Supply module

Abstract

To provide a supply module for a fluid circuit through which a cooling fluid for liquid immersion cooling of a vehicle battery can flow.SOLUTION: In a supply module (1), a fluid compensation container (2) and an air compensation container (3) are formed in a single common housing (4).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a supply module for a fluid circuit through which a cooling fluid for immersion cooling of a battery of a vehicle can flow, according to the preamble of claim 1 .

[0002] A vehicle battery may be immersion-cooled with a cooling fluid, e.g., oil, in a fluid circuit. In this case, this cooling fluid must be temperature-conditioned, dried, and filtered within the fluid circuit. Furthermore, it is necessary to compensate for the fill level of the cooling fluid based on volume changes due to temperature and / or aging. To achieve these functions, the fluid circuit typically includes a fluid compensation vessel, an air compensation vessel, a heat exchanger, a dehumidifier, a fluid filter, and a fluid pump. In this case, the individual elements of the fluid circuit must be fluidly connected to one another via hoses, which is time-consuming. This results in multiple hydraulic interfaces that must be inspected and maintained. Furthermore, the fluid circuit places high demands on space.

[0003] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a supply module which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks.

[0004] This problem is solved according to the invention by the subject matter of independent claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0005] The invention is based on the general idea of integrating a fluid pump, a plate heat exchanger, a fluid compensation vessel, an air compensation vessel and a dehumidifier into one module.

[0006] The supply module according to the present invention is provided or designed for a fluid circuit through which a cooling fluid for immersion cooling of a vehicle battery can flow. The cooling fluid may be, in particular, a liquid, such as oil. The supply module has a fluid compensation container for compensating for volume changes of the cooling fluid in the fluid circuit and an air compensation container for accommodating air. In this case, the fluid compensation container is air-connected to the air compensation container to compensate for pressure differences resulting from different filling levels of the cooling fluid in the fluid compensation container. The supply module has a common housing for the fluid compensation container and the air compensation container. The fluid compensation container and the air compensation container are molded into the housing and are defined externally by the housing.

[0007] In the supply module according to the invention, the fluid compensation vessel and the air compensation vessel are molded into one common housing, which allows for a space-saving design. This allows the supply module to have a high integration range and to be arranged in a space-saving manner within the fluid circuit. Furthermore, the assembly, maintenance and inspection range at the customer's site can be reduced.

[0008] The fluid compensation container may be formed by a first section of the housing, which defines a first chamber for accommodating a cooling fluid from the outside. The air compensation container may be formed by a second section of the housing, which defines a second chamber for accommodating air from the outside. The housing sections may be molded in one piece or may merge into one another in an integral manner. In other words, the two sections may be inseparable from one another. The two chambers may be fluidically separated from one another inside the housing. The air conducting connection between the fluid compensation container and the air compensation container may be realized inside the housing or directly in the housing, which makes it possible to reduce the space required for the supply module and the number of hydraulic interfaces compared to conventional solutions.

[0009] In one possible embodiment of the supply module, the housing may have an upper part and a lower part. In this case, the upper part and the lower part may be molded separately from each other and connected to each other in a fluid-tight manner. In particular, the upper part and the lower part may be welded to each other. The upper part and the lower part may be molded or form both of the above-mentioned sections of the housing together. In this case, the air compensation container may be molded into the upper part, and the fluid compensation container may be molded partly into the upper part of the housing and partly into the lower part of the housing. This configuration of the housing can simplify the production of the housing or the fluid compensation container and the air compensation container.

[0010] In one possible embodiment of the supply module, the fluid compensation container may be divided into a working chamber for receiving the cooling fluid and an overflow chamber for receiving excess cooling fluid from the receiving chamber. In this case, the working chamber may be fluidly connected to the overflow chamber such that the cooling fluid can reach the overflow chamber from the working chamber but cannot reach the working chamber from the overflow chamber. The overflow chamber may receive excess cooling fluid that occurs in the fluid circuit due to battery degradation. In this case, the fluid compensation container or the first chamber is fluidly connected to the supply module and / or other elements of the fluid circuit via the working chamber.

[0011] In one possible embodiment of the supply module, the supply module can have a fluid pump for pumping the cooling fluid in the fluid circuit. In this case, the fluid pump can be directly fastened to the housing and fluidly connected to the fluid compensation container. The fluid pump can be screwed to the housing, for example. This configuration of the supply module allows the fluid pump to be arranged in a space-saving manner in the housing, which in turn reduces the space required for the fluid pump in the fluid circuit as a whole.

[0012] The fluid pump may have a volute housing for accommodating the pump wheel of the fluid pump. In this case, the volute housing may be molded in one piece with the housing or inseparably therefrom. In particular, the volute housing of the fluid pump may be molded integrally with the housing by injection molding. This allows a particularly compact design of the supply module to be achieved.

[0013] The inlet of the volute housing of the fluid pump can be fluidly connected to the fluid compensation container directly or via an inlet channel molded into the common housing. In other words, no additional connecting elements, such as hoses or pipes, can be arranged between the inlet of the volute housing and the housing. If the volute housing is molded in one piece or inseparably with the housing, the inlet of the volute housing can be molded, for example by injection molding, around the assigned outlet of the fluid compensation container. This configuration reduces the number of hydraulic interfaces in the supply module. Assembly and maintenance efforts can also be reduced accordingly.

[0014] The outlet of the volute housing of the fluid pump may be directly fluidly connected to the inlet of a heat exchanger fixed directly to the housing. In other words, no additional connecting elements, such as hoses or pipes, may be arranged between the outlet of the volute housing and the heat exchanger. This configuration makes it possible to reduce the number of hydraulic interfaces, particularly in the supply module, and thus to reduce the assembly and maintenance effort.

[0015] In one possible embodiment of the supply module, the supply module may comprise a heat exchanger for cooling the cooling fluid in the fluid circuit. This heat exchanger may in particular be a plate heat exchanger. The heat exchanger may be directly fixed to the housing and fluidly connected to the fluid compensation vessel. The heat exchanger may also be, for example, screwed to the housing. As will be explained in more detail below, the heat exchanger may also be fluidly connected to the fluid compensation vessel indirectly via the aforementioned fluid pump. This configuration of the supply module allows for a space-saving arrangement of the heat exchanger in the housing and, overall, reduces the space required for the heat exchanger in the fluid circuit.

[0016] In one possible embodiment of the supply module, the supply module can have a fluid filter for filtering the cooling fluid in the fluid circuit. The fluid filter can be arranged in or adjacent to the fluid compensation vessel and can be fluidly connected to this fluid compensation vessel. If the supply module has a fluid pump, the fluid filter can be connected downstream of the fluid pump on the discharge side or upstream of the fluid pump on the suction side. This allows the fluid filter to be arranged in a particularly space-saving manner and also reduces the number of hydraulic interfaces in the supply module. This correspondingly reduces the assembly and maintenance effort.

[0017] In one possible embodiment of the supply module, the supply module may have a dehumidifier for absorbing water contained in the cooling fluid. In this case, the dehumidifier may be arranged in or adjacent to the fluid compensation vessel and fluidly connected to the fluid compensation vessel. If the supply module has a fluid pump, the dehumidifier may be connected downstream of the fluid pump on the discharge side or upstream of the fluid pump on the suction side. The dehumidifier particularly absorbs water present in the cooling fluid and thereby dries the cooling fluid. By arranging the dehumidifier in the fluid compensation vessel, the supply module can be arranged in a particularly space-saving manner. Furthermore, the number of hydraulic interfaces in the supply module can be reduced, which correspondingly reduces the assembly and maintenance effort.

[0018] As already mentioned above, the supply module may be provided with a plurality of further elements in addition to the fluid compensation vessel and the air compensation vessel. These elements may be fluidly connected to the fluid compensation vessel and to each other. If the supply module has, for example, a fluid pump, this fluid pump may be fluidly connected downstream of the fluid compensation vessel. In this case, further elements may be fluidly connected upstream or downstream of the fluid pump. If the supply module has a heat exchanger, this heat exchanger may be fluidly connected downstream of the fluid compensation vessel. If the supply module has a fluid pump and a heat exchanger, the fluid pump may be fluidly connected downstream of the fluid compensation vessel, and the heat exchanger may be fluidly connected downstream of the fluid pump. If the supply module has a dehumidifier and a fluid pump, this fluid pump may be fluidly connected downstream of the fluid compensation vessel, and a fluid filter may be fluidly connected downstream or upstream of the fluid pump. If the supply module includes a fluid filter and a fluid pump, the fluid pump may be fluidly connected downstream of the fluid compensation vessel, and the dehumidifier may be fluidly connected downstream or upstream of the fluid pump. If the supply module includes a dehumidifier and a fluid filter, the dehumidifier may be fluidly connected upstream of the fluid filter.

[0019] In one possible embodiment of the supply module, the air compensation container may have an air inlet channel leading from the outside into the air compensation container and an air outlet channel leading from the air compensation container to the outside. In this case, the supply module may have an air dryer and / or a valve fluidly connected downstream of the air inlet channel. Alternatively or additionally, the supply module may have a hydrocarbon separator and / or a valve fluidly connected upstream of the air outlet channel. The air inlet channel and the air outlet channel can compensate for the pressure difference inside the air compensation container.

[0020] Further important features and advantages of the invention emerge from the dependent claims, the drawings and the corresponding description of the drawings based on the drawings.

[0021] Naturally, the features mentioned above and those further described below can be used not only in the combinations described respectively, but also in other combinations or alone, without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0022] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the drawings and will be explained in detail in the following description, wherein like reference numerals refer to identical or similar or functionally identical elements. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a supply module according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of a fluid circuit with a supply module according to the invention;

[0024] 1 shows a diagram of a supply module 1 according to the invention in a first embodiment, which is provided or designed for a fluid circuit 12 (see FIG. 2) through which a cooling fluid for immersion cooling of a vehicle battery can flow. In the first embodiment, the supply module 1 comprises a fluid compensation container 2 and an air compensation container 3 which are molded in a common housing 4 of the supply module 1.

[0025] In this case, the fluid compensation container 2 is formed by a first section 4a of the housing 4, which defines a first chamber 5a for receiving a cooling fluid from the outside. The fluid compensation container 2 or the first chamber 5a is divided into a working chamber 2a and an overflow chamber 2b. The overflow chamber 2b is fluidly connected to the working chamber 2a so that the cooling fluid can flow from the working chamber 2a to the overflow chamber 2b and not backflow. The overflow chamber 2b can receive excess cooling fluid that occurs in the fluid circuit 12 (see FIG. 2 ) due to battery degradation. In this case, the fluid compensation container 2 or the first chamber 5a is fluidly connected to the supply module 1 and / or other elements of the fluid circuit 12 via the working chamber 2a.

[0026] The air compensation container 3 is formed by the second section 4b of the housing 4, which defines a second chamber 5b for accommodating air. The two sections 4a, 4b of the housing 4 are molded integrally or inseparably with one another. The air compensation container 3 can be connected to the surroundings via an air inlet 16a and an air outlet 16b (see FIG. 2). The supply module 1 can also have an air dryer for the air inlet 16a and / or a hydrocarbon separator for the air outlet 16b. The air flowing in via the air inlet 16a can be dried in the dryer, and / or the air flowing out via the air outlet 16b can have hydrocarbons separated in the hydrocarbon separator. Furthermore, the supply module 1 can have a valve connected downstream of the air inlet 16a and / or a valve connected upstream of the air outlet 16b for closing and / or opening the air inlet 16a and the air outlet 16b.

[0027] The housing 4 further comprises a lower part 6a and an upper part 6b, which are fluid-tightly connected, for example welded, to one another. The fluid compensation container 2 or first chamber 5a is molded partly into the lower part 6a and partly into the upper part 6b. In this case, the air compensation container 3 or second chamber 5b is molded into the upper part 6b. The housing 4 further comprises a cover 6c in the upper part 6b that closes the second chamber 5b. The housing 4 may be molded, for example, from plastic.

[0028] The fluid compensation vessel 2 or the first chamber 5a and the air compensation vessel 3 or the second chamber 5b are fluid-tightly separated from one another within the housing 4 and are fluidly connected exclusively via a conduit 7. The conduit 7 is molded into the housing 4 or is molded into one piece with the housing 4. Via the conduit 7, pressure differences resulting from different filling levels of the cooling fluid in the fluid compensation vessel 2 can be compensated for by air from the air compensation vessel 3. The conduit 7 also fluidly connects the working chamber 2a and the overflow chamber 2b. This allows excess cooling fluid to flow from the working chamber 2a through the conduit 7 into the overflow chamber 2b and then into the second chamber 5b or the air compensation vessel 3. In this case, excess cooling fluid may build up in the fluid circuit 12 (see FIG. 2 ) due to deterioration of the battery 13. Over time, the battery cells of the battery 13 expand, continually displacing the cooling fluid. This excess cooling fluid can then be stored in the overflow chamber 2b and can be allowed to flow down during operation or removed from the fluid circuit 12 as required.

[0029] The supply module 1 further comprises a fluid pump 8 that is directly fastened to the housing 4. For this purpose, the fluid pump 8 may be screwed to the housing 4, for example. Alternatively, the fluid pump may have a spiral housing that is integrally injection-molded into the housing 4. In this case, the fluid pump 8 is fluidly connected to the fluid compensation vessel 2 or to the working chamber 2a of the fluid compensation vessel 2. The hydraulic interface 9 between the fluid pump 8 and the housing 4 may be sealed against the outside, for example by an O-ring seal or a molded seal. The supply module 1 further comprises a heat exchanger 10 that is directly fastened to the housing 4. For this purpose, the heat exchanger 10 may be screwed to the housing 4, for example. In the illustrated embodiment, the heat exchanger 10 is a plate heat exchanger. The supply module 1 may further comprise a dehumidifier and / or a fluid filter, which may be arranged inside the fluid compensation vessel 2, the first chamber 5a, or the working chamber 2a, or in the fluid compensation vessel 2.

[0030] 2 shows a diagram of a fluid circuit 12 with a supply module 1 according to the invention, which in this case also comprises a vehicle immersion-cooled battery 13 in addition to the supply module 1. In this figure, the flow of cooling fluid is indicated by solid arrows and the flow of air by dashed arrows. The cooling fluid may in particular be a coolant, for example oil.

[0031] The supply module 1 comprises a fluid compensation vessel 2, an air compensation vessel 3, a fluid pump 8, a heat exchanger 10, a fluid filter 14, and a dehumidifier 15. In the supply module 1, the fluid pump 8 is connected downstream of the fluid compensation vessel 2 and is fluidly connected to the working chamber 2a of the fluid compensation vessel 2 via an inlet line 11. Furthermore, the heat exchanger 10 is fluidly connected downstream of the fluid pump 8, the dehumidifier 15 is fluidly connected downstream of the heat exchanger 10, and the fluid filter 14 is fluidly connected downstream of the dehumidifier 15. Alternatively, the dehumidifier 15 may be arranged inside the fluid compensation vessel 2 and fluidly connected upstream of this fluid compensation vessel 2.

[0032] In the fluid circuit 12, the cooling fluid is pumped by the fluid pump 8. In this case, the cooling fluid flows in the main circuit HK via the fluid pump 8, the heat exchanger 10, the dehumidifier 15, the fluid filter 145, and the battery 13. When the volume of the cooling fluid in the main circuit HK changes, this cooling fluid can flow out from the main circuit HK via the sub-circuit NK into the working chamber 2a of the fluid compensation container 2, or from the working chamber 2a via the inlet channel 11 into the main circuit HK.

[0033] In this case, the working chamber 2a is fluidly connected to the air compensation container 3, so that the air in the air compensation container 3 can compensate for the pressure difference in the working chamber 2a. For this purpose, the air compensation container 3 is connected to the surroundings for air exchange via the air inlet channel 16a and the air outlet channel 16b, as already mentioned above. Furthermore, the working chamber 2a is fluidly connected to the overflow chamber 2b, which in this case can accommodate excess cooling fluid from the working chamber 2a, as already mentioned above. In this case, this excess cooling fluid can be discharged to the outside via the outlet channel 17 during operation.

Claims

1. A supply module (1) for a fluid circuit (12) through which a cooling fluid can flow for immersion cooling of a battery (13) of a vehicle, comprising: The supply module (1) comprises a fluid compensation vessel (2) for compensating for volume changes of the cooling fluid in the fluid circuit (12) and an air compensation vessel (3) for accommodating air, The fluid compensation vessel (2) is connected to the air compensation vessel (3) through an air guide in order to compensate for pressure differences caused by different filling levels of the cooling fluid in the fluid compensation vessel (2), The supply module (1) has one common housing (4) for the fluid compensation vessel (2) and the air compensation vessel (3), The fluid compensation vessel (2) and the air compensation vessel (3) are molded into the housing (4) and are defined to the outside by the housing (4). Supply module (1).

2. the fluid compensation vessel (2) is formed by a first section (4a) of the housing (4) which defines a first chamber (5a) for containing the cooling fluid to the outside, the air compensation container (3) is formed by a second section (4b) of the housing (4) which defines a second chamber (5b) for accommodating air relative to the outside, The first section (4a) of the housing (4) and the second section (4b) of the housing (4) merge into one another in an integral manner. Supply module (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises:

3. The housing (4) has a lower portion (6a) and an upper portion (6b), the lower portion (4a) and the upper portion (4b) being molded separately from each other and connected to each other in a fluid-tight manner; the fluid compensation vessel (2) is molded partly in the lower part (6a) of the housing (4) and partly in the upper part (6b) of the housing (4); The air compensation vessel (3) is molded into the upper part (6b) Supply module (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is

4. The fluid compensation vessel (2) is divided into a working chamber (2a) for receiving the cooling fluid from the fluid circuit (12) and an overflow chamber (2b) for receiving excess cooling fluid from the receiving chamber (2a), The working chamber (2a) is connected to the overflow chamber (2b) in such a way that the cooling fluid can pass from the working chamber (2a) into the overflow chamber (2b) but cannot pass from the overflow chamber (2b) into the working chamber (2a). Supply module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises:

5. The supply module (1) comprises a fluid pump (8) for pumping the cooling fluid in the fluid circuit (12), The fluid pump (8) is directly fixed to the housing (4) and is fluidly connected to the fluid compensation vessel (2). Supply module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is

6. The fluid pump (8) has a volute housing for accommodating a pump wheel of the fluid pump (8), The volute housing is molded in one piece with the housing (4) Supply module (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that it

7. the inlet of the volute housing of the fluid pump (8) fluidly opens into the fluid compensation vessel (2) either directly or via an inlet channel (11) molded into the housing (4); and / or The outlet of the volute housing of the fluid pump (8) is in direct fluid communication with the inlet of a heat exchanger (10) fixed directly to the housing (4). Supply module (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that it is

8. The supply module (1) comprises a heat exchanger (10) for cooling the cooling fluid in the fluid circuit (12), The heat exchanger (10) is directly fixed to the housing (4) and is fluidly connected to the fluid compensation vessel (2). Supply module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it is

9. The supply module (1) comprises a fluid filter (14) for filtering the cooling fluid in the fluid circuit (12), The fluid filter (14) is arranged in or in contact with the fluid compensation vessel (2) and is fluidly connected to the fluid compensation vessel (2). Supply module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it is

10. The supply module (1) comprises a dehumidifier (15) for absorbing water contained in the cooling fluid, The dehumidifier (15) is arranged in or adjacent to the fluid compensation vessel (2) and is fluidly connected to the fluid compensation vessel (2). Supply module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it is

11. the supply module (1) comprises a fluid pump (8) which is fluidly connected downstream of the fluid compensation vessel (2); and / or the supply module (1) comprises a heat exchanger (10) which is fluidly connected downstream of the fluid compensation vessel (2); and / or the supply module (1) comprises a fluid pump (8) and a heat exchanger (10), the fluid pump (8) being fluidly connected downstream of the fluid compensation vessel (2) and the heat exchanger (10) being fluidly connected downstream of the fluid pump (8); and / or the supply module (1) comprises a fluid filter (14) and a fluid pump (8), the fluid pump (8) being fluidly connected downstream of the fluid compensation vessel (2), the fluid filter (14) being fluidly connected downstream or upstream of the fluid pump (8); and / or the supply module (1) comprises a dehumidifier (15) and a fluid pump (8), the fluid pump (8) being fluidly connected downstream of the fluid compensation vessel (2), the dehumidifier (15) being fluidly connected downstream or upstream of the fluid pump (8); and / or The supply module (1) comprises a fluid filter (14) and a dehumidifier (15), the dehumidifier (15) being fluidly connected upstream of the fluid filter (14). Supply module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it is

12. The air compensation container (3) has an air inlet passage (16a) leading from the outside into the air compensation container (3) and an air outlet passage (16b) leading from the air compensation container (3) to the outside, The supply module (1) has an air dryer and / or a valve fluidly connected downstream of the air inlet (16a) and / or a hydrocarbon separator and / or a valve fluidly connected upstream of the air outlet (16b). Supply module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it is

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