Repair device and method for repairing a leak in a cooling system of a vehicle battery

Abstract

The invention relates to a repair device (26) for sealing a leaky seal (24) on a sleeve (18), which is placed on a nozzle (14) which projects from a wall (16) and against whose outer surface the seal (24) rests around the entire circumference, whereby, if the seal (24) is intact, a gap (20) between the sleeve (18) and the outer surface of the nozzle (14) is sealed by means of the seal (24), wherein the repair device (26) is annular and is designed to be placed around the outer circumference of the sleeve (18), whereby the repair device (26), together with the sleeve (14) and the nozzle (14), delimits a volume (34) which fills the gap (20) from the leaky seal (24) in the direction of the wall (16), wherein the repair device (26) has a filling opening (36) through which a sealing material (40) can be filled into the volume (34).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a repair device for sealing a leaky seal on a sleeve and a method for repairing a leak in a cooling system of a vehicle battery.

[0002] DE 10 2004 005 394 A1 discloses an electrochemical energy storage device with heat exchanger units and a plurality of electrochemical storage cells, each arranged side by side in at least two adjacent rows. The storage cells are each arranged between a heat exchanger unit, with the heat exchanger units comprising heat exchanger channels through which a temperature control medium flows, flow distribution channels, flow distribution channels, and return collection channels.

[0003] Furthermore, DE 10 2013 021 247 A1 discloses a battery comprising a housing in which a plurality of individual cells electrically connected in series and / or parallel are arranged. The battery further comprises at least one temperature control unit through which a liquid flows for temperature control of the individual cells. At least one liquid sensor unit is arranged in the housing. If liquid enters the housing as detected by the liquid sensor unit, measures must be initiated to protect the battery and a visual, acoustic and / or haptic warning must be issued to a vehicle driver and / or at least one pump for supplying liquid to the temperature control unit must be switched off and / or at least one valve must be closed in order to prevent the flow of liquid to the temperature control unit and thus prevent it from leaking into the housing.Alternatively or additionally, at least one drain hole in the housing can be opened to allow any liquid that has entered the housing to drain away. Alternatively or additionally, the electrical connections of the individual cells are disconnected.

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a solution which enables a particularly simple and reliable sealing of a leaking point in a fluid line.

[0005] This object is achieved according to the invention by the subject matter of the independent claims. Further possible embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the subclaims, the description, and the figures. Features, advantages, and possible embodiments presented in the description for one of the subject matter of the independent claims are to be regarded at least analogously as features, advantages, and possible embodiments of the respective subject matter of the other independent claims, as well as any possible combination of the subject matter of the independent claims, optionally in conjunction with one or more of the subclaims.

[0006] The invention relates to a repair device for sealing a leaky seal on a sleeve. The sleeve is placed onto a nozzle which projects from a wall. This wall and the nozzle projecting from this wall can be part of a side cooler for a vehicle battery of a motor vehicle. The seal rests against the outer surface of the nozzle around the entire circumference. This means that the seal extends annularly around the entire circumference of the nozzle and thus radially encloses the nozzle. The radial direction of the nozzle runs perpendicular to the direction in which the nozzle projects from the wall and which is also referred to below as the axial direction of the nozzle. In particular, the nozzle has at least substantially a hollow cylindrical shape, the axial direction of which runs parallel to a central axis of the hollow cylindrical shape of the nozzle. The radial direction is perpendicular to the axial direction.If the seal is intact, a gap between the sleeve and the outer surface of the nozzle is sealed by means of the seal. If, however, the seal is not tight, then the gap between the sleeve and the outer surface of the nozzle is not completely sealed, whereby a fluid, in particular a liquid, can flow through this gap. In particular, the nozzle is part of a fluid line, wherein the sleeve placed on the nozzle serves to connect the nozzle to another fluid line element, in particular another nozzle, in such a way that the fluid, in particular the liquid, can be guided reliably and in particular without leakage between the nozzle and the fluid line element or the further nozzle. The sleeve thus forms the tight fluid line with the nozzle and the further fluid line element or the further nozzle.The sleeve is a tubular connector for connecting the nozzle to the fluid line element or the other nozzle. If the seal is damaged, the tightness of the fluid line cannot be guaranteed. The repair device is provided to restore the tightness of the fluid line despite a leaky seal.

[0007] The repair device is ring-shaped and designed to be placed around the outer circumference of the sleeve. Furthermore, the repair device can be designed to be placed laterally against the wall. As a result, the repair device, at least together with the sleeve and the nozzle, in particular with the sleeve, the wall and the nozzle, delimits a volume which fills the gap from the leaky seal towards the wall. Furthermore, the repair device has at least one filling opening through which a sealing material can be filled into the volume. This delimited volume is in particular completely filled by means of the sealing material. The sealing material thereby seals the gap between the sleeve and the nozzle.The fluid guided in the fluid line can thus flow up to the leaking seal and, if necessary, flow past the seal via the leaking point of the seal, but is prevented from flowing further by the sealing material filling the volume.

[0008] The repair device thus makes it possible to seal the gap between the sleeve and the nozzle without dismantling the sleeve from the nozzle. The sleeve and the nozzle together can form a plug-in connection of a side cooler for a vehicle battery. Vehicle batteries are subject to extremely high standards of technical cleanliness, which is why completely dismantling the sleeve from the nozzle in order to repair the leak is difficult or even impossible. Sawing and cutting open the sleeve is not permitted for cleanliness reasons. Furthermore, with a vehicle battery, accessibility to the leak from the outside may be very limited, meaning that sealing the leak from the outside may not be reliably possible without the repair device.To seal the leak using the repair device, the repair device is placed around the sleeve, whereby the repair device serves to distribute the sealing material evenly around the leak. After fixing the repair device to the sleeve or wall, the sealing material is introduced into the volume delimited by the repair device via the filling opening or a connecting nozzle connected to the filling opening. This distributes the sealing material completely in a ring around the nozzle up to the leaking seal. The repair device thus enables reliable subsequent sealing of the leaking seal when the sleeve is attached to the nozzle.

[0009] In a possible further development of the invention, the repair device comprises a plurality of ring segments, which together form a complete ring. These ring segments of the repair device are applied radially from the outside to the sleeve and, if necessary, additionally in the axial direction to the wall, whereby the ring segments together form a continuous ring around the sleeve when applied to the sleeve. The design of the repair device with the at least two, in particular several, ring segments enables particularly simple and precise arrangement of the repair device on the sleeve.

[0010] In a further possible embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the repair device is designed to be held by means of pliers and placed and pressed against the sleeve. In particular, each ring segment of the repair device is picked up by means of the pliers and placed and pressed against the sleeve. In this case, all ring segments of the repair device are picked up, held and placed against the sleeve simultaneously by means of the pliers. If the repair device comprises two ring segments, for example, then each ring segment can be picked up by means of an associated gripping jaw of the pliers and placed against the sleeve and pressed against this sleeve. By means of the gripping jaws, the two ring segments can be placed against the sleeve from sides that are radially opposite one another and can be pressed against the sleeve in opposite directions by pressing the handles together.The pliers enable particularly secure fixing and precise positioning of the ring segments and thus the repair device on the outside of the sleeve.

[0011] In a further possible embodiment of the invention, the repair device is provided with at least one vent opening through which air can escape from the volume when the volume is filled with the luminous material. This vent opening thus allows pressure equalization of the volume with the surroundings. As a result of the sealing material being poured into the volume, the air that originally filled the volume is displaced by the sealing material due to the filling of the volume with the sealing material. This displaced air can escape through the at least one vent opening, thereby preventing a pressure increase in the volume when filling with the sealing material.

[0012] In a further possible embodiment of the invention, a radially outwardly projecting filling funnel, which increases in diameter radially outwards, is connected to the filling opening. The filling funnel can be a funnel-shaped filling nozzle that projects radially outwards on the repair device, and whose diameter or cross-sectional area increases the greater its radial distance from the volume. This filling funnel enables particularly simple and precise positioning or centering of a filling tool used to fill the volume with the sealing material.To fill the volume with the sealing material, the filling tool can be inserted at least partially into the filling funnel and thus aligned relative to the filling opening, causing the sealing material flowing out of the filling tool to flow into the volume via the filling opening. This enables particularly simple and precise filling of the volume with the sealing material.

[0013] The invention further relates to a method for repairing a leak in a cooling system of a vehicle battery. The vehicle battery is particularly designed to provide electrical energy for an electric drive train of a motor vehicle. In particular, the vehicle battery can be a high-voltage battery. The cooling system comprises a plurality of side coolers, each of which has at least one laterally projecting nozzle. This nozzle thus projects from a wall of the respective side cooler. One nozzle of each directly adjacent side cooler is fluidically connected to one another by means of a sleeve, in that the sleeve is placed at one end onto one of the nozzles and the other end onto the other nozzle. The sleeve thus connects the nozzles of the adjacent side coolers to one another, whereby these nozzles together form a fluid line.A gap between the sleeve and the respective nozzle, which extends annularly around the outer circumference of the respective nozzle, is sealed by a gasket. This gasket rests against the outer surface of the associated nozzle around the entire circumference of the nozzle to prevent the fluid conveyed in the fluid line from escaping through this gap.

[0014] The method provides for detecting a leaky seal in the cooling system. This means that it is examined whether one of the seals in the cooling system is leaking. In particular, it is examined at which point in the cooling system this leaky seal is located. Furthermore, the method provides for a repair device to be applied to the outer circumference of the sleeve assigned to the leaky seal, as already described in connection with the repair device according to the invention. The repair device can be applied laterally to the wall of the side cooler on whose nozzle the leaky seal is located. As a result, the repair device, together with the sleeve and the nozzle, and in particular additionally together with the wall, delimits a volume that fills the gap from the leaky seal towards the wall.The method further provides for a sealing material to be filled into the volume via a filling opening of the repair device, thereby sealing the gap. In particular, sufficient sealing material is filled via the filling opening that the volume is completely filled with the sealing material and thus the gap, starting from the leaky seal in the direction of the wall, in particular up to the wall or up to the repair device, is completely filled with the sealing material and is thereby sealed. As a result, any outflow of fluid, in particular liquid, in particular coolant, from the fluid line is prevented. In this way, battery cells of the vehicle battery can be particularly well protected against damage resulting from contact with liquid, in particular the coolant.

[0015] In a possible development of the invention, it is provided that the repair device is applied to the sleeve by means of pliers and is pressed against the sleeve by means of the pliers at least while the sealing material is curing. This means that the repair device is pressed against the sleeve by means of the pliers at least until the sealing material has at least partially, in particular completely, cured. This can ensure that the sealing material remains in the volume delimited by the repair device and that the gap is thus reliably sealed. The pliers can in particular have respective receptacles for respective ring segments of the repair device, wherein each receptacle can be used to pick up a ring segment of the repair device and apply it to the sleeve.

[0016] In a further possible embodiment of the invention, a gas is pumped into the cooling system to search for the leak, and the leaky seal is detected using a sniffer probe. This gas can be helium, for example. In other words, the gas is guided through the fluid line of the cooling system; if a leak is found, the gas escapes from the fluid line and thus from the cooling system via the leak in the seal. This escaping gas can be detected using the sniffer probe. The sniffer probe thus indicates the location of the leak. Once the leak has been detected, this leak can be sealed using the repair device. The sniffer probe enables particularly simple and reliable detection of the leak.

[0017] In a further possible embodiment of the invention, a silane-modified polymer, in particular Teroson MS930 or Teroson MS9320 SF, is introduced into the volume as a sealing material. Teroson MS930 is a silane-modified polymer. Due to its low viscosity, the silane-modified polymer can be introduced into the volume particularly easily. This can, for example, enable the volume to be completely filled with the sealing material in a maximum of 25 seconds, in particular in a maximum of 20 seconds, in particular in a maximum of 15 seconds. The leak can thus be repaired particularly quickly.

[0018] In a further possible embodiment of the invention, the sealing material is filled into the volume via the filling opening using a cartridge press. The cartridge press is a tool by means of which a cartridge, which in particular contains the sealing material, can be pressed out. The cartridge press enables particularly simple and precise control of the filling process, in particular the filling speed of the sealing material into the volume.

[0019] Further features of the invention may emerge from the claims, the figures, and the description of the figures. The features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description, as well as the features and combinations of features shown below in the description of the figures and / or in the figures alone, can be used not only in the respective combinations specified, but also in other combinations or on their own, without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0020] The drawing shows in: Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a repair device picked up by means of pliers, which is applied to a leaking point of a vehicle battery, Fig. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the repair device applied to the outside of a sleeve of the vehicle battery, and Fig. 3 an exploded view of the repair device.

[0021] In the figures, identical and functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference symbols.

[0022] In Fig. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a vehicle battery 10 for a motor vehicle. The vehicle battery 10 is, in particular, a traction battery for the motor vehicle. The vehicle battery 10 comprises a plurality of Fig. 1 not shown battery cells as well as several side coolers 12. The respective side coolers 12 are each attached to the sides of several battery cells, whereby the battery cells can be cooled by means of the side coolers 12. In the present case, the side coolers 12 are designed as respective cooling coils which, due to their coil shape, lie laterally against the respective battery cells over a particularly large area. The respective side coolers 12 are made in particular of aluminum. In order to be able to connect all of the side coolers 12 of the vehicle battery 10 to one another to form a cooling system, the side coolers 12 each have at least two, in this case four, nozzles 14 which protrude laterally from the side coolers 12. In this case, two nozzles 14 protrude on the same side of the side cooler 12.In the present case, two of the nozzles 14 protrude from a first side surface of the respective side cooler 12 in the axial direction A, and the other two nozzles 14 protrude axially from a second side surface of the side cooler 12 opposite the first side surface in the axial direction A. The respective nozzles 14 each have a hollow cylindrical shape. The axial direction A runs parallel to a central axis M of the respective nozzles 14. A radial direction R of the nozzles 14 is perpendicular to the axial direction A. One of the nozzles shown in . Fig. 1 shown nozzle 14 is in Fig. 2 is shown in section, with the section along the Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the respective nozzles 14 protrude in the axial direction A from a wall 16 of the respective side cooler 12. This means that the respective nozzles 14 are directly connected to the wall 16.

[0023] To provide the cooling system, a nozzle 14 of a first of the side coolers 12 is to be connected in a fluid-tight or at least liquid-tight manner to a second nozzle 14 of a second side cooler 12 directly adjacent to the first side cooler 12 in the axial direction. Respective sleeves 18 are provided for this purpose. To connect the two nozzles 14, the sleeve 18 is placed at one end on the first nozzle 14 and the other end on the second nozzle 14 along the axial direction A. This means that each of the nozzles 14 is radially enclosed by the sleeve 18 in a length region extending along the axial direction A. This results in an annular gap 20 in the radial direction between the sleeve 18 and each of the nozzles 14. In order to prevent cooling fluid 22, in this case cooling liquid, flowing through the nozzles 14 from escaping from the cooling system via the respective gaps 20, a seal 24 is provided for each of the nozzles 14.This seal 24 surrounds the respective associated nozzles 14 in a ring-shaped manner and thus radially from the outside on the outer circumference. For this purpose, the respective seal 24 rests against the outer surface of the respective nozzle 14 over its entire circumference. If the seal 24 is intact, the gap 20 between the nozzle 14 and the sleeve 18 is sealed over its entire circumference by means of the seal 24. The seal 24 is, in particular, a sealing lip attached to the sleeve 18. The sleeve 18 can also be referred to as a plug-and-seal element.

[0024] It may happen that one of the seals 24 is leaking. To detect such a leaky seal 24 in the cooling system, a gas can be filled into the cooling system, for example helium, which then flows through the cooling system. The gas flowing in the cooling system can be detected using a sniffer probe, in particular if it is escaping from the cooling system due to a leak. The sniffer probe can thus be used to determine the point at which the gas is escaping from the cooling system and thus where in the cooling system a leaky seal 24 is present. Once the leaky seal 24 has been found, provision is made for a repair device 26 to seal the leak in the cooling system caused by the leaky seal 24. In the present case, the repair device 26 comprises two ring segments 28, which together form a complete ring.In order to seal the gap 20 using the repair device 26, the ring segments 28 are picked up by means of pliers 30. In this case, the pliers 30 have a receptacle on a gripping jaw 32 for each of the ring segments 28. Each of the ring segments 28 is placed against a gripping jaw 32 of the pliers 30. The pliers 30 are used to apply the ring segments 28 of the repair device 26 to the outer circumference of the sleeve 18. In addition, the repair device 26 can be placed laterally and thus in the axial direction A against the wall 16 of the side cooler 12. As a result, the repair device 26 limits the gap 20, as shown in FIG. Fig.2, together with the nozzle 14 and the sleeve 18, a volume 34 fills the gap 20 from the leaky seal 24 in the direction of the wall 16. If the repair device 26 is placed laterally against the wall 16, then the repair device 26 can delimit the volume 34 together with the wall 16, the nozzle 14 and the sleeve 18. The repair device 26 is placed laterally against the wall 16 of the side cooler 12 on whose nozzle 14 the leaky seal 24 rests.

[0025] The repair device 26 has a filling opening 36. In this case, a filling funnel 38 adjoins this filling opening 36 radially outwards. This filling funnel 38 increases in diameter radially outwards. A tip of a cartridge press can be inserted into this filling funnel 38, whereby sealing material 40, which is held in a cartridge clamped in the cartridge press, can be filled into the volume 34 via the filling funnel 38 and via the filling opening 36. In particular, sufficient sealing material 40 is filled into the volume 34 that the sealing material 40 completely fills the gap 20 from the wall 16 or from the repair device 26 to the leaking seal 24. This seals the gap 20 and prevents fluid from escaping from the cooling system via the gap 20.In the present case, a silane-modified polymer, in particular Teroson MS930 or Teroson MS9320 SF, is filled into the volume 34 as the sealing material 40.

[0026] To enable particularly simple and rapid filling of the sealing material 40 into the volume 34, the repair device 26, in particular at least one of the ring segments 28, can have at least one vent opening 42. Air, which is displaced by the filling of the sealing material 40 into the volume 34, can flow out of the volume 34 via this vent opening 42.

[0027] The repair device 26 is thus provided to hold the sealing material 40 in the volume 34 at least until the sealing material 40 has at least partially, in particular completely, hardened. It may be provided that the repair device 26 is removed from the side cooler 12 and the sleeve 18 after the sealing material 40 has hardened or remains in its position.

[0028] To subsequently seal a leaky radiator-common rail connection and thus the leak in the cooling system, the pliers 30 are used in this case to attach the repair device 26, which is designed in two parts. This radiator-common rail connection can be difficult to access and is subject to high-voltage safety specifications. For subsequent sealing, the sleeve 18 does not need to be removed from the respective nozzle 14. Despite the poor accessibility, the repair device 26 can be particularly easily attached to the leak by one person using the pliers 30. Furthermore, the pliers 30 can be operated particularly easily by one person, even if that person is wearing protective gloves. The described method thus enables particularly simple repair of a leak in the cooling system of a vehicle battery 10.

[0029] Overall, the invention shows how a tool for sealing in hard-to-reach places can be created. List of reference symbols 10 vehicle battery 12 side coolers 14 nozzles 16 Wall 18 sleeve 20 gap 22 Cooling fluid 24 Seal 26 Repair device 28 ring segment 30 pliers 32 gripping jaw 34 volumes 36 Filling opening 38 filling funnels 40 sealing material 42 vent opening M central axis A axial direction R radial direction QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2004 005 394 A1

[0002] DE 10 2013 021 247 A1

[0003]

Claims

[1] Repair device (26) for sealing a leaky seal (24) on a sleeve (18) which is placed on a nozzle (14) which projects from a wall (16) and against whose outer surface the seal (24) rests around the entire circumference, whereby, if the seal (24) is intact, a gap (20) between the sleeve (18) and the outer surface of the nozzle (14) is sealed by means of the seal (24), wherein the repair device (26) is annular and is designed to be placed around the outer circumference of the sleeve (18), whereby the repair device (26) together with the sleeve (14) and the nozzle (14) delimits a volume (34) which fills the gap (20) from the leaky seal (24) in the direction of the wall (16), wherein the repair device (26) has a filling opening (36) through which a sealing material (40) in the volume (34) can be filled. [2] Repair device (26) according to claim 1, characterized bythat the repair device (26) comprises several ring segments (28) which together form a complete ring. [3] Repair device (26) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the repair device (26) is designed to be held by means of pliers (30) and to be applied and pressed onto the sleeve (18). [4] Repair device (26) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the repair device (26) has at least one vent opening (42) through which air can escape from the volume (34) when the volume (34) is filled with the sealing material (40). [5] Repair device (26) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the filling opening (36) is adjoined by a filling funnel (38) which projects radially outwards and increases in diameter radially outwards. [6] A method for repairing a leak in a cooling system of a vehicle battery, the cooling system comprising a plurality of side coolers (12), each having at least one laterally projecting nozzle (14), each nozzle (14) of immediately adjacent side coolers (12) being fluidically connected to one another by means of a sleeve (18), the sleeve (18) being fitted at one end onto one of the nozzles (14) and at the other end onto the other nozzle (14), a gap (20) between the sleeve (18) and the respective nozzle (14) being sealed by means of a seal (24) which bears against the outer surface of the associated nozzle (14) around the entire circumference of the nozzle (14), the method comprising: - a leaking seal (24) of the cooling system is detected, - a repair device (26) according to one of the preceding claims is applied to the outer circumference of the sleeve (18) associated with the leaky seal (24), whereby the repair device (26) together with the sleeve (18) and the nozzle (14) delimits a volume (34) which fills the gap (20) from the leaky seal (24) in the direction of the wall (16), - a sealing material (40) is filled into the volume (34) via a filling opening (36) of the repair device (26), whereby the gap (20) is sealed. [7] Method according to claim 6, characterized by that the repair device (26) is applied to the sleeve (18) by means of pliers (30) and is pressed onto the sleeve (18) by means of the pliers (30) at least during the curing of the sealing material (40). [8] Method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized bythat a gas is pumped into the cooling system to search for the leak and the leaking seal (24) is detected by means of a sniffer probe. [9] Method according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized by that a silane-modified polymer is filled into the volume (34) as a sealing material (40). [10] Method according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterized by that the sealing material (40) is filled into the volume (34) via the filling opening (36) by means of a cartridge press.

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