Cooling system and procedures for an electric vehicle

Abstract

Cooling system (1) for an electric vehicle (2) for cooling a battery (12), power electronics (14), air conditioning (13) for an interior of the vehicle (2) and / or an electric motor, comprising a cooling energy storage unit (3), a heat exchanger (10), supply lines and a control unit (5), wherein the cooling energy storage unit (3) can be used as a thermal storage component of the cooling system (1) for storing excess cooling energy of an air intake system (4), wherein the control unit (5) is configured to regulate the release of cooling energy from the cooling energy storage unit (3) into the supply lines of the cooling system (1) via the heat exchanger (10), wherein the supply lines contain a fluid that transfers the cooling energy to the battery (12), the power electronics (14), the air conditioning (13) and / or the electric motor for cooling.

Description

[0001] The technical field of the invention is cooling systems for electric vehicles.

[0002] The state of the art includes various cooling systems for electric vehicles designed to efficiently dissipate thermal energy and stabilize the operating temperature of critical components such as the battery, power electronics, and electric motor. Known systems typically use coolants and pumps to remove heat from the components.

[0003] DE 10 2009 056 044 A1 discloses an air conditioning system for a motor vehicle, which has a control unit and at least one heating and / or cooling unit that is coupled to at least one thermal storage medium arranged within a passenger compartment of the vehicle, wherein the heating and / or cooling unit can be activated independently of the operating state of a vehicle drive and the control unit is designed to regulate the heating or cooling unit at least taking into account the outside temperature.

[0004] DE 10 2018 122 097 A1 discloses a drive unit with a cooling circuit comprising a high-temperature circuit and a low-temperature circuit, wherein the drive unit has at least one drive unit and an auxiliary unit associated with the drive unit. The high-temperature circuit is intended for cooling at least the drive unit and the low-temperature circuit for cooling at least the auxiliary unit.

[0005] EP 2 230 110 A2 discloses an air conditioning system for installation in vehicles, comprising a system configured to provide at least heating and / or cooling of the air in a vehicle cabin, an energy storage module configured to supply power to the system, a user interface for receiving user inputs and providing outputs to the user, and a controller configured to operate the system.The controller receives weather and temperature data relating to the temperature outside and inside the cabin; calculates an expected heating or cooling load based on a temperature setpoint, the weather data, and the temperature data; calculates whether there is sufficient energy in the energy storage module to cover the expected load; controls the normal operation of the system if sufficient energy is available; and otherwise prompts the user to take action via the user interface.

[0006] The object of the invention is to provide a cooling system for electric vehicles that stabilizes the operating temperature of critical components while simultaneously increasing energy efficiency.

[0007] The invention relates to a cooling system for an electric vehicle for cooling a battery, power electronics, an air conditioning system for the vehicle interior, and / or an electric motor. The cooling system comprises a cooling energy storage unit, a heat exchanger, supply lines, and a control unit. The cooling energy storage unit is designed as a thermal storage component of the cooling system, storing excess cooling energy from an air intake system and releasing it as needed. Based on current vehicle and environmental data, the control unit regulates the release of the stored cooling energy from the cooling energy storage unit into the supply lines via the heat exchanger. The supply lines are functional components that serve to supply a medium, such as a coolant. They transport the coolant, such as water, oil, or refrigerant, from a reservoir or pump to the heat-generating components.As the coolant flows through the supply lines, it is directed to the corresponding cooling channels or surfaces of the components to efficiently absorb and dissipate the generated heat. The design of the supply lines ensures that the coolant flow is evenly distributed to prevent hotspots. Furthermore, the supply lines can be thermally insulated or specially coated to minimize heat loss and ensure efficient cooling. The return flow of the heated coolant to the reservoir via dedicated return lines allows for further cooling or regeneration before the coolant circulates again through the supply lines. This interaction ensures a constant operating temperature for the cooled battery, power electronics, air conditioning system, and / or electric motor, contributing to extended service life and performance stability.The supply lines therefore contain a fluid that transfers cooling energy to the battery, the power electronics, the air conditioning system and / or the electric motor.

[0008] The cooling system refers to a thermal system that serves to remove and distribute cooling energy in order to regulate the temperatures of critical vehicle components.

[0009] An electric vehicle is a vehicle that is powered by an electric motor and uses a battery or other electrical energy storage device as its primary energy source.

[0010] The cooling energy storage unit is a thermal storage component that absorbs excess cooling energy, stores it, and releases it again when needed.

[0011] A heat exchanger, such as a spiral pipe system, is a component that transfers the stored cooling energy from the cooling energy storage unit to the fluid in the supply lines.

[0012] The control unit is a control device that analyzes vehicle and environmental data to control the release of stored cooling energy. It regulates the activation of the heat exchanger, for example by means of a valve, and controls the distribution of cooling energy within the cooling system.

[0013] A fluid is a liquid or gaseous medium used as a coolant in the supply lines of the cooling system to efficiently transport cooling energy.

[0014] The air intake system is a component that introduces air into the cooling system to transfer excess cooling energy to the cooling energy storage unit. It serves as the primary source for cooling energy absorption.

[0015] One advantage of this cooling system is that excess cooling energy can be efficiently stored and reused, thereby reducing energy consumption and optimizing cooling performance. This contributes to a stable operating temperature of the components and improved energy efficiency of the vehicle.

[0016] Advantageously, the control unit can be configured so that the environmental data includes GPS data and is used to optimize the release of cooling energy from the cooling energy storage unit, whereby the release of cooling energy can be regulated by the control unit depending on the environmental conditions of an expected driving route.

[0017] GPS data includes information about the vehicle's position and route, which can be used to plan cooling energy distribution in order to enable predictive adjustment of cooling power along the route.

[0018] This allows the distribution of cooling energy to be controlled proactively to ensure that the cooling energy is used optimally and the energy consumption of the cooling system is minimized.

[0019] Advantageously, the control unit can process traffic information, so that in traffic jams the stored cooling energy from the cooling energy storage unit is used as a priority, thus reducing the energy consumption of the cooling system.

[0020] Traffic information includes data on the current traffic flow, which enables the control unit to adjust the cooling energy demand to traffic-related delays and thus to use the stored cooling energy in a targeted manner in these situations.

[0021] This allows the cooling system to reduce energy consumption by prioritizing the use of stored cooling energy in stop-and-go traffic situations, thus maintaining continuous cooling performance. Advantageously, the cooling energy storage unit can be equipped with thermal insulation, allowing the stored cooling energy to be retained for a longer period.

[0022] Thermal insulation is a heat-insulating layer that surrounds the cooling energy storage unit and prevents heat loss in order to keep the stored cooling energy usable for as long as possible.

[0023] This ensures that the stored cooling energy remains available for later cooling even during longer intervals without energy loss, thus improving the efficiency of the cooling system.

[0024] Advantageously, the control unit can have an adaptive learning function, preferably through an AI system, which stores historical vehicle and environmental data and uses this data to improve cooling performance prediction.

[0025] The adaptive learning function is a component of the control unit that uses vehicle and environmental data to learn patterns in cooling requirements and helps to optimize cooling performance in future journeys.

[0026] This enables a more accurate forecast of cooling requirements, which optimizes the efficiency of cooling energy distribution and improves the overall performance of the cooling system.

[0027] Advantageously, the control unit can also activate an emergency cooling function, which releases maximum cooling energy from the cooling energy storage unit in case of overheating, thus ensuring thermal stability of the cooling system.

[0028] The emergency cooling function is an immediate action taken by the control unit, which releases all stored cooling energy at critical temperatures to protect the cooling system components from damage. This prevents overheating of the vehicle components, ensuring the safety and stability of the cooling system.

[0029] Advantageously, a sensor unit can be provided to measure the ambient temperature and the vehicle speed, with the sensor data being used to control the stored cooling energy in the cooling energy storage unit.

[0030] A sensor unit is a system for capturing external and vehicle-internal data such as temperature and speed, which can be used for the dynamic control of cooling energy distribution in the cooling system.

[0031] This allows the cooling energy to be distributed according to demand, enabling energy-efficient and situational control of the cooling capacity.

[0032] Advantageously, the control unit can adjust the vehicle's air intake system so that at low speeds, preferably less than 30 km / h, the air intake system is at least partially or fully opened, whereby the air resistance of the vehicle is increased by opening the air intake system, but an amount of excess cooling energy is stored by the cooling energy storage unit, so that a higher amount of the stored cooling energy is released to the cooling system.

[0033] The air intake system includes components for regulating the airflow in the vehicle, which can be used to absorb additional cooling energy and thus maximize cooling energy storage at low speeds.

[0034] This increases the available cooling energy for the cooling system when needed later, thus improving the efficiency and performance of the cooling system.

[0035] Advantageously, the cooling energy storage unit can include the heat exchanger, preferably a spiral pipe system, which is designed to efficiently transfer the stored cooling energy to the supply lines of the cooling system, thus ensuring uniform heat transfer for cooling the operating temperature of the battery, the power electronics, the air conditioning system and / or the electric motor.

[0036] A heat exchanger in the form of a spiral pipe system is a component that efficiently transfers the stored cooling energy to the cooling system, thus ensuring uniform cooling of the vehicle components.

[0037] This ensures a stable operating temperature of the essential vehicle components, which contributes to the efficiency and lifespan of the vehicle.

[0038] A further object of the invention is a method for using a cooling system comprising the following steps: acquiring current vehicle data and environmental data by means of sensors and a control unit; storing excess cooling energy during driving operation with low cooling requirements in a cooling energy storage unit, which serves as a thermal storage component for absorbing cooling energy from an air intake system; releasing the stored cooling energy from the cooling energy storage unit to the supply lines of the cooling system based on an increase in cooling demand determined by the control unit, so that an operating temperature of the battery, the power electronics, the air conditioning system and / or the electric motor is cooled.

[0039] One advantage of this method is that it enables efficient and demand-based control of the cooling capacity, which improves the energy efficiency of the vehicle and the performance of the cooled component.

[0040] The invention is schematically illustrated with reference to embodiments in the drawings. It shows: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of the core components of a cooling system; Fig. 2. Schematic sketch to illustrate a technical implementation of the cooling system.

[0041] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of the core components of a cooling system 1 for an electric vehicle 2 to increase efficiency and range. The main components shown include a windshield washer fluid reservoir 3, which serves as a thermal storage component or a cooling energy storage unit, an active air intake system 4, and a control unit 5 for a cooling circuit.

[0042] The windshield washer fluid reservoir 3, positioned on the right side of an engine compartment 6, functions in this invention as a cooling energy storage unit that can absorb excess cooling energy and release it again when needed. The windshield washer fluid reservoir 3 utilizes the high specific heat capacity of water to store the cooling energy. This allows the use of existing components, which reduces system complexity and simultaneously optimizes cooling performance.

[0043] The active air intake system 4, mounted on the front of the vehicle 7, supports the cooling performance of the cooling system 1 by regulating the amount of air drawn in for cooling at high and low speeds. At low speeds, the air intake system 4 can open automatically to increase the amount of cooling energy absorbed. This ensures that sufficient cooling capacity is available even at lower airflow rates.

[0044] The control unit 5 for the cooling circuit coordinates the use of the cooling energy storage unit 3 based on various vehicle data such as the vehicle 2's speed, GPS data, traffic and weather information. This intelligent control unit 5 ensures that the cooling energy storage unit 3 is used optimally. It plans the release of the stored cooling energy into the cooling system 1 depending on the current conditions and simultaneously adjusts the active aerodynamics of the vehicle 2's air intake system 4 accordingly.

[0045] Fig.Figure 2 shows a further schematic sketch to illustrate a technical implementation of the cooling system 1 with the cooling energy storage unit 3 for the efficient use of excess cooling energy in the electric vehicle 2. The core components of the system include the cooling energy storage unit 3 with a heat exchanger 10, a valve 11 for controlling a coolant flow within the cooling system 1, the control unit 5, the active air intake system 4, a battery cooling system 12, an air conditioning system 13 and another cooling system 14, for example for power electronics.

[0046] The cooling energy storage unit 3, or the windshield washer fluid reservoir with the heat exchanger 10, is the central component of the cooling system 1 and serves to store excess cooling energy. In this case, water within the windshield washer fluid reservoir 3 is used as the storage medium for the cooling energy due to its high specific heat capacity.

[0047] Valve 11 controls the flow of coolant between the cooling energy storage unit 3 and the rest of the cooling system 1. As needed, valve 11 opens or closes to optimize heat exchange, dynamically adjusting the coolant temperature. This allows the stored cooling energy to be supplied as required to either the battery cooling system 12, the air conditioning system 13, and / or the additional cooling system 14 for the power electronics, as indicated by the circular arrow 15.

[0048] The control unit 5 uses intelligent control that continuously evaluates vehicle data such as temperature, driving speed, and ambient conditions of the vehicle 2. Based on this, the control unit 5 makes decisions for the optimal use of the cooling energy storage unit 3 by adjusting the valve 11 and the active air intake system 4. The control unit 5 can therefore proactively store and release cooling energy to ensure constant cooling performance and maximum energy efficiency. REFERENCE MARK LIST: 1 Cooling system 2 Electric Vehicle 3 Windshield washer fluid reservoir / Cooling energy storage unit 4 Active air intake system 5 Control unit 6 Engine compartment 7 Vehicle front 10 heat exchangers 11 valve 12 Battery cooling system 13 Air conditioning 14 Cooling system for power electronics 15 Arrow QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

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

[0000] DE 10 2009 056 044 A1

[0003] DE 10 2018 122 097 A1

[0004] EP 2 230 110 A2

[0005]

Claims

Cooling system (1) for an electric vehicle (2) for cooling a battery (12), power electronics (14), air conditioning system (13) for the interior of the vehicle (2) and / or an electric motor, comprising a cooling energy storage unit (3), a heat exchanger (10), supply lines and a control unit (5), characterized in that the cooling energy storage unit (3) can be used as a thermal storage component of the cooling system (1) for storing excess cooling energy from an air intake system (4), wherein the control unit (5) is configured such that, based on current vehicle data and environmental data, the release of cooling energy from the cooling energy storage unit (3) into the supply lines of the cooling system (1) is regulated via the heat exchanger (10), wherein the supply lines contain a fluid that transfers the cooling energy to the battery (12), the power electronics (14), the air conditioning system (13) and / or the electric motor for cooling. Cooling system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (5) is configured such that the environmental data includes GPS data and is used to optimize the release of cooling energy from the cooling energy storage unit (3), wherein the release of cooling energy can be controlled by means of the control unit (5) depending on the environmental conditions of an expected driving route. Cooling system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein environmental data includes traffic information and the control unit (5) is designed such that the control unit (5) processes this traffic information so that in traffic jam situations the stored cooling energy from the cooling energy storage unit (3) is used preferentially and thus a reduction in the energy consumption of the cooling system (1) is achieved. Cooling system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling energy storage unit (3) is provided with thermal insulation so that the stored cooling energy is maintained for a longer period of time. Cooling system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (5) has an adaptive learning function, preferably by means of an AI (artificial intelligence) system, which stores historical vehicle data and environmental data and uses them to improve a cooling performance prediction. Cooling system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (5) additionally activates an emergency cooling function which, in case of overheating, releases a maximum cooling energy from the cooling energy storage unit (3) and thus ensures thermal stability of the cooling system. Cooling system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a sensor unit for measuring the ambient temperature and the vehicle speed, wherein the sensor data are used to control the stored cooling energy in the cooling energy storage unit (3). Cooling system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (5) is configured to adjust the air intake system (4) of the vehicle (2) so that at low speed, preferably less than 30 km / h, the air intake system (4) is at least partially or fully opened, whereby although the air resistance of the vehicle (2) is increased by opening the air intake system (4), an amount of excess cooling energy is increased for storage by means of the cooling energy storage unit (3), so that a higher amount of the stored cooling energy is also released to the supply lines of the cooling system (1). Cooling system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the heat exchanger (10), preferably a spiral pipe system, is designed to efficiently transfer the stored cooling energy to the supply lines of the cooling system (1) and thus ensure uniform heat transfer for cooling an operating temperature of the battery (12), the power electronics (14), the air conditioning system (13) and / or the electric motor. A method for using a cooling system (1) according to any one of claims 1-9 in an electric vehicle (2) for cooling a battery (12), power electronics (14), an air conditioning system (13) for the interior of the vehicle (2) and / or an electric motor, comprising the following steps: acquiring current vehicle data and environmental data by means of sensors and by a control unit (5); storing excess cooling energy during driving operation with low cooling demand in a cooling energy storage unit (3), which serves as a thermal storage component for absorbing cooling energy from an air intake system (4); releasing the stored cooling energy from the cooling energy storage unit (3) to the supply lines of the cooling system (1) based on an increase in cooling demand determined by the control unit (5), so that an operating temperature of the battery (12), the power electronics (14), the air conditioning system (13) and / or the electric motor is reduced.

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