THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a thermal management system for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, such as an electric vehicle or a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a vehicle with an internal combustion engine (ICE) with a high electrification share, for example a hybrid electric vehicle or a vehicle with a fuel cell (FCEV) or a hydrogen vehicle.

[0002] Such vehicles have an electric drive motor, a battery, and power electronics such as an inverter. A thermal management system, which includes one or more cooling / heating circuits for cooling and / or heating and / or lubricating the electric drive motor, the battery, and the power electronics using one or more cooling / heating agents, ensures that the operating temperatures of the electric drive motor, the battery, and the power electronics, or of the cooling / heating agent(s) used, remain within specified temperature ranges to prevent damage and / or performance losses of the respective cooled / heated components.

[0003] For example, the cooling / heating medium temperature of the electric drive motor and the power electronics should not typically exceed 85 °C, depending on the technology used. The operating temperature range for the battery, particularly its battery cells, or the temperature of the cooling / heating medium, can be between 20 °C and 40 °C, for example. This is because the internal cell resistance is high below 20 °C, and especially at cold temperatures, the current draw during charging must be limited to prevent lithium plating (the deposition of metallic lithium), particularly in lithium-ion batteries.

[0004] To reliably meet these boundary conditions, the cooling and / or lubrication of at least one component, in particular a rotor, of the electric drive motor, and the battery cooling are typically implemented using two separate cooling / heating circuits. Both cooling / heating circuits must be able to both absorb and dissipate heat.

[0005] When using an oil-cooled electric drive motor, heat is transferred via a heat exchanger from the first cooling / heating medium / oil circuit to the second cooling / heating medium (water / glycol mixture) circuit for cooling and / or lubricating at least one component of the electric drive motor. Within the drive unit, the oil serves to cool and lubricate the electric drive motor, bearings, and a gearbox, particularly a reduction gearbox, for coupling a rotor of the electric drive motor to a drive shaft to drive one or more of the vehicle's drive wheels, and is circulated in the first (separate) cooling / heating medium circuit.

[0006] In most cases, however, the power electronics and the electric drive motor are cooled directly via the second cooling / heating medium in the second cooling / heating circuit, allowing the heat to be absorbed directly. The heat dissipated from the second cooling / heating circuit is normally transferred to the ambient air via a heat exchanger, particularly a radiator. Since the temperature of the second cooling / heating circuit for battery cooling should not exceed 40 °C, heat dissipation via the radiator is usually insufficient. In this case, a further heat exchanger can be used to transfer the heat from the second cooling / heating medium to a refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit, such as the vehicle's air conditioning system.

[0007] DE 10 023 519 A1 is based on a cooling system for vehicles with an internal combustion engine and a transmission, wherein the cooling system has at least one fan, a coolant pump which is controlled depending on a temperature measured at at least one point in the cooling system, a heat exchanger, a coolant distribution device and several coolant circuits, and proposes that the speed of the coolant pump increases with the power of the internal combustion engine and the speed of the fan follows the speed of the coolant pump by starting only at a lower limit speed of the coolant pump and only reaching its maximum speed when the coolant pump has already reached its maximum speed for some time.

[0008] Furthermore, DE102020116987A1 discloses a thermal management system for a vehicle, comprising a coolant circuit with a coolant pump for conveying a coolant in the coolant circuit for cooling a brake of the vehicle, and further comprising a heat transfer fluid circuit with at least one heat transfer fluid pump for conveying a heat transfer fluid in the heat transfer fluid circuit for cooling and / or heating a component of an electric drive motor of the vehicle.

[0009] One object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved thermal management system for a vehicle.

[0010] This problem is solved by a thermal management system for a vehicle with the features of claim 1. Claim 15 protects a vehicle with such a thermal management system.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, a thermal management system for a vehicle, in particular for a motor vehicle such as an electric, hybrid or hydrogen vehicle, comprises: a coolant circuit with a coolant pump for circulating a coolant in the coolant circuit for cooling a brake, in particular a multi-disc brake, of the vehicle; a heat transfer fluid circuit with at least one heat transfer fluid pump for circulating a heat transfer fluid in the heat transfer fluid circuit for cooling and / or heating a component, in particular a stator, of an electric drive motor of the vehicle and, in a further development, a battery and / or power electronics and / or a charger and / or for heating an interior of the vehicle, in particular by means of a heat exchanger; a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the coolant in the coolant circuit and the heat transfer fluid in the heat transfer fluid circuit; a coupling / decoupling unit which is designed toin a coupled position to couple the rotation of a rotor of the electric drive motor and the rotation of at least one drive wheel of the vehicle, and in a decoupling position to decouple the rotation of the rotor and the rotation of the at least one drive wheel, and a control unit configured to cause the coupling / decoupling unit to be in the decoupling position when the vehicle is stationary, to cause the electric drive motor to rotate the rotor, and to cause the brake to brake the rotation of the rotor.

[0012] This allows, in one design, the heat absorbed or dissipated by the brakes via the coolant to be transferred through the heat exchanger to the heat transfer medium and from there, in particular, to the battery and / or into the vehicle's interior, even when the vehicle is stationary. In this way, a separate heating element, such as a PTC heating element typically used in a vehicle's air conditioning system, for heating the interior, and / or another separate heating element, for example, also a PTC heating element, typically used for battery temperature control, can be omitted in one design.

[0013] According to one design, the brake is located between the coupling / decoupling unit and the rotor.

[0014] In one embodiment, this allows the rotation of the rotor to be slowed by the brake in a case where the coupling / decoupling unit is in the decoupling position and the rotor is being rotated while the vehicle is stationary, and at least some of the heat generated thereby can be used to heat the interior and / or the battery.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the coupling / decoupling unit is arranged between a rotor shaft of the rotor and a transmission, in particular a reduction transmission, of the vehicle, or between the transmission and a differential of the vehicle.

[0016] In one embodiment, this allows the transmission or a rotation of a component of the transmission to be decoupled from a rotation of the rotor shaft when the vehicle is stationary, while the rotation of the rotor shaft is slowed by the brake, thereby reducing wear on the transmission.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the thermal management system further comprises at least one temperature sensing unit configured to detect an interior temperature of the vehicle interior and / or a battery temperature, wherein the control unit is configured, when the vehicle is stationary, to cause the coupling / decoupling unit to be in the decoupling position, to cause the electric drive motor to rotate the rotor, and to cause the brake to slow the rotation of the rotor if the battery temperature is less than a predetermined battery temperature threshold and / or if the interior temperature is less than a predetermined interior temperature threshold.

[0018] In one embodiment, this makes it possible to ensure that the braking of the rotor's rotation when the vehicle is stationary is only carried out to generate heat when necessary, thereby reducing brake wear.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the coolant circuit is equipped with the coolant pump for pumping the coolant in the coolant circuit for cooling at least one further brake, in particular another multi-disc brake, of the vehicle and / or the rotor and / or the transmission, wherein the at least one further brake is equipped to brake the rotation of the at least one drive wheel and is arranged between the coupling / decoupling unit and the at least one drive wheel.

[0020] In one embodiment, this allows the braking power generated by the vehicle's brakes during a braking process to reduce its speed to be distributed between the brake and at least one other brake, thereby reducing wear on the brake and / or the at least one other brake during the braking process and increasing the overall braking power generated by the vehicle's brakes.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the thermal management system further comprises at least one multi-way valve through which the quantity of heat transfer fluid supplied to the battery and / or a quantity of heat transfer fluid supplied to the power electronics and / or a quantity of heat transfer fluid supplied to the charger and / or a quantity of heat transfer fluid supplied to the component of the vehicle's electric drive motor and / or a quantity of heat transfer fluid supplied to the heat exchanger can be adjusted, wherein the control unit is configured to actuate the at least one multi-way valve such that the heat transfer fluid is supplied to the battery when the battery temperature is lower than the specified battery temperature threshold, and / or to actuate the at least one multi-way valve such that the heat transfer fluid is supplied to the heat exchanger when the interior temperature is lower than the specified interior temperature threshold.

[0022] In one version, this allows the battery to be heated by utilizing the heat transferred to the heat transfer medium if the battery temperature falls below the (lower) battery temperature threshold required for safe operation. Additionally or alternatively, in another version, this allows the vehicle interior to be heated by utilizing the heat transferred to the heat transfer medium if the interior temperature falls below a predetermined (lower) interior temperature threshold, which can be set, for example, via the air conditioning system.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the control unit is designed to activate the brake and / or at least one other brake during a braking process of the vehicle in order to decelerate the vehicle by actuating the brake and / or at least one other brake if the battery temperature is lower than the specified battery temperature threshold and / or the interior temperature is lower than the specified interior temperature threshold.

[0024] The control unit is preferably further configured to control the coolant pump during the braking process in such a way that it pumps the coolant in the coolant circuit in order to dissipate heat from the brake and / or the at least one further brake and / or the rotor of the electric drive motor of the vehicle and / or the transmission of the vehicle in an improved manner, and to control the at least one heat transfer fluid pump in such a way that it pumps the heat transfer fluid during the braking process in order to ensure a transfer of heat from the coolant to the heat transfer fluid.

[0025] In one version, the heat generated in the brake and / or at least one other brake during the braking process can be dissipated and used to heat the battery and / or the interior.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the electric drive motor can be operated in an electric motor mode, in which the vehicle is driven or the electric drive motor is in idle mode, and in a generator mode, in which energy is recovered through recuperation and the recuperated energy is fed back into the battery, adjustable by the control unit, and the control unit is configured to actuate the brake and / or at least one other brake during the braking process of the vehicle in order to decelerate the vehicle by actuating the brake and / or at least one other brake, and to set the electric motor mode of the electric drive motor when the battery temperature is lower than the specified battery temperature threshold and / or the interior temperature is lower than the specified interior temperature threshold.

[0027] This means that, for example, in the case of a cold start of the vehicle, when the battery temperature and / or the interior temperature is low, essentially all the energy required for the braking process by the vehicle can be used to heat the battery and / or the interior.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the at least one temperature sensing unit is further configured to detect the temperature of the heat transfer medium, the control unit is configured to determine the required heat output for heating the battery and / or the interior of the vehicle, to detect the position of the vehicle's accelerator pedal, to determine a torque requirement for the electric drive motor based on the position of the accelerator pedal, to control the brake and / or the at least one other brake in such a way that it performs a braking process with a predetermined braking torque calculated based on the required heat output, and to control the electric drive motor in such a way that it generates a torque based on the torque requirement and the braking torque when the heat transfer medium temperature is less than a predetermined heat transfer medium temperature threshold.

[0029] Here, the braking torque, calculated based on the required heat output, can be determined as a function of the current rotational speed of a drive wheel of the vehicle. The calculated braking torque is then divided by the transmission ratio and added to the driver's torque demand, determined by the accelerator pedal position, to obtain the torque to be generated by the electric drive motor. If the vehicle has a brake and at least one additional brake, the calculated braking torque can be divided by the number of brakes and the result implemented in each of the brakes.For example, if one of the at least one additional brake is provided on a drive wheel on the left side of the vehicle and another of the at least one additional brake is provided on a drive wheel on the right side of the vehicle, the calculated braking torque is realized in the (one) brake and the two additional brakes in equal thirds.

[0030] Furthermore, the control unit can be specifically configured to control the electric drive motor in such a way that it generates a torque equal to the sum of the torque requirement and the braking torque when the heat transfer medium temperature is less than a predetermined heat transfer medium temperature threshold.

[0031] This allows, in one design, even if the vehicle or its speed is not slowed down, heat can be dissipated from the brake and / or at least one other brake by actively braking with this brake and / or these brakes, and used to warm the battery and / or the interior.

[0032] According to one design, the control unit is configured to determine the current braking performance of the brake and / or at least one other brake, and to adjust the flow rate of the coolant through the coolant pump depending on the current braking performance of the brake and / or at least one other brake.

[0033] In one design, for example, increasing the flow rate during increased braking performance can improve heat dissipation by the coolant and simultaneously protect the brake and / or at least one other brake from overheating.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the thermal management system further comprises an input temperature sensor, which is configured to detect an input temperature of the coolant upstream of the brake and / or the at least one further brake, and an output temperature sensor, which is configured to detect an output temperature of the coolant downstream of the brake and / or the at least one further brake, wherein the control unit is configured, when a difference between the output temperature and the input temperature exceeds a predetermined differential temperature threshold, to adjust the flow rate of the coolant by the coolant pump depending on the current braking power and a difference between the difference between the output temperature and the input temperature and the predetermined differential temperature threshold.

[0035] In one embodiment, this allows the flow rate of the coolant to be increased, in particular if the difference between the output temperature and the input temperature exceeds the specified differential temperature threshold, in order to prevent overheating of the brake and / or at least one other brake.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the thermal management system further comprises an additional heat exchanger, in particular a radiator, for discharging heat to the vehicle's environment, wherein the quantity of heat transfer fluid to the additional heat exchanger can be adjusted by means of at least one multi-way valve, and the control unit is configured to control the at least one multi-way valve in such a way that the heat transfer fluid is transferred to the additional heat exchanger when the heat transfer fluid temperature is greater than the predetermined heat transfer fluid temperature threshold, and to set the generator mode of the electric drive motor during the braking process.

[0037] In one design, for example, in a case where the battery and / or the interior do not need to be heated, the heat generated in the brake and / or at least one other brake during the braking process can be released to the environment of the vehicle via the additional heat exchanger.

[0038] Furthermore, by setting the generator mode of the electric drive motor during the braking process, it can be ensured that the brake and / or at least one other brake for the braking process does not need to be applied or only to a small extent, since the braking effect of the generator mode or the braking torque caused by the generator mode is sufficient for this purpose or is added to the braking effect of the brake and / or the at least one other brake, and thus a further increase in the heat transfer fluid temperature is largely avoided, while at the same time energy can be recovered by means of the generator mode.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the control unit is configured to actuate the brake and / or at least one other brake in order to further decelerate the vehicle by actuating the brake and / or at least one other brake if the heat transfer fluid temperature is greater than the specified heat transfer fluid temperature threshold and a braking torque required for the braking process is greater than a braking torque that can be generated by the generator mode during the braking process.

[0040] This allows the braking process to be carried out with the required braking torque in one configuration, especially when the braking torque required for the braking process cannot be generated by the generator mode or cannot be generated continuously, such as during a prolonged downhill run of the vehicle, as this would cause the electric drive motor to overheat.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the thermal management system further comprises a coolant circuit multi-way valve by which a ratio between a coolant quantity used for cooling the brake and / or at least one other brake and a coolant quantity used for cooling the rotor and / or the gearbox can be adjusted, and at least one temperature sensing device for detecting a temperature of the rotor and / or a temperature of the gearbox, wherein the control unit is configured to additionally adjust the coolant delivery rate by the coolant pump depending on the temperature of the rotor and / or the temperature of the gearbox.and to adjust the ratio between the amount of coolant used to cool the brake and / or at least one other brake and the amount of coolant used to cool the rotor and / or the gearbox, based on the temperature of the rotor and / or the temperature of the gearbox and the difference between the difference between the output temperature and the input temperature and the specified differential temperature threshold.

[0042] This allows the coolant quantities / flows used for cooling the brake and / or at least one other brake and for cooling the rotor and / or for cooling the gearbox to be individually adjusted as required in one version.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the thermal management system further comprises a coolant temperature sensor, which is configured to detect the temperature of the coolant, and at least one bypass line with at least one valve, in particular a shut-off or throttling valve, wherein the at least one bypass line is connected in parallel to the heat exchanger and / or a coolant filter, and the control unit is configured to actuate the at least one valve in order to pump at least a proportion of the coolant through the bypass line in parallel to the heat exchanger and / or in parallel to the coolant filter when the temperature of the coolant is less than a predetermined coolant temperature threshold.

[0044] In one version, this allows the hydraulic resistance of the coolant to be reduced when the coolant temperature is lower than the specified coolant temperature threshold, thus increasing the delivery rate of the coolant pump with the same energy expenditure for delivery.

[0045] According to one explanation, the thermal management system also features: a cooling circuit with an evaporator for cooling the interior of the vehicle, a condenser and a compressor for circulating another heat medium in the cooling circuit, and another heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the heat medium in the heating circuit and the other heat medium in the cooling circuit.

[0046] In this case, the cooling circuit can be formed in particular by the refrigeration circuit of the vehicle's air conditioning system, whereby heat can be transferred from the battery via the heat transfer medium and the further heat transfer medium to the further heat transfer medium in order to cool the battery if the battery temperature is greater than a predetermined upper battery threshold.

[0047] According to another aspect of the invention, a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, has a thermal management system as described above.

[0048] Further advantages and features will become apparent from the dependent claims and the exemplary embodiments. These are shown, in part schematically: Fig. 1 a vehicle with a thermal management system according to an embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 a thermal management system according to an embodiment of the invention, Fig. 3 a drive train of the vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 4 a coolant circuit of a thermal management system according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0049] Fig. 1 shows a vehicle with a thermal management system according to one embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 shows details of the in Fig. 1 thermal management system shown, Fig. 3 shows a powertrain of a vehicle according to one design and Fig. 4 shows a coolant circuit of a thermal management system according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0050] The vehicle 200, in particular an electric, hybrid or hydrogen vehicle, comprises a thermal management system 100 with a control unit 110, a brake 208, in particular a multi-disc brake, optionally at least one further brake 201, in particular a multi-disc brake for braking the vehicle 200 or for propelling it, a battery 202, power electronics 203, in particular an inverter, a charger 204 for charging the battery 202, an accelerator pedal 205, an electric drive motor 210 with a rotor 211 and a component 212, in particular a stator, a transmission 214, in particular a reduction transmission for coupling the rotor 211 with one or more drive shafts 216 of the vehicle 200 coupled to drive wheels 206 of the vehicle 200, at least one temperature sensing unit 700, an input temperature sensor 701, an output temperature sensor 702, and at least a temperature detection device 703.

[0051] The thermal management system 100 has a coolant circuit 300 with a coolant pump 301 for pumping a coolant, in particular oil, in the coolant circuit 300 for cooling and / or lubricating the brake 208 and / or the at least one further brake 201 and / or the rotor 211 of the electric drive motor 210 of the vehicle 200 and / or the transmission 214 of the vehicle 200, a filter 303, in particular an oil filter for filtering the coolant and a sump 304, in particular an oil sump, for the coolant.

[0052] Furthermore, the thermal management system 100 has a heat medium circuit 400 with at least one heat medium pump 401, 402, 403 for conveying a heat medium, in particular a water / glycol mixture, in the heat medium circuit 400 for cooling and / or heating the battery 202 and / or the power electronics 203 and / or the charger 204 and / or the component 212 of the electric drive motor 210 of the vehicle 200 and / or an interior of the vehicle 200, in particular by means of a heat exchanger 213, and a heat exchanger 600 for exchanging heat between the coolant in the coolant circuit 300 and the heat medium in the heat medium circuit 400.

[0053] In a particularly in Fig. 3The illustrated drive train of vehicle 200 includes a coupling / uncoupling unit 207, which is configured to, in a coupling position, rotate the rotor 211 of the electric drive motor 210 and rotate at least one drive wheel 206 of vehicle 200. Fig. 3 In the case shown, the two drive wheels 206 of the vehicle 200 are to be coupled and, in a decoupling position, the rotation of the rotor 211 and the rotation of at least one drive wheel 206 are to be decoupled.

[0054] The control unit 110 is designed to cause the coupling / uncoupling unit 207 to be moved into the uncoupling position or to remain in it when the vehicle 200 is stationary, for example, when the vehicle 200 is temporarily stopped at a road junction or a traffic light, i.e., to cause the coupling / uncoupling unit 207 to be in the uncoupling position while the vehicle 200 is stationary, to cause the electric drive motor 210 to rotate the rotor 211, and to cause the brake 208, which is at least designed to brake the rotation of the rotor 211, to brake the rotation of the rotor 211.

[0055] As in Fig. 3The brake 208 is illustrated here as being arranged between the coupling / decoupling unit 207 and the rotor 211 in order to be able to rotate the rotor 211 in the decoupling position without at least one drive wheel 206 being rotated at the same time.

[0056] This can be done, as in Fig. 3 As shown, in one embodiment the coupling / decoupling unit 207 may be arranged between the transmission 214 and a differential 209 of the vehicle 200, or, in an embodiment not shown, the coupling / decoupling unit 207 may be arranged between a rotor shaft 215 of the rotor 211 and the transmission 214 of the vehicle 200.

[0057] The at least one temperature sensing unit 700 is configured to detect an interior temperature of the interior of the vehicle 200 and / or a battery temperature of the battery 202, wherein the control unit 110 is configured, when the vehicle 200 is stationary, to cause the coupling / decoupling unit 207 to be in the decoupling position, to cause the electric drive motor 210 to rotate the rotor 211, and to cause the brake 208 to brake the rotation of the rotor 211 if the battery temperature is less than a predetermined battery temperature threshold and / or if the interior temperature is less than a predetermined interior temperature threshold.

[0058] The coolant circuit 300 with the coolant pump 301 is further equipped to pump the coolant 305 in the coolant circuit 300 for cooling the at least one further brake 201 and / or the rotor 211 and / or the gearbox 214, wherein the at least one further brake 201 is equipped to brake the rotation of the at least one drive wheel 206, and is arranged between the coupling / decoupling unit 207 and the at least one drive wheel 206, for example between the differential 209 and a (respective) drive shaft 216 of the at least one drive wheel 206.

[0059] The thermal management system 100 further comprises at least one multi-way valve 120, 121, 122, wherein a quantity of heat transfer medium to the battery 202 can be adjusted by a multi-way valve 121, a quantity of heat transfer medium to the power electronics 203 and / or a quantity of heat transfer medium to the charger 204 and a quantity of heat transfer medium to the component 212 of the electric drive motor 210 of the vehicle 200 can be adjusted by a multi-way valve 120, and a quantity of heat transfer medium to the heat exchanger 213 can be adjusted by a multi-way valve 122.

[0060] The control unit 110 is configured to control the multi-way valve 121 in such a way that the heat transfer medium is supplied to the battery 202 when the battery temperature is lower than the specified battery temperature threshold, and / or to control the multi-way valve 122 in such a way that the heat transfer medium is supplied to the heat exchanger 213 when the interior temperature is lower than the specified interior temperature threshold.

[0061] The control unit 110 is specifically designed to actuate the brake 208 and / or at least one further brake 201 during a braking operation of the vehicle 200, in order to decelerate the vehicle 200 by actuating the brake 201 and / or at least one further brake 201, if the battery temperature is less than the specified battery temperature threshold and / or the interior temperature is less than the specified interior temperature threshold.

[0062] The electric drive motor 210 can be operated in an electric motor mode, in which the vehicle 200 is driven or the electric drive motor 210 is idling, and in a generator mode, in which energy is recovered through recuperation and the recuperated energy is fed back into the battery 202, adjustable by the control unit 110. The control unit 110 is configured to actuate the brake 208 and / or at least one other brake 201 during the braking process of the vehicle 200 in order to decelerate the vehicle 200 by actuating the brake 208 and / or the at least one other brake 201, and to set the electric motor mode of the electric drive motor 210 if the battery temperature is lower than the specified battery temperature threshold and / or the interior temperature is lower than the specified interior temperature threshold.

[0063] The at least one temperature sensing unit 700 is further configured to detect the temperature of the heat transfer medium, wherein the control unit 110 is configured to determine the required heat output for heating the battery 202 and / or the interior of the vehicle 200, to detect the position of the accelerator pedal 205 of the vehicle 200, to determine a torque requirement for the electric drive motor 210 based on the position of the accelerator pedal 205, to actuate the brake 208 and / or the at least one further brake 201 in such a way that it performs a braking operation with a predetermined braking torque calculated on the basis of the required heat output, and to actuate the electric drive motor 210 in such a way that it generates a torque which is based on the torque requirement and the braking torque when the heat transfer medium temperature is less than a predetermined heat transfer medium temperature threshold.

[0064] Here, the braking torque, calculated based on the required heat output, can be determined as a function of the current rotational speed of each drive wheel 206 of the vehicle 200. The calculated braking torque is then divided by the gear ratio of the transmission 214 and added to the torque demand of the driver, determined by the position of the accelerator pedal 205, to obtain the torque to be generated by the electric drive motor 210. If the vehicle 200 has the brake 208 and several of at least one additional brake 201, the calculated braking torque can be divided by the sum of the number of brake(s) 208 and the number of additional brakes 201, and the result can be implemented in each of the brakes 201, 208.For example, if one of the at least one additional brake 201 is provided on a drive wheel 206 on the left side of the vehicle 200 and another of the at least one additional brake 201 is provided on a drive wheel 206 on the right side of the vehicle 200, the calculated braking torque is realized in the (one) brake 208 and the two additional brakes 201 to each third.

[0065] The control unit 110 is specifically designed to determine the current (total) braking performance of the brake 208 and / or at least one other brake 201, and to adjust the flow rate of the coolant 305 through the coolant pump 301 depending on the current (total) braking performance of the brake 208 and / or at least one other brake 201.

[0066] The input temperature sensor 701 is configured to detect the coolant input temperature upstream of brake 208 and / or the other brake 201, and the output temperature sensor 702 is configured to detect the coolant output temperature downstream of brake 208 and / or at least one other brake 201. The control unit 110 is configured, when the difference between the output temperature and the input temperature exceeds a predetermined differential temperature threshold, to adjust the coolant delivery rate by the coolant pump 301 depending on the current braking force and the difference between the output temperature and the input temperature and the predetermined differential temperature threshold.

[0067] The thermal management system 100 further comprises an additional heat exchanger 405, in particular a radiator, for dissipating heat to the vehicle's environment 200, wherein the quantity of heat transfer fluid supplied to the additional heat exchanger 405 can be adjusted by means of the multi-way valve 123. The control unit 110 is configured to actuate the multi-way valve 123 such that the heat transfer fluid is supplied to the additional heat exchanger 405 when the heat transfer fluid temperature exceeds the predetermined heat transfer fluid temperature threshold, and to activate the generator mode of the electric drive motor 210 during braking.

[0068] The control unit 110 is specifically designed to control the brake 208 and / or at least one further brake 201 in order to additionally decelerate the vehicle 200 by actuating the brake 208 and / or at least one further brake 201 if the heat medium temperature is greater than the specified heat medium temperature threshold and a braking torque required for the braking process is greater than a braking torque that can be generated by the generator mode during the braking process or a braking torque which, if continuously generated by the generator mode, would lead to overheating of the electric drive motor 210.

[0069] The thermal management system 100, in particular the coolant circuit 300, further comprises a coolant temperature sensor 701, 702, which is configured to detect a temperature of the coolant 305, and at least one bypass line 308 with at least one valve 307, in particular a shut-off or throttle valve, wherein the at least one bypass line 308 runs parallel to the heat exchanger 600 (not shown) and / or a coolant filter 303 (in Fig. 4 illustrated), in particular oil filter, is switched, and the control unit 110 is configured to actuate at least one valve 307 to convey at least a proportion of the coolant 305 in parallel to the heat exchanger 600 and / or in parallel to the coolant filter 303 through the bypass line 308 when the temperature of the coolant 305 is less than a predetermined coolant temperature threshold.

[0070] The thermal management system 100 further comprises a coolant circuit multi-way valve 302, by which a ratio between a coolant quantity used for cooling the brake 208 and / or the further brake 201 and a coolant quantity used for cooling the rotor 211 and / or the gearbox 214 can be adjusted, wherein the at least one temperature sensing device 703 is configured to detect a temperature of the rotor 211 and / or a temperature of the gearbox 214.

[0071] The control unit 110 is configured to adjust the flow rate of the coolant 305 through the coolant pump 301 additionally depending on the temperature of the rotor 211 and / or the temperature of the gearbox 214, and to adjust the ratio between the amount of coolant used to cool the brake 208 and / or at least one further brake 201 and the amount of coolant used to cool the rotor 211 and / or the gearbox 214 based on the temperature of the rotor 211 and / or the temperature of the gearbox 214 and the difference between the difference between the output temperature and the input temperature and the specified differential temperature threshold.

[0072] The thermal management system 100 further comprises a cooling circuit 800, in particular an air conditioning system of the vehicle 200, with an evaporator 801 for cooling the interior of the vehicle 200, condensers 802A, 802B, expansion valves 805, 806 and 807, and a compressor 803 for supplying a further heat medium in the cooling circuit 800, and a further heat exchanger 900 for exchanging heat between the heat medium in the heat medium circuit 400 and the further heat medium in the cooling circuit 800.

[0073] This can be done, as in Fig. 2 This illustrates that the heat medium of the heat medium circuit 400 is also conveyed to the condenser 802A by the heat medium pump 403. Reference symbol list

[0074] 100 Thermal management system 110 Control unit 120, 121, 122 Multi-way valve 200 Vehicle 201 Additional brake 202 Battery 203 Power electronics 204 Charger 205 Accelerator pedal 206 Drive wheel 207 Coupling / decoupling unit 208 Brake 209 Differential 210 Electric drive motor 211 Electric drive motor rotor 212 Electric drive motor component 213 Heat exchanger 214 Gearbox 215 Rotor shaft 216 Drive shaft 300 Coolant circuit 301 Coolant pump 302 Coolant circuit multi-way valve 303 Coolant filter 304 Coolant sump 305 Coolant 306 Suction line 307 Valve 308 Bypass line 400 Heater circuit 401, 402, 403 Heat pump 405 Additional heat exchanger 600 Heat transfer unit 700 Temperature sensing unit 701 Inlet temperature sensor 702 Outlet temperature sensor 703 Temperature sensing device 800 Cooling circuit 801 Evaporator 802A, 802B Condenser 803 Compressor 804, 805, 806, 807 Expansion valve 900 Additional heat exchanger

Claims

1. Thermal management system (100) for a vehicle (200), comprising a coolant circuit (300) with a coolant pump (301) for conveying a coolant (305) in the coolant circuit (300) for cooling a brake (208), in particular multi-disc brake, of the vehicle (200), and further comprising a heating medium circuit (400) having at least one heating medium pump (401, 402, 403) for conveying a heating medium in the heating medium circuit (400) for cooling and / or heating a component (212), in particular a stator, of an electric drive motor (210) of the vehicle (200), characterized by: a heat exchanger (600) for the exchange of heat between the coolant (305) in the coolant circuit (300) and the heating medium in the heating medium circuit (400), a coupling / decoupling unit (207) which is designed, in a coupling position, to couple a rotation of a rotor (211) of the electric drive motor (210) and a rotation of at least one drive wheel (206) of the vehicle (200) and, in a decoupling position, to decouple the rotation of the rotor (211) and the rotation of the at least one drive wheel (206), and a controller (110) which is designed to cause the coupling / decoupling unit (207) to be in the decoupling position when the vehicle (200) is at a standstill, to cause the electric drive motor (210) to rotate the rotor (211), and to cause the brake (208) to brake the rotation of the rotor (211).

2. Thermal management system (100) according to Claim 1, wherein the brake (208) is arranged between the coupling / decoupling unit (207) and the rotor (211).

3. Thermal management system (100) according to either of the preceding claims, in which the coupling / decoupling unit (207) is arranged between a rotor shaft (215) of the rotor (211) and a gearbox (214), in particular reduction gear, of the vehicle (200), or between the gearbox (214) and a differential (209) of the vehicle (200).

4. Thermal management system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one temperature sensing unit (700) which is designed to detect an interior temperature of an interior of the vehicle (200) and / or a battery temperature of the battery (202), wherein the controller (110) is designed to cause the coupling / decoupling unit (207) to be in the decoupling position when the vehicle (200) is at a standstill, to cause the electric drive motor (210) to rotate the rotor (211), and to cause the brake (208) to brake the rotation of the rotor (211), if the battery temperature is lower than a specified battery temperature threshold and / or if the interior temperature is lower than a specified interior temperature threshold.

5. Thermal management system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the coolant circuit (300) is designed, with the coolant pump (301) for conveying the coolant (305) in the coolant circuit (300), for cooling at least one further brake (201), in particular further multi-disc brake, of the vehicle (200) and / or the rotor (211) and / or the gearbox (214), wherein the at least one further brake (201) is designed to brake the rotation of the at least one drive wheel (206), and is arranged between the coupling / decoupling unit (207) and the at least one drive wheel (206).

6. Thermal management system (100) according to Claim 4 and one of Claims 1 to 3 or 5, further comprising at least one multi-way valve (120, 121, 122), by which a quantity of heating medium conveyed to the battery (202) and / or a quantity of heating medium conveyed to the electronic power system (203) and / or a quantity of heating medium conveyed to the charger (204) and / or a quantity of heating medium conveyed to the component (212) of the electric drive motor (210) of the vehicle (200) and / or a quantity of heating medium conveyed to the heat exchanger (213) are / is adjustable, and the controller (110) is designed to actuate the at least one multi-way valve (121) in such a way that the heating medium is conveyed to the battery (202) if the battery temperature is lower than the specified battery temperature threshold, and / or to actuate the at least one multi-way valve (122) in such a way that the heating medium is conveyed to the heat exchanger (213) if the interior temperature is lower than the specified interior temperature threshold.

7. Thermal management system (100) according to Claim 6, in which the controller (110) is designed to actuate the brake (208) and / or the at least one further brake (201) during a braking operation of the vehicle (200) in order to brake the vehicle (200) by activating the brake (201) and / or the at least one further brake (201), if the battery temperature is lower than the specified battery temperature threshold and / or the interior temperature is lower than the specified interior temperature threshold.

8. Thermal management system (100) according to Claim 7, in which the electric drive motor (210) is operable in an electric motor mode and in a generator mode, adjustable by the controller (110), and the controller (110) is designed to actuate the brake (208) and / or the at least one further brake (201) during the braking operation of the vehicle (200) in order to brake the vehicle (200) by activating the brake (208) and / or the at least one further brake (201), and to set the electric motor mode of the electric drive motor (210) if the battery temperature is lower than the specified battery temperature threshold and / or the interior temperature is lower than the specified interior temperature threshold.

9. Thermal management system (100) according to Claim 8, in which the at least one temperature sensing unit (700) is further designed to sense a heating medium temperature of the heating medium, the controller (110) is designed to determine a required heat output for heating the battery (202) and / or the interior of the vehicle (200), to sense a position of an accelerator pedal (205) of the vehicle (200), to determine a torque requirement for the electric drive motor (210) based on the position of the accelerator pedal (205), to actuate the brake (208) and / or the at least one further brake (201) in such a way that it / they performs / perform a braking operation with a specified braking torque calculated on the basis of the required heat output, and to actuate the electric drive motor (210) in such a way that it generates a torque based on the torque requirement and the braking torque if the heating medium temperature is lower than a specified heating medium temperature threshold.

10. Thermal management system (100) according to Claim 9, in which the controller (110) is designed to determine a current braking power of the brake (208) and / or of the at least one further brake (201), and to set a flow rate of the coolant (305) through the coolant pump (301) in a manner dependent on the current braking power of the brake (208) and / or the at least one further brake (201).

11. Thermal management system (100) according to Claim 10, further comprising a further heat exchanger (405) for dissipating heat to a surrounding area of the vehicle (200), wherein a quantity of heating medium conveyed to the further heat exchanger (405) can be set by means of the at least one multi-way valve (123), and the controller (110) is designed to actuate the at least one multi-way valve (123) if the heating medium temperature is greater than the specified heating medium temperature threshold, in such a way that the heating medium is conveyed to the further heat exchanger (405), and to set the generator mode of the electric drive motor (210) during the braking operation.

12. Thermal management system (100) according to Claim 11, in which the controller (110) is designed to actuate the brake (208) and / or the at least one further brake (201) in order to additionally brake the vehicle (200) by activating the brake (208) and / or the at least one further brake (201), if the heating medium temperature is greater than the specified heating medium temperature threshold and a braking torque required for the braking operation is greater than a braking torque which can be generated by the generator mode during the braking operation.

13. Thermal management system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a coolant temperature sensor (701, 702) which is designed to sense a temperature of the coolant (305), and at least one bypass line (308) with at least one valve (307), in particular shut-off or throttle valve, wherein the at least one bypass line (308) is connected in parallel to the heat exchanger (600) and / or a coolant filter (303), and the controller (110) is designed to actuate the at least one valve (307) in order to convey at least a portion of the coolant (305) parallel to the heat exchanger (600) and / or parallel to the coolant filter (303) through the bypass line (308) if the temperature of the coolant (305) is lower than a specified coolant temperature threshold.

14. Thermal management system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the heating medium circuit (400) is arranged with the at least one heating medium pump (401, 402, 403) for conveying the heating medium in the heating medium circuit (400) for cooling and / or heating a battery (202) and / or an electronic power system (203) and / or a charger (204) and / or for heating an interior of the vehicle (200), in particular by a heat exchanger (213), and / or the thermal management system (100) further comprises: a cooling circuit (800) comprising an evaporator (801) for cooling the interior of the vehicle (200), a condenser (802A, 802B) and a compressor (803) for conveying a further heating medium in the cooling circuit (800), and a further heat exchanger (900) for the exchange of heat between the heating medium in the heating medium circuit (400) and the further heating medium in the cooling circuit (800).

15. Vehicle (200), in particular motor vehicle, comprising a thermal management system (100) according to one of the preceding claims.