Heat transfer medium circuit system, vehicle, method for cooling a vehicle cabin and pump-valve distribution unit

Abstract

The invention relates to an indirect heat transfer medium circuit system (2) for a vehicle, in which, for cooling a vehicle cabin, a section of a liquid cooling circuit (circuit) guided via a first heat exchanger (12), which is provided for heating the vehicle cabin, can be fluidically set in parallel and / or in series with a section of the liquid cooling circuit (circuit) guided via a second heat exchanger (14) for cooling the vehicle cabin via associated control valve functions (SV1, SV2, MWV1) in order to effect a parallel connection and / or a series connection of the two heat exchangers (12, 14) for cooling the vehicle cabin.The invention also relates to a vehicle with such a heat transfer medium circuit system (2) and to a method for cooling a vehicle cabin.

Description

The present invention relates to a heat transport medium circuit(s) system for a vehicle and to a vehicle having such a heat transport medium circuit(s) system. The invention further relates to a method for cooling a vehicle cabin.In electric vehicles, it is necessary to temperature control both components of an electric drive train and at least one battery for supplying these components.It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved heat transport medium circuit(s) or an improved heat transport medium circuit(s) system.A further object of the present invention is to enable improved cooling of a vehicle cabin.This object is achieved by a heat transport medium circuit (running) system proposed according to claim 1 and provided with protection.The proposed heat transport medium circuit(s) system represents a so-called indirect system in which heat or energy is transported indirectly, i.e. indirectly via the liquid circuit(s) system as far as the individual heat sinks of the vehicle.As a result, a heat or energy distribution can be largely converted via the liquid circuit (running) system, i.e. on the basis of a liquid, for example in the form of a water-glycol mixture.This has the advantage that the refrigerant circuit(s)-also called CRU (Compact Coolant Unit)-can be provided in a very simplified manner and in the process can be provided with very compact or smallest possible dimensions. And along with this, an amount of a refrigerant used, for example, in the form of a synthetic refrigerant, for example, in the form of R134a or R1234yf, or in the form of a natural refrigerant, for example, in the form of R744 or R290, can also be reduced to a minimum.The proposed heat transport medium circuit(s) system also allows an amount of the liquid in the liquid circuit(s) system to be reduced to a minimum.In addition, the proposed heat transport medium circuit (running) system enables efficient vehicle cabin cooling. In such an indirect heat transport medium circuit(s) system, by virtue of a section of a liquid cooling circuit(s) which is guided via a first heat exchanger which is provided per se for heating the vehicle cabin being adjusted (set) fluidically in parallel and / or in series via associated control valve functions to a section of the liquid cooling circuit(s) which is guided via a second heat exchanger for cooling the vehicle cabin, a parallel connection and / or a series connection of the two heat exchangers for cooling the vehicle cabin is effected. Thus, the first heat exchanger, which is provided per se or otherwise for heating the vehicle cabin, can advantageously also be used-optionally or as required-for cooling the vehicle cabin.And by this parallel connection and / or the series connection of the two heat exchangers, a surface used for cooling the vehicle cabin increases. This improves cooling of the vehicle cabin.Furthermore, the heat exchangers provided for the vehicle cabin can also be of smaller construction.The proposed heat transport medium circuit (running) system thus contributes to weight and cost savings.The said control valve functions are to be understood in particular as being able to be reproduced by at least one multiway valve which can fluidically connect liquid-conducting line sections to one another within a first, multipart housing of the valve and line system or of the liquid circuit (barrel) system-optionally or as required-via different heights of the multiway valve-or along a longitudinal axis or longitudinal extent of the multiway valve.In one embodiment, an inlet line section to the second heat exchanger for the vehicle cabin, an inlet line section to the first heat exchanger for the vehicle cabin and an outlet line section from the first heat exchanger for the vehicle cabin can be opened or closed via an associated one-way control valve function in each case, in order to be able to bring about cooling of the vehicle cabin via the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger.In a further embodiment, alternatively thereto, an inlet line section to the second heat exchanger for the vehicle cabin and an inlet line section to the first heat exchanger for the vehicle cabin can be opened or closed via an associated one-way control valve function in each case, and an outlet line section from the first heat exchanger can also be fluidically connected via an associated multipath control valve function in the form of a 3 / 2-way control valve function to the inlet line section to the second heat exchanger and / or to the outlet line section from the second heat exchanger, in order to be able to bring about cooling of the vehicle cabin via the first heat exchanger and / or the second heat exchanger.In one embodiment, the second section of the first liquid circuit(barrel) and the third section of the first liquid circuit(barrel) are fluidically connected in parallel with a first section of the first liquid circuit(barrel), which is routed via a battery for supplying power to an electric drive train.In a further embodiment, the second fluid circuit(barrel) is additionally guided over at least one component of the electric drive train.In a further embodiment, the second liquid circuit(s) can additionally be guided via a second radiator, which can optionally be connected fluidically in series and / or in parallel. In this case, the first radiator may be arranged fluidically upstream of the component of the electric drive train and the second radiator may be arranged fluidically downstream of the component of the electric drive train.For modularization of the proposed heat transport medium circuit(s) system, it is proposed to configure its liquid circuit(s) system such that at least the first and / or the second liquid pump, at least one of the aforementioned control valve functions of the valve and line system and at least a part of the liquid line sections of the valve and line system are accommodated in a multipart first housing of the liquid circuit(s) system or integrated into this first housing, to which the at least one heat source and the at least one heat sink of the vehicle are fluidically connected via associated, separate lines connected to the first housing.In one embodiment, all liquid pumps, the individual aforementioned control valve functions of the valve and line system and all liquid line sections of the valve and line system except for those assigned, separate liquid line sections or lines are accommodated in this first housing or integrated into this first housing, via which the at least one heat source and the at least one heat sink of the vehicle are connected to the first housing or are fluidically connected to this first housing.In this case, this first housing performs the function of a pump-valve distribution (er) unit in which the individual valve system modes and the aforementioned control valve functions can be mapped by at least one multiway valve which can fluidically connect liquid-conducting line sections within the first housing to one another optionally via different heights of the multiway valve - or along a longitudinal axis or longitudinal extent of the multiway valve.In a further embodiment, it is proposed with respect to the refrigerant circuit(s) that at least the compressor and / or an expansion valve and / or a line section and / or a temperature sensor and / or a pressure sensor of the refrigerant circuit(s) are accommodated in a multipart second housing of the refrigerant circuit(s) or integrated into this second housing. This is a further contribution to the modularization of the proposed heat transport medium circuit (running) system.In one embodiment, the first and the second housing are combined to form a unit and thereby form a housing assembly which as such contributes to saving installation space.This housing assembly can be combined with the first heat exchanger for the cold section of the refrigerant circuit(s) and the second heat exchanger for the hot section of the refrigerant circuit(s) to form an integrated assembly in the form of a (thermomodule) unit, in order to achieve or provide a high-grade or maximum modularization of the heat transport medium circuit(s) system. This also contributes to saving on installation space.Furthermore, a vehicle or motor vehicle with a heat transport medium circuit (running) system of the type described above is proposed (claim 13).In addition, a method for cooling a vehicle cabin by means of an indirect heat transport medium circuit (running) system of the type described above is proposed (claim 14).In addition, a pump-valve distribution(s) unit is proposed which is designed in the form of the first housing of the type described above (claim 15).The invention is explained in detail below with reference to figures. From the dependent claims and the following description of preferred embodiments, further advantageous developments of the invention result. Schematic or functional for this purpose are shown: FIG. 1 shows a heat transport medium circuit (running) system for a vehicle, FIG. 2 shows the heat transport medium circuit (circuit) system shown in FIG. 1 in a first modification, and FIG. 3 shows the heat transport medium circuit (circuit) system shown in FIG. 1 in a second modification.The heat transport medium circuit(s) system 2 according to FIG. 1 has a refrigerant circuit(s) 4 of as small or compact dimensions as possible and a liquid circuit(s) system 6, to which the refrigerant circuit(s) 4 is connected via a first heat exchanger 8 (engl. Chiller; evaporator) for the cold section of the refrigerant circuit (run) 6 and a second heat exchanger 10 (narrow. Condenser) for the hot section of the refrigerant circuit (run) 6 is thermally connected.The refrigerant circuit(s) 4-which is also referred to as CRU (compact coolant unit) as such-comprises, in addition to the two heat exchangers 8, 10, a compressor for conveying a refrigerant and an expansion valve. In addition, a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor are provided in the refrigerant circuit(s) 4 at least upstream and downstream of the compressor, respectively.The liquid circuit(s) system 6 has a valve and line system VL, by means of which a multiplicity of liquid circuit(s) can be adjusted, wherein the valve system can be (adjusted) to adjust different liquid circuit(s) into individual valve system modes.Heat sources and heat sinks of the vehicle are fluidically connected to this valve and line system VL via associated, separate lines (see in this respect the connections A 1 to A 14). The connections A 1', A 3' and A 13' however, are those within the valve and line system VL.The liquid circuit (running) system 6 also has, downstream of the second heat exchanger 10, a heating element HE which can be activated if necessary for heating the conveyed liquid. This heating element HE can be provided inside or outside the valve and line system VL.The individual valve system modes mentioned above have the following in common. A first liquid circuit(s) - in the sense of a liquid cooling circuit(s) - via the first heat exchanger 8 - between the refrigerant circuit(s) 4 and the liquid circuit(s) system 6 - is led or realized or implemented to at least one heat source of the vehicle and a second liquid circuit(s) - in the sense of a liquid heating circuit(s) - via the second heat exchanger 10 - between the refrigerant circuit(s) 4 and the liquid circuit(s) system 6 - is led or implemented or implemented to at least one heat sink of the vehicle.The valve and line system VL comprises at least one first electric liquid pump EWP 1 for conveying liquid in the first liquid circuit(barrel) or liquid cooling circuit(barrel), and at least one second electric liquid pump EWP 2 for conveying liquid in the second liquid circuit(barrel) or liquid heating circuit(barrel).In the present case, a (adjusted) valve system mode for cooling a vehicle cabin is involved. The first or cold liquid circuit(s) is connected to a second section via a second heat exchanger 14 (also known as an HVAC Cooler; HVAC→ engl. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning) for cooling the vehicle cabin and the second or hot liquid circuit (run) are guided via at least one first radiator 16 for exchanging heat between the liquid circuit (run) system 6 and a vehicle environment.It is proposed here that a third section can be fluidically connected-optionally or as required-to the first liquid circuit(s) and can be guided via a first heat exchanger 12 (also referred to as an HVAC heater), which is otherwise provided for heating the vehicle cabin.This third section of the first liquid circuit(barrel) can be adjusted fluidically in parallel and / or in series (in) with the second section of the first liquid circuit(barrel) via associated control valve functions, in order to be able to bring about a parallel connection and / or a series connection of the two heat exchangers 12, 14 for cooling the vehicle cabin.In the embodiment according to FIG. 2, it is proposed for this purpose to make an inlet line section 26 to the second heat exchanger 14, an inlet line section 22 to the first heat exchanger 12 and an outlet line section 24 from the first heat exchanger 12 open or closeable via an associated one-way control valve function SV1, SV2, SV3 in each case. These one-way control valve functions SV1, SV2, SV3 are provided or arranged within the valve and line system VL.Alternatively, it is proposed in the embodiment according to FIG. 3 to design the outlet line section 24 from the first heat exchanger 12 to be fluidically connectable via an associated multiway control valve function in the form of a 3 / 2-way control valve function MWV 1 to the inlet line section 26 to the second heat exchanger 14 and / or to the outlet line section 28 from the second heat exchanger 14, in order to be able to bring about cooling of the vehicle cabin via the first heat exchanger 12 and / or the second heat exchanger 14. This 3 / 2-way control valve function MWV 1 takes the place of the third one-way control valve function SV3 in FIG. 2 and is likewise provided or arranged within the valve and line system VL.It is common to the embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 3 that a first section of the first liquid circuit(barrel) is guided over a battery B for supplying an electric drive train 18, wherein the second and the third section of the first liquid circuit(barrel) are each fluidically connected in parallel to the first section of the first liquid circuit(barrel).It is also common to the embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 3 that in the first liquid circuit(s) downstream or upstream of the battery B and downstream of the heat exchanger 8-and within the valve and line system VL-an associated second multiway control valve function in the form of a 4 / 3-way control valve function MWV 2 is provided or arranged, via which liquid flowing or coming from the battery B can be returned to the battery B if necessary. In addition, via this 4 / 3-way control valve function MWV 2 liquid flowing or coming from the heat exchanger 8 can be supplied to the battery B in order to temperature control or cool the battery B. Additionally or alternatively, liquid flowing or coming from the heat exchanger 10 can be supplied to the battery B via this 4 / 3-way control valve function MWV 2 in order to be able to bring about a desired temperature control of the battery B.Downstream of this 4 / 3-way control valve function MWV 2- and within the valve and line system VL - and upstream of the battery B (or in an inflow line section to the battery B), a third electric liquid pump EWP 3 is additionally provided, which assists a circulation of liquid within a further liquid circuit(s) - as a component of the first section of the first liquid circuit(s), wherein this further liquid circuit(s) comprises the battery B, the 4 / 3-way control valve function MWV 2 and the third electric liquid pump EWP 3. This further liquid circuit(s) supports a desired temperature control of the battery B.The further liquid circuit(barrel) circulating via the battery B for the case of supplying or admixing liquid from the liquid cooling circuit(barrel) and / or liquid heating circuit(barrel) to this, requires correspondingly associated sequences or returns to the liquid cooling circuit(barrel) on the one hand and to the liquid heating circuit(barrel) on the other hand, which as such are not illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 for the sake of simplicity.It is also common to the embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 3 that the second fluid circuit(barrel) is additionally guided over at least one component of the electric drive train 18. This is understood to mean at least one electric motor or electric motor for driving the vehicle and at least one power electronics, for example in the form of an inverter, an on-board charger (OBC), a DC-DC converter, also called a DC-DC converter, and / or optionally in the form of further control units in the form of high-performance computers.In this case, the second liquid circuit(s) can additionally be guided via a second radiator 20, which can optionally be connected fluidically in series and / or in parallel via an associated third multiway control valve function in the form of a 3 / 2-way control valve function MWV 3.In this case, the first radiator 16 is fluidically arranged upstream of the component of the electric drive train 18 and the second radiator 20 is fluidically arranged downstream of the component of the electric drive train 18.All the aforementioned control valve functions SV 1, SV 2, SV 3( control valve) and MWV 1, MWV 2, MWV 3( MWV=multi-way valve) of the valve and line system VL have in common that they can partially or fully open or open or close or close or close associated liquid line sections-optionally or as required.For the purpose of modularizing-to a pump-valve module-it is proposed here to accommodate at least the first and / or the second liquid pump EWP 1, EWP 2, at least one of the aforementioned control valve functions of the valve and line system VL and at least a part of the liquid line sections of the valve and line system VL in a multipart-not illustrated-first housing of the liquid circuit (running) system 6 or to integrate them into this first housing, to which the at least one heat source and the at least one heat sink of the vehicle are fluidically connected via associated, separate lines.In a further embodiment, all liquid pumps EWP 1, EWP 2, EWP 3, the individual aforementioned control valve functions of the valve and line system VL and all liquid line sections of the valve and line system VL are accommodated in this first housing or integrated into this first housing, to which the at least one heat source and the at least one heat sink of the vehicle are fluidically connected via associated, separate lines.This first housing can be considered here as illustrated by the rectangle with the reference symbol VL in FIGS. 1 to 3-in the sense of a system boundary for this first housing-in which the valve and line system VL is accommodated or integrated apart from those assigned, separate liquid line sections or lines via which the at least one heat source and the at least one heat sink of the vehicle are connected to the first housing or are fluidically connected to this first housing. In this first housing, the individual valve system modes of the valve and line system VL and the aforementioned control valve functions can be reproduced, namely by at least one multiway valve which can fluidically connect liquid-conducting line sections to one another within this first, multipart housing-optionally or as required-via different heights of the multiway valve-or along a longitudinal axis or longitudinal extent of the multiway valve.In addition, for the purpose of modularizing the refrigerant circuit(s) 4, it is proposed that at least the compressor and / or an expansion valve and / or a line section and / or a temperature sensor and / or a pressure sensor of the refrigerant circuit(s) be accommodated in a multipart-not-illustrated-second housing of the refrigerant circuit(s) 4 or integrated into this second housing.It is proposed here to combine these first and second housings into one unit and to form a housing composite in the process. These first and second housings can be joined or connected indirectly to one another via a coupling plate.It is also proposed here to combine this housing assembly with the first heat exchanger 8 for the cold section of the refrigerant circuit(s) 6 and the second heat exchanger 10 for the hot section of the refrigerant circuit(s) 6 to form a (highly) integrated assembly in the form of a thermomodule unit.

Claims

Heat transport medium circuit (run) system (2) for a vehicle, having: a refrigerant circuit (run) (4) with a compressor for conveying a refrigerant, a liquid circuit (run) system (6) to which the refrigerant circuit (run) (4) is thermally connected via a first heat exchanger (8) for the cold section of the refrigerant circuit (run) (6) and a second heat exchanger (10) for the hot section of the refrigerant circuit (run) (6), wherein the liquid circuit (run) system (6) has a valve and line system (VL) via which a plurality of liquid circuit (buf)s can be adjusted, wherein the valve system can be adjusted (in) into individual valve system modes for adjusting different liquid circuit (buf), wherein, in the individual valve system modes, a first liquid circuit(run) - in the sense of a liquid cooling circuit(run) - is guided via the first heat exchanger (8) between the refrigerant circuit(run) (4) and the liquid circuit(run) system (6) to at least one heat source of the vehicle (B, 14), and a second liquid circuit(run) - in the sense of a liquid heating circuit(run) - is guided via the second heat exchanger (10) between the refrigerant circuit(run) (4) and the liquid circuit(run) system (6) to at least one heat sink of the vehicle (16, 20), at least one first electric liquid pump (EWP 1) for conveying liquid in the first liquid circuit (run) and at least one second electric liquid pump (EWP 2) for conveying liquid in the second liquid circuit (run), wherein in a (set) valve system mode for cooling a vehicle cabin, the first liquid circuit (run) is guided with a second section via a second heat exchanger (14) for cooling the vehicle cabin and the second liquid circuit (run) is guided via at least one first radiator (16) for exchanging heat between the liquid circuit (run) system (6) and a vehicle environment, wherein a third section can be fluidically added to the first liquid circuit (run) via associated control valve functions and can be guided in the process via a first heat exchanger (12), which is otherwise provided for heating the vehicle cabin, wherein the third section of the first liquid circuit(barrel) is fluidically parallel and / or series (adjustable) to the second section of the first liquid circuit(barrel) via associated control valve functions in order to bring about a parallel connection and / or a series connection of the two heat exchangers (12, 14) for cooling the vehicle cabin.Heat transport medium circuit (circuit) system according to Claim 1, wherein an inlet line section (26) to the second heat exchanger (14) for the vehicle cabin, an inlet line section (22) to the first heat exchanger (12) for the vehicle cabin and an outlet line section (24) from the first heat exchanger (12) for the vehicle cabin can be opened or closed via in each case an associated one-way control valve function (SV 1, SV 2, SV 3) in order to bring about cooling of the vehicle cabin via the first heat exchanger (12) and the second heat exchanger (14).Heat transport medium circuit (circuit) system according to Claim 1, wherein an inlet line section (26) to the second heat exchanger (14) for the vehicle cabin, an inlet line section (22) to the first heat exchanger (12) for the vehicle cabin can be opened or closed via an associated one-way control valve function (SV 1, SV 2) in each case, and wherein an outlet line section (24) from the first heat exchanger (12) can be fluidically connected via an associated multi-way control valve function in the form of a 3 / 2-way control valve function (MWV 1) to the inlet line section (26) to the second heat exchanger (14) and / or to the outlet line section (28) from the second heat exchanger (14), in order to bring about cooling of the vehicle cabin via the first heat exchanger (12) and / or the second heat exchanger (14).Heat transport medium circuit (barrel) system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second section of the first liquid circuit (barrel) and the third section of the first liquid circuit (barrel) are fluidically connected in parallel with a first section of the first liquid circuit (barrel) which is routed via a battery (B) for supplying an electric drive train (18).Heat transport medium circuit (barrel) system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second liquid circuit (barrel) is additionally guided via at least one component (18) of a / the electric drive train.The heat transport medium circuit (barrel) system according to claim 5, wherein the second liquid circuit (barrel) is additionally guided via a second radiator (20), which can optionally be connected fluidically in series and / or in parallel.The heat transfer medium circuit (running) system of claim 6, wherein the first radiator (16) is fluidly upstream of the electric powertrain component (18) and the second radiator (20) is fluidly downstream of the electric powertrain component (18).Heat transport medium circuit (barrel) system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least the first and / or the second liquid pump (EWP 1, EWP 2), at least one of the control valve functions of the valve and line system (VL) and at least a part of the liquid line sections of the valve and line system (VL) are accommodated in a multipart first housing of the liquid circuit (barrel) system (6), to which the at least one heat source and the at least one heat sink of the vehicle are fluidically connected via associated, separate lines connected to the first housing.Heat transport medium circuit (flow) system according to Claim 8, wherein all liquid pumps (EWP 1, EWP 2, EWP 3), the individual control valve functions of the valve and line system (VL) and all liquid line sections of the valve and line system (VL), to which the at least one heat source and the at least one heat sink of the vehicle are fluidically connected via associated, separate lines connected to the first housing, are accommodated in the first housing.Heat transport medium circuit(run) system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least the compressor and / or an expansion valve and / or a line section and / or a temperature sensor and / or a pressure sensor of the refrigerant circuit(run) are accommodated in a multipart second housing of the refrigerant circuit(run).The heat transport medium circuit (barrel) system according to claim 10, wherein the first and the second housing are combined into one unit and thereby form a housing composite.Heat transport medium circuit (barrel) system according to Claim 11, wherein this housing assembly with the first heat exchanger (8) for the cold section of the refrigerant circuit (barrel) (6) and the second heat exchanger (10) for the hot section of the refrigerant circuit (barrel) (6) is combined to form an integrated assembly in the form of a (thermomodule) unit.Vehicle having a heat transport medium circuit (running) system according to one of the preceding claims.Method for cooling a vehicle cabin by means of an indirect heat transport medium circuit(s) system according to one of Claims 1 to 12, in which a section of a liquid cooling circuit(s) which is guided via a first heat exchanger (12) which is provided per se for heating the vehicle cabin is adjusted fluidically in parallel and / or in series (in) with a section of the liquid cooling circuit(s) which is guided via a second heat exchanger (14) for cooling the vehicle cabin, by means of associated control valve function, in order to bring about a parallel connection and / or a series connection of the two heat exchangers (12, 14) for cooling the vehicle cabin.Pump-valve distribution(s) unit which is designed in the form of the first housing according to Claim 8 or 9, wherein this first housing has at least one multiway valve or a plurality of multiway valves via which the control valve functions according to one of the preceding Claims 1 to 7 can be mapped, wherein line sections carrying liquid within the first housing can be fluidically connected to one another selectively via different heights of the multiway valve by means of the at least one multiway valve.

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