Thermal management in an electric vehicle

Abstract

A thermal management system for a battery-powered electric vehicle is provided, comprising at least one primary circuit through which refrigerant flows, at least one indirect evaporator and at least one indirect condenser, and a secondary circuit through which a coolant flows, wherein the fluid flow in the lines of the secondary circuit to at least one cabin cooling device, at least one cabin heating device, at least one battery, at least one heat exchanger and at least one power electronics component can be controlled, wherein at least one pump is used to drive the fluid flow in the circuits and at least a number of control valves, check valves and shut-off valves are arranged in the system to regulate the fluid flow in the secondary circuit, which are controlled by a control device.The thermal management system incorporates a maximum of six control valves, which, through a combination of their various operating states, can switch a flow connection between the power electronics components and the heat exchanger and / or the battery. A vehicle equipped with the thermal management system and a method for controlling the thermal management system are also provided.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a thermal management system for a battery-powered electric vehicle with a secondary circuit system, a corresponding vehicle and a method for controlling the thermal management system.

[0002] Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) require an effective thermal management system with the lowest possible energy consumption. A secondary circuit heat pump system is particularly useful for this purpose. This system utilizes an intermediate medium to connect to a primary circuit, which is a compact circuit providing heating or cooling capacity to cool or heat the vehicle's electric drive components, the vehicle interior, and potentially the surrounding environment. Such a system typically has a complex topology to direct a coolant at different temperatures to various vehicle components as needed, with adjustable thermal modes.

[0003] German patent application DE 10 2022 128 613 A1 discloses a thermal management system for a battery-powered electric vehicle, comprising at least one primary circuit through which refrigerant flows, at least one indirect evaporator and at least one indirect condenser, and a secondary circuit through which a coolant flows, wherein the fluid flow in the lines of the secondary circuit to at least one cabin cooling device, at least one cabin heating device, at least one battery, at least one heat exchanger and at least one power electronics component can be controlled, wherein at least one pump is used to drive the fluid flow in the circuits and at least one number of control valves and check valves are arranged in the system to regulate the fluid flow in the secondary circuit, which are controlled by a control device.In the lines between the heat exchanger and the power electronics components, a maximum of six control valves are arranged. These control valves, in a combination of their different operating states, allow a flow connection between the power electronics components and the heat exchanger and / or the battery to be switched. At least one control valve is designed as a five-way valve with five openings. Further prior art relating to the background of the invention is provided in publications DE 10 2023 125 861 A1 and DE 10 2021 120 499 A1.

[0004] A heat loss mode was developed specifically for heating a battery independently of the vehicle cabin heating, utilizing excess heat from the power electronics components. To enable battery heating independently of the vehicle interior, an additional "energy loss" mode can be implemented to utilize excess heat from the vehicle's power electronics components for battery heating. However, this requires a large number (more than twelve) of simple 2 / 3-way valves. This increases the complexity and vulnerability of the corresponding cooling system, for example, due to potential leaks and valve sticking.

[0005] The task is to provide a thermal management system for controlling the temperature of components of an electric vehicle, in particular a drive battery, more efficiently compared to the state of the art.

[0006] This problem is solved by a thermal management system with the features of claim 1, a vehicle with the features of claim 6, and a method with the features of claim 7. Further advantageous embodiments and configurations of the invention are described in the dependent claims, the figures, and the exemplary embodiments. The embodiments of the invention can be advantageously combined with one another.

[0007] A first aspect of the invention relates to a thermal management system for a battery-powered electric vehicle, comprising at least one primary circuit through which refrigerant flows, at least one indirect evaporator and at least one indirect condenser, and a secondary circuit through which a coolant flows, wherein the fluid flow in the lines of the secondary circuit to at least one cabin cooling device, at least one cabin heating device, at least one traction battery, at least one heat exchanger and at least one power electronics component can be controlled, wherein at least one pump is arranged in the thermal management system to drive the fluid flow in the circuits and at least one number of control valves, which are actuated by a control device, and check valves are arranged in the thermal management system to control the fluid flow in the secondary circuit.In the lines of the thermal management system, a number of at most six control valves are arranged, through which, in a combination of their different operating states, a flow connection between the components of the power electronics with the heat exchanger and / or the drive battery can be switched, wherein at least one control valve is designed in the form of a five-way valve having five openings, and the connections between the openings can be made in different variants by means of a slide arranged rotatably within the valve.

[0008] The thermal management system according to the invention advantageously enables the temperature of, in particular, a traction battery in an electric vehicle to be controlled with a comparatively small number of control valves. The traction battery is also referred to here synonymously as the battery. It is specifically designed to conduct excess heat from the power electronics' cooling circuit to the battery cooling circuit. The system is less complex than conventional systems and therefore less prone to failure. Furthermore, it is less expensive due to the savings in development costs for complex modules. The system is thus cost-effective to provide and robust in operation.

[0009] Control valves are valves whose opening and closing modes are set by actuation via a control device, unlike check valves, which are pressure-controlled and do not require active actuation. Unlike shut-off valves, control valves allow for the control of different flow paths.

[0010] The primary circuit can generate both cooling and heating capacity. The indirect condenser represents the "hot" side of the primary circuit, and the indirect evaporators (also known as "chillers") represent the "cold" side. The primary circuit is thus a single unit, also referred to as a "compact refrigerant system" because refrigerant flows through it. Outside this unit, within the thermal management system, is the secondary circuit, through which coolant flows.

[0011] Preferably, the system according to the invention comprises four control valves in the form of five-way valves and two control valves in the form of three-way valves. Particularly preferably, all five-way valves are configured to have five openings, and the connections between the openings can be established in various configurations by means of a slide valve rotatably arranged within the valve. The design and arrangement of the five-way valves, in conjunction with the two standard three-way valves (2 / 3-way valves), enable the setting of all thermal modes of the thermal management system according to the invention. In other words, the thermal modes are implemented by setting the control valves to specific switching states.

[0012] The annular slide enables a total of 12 different switching modes of the five-way valve when rotated 360°. These switching modes are made possible by a specific design of the annular slide and a suitable diameter of the five-way valve. The annular slide is not designed as a closed round ring, but rather has openings that allow fluid connections between two inlets and outlets. The inlets and outlets of the five-way valve are always fully open, which advantageously results in a low pressure drop. A five-way valve used in the system according to the invention can also be used in other systems for controlling a fluid medium.

[0013] Particularly preferred is the slider in the five-way valve used in the thermal management system according to the invention, set such that it can rotate through an angle of 120°, whereby the setting enables five different switching modes of the five-way valve. This setting further reduces the complexity of the system according to the invention.

[0014] In a further preferred embodiment, the thermal management system according to the invention has a first and a second primary circuit. This arrangement advantageously enables further effective cooling of equipment within the thermal management system.

[0015] A second aspect of the invention relates to a vehicle with a thermal management system according to the invention.

[0016] A third aspect of the invention relates to a method for controlling a thermal management system according to the invention. The advantages of the method correspond to the advantages of the thermal management system according to the invention. The method comprises the following steps: - Determining the temperatures in the vehicle's systems, including the drive battery, power electronics components, and vehicle interior, - Determining the requirements for cooling or heating said vehicle equipment, - Sending a control command to the control valves, - Switching the control valves so that, depending on the requirements, the aforementioned vehicle equipment is heated or cooled.

[0017] Preferably, the at least one five-way control valve is switched into five different switching modes to direct coolant to the equipment.

[0018] Furthermore, it is preferred if the at least one five-way valve is switched to a specific switching mode depending on the temperature of the battery in order to heat, cool or maintain the battery at a current temperature.

[0019] The invention is explained in more detail using the figures. They show Fig. 1 a circuit diagram of an embodiment of a thermal management system according to the invention. Fig. 2 a representation of an embodiment of a system according to Fig. 1 five-way valve used. Fig. 3 a tabular representation of the switching variants of the valve according to Fig. 2. Fig. 4. Illustration of 12 switching variants of the valve according to Fig. 2. Fig. 5 switching variants of an embodiment of a system according to Fig. 1 three-way valve used. Fig. 6 Flowchart of an embodiment of a method according to the invention. Fig. 7 Circuit diagram according to Fig. 1 in a first switching state. Fig. 8 Circuit diagram according to Fig. 1 in a second switching state. Fig. 9 Circuit diagram according to Fig. 1 in a third switching state. Fig. 10 Circuit diagram according to Fig. 1 in a fourth switching state. Fig. 11 Circuit diagram according to Fig. 1 in a fifth switching state. Fig. 12 Circuit diagram according to Fig. 1 in a sixth switching state. Fig. 13 Circuit diagram according to Fig. 1 in a seventh switching state. Fig. 14 Circuit diagram according to Fig. 1 in an eighth switching state. Fig. 15 Circuit diagram according to Fig. 1 in a ninth switching state.

[0020] In Fig. Figure 1 shows a circuit diagram of an embodiment of a thermal management system 1 according to the invention. The thermal management system 1 is arranged in an electric vehicle, i.e., in an electrically powered vehicle.

[0021] The thermal management system 1 has a primary circuit 50 and a secondary circuit; it is therefore also referred to as a secondary circuit system. A refrigerant flows through the primary circuit 50. A first and second chiller 51, 52 (also referred to as an indirect evaporator) and an indirect condenser 53 (also referred to as an indirect condenser or iCond) are arranged in the primary circuit 50. The first chiller 51 is connected to a compressor 54 via a line and to the indirect condenser 53 via a line to an expansion valve 55. The indirect condenser 53 is designed to provide warmer temperatures, and the chillers 51 and 52 are designed to provide cooler temperatures. The primary circuit 50 is also referred to as a "compact refrigerant system." In an embodiment with two compact refrigerant systems ( Fig. 15) The primary circuit 50 described here can also be referred to as the first primary circuit 50; where it is only referred to as primary circuit 50, it is clear that it is the first primary circuit 50.

[0022] The secondary circuit comprises a system of pipes through which coolant flows. A water-glycol mixture or another suitable coolant familiar to those skilled in the art is used as the coolant. The secondary circuit supplies a cooling unit 11 for generating cooling power for the cabin (vehicle interior, passenger compartment), a heating unit 12 for generating heating power for the cabin with an upstream PTC heating element 13, a heat exchanger 20, power electronics components 30, and a traction battery 40. The secondary circuit is thus designed to transfer the cooling or heating power of the primary circuit to the vehicle's drive components and / or to dissipate heat to the vehicle interior and its surroundings. The traction battery 40 can also be referred to simply as a battery.

[0023] To generate a flow, four pumps 60 are arranged in the thermal management system 1. A first pump 61 is arranged downstream of the heat exchanger 20. A second pump 62 is arranged upstream of the battery 40. A third pump 63 is arranged upstream of the indirect condenser 53. A fourth pump 64 is arranged upstream of the first chiller 51.

[0024] The thermal management system 1 incorporates six control valves: four five-way valves 70 and two three-way valves 80. These valves allow the coolant flow to be adjusted for all relevant modes of cooling or heating, particularly of the vehicle interior (not shown), the power electronics components 30, and the battery 40. A first control valve 71 is located downstream of the battery 40. A second control valve 72 is located downstream of the power electronics components 30, positioned between the power electronics components 30 and the second chiller 52. A third control valve 73 is located downstream of the heat exchanger 20, positioned between the heat exchanger 20 and the power electronics components 30.A fourth control valve 74 is arranged downstream of the indirect condenser 53, allowing flow to the heating device 12 or the heat exchanger 20, depending on the circuit configuration. Furthermore, flow from the heat exchanger 20 to the indirect condenser 53 is possible via the fourth control valve 74.

[0025] The control valves 71, 72, 73, 74 are each configured as a five-way valve 70 in a configuration according to Fig. 2. The five-way valve 70 has an annular slide 701, which is rotatably arranged. The slide 701 can be rotated through an angle of 360°. A total of 12 different positions are possible, in each of which a specific combination of fluid paths through the valve 70 can be set. The diameter of the five-way valve 70 is 70 mm. The five-way valve 70 has five openings 702, which are designated by the letters A, B, C, D, and E. The openings 702, which function as inlets and outlets, are open in every mode; the connecting of the openings 702 to provide flow paths is effected by means of the annular slide 701. The diameters of the openings 702 are 18 mm. The ring-shaped slide 701 has two recesses 703 of a size such that at least one recess 703 can fluidly connect two openings 702.

[0026] In Fig. Figure 3 shows the possible settings of the five-way valve 70 in tabular form. The top row of the table numbers the statuses. The second row from the top indicates the rotation angles of the annular slide. The bottom five rows show the connections between openings A, B, C, D, and E corresponding to each status. The second column lists the openings themselves, and the subsequent columns corresponding to each status show the openings connected to those in the second column. X indicates that the opening in the second column is closed. This information pertains to the function of the five-way valves 70 in the thermal management system 1 according to... Fig. 1. The first five switching states 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are used.

[0027] In Fig. 4 are the 12 switching states of the five-way valve 70 according to Fig. 2 according to the table in Fig. Figure 3 is shown schematically. In state 1, the annular slide valve 701 is at a rotation angle of 0°C. There is a connection between openings E→A and B←→C; an arrow pointing in one direction indicates that flow is intended in one direction, an arrow pointing in both directions indicates that flow is intended in both directions. Opening D is closed.

[0028] In state 2, the annular slide 701 is at a rotation angle of 30°. There is a connection between openings E→D and B←→C. Opening A is closed. State 2 is an example of one way to use the five-way valve 70 as a four-way valve.

[0029] In state 3, the annular slide 701 is at a rotation angle of 60°. There is a connection between openings E→D. Openings A, B and C are closed.

[0030] In state 4, the annular slide 701 is at a rotation angle of 90°. There is a connection between openings E→D and A←→B. Opening C is closed.

[0031] In state 5, the annular slide 701 is at a rotation angle of 120°. There is a connection between openings E→C and A←→B. Opening D is closed.

[0032] In state 6, the annular slide 701 is at a rotation angle of 150°. There is a connection between openings E→C and A←→B. Opening D is closed.

[0033] In state 7, the annular slide 701 is at a rotation angle of 180°. There is a connection between openings E→C and A←→D. Opening B is closed.

[0034] In state 8, the annular slide 701 is at a rotation angle of 210°. There is a connection between openings E→B and A←→D. Opening B is closed.

[0035] In state 9, the annular slide 701 is at a rotation angle of 240°. There is a connection between openings E→B. Openings A, C and C' are closed.

[0036] In state 10, the annular slide 701 is at a rotation angle of 270°. There is a connection between openings E→B and C←→D. Opening A is closed.

[0037] In state 11, the annular slide 701 is at a rotation angle of 300°. There is a connection between openings E→A and C←→D. Opening B is closed.

[0038] In state 12, the annular slide 701 is at a rotation angle of 330°. There is a connection between openings E→A. Openings B, C and D are closed.

[0039] A fifth and a sixth control valve 85, 86 are designed as three-way valves 80. The fifth control valve 85 is arranged upstream of the cooling device 11. Depending on the circuit, the fifth control valve 85 enables a fluid connection between the first and / or the second chiller 51, 52 to the cooling device 11, to the battery 40, or simultaneously to both the cooling device 11 and the battery 40.

[0040] The sixth control valve 86 is located upstream of the battery 40. Depending on the configuration of the flow paths, it can also be considered downstream of the components of the power electronics 30 or the second chiller 52.

[0041] In Fig. Figure 5 shows the switching states of the three-way valve 80. The three-way valve 80 has three openings, namely A, B, and E. In state 1, there is a connection between E←→B, with A closed; in state 2, between E←→A, with B closed; and in state 3, between E←→A and E←→B.

[0042] Continue in Fig. Upstream of the heat exchanger 20, a temperature-dependent directional control valve 77 is arranged. Depending on a temperature threshold, coolant is directed through the heat exchanger 20 when the threshold is reached and bypassed when the threshold is not reached. Depending on the configuration of the flow paths, lines from the primary circuit 50, from the power electronics components 30, or from the battery 40 can be connected here.

[0043] In the thermal management system 1 according to Fig. 1. The lines are connected at nodes 201 - 216, so that they form branches and outlets at these points.

[0044] In the thermal management system 1, a series of check valves 90 are arranged. A first check valve 91 is arranged upstream of node 207. A second check valve 92 is arranged downstream of node 205 and upstream of node 215 between the third control valve 73 and the second control valve 72. A third check valve 93 is arranged downstream of the power electronics components 30 between nodes 204 and 215. A fourth check valve 94 is arranged upstream of the second chiller 52.

[0045] The heat exchanger 20 is connected to an expansion tank 100 via a first expansion line 101. The expansion tank 100 is connected to the lines of the circuits of the heat management system 1, specifically upstream of the first pump 61 via a second expansion line 102, upstream of the third pump 63 via a third expansion line 103, upstream of the fourth pump via a fourth expansion line 104, and upstream of the sixth control valve 86 via a fifth expansion line 105. An expansion line check valve 106 is arranged in each of the expansion lines 102, 103, 104, and 105.

[0046] In a method for controlling a thermal management system 1 according to the invention Fig. 6 In a first step S1, the temperatures in the vehicle's components, including the traction battery 40, power electronics components 30, and the vehicle interior (not shown), are recorded. The temperatures are determined by appropriate sensors and transmitted to a control unit 120. In particular, the temperature of the traction battery 40 is recorded in step S1.

[0047] In a second step S2, the control unit 120 determines the cooling or heating requirements for the vehicle's components. If the temperature is higher than a set standard value, cooling is determined. If the temperature is lower than a set standard value, heating is determined. The standard values ​​can also be set as threshold values. If the temperature corresponds to the set standard value, no temperature change is necessary.

[0048] In a third step S3, the control unit 120 sends control commands to the control valves (71, 72, 73, 74, 85, 86) in the thermal management system 1, which in a fourth step S4 are set so that the coolant heats or cools the said components of the vehicle as required.

[0049] The following will be based on the Fig. Figures 7-16 show nine different variants of settings for the control valves 71, 72, 73, 74, 85 and 86, and how the flow in the heat management system 1 is adjusted according to the heating or cooling requirements. Fig. 1 is controlled.

[0050] In Fig. Figure 7 shows a first switching mode of the thermal management system 1, which represents an emergency mode in case the primary circuit 50 fails. In this case, the cooling of the power electronics components 30 and the battery 40 is provided via the heat exchanger 20. The coolant flow is switched from the battery 40 to the heat exchanger 20, from there to the power electronics components 30, and from there via the second chiller 52 to the battery 40 as a single circuit (highlighted with a dashed line). To drive the flow in the system, the first and second pumps 61, 62 are switched on. The five-way valves 70 are in the following states according to Fig. 4. Set as follows: first control valve 71 in status 2, second control valve 72 in status 5, third control valve 73 in status 3, and fourth control valve 74 in status 3. The three-way valves 80 are in the following statuses according to Fig. 5 set: fifth control valve 85 in status 1 and sixth control valve 86 in status 1.

[0051] In Fig. Figure 8 shows a second switching mode of the thermal management system 1. In this mode, effective cooling of the traction battery 40 is required. For this purpose, both chillers 51 and 52 are used; cooling of the vehicle interior is not provided. The components of the power electronics 30 are cooled by the heat exchanger 20. A first sub-circuit (highlighted with a dashed line) is closed via the battery 40 and the chillers 51 and 52, and a second sub-circuit (highlighted with a dotted line) is closed via the components of the power electronics 30, the indirect capacitor 53, and the heat exchanger 20. To drive the flow in the system, the first, second, and third pumps 61, 62, and 63 are switched on.

[0052] The five-way valves 70 are in the following status according to Fig. 4. Set as follows: first control valve 71 in status 2, second control valve 72 in status 2, third control valve 73 in status 3, and fourth control valve 74 in status 5. The three-way valves 80 are in the following statuses according to Fig. 5 set: fifth control valve 85 in status 2 and sixth control valve 86 in status 1.

[0053] In Fig. Figure 9 shows a third switching mode of the thermal management system 1. In this mode, independent cooling of the traction battery 40 and the vehicle interior is provided. The vehicle interior is cooled via the first chiller 51, and the traction battery 40 is cooled via the second chiller 52. Furthermore, the components of the power electronics 30 are cooled by the heat exchanger 20. In a first sub-circuit (highlighted with a dashed line), coolant is routed from the first chiller 51 to the cooling unit 11 and from there back to the first chiller 51. In a second sub-circuit (highlighted with a dotted line), coolant is routed from the second chiller 52 to the battery 40 and back to the second chiller 52.To cool the components of the power electronics 30 by the heat exchanger 20, coolant is routed in a third sub-circuit (highlighted with dot-dash line) from the heat exchanger 20 to the components of the power electronics 30 and to the indirect condenser 53, and from there back to the heat exchanger 20. To drive the flow in the system, the first, second, third, and fourth pumps 61, 62, 63, 64 are switched on. The five-way valves 70 are in the following positions according to... Fig. 4 set: first control valve 71 in status 1, second control valve 72 in status 4, third control valve 73 in status 3 and fourth control valve 74 in status 5. The three-way valves 80 are in the following status according to Fig. 5 set: fifth control valve 85 in status 1 and sixth control valve 86 in status 1.

[0054] In Fig. Figure 10 shows a fourth switching mode of the thermal management system 1. In this mode, the vehicle interior is cooled by the first chiller 51, and the traction battery 40 is slightly cooled. Depending on the cooling requirements, the system can switch between cooling by the second chiller 52 and the heat exchanger 20. Furthermore, the components of the power electronics 30 are also cooled by the second chiller 52 and the heat exchanger 20. Passive cooling of the traction battery 40 via the heat exchanger 20 saves energy and thus increases the vehicle's range. If the second chiller 52 is to be used (active cooling), it is only used briefly in this mode to conserve energy and achieve the desired slight temperature reduction of the traction battery 40.In a first sub-circuit (highlighted with dashed lines), coolant is routed from the first chiller 51 to the cooling unit 11 and from there back to the first chiller 51. In a second sub-circuit (highlighted with dotted lines), coolant is routed from the second chiller 52 to the battery 40, and from there to the heat exchanger 20. From the heat exchanger 20, coolant is routed to the power electronics components 30 and to the indirect condenser 53. From the indirect condenser 53, coolant is routed back to the heat exchanger 20. From the power electronics components 30, coolant is routed back to the second chiller 52. To drive the flow in the system, the first, second, third, and fourth pumps 61, 62, 63, 64 are switched on. The five-way valves 70 are in the following states according to... Fig. 4. Set as follows: first control valve 71 in status 2, second control valve 72 in status 5, third control valve 73 in status 3, and fourth control valve 74 in status 5. The three-way valves 80 are in the following statuses according to Fig. 5 set: fifth control valve 85 in status 1 and sixth control valve 86 in status 1.

[0055] In Fig. Figure 11 shows a fifth switching mode of the thermal management system 1. In this mode, heating and dehumidifying of the vehicle interior as well as cooling of the traction battery 40 are provided. In a first dehumidification mode, either warm and cold coolant can be directed to an integrated heating and air conditioning housing, which includes an interior radiator, interior heater and a blower, and the battery is passively cooled; or in a second dehumidification mode, either warm and cold coolant is directed to said housing and the battery is heated by passing it over the heat exchanger 20; or in the heat recovery mode, heat from the components of the power electronics 30 and the traction battery 40 is used to heat the vehicle interior (with coolant passing over the LTR).In a first sub-circuit (highlighted with a dashed line), coolant is routed from heating element 13 to heating unit 12, and from there to the indirect condenser 53 and back to heating element 13. A second sub-circuit (highlighted with a dotted line) provides cooling for the battery 40 and the power electronics components 30. For this purpose, coolant is routed from the second chiller 52 to the battery 40, from there to the heat exchanger 20, from there to the power electronics components 30, and from there back to the second chiller 52. In a third sub-circuit (highlighted with a dotted-dash line), coolant is routed from the first chiller 51 to the cooling unit 11 and back to the first chiller 51. To drive the flow in the system, the first, second, third, and fourth pumps 61, 62, 63, and 64 are switched on. The five-way valves 70 are in the following positions according to... Fig. 4. Set as follows: first control valve 71 in status 2, second control valve 72 in status 5, third control valve 73 in status 3, and fourth control valve 74 in status 3. The three-way valves 80 are in the following statuses according to Fig. 5 set: fifth control valve 85 in status 1 and sixth control valve 86 in status 1.

[0056] In Fig. Figure 12 shows a sixth switching mode of the thermal management system 1. In this mode, rapid heating of the traction battery 40 and the vehicle interior is provided. Heating the traction battery 40 takes priority; if the coolant temperature is not high enough, the cabin heating unit 12 is switched off, and the traction battery 40 is given priority. This mode is activated particularly when the vehicle is started. In a first partial circuit (highlighted with a dashed line), coolant is routed from the indirect condenser 53 via the heating element 13 to the heating unit 12, from there to the battery 40, and from there back to the indirect condenser 53.In a second sub-circuit (highlighted with dots), coolant is routed from the heat exchanger 20 through the area of ​​the power electronics components 30, from there to the first and second chillers 51, 52, and back to the heat exchanger 20. To drive the flow in the system, the first, second, and third pumps 61, 62, 63 are switched on. The five-way valves 70 are in the following positions according to... Fig. 4. Set as follows: first control valve 71 in status 5, second control valve 72 in status 1, third control valve 73 in status 3, and fourth control valve 74 in status 3. The three-way valves 80 are in the following statuses according to Fig. 5 set: fifth control valve 85 in status 2 and sixth control valve 86 in status 1.

[0057] In Fig. Figure 13 shows a seventh switching mode of the thermal management system 1. In this mode, the primary function is to cool the vehicle interior using the two chillers 51 and 52. In a first sub-circuit, coolant is routed from the two chillers 51 and 52 to the cooling unit 11 and from there back to the two chillers 51 and 52 (highlighted with dashed lines). The components of the power electronics 30 are also cooled by the heat exchanger 20. In a second sub-circuit (highlighted with dotted lines), coolant from the heat exchanger 20 is routed to the components of the power electronics 30 and to the indirect condenser 53, and from there back to the heat exchanger 20. Coolant circulates in the area of ​​the battery 40 in a third sub-circuit (highlighted with dotted lines). To drive the flow in the system, the first, second, third, and fourth pumps 61, 62, 63, and 64 are activated.The five-way valves 70 are in the following status according to . Fig. 4. Set as follows: first control valve 71 in status 1, second control valve 72 in status 2, third control valve 73 in status 3, and fourth control valve 74 in status 5. The three-way valves 80 are in the following statuses according to Fig. 5 set: fifth control valve 85 in status 3 and sixth control valve 86 in status 1.

[0058] In Fig. Figure 14 shows an eighth switching mode of the thermal management system 1. In this mode, the vehicle interior is heated by the heating unit 12 using a heating element 13 and an indirect capacitor 51. Independently of this, the battery 40 is heated by utilizing heat from the components of the power electronics 30. This circuit is particularly advantageous at low ambient temperatures. In a first sub-circuit (highlighted with a dashed line), coolant is routed from the indirect capacitor to the heating element 13, from there to the heating unit 12, and from there back to the indirect capacitor. In a second sub-circuit (highlighted with a dotted line), coolant is routed from the components of the power electronics 30 to the battery 40 and back.In a third sub-circuit (highlighted with dot-dash line), coolant is routed from the heat exchanger 20 to the first and second chillers 51, 52 and back to the heat exchanger 20. To drive the flow in the system, the first, second, and third pumps 61, 62, 63 are switched on. The five-way valves 70 are in the following positions according to... Fig. 4. Set as follows: first control valve 71 in status 2, second control valve 72 in status 1, third control valve 73 in status 5, and fourth control valve 74 in status 3. The three-way valves 80 are in the following statuses according to Fig. 5 set: fifth control valve 85 in status 2 and sixth control valve 86 in status 2.

[0059] In Fig. 15 is a further embodiment according to the illustration of Fig. 11 the thermal management system 1 according to the invention, in comparison to Fig. 1. A second primary circuit 150 is opened. A refrigerant flows through the second primary circuit 150. A third chiller 151 and a second indirect condenser 153 are arranged in the second primary circuit 150. The third chiller 151 is connected via a line to a second compressor 154 and via a line to a second expansion valve 155 to the second indirect condenser 153. Compared to Fig. 1. No additional control valves are required to integrate the second primary circuit 150 into the thermal management system 1. The thermal management system 1 according to Fig. 15 has additional nodes 217 to 221. The third chiller 151 is connected to the secondary circuit of the thermal management system 1 via nodes 201 and 213. The second indirect condenser 153 is connected to the secondary circuit of the thermal management system 1 via nodes 217 and 220.

[0060] The thermal management system 1 according to Fig. 15 enables a ninth switching mode for independent cooling of the vehicle interior and battery 40. Cooling of the vehicle interior is provided by the third chiller 151, cooling of the battery 40 by the first and second chillers 51, 52, and cooling of the power electronics components 30 by the heat exchanger 20. In a first sub-circuit (highlighted with a dashed line), coolant is routed from the third chiller 151 to the cooling unit 11 and from there back to the third chiller 151. In a second sub-circuit (highlighted with a dotted line), coolant is routed from the first and second chillers 51, 52 to the battery 40 and from there back to the first and second chillers 51, 52. In a third sub-circuit (highlighted with a dotted-dash line), coolant is routed from the heat exchanger 20 to the power electronics components 30 and from there back to the heat exchanger 20.Coolant is also routed from the heat exchanger to the first indirect condenser 53 and the second indirect condenser 153. At junction 209, coolant is routed to the power electronics components 30 and the indirect condensers 53 and 153, and at junction 220 to the first indirect condenser 53 and the second indirect condenser 153. To drive the flow in the system, the first, second, third, and fourth pumps 61, 62, 63, and 64 are switched on. The five-way valves 70 are in the following states according to... Fig. 4. Set as follows: first control valve 71 in status 2, second control valve 72 in status 2, third control valve 73 in status 3, and fourth control valve 74 in status 5. The three-way valves 80 are in the following statuses according to Fig. 5 set: fifth control valve 85 in status 3 and sixth control valve 86 in status 1. Reference symbol list 1 Circuit diagram of a thermal management system 11 Cooling unit, cabin cooling unit 12 Heating system, cabin heating system 13 PTC heating element 20 Heat exchanger 30 components of power electronics 40 drive battery, battery 50 first primary circuit 51 first chiller, first indirect evaporator 52 second chiller, second indirect evaporator 53 first indirect capacitor 54 compressors 55 Throttle 60 pump 61 first pump 62 second pump 63 third pump 64 fourth pump 70 Five-way valve 71 first control valve 72 second control valve 73 third control valve 74 fourth control valve 77 temperature-dependent directional control valve 80 Three-way valve 85 fifth control valve 86 sixth control valve 90 Check valve 91 first check valve 92 second check valve 93 third check valve 94 fourth check valve 100 expansion tanks 101 first equalization line 102 second equalization line 103 third equalization line 104 fourth equalization line 105 fifth equalization line 106 Compensating line check valve 120 Control unit 150 second primary circuit 151 third chiller 153 second indirect capacitor 154 second compressor 155 second throttle 200 junctions 201 first junction 202 second junction 203 third junction 204 fourth junction 205 fifth junction 206 sixth junction 207 seventh junction 208 eighth junction 209 ninth junction 210 tenth junction 211 eleventh junction 212 twelfth junction 213 thirteenth junction 214 fourteenth junction 215 fifteenth junction 216 sixteenth junction 217 seventeenth junction 218 eighteenth junction 219 nineteenth junction 220 twentieth junction 221 twenty-first junction 701 Slider of the five-way valve 702 openings of the five-way valve 703 recesses of the slider

Claims

[1] Thermal management system (1) for a battery-powered electric vehicle, comprising at least one primary circuit (50) through which refrigerant flows, comprising at least one indirect evaporator (51, 52) and at least one indirect condenser (53), and a secondary circuit through which a coolant flows, wherein the fluid flow in the lines of the secondary circuit to at least one cabin cooling device (11), at least one cabin heating device (12), at least one battery (40), at least one heat exchanger (20) and at least components of a power electronics (30) can be controlled, wherein at least one pump (60) is provided to drive the fluid flow in the circuits and at least a number of control valves (71, 72, 73, 74, 85, 86) controlled by a control device (120) and check valves (90) are arranged in the system to control the fluid flow in the secondary circuit, and In the lines in the area between the heat exchanger (20) and the components of the power electronics (30) a number of at most six control valves (71, 72, 73, 74, 85, 86) is arranged, by which, in a combination of their different operating states, a flow connection between the components of the power electronics (30) with the heat exchanger (20) and / or the battery (40) can be switched, wherein at least one control valve (71, 72, 73, 74, 85, 86) is designed in the form of a five-way valve (70) having five openings (702), characterized by , that the connections between the openings (702) can be made in different variants by means of a slide (701) rotatably arranged within the five-way valve (70) and the slide (701) enables 12 different switching modes of the five-way valve (70) when rotating 360°. [2] Thermal management system (1) according to claim 1, wherein four control valves (71, 72, 73, 74) are designed in the form of a five-way valve (70) and two control valves (85, 86) are designed in the form of a three-way valve (80). [3] Heat management system (1) according to claim 1, in which all five-way valves (70) are designed to have five openings (702), and the connections between the openings (702) can be made in different variants by means of the slide (701) rotatably arranged within the five-way valve (70). [4] Thermal management system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the slide (701) is set such that it can rotate about an angle of 120°, the setting enabling five different switching modes of the five-way valve (70). [5] Thermal management system (1) according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a first (50) and a second primary circuit (150). [6] Vehicle with a thermal management system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5. [7] Method for controlling a thermal management system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising the steps: - Determining the temperatures in vehicle components including the battery (40), power electronics components (30) and vehicle interior, - Determining the requirements for cooling or heating said vehicle equipment, - Sending a control command to the control valves (71, 72, 73, 74, 85, 86), - Switching the control valves (71, 72, 73, 74, 85, 86) so that, depending on the requirements, the said equipment of the vehicle is heated or cooled. [8] Method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one five-way control valve (70) is switched into five different switching modes to direct coolant to the devices. [9] Method according to claim 8, wherein the at least one five-way control valve (70) is switched to a specific switching mode depending on the temperature of the battery (40) in order to heat, cool or maintain the battery (40) at a current temperature.

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