Thermal system for a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a thermal system (1) for a motor vehicle (100), comprising a first assembly (10) comprising components among which - an electric motor (11), - a battery (12), - a thermal resistor (14), - a cooler (13) connected to an air-conditioning circuit of a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle, - a radiator (15), and further comprising a second assembly (20) comprising ducts for a heat-transfer fluid, connecting the components of the first assembly, and a third assembly (30) comprising at least one solenoid valve, and in particular at most three solenoid valves, connected to ducts of the second assembly (20), and, when the solenoid valve or solenoid valves of the third assembly are all in the rest state, the thermal system (1) implements a first circulation (101) of heat-transfer fluid via said ducts in a first series circuit interconnecting the components of the first assembly (10).

Description

[0001] TITLE: Thermal system for motor vehicle.

[0002] The invention relates to a thermal system for a motor vehicle. The invention also relates to a method for thermal management of a motor vehicle. The invention further relates to a motor vehicle equipped with a thermal system.

[0003] To minimize the energy consumption of motor vehicles, particularly electric motor vehicles, cooling circuits are designed to recover the heat generated by one element of the circuit to heat another element of the circuit. More generally, a cooling circuit must allow different circulations of the coolant so as to adapt to different operating conditions of the vehicle, for example different heating needs of the passenger compartment, while minimizing the energy consumption of the vehicle. In addition, a cooling circuit must be designed to facilitate its maintenance, i.e., the periodic replacement of the coolant.

[0004] However, the implementation of such cooling circuits can be complex, and require the use of numerous controllable components, including numerous pumps and solenoid valves, which increases the cost and complexity of developing the cooling system.

[0005] The aim of the invention is to provide a thermal system which overcomes the above drawbacks and improves the known systems of the prior art. In particular, the invention makes it possible to produce a thermal system which is reliable and efficient, which minimizes the number of controllable components and which makes it possible to simplify the maintenance of the cooling circuit. To this end, the invention relates to a thermal system for a motor vehicle comprising a first assembly comprising components among which

[0006] - an electric motor,

[0007] - a battery,

[0008] - thermal resistance,

[0009] - a cooler connected to an air conditioning circuit in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle,

[0010] - a radiator, the thermal system further comprising a second assembly comprising conduits for a heat transfer fluid, connecting the components of the first assembly, and a third assembly comprising at least one solenoid valve, and in particular at most three solenoid valves, connected to conduits of the second assembly, and, when the solenoid valve(s) of the third assembly are all in the rest state, the thermal system implementing a first circulation of heat transfer fluid through said conduits in a first series circuit connecting the components of the first assembly together.

[0011] In one embodiment, the thermal system is capable of implementing by actuation of the solenoid valve(s):

[0012] - a second circulation of heat transfer fluid through said conduits moving, on the one hand, between the radiator and the electric motor, and, on the other hand, between the electric resistance or the cooler and the battery, and / or

[0013] - a third circulation of heat transfer fluid through said conduits moving between the electric motor and the battery, and / or

[0014] - a fourth circulation of heat transfer fluid through said conduits moving, on the one hand, between the electric motor and the battery, and, on the other hand, between the electrical resistance and the battery, and / or

[0015] - a fifth circulation of heat transfer fluid through said conduits moving in a loop near the electric motor without passing through the cooler or the battery, and / or

[0016] - a sixth circulation of heat transfer fluid through said conduits moving between the electric motor and the cooler without passing through the battery.

[0017] In one embodiment, the third set is made up

[0018] - a single solenoid valve with at least seven ways, or

[0019] - two solenoid valves, including a four-way solenoid valve and at least one three-way solenoid valve, or

[0020] - three solenoid valves with at least three ways.

[0021] In one embodiment, the thermal system comprises a single degassing jar, and / or the degassing jar is a circulating type jar, and / or the degassing jar and the radiator are arranged on parallel circuit portions by said conduits, and / or an altitude of the degassing jar is greater than an altitude of each component of the first assembly.

[0022] The invention further relates to a method for thermal management of a motor vehicle equipped with a thermal system according to the invention, comprising:

[0023] - a first stage of maintenance of the thermal system, and / or

[0024] - a second step of cooling the electric motor by the radiator further comprising cooling and / or heating of the battery by the cooler and / or by the electrical resistance, the second step comprising an implementation of the second circulation, and / or

[0025] - a third step of heating the battery by recovering heat released by the electric motor, further comprising heating, by the thermal resistance, of a heat transfer fluid circulating upstream of the cooler, the third step comprising an implementation of the third circulation, and / or

[0026] - a fourth step of heating the battery by recovering heat released by the electric motor and by the thermal resistance, further comprising heating, by the thermal resistance, of a heat transfer fluid circulating upstream of the cooler, the fourth step comprising an implementation of the fourth circulation, and / or

[0027] - a fifth step of recovering heat released by the electric motor to exclusively heat the electric motor, further comprising heating, by the thermal resistance, of a heat transfer fluid circulating upstream of the cooler, the fifth step comprising an implementation of the fifth circulation, and / or

[0028] - a sixth stage of recovering heat released by the electric motor to heat a heat transfer fluid circulating upstream of the cooler, the sixth stage comprising an implementation of the sixth circulation.

[0029] In one embodiment, the first stage of maintenance of the thermal system comprises:

[0030] - a sub-step of implementing the first circulation, then

[0031] - a sub-step of draining a heat transfer fluid circulating in the set of conduits of the thermal system, then

[0032] - a sub-step of filling all the conduits of the thermal system with a new heat transfer fluid, then

[0033] - a sub-step of evacuating gas bubbles contained in the set of conduits of the thermal system.

[0034] The invention also relates to a thermal management system comprising hardware and / or software elements implementing the method according to the invention, in particular hardware and / or software elements designed to implement a method according to the invention, and / or the device comprising means for implementing the method according to the invention.

[0035] The invention further relates to a motor vehicle equipped with a thermal system according to the invention. Figure 1 schematically represents a motor vehicle equipped with a thermal system according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0036] Figure 2 represents an implementation of a first circulation of heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to a first embodiment of the invention.

[0037] Figure 3 represents an implementation of a second circulation of heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the first embodiment of the invention.

[0038] Figure 4 represents an implementation of a third circulation of heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the first embodiment of the invention.

[0039] Figure 5 represents an implementation of a fourth circulation of heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the first embodiment of the invention.

[0040] Figure 6 represents an implementation of a fifth circulation of heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the first embodiment of the invention.

[0041] Figure 7 represents an implementation of a sixth circulation of heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the first embodiment of the invention.

[0042] Figure 8 represents an operating diagram of a four-way valve of a thermal system according to a second embodiment of the invention.

[0043] Figure 9 represents an implementation of the first circulation of heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the second embodiment of the invention.

[0044] Figure 10 represents an implementation of the second circulation of heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the second embodiment of the invention.

[0045] Figure 11 represents an implementation of the third circulation of heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the second embodiment of the invention. Figure 12 represents an implementation of the fourth circulation of heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the second embodiment of the invention.

[0046] Figure 13 represents an implementation of the first circulation of heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to a third embodiment of the invention.

[0047] Figure 14 represents an implementation of the second circulation of heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the third embodiment of the invention.

[0048] Figure 15 represents an implementation of the third circulation of heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the third embodiment of the invention.

[0049] Figure 16 represents an implementation of the fourth circulation of heat transfer fluid in a thermal system according to the third embodiment of the invention.

[0050] Figure 17 is a flowchart of a thermal management method according to the invention.

[0051] Three embodiments of a motor vehicle 100 according to the invention are described below with reference to Figures 1 to 17. The motor vehicle 100 is a motor vehicle of any type, in particular a passenger vehicle or a utility vehicle.

[0052] In an embodiment more specifically described in this document, the motor vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle, and comprises a first assembly 10 comprising components including an electric motor 11, a battery 12, a cooler 13 connected to an air conditioning system of a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle 100, a thermal resistor 14, and a radiator 15. In the remainder of the document, the term “cooler 13” designates a cooler connected to an air conditioning system of a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle 100.

[0053] In the remainder of the document, the term “motor 11” is used to designate the electric motor itself, as well as various components associated with the motor, and located close to the motor, such as for example current converters and a charger. In other words, the term “motor 11” encompasses a set of components dedicated to the operation of the motor 11, in particular the electric traction chain comprising one or more electric motors and inverters and / or one or more converters and / or one or more chargers.

[0054] In the remainder of the document, a thermal system 1 is defined comprising the first assembly 10. The thermal system 1 takes charge of the thermal management of the engine 11, the battery 12, the cooler 13 (in particular by a heat exchange at the level of the radiator 15) and the heating resistor 14.

[0055] The thermal system 1 further comprises a second assembly 20 comprising conduits and a third assembly 30 comprising at most three solenoid valves 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37 connected to conduits of the second assembly 20. The valves of the third assembly 30 are arranged so that, when they are all in the rest state, the thermal system 1 implements a first circulation 101 of heat transfer fluid in a first series circuit connecting the components of the first assembly 10 together.

[0056] The radiator 15 is a cooling radiator of the vehicle. Air passing through the radiator 15 makes it possible to cool the heat transfer fluid circulating in the conduits of the second assembly 20. In the embodiments presented below, the thermal system further comprises a first pump 41 and a second pump 42 making it possible to generate a circulation of heat transfer fluid in the conduits of the second assembly 20.

[0057] The third set 30 of at most three solenoid valves is made up

[0058] - either a single solenoid valve 31 with at least seven ways, thus defining a first embodiment of the thermal system 1,

[0059] - either two solenoid valves 32, 33, including a four-way solenoid valve 32 and a solenoid valve 33 with at least three ways, thus defining a second embodiment of the thermal system 1,

[0060] - or three solenoid valves 35, 36, 37 with at least three ways, thus defining a third embodiment of the thermal system 1.

[0061] A thermal system 1 according to the first, second or third embodiment is also capable of implementing

[0062] - a second circulation 102 of heat transfer fluid moving, on the one hand, between the radiator 15 and the electric motor 11, and, on the other hand, between the electric resistance 14 or a cooler 13 and the battery 12, and / or

[0063] - a third circulation 103 of heat transfer fluid moving between the electric motor 11 and the battery 12, and / or

[0064] - a fourth circulation 104 of heat transfer fluid moving, on the one hand, between the electric motor 11 and the battery 12, and, on the other hand, between the electric resistance 14 and the battery 12, and / or

[0065] - a fifth circulation 105 of heat transfer fluid moving in a loop through the electric motor 11 without passing through the cooler 13 or the battery 12, and / or

[0066] - a sixth circulation 106 of heat transfer fluid moving between the electric motor 11 and the cooler 13 without passing through the battery 12.

[0067] With reference to figures 2 to 7, a thermal system 1 is first described according to the first embodiment, making it possible to alternately implement the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth circulations 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106.

[0068] An implementation of the first circulation 101 according to the first embodiment of the thermal system 1 is illustrated by FIG. 2. The first circulation 101, which creates a series circuit of conduits connecting all the components 30, is more particularly suitable for filling the thermal circuit 1 in the factory, as well as for a maintenance phase of the thermal circuit 1.

[0069] In the first embodiment, the first circulation 101 is advantageously obtained when the solenoid valve 31 (with at least 7 ways 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317) is at rest, that is to say when the solenoid valve does not receive an activation order. In this case,

[0070] - channels 311 and 312 are connected to each other, creating a circuit connecting in series the battery 12 to the assembly constituted by the heating resistor 14 in series with the cooler 13,

[0071] - tracks 313 and 316 are connected to each other, creating a series circuit connecting battery 12 to motor 11,

[0072] - tracks 315 and 314 are connected to each other, creating a series circuit connecting between the engine 11 and the radiator 15.

[0073] Thus, this configuration of the solenoid valve 31 makes it possible to drain and fill the conduits of the second assembly 50, without having to activate the solenoid valve 31. Then, by simply setting the speed of the water pumps arranged on the circuit, the first circulation 101 can be used to expel all the air bubbles blocked in the circuit. These treatments will be developed further in the document.

[0074] Figure 3 illustrates an implementation of the second circulation 102, according to the first embodiment of the thermal system 1. An implementation of the second circulation 102 represents a main operating mode of the thermal system 1, this operating mode being able to be used in different phases of use of the motor vehicle 100 (driving, charging, etc.).

[0075] The second circulation 102 comprises a first circulation loop

[0076] 1021 of heat transfer fluid, allowing the temperature of the battery 12 to be managed. The battery 12 can be cooled or heated by the cooler 13 and / or heated by the heating resistor 14. If the battery needs neither cooling nor heating, a flow of water can pass through the battery 12 to avoid the appearance of hot spots in it. For this purpose, the solenoid valve 31 is configured as follows,

[0077] - the paths 311 and 312 are connected to each other, creating a series circuit connecting the assembly constituted by the heating resistor 14 in series with the cooler 13 to the battery 12, and

[0078] - the paths 313 and 317 are connected to each other, creating a circuit connecting the battery 12 to a first water pump 41 located upstream of the assembly constituted by the heating resistor 14 in series with the cooler 13.

[0079] The second circulation 102 further comprises a second loop

[0080] 1022 for circulation of heat transfer fluid, allowing cooling of the components of the electric traction chain, i.e. the motor 11, by the radiator 15. For this purpose, the solenoid valve 31 is further configured as follows: the paths 314 and 315 are connected to each other, creating a circuit connecting the motor 11 to the radiator 15.

[0081] Figure 4 illustrates an implementation of the third circulation 103, according to the first embodiment of the thermal system 1.

[0082] The third circulation 103 allows implementation of a first energy recovery mode comprising two circulation loops 1031, 1032. In the first circulation loop 1031, the heat from the engine 11 is transmitted to the battery 12 to increase its temperature. In addition, in the second loop 1032, the thermal resistance can be used to support the operation of the air conditioning, when the outside temperature is low, and when the heat pump is used in heat pump mode for passenger compartment thermal needs.

[0083] In other words, in the case of low temperatures, in particular below 0°, the third circulation makes it possible to increase the autonomy of the motor vehicle 100. Indeed, thanks to a first loop 1031, the heating of the battery 12 by the motor 11 makes it possible to increase the energy that can be extracted from the battery without using the heating resistor 14. In addition, thanks to a second loop 1032, the heat supplied by the thermal resistor 14 makes it possible to quickly bring the air conditioning (operating in heat pump mode) to a temperature promoting its energy efficiency, in particular by a transfer of calories through the cooler 13 then operating as a heater of the refrigerant circulating in the air conditioning circuit.

[0084] For this purpose, the solenoid valve 31 is configured as follows,

[0085] - the first loop 1031 containing the battery 12 and the motor 11 is made by connecting the tracks 312 and 315 on the one hand, and the tracks 313 and 316 on the other hand, and

[0086] - channels 311 and 317 are connected to each other, to create the second loop 1032, that is to say a circuit connecting the heating resistor 14 in series with the cooler 13.

[0087] Figure 5 illustrates an implementation of the fourth circulation 104, according to the first embodiment of the thermal system 1.

[0088] The fourth circulation 104 allows implementation of a second energy recovery mode. In this energy recovery mode, the battery 12 receives the heat generated by the motor 11 and can also receive part of the heat released by the thermal resistance 14. The heat released by the thermal resistance 14 is also used to support the operation of the air conditioning (operating in heat pump mode). The fourth circulation 104 is particularly advantageous when the outside temperature is low, in particular below 10°C.

[0089] Heating the battery 12 by the motor 11 makes it possible to increase the energy that can be extracted from the battery without using the heating resistor 14. In addition, the heat provided by the thermal resistor 14 makes it possible to quickly bring the air conditioning (operating in heat pump mode) to a temperature that promotes its energy efficiency.

[0090] For this purpose, the solenoid valve 31 is configured as follows,

[0091] - the channels 311 and 312 are connected to each other, thus directing a heat transfer fluid heated by the heating resistor 14 to the battery 12,

[0092] - the lines 315 and 312 connected together, thus directing a heat transfer fluid heated by the engine 11 towards the battery 12, and

[0093] - channel 313 is connected to channels 316 and 317 for the return of the heat transfer fluid to, on the one hand, the motor 11 and, on the other hand, the heating resistor 14.

[0094] Figure 6 illustrates an implementation of the fifth circulation 105, according to the first embodiment of the thermal system 1. The fifth circulation 105 is particularly interesting when the outside temperature is extremely low, for example when the outside temperature is below 0°, for example of the order of -20°C.

[0095] In a first circulation loop of the heat transfer fluid, the fifth circulation 105 makes it possible to use the calories generated by the operation of the engine 11 exclusively for heating the engine 11. The calories produced by the operation of the engine 11 are not evacuated to any other component, in particular the calories produced by the engine are not directed to the air conditioning circuit via the exchanger 13. The first loop allows the engine oil to rise in temperature in extreme cold conditions, which improves the operation of the engine.

[0096] In addition, the fifth circulation 105 allows the implementation of a second closed loop for circulation of the heat transfer fluid, comprising the thermal resistance 14 in series with the cooler 13, the calories produced by the activation of the thermal resistance 14 constituting a heat source intended to supply the air conditioning circuit.

[0097] Thus, the fifth circulation 105 creates two cooling fluid circulation loops isolated from each other, on the one hand in the electric motor 11 and on the other hand in the exchanger 13, without passing through the battery 12 which is in a nominal operating state.

[0098] For this purpose, the solenoid valve 31 is configured as follows:

[0099] - to create the first closed loop of circulation of the heat transfer fluid in the engine 11, the lines 315 and 316 are connected to each other,

[0100] - to create the second closed loop for circulation of the heat transfer fluid in the thermal resistance 14 in series with the exchanger 13, the channels 311 and 317 are connected to each other, and

[0101] - to prevent circulation of the heat transfer fluid in the battery, lines 312 and 313 are connected to each other.

[0102] Figure 7 illustrates an implementation of the sixth circulation 106, according to the first embodiment of the thermal system 1. The sixth circulation 106 is particularly interesting when the cold outside temperature is between 0°C and 10°C.

[0103] The sixth circulation 106 creates a circulation loop of the heat transfer fluid connecting in series the electric motor 11, the resistor 14 in series with the exchanger 13 which functions as a heater of the air conditioning circuit. Advantageously, the thermal resistor 14 can be deactivated, so that the passenger compartment of the vehicle is heated only by the calories produced by the engine 11. In addition, the battery is in thermal self-management mode due to its operation at nominal temperature. As a result, the battery 12 is isolated from the circulation loop connecting the electric motor 11, the resistor 14 and the exchanger 13. In other words, there is no heat exchange between the battery 12 and the coolant circulating through the engine 11 and the exchanger 13.

[0104] For this purpose, the solenoid valve 31 is configured as follows:

[0105] - to create the closed loop for circulation of the heat transfer fluid in the engine 11, the resistor 14 and the exchanger 13, the channel 311 is connected to the channel 316, and the channel 315 is connected to the channel 317, and

[0106] - to prevent circulation of the heat transfer fluid in the battery, lines 312 and 313 are connected to each other.

[0107] With reference to figures 8 to 12, a thermal system 1 is then described according to the second embodiment, making it possible to alternately implement the first, second, third and fourth circulations 101, 102, 103, 104.

[0108] In the second embodiment of the thermal system 1, the set of solenoid valves 3 consists of two solenoid valves 32, 33 including at least one four-way solenoid valve 32 and at least one three-way solenoid valve 33.

[0109] Figure 8 represents an operating diagram of the four-way solenoid valve 32 of a thermal system according to the second embodiment of the invention, in which:

[0110] - a first track 321 is connected by a conduit to battery 12,

[0111] - a second channel 322 is connected to the first pump 41,

[0112] - a third channel 323 is connected to the cooler 13, and

[0113] - a fourth channel 324 is connected to the second pump 42. In addition, figure 8 describes three configurations 325, 326, 327 implemented by the four-way solenoid valve 32, each configuration being obtained by connecting at least two channels taken from the four channels 321, 322, 323, 324 of the solenoid valve 32:

[0114] - the first configuration 325 connects the battery 12 to the first pump 41,

[0115] - the second configuration 326 connects the cooler 13 to the first pump 41 and the battery to the second pump 42,

[0116] - the third configuration 327 connects the battery 12 to the second pump 42.

[0117] A solenoid valve with at least three ways 33 and the three configurations 325, 326, 327 described for the solenoid valve 32 make it possible to implement the first, second, third and fourth circulations 101, 102, 103, 104.

[0118] An implementation of the first circulation 101 by a thermal system according to the second embodiment (i.e. with the solenoid valves 32 and 33) is illustrated by figure 9.

[0119] In the second embodiment, the first circulation 101 is advantageously obtained when

[0120] - the solenoid valve 32 is in the third configuration 327, that is to say the solenoid valve 32 connects the battery 12 to the second pump 42, and

[0121] - solenoid valve 33 connects engine 11 to the radiator.

[0122] Thus, all components of the component set 10 are connected together in series.

[0123] An implementation of the second circulation 102 by a thermal system 1 according to the second embodiment is illustrated by FIG. 10. The second circulation 102 is advantageously obtained when

[0124] - the solenoid valve 32 is in the first configuration 325, that is to say the solenoid valve 32 connects the battery 12 to the first pump 41, and - the solenoid valve 33 connects the engine 11 to the radiator.

[0125] An implementation of the third circulation 103 by a thermal system 1 according to the second embodiment is illustrated by FIG. 11. The third circulation 103 is advantageously obtained when

[0126] - the solenoid valve 32 is in the second configuration 326, that is to say the solenoid valve 32 connects the cooler 13 to the first pump 41 and the battery to the second pump 42, and

[0127] - solenoid valve 33 connects motor 11 to battery 12.

[0128] An implementation of the fourth circulation 104 by a thermal system 1 according to the second embodiment is illustrated by FIG. 12. The fourth circulation 104 is advantageously obtained when

[0129] - the solenoid valve 32 is in the third configuration 327, that is to say the solenoid valve 32 connects the battery 12 to the second pump 42, and

[0130] - solenoid valve 33 connects motor 11 to battery 12.

[0131] With reference to figures 13 to 16, a thermal system 1 is then described according to the third embodiment, making it possible to alternately implement the first, second, third and fourth circulations 101, 102, 103, 104.

[0132] In the third embodiment of the thermal system 1, the set of solenoid valves 3 consists of three solenoid valves 35, 36, 37 with at least three ways.

[0133] An implementation of the first circulation 101 by a thermal system 1 according to the third embodiment is illustrated by FIG. 13. In the third embodiment, the first circulation 101 is advantageously obtained when - the solenoid valve 35 connects the battery 12 to the second pump 42, and

[0134] - solenoid valve 36 connects engine 11 to the radiator.

[0135] An implementation of the second circulation 102 by a thermal system 1 according to the third embodiment is illustrated by the figure

[0136] 14. In the third embodiment, the second circulation 102 is advantageously obtained when

[0137] - the solenoid valve 35 connects the battery 12 to the first pump 41, and

[0138] - solenoid valve 36 connects engine 11 to the radiator,

[0139] - solenoid valve 37 connects the battery in series with the heating resistor and the air conditioning.

[0140] An implementation of the third circulation 103 by a thermal system 1 according to the third embodiment is illustrated by the figure

[0141] 15. The third circulation 103 is advantageously obtained when

[0142] - the solenoid valve 35 connects the battery to the second pump 42,

[0143] - solenoid valve 37 connects cooler 13, and

[0144] - solenoid valve 36 connects motor 11 to battery 12.

[0145] An implementation of the fourth circulation 104 by a thermal system 1 according to the third embodiment is illustrated by the figure

[0146] 16. The fourth circulation 104 is advantageously obtained when

[0147] - the solenoid valve 35 connects the battery 12 to the second pump 42, and

[0148] - solenoid valve 36 connects motor 11 to battery 12.

[0149] In the remainder of the document, the term "jar" or "degassing jar" is used to refer to an expansion tank, also called a "manifold". A jar in a thermal system is pressurized and is used to create sufficient pressure at the inlet of each water pump in the thermal system to avoid generating cavitation in the water pump. Indeed, if the pressure at a pump is too low, a cavitation phenomenon may occur, i.e. boiling of the heat transfer fluid at the pump blades, which damages the pump blades.

[0150] Advantageously, the degassing jar 50 may be a circulating type jar, that is to say the jar 50 comprises a first inlet nozzle for the heat transfer liquid placed in its upper part, and a second outlet nozzle for the liquid placed at its lowest point.

[0151] In a preferred embodiment, the thermal system 1 comprises a single degassing jar 50, which facilitates maintenance operations of the thermal system 1.

[0152] In addition, the position of the jar 50 on the circuit of the thermal system can be chosen to promote rapid and simple degassing of the circuit, in particular by creating a circuit connecting in series all the components of the first assembly. Advantageously, the jar 50 can be arranged on a circuit loop 70 in parallel with the component offering the greatest resistance to the passage of the heat transfer fluid, such as the radiator 15. The air bubbles are then pushed towards the jar 50, the jar 50 allowing separation of the liquid and gas phases.

[0153] Furthermore, an altitude of the degassing jar 50 is preferably greater than an altitude of each component of the first set 10 of components.

[0154] The thermal system may further comprise a check valve 71 or non-return valve 71 to prevent the heat transfer fluid from moving in the opposite direction to a desired direction of movement. Such a phenomenon may occur in particular due to negative pressures in a conduit upstream of a pump.

[0155] The thermal system 1 may comprise a controller 90 which determines which circulation of heat transfer fluid must be implemented, among the first, second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth circulations. The controller 90 may, for example, manage the conditions of transition from one circulation to another, for example as a function of a temperature of an air outside the vehicle and / or a passenger compartment temperature setpoint and / or a mode of use of the vehicle, the mode of use of the vehicle being able to be a driving mode or a maintenance mode.

[0156] In an advantageous embodiment, the thermal system 1 further comprises the means for implementing a thermal management method according to the invention. In particular, the thermal system 1 comprises a processing unit 80 comprising a microprocessor 81, a memory 78 and communication interfaces 79.

[0157] The thermal system 1 and particularly the microprocessor 81, mainly comprises the following modules which cooperate with each other:

[0158] - a module 811 for maintaining the thermal system, this module being able to cooperate with the controller 90, the solenoid valves of the third set 30, the first and second pumps 41, 42,

[0159] - a module 812 for cooling the electric motor by the radiator, this module being able to cooperate with the controller 90, the solenoid valves of the third set 30, the first and second pumps 41, 42,

[0160] - a module 813 for heating the battery by recovering heat released by the electric motor, this module being able to cooperate with the controller 90, the solenoid valves of the third assembly 30, the first and second pumps 41, 42,

[0161] - a module 814 for heating the battery by recovering heat released by the electric motor and by the thermal resistance, this module being able to cooperate with the controller 90, the solenoid valves of the third assembly 30, the first and second pumps 41, 42,

[0162] - a module 815 for recovering heat released by the operation of the electric motor to exclusively heat the electric motor, this module being able to cooperate with the controller 90, the solenoid valves of the third assembly 30, the first and second pumps 41, 42,

[0163] - a module 816 for recovering heat released by the electric motor to heat a heat transfer fluid circulating upstream of the cooler, this module being able to cooperate with the controller 90, the solenoid valves of the third assembly 30, the first and second pumps 41, 42.

[0164] The motor vehicle 100, in particular the thermal system 1, preferably comprises all the hardware and / or software elements configured so as to implement the method defined in the subject of the invention or the method described below.

[0165] With reference to Figure 17, a thermal management method is described comprising an alternation between:

[0166] - a first stage E1 of maintenance of the thermal system, comprising an implementation of the first circulation 101,

[0167] - a second step E2 of cooling the electric motor by the radiator, comprising an implementation of the second circulation 102,

[0168] - a third step E3 of heating the battery by recovering heat released by the electric motor, comprising an implementation of the third circulation 103,

[0169] - a fourth step E4 of heating the battery by recovering heat released by the electric motor and by the thermal resistance, comprising an implementation of the fourth circulation 104,

[0170] - a fifth step E5 of recovering heat released by the operation of the electric motor to exclusively heat the electric motor, comprising an implementation of the fifth circulation 105,

[0171] - a sixth step E6 of recovering heat released by the electric motor to heat a heat transfer fluid circulating upstream of the cooler, comprising an implementation of the sixth circulation 106.

[0172] The first stage E1 of maintenance of thermal system 1 includes:

[0173] - a sub-step E11 of implementing the first circulation 101, then

[0174] - a sub-step E12 of draining a heat transfer fluid circulating in the set of conduits 20 of the thermal system 1, then

[0175] - a sub-step E13 of filling the set of conduits 20 of the thermal system 1 with a new heat transfer fluid, then

[0176] - a sub-step E14 of evacuating gas bubbles contained in the set of conduits 20 of the thermal system 1.

[0177] The first step E1 includes receiving a maintenance order for the thermal system 1, the order coming from the controller 90.

[0178] Following receipt of a maintenance order, in sub-step E11 the solenoid valves of the thermal system 1 are configured so as to allow implementation of the first circulation 101 of heat transfer fluid. For this, the solenoid valves of the third set 30 are controlled to implement a circuit connecting the components of the first set 10 in series. Advantageously, the thermal system 1 is designed so that the circulation 101 is implemented when the solenoid valves are in the rest state.

[0179] Then we continue with a sub-step E12 of draining the heat transfer fluid contained in the thermal system 1. After opening the drain plugs, the heat transfer fluid flows naturally out of the set of conduits 20, and out of the components that it passes through, such as for example the battery 12. The heat transfer fluid is thus automatically replaced by air. Once the thermal system 1 has been drained, a tool 60 can be used for filling the conduits. For this purpose, the tool 60 is connected to the container 50.

[0180] The tool 60 is equipped with a vacuum pump which sucks the air present in the conduits of the assembly 20. The tool 60 thus creates a depression in the conduits of the assembly 20, in particular the pressure inside the conduits is close to 900 millibars.

[0181] Then we continue with a sub-step E13 of filling the conduits with a new heat transfer fluid. To do this, the conduits of the assembly 20 are connected to a reserve of heat transfer fluid forming part of the tool 60, the reserve of fluid being at atmospheric pressure. The heat transfer fluid will be sucked into the conduits of the assembly 20, due to the depression previously created in the conduits. Thus, a pressure balancing phenomenon makes it possible to fill the conduits of the assembly 20 with a new heat transfer fluid. However, the filling - although facilitated by the tool 60 - is not perfect, because a large quantity of air may remain in the conduits and / or the components of the thermal system 1.

[0182] In a degassing sub-step E14, a circulation of heat transfer fluid is activated in all the conduits of the assembly 20. In other words, the first circulation 101 is implemented, in particular by starting the pumps 41, 42 of the thermal system 1. Advantageously, the implementation of the first circulation 101 makes it possible to move residual air pockets to the degassing tank. Upstream of the sub-step E14, that is to say imperatively before the start of the pumps 41, 42, it is possible to open manual bleed screws 111 positioned on local high points, such as for example on the engine 11.

[0183] In other words,

[0184] - the draining sub-step E12 comprises a suction of the heat transfer fluid generating a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure in the conduits of the second set 20, and / or - the filling sub-step E13 comprises an injection under pressure of a new heat transfer fluid into the second set 20 of conduits, and / or

[0185] - the thermal system 1 comprises at least one pump 41, 42 and the sub-step E14 of evacuating gas bubbles contained in the thermal system 1 comprises putting the new fluid into circulation by actuating the at least one pump 41, 42.

[0186] In addition or alternatively, the filling sub-step E13 comprises a pressurized injection of the new heat transfer fluid into the second set 20 of conduits.

[0187] Additionally or alternatively, the thermal system 1 comprises at least one pump 41, 42 and the sub-step of evacuating gas bubbles contained in the thermal system comprises circulating the new fluid by actuating the at least one pump.

[0188] Further, in one embodiment, the radiator comprises a bleed screw, and the degassing substep comprises evacuating gas bubbles by opening the bleed screw.

[0189] The second step E2 comprises receiving an order to implement the second circulation 102, the order coming from the controller 90. Following receipt of this order, the second circulation 102 is implemented. For this, the solenoid valves are actuated so as to create

[0190] - a first circulation loop 1021 of heat transfer fluid, allowing the temperature of the battery 12 to be managed, the battery 12 being able to be cooled or heated by the air conditioning via the cooler 13 and / or heated by the heating resistor 14, and / or

[0191] - a second loop 1022 for circulating heat transfer fluid, allowing cooling of the components of the electric traction chain, i.e. the motor 11, by the radiator 15. The third step E3 comprises receiving an order to implement the third circulation 103, the order coming from the controller 90. Following receipt of this order, the third circulation is implemented

[0192] 103. To do this, the solenoid valves are operated so as to create

[0193] - a first circulation loop 1031, in which the heat from the engine 11 is transmitted to the battery 12 to increase its temperature, and / or

[0194] - a second circulation loop 1032, in which the thermal resistance can be used to support the operation of the air conditioning, when the outside temperature is low, and when the heat pump is used in heat pump mode for passenger compartment thermal needs.

[0195] The fourth step E4 comprises receiving an order to implement the fourth circulation 104, the order coming from the controller 90. Following receipt of this order, the fourth circulation is implemented.

[0196] 104. To do this, the solenoid valves are actuated so that the battery 12 receives the heat generated by the motor 11 and / or the battery can also receive part of the heat released by the thermal resistor 14.

[0197] The fifth step E5 comprises receiving an order to implement the fifth circulation 105, the order coming from the controller 90. Following receipt of this order, the fifth circulation is implemented.

[0198] 105. To do this, the solenoid valves are operated so as to create

[0199] - a first circulation loop 1051, in which the heat emitted by the operation of the engine 11 is exclusively used to increase the temperature of the engine 11, and / or

[0200] - a second circulation loop 1052, in which the thermal resistance can be used to support the operation of the passenger compartment air conditioning, when the outside temperature is low, and when the heat pump is used in heat pump mode for passenger compartment thermal needs. The sixth step E6 comprises receiving an order to implement the fifth circulation 106, the order coming from the controller 90. Following the receipt of this order, the sixth circulation 106 is implemented. For this, the solenoid valves are actuated so as to create a circulation in which the heat emitted by the operation of the engine 11 is exclusively used to support the operation of the passenger compartment air conditioning, when the outside temperature is low, and when the heat pump is used in heat pump mode for passenger compartment thermal needs.

[0201] Finally, the thermal system according to the invention and the thermal management method according to the invention have several advantages.

[0202] Firstly, they improve the energy autonomy of the motor vehicle equipped with the invention. Indeed, thanks to the different circulations of heat transfer fluid implemented by the thermal system, several modes of energy recovery from the electric drive train to the battery are possible. Similarly, it is also possible to use calories from the cooling circuit to heat the passenger compartment of the vehicle via the cooler connected to the air conditioning circuit. This limits the activation of the heating resistor in order to heat the battery or the passenger compartment. It is also possible to cool the electric motor and the battery by the radiator located at the front of the vehicle, which limits the activation of the electric air conditioning compressor which consumes a lot of energy.

[0203] Second, the thermal system according to the invention and the thermal management method according to the invention allow time savings on tasks of filling the cooling circuit in the factory. Indeed, the thermal system according to the invention only comprises a single jar, which reduces the filling time in the factory compared to thermal systems comprising two or more jars. The filling tasks can also be carried out with a single filling machine, whereas for cooling circuits comprising several jars, it was sometimes necessary to invest in several machines to save time on the filling phase.

[0204] Thirdly, the thermal system according to the invention and the thermal management method according to the invention allow for savings in after-sales maintenance time. Indeed, thanks to the optimal position of the cooling circuit reservoir in the system, the reservoir directly supplying the two water pumps, the time required by a technician to fill the cooling circuit is reduced. In addition, a coolant circulation mode, corresponding to the first circulation previously described, has been designed to facilitate the degassing of the cooling circuit after filling carried out during a maintenance visit to the motor vehicle. This mode allows all the components of the cooling circuit to be degassed at the same time via the reservoir mounted in parallel with the radiator.The time required to degas the cooling circuit is significantly reduced, which helps reduce the TCO (for the acronym "Total Cost of Ownership") of the vehicle, i.e. reducing the overall cost of vehicle ownership.

[0205] Fourth, the first embodiment of the thermal system (and, to a lesser extent, the second embodiment) allows a significant reduction in the number of solenoid valves required to implement the thermal system. This leads to a reduction in the number of actuators and therefore a reduction in the cost of the parts constituting the cooling circuit. Furthermore, this simplifies the calibration phase of the thermal system, reducing the costs associated with the calibration phase.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Thermal system (1) for a motor vehicle (100), characterized in that it comprises a first assembly (10) comprising components among which - an electric motor (11), - a battery (12), - a thermal resistance (14), - a cooler (13) connected to an air conditioning circuit of a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle, - a radiator (15), in that it further comprises a second assembly (20) comprising conduits for a heat transfer fluid, connecting the components of the first assembly, and a third assembly (30) comprising at least one solenoid valve, and in particular at most three solenoid valves, connected to conduits of the second assembly (20), and in that, when the solenoid valve(s) of the third assembly are all in the rest state, the thermal system (1) implements a first circulation (101) of heat transfer fluid through said conduits in a first series circuit connecting the components of the first assembly (10) together.

2. Thermal system (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it is capable of implementing by actuation of the solenoid valve(s): - a second circulation (102) of heat transfer fluid through said conduits moving, on the one hand, between the radiator (15) and the electric motor (11), and, on the other hand, between the electric resistance (14) or the cooler (13) and the battery (12), and / or - a third circulation (103) of heat transfer fluid through said conduits moving between the electric motor (11) and the battery (12), and / or - a fourth circulation (104) of heat transfer fluid through said conduits moving, on the one hand, between the electric motor (11) and the battery (12), and, on the other hand, between the electrical resistance (14) and the battery (12), and / or - a fifth circulation (105) of heat transfer fluid through said conduits moving in a loop near the electric motor (11) without passing through the cooler (13) or the battery (12), and / or - a sixth circulation (106) of heat transfer fluid through said conduits moving between the electric motor (11) and the cooler (13) without passing through the battery (12).

3. Thermal system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the third assembly (30) is made up - a single solenoid valve (31) with at least seven ways, or - two solenoid valves (32, 33), including a four-way solenoid valve (32) and a solenoid valve (33) with at least three ways, or - three solenoid valves (35, 36, 37) with at least three ways.

4. Thermal system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a single degassing jar (50), and / or in that the degassing jar (50) is a circulating type jar and / or in that the degassing jar (50) and the radiator (15) are arranged on parallel circuit portions by said conduits, and / or in that an altitude of the degassing jar (50) is greater than an altitude of each component of the first assembly (10).

5. Method for thermal management of a motor vehicle (100) equipped with a thermal system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises: - a first stage (E1) of maintenance of the thermal system, and / or - a second step (E2) of cooling the electric motor (11) by the radiator (15) further comprising cooling and / or heating of the battery (12) by the cooler (13) and / or by the electrical resistor (14), the second step (E2) comprising an implementation of the second circulation (102), and / or - a third step (E3) of heating the battery (12) by recovering heat released by the electric motor (11) further comprising heating, by the thermal resistance (14), of a heat transfer fluid circulating upstream of the cooler (13), the third step comprising an implementation of the third circulation (103), and / or - a fourth step (E4) of heating the battery (12) by recovering heat released by the electric motor (11) and by the thermal resistance (14), further comprising heating, by the thermal resistance (14), of a heat transfer fluid circulating upstream of the cooler (13), the fourth step (E4) comprising an implementation of the fourth circulation (104), and / or - a fifth step (E5) of recovering heat released by the electric motor (11) to exclusively heat the electric motor (11), further comprising heating, by the thermal resistance (14), of a heat transfer fluid circulating upstream of the cooler (13), the fifth step (E5) comprising an implementation of the fifth circulation (105), and / or - a sixth step (E6) of recovering heat released by the electric motor (11) to heat a heat transfer fluid circulating upstream of the cooler (13), the sixth step (E6) comprising an implementation of the sixth circulation (106).

6. Thermal management method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the first step (E1) of maintenance of the thermal system comprises - a sub-step (E11) of implementing the first circulation (101), then - a sub-step (E12) of draining a heat transfer fluid circulating in the set of conduits (20) of the thermal system (1), then - a sub-step (E13) of filling the assembly (20) of conduits of the thermal system (1) with a new heat transfer fluid, then - a sub-step (E14) of evacuating gas bubbles contained in the set (20) of conduits of the thermal system (1).

7. Thermal management system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, the system comprising elements (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 40, 41, 42, 50, 60, 61, 70, 71, 78, 79, 80, 81, 811, 812, 813, 814, 815, 816) hardware and / or software implementing the method according to one of claims 5 or 6, in particular hardware elements (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 30,31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 40, 41, 42, 50, 60, 61, 70, 71,78, 79, 80, 81) and / or software designed to implement a method according to one of claims 5 or 6, and / or the device comprising means for implementing the method according to one of claims 5 or 6.

8. Motor vehicle (100) equipped with a thermal system (1) according to the preceding claim and / or according to one of claims 1 to 4.

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