Storage container for temporarily storing temperature control agent

Abstract

To provide a storage container containing a temperature control agent and a temperature control assembly.SOLUTION: A storage container 1 includes a housing 2 enclosing a housing interior 3 for allowing a temperature control agent T to flow therethrough for intermediate storage; a fluid inlet 5 arranged in the housing and having an inlet opening 4 and introducing the temperature control agent into a housing interior; a fluid outlet 7 also arranged in the housing 2 and having an outlet opening 6 and discharging the temperature control agent from the housing interior; a housing opening 8 arranged in the housing and allowing the housing interior to fluidically communicate with an outer periphery 9 of the housing; and a closing element 10 closing the housing opening and therefore for being arranged within the housing opening. In a state of being arranged within the housing opening, the closing element closes the housing opening in a fluid-tight manner, and a drying device 11 for absorbing moisture from the temperature control agent present in the housing interior is arranged within the housing interior in the state in which the closing element is arranged within the housing opening.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage container for temporarily storing a temperature-regulating medium and to a temperature-regulating assembly comprising such a storage container.

[0002] The vehicle battery may be immersion cooled in a temperature-regulating circuit with a temperature-regulating medium, for example, oil. To remove unwanted moisture from this temperature-regulating medium, it is known to incorporate a desiccant-containing drying device in the temperature-regulating circuit, which is capable of absorbing and storing the moisture present in the temperature-regulating medium. In conventional temperature-regulating circuits, such a drying device is included, for example, in a filter device also present in the temperature-regulating circuit, which separates contaminant particles and the like from the temperature-regulating medium.

[0003] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a new method for developing a solution for improving the drying of a temperature control medium, which results in reduced pressure losses in the temperature control medium, in particular for temperature control circuits.

[0004] This problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0005] The basic idea of the invention is therefore to provide a drying device as described above which absorbs moisture from the temperature-conditioning medium in a storage container for storing the temperature-conditioning medium, arranged in the temperature-conditioning circuit, such a storage container being able to store a significant amount of temperature-conditioning medium in order to compensate for the temperature-induced volume expansion of the cooling system.

[0006] Since such a storage vessel requires more construction space than the filter device described at the beginning, a drying device can be integrated into the storage vessel, which in turn causes a relatively low pressure loss in the temperature-control medium, which is in any case significantly lower than in the case of arranging the drying device in the filter device, which has been used up to now.As a result, the solution according to the invention described above makes it possible to achieve effective drying of the temperature-control medium and at the same time a low pressure loss.

[0007] In accordance with the above-described inventive concept, a storage container for a temperature-regulating medium according to the present invention includes a housing enclosing a housing interior through which the temperature-regulating medium can flow and for temporarily storing the temperature-regulating medium. The temperature-regulating medium may be, in particular, oil. A temperature-regulating medium known to those skilled in the art under the designation "Mobil Therm Elite" is particularly considered as a temperature-regulating medium or oil for a temperature-regulating circuit. When the storage container is arranged in the temperature-regulating circuit, the temperature-regulating medium contained in the housing interior can be directly used for flowing through the temperature-regulating circuit. That is, in this case, the housing interior is directly integrated into the temperature-regulating circuit. To enable the storage container to be integrated into the temperature-regulating circuit, the storage container includes a fluid inlet arranged on the housing and having an inlet opening, through which the temperature-regulating medium can be introduced into the housing interior. Furthermore, the storage container includes a fluid outlet arranged on the housing and having an outlet opening, through which the temperature-regulating medium can be removed from the housing interior.

[0008] The storage container further comprises a housing opening disposed in the housing and fluidically connecting the housing interior with the outer periphery of the housing. That is, the housing opening is formed in the housing in addition to the inlet and outlet openings. The storage container further comprises a closing element for closing the housing opening and thus for being disposed within the housing opening. When disposed within the housing opening, the closing element closes the housing opening in a fluid-tight manner. According to the present invention, a drying device is disposed in the closing element for absorbing moisture from the temperature-regulating medium present in the housing interior.

[0009] The drying device is arranged in the housing interior as a closing element arranged in the housing opening. The drying device can thus dehumidify the temperature-control medium present in or flowing through the housing interior. Due to the relatively large volume of the housing interior, in particular compared to the filter device mentioned at the beginning, the drying device causes only a small pressure reduction in the temperature-control medium.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the drying device is configured to allow a temperature-regulating medium to flow through it, which allows for an effective interaction of the desiccant present in the drying device with the temperature-regulating medium to be dehumidified.

[0011] Particularly preferably, the drying device can be partially accommodated in a receptacle in the housing interior that is in fluid communication with the outlet opening, so that the temperature-regulating medium flowing through the housing interior necessarily flows through the drying device before reaching the outlet opening, thereby ensuring that each temperature-regulating medium that flows into the storage container is dehumidified by the drying device, thereby achieving particularly effective drying of the temperature-regulating medium.

[0012] In an advantageous refinement of the storage container according to the invention, the receiving portion can be configured as an opening collar that projects inward from the housing into the housing interior and from the inlet opening, into which the drying device can be partially pushed or is pushed in. This allows the drying device to be stably fixed in the housing interior. This has proven to be particularly advantageous when the storage container, including the drying device, is used in motor vehicles, which may be exposed to considerable external forces, in particular in the form of mechanical bumps and impacts.

[0013] According to another advantageous refinement, the closure element can also be designed as a closure screw that can be screwed into the housing opening. This variant is technically simple and therefore inexpensive to implement.

[0014] Particularly preferably, the drying device and the housing opening can be arranged in the housing interior or on the housing and adapted to one another so that the drying device projects from the closing element into the housing interior when the closing element is accommodated in the housing opening. In this case, the drying device can act on a temperature-regulating medium stored in or flowing through the housing interior. This embodiment also proves to be space-saving, since no additional space is required for arranging the drying means.

[0015] In another preferred embodiment, the inlet opening and the housing opening can be arranged in a first housing wall of the housing. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outlet opening is arranged in a second housing wall opposite the first housing wall. This ensures that most of the temperature-regulating medium present in the storage container, and ideally all of the temperature-regulating medium present in the housing interior, also participates in the flow of the temperature-regulating circuit in which the storage container is arranged.

[0016] In a further preferred embodiment, the drying device is elongated and extends along a longitudinal direction away from the first housing wall towards the second housing wall, wherein the longitudinal extension of the drying device measured along the longitudinal direction is at least three times its transverse extension measured perpendicular to the longitudinal extension.

[0017] Such a configuration requires that the temperature-regulating medium circulating in the temperature-regulating circuit must flow through at least the volume of the housing interior that exists between both housing walls, which increases the probability of interaction with the desiccant present in the drying device.

[0018] A further embodiment of the storage container according to the invention has proven particularly advantageous in that, in the preferred use position of the storage container with respect to the direction of gravity, the first housing wall forms the upper surface of the housing and the second housing wall forms the lower surface of the housing, thereby ensuring that air, which is lighter than the temperature-regulating medium and therefore arranged above the temperature-regulating medium in the housing interior, is prevented from reaching the temperature-regulating circuit via the outlet.

[0019] In a further advantageous refinement, the drying device comprises a covering permeable to the temperature-regulating medium, which surrounds the desiccant, absorbing the moisture contained therein. A drying device constructed in this way is particularly easy to implement technically and therefore inexpensive to manufacture. In particular, granular desiccants, particularly preferably zeolites, molecular sieves or silica gel, may be used.

[0020] Particularly preferably, the covering may consist of or contain a flexible material, and particularly preferably, the covering may be formed by a bag made of a textile material, in particular polyester, polyoxymethylene or polyamide, or by a fine mesh sieve made in particular of polyester, polyoxymethylene, polyamide or stainless steel.

[0021] It is particularly preferred if the drying device is firmly connected to the closure element, which facilitates "handling" of the drying device and the closure screw by the operator.

[0022] According to another advantageous refinement, the drying device is configured as a cartridge with a cartridge housing permeable to the temperature-regulating medium, detachable from the closure element or the closure screw, in which a desiccant is arranged so that it is in contact with the temperature-regulating medium flowing around the drying device and can thus absorb moisture from the temperature-regulating medium. By configuring it as a cartridge, it is possible to replace the drying device, for example, when the moisture absorption capacity of the desiccant is exhausted. In this case, the cartridge can be easily replaced with a replacement cartridge. To do this, it is sufficient to remove the closure element or the closure screw from the housing opening and then remove the cartridge from the closure element or the closure screw. The replacement cartridge, together with the pressure means that is not exhausted, is then fastened to the closure element or the closure screw and assembled to the housing together with the closure element or the closure screw.

[0023] Particularly preferably, the drying device is releasably fastened to the closure element by means of a bayonet closure, which is technically simple to realize and allows for simple attachment and detachment of the drying device, especially when the drying device is configured as a cartridge.

[0024] According to an advantageous refinement, the bayonet closure is provided with a preloading element, in particular a compression spring, for fixing the drying device in the closing element. The preloading element or compression spring compresses the desiccant and prevents friction between the desiccant elements, thereby preventing wear and the generation of dirt.

[0025] The present invention further relates to a temperature regulation assembly for regulating the temperature of a component. The temperature regulation assembly according to the present invention comprises a temperature regulation circuit through which a temperature regulation medium can circulate, in particular during operation. The component to be regulated is also arranged in this temperature regulation circuit, so that heat can be transferred between this component and the temperature regulation medium. The temperature regulation assembly further comprises a pumping device, in particular in the form of a fluid or oil pump, for driving the temperature regulation medium in the temperature regulation circuit. According to the present invention, a storage container as described above and therefore according to the present invention is arranged in the temperature regulation circuit for temporarily storing the temperature regulation medium. The aforementioned advantages of the storage container according to the present invention therefore also apply to the temperature regulation assembly according to the present invention.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment of the temperature regulation assembly according to the invention, the component to be temperature regulated is or comprises an electric battery, in particular of a motor vehicle, or is or comprises a fuel cell system with at least one fuel cell, which fuel cell system, or alternatively a stationary fuel cell system, may also be part of the motor vehicle.

[0027] Particularly preferably, the component to be temperature-controlled can be arranged in the temperature-control circuit so that it can be directly circulated by the temperature-control medium. This type of temperature control or cooling is known as "immersion cooling" and allows particularly efficient temperature control or cooling of the component.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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]

[0031] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example of a storage container according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a broadly schematic circuit diagram of an example of a temperature regulation circuit according to the present invention;

[0032] 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a storage container 1 according to the invention, for example for temporarily storing a temperature-regulating medium T. The storage container 1 comprises a housing 2 which encloses a housing interior 3 for containing the temperature-regulating medium T, through which the temperature-regulating medium T can flow. The storage container 1 further comprises a fluid inlet 5 arranged on the housing 2 and having an inlet opening 4 for introducing the temperature-regulating medium T into the housing interior 3. The storage container 1 further comprises a fluid outlet 7, also arranged on the housing 2, having an outlet opening 6 for removing the temperature-regulating medium T from the housing interior 3.

[0033] 1, the inlet opening 4 and the housing opening 8 are arranged in a first housing wall 15a of the housing 2. In contrast, the outlet opening 6 is arranged in a second housing wall 15b of the housing 2 opposite the first housing wall 15a. Preferably, the first housing wall 15a forms an upper surface 16 of the housing 2 in the preferred use position of the storage container 1 with respect to the direction of gravity G, whereas the second housing wall 15b forms a lower surface 17 of the housing 2.

[0034] As can be seen in FIG. 1 , the temperature-regulating medium T is located in the lower region of the housing interior 3 due to gravity. In the illustrated use position of the storage container 1, air L may be arranged in the housing interior 3 above the temperature-regulating medium T as a compensation volume (see FIG. 1 ). This air L may be compressed by the temperature-regulating medium T when the temperature-regulating medium T expands, for example, due to temperature. To ensure that the air L remains in the housing interior 3 of the storage container 1 and does not leave the storage container 1 via the outlet 6, the outlet 6 is arranged on the underside 17 of the housing 2. Correspondingly, as shown in FIG. 1 , a tube piece 31 may protrude from the housing opening 5 or the inlet 4 into the housing interior 3, via which the temperature-regulating medium T is supplied to the region 32 of the housing interior 3 that is located below the air L and is filled with the temperature-regulating medium T. This prevents turbulence in the air L present above the housing interior 3, which would also lead to an undesired outflow of the air L from the storage container 1.

[0035] 1, the storage container 1 is provided with a housing 2 and a housing opening 8 that fluidly connects the housing interior 3 with the outer periphery 9 of the housing 2. The housing opening 8 is provided in the housing 2 in addition to the inlet opening 5 and the outlet opening 7.

[0036] Furthermore, the storage container 1 comprises a closure element 10 for closing the housing opening 8, which may be arranged or may be arranged within the housing opening 8 for this purpose. Preferably, the closure element 10 may be configured as a closure screw 14 that can be screwed into the housing opening 8. When arranged within the housing opening 8, the closure element 10 closes the housing opening 8 in a fluid-tight manner. A drying device 11 is arranged on the closure element 10, which absorbs moisture from the temperature-regulating medium T present in the housing interior 3 and coming into contact with the drying device 11. In this example, the drying device 11 is firmly connected to the closure element 10. The drying device 11 is therefore arranged within the housing interior 3 with the closure element 10 arranged within the housing opening 8. Preferably, the drying device 11 and the housing opening 8 are arranged and adapted to one another in such a way that the drying device 11 protrudes from the closure element 10 into the housing interior 3 when the closure element 10 is accommodated within the housing opening 8, as shown in the exemplary scenario of FIG. 1 .

[0037] As can be seen in FIG. 1 , the drying device 11 has an elongated design and extends away from the first housing wall 15a toward the second housing wall 15b along a longitudinal direction L, which preferably extends parallel to the direction of gravity G. The drying device 11 may be partially accommodated in a receiving portion 12 provided in the housing interior 3 and fluidly connected to the outlet opening 6. The receiving portion 12 is configured such that, when the drying device 11 is accommodated in the receiving portion 12, the temperature-regulating medium T flowing through the housing interior 3 must necessarily flow through the drying device 11 before reaching the outlet opening 6. The receiving portion 12 may be configured as an opening collar, as shown in FIG. 1 , protruding inward from the housing 2 into the housing interior 3 and from the inlet opening 4, into which the drying device 11 may be partially inserted or pushed.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 1 , the dryer 11 is configured as a cartridge 18 that can be detached from the closure element 10 or closure screw 10 and has a cartridge housing 19 that is permeable to the temperature-regulating medium T. In the cartridge housing 19, a desiccant 26, such as zeolite, molecular sieve, or silica gel, is arranged so that it contacts the temperature-regulating medium T flowing around the dryer 11 and can thus absorb moisture from the temperature-regulating medium T. The dryer 11 can be detachably fastened to the closure element 10 by a bayonet closure 27 that can have a resilient preload element 33 in the form of a compression spring 34 that can securely fasten the dryer 11 to the closure element 10.

[0039] The drying device 11 is preferably designed to allow a temperature-regulating medium to flow through it. For this purpose, in a variant not shown, the drying device 11 may have a jacket permeable to the temperature-regulating medium T, which encloses a granular desiccant 26, such as zeolite, molecular sieves, or silica gel, for absorbing moisture contained in the temperature-regulating medium T. The jacket may consist of a flexible material permeable to the temperature-regulating medium. The jacket may be formed by a bag made of a fibrous material, such as polyester, polyoxymethylene, or polyamide, or by a fine-mesh sieve made of polyester, polyoxymethylene, polyamide, or stainless steel.

[0040] 1, the housing 2 includes two separation walls 30a, 30b that divide the housing interior chamber 3 into first, second, and third partial chambers 3a, 3b, and 3c. These separation walls 30a, 30b extend along a vertical direction V that extends parallel to the direction of gravity G from the upper surface 6 to the lower surface 7, respectively. Preferably, both separation walls 30a, 30b are integrally molded with the housing 2 as shown, which means that both separation walls 30a, 30b and the housing 2 are formed as one piece from a uniform material.

[0041] To ensure that all the temperature-regulating medium T present in the storage container 1 is also used to circulate through the temperature-regulating circuit 21 (see FIG. 2) in which the storage container 1 is arranged, both separation walls 30a, 30b may each be provided at a suitable location with a through-channel 13, via which the first partial chamber 3a is fluidly connected to the second partial chamber 3b or the second partial chamber 3b is fluidly connected to the third partial chamber 3c. As shown in FIG. 1, the second separation wall 30b may also be provided with a through-channel 13, via which the air L present in the second partial chamber 3b is fluidly connected to the air L present in the third partial chamber 3c. Both separating walls 30a, 30b and the resulting division of the housing interior 3 into three mutually separated partial chambers 3a, 3b, 3c prevent undesired movement of the temperature-regulating medium T in the sense of undesired "back and forth sloshing" and the possible resulting outflow of air L from the storage container 1.

[0042] 2 shows a circuit diagram of an example of a temperature regulation assembly 20 according to the invention. The temperature regulation assembly 20 comprises a temperature regulation circuit 21, in which a temperature regulation medium T circulates during operation of the temperature regulation assembly 20, and in which a component 22 to be temperature-regulated is arranged. Heat can thus be transferred between the component 22 and the temperature regulation medium T. This allows the temperature of the component 22 to be regulated, i.e., in particular, cooled.

[0043] For example, the component 22 to be temperature regulated may be an electric battery 24 of a battery-electric vehicle. However, the component 22 to be temperature regulated may also be a fuel cell system with one or more fuel cells 29. In an exemplary scenario, as shown in Figure 2, the component 22 to be temperature regulated, i.e. the battery 24, is arranged in a temperature regulation circuit 21 so that it can be directly circulated by a temperature regulation medium T.

[0044] For this purpose, the battery 24 may have a battery housing 28 in which the battery cells 29 to be temperature-regulated are arranged and through which a temperature regulation medium T can flow. The temperature regulation medium T flowing through the battery housing 28 can thus absorb heat from the battery cells 29 when the battery cells 29 are to be cooled, or can release heat to the battery cells 29 when the battery cells 29 are to be heated. This type of temperature regulation or cooling is known as "immersion cooling".

[0045] Furthermore, the temperature regulation assembly 20 comprises a pumping device 23 for driving the temperature regulation medium T in the temperature regulation circuit 21. This pumping device may be, for example, a fluid pump or an oil pump.

[0046] As can be seen from Fig. 2, the temperature regulation assembly 20 further comprises a storage container 1 according to the invention, arranged in the temperature regulation circuit 21, for temporarily storing the temperature regulation medium T, as already described by way of example with reference to Fig. 2. This storage container 1 may also serve as a compensation container for providing the temperature regulation circuit 21 with additional temperature regulation medium T if a defined amount of temperature regulation medium has previously escaped from this circuit 21 due to a leak or for another reason.

[0047] Furthermore, a heat exchanger 25 may be arranged in the temperature adjustment circuit 21, through which the temperature adjustment medium T can flow. This heat exchanger 25 may be fluidically isolated from the temperature adjustment medium T and may first be flowed by a fluid F, which may be thermally coupled to the temperature adjustment medium T inside the heat exchanger 25. In this way, heat can be transferred from the temperature adjustment medium T to the fluid F in order to cool the temperature adjustment medium T, or conversely, heat can be transferred from the fluid F to the temperature adjustment medium T when it is desired to heat the temperature adjustment medium T.

Claims

1. A storage container (1) for containing a temperature-regulating medium (T), a housing (2) that encloses a housing interior (3) for temporarily storing the temperature adjustment medium (T), through which the temperature adjustment medium (T) can flow; a fluid inlet (5) arranged in the housing (2) and having an inlet opening (4) for introducing the temperature adjustment medium (T) into the housing interior (3); and a fluid outlet (7) arranged in the housing (2) and having an outlet opening (6) for discharging the temperature adjustment medium (T) from the housing interior (3); a housing opening (8) in the housing (2) that fluidly connects the housing interior (3) to the outer periphery (9) of the housing (2); a closure element (10) for placement within the housing opening (8), the closure element (10) fluid-tightly closing the housing opening (8) when placed within the housing opening (8); Equipped with The closure element (10) is provided with a drying device (11) for absorbing moisture from the temperature-regulating medium (T) present in the housing interior (3), The drying device (11) is arranged in the housing interior (3) with the closing element (10) arranged in the housing opening (8). Storage container (1).

2. 2. The storage vessel according to claim 1, characterized in that the drying device (11) is configured so that the temperature-regulating medium (T) can flow through it.

3. 3. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the drying device (11) is partially accommodated in a receiving portion (12) provided in the housing interior (3) and in fluid communication with the outlet opening (6), so that the temperature-regulating medium flowing through the housing interior (3) necessarily has to flow through the drying device (11) before reaching the outlet opening (6).

4. 4. The storage container according to claim 3, wherein the receiving portion (12) is formed as an opening collar that projects inward from the housing (2) into the housing interior (3) and projects from the inlet opening (4), and into which the drying device (11) can be partially pushed or is pushed.

5. 5. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the closure element (10) is configured as a closure screw (14) that can be screwed into the housing opening (8).

6. 6. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the drying device (11) protrudes from the closure element (10) into the housing interior (3) when the closure element (10) is accommodated in the housing opening (8).

7. 7. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the inlet opening (4) and the housing opening (8) are arranged in a first housing wall (15a) of the housing (2), and the outlet opening (6) is arranged in a second housing wall (15b) of the housing (2) opposite the first housing wall (15a).

8. 8. A storage container according to claim 1, wherein the drying device (11) is elongated and preferably extends in a longitudinal direction (L) away from the first housing wall (15a) towards the second housing wall (15b).

9. 9. A storage container according to claim 8, characterized in that in the preferred use position of the storage container (1) relative to the direction of gravity (G), the first housing wall (15a) forms the upper surface (16) of the housing and the second housing wall (15b) forms the lower surface (17) of the housing.

10. 10. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the drying device (11) comprises a covering that is permeable to the temperature-regulating medium (T), the covering surrounding a desiccant (26) that absorbs moisture contained in the desiccant (26).

11. 11. The storage container according to claim 10, characterized in that the cover consists of or comprises a flexible material.

12. 12. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the drying device (11) is rigidly connected to the closure element (10).

13. 12. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the drying device (11) is configured as a cartridge (18) that can be detached from the closure element (10) or the closure screw (14) and has a cartridge housing (19) that is permeable to the temperature-regulating medium, and the desiccant is arranged in the cartridge housing (19).

14. 14. The storage container according to claim 13, characterized in that the drying device (11) is releasably fastened to the closure element (10) by means of a bayonet closure (27).

15. 15. The storage container according to claim 14, characterized in that the bayonet closure (27) comprises a preload element (33), in particular a compression spring (34), for positionally fixing the drying device (11) on the closure element (10).

16. A temperature regulation assembly (20) for regulating the temperature of at least one component (22), comprising: a temperature regulation circuit (21) in which a temperature regulation medium (T) can circulate and in which the at least one component (22) to be temperature-regulated is disposed, thereby enabling heat transfer between the component (22) and the temperature regulation medium (T); a pumping device (23) for driving the temperature adjustment medium (T) in the temperature adjustment circuit (21); A storage container (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, arranged in the temperature regulation circuit (21), for temporarily storing the temperature regulation medium; A temperature regulation assembly (20) comprising:

17. 17. A temperature regulation assembly according to claim 16, characterized in that the component (22) to be temperature regulated is or comprises an electric battery (24), in particular of a motor vehicle, or is or comprises a fuel cell system with at least one fuel cell.

18. 18. A temperature control assembly according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the component (22) to be temperature controlled is arranged in the temperature control circuit (21) so that it can be directly circulated by the temperature control medium.

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