Cooling device for an electrical arrangement

Abstract

Title: Cooling device for an electrical arrangement Cooling device (2) for an electrical arrangement (1) comprising a support (7) for an electrical component (9), the cooling device (2) being characterized in that the support (7) is hollow so as to delimit an internal volume of the support (7) configured to receive a compressed gas therein, the device (2) being characterized in that it comprises a bus bar (6) associated with a conduit (8) connected to the internal volume intended to be supplied with compressed gas so that a pressure difference exists between the inlet (81) and the outlet (82) of the conduit (8), thus ensuring expansion of the gas. Abstract figure: Figure 5

Description

Title of the invention: Cooling device for an electrical arrangement

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling device for an electrical arrangement, such as an electric battery device, in particular for an electric or hybrid motor vehicle. The invention further relates to an electric or hybrid vehicle equipped with such a cooling device.

[0002] In electric or hybrid vehicles, current electric motorization means use increasingly efficient electric battery devices in order to compete with thermal engines. Conventionally, these battery devices comprise a plurality of electrochemical cells arranged in one or more modules included in at least one housing. These cells can be cylindrical, prismatic or flexible cells.

[0003] In these battery devices, a connection box is generally linked on the one hand to the vehicle's traction system and on the other hand to the charging system. Rapidly recharging the battery of such a device requires a high current, of the order of several hundred amperes. Such power can generate hot spots at the electrical components of the battery device, in particular at the connectors of said components. An excessive rise in temperatures can lead to malfunctions of the electrical circuit, or even damage the electrical components. Cooling of these components then becomes necessary to maintain the temperature of said hot spots below a single predefined value.

[0004] The present invention falls within this context and aims to propose an efficient and economical cooling solution. An objective of the invention is therefore to propose an efficient and economical cooling device which precisely targets the hot spots of the electrical circuit to keep them below a maximum temperature.

[0005] To this end, the invention proposes a cooling device for an electrical arrangement, in particular for a battery device of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle, the cooling device comprising a support for at least one electrical component of the electrical arrangement, the cooling device being characterized in that the support is hollow so as to delimit an internal volume of the support configured to receive a compressed gas therein, the cooling device being characterized in that it further comprises at least one bus bar associated with a conduit connected to the internal volume of the support intended to be supplied with compressed gas by a compression means connected to the internal volume of the support so that a pressure difference exists between an inlet of the conduit and an outlet of the conduit, thus ensuring expansion of the gas.

[0006] According to one embodiment, the support comprises a plurality of hollow blades secured to each other by joining walls and internal walls of the support comprise openings so as to delimit the internal volume of the support.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the conduit is made of an electrically conductive material having a high thermal conductivity, the walls of the conduit form at least one bus bar.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the conduit has at least one helical portion and the helical portion is arranged around an axis.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the at least one bus bar comprises at least one wall and the conduit is fixed on a first face of said wall.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the conduit fixed on a first face of the at least one wall of the bus bar has at least one elbow.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the at least one bus bar comprises a first wall and a second wall intended to be permanently secured to the first wall and at least one of said walls has a recess intended to form or accommodate the at least one conduit so that the conduit is arranged between the first wall and the second wall.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the recess intended to accommodate the at least one conduit has at least one elbow.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the cooling device comprises, among other things, a decantation device.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the cooling device comprises, among other things, a booster.

[0015] The invention further relates to a motor vehicle with an electric or hybrid engine comprising a cooling device as described above.

[0016] The invention further relates to a use of a cooling device as described above, and characterized in that at least a portion of the compressed gas stored inside the internal volume of the support is delivered into the conduit associated with the bus bar so that a pressure difference exists between the inlet of the conduit and the outlet of the conduit, thus ensuring expansion of the gas, this expansion causing a lowering of the temperature of the gas and of the conduit so as to cool the bus bar with which the conduit is associated.

[0017] Other details, characteristics and advantages will emerge more clearly on reading the detailed description given below, for informational and non-limiting purposes, in relation to the various exemplary embodiments illustrated in the following figures:

[0018] [Fig.l] is a schematic representation of an assembly of hollow blades for forming a support for a battery device.

[0019] [Fig.2] is a schematic representation of a battery device.

[0020] [Fig.3] is a detail view of a first embodiment of a system of cooling according to the invention.

[0021] [Fig.4] is another detailed view of the cooling system according to the first embodiment.

[0022] [Fig.5] is a detail view of a battery device equipped with a cooling system according to the first embodiment.

[0023] [Fig.6] illustrates a battery device equipped with a cooling system according to the first embodiment.

[0024] [Fig.7] is a detailed view of a cooling system according to a second embodiment of the invention.

[0025] [Fig.8] is a detail view of a battery device equipped with a cooling system according to the second embodiment.

[0026] [Fig.9] illustrates a battery device equipped with a cooling system according to the second embodiment.

[0027] [Fig. 10] is a detailed view of a third embodiment of a cooling system according to the invention.

[0028] [Fig. 11] is a detailed view of a cooling system according to a third embodiment of the invention.

[0029] [Fig. 12] illustrates a battery device equipped with a cooling system according to the third embodiment.

[0030] In the description below, the terms “first”, “second”, “primary” and “secondary” are intended to distinguish the different elements of the invention and not to establish a hierarchy among them.

[0031] An electrical arrangement 1, such as a battery device for an electric or hybrid vehicle for example, generally comprises several electrical components 11. Such an arrangement 1 generally comprises a support 7 for arranging the various electrical components 11 therein. The support 7 can be used to further arrange therein a cooling device for cooling the hot spots which appear at certain locations of the electrical components 11 when a current with a high intensity flows with a lot of power within said electrical components 11 of the electrical arrangement 1.

[0032] The support 7 is hollow, so as to delimit an internal volume of said support 7 which is then configured to receive a compressed gas therein. Such a support 7 may comprise a set of hollow blades 3 which are secured to each other by joining walls 5 so as to form said flat support 7, as illustrated in the [Fig. 1 ]. The hollow blades 3 may be in the form of extruded metal materials, in particular aluminum, for example. In the example illustrated in [Fig. 1], three separate hollow blades 3 of parallelepipedal and flat shape are arranged side by side and welded together by their joining walls 5. The joining walls 5 designate the longest side walls for each hollow blade 3 considered here.

[0033] Pipes 31 are arranged inside the support 7, for example inside the hollow blades 3, these pipes 31 delimit a part of a fluid circuit configured to accommodate a glycol solution intended to circulate within the support 7 of the electrical arrangement 1. The glycol solution intended to circulate in the pipes 31 makes it possible to cool a part of the electrical components 11 arranged on the support 7. In the example illustrated in [Fig.l], each hollow blade 3 comprises three pipes 31 in the form of a hollow cylinder.

[0034] The hollow blades 3 further comprise internal walls 33 which make it possible to reinforce the structure of said hollow blades 3 in order to provide greater stability to the hollow support 7. As illustrated in [Fig.l], the internal walls 33 are arranged inside the hollow blades 3, between two neighboring pipes 31.

[0035] In all of the embodiments described here, the internal walls 33 of the same hollow blade 3 comprise at least one opening 133. The openings 133 in the internal walls 33 allow communication between the hollow spaces of the hollow blades 3, so as to delimit the internal volume which extends through the entire support 7.

[0036] In other words, the assembly of the hollow blades 3 makes it possible on the one hand to contribute to the establishment of a fluid circuit comprising pipes 31 for the circulation of a glycol solution through the support 7, and on the other hand to delimit the internal volume distinct from said fluid circuit. The internal volume is configured to receive a compressed gas therein. The fluid circuit for the circulation of a glycol solution and the internal volume which serves as a reservoir for receiving a compressed gas therein are thus complementary in the support 7.

[0037] According to one embodiment of the support 7, the short sides of the hollow blades 3 are covered by closing walls 35. These closing walls 35 are notably visible in FIGS. 1 and 2. The closing walls 35 are associated with the hollow blades 3 so as to provide a sealing function for the support 7.

[0038] The closing walls 35 comprise a notch 37 to allow a connection of the pipes 31 to one or more external elements 41 of the circuit to ensure the circulation of the glycol solution. A part of the closing walls 35 further comprises one or more orifices 39 to connect junction pipes 43 which allow the hollow blades 3 to be connected to each other. The ends of a connecting pipe 43 are connected to the orifices 39 of the closing walls 35 arranged on two separate hollow blades 3 secured to each other. In this way, the connecting pipes 43 participate in the delimitation of the internal volume which serves as a reservoir for a compressed gas.

[0039] In [Fig. 2], the external elements 41 are in the form of connectors which are arranged in the notches 37 of the closing walls 35 so as to communicate with the pipes 31 inside the hollow blades 3 for the circulation of the glycol fluid. Furthermore, the junction pipes 43 are also illustrated in this [Fig. 2].

[0040] A compression means 50, such as a compressor for example, is configured to provide a compressed gas intended to be stored in the internal volume of the support 7. Such a compression means 50 may be arranged on one of the hollow blades 3 which form the support 7 for the electrical arrangement 1. The compression means 50 is notably illustrated in [Fig.2]. The compression means 50 may be connected to an air inlet pipe 52 configured to recover air in an environment external to the electrical arrangement. The gas intended to be stored in the internal volume of the support 7 may notably be air. The compression means 50 is also connected to a compressed air outlet pipe 54 configured to provide compressed air inside the internal volume of the support 7.

[0041] The cooling device 2 further comprises at least one bus bar 6 and more particularly a plurality of bus bars 6 which are configured to conduct the electric current. A bus bar 6 generally comprises a conductor made of metallic material, such as copper or aluminum.

[0042] In all of the embodiments described here, each bus bar 6 is associated with a conduit 8 which is connected to the internal volume of the support 7 intended to be supplied with compressed gas. The gas stored inside the internal volume of the support 7 is therefore intended to circulate through the conduit 8. More precisely, a portion of the gas stored inside the internal volume of the support 7 is released at an inlet 81 of each conduit 8. This portion of gas undergoes expansion, so that a pressure difference exists between the inlet 81 of the conduit 8 and an outlet of the conduit 8 associated with the bus bar 6. Such expansion of the gas is accompanied by a lowering of the temperature of the gas in the conduit 8, so as to cool the bus bar 6 with which the conduit 8 is associated.

[0043] The bus bars 6 are arranged at the locations of the electrical arrangement 1 where the formation of hot spots is most likely, in particular at the connectors of the electrical components 11 arranged on the support 7. In this way, the conduits 8 associated with the bus bars 6 make it possible to cool the bus bars 6 and their nearby environment, so as to limit the appearance of hot spots by reducing temperatures at the connectors of electrical components.

[0044] Several embodiments are possible for the design of the at least one bus bar 6 and its association with the conduit 8 connected to the internal volume of the support 7.

[0045] According to a first embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6, the bus bar 6 and the conduit 8 denote two parts of the same piece. In this first embodiment, the conduit 8 is made of an electrically conductive material having a high thermal conductivity and it is the walls of the conduit 8 that form the at least one bus bar 6. In this way, the gas passes inside the conduit 8 while the current flows in the walls of said conduit 8.

[0046] The duct 8 may comprise at least one helical portion 85, as illustrated more particularly in [Fig. 4]. The helical portion 85 of the duct 8 may in particular be arranged around an axis which may in particular be in the form of a straight diabolo bourdin connection, also called a “diabolo” in common language. This axis or diabolo is located at the place where a hot spot forms. In this way, the helical portion 85 of the duct 8 makes it possible to specifically target the place where the hot spot forms, where cooling is necessary. The helical portion 85 of the duct thus makes it possible to increase the efficiency of the cooling device 2.

[0047] A fixing means 9 such as a screw for example can make it possible to fix the axis around which the turns of the helical portion 85 are arranged in the electrical arrangement 1, as illustrated in [Fig.4].

[0048] In the example illustrated in [Fig. 3], each bus bar 6 in the form of a conduit 8 comprises two helical portions 85, which makes it possible to cool two separate hot points with the same bus bar 6.

[0049] In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the cooling device 2 comprises, for example, four bus bars 6 in the form of a conduit 8. Each inlet 81 of a conduit 8 is connected to a feeder block 15 via a pipe 17. The pipes 17 which connect the feeder block 15 to the different bus bars 6 are bent to allow an optimal arrangement. The pipes 17 are electrically insulated, to prevent the electric current from circulating between the feeder 15 and the bus bars 6. In the example illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the pipes 17 have a diameter greater than that of the conduit 8 which serves as a bus bar 6 in the case of the first embodiment.

[0050] [Fig. 6] further illustrates an example of fluid connections between the compression means 50, the internal volume of the support 7 and the feeder block 15 which can be arranged on said support 7, just like figures 9 and 12. In this mode of realization, the feeder block 15 is itself connected to the internal volume of the support 7 by a pipe.

[0051] However, according to an embodiment not illustrated in the figures, each inlet 81 of a conduit 8 can be connected directly to the internal volume of the support 7. This particular arrangement makes it possible to avoid using the manifold 15, which makes it possible to lighten the cooling device 2 while making it more compact. This embodiment also makes it possible to shorten the fluid circuit between the internal volume of the support 7 and the conduit(s) 8.

[0052] According to a third embodiment illustrated in Figures 10, 11 and 12, the at least one bus bar 6 comprises a first wall 61 and a second wall 62 intended to be permanently secured to the first wall 61. In this embodiment, at least one of the two walls 61, 62 has a recess 80 which can form the conduit 8. In this way, the conduit 8 is formed directly in the first wall 61 and the second wall 62 of the bus bar 6 via the recess 80, which makes it possible to lighten the bus bar while presenting an economic advantage. The first wall 61 and the second wall 62 are then welded together in a sealed manner. Alternatively, the recess 80 can serve as a housing to accommodate an added part which then forms the conduit 8, so as to provide additional security in terms of sealing between the first wall 61 and the second wall 62.The wall 61 may have at least one orifice 63 (visible in [Fig. 10]) to allow the insertion of a fixing means, such as a screw for example.

[0053] According to a variant of this third embodiment, each of the two walls 61, 62 comprises a recess 80 which then corresponds to half of conduit 8. In other words, it is the association of the two walls 61, 62 of the bus bar 6 which makes it possible to form the entire recess 80 intended to form directly or, alternatively, to accommodate the conduit 8 associated with this bus bar 6.

[0054] Preferably but optionally, the recess 80 intended to form or, alternatively, to accommodate the at least one conduit 8 has at least one elbow 87. In the example illustrated in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, the recess 80, and by extension the conduit 8, have several elbows 87 which give them a serpentine shape. The serpentine shape makes it possible to increase the contact surface between the conduit 8 and the two walls 61, 62 which form the bus bar 6, which contributes to more efficient cooling.

[0055] Optionally but preferably, the cooling device 2 may comprise a decanting device. The decanting device is configured to extract the water present in the gas in order to reduce its humidity level. In the case where the gas is, for example, air, the decanting device allows thus to dry the air. The conduit(s) 8 are thus supplied with dry air, which limits the circulation of the current in the air. According to a variant, another means of extracting humidity from the air can be envisaged to remove the water in the gas in order to dry it.

[0056] Optionally, the cooling device 2 may comprise a booster arranged downstream of the internal volume of the support 7, the suppressor may in particular be arranged between the internal volume of the support 7 and the manifold 15. A suppressor arranged downstream of the internal volume of the support 7 makes it possible to maintain a relatively low pressure inside said internal volume, then to increase the pressure towards the manifold 15 and towards the bus bar(s) 6. In this way, it is possible to opt for a less powerful and potentially less bulky compression means 50, which can leave more space in the arrangement of the compression means 50 and the booster within the cooling device 2.

[0057] Thanks to this cooling device 2, it is possible to maintain the temperature of an electrical arrangement below a given threshold. Thus, in the case where an electric or hybrid motor vehicle comprises a battery device equipped with such a cooling device 2, it is possible to use said cooling device 2 to cool the electrical components of said battery device in order to prevent an excessive rise in temperatures and to prevent a malfunction of the electrical components.

[0058] During use of the cooling device 2, in particular in the case of rapid recharging of the battery of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle, at least a portion of the compressed gas stored inside the internal volume of the support 7 is delivered into the conduit 8 associated with the bus bar so that a pressure difference exists between the inlet 81 of the conduit 8 and the outlet 82 of the conduit 8, thus ensuring expansion of the gas. This expansion of the gas causes a lowering of the temperature of the gas and of the conduit 8 so as to cool the bus bar 6 with which the conduit 8 is associated.

[0059] Such a cooling device 2 can be used to cool various electrical arrangements. In other words, the use of this cooling device 2 is not limited to an application in the automotive field and other application frameworks can be envisaged.

Claims

Claims

1. Cooling device (2) for an electrical arrangement (1), in particular for a battery device of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle, the cooling device (2) comprising a support (7) for at least one electrical component (9) of the electrical arrangement (1), the cooling device (2) being characterized in that the support (7) is hollow so as to delimit an internal volume of the support (7) configured to receive a compressed gas therein, the cooling device (2) being characterized in that it further comprises at least one bus bar (6) associated with a conduit (8) connected to the internal volume of the support (7) intended to be supplied with compressed gas by a compression means (50) connected to the internal volume of the support (7) so that a pressure difference exists between an inlet (81) of the conduit (8) and an outlet (82) of the conduit (8), thus ensuring expansion of the gas.

2. Cooling device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the support (7) comprises a plurality of hollow blades (3) interconnected by joining walls (5) and characterized in that internal walls (33) of the support (7) have openings (133) so as to delimit the internal volume of the support (7).

3. Cooling device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conduit (8) is made of an electrically conductive material having a high thermal conductivity and in that the walls of the conduit (8) form the at least one bus bar (6).

4. Cooling device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the conduit (8) has at least one helical portion (85) and in that the helical portion (85) is arranged around an axis (9).

5. Cooling device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one bus bar (6) comprises at least one wall (61), and characterized in that the conduit (8) is fixed on a first face of said wall (61).

6. Cooling device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the conduit (8) fixed on a first face of the at least one wall (61) of the bus bar (6) has at least one bend (87).

7. Cooling device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one bus bar (6) comprises a first wall (61) and a second wall (62) intended to be permanently secured to the first wall (61), and characterized in that at least one of said walls (61, 62) has a recess (80) intended to form or accommodate the at least one conduit (8) so that the conduit (8) is arranged between the first wall (61) and the second wall (62).

8. Cooling device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the recess (80) intended to accommodate the at least one conduit (8) has at least one elbow (87).

9. Cooling device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises, among other things, a decantation device.

10. Cooling device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises, among other things, a booster.

11. Motor vehicle (1) with electric or hybrid motorization comprising a cooling device (2) according to one of claims 1 to 10.

12. Use of a cooling device (2) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that at least a portion of the compressed gas stored inside the internal volume of the support (7) is delivered into the conduit (8) associated with the bus bar so that a pressure difference exists between the inlet (81) of the conduit (8) and the outlet (82) of the conduit (8), thus ensuring an expansion of the gas, this expansion causing a lowering of the temperature of the gas and of the conduit (8) so as to cool the bus bar (6) with which the conduit (8) is associated.

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