Cooling arrangement for cooling a battery of a motor vehicle, motor vehicle and method for operating a cooling arrangement

Abstract

Cooling arrangement (10) for cooling a battery (12) of a motor vehicle (14), having an internal coolant circuit (24) within the vehicle, which comprises a cooling device (20) through which a coolant can flow, wherein the cooling device (20) is designed to absorb heat released by the battery (12) during operation of the battery (12), wherein the cooling device (20) has a first sub-chamber (22) through which the coolant can flow and a second sub-chamber (28) through which a second coolant can flow, wherein the second sub-chamber (28) of the cooling device (20) is integrated into an internal section (30) of a second coolant circuit (32), wherein the internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32) within the vehicle comprises an outlet (36) via which the second coolant can be supplied to a cooling module (16) external to the vehicle, and wherein the internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32) has an inlet (38) includes,via which the second coolant coming from the vehicle-external cooling module (16) can be introduced into the vehicle-internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32), characterized in that a first fluid chamber (80) of a refrigerant cooler (82) of the cooling arrangement (10), through which the second coolant can flow, is integrated into the vehicle-internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32), wherein the refrigerant cooler (82) comprises a second fluid chamber (84) through which a refrigerant can flow, and wherein the second fluid chamber (84) is integrated into a vehicle-internal refrigerant circuit (48) of the cooling arrangement (10) and can be operated as an indirect condenser or indirect gas cooler of the refrigerant circuit (48).

Description

The invention relates to a cooling arrangement for cooling a battery of a motor vehicle, having a coolant circuit in the vehicle, which coolant circuit comprises a cooling device through which a coolant can flow. The cooling device is designed to absorb heat released from the battery during operation of the battery.JP 2019,75248 A describes a battery cooling system. While a battery of a vehicle having an air conditioning circuit is charged by a charger provided on the outside of the vehicle, the battery cooling system cools the battery using an internal circuit and an external circuit.CN 113 263 959 A describes a liquid cooling thermal management system for electric vehicles, comprising a vehicle-mounted charging device. The thermal management system includes a vehicle-mounted air conditioning assembly and a battery assembly. A battery pack is cooled by a combined battery heat exchanger.DE 10 2005 048 241 A1 describes a dual-circuit battery cooling system having a refrigerant circuit and a coolant circuit. A battery of a vehicle is arranged in the coolant circuit. The refrigerant circuit includes a first evaporator and a second evaporator, the second evaporator being disposed in the refrigerant circuit in parallel with the first evaporator. By means of the second evaporator, a coolant can be cooled, which is conveyed by means of a pump in the coolant circuit and fed to the battery.Further cooling systems for cooling a battery of a motor vehicle, in which a heat exchanger through which a coolant can flow can be cooled by means of an evaporator, which is integrated into a refrigerant circuit, are described, for example, in EP 2 504 880 B1 or in DE 10 2004 035 879 A1.When charging the battery of a motor vehicle, in particular when rapidly charging the battery, a comparatively large amount of heat is released. If an in-vehicle cooling system is designed to also remove the waste heat arising during charging and in particular during rapid charging, such a cooling system is to be dimensioned to be significantly larger than is the case with regard to the cooling requirement of the battery which the battery has during the driving operation of the motor vehicle. Such a cooling system oversized for the driving operation is disadvantageous, however, with regard to the associated outlay, the installation space requirement, the costs and the weight.It is the object of the present invention to provide a cooling arrangement of the type mentioned at the beginning, which enables improved temperature control of the battery, and to specify a motor vehicle having such a cooling arrangement and a corresponding method for operating a cooling arrangement.This object is achieved by a cooling arrangement having the features of claim 1, by a motor vehicle having the features of claim 7 and by a method having the features of claim 9. Advantageous embodiments with expedient developments of the invention are specified in the dependent patent claims and in the following description.The cooling arrangement according to the invention for cooling a battery of a motor vehicle comprises a vehicle-internal coolant circuit which comprises a cooling device through which a coolant can flow. The cooling device is configured to absorb heat which is released from the battery during operation of the battery. The cooling device has a first subspace through which the coolant can flow and a second subspace through which a second coolant can flow. The second subspace of the cooling device is incorporated into an in-vehicle section of a second coolant circuit. The in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit comprises an outlet via which the second coolant can be supplied to a cooling module external to the vehicle. The in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit also comprises an inlet via which the second coolant coming from the vehicle-external cooling module can be introduced into the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit.In the cooling arrangement according to the invention, a first fluid space of a refrigerant cooler of the cooling arrangement, through which the second coolant can flow, is incorporated into the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit. The refrigerant cooler comprises a second fluid space through which a refrigerant can flow, wherein the second fluid space is incorporated into a refrigerant circuit of the cooling arrangement in the vehicle and can be operated as an indirect condenser or an indirect gas cooler of the refrigerant circuit. Such a refrigerant cooler makes it possible to cool and / or condense the refrigerant while the motor vehicle is standing at the charging station or charging column. As a result, even when the motor vehicle is stationary, air conditioning of, for example, a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle can be carried out without the need to apply ambient air to a condenser or gas cooler for this purpose. Optionally, an existing condenser or gas cooler exposed to ambient air can be exposed to a reduced quantity of air if the refrigerant cooler is provided. For cooling and / or condensing the refrigerant, which flows through the second fluid space of the refrigerant cooler, the cooling capacity of the vehicle-external cooling module can therefore be used predominantly or exclusively. This is particularly effective and low-complexity. Furthermore, in the case of a reduced or non-present fan operation for cooling the refrigerant, the vehicle or motor vehicle to be charged is acoustically more imperceptible.When, during operation of the cooling arrangement, the coolant flows through the first subspace of the cooling device and the second coolant flows through the second subspace of the cooling device, heat can be dissipated from the battery via both coolant. In addition, when the second coolant is supplied to the off-board cooling module, the cooling performance of the off-board cooling module may be used to cool the battery. Therefore, the vehicle-internal coolant circuit need not be designed solely for a cooling capacity, by means of which the waste heat produced during charging and in particular during rapid charging of the battery can be dissipated. Rather, by coupling the vehicle-external cooling module to the outlet and the inlet of the cooling arrangement, the cooling capacity of the vehicle-external cooling module can be used. Consequently, an improved and more efficient temperature control of the battery is made possible.Furthermore, it is advantageous that even when the vehicle-external cooling module is used to cool the battery, the in-vehicle coolant circuit or first coolant circuit remains closed on itself. As a result, no entry of contaminants and / or air bubbles or the like into the in-vehicle coolant circuit occurs even if the in-vehicle cooling module is coupled via the inlet and the outlet to the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit associated with the cooling arrangement.It is possible to provide a placement of connections in the form of the inlet and the outlet for the coolant in the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit at a highest location in or on the motor vehicle, as viewed relative to all further components of the in-vehicle section. Thus, in a structural manner of air bubble formation in the coolant which later circulates internally in the vehicle or autonomously within the section in the vehicle of the second coolant circuit can be at least reduced or even prevented. Siphon solutions in the region of the inlet and / or the outlet can also be provided in the in-vehicle section in order to reduce bubble formations.The charging, in particular the rapid charging, of the battery is preferably carried out when the motor vehicle is at a charging station or charging column, wherein the charging station or charging column has the vehicle-external cooling module, which can provide for a corresponding vehicle-external cooling of the battery.The vehicle-internal coolant circuit or first coolant circuit can advantageously be used both during charging, in particular rapid charging, of the battery and during driving operation of the motor vehicle having the battery, that is to say when the motor vehicle is not at the charging station or charging column having the vehicle-external cooling module. The vehicle-internal coolant circuit can therefore be used to assist in charging the battery and can also be used to remove heat from the battery during driving of the motor vehicle.However, it is also possible in an advantageous manner to effect heating of the battery by means of the cooling arrangement. This may be useful, for example, if the charging capacity of the battery cannot be fully utilized due to a low temperature. In such a case, by preheating or heating the battery, the usable charging capacity of the battery can be increased. In particular, a time at which the full charging capacity or charging power of the battery is available can thus be shifted forward. This can have the result, in particular, that the charging process, in which the full charging capacity of the battery is to be reached or exhausted, can be carried out particularly quickly.Accordingly, heat can also be introduced into the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit via the second coolant, which flows through the second coolant circuit when the vehicle-external cooling module is connected to the outlet and the inlet during operation of the cooling arrangement. This may also be useful in an application in which the second coolant circuit is to be used for heating or preheating a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle.Thus, by coupling the off-board cooling module to the outlet and inlet, i.e., to components of the second coolant circuit associated with the on-board portion of the coolant circuit, an external cold source or heat source provided by the off-board cooling module may be utilized. The vehicle-external cooling module can therefore also be referred to as a vehicle-external temperature control module.Preferably, a chiller is arranged in the vehicle-internal coolant circuit, which chiller comprises a first subregion through which the coolant can flow and a second subregion through which a refrigerant can flow. In this case, the second subregion is incorporated into an in-vehicle refrigerant circuit of the cooling arrangement and can be operated as an evaporator of the refrigerant circuit.By providing such a chiller, particularly strong or intensive cooling of the battery can be achieved if the two coolant circuits which are fluidically separated from one another and thus also the two coolant which are fluidically separated from one another are used for cooling the battery. In particular, the chiller can be turned on if this is desirable for cooling the battery, for example when it is being charged. Furthermore, the chiller can also be used to remove heat from the battery during the driving operation of the motor vehicle having the battery. Thus, the chiller allows very flexible cooling of the battery that is adapted to the respective situation.Preferably, at least one cooler through which the coolant can flow is incorporated into the vehicle-internal coolant circuit, which cooler can be acted upon by an air stream by means of a fan of the cooling arrangement. Such a cooler, which is charged with air during operation, can be used both during the charging of the battery at the stationary charging station, in particular when an ambient temperature is present which is advantageous for transferring heat to the environment, and during the driving operation of the motor vehicle in an advantageous and simple manner for removing heat from the coolant.Additionally or alternatively, at least one cooler through which the second coolant can flow can be incorporated into the section of the second coolant circuit in the vehicle, which cooler can be acted upon by an air stream by means of a fan of the cooling arrangement. Such a cooler can, in particular in the presence of an ambient temperature which is advantageous or favorable for the transfer of heat to the environment, assist with the vehicle-external cooling module, ensure a removal of heat from the second coolant when the battery of the motor vehicle is charged at the charging station having the vehicle-external cooling module.In addition, it is possible to use the cooler for removing heat from the second coolant even if the stationary vehicle-external cooling module is not coupled to the inlet and the outlet of the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit, but in particular if an ambient temperature advantageous for the heat transfer to the environment is present. Accordingly, the at least one cooler preferably integrated into the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit can also be advantageously used during the driving operation of the motor vehicle.The cooling arrangement may comprise at least one bypass line for bypassing the at least one cooler. This makes it possible to bypass the cooler. This is useful, for example, when the ambient air or the air flow with which the fan assigned to the cooler can act on the cooler has a comparatively high temperature. In such a case, the use of the at least one bypass line can avoid an undesired introduction of heat into the coolant or the second coolant which flows through the cooler occurring at the cooler.Alternatively to the bypass line, by preventing the air-side flow through the at least one cooler, a potential heat input into the coolant flowing through the latter can be prevented, for example by deactivating the associated fan and / or using a cooler blind. Furthermore, by providing the at least one bypass line, a pressure loss occurring when flowing through the radiator in the in-vehicle coolant circuit or the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit can be avoided. This is also advantageous.Preferably, a pumping device is arranged in the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit, by means of which pumping device the second coolant can be conveyed through the cooler. Thus, by providing such a pump, forced flow of the radiator disposed in the in-vehicle portion of the second coolant circuit can be achieved. This makes it possible to achieve a particularly high flexibility when using this cooler.Also in a case in which a vehicle-external pumping device is present, by means of which the coolant can be supplied to the vehicle-external cooling module and / or introduced via the inlet into the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit, the provision of the in-vehicle pumping device is advantageous. On the one hand, the in-vehicle pump device can support such a vehicle-external pump device. On the other hand, the in-vehicle pump device enables in-vehicle delivery of the coolant for cooling purposes, i.e. when the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit is not fluidically coupled to the vehicle-external cooling module.Preferably, a pump device is arranged in the vehicle-internal or first coolant circuit, by means of which pump device the coolant can be conveyed through the first subspace of the cooling device. This pump device can be used both when both coolant circuits are to be used for removing heat from the battery when the motor vehicle is standing at the charging station or charging column, and when only the vehicle-internal coolant circuit is used for removing heat from the battery during the driving operation of the motor vehicle.Preferably, a chiller is incorporated into the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit, which chiller comprises a first subregion through which the second coolant can flow and a second subregion through which a refrigerant can flow. In this case, the second subregion is incorporated into an in-vehicle refrigerant circuit of the cooling arrangement and can be operated as an evaporator of the refrigerant circuit. Such a chiller can be used very advantageously to additionally remove heat from the second coolant during use of the vehicle-external cooling module. Furthermore, the chiller can advantageously also be used during the driving operation of the motor vehicle having the battery, that is to say when the motor vehicle is not at the charging station or the charging column, in order to charge the battery. This is also advantageous.The refrigerant cooler preferably has a third fluid space through which a third coolant can flow. In this case, the third fluid space is incorporated into a third coolant circuit which is designed as a further vehicle-internal coolant circuit of the cooling arrangement. It is advantageous here that the third coolant circuit, as well as the coolant circuit which comprises the first subspace of the cooling device and is completely in-vehicle, is self-contained, even if the cooling capacity or temperature control capacity of the cooling module external to the vehicle is used. This is advantageous with regard to the fact that no introduction of impurities and / or air bubbles or the like then takes place in the third coolant circuit as well, and a coolant quality and its composition remain intact or unaffected from the outside.In addition, further components arranged in the third coolant circuit, from which heat is to be dissipated, can also access, for example, the cooling power provided by the vehicle-external cooling module. This is advantageous, for example, if components to be cooled, such as an electric drive device of the motor vehicle and / or power electronics and / or an internal combustion engine and / or a fuel cell stack, are arranged in the third coolant circuit.The motor vehicle according to the invention has a cooling arrangement according to the invention and a battery. In this case, the battery is designed to supply an engine of the motor vehicle with electrical energy. In the motor vehicle, the cooling arrangement can be used in an advantageous manner for cooling the battery.The battery can be designed in particular as a high-voltage battery or high-voltage accumulator, which has a rated voltage of more than 60 volts and preferably of up to several hundred volts. Alternatively, the battery can be designed as a low-voltage battery which has a lower rated voltage, for example a rated voltage of 48 volts or even less. In particular in the case of a battery designed as a high-voltage accumulator, during charging, in particular during rapid charging, a comparatively high amount of waste heat occurs at the charging station or charging column or the like, which waste heat can be dissipated in a particularly efficient manner by means of the cooling arrangement.The electric drive device of the motor vehicle is preferably designed to cause or at least support a movement of the motor vehicle. Accordingly, the motor vehicle can be designed in particular as an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle.Preferably, the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit is coupled to an out-of-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit, wherein the out-of-vehicle cooling module is incorporated into the out-of-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit. The further coolant can then be conveyed through the second coolant circuit and in this way can use the cooling power or temperature control power of the vehicle-external cooling module for temperature control, that is to say for cooling or heating the battery.In the method according to the invention for operating a cooling arrangement, a battery of a motor vehicle is tempered by a coolant flowing through a cooling device of a vehicle-internal coolant circuit of the cooling arrangement. The cooling device is designed to absorb heat released from the battery during operation of the battery. The cooling device has a first subspace through which the coolant can flow and a second subspace through which a second coolant can flow. The second subspace of the cooling device is incorporated into an in-vehicle section of a second coolant circuit, wherein the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit comprises an outlet via which the second coolant is supplied to a vehicle-external cooling module. The in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit further comprises an inlet via which the second coolant coming from the vehicle-external cooling module is introduced into the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit. A first fluid space, through which the second coolant flows, of a refrigerant cooler of the cooling arrangement is incorporated in the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit. The refrigerant cooler comprises a second fluid space through which a refrigerant flows, wherein the second fluid space is incorporated into an in-vehicle refrigerant circuit of the cooling arrangement and is operated as an indirect condenser or indirect gas cooler of the refrigerant circuit.For the purpose of tempering the battery, the second coolant therefore flows through at least the second subspace of the cooling device. If heat is dissipated at the vehicle-external cooling module, the battery is cooled. If, in contrast, heat is introduced into the coolant by means of the vehicle-external cooling module, the battery is heated or preheated. These two possibilities for tempering the battery can be advantageous if the motor vehicle is standing at a charging station or charging column which has the vehicle-external cooling module, wherein the cooling module can also be referred to as a vehicle-external tempering module. Consequently, the method enables an improved temperature control of the battery.Furthermore, the first subspace of the cooling device can also be flowed through by the coolant, which can be conveyed within the vehicle-internal coolant circuit, for example by means of a pump device. Particularly intensive cooling of the battery is then possible, as is advantageous, for example, during charging, in particular rapid charging of the battery.The advantages and preferred embodiments described for the cooling arrangement according to the invention apply analogously to the motor vehicle according to the invention and to the method according to the invention and vice versa.Accordingly, the invention also includes developments of the method according to the invention, which have features as have already been described in connection with the developments of the cooling arrangement according to the invention or of the motor vehicle according to the invention. For this reason, the corresponding developments of the method according to the invention are not described again here.The motor vehicle according to the invention is preferably designed as a motor vehicle, in particular as a passenger car or truck, or as a passenger bus.The invention also includes the combinations of the features of the described embodiments. The invention therefore also comprises implementations which each have a combination of the features of a plurality of the described embodiments, provided that the embodiments have not been described as mutually exclusive.Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described schematically below. The following shows: FIG. 1 shows a cooling arrangement for cooling a battery of a motor vehicle, wherein the cooling arrangement comprises an in-vehicle coolant circuit and an in-vehicle section of a further coolant circuit, wherein the further coolant circuit additionally has a section external to the vehicle (and therefore not associated with the cooling arrangement), in which a cooling module external to the vehicle is incorporated; FIG. 2 shows a variant of the cooling arrangement according to FIG. 1, in which a coolant can flow through a cooler to which an air stream can be applied in parallel with a chiller of the coolant circuit in the vehicle; FIG. 3 shows a further variant of the cooling arrangement, in which a separate pump device and a cooler are arranged in the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit; FIG. 4 shows a further variant of the cooling arrangement, in which the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit and the fully in-vehicle or first coolant circuit comprise a respective chiller; FIG. 5 shows a further variant of the cooling arrangement, in which an indirect condenser having two fluid spaces is incorporated into the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit; FIG. 6 shows a variant of the cooling arrangement according to FIG. 5, wherein the indirect condenser has a further fluid space which is incorporated into a third coolant circuit of the motor vehicle in the vehicle; and FIG. 7 shows the motor vehicle having the battery, which is located at a charging station having the vehicle-external cooling module.The exemplary embodiments explained below are preferred embodiments of the invention. In the exemplary embodiments, the described components of the embodiments each represent individual features of the invention that are to be considered independently of one another and that also develop the invention independently of one another. Therefore, the disclosure is intended to include combinations of the features of the embodiments other than those illustrated. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by further features of the invention that have already been described.In the figures, identical reference numerals designate functionally identical elements.FIG. 1 shows a highly schematic view of a cooling arrangement 10 for cooling a battery 12 of a motor vehicle 14 shown schematically in FIG. 7. The cooling arrangement 10 enables the use of an off-board cooling module 16 for cooling the battery 12. In particular, if the motor vehicle 14 is stationary at the charging station 18 and the battery 12 is charged in a rapid charging process, a comparatively large amount of waste heat is released from the battery 12. This waste heat can be dissipated by using the cooling arrangement 10.In FIG. 1, the battery 12 is not shown for reasons of clarity. However, FIG. 1 shows a cooling device 20 of the cooling arrangement 10, which is designed to absorb heat which is released from the battery 12 during operation of the battery 12, that is to say for example during charging of the battery 12 and / or during discharging of the battery 12. The cooling device 20, which is preferably in heat-conducting contact with the battery 12, comprises a first subspace 22 through which a coolant can flow. This first subspace 22, which can be designed, for example, as a cooling plate, is incorporated into a coolant circuit 24 in the vehicle, i.e. arranged within the motor vehicle 14, wherein the coolant circuit 24 in the vehicle is illustrated in a highly schematic manner in FIG. 1. A pump device or pump 26 is arranged in the vehicle-internal coolant circuit 24, which pump device or pump conveys the coolant through the first subspace 22 of the cooling device 20 during operation of the coolant circuit 24.Furthermore, the cooling device 20 comprises a second subspace 28, which can be designed as a second cooling plate of the cooling device 20, wherein the second cooling plate is also preferably in heat-conducting contact with the battery 12. In particular, the battery 12 and the cooling device 20, which in the present case comprises the two subspaces 22, 28 (preferably formed as respective cooling plates), form an assembly in the form of an energy storage device, in particular in the form of a high-voltage energy storage device. The subspaces 22, 28 of the cooling device 20 serving for the dissipation of heat from the battery 12 are therefore preferably integrated into this energy storage device.The second subspace 28 of the cooling device 20 is incorporated into an in-vehicle section 30 of a second coolant circuit 32, which is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1. The second coolant circuit 32 also includes an off-board section 34, wherein the off-board cooling module 16 is disposed in the off-board section 34 of the second coolant circuit 32 (see FIG. 7 ).Associated with the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 are an outlet 36 and an inlet 38, which can be arranged in particular in the region of an outer skin 40 of the motor vehicle 14 (compare FIG. 7 ). The outer skin 40 of the motor vehicle 14 is shown only in a partially schematic manner in FIG. 1. In a variant of the cooling arrangement 10, the inlet 38 and the outlet 36 can be designed as a common plug connector with fluidically separated interfaces.For example, respective conduits, which in turn may be separate from each other or coupled to each other, may be connected to the outlet 36 and the inlet 38 to fluidly couple the off-board cooling module 16 to the in-vehicle portion 30 of the second coolant circuit 32. A second coolant can then flow through the second subspace 28 of the cooling device 20, which coolant is cooled by means of the vehicle-external cooling module 16 and for this purpose also flows through the vehicle-external section 34 of the second coolant circuit 32. This situation is illustrated in a highly schematic manner in FIG. 7.The vehicle-external cooling module 16 thus provides an external heat sink for cooling when charging the battery 12, in particular when fast charging the battery 12. The second coolant circuit 32 open to the environment of the motor vehicle 14 can be used in combination with the vehicle-internal coolant circuit 24, i.e. arranged completely within the motor vehicle 14, in order to remove a particularly large amount of heat from the battery 12 when the battery 12 is charged.For this purpose, both the coolant circuit 24 completely in the vehicle and the section 30 in the vehicle of the second coolant circuit 32 are led through the battery 12, namely in the region of the two subspaces 22, 28, which can be provided in particular by the respective cooling plates, through which the respective coolant can flow and are preferably in heat-conducting contact with the battery 12. The first coolant circuit 24 and the second coolant circuit 32 can each draw heat from the battery 12 individually or also together actively.Both the first, in-vehicle coolant circuit 24 and the second coolant circuit 32 can be used, for example, when the battery 12 of the motor vehicle 14 is charged at the charging station 18 and the motor vehicle 14 is standing at the charging station 18 for this purpose. In particular, the vehicle-internal coolant circuit 24 can be switched on in order to provide a further heat sink in addition to the vehicle-external cooling module 16.However, the vehicle-internal coolant circuit 24 can also be used during the driving operation of the motor vehicle 14 having the battery 12, that is to say in particular when the vehicle-external section 34 of the second coolant circuit 32 is decoupled from the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32.Referring to FIG. 1, a chiller 42 may be incorporated into the in-vehicle coolant circuit 24. The chiller 42 comprises a first sub-region 44 through which the coolant can flow, which the pump 26 delivers through the vehicle-internal coolant circuit 24. The chiller 42 further comprises a second sub-region 46 which is incorporated into an in-vehicle refrigerant circuit 48 of the cooling arrangement 10. The second subregion 46 of the chiller 42 can be operated here as an evaporator of the refrigerant circuit 48. Conventional components 50 of the refrigerant circuit 48, such as a compressor, a condenser or gas cooler connected downstream of the compressor, and an expansion element connected upstream of the evaporator in the form of the second sub-region 46, are not shown in more detail in FIG. 1 for reasons of clarity.Furthermore, at least one cooler 52 can be incorporated into the vehicle-internal coolant circuit 24, which can be acted upon with an air stream by means of a fan 54 of the cooling arrangement 10. In the variation of the cooling arrangement 10 shown in FIG. 1, the radiator 52 is arranged in series with the first sub-region 44 of the chiller 42 in the in-vehicle coolant circuit 24.The cooler 52 can be used both when the motor vehicle 14 is standing at the charging station 18 and during the driving operation of the motor vehicle 14 for removing heat from the battery 12. If the ambient air with which the fan 54 acts on the cooler 52 has a comparatively high temperature, then an undesired heat input into the coolant, which flows through the first subspace 22 of the cooling device 20, can occur on account of an operation of the fan 54 on the cooler 52. In FIG. 1, a bypass line 56 or bypass line is indicated, by means of which the cooler 52 can be bypassed.Such bypassing of the cooler 52 is expedient in particular when a loss of cold at the cooler 52 is to be avoided. Additionally or alternatively, in such a situation, the fan 54 may be taken out of operation and / or a radiator louver (not shown) may be closed so that the radiator 52 is not exposed to air even if the fan 54 should be in operation.The interfaces of the in-vehicle section 30 and thus also of the cooling arrangement 10 to the outside, i.e. the outlet 36 and the inlet 38, are preferably designed such that they can be closed, so that no contaminants can enter the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 and thus the cooling arrangement 10 when the out-of-vehicle section 34 of the second coolant circuit 32 is decoupled from these interfaces.By closing or covering the inlet 38 and the outlet 36, it is therefore possible in particular to prevent contaminants or the like from entering the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 from outside the motor vehicle 14. For example, the inlet 38 and / or the outlet 36 can be protected from contamination by protective caps (not shown) or similar closure devices and / or filter devices, which can be provided in an exchangeable and / or fixedly installed manner. Furthermore, such closure devices prevent a leakage of cooling fluid or coolant and thus coolant losses to the environment during vehicle operation and thus coolant circuit operation away from the charging station 18.Additionally, due to the fluidic separation of the in-vehicle coolant circuit 24 from the second coolant circuit 32, contaminants and / or air bubbles are prevented from entering the in-vehicle coolant circuit 24 even when the out-of-vehicle cooling module 16 is used to cool the battery 12.Retention of air bubbles in the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 can also be avoided by the structural measure of placing the connections in the form of the inlet 38 and the outlet 36 for the conditioning fluid stream or coolant stream from the charging station 18 having the cooling module 16 into the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 in an exposed position on the motor vehicle 14 or its outer skin 40. In particular, it can be ensured here that these connections come to lie higher than all other components and line sections through which flow takes place in the coolant system or coolant circuit 32.The variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown in FIG. 2 corresponds very largely to the variant shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, only differences from the variant shown in FIG. 1 will be discussed below. Thus, the at least one cooler 52, which can be acted upon by an air stream by means of the fan 54, is arranged in the vehicle-internal coolant circuit 24 in parallel to the first sub-region 44 of the chiller 42 so as to be able to be flowed through by the coolant. In this way, both the chiller 42 and the radiator 52 can be simultaneously used to remove heat from the coolant flowing through the first subspace 22 of the cooling device 20. Also in the variant illustrated in FIG. 2, a bypass line (not shown) for bypassing the radiator 52 may be provided in the in-vehicle coolant circuit 24.Since the cooler 52 in FIG. 2 is already arranged parallel to the one chiller 42, the cooler 52 can already be bypassed in a simple manner on the basis of the given topology. Valves, not shown for the sake of clarity, can control the coolant flow accordingly. In order to bring about a uniform coolant flow distribution in parallel operation both via the chiller 42 and via the cooler 52, apertures can be provided, for example, as throttle elements in the respective paths.FIG. 3 shows a further variant of the cooling arrangement 10, wherein here too only differences from the variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown in FIG. 1 will be discussed. Thus, in this variant, no radiator provided in addition to the chiller 42 is arranged in the in-vehicle coolant circuit 24. In contrast, a cooler 58 is arranged in the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32, which cooler can be supplied with an air stream by means of a fan 60. In this case, the cooler 58 can be incorporated into the second coolant circuit 32 in series with the vehicle-external cooling module 16 such that it can be flowed through by the second coolant, if the vehicle-external cooling module 16 is fluidically coupled to the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32.In the variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown in FIG. 3, a first valve 62 is arranged in the region of the outlet 36, which valve, in a closed position, prevents the second coolant from being supplied to the vehicle-external cooling module 16. In an analogous manner, a second valve 64 is provided in the region of the inlet 38, which prevents the second coolant coming from the vehicle-external cooling module 16 from being introduced or recirculated via the inlet 38 when the second valve 64 is closed. If the valves 62, 64 are closed, the cooler 58 can also be used during the driving operation of the motor vehicle 14, that is to say when the motor vehicle 14 is not standing on the charging column 18, in order to charge the battery 12.In particular in this variant, a further pump device or further pump 66 can be arranged in the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32, by means of which pump device the second coolant can be conveyed through the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32. The second pump 66 can be arranged in a parallel line 68 of the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32, that is to say in a branch of the second coolant circuit 32, through which flow can take place in parallel with the vehicle-external cooling module 16 if the vehicle-external cooling module 16 is fluidically coupled to the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32. Referring to FIG. 3, the radiator 58 may be disposed in the in-vehicle portion 30 of the second coolant circuit 32, specifically, downstream of the second compartment 28 and upstream of a branch location at which the parallel branch 68 originates from this branch location. Furthermore, it is possible to arrange the cooler 58 in the parallel line 68.A valve 70, for example a check valve, can be arranged in the parallel line 68, which valve is forced open by the second coolant when the second pump 66 delivers the second coolant through the parallel line 68. However, by means of such a check valve, it is possible to prevent the second coolant from flowing through the parallel line 68 in a simple and reliable manner when the second coolant is introduced into the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 via the inlet 38 by means of a pumping device (not shown) of the charging station 18 when the valve 64 is open. In this case, the check valve ensures that the second coolant introduced into the in-vehicle section 30 by the pump device or pump of the charging station 18 flows through the second subspace 28 of the cooling device 20. The valve 70 can also be designed as a shut-off valve. The external delivery device or pump (not shown) can be integrated into the vehicle-external cooling module 16, for example.The parallel line 68 represents, in particular, a circuit closure within the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 for a cooling circuit operation of the motor vehicle 14 decoupled or decoupled from the charging station 18.Furthermore, a bypass line 72 is shown in FIG. 3, by means of which the cooler 58 arranged in the in-vehicle section 30 can be bypassed if such a cooler 58 is present. Additionally or alternatively to the bypass line 72, a cooler louver (not shown) can be assigned to the cooler 58, which louver prevents air conveyed by the fan 60 from impinging on the cooler 58 in a closed position.Alternatively to the arrangement in the bypass line or parallel line 68 shown in FIG. 3, the pump 66 may be laid into the in-vehicle section 30 upstream of a branching point at which the parallel line 68 branches off from a line of the in-vehicle section 30, or downstream of a merging point at which the parallel line 68 merges into a line of the in-vehicle section 30. The pump 66 can thus also implement or at least support a circulation of the coolant flow connected from the outside and conditioned via the temperature control device in the form of the cooling module 16.The consideration of a cooler 58 and a pump 66 in the section 30 in the vehicle and the possibility of representing it as a quasi-closed circuit enables, under certain thermal ambient conditions-the ambient temperature level comes to lie below a coolant temperature level-the use of the section 30 as an additional cooling device for the cooling device 20 also away from a charging station, i.e. during the driving operation of the vehicle 14.FIG. 4 shows a further variant of the cooling arrangement 10, wherein here too only differences from the variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown in FIG. 3 will be discussed. Thus, a corresponding illustration of the cooler 58 illustrates that the cooler 58 incorporated into the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 can also be omitted, as an alternative to the positionings described with reference to FIG. 3. In contrast, in the variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown in FIG. 4, a further or second chiller 74 is incorporated into the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32.Like the first chiller 42 assigned to the first coolant circuit 24, the second chiller 74 has a first subregion 76 through which the second coolant can flow, which the second pump 66 and / or the pump (not shown) of the charging station 18 can convey through the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32. Furthermore, the second chiller 74 has a second subregion 78, through which the refrigerant, which is conveyed in the in-vehicle refrigerant circuit 48 of the cooling arrangement 10, can flow. Accordingly, in this variant of the cooling arrangement 10, the second sub-region 78 of the second chiller 74 can be operated as a further evaporator of the refrigerant circuit 48. The two partial regions 46, 78 operable as evaporators can be arranged in the refrigerant circuit 48 in parallel or in series through which the refrigerant can flow.In the variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown in FIG. 4, the two chillers 42, 74 can be used both when the motor vehicle 14 is standing at the charging station 18 and the battery 12 is being charged and during the driving operation of the motor vehicle 14 having the battery 12.In the variant of the cooling arrangement 10 according to FIG. 4 as well, it can prove to be advantageous to provide the bypass line 72 (optionally shown) on the cooler 58, in order to latch this cooler 58 in a simple manner, if necessary, from an active chain or cooling chain present in the cooling operation.FIG. 5 shows a further variant of the cooling arrangement 10, wherein only the differences from the variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown in FIG. 1 will be discussed below. Thus, according to FIG. 5, a first fluid space 80 of a refrigerant cooler 82 of the cooling arrangement 10 is incorporated into the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32. The second coolant, which flows through the second coolant circuit 32, can flow through the first fluid chamber 80 when the vehicle-external cooling module 16 is coupled via the outlet 36 and the inlet 38 to the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 and, for example, the vehicle-external pump (not shown) is operating.The refrigerant cooler 82 comprises a second fluid space 84 through which a refrigerant can flow. In this case, the second fluid space 84 is incorporated into the in-vehicle refrigerant circuit 48 and can be operated as an indirect condenser or indirect gas cooler of the refrigerant circuit 48. Accordingly, the cooling capacity of the vehicle-external cooling module 16 can also be used to cool the refrigerant flowing through the second fluid space 84.In the variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown in FIG. 5, the refrigerant cooler 82 is designed as a bi-fluid heat exchanger. This is because a fluid in the form of the second coolant can flow through the first fluid space 80 of the refrigerant cooler 82, and a fluid in the form of the refrigerant can flow through the second fluid space 84 of the refrigerant cooler 82.By utilizing the cooling power provided by the vehicle-external cooling module 16 in order to cool the refrigerant, in particular to cool it below a condensation temperature of the refrigerant, active cooling of the battery 12 can be achieved by means of the chiller 42. In addition, air conditioning of a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle 14 can be assisted or improved by the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 48 being cooled and / or condensed by means of the vehicle-external cooling module 16.If the section 30 in the vehicle is designed and designed accordingly, the refrigerant cooler 82 can be provided - in particular taking into account at least one further cooler connected to the ambient air and forming the section 30 in the vehicle as a switchable, closed fluid circuit or coolant circuit, as a sole heat exchanger in the refrigerant circuit 48 in order to cool the refrigerant. However, at least one further heat exchanger (not shown) can additionally be incorporated into the refrigerant circuit 48, which can be cooled by means of air and / or by means of a cooling fluid.In the variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown in FIG. 5, the battery 12 and the indirect condenser are coupled on the fluid side and can be connected to one another for the joint use of the cold which is provided by the external cooling module 16.In a further variant embodiment not shown, the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 can be designed in a similar manner, analogously to the variants described above, with at least one bypass line and / or a connecting line running parallel to the inlet 38 and outlet 36 and / or with at least one cooler 58 and / or with at least one pump 66 in order, in addition to a cooling operation at the charging station 18, also to enable such a cooling operation during a state in which it is decoupled from the charging station 18.In particular in the variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown in FIG. 5, further components 86 of the motor vehicle 14 can be incorporated into the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32, from which components heat is to be dissipated. As a component 86 of this type, an electric drive device, for example in the form of at least one electric motor 88, is shown in FIG. 7 by way of example.The variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown in FIG. 6 corresponds largely to the variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown in FIG. 5, but the refrigerant cooler 82 is not designed as a bi-fluid heat exchanger here, but as a tri-fluid heat exchanger. Accordingly, the refrigerant cooler 82 has the first fluid space 80, through which the second coolant can flow, and the second fluid space 84, through which the refrigerant can flow. Furthermore, the refrigerant cooler 82 has a third fluid space 90, through which a third coolant can flow.The third fluid space 90 is incorporated into a third coolant circuit 92 of the cooling arrangement 10. The third coolant circuit 92 is formed as a further, in-vehicle coolant circuit of the cooling arrangement 10. Accordingly, as the third fluid, the third coolant may pass through the refrigerant cooler 82.In the variant shown in FIG. 6, the further components 86 of the motor vehicle 14 to be cooled are arranged in the third coolant circuit 92, which is formed as the further in-vehicle coolant circuit of the cooling arrangement 10. Accordingly, the further off-board coolant circuit 92 also remains self-contained, even when the off-board cooling module 16 is used to cool the components 86.A sequence of a flow through the second subspace 28 of the cooling device 20 and the first fluid space 80 of the refrigerant cooler 82 is preferably such that advantageous or thermodynamically favorable configurations are achieved for a plurality of operating points of the cooling arrangement 10.In the described variants of the cooling arrangement 10, the charging station 18 preferably ensures that, at the end of the charging process and before decoupling the vehicle-external section 34 of the second coolant circuit 32 from the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32, the vehicle-internal section 30 is correctly filled with the second coolant and is free of air bubbles.Further valves which can be used in the variants of the cooling arrangement 10 explained above, for example in the form of shut-off valves, changeover valves, mixing valves or the like, for ensuring a desired flow direction of the coolant through the in-vehicle coolant circuit 24 and / or the second coolant through the second coolant circuit 32 and / or the third coolant through the third in-vehicle coolant circuit 92 and also of apertures or alternative throttle elements for adjustability of a target-carrying volume flow distribution are not illustrated in any more detail in the figures for reasons of clarity.The illustration of sensor systems and / or sensor elements, of control units and / or communication interfaces and the like for the exchange of information between the motor vehicle 14 and the charging station 18 having the cooling module 16 and of other components preferably provided for the proper operation of such a device has been omitted for reasons of clarity. This is because these components are not absolutely necessary for the description of the basic functionality of the cooling arrangement 10 as such and the interaction of the cooling arrangement 10 with the charging station 18.FIG. 7 schematically shows a situation in which the motor vehicle 14 is standing at the charging station 18, wherein corresponding connection lines which are associated with the section 34 of the second coolant circuit 32 external to the vehicle (compare FIG. 1 ) are coupled to the outlet 36 on the one hand and to the inlet 38 on the other hand.The (not shown) off-board pump can be arranged in the section 34 of the second coolant circuit 32 outside the vehicle, by means of which pump the coolant can be conveyed through the second coolant circuit 32.Additionally or alternatively, a pump (not shown) can be arranged in the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 in order to feed the second coolant to the vehicle-external cooling module 16 via the outlet 36 or to introduce or recirculate the second coolant into the in-vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 via the inlet 38.FIG. 7 furthermore schematically shows that the motor vehicle 14 can have the electric drive device, for example in the form of the at least one electric motor 88, which is supplied with electrical energy by the battery 12. The at least one electric motor 88 can cause the transportation vehicle 14 to move or at least assist such a movement. Means for electrically connecting the battery 12 to the charging station 18 for the purpose of charging the battery 12 are not shown in more detail in FIG. 7 for reasons of clarity.Overall, the examples show how external battery cooling can be provided by the cooling arrangement 10 using an internally closed and externally partially open system and with the cooling device 20 having the two compartments 22, 28, wherein the two compartments 22, 28 can be designed in particular as respective cooling plates in thermal contact with the battery 12.

Claims

Cooling arrangement (10) for cooling a battery (12) of a motor vehicle (14), having a vehicle-internal coolant circuit (24) which comprises a cooling device (20) through which a coolant can flow, wherein the cooling device (20) is designed to absorb heat released from the battery (12) during operation of the battery (12), wherein the cooling device (20) has a first subspace (22) through which the coolant can flow and a second subspace (28) through which a second coolant can flow, wherein the second subspace (28) of the cooling device (20) is incorporated into a vehicle-internal section (30) of a second coolant circuit (32), wherein the vehicle-internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32) comprises an outlet (36) via which the second coolant can be fed to a vehicle-external cooling module (16), and wherein the in-vehicle section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32) comprises an inlet (38), via which the second coolant coming from the vehicle-external cooling module (16) can be introduced into the in-vehicle section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32), characterized in that a first fluid space (80), through which the second coolant can flow, of a refrigerant cooler (82) of the cooling arrangement (10) is incorporated into the in-vehicle section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32), wherein the refrigerant cooler (82) comprises a second fluid space (84), through which a refrigerant can flow, and wherein the second fluid space (84) is incorporated into an in-vehicle refrigerant circuit (48) of the cooling arrangement (10) and can be operated as an indirect condenser or indirect gas cooler of the refrigerant circuit (48).Cooling arrangement (10) according to Claim 1, characterized in that a chiller (42) is arranged in the vehicle-internal coolant circuit (24), which chiller comprises a first subregion (44) through which the coolant can flow and a second subregion (46) through which a refrigerant can flow, the second subregion (46) being incorporated in a vehicle-internal refrigerant circuit (48) of the cooling arrangement (10) and being operable as an evaporator of the refrigerant circuit (48).Cooling arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one cooler (52) through which the coolant can flow is incorporated in the vehicle-internal coolant circuit (24), which cooler can be acted upon by an air stream by means of a fan (54) of the cooling arrangement (10), and / or at least one cooler (58) through which the second coolant can flow is incorporated in the vehicle-internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32), which cooler can be acted upon by an air stream by means of a fan (60) of the cooling arrangement (10).Cooling arrangement (10) according to Claim 3, characterized in that the cooling arrangement (10) has at least one bypass line (56, 72) for bypassing the at least one cooler (52, 58), and / or a pump device (66) is arranged in the in-vehicle section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32), by means of which pump device the second coolant can be conveyed through the cooler (58).Cooling arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a chiller (74) is incorporated in the in-vehicle section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32), which chiller comprises a first subregion (76) through which the second coolant can flow and a second subregion (78) through which a refrigerant can flow, wherein the second subregion (78) is incorporated in an in-vehicle refrigerant circuit (48) of the cooling arrangement (10) and can be operated as an evaporator of the refrigerant circuit (48).Cooling arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the refrigerant cooler (82) has a third fluid space (90) through which a third coolant can flow, wherein the third fluid space (90) is incorporated in a third coolant circuit (92) which is designed as a further in-vehicle coolant circuit of the cooling arrangement (10).Motor vehicle (14) having a cooling arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims and having a battery (12), wherein the battery (12) is designed to supply a drive device (88) of the motor vehicle (14) with electrical energy, and wherein the drive device (88) is designed to bring about or at least to assist a movement of the motor vehicle (14).Motor vehicle (14) according to Claim 7, characterized in that the in-vehicle section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32) is coupled to a vehicle-external section (34) of the second coolant circuit (32), wherein the vehicle-external cooling module (16) is incorporated into the vehicle-external section (34) of the second coolant circuit (32).Method for operating a cooling arrangement (10), in which a battery (12) of a motor vehicle (14) is tempered by a coolant flowing through a cooling device (20) of an in-vehicle coolant circuit (24) of the cooling arrangement (10), wherein the cooling device (20) is designed to absorb heat released from the battery (12) during operation of the battery (12), wherein the cooling device (20) has a first subspace (22) through which the coolant can flow and a second subspace (28) through which a second coolant can flow, wherein the second subspace (28) of the cooling device (20) is incorporated into an in-vehicle section (30) of a second coolant circuit (32), wherein the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit (32) comprises an outlet (36) via which the second coolant is fed to a vehicle-external cooling module (16), wherein, and wherein the in-vehicle section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32) comprises an inlet (38) via which the second coolant coming from the vehicle-external cooling module (16) is introduced into the in-vehicle section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32), characterized in that a first fluid space (80), through which the second coolant flows, of a refrigerant cooler (82) of the cooling arrangement (10) is incorporated into the in-vehicle section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32), wherein the refrigerant cooler (82) comprises a second fluid space (84), through which a refrigerant flows, and wherein the second fluid space (84) is incorporated into an in-vehicle refrigerant circuit (48) of the cooling arrangement (10) and is operated as an indirect condenser or indirect gas cooler of the refrigerant circuit (48).

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