Method for heating a component by means of an indirect heat transport medium circuit system

Abstract

A method for heating a component of an electric vehicle by means of an indirect heat transport medium circuit system is proposed. By checking in a cascaded manner whether one of a plurality of operating modes of the heat transport medium circuit system is possible and at the same time is sufficient to be able to heat the relevant component - as desired and at the same time - in an energy-efficient manner, a minimum of energy is consumed or applied. In addition, a pump-valve distribution (distributor) unit, a heat transport medium circuit system, an electric vehicle, a computer program and a computer program product are proposed.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Method for heating a component by means of an indirect heat transfer circuit (circuit) system

[0003] The present invention relates to a method for heating a component of an electric vehicle by means of an indirect heat transfer medium circuit system, a pump-valve distribution unit, a heat transfer medium circuit system for an electric vehicle, an electric vehicle, a computer program and a computer program product.

[0004] In electric vehicles, both the components of an electric drive train and at least one battery that supplies these components need to be temperature controlled. Furthermore, in electric vehicles, the temperature of the vehicle cabin also needs to be controlled.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to enable improved heating of a component of an electric vehicle.

[0006] This object is achieved by a method proposed and protected according to claim 1 for heating a component of an electric vehicle by means of an indirect heat transport medium circuit system.

[0007] By cascadingly checking whether one of several operating modes of the heat transfer medium circuit (circuit) system is possible and sufficient to heat the respective component - as desired and in an energy-efficient manner - a minimum of energy is consumed or applied.

[0008] Accordingly, no more energy is applied than is necessary to heat or preheat the respective component as desired. The proposed optimization of heat dissipation to, for example, a battery and / or a vehicle cabin also allows the amount of fluid in the fluid circulation system to be reduced to a minimum.

[0009] The refrigerant circuit can be operated as a system heat pump and / or as an ambient heat pump in order to increase a temperature in a liquid heating circuit via which the component in question is heated.

[0010] In one embodiment of the method, a battery for supplying an electric drive train in the sense of the component of the electric vehicle is heated (up) in an energy-efficient manner.

[0011] In a further embodiment of the method, additionally or alternatively, at least one first (HVAC) heat exchanger for heating a vehicle cabin in the sense of the component of the electric vehicle is heated in an energy-efficient manner, via which a quantity of air fed into the vehicle cabin is heated.

[0012] Furthermore, a pump-valve distribution unit according to claim 5, a heat transport medium circuit system for an electric vehicle according to claim 6, an electric vehicle according to claim 7, a computer program for carrying out a heating method according to claim 8 and a computer program product according to claim 9 are proposed.

[0013] The proposed heat transport medium circuit system represents a so-called indirect system in which heat or energy can be transported indirectly, i.e. indirectly via the fluid circuit system to the individual heat sinks of the vehicle.

[0014] Such an indirect system allows heat and energy distribution to be implemented largely via the liquid circuit, i.e., based on a liquid, such as a water-glycol mixture. This has the advantage that the refrigeration circuit—also called a CRU (Compact Refrigerant Unit)—can be greatly simplified and designed to be very compact and as small as possible. This also allows the amount of refrigerant used to be minimized, whether it be a synthetic refrigerant such as R134a or R1234yf, or a natural refrigerant such as R744 or R290.

[0015] The proposed pump-valve distribution unit, which as such represents or constitutes a large part of a liquid circuit system of such an indirect system, has at least one multi-way valve which is designed or configured or adjustable within a multi-part housing of the pump-valve distribution unit in such a way that it can represent or implement the operating modes in the sense of the proposed heating method.

[0016] By means of a multitude of adjustable valve modes or valve system modes, the individual operating modes can be mapped or implemented in accordance with the proposed heating process.

[0017] Such a multi-way valve can fluidically connect liquid-carrying line sections within the housing - selectively or as required - via different heights of the multi-way valve - or along a longitudinal axis or longitudinal extension of the multi-way valve.

[0018] Such a pump-valve distribution unit contributes to the modularization of the proposed heat transfer medium circuit system and thus to its simplification. The invention is explained in detail below with reference to the figures. Further advantageous developments of the invention emerge from the dependent claims and the following description of preferred embodiments. The following schematically and functionally show:

[0019] Fig. 1 an indirect heat transport medium circuit system for an electric vehicle and

[0020] Fig. 2 is a block diagram relating to a selection of possible operating modes for heating at least one vehicle component comprised by the heat transport medium circuit system shown in Fig. 1.

[0021] The heat transfer medium circuit system 2 according to Fig. 1 has a refrigerant circuit 4 which is as small or compact as possible and a liquid circuit system 6, to which the refrigerant circuit 4 is thermally connected via a first heat exchanger 8 (chiller; evaporator) for the cold section of the refrigerant circuit 6 and a second heat exchanger 10 (condenser; condenser) for the hot section of the refrigerant circuit 6.

[0022] Refrigerant circuit 4 – also referred to as a CRU (Compact Refrigerant Unit) – comprises, in addition to the two heat exchangers 8, 10, a compressor for conveying a refrigerant and an expansion valve. Furthermore, at least one pressure sensor and one temperature sensor are provided upstream and downstream of the compressor in refrigerant circuit 4.

[0023] The fluid circuit system 6 has a valve and line system VL, via which a plurality of fluid circuits can be set, wherein the valve system can be set to individual valve system modes for setting different fluid circuits. Heat sources and heat sinks of the vehicle are fluidically connected to this valve and line system VL via assigned, separate lines (see the assigned connections Ai to Au). In detail, these are a battery B, a first heat exchanger 12 (also called HVAC heater; HVAC The system comprises a first heat exchanger 14 (also called an HVAC cooler) for heating a vehicle cabin FK and a second heat exchanger 14 (also called an HVAC cooler) for cooling the vehicle cabin FK, at least one first radiator 16 for exchanging heat between the fluid circuit system 6 and the vehicle's surroundings, at least one component of an electric drive train 18, and optionally a second radiator 20, which can support the exchange of heat between the fluid circuit system 6 and the vehicle's surroundings. The second radiator 20 can be fluidically connected.

[0024] A component of the electric drive train 18 is understood to mean at least one electric motor or electric motor for driving the vehicle as well as at least one power electronics unit, for example in the form of an inverter, an on-board charger (OBC), a DC-DC converter (DC-DC converter) and / or possibly in the form of further control units in the form of high-performance computers.

[0025] For connections Ar, As* and A 1 on the other hand, these are those within the valve and piping system VL.

[0026] The fluid circuit system 6 also has at least one heating element HE downstream of the second heat exchanger 10, which can be activated as needed to heat the conveyed fluid. This heating element HE can be provided inside or outside the valve and piping system VL.

[0027] The valve and line system VL comprises at least one first electric liquid pump EWPi for pumping liquid in a so-called liquid cooling circuit and at least one second electric liquid pump EWP2 for pumping liquid in a so-called liquid heating circuit. For modularization purposes, it is proposed to design the rectangular section of the liquid circuit system 6 illustrated in Fig. 1, to which the individual vehicle components or heat sources and heat sinks of the vehicle are fluidically connected, in the form of a pump-valve distribution unit.This pump-valve distribution unit is designed or constructed in the form of a multi-part housing with liquid-conducting line sections, at least one first electric liquid pump EWPi for conveying liquid in a liquid cooling circuit (run) and at least one second electric liquid pump EWP2 for conveying liquid in a liquid heating circuit (run).

[0028] In the embodiment according to Fig. 1, even a third electric liquid pump EWP3 is provided, which is also enclosed in the housing of the pump-valve distribution unit and which supports a desired temperature control of the battery B.

[0029] The housing of the pump-valve distribution unit also comprises at least one multi-way valve, which is designed or configured to be able to set or map the individual operating modes of the heat transfer medium circuit system 2. For this purpose, this at least one multi-way valve can be set to a plurality of possible valve modes or valve system modes, which correspond to the individual operating modes of the heat transfer medium circuit system 2.

[0030] This housing can be seen as illustrated by the rectangle with the reference symbol VL in Fig. 1 - in the sense of a system boundary for this housing - in which the valve and line system VL is accommodated or integrated except for those assigned, separate liquid line sections or lines via which the at least one heat source and the at least one heat sink of the vehicle are connected to this housing or fluidically connected to this housing. The individual valve (system) modes of the valve and line system VL can be represented in this housing, namely by the at least one multi-way valve, which can fluidically connect liquid-carrying line sections within this multi-part housing - selectively or as required - via different heights of the multi-way valve - or along a longitudinal axis or longitudinal extension of the multi-way valve.

[0031] In this case, adjustable valve (system) modes are used for heating a battery B and / or a vehicle cabin FK (Fig. 2). These individual valve (system) modes represent the individual operating modes of the heat transfer medium circuit (circuit) system 2.

[0032] Fig. 2 illustrates a block diagram according to which an energy-efficient operating mode of this indirect heat transfer medium circuit (circuit) system 2 for heating the battery B and / or the vehicle cabin FK is selected - in the course of a cascaded test - based on temperature monitoring of the components of the electric vehicle included in the heat transfer medium circuit (circuit) system 2.

[0033] The heat transport medium circuit (circuit) system 2 also comprises a plurality of temperature sensors, wherein each heat source and each heat sink is assigned at least one temperature sensor in order to be able to detect a temperature of a liquid flowing around and / or through the heat source / heat sink.

[0034] The battery B can be thermally connected indirectly to the fluid circuit system 6 via at least one coupling element, for example in the form of a plate-like coupling element, wherein the coupling element adjacent to the battery B is flowed through by the fluid of the fluid circuit system. Additionally or alternatively, the battery B itself can also be flowed through by a fluid, for example by the said fluid of the fluid circuit system itself and / or a separate fluid, wherein in the latter case the battery B has its own fluid circuit, which as such is thermally connected to the fluid circuit system via a separate or associated heat exchanger.

[0035] In a first step S1, a check is performed to determine whether—in a first operating mode—waste heat can be made available to battery B and / or the first (HVAC) heat exchanger 12. This is the case if warmer fluid can be provided by at least one of the heat sources (listed!). And if this is possible—and this is determined in a second step S2—then, in a third step S3, the first operating mode is adjusted electromotively via the valve and line system VL of the fluid circuit system 6 such that the waste heat is supplied directly to the battery B to be heated and / or the first (HVAC) heat exchanger 12 via a fluid heating circuit and bypassing the refrigerant circuit 4, until a desired temperature or a desired temperature range with respect to the battery B and / or the vehicle cabin FK has been reached.

[0036] And if this is not possible (according to the determination in step S2) or this energy supply or this first operating mode is insufficient (according to the determination in step S3), then in a fourth step S4 it is checked whether additionally or alternatively - in a second operating mode - the heat loss of the at least one heat source can be supplied indirectly to the battery B to be heated and / or to the first (HVAC) heat exchanger 12 via a liquid cooling circuit (circuit) routed via the first heat exchanger 8, the refrigerant circuit (circuit) 4 and a liquid heating circuit (circuit) routed via the second heat exchanger 10.

[0037] Refrigerant circuit 4 is operated as a heat pump. This heat pump operation includes a so-called system heat pump operation (step S4) and / or a so-called ambient heat pump operation (step S7).

[0038] According to the block diagram, it is first checked whether system heat pump operation is possible in a step S4. If this is possible (according to the determination in a step S5), then this second operating mode, or system heat pump operation, is adjusted electromotively in a sixth step S6 via the valve and piping system 6 of the fluid circuit (circuit) system 6.

[0039] And if this is not possible (according to the determination in step S5) or this energy supply or this second operating mode or the system heat pump operation is not sufficient (according to the determination in step S6), then in a seventh step S7 it is checked whether ambient heat pump operation is possible in addition to or as an alternative to the system heat pump operation.

[0040] And if this is possible (according to the determination in a step S8), then this second operating mode in the system heat pump mode and / or in the ambient heat pump mode is adjusted electromotively in a ninth step S9 via the valve and line system 6 of the liquid circuit (circuit) system 6 until the desired temperature or the desired temperature range with respect to the battery B and / or the vehicle cabin FK has been reached.

[0041] Even though the block diagram first illustrates the testing of the system heat pump operation (in step S4) and then the testing of the ambient heat pump operation (in step S7), this testing sequence is alternatively also possible the other way around or vice versa.

[0042] And if the system heat pump operation and / or the ambient heat pump operation is / are not possible (determination in steps S5, S8) or this energy supply or this second operating mode is insufficient, then it is checked whether, in addition or alternatively - in a third operating mode - at least one heating element (HE) in a liquid circuit - or in a liquid cooling circuit and / or a liquid heating circuit - can be activated and / or at least one component 18 of the drive train of the electric vehicle can be operated inefficiently in order to generate heat or heat loss, wherein the heat or heat loss is dissipated via a liquid heating circuit and bypassing the coolant circuit 4 and / or via a liquid cooling circuit guided via the first heat exchanger (8), the

[0043] Cold medium circuit (run) 4 and a liquid heating circuit (run) guided via the second heat exchanger 10 of the battery B to be heated and / or the first (HVAC) heat exchanger 12 can be fed directly and / or indirectly, wherein the coolant circuit (run) 4 is operated in the sense of a heat pump.

[0044] And if this is possible, this third operating mode is adjusted in a step 10 via the valve and line system VL of the liquid circuit (circuit) system 6 by an electric motor until the desired temperature or the desired temperature range with respect to the battery B and / or the vehicle cabin FK has been reached.

[0045] According to the proposed heating method, a suitable operating mode of the heat transfer medium circuit system 2 is selected during the cascaded test described above and then adjusted accordingly by an electric motor via the pump-valve distribution unit described above in order to heat the battery B and / or the vehicle cabin FK in an energy-efficient manner.

[0046] The proposed heating method is depicted or implemented in a control unit or control device for actuating the pump-valve distribution unit in the form of a computer program product with program code means stored on a computer-readable data carrier to carry out the heating method when the computer program product is executed in a microprocessor unit (CPU). This control unit is connected to a CAN bus of the electric vehicle.

[0047] Although exemplary embodiments are explained in the foregoing description, it should be noted that numerous modifications are possible. Furthermore, it should be noted that the exemplary embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of protection, applications, or structure in any way. Rather, the foregoing description provides the skilled person with a guide for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment, whereby various modifications, particularly with regard to the function and arrangement of the described components, can be made without departing from the scope of protection as it results from the claims and equivalent combinations of features.

Claims

Patent claims 1. A method for heating a component of an electric vehicle by means of an indirect heat transfer medium circuit system, in which a refrigerant circuit (4) and a liquid circuit system (6) are used, to which the refrigerant circuit (4) is thermally connected via a first heat exchanger (8) for a cold section of the refrigerant circuit (6) and a second heat exchanger (10) for a hot section of the refrigerant circuit (6), wherein the liquid circuit system (6) comprises at least one component (18) of the electric vehicle acting as a heat source and at least one component of the electric vehicle acting as a heat sink (12, B), wherein the heat transfer medium circuit system is operated energy-efficiently in one of several operating modes based on temperature monitoring of these components by cascading testing,whether, in a first operating mode, heat loss from the heat source can be supplied directly to the component to be heated via a liquid heating circuit (circuit) and bypassing the refrigerant circuit (circuit) (4) and, if this is possible, this first operating mode is set via a valve and piping system of the liquid circuit (circuit) system (6); and if this is not possible or this energy supply is insufficient in the first operating mode, it is checked whether, in addition or alternatively, in a second operating mode, the heat loss from the heat source can be supplied indirectly to the component to be heated via a liquid cooling circuit (circuit) routed via the first heat exchanger (8), the refrigerant circuit (circuit) (4) and a liquid heating circuit (circuit) routed via the second heat exchanger (10), wherein the refrigerant circuit (circuit) 4 is operated in the manner of a heat pump and, if this is possible,this second operating mode is set via the valve and pipe system of the liquid circuit (circuit) system (6), and if this is not possible or this energy supply in the second operating mode is insufficient, it is checked, whether, in addition or alternatively, in a third operating mode, at least one heating element (HE) in a liquid circuit (circuit) can be activated and / or at least one component (18) of a drive train of the electric vehicle can be operated inefficiently in order to generate heat loss, wherein the heat loss can be supplied directly and / or indirectly to the component to be heated via a liquid heating circuit (circuit) and bypassing the refrigerant circuit (circuit) (4) and / or via a liquid cooling circuit (circuit) routed via the first heat exchanger (8), the refrigerant circuit (circuit) (4) and a liquid heating circuit (circuit) routed via the second heat exchanger (10), wherein the refrigerant circuit (circuit) 4 is operated in the sense of a heat pump, and, if this is possible, this third operating mode is set via the valve and piping system of the liquid circuit (circuit) system (6).

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerant circuit (4) is operated in the sense of a system heat pump and / or in the sense of an ambient heat pump.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a battery (B) for supplying an electric drive train (18) in the sense of the component of the electric vehicle is heated.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one first (HVAC) heat exchanger (12) for heating a vehicle cabin in the sense of the component of the electric vehicle is heated, via which an amount of air fed into the vehicle cabin is heated.

5. Pump-valve distribution unit in the form of a multi-part housing with liquid-conducting line sections, at least one first electric liquid pump (EWPi) for conveying liquid in a liquid cooling circuit of an indirect heat transfer medium circuit system (2) and at least one second electric liquid pump (EWP2) for conveying liquid in a liquid heating circuit of the indirect heat transfer medium circuit system (2) and at least one multi-way valve, which is designed to be able to set the operating modes according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 4 within the indirect heat transport medium circuit (circuit) system, wherein the liquid-carrying line sections within the housing can be fluidically connected to one another selectively via different heights of the multi-way valve by means of the at least one multi-way valve.

6. A heat transport medium circuit system (2) for an electric vehicle, comprising: a refrigerant circuit (4) with a compressor for conveying a refrigerant, a liquid circuit system (6) to which the refrigerant circuit (4) is thermally connected via a first heat exchanger (8) for a cold section of the refrigerant circuit (6) and a second heat exchanger (10) for a hot section of the refrigerant circuit (6), wherein the liquid circuit system (6) has a valve and line system (VL) via which a plurality of liquid circuits can be set, wherein the valve system can be set to individual valve system modes for setting different liquid circuits, a pump-valve distribution unit according to claim 5, wherein at least one heat source and at least one heat sink of the electric vehicle are connected to the housing via associated,separate lines connected to the first housing are fluidically connected, and a plurality of temperature sensors, wherein each heat source and each heat sink is assigned at least one temperature sensor in order to detect a temperature of a liquid flowing around and / or through the heat source / heat sink and to be able to carry out a method for heating a component of the electric vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 4 and, a control unit with a computer program product according to claim 9 for carrying out a method according to one of claims 1 to 4.

7. Electric vehicle with a heat transport medium circuit system (2) according to claim 6.

8. A computer program for carrying out a method according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 4.

9. A computer program product comprising program code means stored on a computer-readable data carrier for carrying out the method according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 4 when the program code means are executed on a computer.

Images