Motor-vehicle coolant supply device

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor-vehicle coolant supply device (10) for a vehicle, comprising: a main housing (12) in which a plurality of coolant channels (11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19) are formed; at least two coolant-flow control devices (20), each of which is driven by means of an electric drive motor (30, 40, 50) and which are arranged in or on the main housing (12), each electric drive motor (30, 40, 50) comprising a motor stator (32, 42, 52) and a motor rotor (36, 46, 56); and a single printed circuit board (60) on which power electronics (65) for common control of all the drive motors (30, 40, 50) are arranged, wherein the motor stator (32, 42, 52) of each coolant-flow control device (20) is mounted directly on the printed circuit board (60) and in each case is electrically connected to the power electronics (65) via the printed circuit board. As a result, the motor-vehicle coolant supply device (10) has a relatively compact design and can be manufactured cost-effectively.

Description

[0001] - 1 - / PL P.22022. WO / EBFS August 13, 2024

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] Automotive coolant supply device

[0004] The invention relates to a motor vehicle coolant supply device for a vehicle, in particular for a battery-electrically powered vehicle.

[0005] Automotive coolant supply devices are known in which several coolant flow control devices, for example pumps or valves, are arranged in a common housing and have common power electronics. Such an automotive coolant supply device is known, for example, from DE 10 2021 110 292 Al or DE 10 2021 203 032 Al.

[0006] The electric drive motors that power the coolant flow control devices are connected to power electronics either via several external electrical cables or by means of several connectors, which on the one hand causes high costs due to the cables or connectors and on the other hand poses a risk of damage to the external electrical cables or connectors.

[0007] The present invention is therefore based on the objective of creating a motor vehicle coolant supply device in which the drive motors are electrically connected to power electronics in a particularly cost-effective and efficient manner.

[0008] This problem is solved by a vehicle coolant supply device according to the invention with the features of claim 1. - 2 - / PL P.22022. WO / EBFS 13.08.2024

[0009] An automotive coolant supply device according to the invention for a vehicle, in particular a battery-electric vehicle, comprises a main housing in which several coolant channels are formed, through which a preferably liquid coolant flows during operation. The coolant channels can be connected to one or more external coolant circuits via connections on the main housing.

[0010] The automotive coolant supply system further comprises at least two coolant flow control devices, each driven by an electric drive motor, which are arranged in or on the main housing. Such a coolant flow control device can, for example, be designed as a pump and / or valve. The main housing has corresponding mounting sections to which the coolant flow control devices can be attached. The automotive coolant supply system can thus be installed in the vehicle as a pre-assembled unit requiring relatively little installation space and is also relatively lightweight.

[0011] Each electric drive motor of the coolant flow control devices has a motor stator and a motor rotor. The motor stator has several stator coils, each containing stator windings, arranged on a stator core preferably made of stacked electrical steel. The motor rotor is preferably a permanent magnet rotor. Accordingly, the drive motor is a brushless and electronically commutated DC motor.

[0012] The automotive coolant supply device further comprises a single printed circuit board on which power electronics for the common control of all drive motors are arranged. Consequently, none of the - 3 - / PL P.22022. WO / EBFS 13.08.2024

[0013] The coolant flow control devices each have their own separate circuit board. The power electronics comprise all the necessary electrical components for controlling the coolant flow control devices, such as microcontrollers, voltage converters, and the power supply. However, they are designed so that each coolant flow control device can be controlled individually and independently. The power electronics are located in an electronics compartment, which also houses the circuit board and the motor stators of all coolant flow control devices. This electronics compartment is formed by the main housing.The shared power electronics allow relatively simple coolant flow control devices, which do not have their own power electronics on a separate circuit board, to be used modularly in the automotive coolant supply device, thereby reducing manufacturing costs, particularly by saving on power electronic components, compared to a conventional system with intelligent coolant flow control devices, each with its own circuit board.

[0014] According to the invention, the motor stator of each coolant flow control device, or the motor stator of the drive motor of each coolant flow control device, is arranged directly on the circuit board and electrically connected to the power electronics via the circuit board. In the case of an automotive coolant supply device according to the invention with more than two coolant flow control devices, for example, only two motor stators may be arranged directly on the circuit board. Thus, not all motor stators need to be arranged on the circuit board. A motor stator body can, for example, have corresponding stator feet that rest on the circuit board and are firmly connected to it. Alternatively, the circuit board can also have a corresponding holding device for the motor stator body. Furthermore, the - 4 - / PL P.22022. WO / EBFS 13.08.2024

[0015] The leads of the stator coils, which serve as connecting leads for the electrically interconnected stator windings, are electrically connected directly to the corresponding conductor tracks of the circuit board and via these to the power electronics, for example by means of a soldered connection, thus eliminating the need for additional contact elements such as connectors.

[0016] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one coolant flow control device is formed by a pump device. The pump device is arranged in a pump device receiving section of the main housing and is attached to the main housing. Furthermore, the inlet and outlet openings of the pump chamber of the pump device are fluidically connected to the coolant channels of the main housing. In this way, the pump device supplies, for example, a cooling circuit of an electric traction motor or a traction battery of a battery-electric vehicle, which is connected to the cooling channels of the automotive coolant supply device. Particularly preferably, the automotive coolant supply device has at least two pump devices. Each pump device supplies a separate coolant circuit with coolant.Thus, each pump unit has its own coolant channels in the main housing, which are fluidically connected to the inlet and outlet sides of the respective pump unit. Furthermore, the motor stators of both pump units are arranged on the same circuit board and connected to the same control electronics via this board. Using the automotive coolant supply system, several pump units for supplying various components in a vehicle can therefore be provided in a relatively compact, pre-assembled unit. This results in a relatively small installation space requirement and reduces the assembly effort during the final vehicle assembly compared to installing several individual pump units. - 5 - / PL P.22022. WO / EBFS 13.08.2024.

[0017] In a further particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, at least one coolant flow control device is formed by a valve device. The valve device is arranged in a valve device receiving section of the main housing and is attached to the main housing. Furthermore, the inlet and outlet openings of the valve housing of the valve device are fluidically connected to the coolant channels of the main housing. By means of the valve device, the coolant flow can be directed selectively into specific coolant channels in the main housing, thereby distributing, for example, the coolant flow to different coolant circuits connected to the vehicle coolant supply device. The individual coolant channels can be completely closed or opened, or throttled, by means of the valve device. Particularly in a vehicle coolant supply device with multiple pump devices, the inlet and outlet openings can be controlled.The outlets of the individual pump units can be selectively connected to different coolant circuits. Thus, a single pump unit can supply coolant to multiple circuits separately or connect them together. The motor stator of the valve unit's electric drive motor is located on the same circuit board as the pump unit(s) and is electrically connected to the same power electronics via this board.

[0018] According to a further particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the pump device is associated with a flow housing formed by the main housing. The main housing can be designed in one piece or in multiple parts. The main housing of the automotive coolant supply device thus forms not only the pump device receiving section and the cooling channels associated with the pump device, but also the flow housing of the pump device, for example the pump chamber and the volute of a - 6 - / PL P.22022. WO / EBFS 13.08.2024

[0019] Centrifugal pump device. The flow housing of the pump device is thus, at least on the pump chamber side, completely formed by the main housing, whereby the flow housing can be formed either integrally with the main housing or a part thereof, or as a separate component connected to the main housing. Particularly preferred is the entire pump housing, including the drive-side part of the pump housing in which the electric drive motor is arranged, formed by the main housing. This results in relatively low material and manufacturing costs.

[0020] In a further particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the valve device is associated with a valve housing formed by the main housing. Thus, the main housing of the automotive coolant supply device not only forms the

[0021] The main housing comprises not only the valve device mounting section and the cooling channels associated with the valve device, but also the valve body housing of the valve device, in which the valve body of the valve device sits and in which the individual inlet and outlet ports of the valve device are arranged. The drive-side part of the valve housing, in which the electric drive motor is located, is also preferably formed by the main housing. All of this results in relatively low material and manufacturing costs.

[0022] In a further particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, each drive motor is assigned a containment shell which fluidically separates the motor rotor in a wet chamber from the motor stator and the power electronics in a dry chamber, wherein the dry chamber essentially corresponds to the electronics chamber. The containment shell is preferably cup-shaped, comprising a containment shell flange, a substantially cylindrical containment shell wall extending from the flange, and a containment shell bottom on the side of the containment shell wall opposite the flange, wherein the containment shell flange, the containment shell wall, and the containment shell bottom are preferably manufactured in one piece from a metallic material with relatively good thermal conductivity.Alternatively, the containment shell can also be multi-part and feature a so-called containment tube, with the containment shell flange and the containment shell base being designed as separate components. The containment shell wall extends through an air gap of the electric drive motor, which is formed radially between the motor stator and the motor rotor, so that the motor rotor is arranged radially inside the containment shell wall and the motor stator radially outside the containment shell wall. The motor rotor is thus designed as a wet-running motor rotor, which is surrounded by the circulating coolant in the wet chamber. This allows the coolant to be brought relatively close to the motor stator and to dissipate the heat transferred from the motor stator coils to the heat-conducting containment shell from the wet chamber into the subsequent cooling circuit.This relatively efficient cooling allows for a relatively high motor output from the electric drive motor.

[0023] In a further embodiment of the invention, all containment units are combined in a single, one-piece containment unit. This feature could also be considered an independent invention. The containment unit is preferably manufactured from a single sheet metal part with relatively good thermal conductivity. The containment unit can be manufactured relatively cost-effectively, for example, by deep drawing. Furthermore, the containment unit fluidically separates the wet chambers of all coolant flow control devices from the common electronics compartment, in which the common power electronics are located, so that no additional sealing agents are required.

[0024] The splitting pot unit particularly preferably comprises a splitting pot unit flange, which forms the splitting pot flange of each splitting pot and connects the splitting pots to one another. From the splitting pot unit flange - 8 - / PL P.22022. WO / EBFS 13.08.2024, all splitting pots extend parallel to each other, but spaced apart, in the same axial direction.

[0025] In a further embodiment of the invention, the printed circuit board (PCB) is arranged adjacent to the socket unit flange on the dry-chamber side and is in direct or indirect thermal contact with it. The PCB is arranged essentially parallel to the socket unit flange and can also rest on it, thereby establishing a direct thermal contact. Alternatively, the PCB can be arranged at a distance from the socket unit flange, with, for example, a thermal paste being applied in the gap between the socket unit flange and the PCB, thus establishing an indirect thermal contact via the thermal paste.Since the individual containment units, and thus the containment unit as a whole, are in direct fluidic contact with the coolant on the wet room side, the waste heat generated by the power electronics can be transferred via the circuit board to the containment unit flange and from there to the coolant circulating in the wet room, which then dissipates it. Due to the relatively large heat exchange surface between the circuit board and the containment unit flange, relatively large amounts of heat can be dissipated, enabling high power outputs from the drive motors.To further enhance this effect, the individual power electronics components are preferably arranged at a relatively small radial distance around the outer surface of the individual containment pots and thus radially adjacent to the motor stators of the individual drive motors of the coolant flow control devices, so that these are arranged relatively close to the area of ​​the containment pot flanges exposed to the coolant flow.

[0026] In a further particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the circuit board and the gap-filling unit flange are designed in the form of an equilateral triangle. The corners of the equilateral triangle are particularly preferably rounded. This design is especially suitable for the application of three coolant flow control devices in the automotive coolant supply device, wherein all three coolant flow control devices are arranged equidistant from one another with respect to their rotor axes, such that their parallel rotor axes form an equilateral triangle. This is a relatively space-saving arrangement of the coolant flow control devices, resulting in a relatively compact design of the automotive coolant supply device.

[0027] In a further particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the valve device is designed as a multi-way rotary valve device. The multi-way rotary valve device has a rotatable and preferably conically shaped valve body, which is arranged in a correspondingly shaped valve housing and preferably has several channels or recesses through which the radially and / or axially arranged valve openings can be connected to or separated from one another. The aforementioned cooling channels of the main housing connect to the valve opening and guide the coolant into the corresponding cooling circuits.A relatively large number of cooling channels can be connected to a single multi-way rotary valve device, which can be interconnected in a variety of ways through a relatively large number of valve positions, thus achieving relatively high flexibility in a compact design.

[0028] In a further particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the power electronics can be connected to a vehicle-side control unit via a single electronic interface. The electronic interface is preferably a male or female connector element that is attached to the - 10 - / PI.P.22022. WO / EBFS 13.08.2024

[0029] The connector is located on the outside of the main housing and has plug contacts that extend to the circuit board and are connected to the power electronics via this board. This allows multiple coolant flow control devices to be connected to the vehicle via a single connector.

[0030] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the automotive coolant supply device comprises a single expansion tank which is fluidically connected to the automotive coolant supply device via a connection. The expansion tank is connected via this connection to one or more cooling channels in the automotive coolant supply device. Since, for example, several cooling circuits can be fluidically connected to one another via the valve assembly, a single expansion tank can be used for multiple cooling circuits.

[0031] The present automotive coolant supply device according to the invention is thus characterized by its compactness and cost-effective manufacturing, since relatively simple, unintelligent coolant flow control devices without their own circuit board can be used in a modular manner within the automotive coolant supply device. This allows for savings in electronic components, resulting in cost reductions. Furthermore, the automotive coolant supply device features highly efficient cooling of the drive motors of the coolant flow control devices, such as pump units or valve devices, as well as the power electronics, making the automotive coolant supply device particularly well-suited for automotive applications.

[0032] An embodiment of a vehicle coolant supply device according to the invention is shown in the figures and is described below. - 11 - / PI.P.22022. WO / EBFS 13.08.2024

[0033] Figure 1 schematically shows a top view of a vehicle coolant supply device according to the invention.

[0034] Figure 2 schematically shows the automotive coolant supply device of Figure 1 according to the invention in a side view.

[0035] Figure 3 schematically shows the vehicle according to the invention.

[0036] Coolant supply device of Figure 1 in a front view.

[0037] Figure 4 schematically shows the vehicle according to the invention.

[0038] Coolant supply device of Figure 1 in a sectional view, the section path of which is shown in Figure 1.

[0039] Figure 5 schematically shows the automotive coolant supply device of Figure 1 according to the invention in a sectional view, the section path of which is shown in Figure 1.

[0040] Figure 6 schematically shows the split pot unit of the automotive coolant supply device of Figure 1 according to the invention in a perspective view.

[0041] Figure 7 schematically shows the circuit board of the automotive coolant supply device of Figure 1 according to the invention in a perspective view.

[0042] Figure 1 shows an automotive coolant supply device 10 for a battery-electric vehicle. The automotive coolant supply device 10 comprises three coolant flow control devices 20, wherein two coolant flow control devices 20 are designed as centrifugal pump devices 22, 24 and one coolant flow control device 20 as - 12 - / PI.P.22022. WO / EBFS 13.08.2024

[0043] The vehicle coolant supply device 10 is designed as a multi-way rotary valve device 26. The vehicle coolant supply device 10 has a multi-part main housing 12, which is also shown in Figures 2 and 3. The main housing 12 comprises a main housing body 120 and a main housing cover 121, wherein several cooling channels 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 are formed in the main housing body 120. The main housing body 120 further comprises two pump device flow housings 122, 124, which are designed as separate components and are connected to the main housing body 120. Each pump device flow housing 122, 124 forms a pump device receiving section, which each receives one of the two pump devices 22, 24.

[0044] Furthermore, a pump chamber 221, 241 is formed in each pump device flow housing 122, 124, in which a pump impeller 222, 242 is arranged, as shown in Figure 4. The pump devices 22, 24 are each driven by a so-called BLDC drive motor 30, 40, wherein the first drive motor 30 drives the pump impeller 222 of the first pump device 22 and the second drive motor 40 drives the pump impeller 242 of the second pump device 24. Both drive motors 30, 40 each have a motor stator 32, 42 and a motor rotor 36, 46, which are fluidically separated from each other by a containment shell 74, 76, whereby the motor rotor 36, 46 is arranged as a so-called wet rotor in a wet chamber 82, whereas the motor stator 32, 42 is arranged in a dry chamber 86.The cooling channels 13,14 are fluidically connected to the respective outlet opening (not shown) of the pump chamber 221,241 of the respective pump device 22,24, so that the cooling channel 13 supplies a first cooling circuit, for example a traction battery cooling circuit, and the cooling channel 14 supplies a second cooling circuit, for example a traction motor cooling circuit, with coolant.

[0045] Figure 5 shows the valve device 26. The valve device 26 has a valve body 262, which is rotatably arranged in a valve housing 126 formed by the main housing body 120-13- / PI.P.22022. WO / EBFS 13.08.2024. The valve device 26 is driven by an electric drive motor 50, which has a motor stator 52 and a motor rotor 56, which are fluidically separated from each other by means of a containment shell 78, so that the motor stator 52 is also arranged in the wet chamber 82 and the motor rotor 56 in the dry chamber 86.

[0046] The valve body 262 is rotationally fixed to the motor rotor 56 and has several recesses and channels by means of which the six valve openings 261 arranged in the valve housing 126 can be fluidically connected or disconnected in different ways. The cooling channels 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 connect to the valve openings 261, with the two cooling channels 16 being fluidically connected to the inlet opening 224 of the first pump device 22 and the cooling channel 19 being fluidically connected to the inlet opening 244 of the second pump device 24, thus allowing the two cooling circuits supplied by the cooling channels 13, 14 to be fluidically connected to each other by means of the valve device 26.

[0047] The three containment shells 74, 76, 78 of the three drive motors 30, 40, 50 are combined in a single, one-piece containment shell unit 70. Figure 6 shows only the containment shell unit 70. The containment shell unit 70 has a substantially planar containment shell unit flange 72, from which the three containment shells 74, 76, 78 extend parallel and spaced apart from each other in the same axial direction. The two containment shells 74, 76 of the pump devices 22, 24 are of the same dimensions, and the containment shell 78 of the valve device 26 is radially and axially smaller. The rotor axes of the drive motors 30, 40, 50 are all equidistant from each other, so that an equilateral triangle is formed by the rotor axes. Accordingly, the containment shell unit flange 72 is designed in the form of an equilateral triangle with rounded corners. - 14 - / PI.P.22022. WO / EBFS August 13, 2024

[0048] The automotive coolant supply device 10 further comprises a single printed circuit board 60 on which power electronics 65 are arranged, as shown in Figures 4, 5, and 7, with Figure 7 showing only the printed circuit board 60. The printed circuit board 60 has a shape corresponding to the shape of the containment unit flange 72, and additionally features three openings 61, 62, 63 through which the containment units 74, 76, 78 project axially. The individual components of the power electronics 65 are arranged around the three openings 61, 62, 63 and are shown only schematically for clarity. The printed circuit board 60 is arranged parallel to the containment unit flange 72 and rests on it over a large area.

[0049] Furthermore, the motor stator 32, 42, 52 and each coolant flow control device 20 are arranged directly on the circuit board 60, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. Each motor stator 32, 42, 52 has corresponding stator feet 33, 43, 53 by means of which the motor stator 32, 42, 52 rests on the circuit board 60. In addition, the conductor ends 35, 45, 55 of the stator coils 34, 44, 54 of each motor stator 32, 42, 52 are directly connected to the conductor tracks of the circuit board 60 and, via these, to the power electronics 65.

[0050] The containment shells 74, 76, 78 are in radial inner contact with the coolant circulating in the wet chamber 82 of the respective coolant flow control device 20, which also flows along the wet chamber side of the containment shell flange 75, 77, 79 of the containment shell unit flange 72 surrounding the respective containment shell 74, 76, 78. Thus, not only the motor stators 32, 42, 52, but also the power electronics components 65 arranged around the respective containment shells 74, 76, 78 are in thermally conductive contact with the coolant in the wet chamber 82 via the circuit board 60 and the containment shell unit flange 72. This allows the heat generated by the motor stators 32, 42, 52 and by the power electronics 65 to be efficiently transferred to the coolant via the containment shell unit 70. - 15 - / PI.P.22022. WO / EBFS 13.08.2024 in wet room 82 and from there into the subsequent cooling circuits.

[0051] Furthermore, the automotive coolant supply device 10 has a single expansion tank 100, which is shown only in Figure 2. The expansion tank 100 is fluidically connected to the cooling channel 19 of the automotive coolant supply device 10 via a connection 191. Because the individual cooling circuits can be fluidically connected to each other via the valve device 26, the expansion tank 100 can be used jointly by all cooling circuits.

[0052] The vehicle coolant supply device 10 further comprises a single electronic interface 90 in the form of a female plug contact 91, which is arranged on the main housing cover 121 and whose plug contacts 92 are electrically connected to the power electronics 65 on the circuit board 60 and via which the power electronics 65 can be connected to a control unit of the battery electric vehicle.

Claims

- 16 - / PI.P.22022. WO / EBFS August 13, 2024 Pierburg GmbH, 41460 Neuss PATENT CLAIMS 1. Motor vehicle coolant supply device (10) for a motor vehicle, with - a main housing (12) in which several coolant channels (11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19) are formed, - at least two, each powered by an electric drive motor (30, 40, 50) driven coolant flow Control devices (20) arranged in or on the main housing (12), each electric drive motor (30, 40, 50) comprising a motor stator (32, 42, 52) and a motor rotor (36, 46, 56), and - a single printed circuit board (60) on which power electronics (65) for controlling all drive motors (30, 40, 50) are arranged, wherein the motor stator (32, 42, 52) of each coolant flow control device (20) is arranged directly on the printed circuit board (60) and is electrically connected to the power electronics (65) via this board.

2. Automotive coolant supply device (10) according to claim 1, wherein at least one coolant flow control device (20) is formed by a pump device (22,24).

3. Motor vehicle coolant supply device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one coolant flow control device (20) is formed by a valve device (26).

4. Motor vehicle coolant supply device (10) according to one of claims 2 or 3, wherein the pump device (22, 24) is a - 17 - / PI.P.22022. WO / EBFS August 13, 2024 is assigned to the flow housing (122,124), which is formed by the main housing (12).

5. Automotive coolant supply device (10) according to one of claims 3 or 4, wherein the valve device (26) is associated with a valve housing (126) formed by the main housing (12).

6. Automotive coolant supply device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each drive motor (30, 40, 50) is associated with a containment pot (74, 76, 78) which fluidically separates the motor rotor (36, 46, 56) in a wet room (82) from the motor stator (32, 42, 52) and the power electronics (65) in a dry room (86).

7. Automotive coolant supply device (10) according to claim 6, wherein all split pots (74, 76, 78) are combined in a single one-piece split pot unit (70).

8. Automotive coolant supply device (10) according to claim 7, wherein the split pot unit (70) has a split pot unit flange (72).

9. Automotive coolant supply device (10) according to claim 8, wherein the circuit board (60) is arranged on the dry room side adjacent to the split pot unit flange (72) and is in direct or indirect thermally conductive contact with it.

10. Automotive coolant supply device (10) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the circuit board (60) and the gap pot unit flange (72) are designed in the form of an equilateral triangle. - 18 - / PI.P.22022. WO / EBFS August 13, 2024 11. Automotive coolant supply device (10) according to any one of claims 2-10, wherein the valve device (26) is designed as a multi-way rotary slide valve device.

12. Automotive coolant supply device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the power electronics (65) can be connected to a vehicle control unit via a single electronic interface (90).

13. Automotive coolant supply device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the automotive coolant supply device (10) has a single expansion tank (100) which is fluidically connected to the automotive coolant supply device (10) via a connection (191).

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