ELECTRIC OR HYBRID MOTOR VEHICLE COMPRISING A BATTERY BOX COMPRISING AN ORIFICE COMPRISING A FLOAT

Abstract

The invention relates to an electric or hybrid motor vehicle (100) comprising a battery box (1), said battery box (1) comprising a base plate (2) and at least one channel (3), said channel (3) comprising at least one orifice (4), said battery box (1) comprising at least two accumulators (5), the battery box (1) comprising a cooling circuit for circulating a dielectric fluid, characterized in that the orifice (4) comprises a float, said float comprising an upper part (6a) and a lower part (6b) in the third direction (Z), said upper part (6a) and said lower part (6b) being connected by a rod (6c), said float being capable of having two positions: a first position in which said orifice (4) is open and a second position in which said orifice (4) is closed by said float. Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: ELECTRIC OR HYBRID MOTOR VEHICLE COMPRISING A BATTERY BOX COMPRISING AN ORIFICE COMPRISING A FLOAT

[0001] The invention relates to motor vehicles with partially or fully electric propulsion, and more particularly to the battery boxes of these vehicles and their cooling.

[0002] French patent application FR3104824 is known from the prior art, which describes a battery pack, otherwise called a battery tray, for an electric or hybrid motor vehicle. In said battery tray is housed at least one module, otherwise called an accumulator. A cooling fluid is intended to be sprayed onto said at least one accumulator by spray nozzles. The battery tray has a double bottom. The battery tray has a cooling circuit which comprises a closed cooling circuit capable of transporting said fluid and a pump allowing the redistribution of the fluid after it has cooled. The sprayed fluid is collected in the double bottom via discharge orifices. A hot-melt sealing element is placed inside each discharge orifice. Said sealing element is capable of melting when said fluid reaches a determined temperature.When the battery tray is filled with fluid, the temperature of the fluid increases due to the operation of the accumulators. Thus, the sealing elements melt. In this way, the fluid is evacuated through the orifices. However, there are still disadvantages. Depending on the material used, the temperature allowing the melting of the sealing element can be very high, causing damage to the accumulators. In addition, if the seal only partially melts, the evacuation of the fluid is not effective and this slows down the cooling of the battery tray. In addition, the molten material from the sealing element then ends up circulating in the cooling system. Finally, this solution is not sustainable because each sealing element must be replaced after it has melted so that the cooling of the battery tray remains effective.

[0003] The objective of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks by proposing a permanent float allowing or not the evacuation of a dielectric fluid from a battery box.

[0004] To achieve this objective, the invention proposes an electric or hybrid motor vehicle comprising a running gear whose points of contact with the ground define a base plane defined by a first longitudinal direction corresponding to rolling in a straight line, and by a second transverse and orthogonal direction to the first longitudinal direction and a third vertical direction orthogonal to the first longitudinal direction and to the second transverse direction and is oriented away from the ground, said vehicle comprising a battery tray, said battery tray comprising a bottom plate and at least one channel, said channel comprising at least one orifice giving access to said bottom plate, said battery tray comprising at least two accumulators, the battery tray comprising a cooling circuit allowing a dielectric fluid to circulate in said battery tray, and the orifice comprises a float, said float comprising an upper part and a lower part in the third direction, said upper part and said lower part being connected by a rod, said upper part comprising a first material having a first density value,said lower part comprising a second material having a second density value, said first density value being lower than said second density value, said float being able to have two positions: , - a first position in which said fluid circulates in said at least one channel, said orifice being open; - a second position in which said at least one channel is empty, said orifice being closed by said float.

[0005] Thanks to the invention, the evacuation of the dielectric fluid is ensured autonomously, that is to say without an actuator.

[0006] Advantageously, said orifice has an internal diameter of less than 2 cm and said upper part has a spherical shape with a diameter of between 2.5 cm and 5 cm.

[0007] Thus, the upper part cannot pass through said orifice.

[0008] Advantageously, said upper part has a semi-spherical shape.

[0009] Advantageously, said lower part has a cross shape.

[0010] Thus, said lower part cannot pass through said orifice.

[0011] Advantageously, said first material is a polystyrene material.

[0012] Polystyrene is an inexpensive material with a low density.

[0013] Preferably, said rod comprises a plastic material.

[0014] The plastic is resistant to contact with the dielectric fluid.

[0015] Preferably, said at least one channel comprises 5 orifices.

[0016] Thus, the dielectric fluid is evacuated more efficiently.

[0017] Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for cooling the accumulators of the battery box of the electric or hybrid motor vehicle previously described, said cooling circuit comprising a pump, said accumulators being separated from each other by a space, characterized in that said method comprises the following steps: - a step of spraying said fluid onto said accumulators, said dielectric fluid flowing into said space towards said channel in the third direction, said channel being initially empty and said float being in the second position; - a step of filling said dielectric fluid into said at least one channel; - a step of opening said orifice, said float being in the first position; - a step of releasing said dielectric fluid towards said bottom plate; - a step of evacuating said dielectric fluid to said pump of the cooling circuit.

[0018] The invention will be further detailed by the description of non-limiting embodiments, and on the basis of the appended figures illustrating variants of the invention, in which: - [Fig.l] schematically illustrates a battery tray comprising an orifice comprising a float in a first position, according to an embodiment of the present invention; - [Fig.2] schematically illustrates the battery tray in a second position ; - [Fig.3] schematically illustrates, in the form of a flowchart, a process cooling the accumulators in the battery box of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle.

[0019] [Fig.l] schematically illustrates a battery tray 1 of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle. The vehicle 100 comprises a running gear whose points of contact with the ground define a basic XY plane defined by a first longitudinal direction X corresponding to straight-line travel, and by a second transverse direction Y orthogonal to the first direction X and a third vertical direction Z orthogonal to the first longitudinal direction X and to the second transverse direction Y and is oriented away from the ground. The battery tray 1 comprises a bottom plate 2 constituting its lower face in the third direction Z. The bottom plate 2 is arranged facing the ground. The battery tray 1 comprises at least one channel 3 present on the bottom plate 2. The battery tray 1 comprises the battery. The battery is a set of electrical accumulators 5 connected together.Each accumulator 5 comprises electrolytes capable of transporting an electrical charge by a movement of ions between the anode and the cathode. In this way, the battery stores electrical energy in the form of chemical energy. When the electric or hybrid motor vehicle 100 is in working order, the electrical energy is restored in the form of direct current. The battery box 1 comprises a cooling circuit allowing the circulation of a dielectric fluid within the battery box 1. The cooling circuit allows the evacuation of said dielectric fluid, the cooling of said dielectric fluid and . finally the reintegration of the dielectric fluid. The cooling circuit is active when the vehicle 100 is in operating condition. Thus, the dielectric fluid is always ready to cool the accumulators 5. For reasons of clarity, said cooling circuit is not shown in [Fig. 1]. The dielectric fluid is intended to accumulate in said at least one channel 3 in order to be evacuated to said cooling circuit. The dielectric fluid allows the regulation of the temperature of the accumulators 5 making up the battery of the vehicle 100. The at least one channel 3 comprises at least one orifice 4 opening onto said bottom plate 2. Thus, this allows the accumulation of said dielectric fluid in said channel 3 and its evacuation to said bottom plate 2.The orifice 4 comprises a float capable of having two positions: a first position in which the orifice is open, said dielectric fluid then being able to penetrate into said channel 3, and a second position in which the orifice is closed, said channel 3 being empty. In [Fig.l], said float is shown in the first position. The float comprises an upper part 6a and a lower part 6b. The upper part 6a comprises a first material having a first density value. Preferably, the first material is a polystyrene material. Advantageously, the lower part has a cross shape preventing its passage through said orifice 4. The lower part 6b comprises a second material having a second density value. The first density value is lower than said second density value. Thus, the upper part 6a ensures the flotation of said float.The upper part 6a and the lower part 6b are physically connected by a rod 6c. Preferably, said rod 6c comprises a plastic material. Indeed, plastic is a material resistant to dielectric fluid. In addition, it is an inexpensive material.

[0020] In [Fig.2], the float is shown in the second position. The channel 3 does not contain, or does not contain enough, fluid to cause said float to float. The float therefore closes said orifice 4. In fact, the upper part 6a bears on said orifice 4, so that the orifice 4 is entirely covered. Preferably, the orifice 4 has an internal diameter of less than 2 cm while said upper part 6a has a spherical shape with a diameter of between 2.5 cm and 5 cm. In an alternative, said upper part 6a has a half-spherical shape. Thus, there is no risk of the upper part 6a passing through said orifice 4.

[0021] In [Fig. 3], a method for cooling the accumulators of the battery box of the electric or hybrid motor vehicle described above is schematically illustrated in the form of a flowchart. During a spraying step E1, said dielectric fluid is sprayed into said battery box, and more particularly onto the accumulators in order to cool them. Said channel is empty. Consequently, said float is in the second position. The orifice is closed. Thanks to the gravity, said dielectric fluid flows downwards in the third direction X towards the channel, passing through the space between the accumulators and especially without penetrating into the accumulators. During a filling step E2, said dielectric fluid fills said channel. During an opening step E3, the force exerted by the presence of said dielectric fluid in said channel causes said upper part of said float to float. The float therefore rises upwards in the third vertical direction Z. The orifice is then open. During an exit step E4, said dielectric fluid enters said orifice in order to accumulate on said bottom plate. When said channel is empty again, said upper part of the float no longer floats. The float then returns to its second position and closes said orifice again.During an evacuation step E5, said dielectric fluid is evacuated under the action of the cooling circuit pump. The dielectric fluid is therefore cooled before being reintegrated into said battery tray. The presence of said float authorizing or refusing the opening of said orifice makes it possible to avoid losing the priming of said pump when the cooling circuit is not entirely filled with dielectric fluid.

Claims

Claims

1. An electric or hybrid motor vehicle (100) comprising a running gear whose points of contact with the ground define a base plane (XY) defined by a first longitudinal direction (X) corresponding to straight-line travel, and by a second transverse direction (Y) orthogonal to the first longitudinal direction (X) and a third vertical direction (Z) orthogonal to the first longitudinal direction (X) and to the second transverse direction (Y) and is oriented away from the ground, said vehicle (100) comprising a battery tray (1), said battery tray (1) comprising a bottom plate (2) and at least one channel (3), said channel (3) comprising at least one orifice (4) giving access to said bottom plate (2), said battery tray (1) comprising at least two accumulators (5), the battery tray (1) comprising a cooling circuit for circulating a dielectric fluid in said battery tray (1),characterized in that the orifice (4) comprises a float, said float comprising an upper part (6a) and a lower part (6b) in the third direction (Z), said upper part (6a) and said lower part (6b) being connected by a rod (6c), said upper part (6a) comprising a first material having a first density value, said lower part (6b) comprising a second material having a second density value, said first density value being lower than said second density value, said float being capable of having two positions: - a first position in which said fluid circulates in said at least one channel (3), said orifice (4) being open; - a second position in which said at least one channel (3) is empty, said orifice (4) being closed by said float.,

2. Vehicle (100) according to claim 1 characterized in that said orifice (4) has an internal diameter less than 2 cm and said upper part (6a) has a spherical shape whose diameter is between 2.5 cm and 5 cm.

3. Vehicle (100) according to claim 1 characterized in that said upper part (6a) has a semi-spherical shape.

4. Vehicle (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that said lower part (6b) has a cross shape.

5. Vehicle (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that said first material is a polystyrene material.

6. Vehicle (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that said rod comprises a plastic material.

7. Vehicle (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 characterized in that said at least one channel (3) comprises 5 orifices.

8. Method for cooling the accumulators (5) of the battery box (1) of the electric or hybrid motor vehicle (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, said cooling circuit comprising a pump, said accumulators (5) being spaced apart from each other by a space, characterized in that said method comprises the following steps: - a step of spraying (El) said fluid onto said accumulators (5), said dielectric fluid flowing in said space towards said channel (3) in the third direction (Z), said channel (3) being initially empty and said float being in the second position; - a step of filling (E2) said dielectric fluid in said at least one channel (3); - a step of opening (E3) said orifice (4), said float being in the first position; - a step of discharging (E4) said dielectric fluid towards said bottom plate (2);- a step (E5) of evacuating said dielectric fluid to said pump of the cooling circuit.;

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