling section can also provide corresponding additional cooling functionality on the cooling device itself.In particular, the cooling device is equipped with a cooler, into which the heat absorbed by the battery device is fed and dissipated to the environment. If the cooling function of this cooler is enhanced, for example, by the presence of an additional cooling section on this cooler, the cooling performance can also be selectively and specifically increased by the additional cooling device.

[0015] Because a heat combination according to the invention with an additional cooling device now enables a selective increase in the overall cooling capacity, i.e., an addition of the normal cooling capacity of the normal cooling device and the additional cooling capacity of the additional cooling device, a smaller, lighter, and more cost-effective embodiment of the normal cooling device for the battery device in the heat combination can be provided during the structural design of the battery device. The sum of weight, complexity, and price for the battery, for the normal cooling device, and the selectively switchable additional cooling device is significantly lower than if, in the known solutions, the entire cooling device had to be designed for the entire operating range, i.e., the operating range including peak load situations for the output of power from the battery device.The provision of the additional cooling device therefore makes it possible to make the entire vehicle lighter, more cost-effective and, above all, more space-saving.

[0016] It can be advantageous if, in a thermal assembly according to the invention with an additional cooling device, the liquid tank, the pumping device, the at least one spray module and / or at least a section of a fluid line between these components has a heating device. Since the additional cooling device is only used in special situations, i.e. when buffering peak power outputs from the battery device, there can be relatively long periods in which the additional cooling device is out of operation, i.e. the pumping device does not pump any additional coolant. If these longer downtimes involve cool outside temperatures, for example when the electric vehicle is operated in winter, there is a fundamental risk that, depending on the arrangement of the fluid line within the additional cooling device, this cooling device and the additional coolant contained therein will freeze.In order to avoid this and to ensure the usability of the additional cooling device regardless of adverse weather conditions, it is now possible to ensure flowability of the additional coolant in the overall system of the additional cooling device using a heating device, which is designed in particular as an electric heating device or electric resistance heating device.

[0017] Furthermore, it is advantageous if, in a heat composite according to the invention with an additional cooling device, the liquid tank has a connecting line to an air conditioning system and / or an exhaust system of the electric vehicle for collecting condensate from the air conditioning system and / or the exhaust system and transferring it to the liquid tank. As will be apparent from the explanation of the functionality of the additional cooling device, switching on and using the additional cooling function results in the additional coolant being consumed. This coolant is released from the system of the additional cooling device via the at least one spray module and then evaporates into the vehicle's surroundings to generate the desired additional cooling. In order to be able to ensure the additional cooling functionality over a longer period of time, this embodiment provides an automatic or internal refill system.When operating a vehicle, condensation may occur in certain areas of the vehicle. This is the case, for example, with the air conditioning system or the vehicle's exhaust system. It should be noted that the quality requirements for the additional coolant are relatively low. This means that even slightly contaminated water or non-distilled water can be used to collect additional coolant in the coolant tank. Using the connecting line, it is now possible to feed condensation from other areas or other applications in the vehicle to the coolant tank and make it available there as additional coolant.

[0018] It can also be advantageous if, in a thermal composite according to the invention with an additional cooling device, the liquid tank has a receiving line to a receiving device for an external addition of additional coolant. In addition to the previously described possibility of internal refilling, external refilling, i.e. supplying additional coolant from outside, is also conceivable. Both manual and passive refilling are possible. External addition can, for example, take place through a refill opening, which represents the end of the receiving line. Normal water, special additional coolant, or distilled water can be added here. Independently of or alternatively to such a refill opening, it is also possible to fluidically connect a rain collection area of ​​the vehicle to this receiving line or to enable fluid communication.For example, it is possible to collect rain from the vehicle's gutters and feed it to the fluid tank as additional coolant.

[0019] It may also be advantageous if, in a thermal system according to the invention with an additional cooling device, the fluid tank is designed to store additional coolant in the form of windshield washer fluid from the electric vehicle. This dual function may thus reduce the overall weight and overall costs of an electric vehicle when using a thermal system according to the invention with the additional cooling device. For example, appropriate valves can be used to divert the windshield washer fluid either to the pumping device or to a corresponding windshield washer system.

[0020] In the thermal combination with the auxiliary cooling device according to the previous paragraph, it is conceivable that a branch valve is arranged downstream of the pump device for a controllable branching of auxiliary coolant to a windshield washer system. Vehicle windshield washer systems are usually equipped with their own pump device in order to be able to provide the desired pressure for spraying the washer fluid onto the vehicle's windshield. If the branch valve according to this embodiment is arranged in the downstream region of the pump device, the pump device of the auxiliary cooling device can also be used as a pump device for the windshield washer system. This functional union in the pump device as a dual function with the vehicle's windshield washer system further reduces complexity, costs, and weight for the electric vehicle.

[0021] A further advantage is that in a heat composite according to the invention with an additional cooling device, the liquid tank, the pumping device and / or the at least one spray module has at least one of the following sensor devices: - Temperature sensor - Pressure sensor - Level sensor - Quality sensor

[0022] The above list is not exhaustive. For example, the temperature sensor can be used to correlate with the previously discussed heating device. Pressure sensors can be used to protect the pumping device and prevent excessive maximum pressure. A level sensor, for example, could be used to monitor the fill level in the fluid tank. A quality sensor is also conceivable to monitor the quality, for example, the salt content of the auxiliary coolant.

[0023] The present invention relates to a thermal assembly for an electric vehicle, comprising a battery device and a cooling device for cooling the battery device, further comprising at least one additional cooling device. Thus, a thermal assembly according to the invention offers the same advantages as those explained in detail with reference to an additional cooling device.

[0024] A thermal composite according to the invention can be further developed in that the cooling device has at least one cooling section, in particular in the region of a cooler of the cooling device, wherein the at least one spray module has a spray direction onto the at least one additional cooling section. This embodiment of the thermal composite therefore involves indirect additional cooling, since the battery device is not directly additionally cooled, but rather the additional cooling functionality of the normal cooling device is applied. This can be provided, for example, in the region of the cooler, so that the heat dissipation of the normal cooling device is improved or accelerated and thus the overall cooling efficiency can be increased by the additional cooling device.

[0025] Alternatively or in addition to the embodiment in the previous paragraph, it is also possible in a thermal composite according to the invention for the battery device to have at least one additional cooling section, wherein the at least one spray module has a spray direction onto the at least one additional cooling section. This therefore involves a direct additional cooling functionality, so that the additional cooling function is designed directly and in particular independently of the normal cooling device on the corresponding additional cooling section of the battery device. It is of crucial importance here that no electrical impairment occurs as a result of the additional cooling function. This can be ensured, for example, by the additional cooling section being designed to be watertight or electrically insulating from the electrical components of the battery device.

[0026] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description, which describes exemplary embodiments of the invention in detail with reference to the drawings. The features mentioned in the claims and in the description may be essential to the invention individually or in any combination. They show schematically: Fig. 1 an embodiment of an electric vehicle with a thermal composite according to the invention, Fig. 2 an embodiment of an additional cooling device in a heat composite according to the invention, Fig. 3 shows a further embodiment of a thermal composite according to the invention, Fig. 4 shows a further embodiment of a thermal composite according to the invention, Fig. 5 shows a further embodiment of a thermal composite according to the invention and Fig. 6 shows a further embodiment of a thermal composite according to the invention.

[0027] Fig. 1 schematically shows how an electric vehicle 200 according to the present invention can be equipped with a thermal composite 100. The electric vehicle 200 is schematically shown here with a battery device 110 in the rear area. Additionally, an additional cooling device 10 is provided, which provides a supply line via fluid lines to spray devices 40 in the area of ​​the battery device 110 and in the area of ​​a cooler 122 of a cooling device 120. Via these spray modules 40, additional cooling liquid ZKF can now be sprayed onto the additional cooling sections 130 of the battery device 110, on the one hand, and the cooler 122, on the other hand, in order to be able to implement the described additional cooling functionality in peak load situations of the power output of the battery device 110.

[0028] The Fig. 2 to 6 show various embodiments of an additional cooling device 10 of a corresponding heat composite 100 according to the invention, wherein the individual components differ in their combination. Fig. 1 shows a basic design of an additional cooling device 10, which stores additional cooling liquid ZKF in a liquid tank 20. The additional cooling liquid ZKF can be drawn from the liquid tank 20 and conveyed further via a pumping device 30 and a fluid line 50 between the liquid tank 20 and the pumping device 30. Via the fluid line 50 downstream of the pumping device 30, the liquid is then conveyed further to, in this case, a plurality of spray modules 40, which spray the battery device 110 with sprayed additional cooling liquid ZKF along a spray direction SR directly onto the additional cooling section 130 arranged there. Evaporative cooling can then be provided as additional cooling when a peak load situation with an increased temperature of the battery device 110 is reached.

[0029] Fig. 3 shows a similar embodiment, but here, starting from the pump device 30, the additional cooling liquid ZKF is supplied to the spray modules 40 via the downstream fluid line 50. These spray modules 40 then apply the droplets of the additional cooling liquid ZKF to an additional cooling section 130 of a cooler 122 of the cooling device 120 for condensate cooling along the spray direction SR. The mode of operation and the method of use are essentially identical to the embodiment of Fig. 2, however, the additional cooling capacity for the battery device 110 is now provided indirectly.

[0030] Fig. 4 now shows that the embodiments of the Fig. 2 and the Fig. 3 can also be combined with each other. Of course, even if this is not possible in Fig. 4 is not shown, corresponding valve devices can also provide switchability of the indirect and / or direct additional cooling functionality.

[0031] Fig. 5 is again based on the solution according to Fig. 2, however, a dual function is provided here for the additional cooling device 10. Via a branch valve 52 downstream of the pump device 30, it is now possible to deliver additional cooling fluid ZKF to a windshield washer system 240. With the branch valve 52 in the appropriate valve position, the pump device 30 can also be provided as a pump device 30 for spraying windshield washer fluid via the windshield washer system 240 in the form of the additional cooling fluid ZKF.

[0032] Fig. 6 also shows a solution based on the embodiment of the Fig. 2, whereby additional heating devices 60 ensure weather-independent functionality of the additional cooling device 10. In addition, various refilling options are schematically illustrated. Internal refilling from an air conditioning system 210 or an exhaust system 220 is provided via corresponding connecting lines 22. Alternatively or additionally, a connection to a receiving device 230 in the form of a refill opening and / or a rain collection device is provided via a receiving line 24.

[0033] From the Fig. 5 schematically shows how, for example, the fill level in the liquid tank 20 or the temperature in the fluid line 50 can be determined with the aid of additional sensor devices 70.

[0034] The above explanation of the embodiments describes the present invention exclusively within the scope of examples. Of course, individual features of the embodiments can be freely combined with one another, provided they are technically feasible, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

[1] Thermal assembly (100) for an electric vehicle (200), comprising a battery device (110) and a cooling device (120) for cooling the battery device (110), further comprising at least one additional cooling device (10), wherein the additional cooling device (10) is designed for additional cooling of an already existing cooling device (120) of a thermal assembly (100) of a battery device (110) of an electric vehicle (200), comprising a liquid tank (20) for storing additional cooling liquid (ZKF) and at least one spray module (40) for spraying the additional cooling liquid (ZKF) onto an additional cooling section (130) of the thermal assembly (100), further comprising a pump device (30) in fluid communication with the liquid tank (20) and the at least one spray module (40) for conveying the additional cooling liquid (ZKF) to the at least one spray module (40), wherein the cooling device (120) has at least one additional cooling section (130),wherein the at least one spray module (40) has a spray direction (SR) onto the at least one additional cooling section (130). [2] Thermal composite (100) according to claim 1, characterized by that the liquid tank (20), the pumping device (30), the at least one spray module (40) and / or at least a section of a fluid line (50) between these components has a heating device (60). [3] Thermal composite (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the liquid tank (20) has a connecting line (22) to an air conditioning system (210) and / or an exhaust system (220) of the electric vehicle (200) for receiving condensate water from the air conditioning system (210) and / or the exhaust system (220) and transferring it to the liquid tank (20). [4] Thermal composite (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the liquid tank (20) has a receiving line (24) to a receiving device (230) for externally adding additional cooling liquid (ZKF). [5] Thermal composite (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the fluid tank (20) is designed for storing additional cooling liquid (ZKF) in the form of windscreen washer fluid of the electric vehicle (200). [6] Thermal composite (100) according to claim 5, characterized by that a branch valve (52) is arranged downstream of the pump device (30) for a controllable branching of additional cooling liquid (ZKF) to a windscreen washer system (240). [7] Thermal composite (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the liquid tank (20), the pump device (30) and / or the at least one spray module (40) has at least one of the following sensor devices (70): - Temperature sensor - Pressure sensor - Level sensor - Quality sensor [8] Thermal composite (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the cooling device (120) has the at least one additional cooling section (130) in the region of a cooler (122) of the cooling device (120). [9] Thermal composite (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the battery device (110) has at least one additional cooling section (130), wherein at least one spray module (40) has a spray direction (SR) onto the at least one additional cooling section (130).

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