Temperature control device

Abstract

Temperature control device (1), in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a heat pump (2) comprising a condenser (4), an evaporator (5) and a compressor (3), wherein the temperature control device (1) has a support plate (7) on which the heat pump (2) is arranged at least sectionally, wherein an expansion valve (6) arranged between the condenser (4) and the evaporator (5) is integrated into the support plate (7).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a temperature control device, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a heat pump, which includes a condenser, an evaporator and a compressor, wherein the temperature control device has a support plate on which the heat pump is arranged at least partially.

[0002] Such temperature control devices, comprising a heat pump with a condenser, an evaporator, a compressor, and an expansion valve, are generally known from the prior art. For example, such heat pumps can be used in motor vehicles for temperature control, such as cooling a coolant circuit at a heat exchanger of the evaporator and heating a corresponding coolant circuit at a heat exchanger of the condenser, particularly for heating or cooling components of the motor vehicle or other associated units, such as the vehicle's interior or certain motor vehicle assemblies, for example, electrical control devices, drive systems, and the like.

[0003] The described components of the heat pump are typically distributed throughout the higher-level temperature control unit, for example, spatially distributed within the vehicle. This may necessitate appropriate piping structures to supply the refrigerant in the heat pump's refrigeration circuit to the various components. This, in turn, affects the pipe length, the number of seals, and similar requirements. Furthermore, the refrigerant supplied to the condenser in the refrigeration circuit should ideally be thermally separated from the refrigerant supplied to the evaporator, resulting in specific boundary conditions for the routing of the refrigerant circuit. It is specifically known that the expansion valve is integrated into such piping structures, particularly in a connecting line between the condenser outlet and the evaporator inlet.

[0004] The invention is based on the objective of providing an improved temperature control device.

[0005] The problem is solved by a temperature control device having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0006] As described, the invention relates to a temperature control device, for example for a motor vehicle or for a building, which includes a heat pump. The heat pump has a condenser, an evaporator, and a compressor. The heat pump also has an expansion valve. According to the generally known function of the heat pump, a refrigerant or a temperature control fluid is circulated in a closed loop within the heat pump, namely in a refrigerant circuit or a temperature control fluid circuit. This fluid is compressed by the compressor and fed to the condenser, where it transfers heat, for example via a heat exchanger in the condenser, to a coolant circulating in a cooling circuit. After passing through the condenser, the temperature control fluid is fed to the expansion valve, expands, and is introduced into the evaporator.There, the refrigerant can also be cooled via a heat exchanger in the evaporator within a cooling circuit that is in thermal contact with the evaporator's heat exchanger. After passing through the evaporator, the refrigerant can be returned to the compressor, where it is compressed again and sent to the condenser.

[0007] The invention is based on the finding that an expansion valve located between the condenser and the evaporator is integrated into the support plate. As described above, the temperature control device has the support plate on which the heat pump is at least partially mounted. Specifically, the various components of the heat pump, for example, the condenser, the evaporator, and the compressor, can be arranged on the support plate. According to the invention, the expansion valve is also located on the support plate, namely integrated into it. This eliminates the need for numerous lines between the components. The lines can instead run within the support plate, thus reducing leaks, diffusion points, and the like. In other words, the refrigerant circuit, or...The temperature control fluid circuit can be kept as short as possible, as this allows for very short pipe lengths, which can also be integrated into the carrier plate. In particular, this temperature control device is suitable for the temperature control of motor vehicles, especially passenger cars, for example, electric vehicles.

[0008] The "temperature control device" described herein can also be referred to as a "thermal management system." A "thermal management system" can be defined, in particular, as a system that controls the temperature of at least two thermal consumers. A thermal consumer is therefore a device to be cooled or heated. One thermal consumer can be cooled and another can be heated. These thermal consumers can even be located in the same cooling circuit. As also described previously, the temperature control device should have a support structure on which the heat pump is mounted, at least in sections.

[0009] As previously described, the expansion valve, which is located between the condenser and the evaporator, is integrated into the carrier plate. Depending on the specific design of the temperature control device, the carrier plate may have a receptacle, in particular a bore, in which the expansion valve is at least partially received. For example, the receptacle can be incorporated into the carrier plate, for instance by drilling, or the carrier plate can be cast or additively manufactured. The expansion valve can then be inserted into the receptacle, and the receptacle can be sealed, in particular, by inserting the expansion valve.

[0010] Furthermore, the temperature control device can be designed with a carrier plate that incorporates lines connected to the expansion valve, particularly its housing. For example, the connecting lines linking the expansion valve to the evaporator and condenser can also be routed within the carrier plate. These lines can be created, for instance, through machined holes, or they can be integrally integrated into the carrier plate using other manufacturing processes, such as casting or additive manufacturing. This eliminates the need for external lines, such as hoses, connecting the expansion valve to the rest of the heat pump.

[0011] Specifically, it can be provided that, with an expansion valve included in the mounting, at least one first connection of the expansion valve is connected to a first line of the carrier plate, and at least one second connection of the expansion valve is connected to a second line of the carrier plate. The first and second lines of the carrier plate are formed, in particular, by the high-pressure line and the low-pressure line, which connect the expansion valve to the evaporator and the condenser, respectively.

[0012] In other words, the expansion valve has two connections: a first connection and a second connection, which must be used to connect the expansion valve to the high-pressure and low-pressure lines. By inserting the expansion valve into its housing, the first connection is automatically connected to the first line in the housing, and the second connection is automatically connected to the second line in the housing. In other words, the expansion valve connections to their corresponding lines are established simply by inserting the valve into its housing, creating a so-called "cartridge solution." Therefore, it is not necessary to install the expansion valve in the refrigerant circuit and connect it separately to the individual lines.Instead, the connection to the refrigerant circuit is made by inserting it into the housing. This allows both the positioning of the expansion valve on the mounting plate and the creation of the pipe connection to be carried out in a single operation.

[0013] In a further development of the temperature control device, at least one sealing device may be provided between the expansion valve and the mounting. This sealing device is designed to separate a first line of the mounting plate, in particular a high-pressure line, from a second line of the mounting plate, in particular a low-pressure line, and / or to isolate the first line and / or the second line from the environment, in particular to seal them hermetically from the environment. Depending on the routing of the lines within the mounting plate, for example, from which side or along which path the first line and the second line are routed to the mounting plate, at least one sealing device may be provided.The sealing device is intended to separate the first line from the second line, so that no direct passage from the first line to the second line, for example from the high-pressure line to the low-pressure line, is possible, but rather the connection is made through the expansion valve.

[0014] Furthermore, the first line and / or the second line should be sealed from the environment. Depending on which of the two lines is closer to the environment, it can be additionally sealed. For example, a first sealing element can be provided that separates the first line from the second line. A second sealing element can also be provided that separates either the first or the second line from the environment. The sealing elements can be sealed, for example, by O-rings. For example, the sealing elements or the sealing device can be provided on the expansion valve or on the receptacle, so that the sealing effect is also achieved when the expansion valve is inserted into the receptacle. In this embodiment, the proposed design therefore allows both the mechanical and / orThe spatial arrangement of the expansion valve, the connection of the expansion valve's ports, and their sealing are ensured by inserting the expansion valve into the receptacle.

[0015] In another embodiment of the temperature control device, a fluid control unit can be arranged on or connected to the carrier plate. The fluid control unit can also be referred to as a distribution unit or fluid control unit (FCU). This unit distributes the flow rates to the individual thermal consumers, for example, as needed, so that they can be adequately temperature controlled. The fluid control unit can be arranged on the same carrier plate as the heat pump described above, in particular the carrier plate in which the expansion valve is integrated. Alternatively, the fluid control unit can be arranged on a plate module that is connected to, or can be connected to, the carrier plate, for example, by means of screws. Thus, an integrated or modular design of the temperature control device is possible.

[0016] Furthermore, the temperature control device can be further developed such that the fluid control unit includes a pump and at least one valve. As described, the fluid control unit can control the individual flow rates or control which flow rate is to be set in which circuit or section of a circuit. The fluid control unit can have any number of valves, for example, four valves and two pumps. As already described, the support plate can be a single piece or it can be designed as a modular unit made up of interconnected individual plates. The plate module for the fluid control unit described above can be designed as such an individual plate.This allows for flexible adaptation to the available construction space, for example by integrating all individual panels into a carrier panel or by choosing a modular structure made of interconnected or connectable individual panels.

[0017] As described, the thermal management system or temperature control device described herein can be used to selectively control the temperature of various thermal consumers. Preferably, a consumer can be an electric machine. Furthermore, a consumer can be an inverter. Additionally or alternatively, a consumer can be a passenger compartment. Advantageously, a consumer can be a battery.

[0018] The thermal management system comprises at least one coolant circuit. Preferably, the thermal management system comprises at least one refrigerant circuit and one coolant circuit. At least one cooling device is arranged in the refrigerant circuit. This cooling device cools the refrigerant. The cooling circuit is cooled via the refrigerant and is in direct connection with at least one consumer.

[0019] Furthermore, the thermal management system can have at least two, and in particular exactly two, coolant circuits and one refrigerant circuit. At least one cooling device is arranged in the refrigerant circuit. This device cools the refrigerant or the coolant. The cooling circuits are cooled via the refrigerant and are in direct contact with the consumers. The coolant circuit (hot circuit) can also be configured to dissipate heat to the environment, thereby providing additional cooling.

[0020] Preferably, one of the refrigerant circuits can be arranged as a high-temperature circuit and the other as a low-temperature circuit. The high-temperature circuit is thermally connected to the refrigeration circuit at a first point, and the low-temperature circuit at a second point. The first point has a higher temperature than the second point. In particular, the high-temperature circuit can be connected downstream of a compressor. Preferably, the low-temperature circuit can be connected downstream of an evaporator, especially downstream of a valve, such as an expansion valve, via an evaporator. The high-temperature circuit can also be referred to as a high-pressure circuit, and the low-temperature circuit as a low-pressure circuit.

[0021] The temperature to which the high-temperature circuit is cooled can be, for example, 40°C. This temperature can be used simultaneously to heat one component, such as the passenger compartment, and to cool another component, such as an electric motor.

[0022] The low-temperature circuit is cooled to a lower temperature than the high-temperature circuit. This allows the cooling capacity to be concentrated on the low-temperature circuit, to which the largest cooling load, e.g., power electronics, is connected. This optimizes the provision of cooling capacity and allows, for example, a smaller compressor to be used. A radiator can preferably be installed in the low-temperature circuit.

[0023] Advantageously, a passenger compartment and / or an electric motor and / or a battery can be arranged as consumers in the high-temperature circuit. Furthermore, a power electronics assembly, in particular an inverter, can be arranged in the low-temperature circuit.

[0024] The cooling device can be designed as a heat pump. The heat pump comprises at least two heat exchangers and a compressor. One of the heat exchangers can be configured as a condenser and the other as an evaporator. Additionally, the heat pump has an expansion valve between the condenser and the evaporator.

[0025] Preferably, the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit is a natural refrigerant, in particular propane. Alternatively, the coolant in the cooling circuit(s) can be a water-glycol mixture.

[0026] Preferably, the thermal management system includes a distribution unit. The distribution unit controls which circuit is connected to which other circuit and which consumer. The distribution unit is also referred to as a Fluid Control Unit (FCU). Advantageously, the distribution unit includes a valve unit with at least one valve. The valve can be a spool valve, in particular an axial spool valve or a rotary spool valve. In particular, the valve unit can have at least four, preferably exactly four, valves.

[0027] The distribution unit can have at least two housing parts. Channel structures and / or valve mounting areas can be formed on the adjacent sides of the housing parts. Alternatively, one housing part can be designed as a cover without any structures, and only one housing part can have channel structures and / or valve mounting areas. It is also possible to have only valve mounting areas in one housing part and only channel structures in the other housing part.

[0028] Furthermore, the thermal management system comprises a pump arrangement with at least one pump. Preferably, the pump arrangement can comprise at least two, and in particular exactly two, pumps. At least one pump can be designed as a gerotor pump. At least one pump can be designed as a vane pump.

[0029] Alternatively, the thermal management system can also be installed in a stationary position, e.g. in a building.

[0030] Furthermore, the invention relates to a carrier plate for a previously described temperature control device. As described, the expansion valve is integrated into or arranged on the carrier plate. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle that has such a carrier plate and / or a previously described temperature control device. The motor vehicle is characterized in that the temperature control device or the thermal management system and / or the heat pump and / or the carrier plate are designed as described.

[0031] Furthermore, the invention relates to a building with such a temperature control device. The building is characterized in that the temperature control device is designed as described.

[0032] The invention is explained below with reference to exemplary embodiments and the figures. The figures are schematic representations and show: Fig. 1 a temperature control device according to a first embodiment; and Fig. 2 a carrier plate according to a second embodiment.

[0033] Fig. Figure 1 shows a temperature control device 1, in particular a temperature control device 1 for a motor vehicle. The temperature control device 1 can also be referred to as a "thermal management system". The temperature control device 1 has a heat pump 2, which includes a compressor 3, a condenser 4, an evaporator 5 and an expansion valve 6, which are arranged on a support plate 7.

[0034] As is known, the temperature control fluid is compressed by the compressor 3 and fed to the condenser 4. As it passes through the condenser 4, a corresponding component, for example of the vehicle, can be heated via a heat exchanger within the condenser 4. The condenser 4 can, for example, be in thermal connection with a high-temperature circuit (not shown). After exiting the condenser outlet of the condenser 4, the temperature control fluid passes through a heat exchanger 8 of the temperature control device 1 and, after passing through its first temperature control fluid line, reaches the expansion valve 6. The heat exchanger 8 is optional and can therefore be omitted. In the basic operation of the heat pump 2, the expansion valve 6 expands the temperature control fluid, in particular the refrigerant, and then feeds it to the evaporator 5.After passing through the evaporator outlet 5, the temperature control medium, in particular the refrigerant, passes through a second temperature control medium line of the heat exchanger 8 and, after passing through the heat exchanger 8, is fed back to the compressor 3.

[0035] The heat exchanger 8 is clearly an additional heat exchanger, distinct from the heat exchangers of the condenser 4 and the evaporator 5. Specifically, the heat exchanger 8 is integrated into the carrier plate 7. The heat exchanger 8 can be integrated into the carrier plate 7, for example, by mechanical means, such as milling, drilling, or similar processes. Alternatively, the heat exchanger 8, including its temperature control fluid lines, can be manufactured separately and integrated into or attached to the carrier plate 7. Another possibility is to manufacture the heat exchanger 8 using additive manufacturing processes, particularly in conjunction with the carrier plate 7. The temperature control fluid lines of the temperature control device 1 also run within the carrier plate 7, thus eliminating the need for additional seals or pipe connections.

[0036] Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the expansion valve 6 is integrated into the carrier plate 7. The carrier plate 7 has a receptacle 9 for this purpose, which is, for example, designed as a bore in the carrier plate 7. This allows the expansion valve 6 to be inserted, in particular plugged, into the receptacle 9. By integrating the expansion valve 6 into the carrier plate 7, the expansion valve 6 is spatially fixed and arranged in the temperature control device 1 or in the motor vehicle that has the temperature control device 1.

[0037] In Fig. Figure 2 shows a cutaway view of the mounting plate 9. A first line 10 of the mounting plate 7, for example a high-pressure line, is visible, leading to the mounting plate 9. The first line 10 can carry, for example, the temperature control fluid or refrigerant from the condenser 4 to the expansion valve 6, which is located in the mounting plate 9. The expansion valve 6 has a first connection for this purpose, which, when the expansion valve 6 is installed in the mounting plate 9, connects to the first line 10. The mounting plate 7 also has a second line 11 through which the temperature control fluid, in particular refrigerant, can flow from the expansion valve 6 to the evaporator 5. With the expansion valve 6 installed in the mounting plate 9, a second connection is aligned with the second line 11, allowing the temperature control fluid to flow from the expansion valve 6 into the second line 11, in particular a low-pressure line.

[0038] The temperature control device 1 further comprises a sealing device, which is not shown in detail. This seals the first line 10 against the second line 11, so that no direct connection can be established between the first line 10 and the second line 11, for example via the receptacle 9, but rather the temperature control fluid from the first line 10 passes exclusively through the expansion valve 6 into the second line 11. Furthermore, the sealing device can seal the first line 10 and the second line 11, in this case particularly the second line 10, against the environment. For example, the sealing device comprises two sealing elements that perform the aforementioned sealing functions.

[0039] Furthermore, in Fig. Figure 2 shows an arrangement section 12 on which a fluid control device or distribution device, i.e., a so-called fluid control unit, can be arranged. The arrangement section 12 can be integrally formed with the carrier plate 7 or formed separately and connected to the carrier plate 7. This allows for either a modular or a one-piece construction of the temperature control device 1. Furthermore, the carrier plate 7 is shown in Fig. Two connection points 13 are shown, through which the corresponding components of the heat pump 2, in particular the compressor 3, the condenser 4 and the evaporator 5, can be arranged on the carrier plate 7.

[0040] As described, the temperature control device 1 can be used to control the temperature of a higher-level structure, in particular a motor vehicle or a building. The temperature control device 1 can therefore be a component of the motor vehicle or the building, so that the preceding description is also fully applicable to the motor vehicle or the building that incorporates such a temperature control device 1.

[0041] The advantages, details and features shown in the exemplary embodiments can be combined, interchanged and transferred to one another as desired. Reference sign 1 temperature control device 2 Heat pump 3 Compressor 4 Capacitor 5 evaporators 6 Expansion valve 7 Carrier plate 8 heat exchangers 9th entry 10, 11 Management Section 12 13 Connection point

Claims

[1] Temperature control device (1), in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a heat pump (2) comprising a condenser (4), an evaporator (5) and a compressor (3), wherein the temperature control device (1) has a support plate (7) on which the heat pump (2) is arranged at least section by section, characterized by , that an expansion valve (6) arranged between the condenser (4) and the evaporator (5) is integrated into the carrier plate (7). [2] Temperature control device (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that the carrier plate (7) has a receptacle (9), in particular a bore, in which the expansion valve (6) is received. [3] Temperature control device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the carrier plate (7) has lines (10, 11) integrated into the carrier plate (7) which are connected to the expansion valve (6), in particular to the receptacle (9). [4] Temperature control device (1) according to claim 3, characterized by, that when the expansion valve (6) is included in the mounting (9) at least one first connection of the expansion valve (6) is connected to a first line (10) in the carrier plate (7) and at least one second connection of the expansion valve (6) is connected to a second line (11) in the carrier plate (7). [5] Temperature control device (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized by , that at least one sealing device is provided between the expansion valve (6) and the receptacle (9), which is designed to separate a first line (10) of the carrier plate (7), in particular a high-pressure line, from a second line (11) of the carrier plate (7), in particular a low-pressure line, and / or to separate the first line (10) and / or the second line (11) from the environment, in particular to seal them hermetically from the environment. [6] Temperature control device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat a fluid control device is arranged on or connected to the carrier plate (7). [7] Temperature control device (1) according to claim 6, characterized by that the fluid control device includes a pump device and at least one valve device. [8] Temperature control device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the support plate (7) is formed in one piece or that the support plate (7) is formed modularly from interconnected individual plates. [9] Carrier plate (7) for a temperature control device (1) according to one of the preceding claims. [10] Motor vehicle comprising a carrier plate (7) according to the preceding claim and / or a temperature control device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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