Coolant system for an electric or hybrid vehicle, and thermal management system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a coolant system (2) for circulating a coolant for an electric or hybrid vehicle, having a first coolant path (4) with at least one first component (6) to be cooled and / or to be heated, a second coolant path (8) with at least one second component (10, 12) to be cooled and / or to be heated, a third coolant path (14) with a coolant / refrigerant heat exchanger (16) for the purpose of transmitting heat between the coolant system (2) and a refrigerant system of the vehicle, an air / coolant heat exchanger (18) for the purpose of transmitting heat between the coolant and ambient air in a free environment, and a valve system (20) for realizing a plurality of coolant system states of the coolant system (2), wherein the first coolant path (4) with the aforementioned first component (6) and the third coolant path (14) with the coolant / refrigerant heat exchanger (16) firstly have a common coolant-conducting connection to the air / coolant heat exchanger (18) and secondly a common coolant-conducting connection to the valve system (20). The invention also relates to a thermal management system.

Description

[0001] Coolant system for an electric or hybrid vehicle and thermal management system

[0002] Description

[0003] The present invention relates to a coolant system for an electric or hybrid vehicle according to the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1 and a thermal management system for an electric or hybrid vehicle.

[0004] Such coolant systems and thermal management systems for electric or hybrid vehicles are already known from the prior art in numerous design variants. The known coolant systems for circulating a coolant for an electric or hybrid vehicle comprise a first coolant path with at least one first component to be cooled and / or heated, a second coolant path with at least one second component to be cooled and / or heated, a third coolant path with a coolant-refrigerant heat exchanger for heat transfer between the coolant system and a refrigerant system of the vehicle, an air-coolant heat exchanger for heat transfer between the coolant and ambient air of a free environment, and a valve system for implementing a plurality of coolant system states of the coolant system.

[0005] This is where the present invention comes in.

[0006] The present invention is based on the object of improving a coolant system for an electric or hybrid vehicle and a thermal management system for an electric or hybrid vehicle.

[0007] This object is achieved by a coolant system having the features of claim 1, which is characterized in that the first coolant path with the aforementioned first component and the third coolant path with the coolant-refrigerant heat exchanger have, on the one hand, a common coolant-conducting connection to the air-coolant heat exchanger and, on the other hand, a common coolant-conducting connection to the valve system. Furthermore, this object is achieved by a thermal management system for an electric or hybrid vehicle having the features of claim 10. The subclaims relate to advantageous developments of the invention.

[0008] A significant advantage of the coolant system for an electric or hybrid vehicle according to the invention and of the thermal management system for an electric or hybrid vehicle according to the invention lies in particular in the fact that a coolant system for an electric or hybrid vehicle and a thermal management system for an electric or hybrid vehicle are improved. Due to the inventive design of the coolant system for an electric or hybrid vehicle and of the thermal management system for an electric or hybrid vehicle, an efficient coolant system for an electric or hybrid vehicle and an efficient thermal management system for electric or hybrid vehicles can be realized in a particularly simple manner in terms of design, manufacturing technology, and circuitry. This applies in particular to the case where the thermal management system according to the invention has a refrigerant system reduced to the necessary minimum, i.e., a heat pump system.

[0009] In principle, the coolant system according to the invention for an electric or hybrid vehicle and the thermal management system according to the invention for an electric or hybrid vehicle can each be freely selected within wide suitable limits in terms of type, mode of operation, material and dimensioning.

[0010] An advantageous development of the coolant system according to the invention provides that the first component to be cooled and / or heated is designed as a drive battery of the vehicle and / or that the second component to be cooled and / or heated is designed as a drive train of the vehicle, preferably that a coolant heater is arranged in the first coolant path and / or in the third coolant path in the flow direction upstream of the drive battery and / or upstream of the coolant-refrigerant heat exchanger, particularly preferably that the coolant heater is designed as an electric auxiliary heater. This specifies a component of the coolant system according to the invention that is particularly suitable for the at least one first component and / or for the at least one second component.The preferred embodiment of this further development has the additional advantage that the first coolant path with the at least one first component and / or the third coolant path with the coolant-refrigerant heat exchanger can be additionally heated by means of the coolant heater. Furthermore, the particularly preferred embodiment of this further development specifies a design of a coolant heater that is particularly suitable for the technical task.

[0011] Like the at least one first and at least one second component, the coolant-refrigerant heat exchanger can also be freely selected within wide, suitable limits. The coolant-refrigerant heat exchanger is expediently designed as a chiller. In this way, the coolant-refrigerant heat exchanger is particularly suitable for use in electric or hybrid vehicles, since a chiller is a special heat exchanger that is connected to both the coolant system and the coolant system of the electric or hybrid vehicle. This allows the temperature of the coolant to be further reduced by the coolant system. This allows additional indirect cooling, for example of the battery, to be achieved by the coolant system of the thermal management system according to the invention.

[0012] A further advantageous development of the coolant system according to the invention provides that the air-coolant heat exchanger is designed as a front radiator of the vehicle. This further improves, for example, the cooling of the components to be cooled in the coolant system according to the invention in a particularly simple and efficient manner.

[0013] Another advantageous development of the coolant system according to the invention provides that the valve system has only a single valve, preferably that this valve is designed as a 7-way valve, particularly preferably as a 7 / 5-way valve. In this way, the valve system of the coolant system according to the invention for an electric or hybrid vehicle is designed in a particularly advantageous manner in terms of design, manufacturing technology, and circuitry. With only a single coolant-side valve, a multitude of coolant system states necessary and useful for thermal management in an electric or hybrid vehicle can be produced. At the same time, the structural and thus cost expenditure in implementing the coolant system according to the invention is significantly reduced. This applies particularly to the preferred and in particular to the particularly preferred embodiment of this development.

[0014] A particularly advantageous development of the coolant system according to the invention provides that the aforementioned common coolant-conducting connections are designed as a single, fluidically connected coolant line. This further simplifies the design and thus the structure of the coolant system according to the invention for an electric or hybrid vehicle, making it more cost-effective. This applies in particular to a design of the aforementioned coolant line that is free of valves or other shut-off fittings.

[0015] An advantageous development of the aforementioned embodiment of the coolant system according to the invention provides that this coolant line is connected in a coolant-conducting manner upstream of the air-coolant heat exchanger to the air-coolant heat exchanger and / or upstream of the at least one first component to be cooled and / or heated and / or downstream of the coolant-refrigerant heat exchanger. In this way, the aforementioned single fluidically connected coolant line is integrated into the overall structure of the coolant system according to the invention in a particularly fluidically suitable manner.

[0016] An advantageous development of the last two embodiments of the coolant system according to the invention provides that this coolant line can be flowed through by coolant at least partially in one or the other direction of flow, depending on the coolant system state switched by means of the valve system. This allows the aforementioned single fluidically connected coolant line to be used particularly flexibly, so that a plurality of coolant system states are possible in a simple manner in terms of design, manufacturing, and circuitry using the coolant system according to the invention equipped therewith.

[0017] Furthermore, a further advantageous development of the coolant system according to the invention provides that the coolant system additionally has at least one coolant tank for storing the coolant and for pressure equalization in the coolant system, preferably that the at least one coolant tank is designed as only a single coolant tank, particularly preferably that this coolant tank is arranged in the second coolant path upstream of a coolant pump arranged in the second coolant path to conduct coolant. In this way, on the one hand, the filling and storage of the coolant circulating in the coolant system according to the invention and, on the other hand, venting of the coolant system according to the invention are achieved in a proven manner. By means of the preferred embodiment of this development, this is possible with only a single coolant tank.Furthermore, according to the particularly preferred embodiment of this further development, this only single coolant tank is arranged at a position in the coolant system according to the invention that is particularly suitable in terms of flow technology.

[0018] The aforementioned designations of the individual components of the coolant system according to the invention with consecutive numbers, such as the designation of the individual coolant paths as the first, second, and third coolant paths, merely serve to easily distinguish the individual components of the coolant system according to the invention from one another. This does not mean that the components thus designated must be present in a certain number according to the numbering used. For example, the presence of a fifth coolant system state in a specific embodiment of the invention does not mean that a third or fourth coolant system state must also necessarily exist.

[0019] The invention is explained in more detail below using the attached, roughly schematic drawing. It shows:

[0020] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the coolant system according to the invention of a thermal management system according to the invention for an electric or hybrid vehicle in a process diagram,

[0021] Fig. 2 shows the embodiment in an analogous representation to Fig. 1, in a first coolant system state,

[0022] Fig. 3 shows the embodiment in an analogous representation to Fig. 1, in a second coolant system state,

[0023] Fig. 4 shows the embodiment in an analogous representation to Fig. 1, in a third coolant system state,

[0024] Fig. 5 shows the embodiment in an analogous representation to Fig. 1, in a fourth coolant system state and

[0025] Fig. 6 shows the embodiment in an analogous representation to Fig. 1, in a fifth coolant system state.

[0026] In Figs. 1 to 6, an embodiment of the coolant system according to the invention of a thermal management system according to the invention for an electric or hybrid vehicle is explained purely by way of example. A remainder of the thermal management system, namely a refrigerant system designed to correspond to the coolant system, is not shown in detail in Figs. 1 to 6 and is designed, for example, in a manner known per se to those skilled in the art.

[0027] The coolant system 2 for circulating a coolant (not shown) for an electric or hybrid vehicle comprises a first coolant path 4 with at least one first component 6 to be cooled and / or heated, a second coolant path 8 with at least one second component 10, 12 to be cooled and / or heated, a third coolant path 14 with a coolant-refrigerant heat exchanger 16 for heat transfer between the coolant system 2 and the vehicle's refrigerant system (not shown in detail), an air-coolant heat exchanger 18 for heat transfer between the coolant and ambient air of a free environment (likewise not shown), and a valve system 20 for implementing a plurality of coolant system states of the coolant system 2.Due to the known integration of the coolant system 2 into the thermal management system superordinate to the coolant system 2 with the refrigerant system designed to correspond to the coolant system 2, by realizing the aforementioned plurality of coolant system states, a plurality of thermal management system states of the thermal management system can also be realized in a very simple manner in terms of design, manufacturing technology and circuitry.

[0028] According to the invention, the first coolant path 4 with the aforementioned first component 6 and the third coolant path 14 with the coolant-refrigerant heat exchanger 16 have, on the one hand, a common coolant-conducting connection to the air-coolant heat exchanger 18 and, on the other hand, a common coolant-conducting connection to the valve system 20. In the present exemplary embodiment, the aforementioned common coolant-conducting connections are designed as merely a single fluidically connected coolant line 22. The coolant line 22 is connected in a coolant-conducting manner upstream of the air-coolant heat exchanger 18 to the air-coolant heat exchanger 18 and upstream of the first component 6 to be cooled and / or heated and downstream of the coolant-refrigerant heat exchanger 16.Furthermore, coolant can flow through the coolant line 22, at least in sections, in one or the other flow direction, depending on the coolant system state switched by means of the valve system 20. This will be explained in more detail below. Furthermore, the first component 6 to be cooled and / or heated is designed as a drive battery of the vehicle, and the second component to be cooled and / or heated is designed as a drive train of the vehicle with an electric drive motor 10 and corresponding power electronics 12. Furthermore, a coolant heater 24 is arranged here in the third coolant path 14 upstream of the coolant-refrigerant heat exchanger 16 in the flow direction, wherein the coolant heater 24 is designed as an electric auxiliary heater.

[0029] The coolant-refrigerant heat exchanger 16 is designed as a chiller, the air-coolant heat exchanger 18 is designed as a front radiator of the vehicle and the valve system 20 is designed as only a single valve, wherein the aforementioned valve 20 in the present embodiment is designed as a 7-way valve, namely as a 7 / 5-way valve.

[0030] The coolant system 2 additionally has at least one coolant tank (not shown) for storing the coolant and for pressure equalization in the coolant system 2, wherein the at least one coolant tank in the present exemplary embodiment is designed as only a single coolant tank, namely in such a way that this coolant tank is arranged in the second coolant path 8 upstream of a coolant pump 26 arranged in the second coolant path 8 so as to conduct coolant. As can also be seen from Fig. 1, the drive train with the drive motor 10 and the power electronics 12 is arranged downstream of the coolant pump 26. A coolant pump 28 is also arranged in the first coolant path 4 upstream of the drive battery 6.However, in other embodiments of the invention, it is conceivable that the coolant pumps, taking into account the required coolant system states, are arranged at least partially in other coolant paths of the coolant system according to the invention. For example, the coolant pump 28 could alternatively be arranged in the third coolant path 14 with the chiller 16 to implement the coolant system states explained below.

[0031] In addition to the components already mentioned above, the thermal management system, namely the coolant system 2 with the refrigerant system of the thermal management system (not shown in detail), also has the following components: a refrigerant-to-coolant heat exchanger, a pre-container for the refrigerant, such as an accumulator or a receiver-drier, a refrigerant compressor, and at least one valve. Furthermore, the thermal management system can also have at least one bypass to at least one component of the coolant system, for example, an air-to-coolant heat exchanger.

[0032] The coolant lines are shown in Figs. 1 to 6 by solid lines. Coolant lines through which coolant flows are shown in Figs. 1 to 6 by thick lines compared to coolant lines through which no coolant flows. In another embodiment of the invention, in which coolant lines are routed in a bypass to one another according to the aforementioned explanations, these coolant lines, which are fluidically parallel, can, for example, be designed to allow coolant to flow through selectively and dependently in a value range from 0% to 100%. As a result, the valve system of the coolant system according to the invention according to this alternative embodiment is designed in an additional particularly advantageous way on the coolant side in terms of design, manufacturing technology and circuitry, wherein the aforementioned flows can be adapted particularly well to the specific requirements.The aforementioned value range here means that either the component or the corresponding bypass is flowed through by the entire coolant quantity, or the coolant quantity can be divided between the coolant path with the aforementioned component and the corresponding bypass in a desired ratio. The coolant system according to the invention and the thermal management system according to the invention according to the present exemplary embodiment are explained in more detail below with reference to Figs. 1 to 6.

[0033] According to Fig. 2, the first coolant path 4 is connected to the drive battery 6, and the third coolant path 14 is connected to the chiller 16, so that the drive battery 6 can be cooled by the chiller 16. In parallel, the front radiator 18 and the second coolant path 8 are connected to the drive train, i.e., to the drive motor 10 and the power electronics 12, so that the drive train can be cooled by the ambient air. In the current switching state of the valve 20, the coolant line 22 is only partially flowed through.The wording used in the application text and the graphic representations regarding, on the one hand, the respective flow of coolant through individual coolant paths and, on the other hand, the non-flow through individual coolant paths, mean according to the invention that coolant paths in the corresponding coolant system states, for example, do not have a common coolant circulation. However, this also includes embodiments of the invention in which, for the purpose of filling and venting the coolant system by means of the at least one coolant tank, a connection suitable for the aforementioned purposes exists, regardless of the respective switching state of the individual valves of the valve system.

[0034] According to Fig. 3, the front radiator 18, the drive battery 6, and the drive train 10, 12 are connected to form a common coolant circuit. The third coolant path 14 with the chiller 16 is bypassed, so that the drive battery 6 is cooled by the ambient air, with the drive train 10, 12 then being able to be cooled by the coolant preheated by the drive battery 6. Even in this switching state of the valve 20, the coolant line 22 is only partially flowed through by coolant. The intersection of flow paths through which coolant flows in the valve 20 does not mean that these flow paths are connected to one another in a flow-conducting manner. This is not the case here. The same applies to the switching state shown in Fig. 6. Rather, this representation merely serves to simplify the graphic representation.In other embodiments of the invention, however, it can be provided that the at least one valve of the valve system comprises switching states in which flow paths in this valve are connected to one another in a flow-conducting manner.

[0035] According to Fig. 4, the chiller 16, the front radiator 18, and the drive train 10, 12 form a common coolant circuit. The first coolant path 4 with the drive battery 6 is bypassed. The heat from the ambient air is first transferred to the coolant system 2 and then from the drive train 10, 12, in a manner known per se to those skilled in the art, by means of the chiller 16 to the refrigerant system (not shown in detail) of the higher-level thermal management system. In the present switching state of the valve 20, the coolant line 22 is only partially flowed through with coolant, on the one hand, and on the other hand, in the opposite direction compared to Figs. 2 and 3.

[0036] According to Fig. 5, the second coolant path 8 with the drive train 10, 12 and the third coolant path 14 with the chiller 16 form a common coolant circuit. The drive battery 6 and the front radiator 18 are each bypassed. The heat from the drive train 10, 12 is transferred to the coolant system via the chiller 16. Here, too, the coolant line 22 is only partially flowed through with coolant in the same direction as in Fig. 4.

[0037] Furthermore, Fig. 6 shows a switching state of the valve 20 in which the chiller 16, the drive battery 6, and the drive train 10, 12 form a common coolant circuit. The front radiator 18 is bypassed. The drive battery 6 is heated using the waste heat from the drive train 10, 12. This can optionally be supported by the electric auxiliary heater 24. The flow through the coolant line 22 present here corresponds to that of Fig. 2.

[0038] As can be seen from the above explanations, the individual Figs. 1 to 6, with the coolant-side switching state of the valve 20 shown therein, each correspond to at least one coolant system state of the coolant system 2. Due to the inventive design of the coolant system 2 for an electric or hybrid vehicle and of the thermal management system for an electric or hybrid vehicle, an efficient coolant system 2 for an electric or hybrid vehicle and an efficient thermal management system for an electric or hybrid vehicle can be implemented in a particularly simple manner in terms of design, manufacturing technology, and circuitry. This applies in particular to the present case in which the thermal management system has a refrigerant system reduced to a necessary minimum, i.e., a heat pump system.

[0039] The invention is not limited to the present embodiment. For example, reference is made to the relevant statements in the introduction to the description as well as to the optional and alternative embodiments mentioned in the specific description section.

[0040] List of reference symbols

[0041] 2 Coolant system

[0042] 4 First coolant path

[0043] 6 First component, designed as a drive battery

[0044] 8 Second coolant path

[0045] 10 Second component, designed as a drive motor

[0046] 12 Second component, designed as power electronics

[0047] 14 Third coolant path

[0048] 16 coolant-refrigerant heat exchangers, designed as chillers

[0049] 18 air-coolant heat exchangers, designed as front radiators

[0050] 20 valve system, designed as a single valve

[0051] 22 coolant line

[0052] 24 coolant heaters, designed as electric auxiliary heaters

[0053] 26 Coolant pump

[0054] 28 Coolant pump

Claims

Patent claims 1. Coolant system (2) for circulating a coolant for an electric or hybrid vehicle, comprising a first coolant path (4) with at least one first component (6) to be cooled and / or heated, a second coolant path (8) with at least one second component (10, 12) to be cooled and / or heated, a third coolant path (14) with a coolant-refrigerant heat exchanger (16) for heat transfer between the coolant system (2) and a refrigerant system of the vehicle, an air-coolant heat exchanger (18) for heat transfer between the coolant and ambient air of a free environment, and a valve system (20) for implementing a plurality of coolant system states of the coolant system (2), characterized in thatthat the first coolant path (4) with the aforementioned first component (6) and the third coolant path (14) with the coolant-refrigerant heat exchanger (16) have, on the one hand, a common coolant-conducting connection to the air-coolant heat exchanger (18) and, on the other hand, a common coolant-conducting connection to the valve system (20).

2. Coolant system (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first component (6) to be cooled and / or heated is designed as a drive battery of the vehicle and / or that the second component (10, 12) to be cooled and / or heated is designed as a drive train of the vehicle, preferably in the first coolant path and / or in the third coolant path (14) in A coolant heater (24) is arranged in the flow direction upstream of the drive battery and / or upstream of the coolant-refrigerant heat exchanger (16), particularly preferably the coolant heater (24) is designed as an electrical auxiliary heater.

3. Coolant system (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the coolant-refrigerant heat exchanger (16) is designed as a chiller.

4. Coolant system (2) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the air-coolant heat exchanger (18) is designed as a front radiator of the vehicle.

5. Coolant system (2) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the valve system (20) has only a single valve, preferably that this valve is designed as a 7-way valve, particularly preferably as a 7 / 5-way valve.

6. Coolant system (2) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the aforementioned common coolant-conducting connections are designed as only a single fluidically connected coolant line (22).

7. Coolant system according to claim 6, characterized in that this coolant line (22) is connected to the air-coolant heat exchanger (18) in a coolant-conducting manner upstream of the air-coolant heat exchanger (18). and / or upstream of the at least one first component (6) to be cooled and / or heated and / or downstream of the coolant-refrigerant heat exchanger (16).

8. Coolant system (2) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that this coolant line (22) can be flowed through by coolant at least in sections in one or the other flow direction depending on the coolant system state switched by means of the valve system (20).

9. Coolant system (2) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the coolant system (2) additionally has at least one coolant tank for storing the coolant and for pressure equalization in the coolant system (2), preferably that the at least one coolant tank is designed as only a single coolant tank, particularly preferably that this coolant tank is arranged in the second coolant path (8) upstream of a coolant pump (26) arranged in the second coolant path (8) to conduct coolant.

10. Thermal management system for an electric or hybrid vehicle, comprising a coolant system (2) for circulating a coolant and a refrigerant system for circulating a refrigerant, characterized in that the coolant system (2) is designed according to one of claims 1 to 9.

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