Thermal management system for an electric vehicle
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-22
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-13
Smart Images
Figure EP2026051520_13082026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001]
[0002] &
[0003] Thermal management system for an electric vehicle
[0004] Description
[0005] The present invention relates to a thermal management system for an electric vehicle of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1.
[0006] Such thermal management systems for electric vehicles are already known in numerous design variants from the state of the art.The known thermal management systems comprise: a first, a second and a third coolant line section, a first coolant pump in the first coolant line section and a second coolant pump in the second coolant line section, a coolant valve which is designed to create flow-conducting connections between the first, the second and the third coolant line section as required, a fourth coolant line section which connects the first coolant line section with the third coolant line section, and a fifth coolant line section which connects the second coolant line section with the third coolant line section, wherein the thermal management system is designed such that the thermal management system can be operated in a first and a second state.
[0007] This is where the present invention comes in.
[0008] The present invention is based on the objective of improving a thermal management system for an electric vehicle.
[0009] This problem is solved by a thermal management system for an electric vehicle with the features of claim 1, characterized in that in the first state of the thermal management system the first coolant pump delivers a coolant flow through the first coolant line section.
[0010]
[0011] &
[0012] The invention relates to the first coolant pump, which pumps a coolant flow through the second and / or third coolant line section, and that in the second state of the thermal management system, the first coolant pump pumps a coolant flow through the first coolant line section and through the third coolant line section, and the second coolant pump pumps a coolant flow through the second coolant line section. The dependent claims relate to advantageous embodiments of the invention.
[0013] A significant advantage of the invention lies particularly in the improved thermal management system for electric vehicles. Due to the inventive design of the thermal management system, the efficiency of thermal management in an electric vehicle is substantially improved in a circuit-technically simple manner. This is because the inventive thermal management system enables a highly flexible heat-transfer coupling between the thermal sources and heat sinks of the thermal management system. Consequently, even inherently complex thermal management tasks for electric vehicles can be solved much more easily and therefore more cost-effectively.
[0014] In principle, the thermal management system according to the invention can be freely selected within wide suitable limits with regard to its type, function, components, material, and dimensions. For example, the thermal management system according to the invention is advantageously applicable to both purely electric vehicles and so-called hybrid vehicles, i.e., vehicles that have both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor for propulsion. Land vehicles, such as road vehicles, are particularly relevant here. However, the invention can also be used in other types of vehicles. Thus, embodiments and operating states, or simply states, of the thermal management system according to the invention are also included in which the coolant, as required, cools certain components of the thermal management system.
[0015]
[0016] &
[0017] Example of a coolant circuit or several independent coolant circuits, with or without flow. The respective coolant circuit should therefore not be considered static. Thus, the respective coolant circuit is not identical to the coolant system as a whole, for example, one coolant side of a heat pump assembly in an electric vehicle, which consists of a coolant side and a refrigerant side.
[0018] An advantageous embodiment of the thermal management system according to the invention provides that the first coolant line section has at least one coolant-flowing component, preferably that this at least one component is designed as a chiller, in particular as a chiller for transferring heat to a refrigerant side of the thermal management system, and / or as a drive battery of the vehicle. This allows the first coolant line section to be used not only for flow-conducting connections, but also for heating and / or cooling the aforementioned at least one coolant-flowing component. A chiller is a particularly important component of a thermal management system, for example, for heat exchange between the coolant side and a refrigerant side.The drive battery is both a very important and a thermally demanding component of an electric vehicle.
[0019] A further advantageous embodiment of the thermal management system according to the invention provides that the second coolant line section and / or a return line section directly connected to the second coolant line section to the coolant valve has at least one coolant-flowing component, preferably that this at least one component is designed as an interior heat exchanger for heat exchange with an interior of the vehicle and / or as an electric auxiliary heater for supplying heat to the aforementioned interior of the vehicle and / or as a liquid-cooled condenser of a refrigerant side of the thermal management system. See the aforementioned advantage in analogous terms. By means of the preferred embodiment of this
[0020]
[0021] &
[0022] Further training also includes the ability to heat the vehicle's interior in a simple way using circuitry.
[0023] Another advantageous embodiment of the thermal management system according to the invention provides that the third coolant line section has at least one coolant-flowing component, preferably that this at least one component is designed, on the one hand, as power electronics of the vehicle and / or an electric motor of the vehicle for driving the vehicle and / or, on the other hand, as a radiator that enables heat flow between the coolant and a free environment. See, analogously, the aforementioned advantages with regard to the respective components fluidically integrated in the first and / or the second coolant line section. The aforementioned drive components of the vehicle are, of course, also essential components of the electric vehicle.
[0024] Advantageously, in a further beneficial embodiment of the thermal management system according to the invention, the thermal management system is designed such that it can additionally be operated in a third state, wherein in this third state the first coolant pump and the second coolant pump deliver a coolant flow through the first coolant line section and the third coolant line section. This further increases the operational flexibility of the thermal management system according to the invention.
[0025] An advantageous further development of one of the latter two further developments of the thermal management system according to the invention provides that the thermal management system can additionally be operated in a fourth state, wherein in the fourth state of the thermal management system the first coolant pump delivers a coolant flow through the first coolant line section and the second coolant pump delivers a coolant flow through the second coolant line section
[0026]
[0027] &
[0028] and convey the coolant to the third coolant line section, wherein at least a portion of the coolant flow passing through the third coolant line section is directed past the radiator to the coolant valve by means of a sixth coolant line section designed as a bypass to the radiator. This, analogous to the above, further increases the operational flexibility of the thermal management system according to the invention.
[0029] Furthermore, an advantageous embodiment of a thermal management system according to the invention as defined in one of claims 4 to 6 provides that the thermal management system is designed such that the thermal management system can additionally be operated in a fifth state, wherein in the fifth state of the thermal management system the first coolant pump and the second coolant pump deliver a coolant flow through the first coolant line section, the second coolant line section and the third coolant line section, wherein the coolant flow flowing through the third coolant line section is directed past the radiator to the coolant valve by means of a sixth coolant line section designed as a bypass to the radiator.and wherein a portion of the coolant flow is circulated, by means of the coolant valve, essentially in a first coolant circuit with the first coolant line section and in a second coolant circuit with the second and third coolant line sections, such that, firstly, the second and third coolant line sections can be traversed in parallel, and secondly, by means of the coolant valve, the coolant flow flowing in the first coolant circuit can be partially introduced into the third coolant line section of the second coolant circuit and subsequently transferred back into the first coolant circuit via the second coolant line section. In this way, the flexibility in the operation of the thermal management system according to the invention is further increased.
[0030] Furthermore, an advantageous embodiment of a thermal management system according to the invention, as defined in one of claims 4 to 7, provides that the
[0031]
[0032] &
[0033] The thermal management system is designed such that the thermal management system can additionally be operated in a sixth state, wherein in the sixth state of the thermal management system the first coolant pump and the second coolant pump deliver a coolant flow through the first coolant line section, the second coolant line section and the third coolant line section, wherein the coolant flow flowing through the third coolant line section is directed past the radiator to the coolant valve by means of a sixth coolant line section designed as a bypass to the radiator, and wherein the coolant flow after the first necessarily first flows through the third and then subsequently through the second coolant line section.This provides, as an alternative or additional to the embodiments according to claims 5 to 7, a further state of the thermal management system according to the invention, by means of which the flexibility of the thermal management system according to the invention can be increased.
[0034] The same applies to an advantageous further development of the thermal management system according to the invention according to one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that the thermal management system is designed such that the thermal management system can additionally be operated in a seventh state, wherein in the seventh state of the thermal management system the first coolant pump delivers a coolant flow through the first coolant line section and through the third coolant line section, wherein the coolant flow flowing through the third coolant line section is directed past the radiator to the coolant valve by means of a sixth coolant line section designed as a bypass to the radiator, preferably that the second coolant pump delivers a coolant flow through the second coolant line section.In this way, as an alternative or additional to the embodiments according to claims 5 to 8, a further state of the thermal management system according to the invention is specified, by means of which the flexibility of the thermal management system according to the invention can be increased. Furthermore, by means of the preferred embodiment of this further development, simultaneous flow of coolant through the second coolant line section is enabled.
[0035]
[0036] Finally, an advantageous further development of the thermal management system according to one of claims 4 to 9 provides that the thermal management system is designed such that it can additionally be operated in an eighth state, wherein in the eighth state of the thermal management system the first coolant pump and the second coolant pump deliver a coolant flow through the first coolant line section, the second coolant line section and the third coolant line section, wherein the coolant flow flowing through the third coolant line section is partially directed past the radiator to the coolant valve by means of a sixth coolant line section designed as a bypass to the radiator, and wherein a portion of the coolant flow is each routed by means of the coolant valve into a first coolant circuit with the first coolant line section,The coolant circulates in a second coolant circuit with the second coolant line section and in a third coolant circuit with the third coolant line section. This provides, as an alternative or additional to the embodiments according to claims 5 to 9, a further state of the thermal management system according to the invention, by means of which the flexibility of the thermal management system according to the invention can be increased.
[0037] The aforementioned numerical designations of the individual states of the thermal management system according to the invention serve only to distinguish them. Accordingly, the presence of, for example, a sixth state does not necessarily imply that, in addition to the first and second states, there are actually a third, fourth, and fifth state. The same applies to the coolant circuits, which are numbered in an analogous manner.
[0038] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the attached, roughly schematic drawing. This drawing shows:
[0039]
[0040] Figs. 1 to 3 show an embodiment of the thermal management system according to the invention in a process circuit diagram, in three variants of the first state,
[0041] Fig. 4 shows the embodiment in a representation analogous to Fig. 1, in the second state,
[0042] Fig. 5 shows the embodiment in a representation analogous to Fig. 1, in the third state,
[0043] Figs. 6 and 7 show the exemplary embodiment in a representation analogous to Fig. 1, in two variants of the fourth state,
[0044] Fig. 8 shows the embodiment in a representation analogous to Fig. 1, in the fifth state,
[0045] Fig. 9 shows the embodiment in a representation analogous to Fig. 1, in the sixth state,
[0046] Figs. 10 and 11 show the embodiment in analogous representation to Fig. 1, in two variants of the seventh state and
[0047] Fig. 12 shows the embodiment in analogous representation to Fig. 1, in the eighth state.
[0048] Figures 1 to 12 show an exemplary embodiment of the thermal management system according to the invention for an electric vehicle, for example, for a heat pump arrangement with a coolant side and a refrigerant side. The vehicle itself is not shown in detail.
[0049] The thermal management system of the electric vehicle comprises: a first 100, a second 200 and a third 300 coolant line section, a first coolant pump 1 in the first coolant line section 100 and a second coolant pump 2 in the second coolant line section 200, a coolant valve 3 which is designed to create flow-conducting connections between the first 100, the second 200 and the third 300 coolant line section as required, a fourth
[0050]
[0051] &
[0052] Coolant line section 400, which connects the first coolant line section 100 with the third coolant line section 300, and a fifth coolant line section 500, which connects the second coolant line section 200 with the third coolant line section 300, wherein the thermal management system is designed such that the thermal management system can be operated in a first and a second state.
[0053] The first coolant line section 100 has at least one coolant-flowing component, which is configured as a chiller 4 for dissipating heat, for example to a refrigerant side of the thermal management system, and as a drive battery 5 of the vehicle. A return line section 250, directly connected to the second coolant line section 200 and leading to the coolant valve 3, also has at least one coolant-flowing component, which is configured as an interior heat exchanger 6 for heat exchange with an interior of the vehicle and as an electric auxiliary heater 7 for dissipating heat to the aforementioned interior of the vehicle.Similarly, the third coolant line section 300 has at least one coolant-flowing component, wherein this at least one component is designed, on the one hand, as power electronics 8 of the vehicle and an electric motor 9 of the vehicle for driving the vehicle, and on the other hand, as a radiator 10, which enables heat flow between the coolant and a free environment. In addition, the thermal management system according to the present embodiment also has a coolant tank 11 and various check valves 12. The number and flow-related arrangement of the check valves 12 are purely exemplary and can optionally be omitted.
[0054] The thermal management system is designed according to the invention such that in the first state of the thermal management system the first coolant pump 1 delivers a coolant flow through the first coolant line section 100 and theibH & Co. KGaA P09195WO
[0055] The second coolant pump 2 delivers a coolant flow through the second coolant line section 200 and / or the third coolant line section 300. See Figures 1 to 3. Furthermore, according to the invention, in the second state of the thermal management system, the first coolant pump 1 delivers a coolant flow through the first coolant line section 100 and through the third coolant line section 300, and the second coolant pump 2 delivers a coolant flow through the second coolant line section 200. See Figure 4.
[0056] In Figures 1 to 12, coolant lines carrying coolant are shown with thick solid lines, while inactive coolant lines, which are not carrying coolant in the respective operating state (i.e., the current state of the thermal management system), are shown with thin solid lines. Some flow-conducting connections are shown with dashed lines; this indicates optional and alternative flow paths that are established depending on the switching position of the coolant valve 3 and the operating state of the coolant pumps 1 and 2. The very thin dashed and solid line, compared to the other lines, simply indicates that the components of the thermal management system enclosed by this line are structurally grouped together in this embodiment.
[0057] The thermal management system according to the invention of the present embodiment is further designed in such a way that, in addition to the first and second states, a third to eighth state can also be realized by means of the thermal management system.
[0058] In the third state of the thermal management system shown in Fig. 5, the first coolant pump 1 and the second coolant pump 2 pump a coolant flow through the first coolant line section 100 and the third coolant line section 300. See Fig. 5.
[0059]
[0060] &
[0061] In the fourth state of the thermal management system, shown in Figures 6 and 7, the first coolant pump 1 pumps a coolant flow through the first coolant line section 100, and the second coolant pump 2 pumps a coolant flow through the second coolant line section 200 and the third coolant line section 300, wherein at least a portion of the coolant flow through the third coolant line section 300 is routed past the radiator 10 to the coolant valve 3 via a sixth coolant line section 600, which is configured as a bypass to the radiator 10. See Figures 6 and 7.
[0062] In the fifth state of the thermal management system shown in Fig. 8, the first coolant pump 1 and the second coolant pump 2 pump a coolant flow through the first coolant line section 100, the second coolant line section 200 and the third coolant line section 300, wherein the coolant flow through the third coolant line section 300 is directed past the radiator 10 to the coolant valve 3 by means of the sixth coolant line section 600, which is designed as a bypass to the radiator 10, and wherein a portion of the coolant flow is circulated by means of the coolant valve 3 essentially on the one hand in a first coolant circuit with the first coolant line section 100 and on the other hand in a second coolant circuit with the second coolant line section 200 and the third coolant line section 300, namely such thatthat, firstly, the second and third coolant line sections 200, 300 can be flowed through in parallel, and secondly, by means of the coolant valve 3, the coolant flow flowing in the first coolant circuit can be partially introduced into the third coolant line section 300 of the second coolant circuit and subsequently transferred back into the first coolant circuit via the second coolant line section 200.
[0063] In the sixth state of the thermal management system shown in Fig. 9, the first coolant pump 1 and the second coolant pump 2 pump a coolant flow through the first coolant line section 100, the second
[0064]
[0065] &
[0066] coolant line section 200 and the third coolant line section 300, wherein the coolant flow through the third coolant line section 300 is directed past the radiator 10 to the coolant valve 3 by means of the sixth coolant line section 600 designed as a bypass to the radiator 10, and wherein the coolant flow after the first necessarily first flows through the third and then subsequently through the second coolant line section 100, 200, 300.
[0067] In the seventh state of the thermal management system, shown in Figures 10 and 11, the first coolant pump 1 delivers a coolant flow through the first coolant line section 100 and through the third coolant line section 300. The coolant flow through the third coolant line section 300 is directed past the radiator 10 to the coolant valve 3 via the sixth coolant line section 600, which acts as a bypass to the radiator 10. It is also possible for the second coolant pump 2 to simultaneously deliver a coolant flow through the second coolant line section 200.
[0068] In the eighth state of the thermal management system shown in Fig. 12, the first coolant pump 1 and the second coolant pump 2 pump a coolant flow through the first coolant line section 100, the second coolant line section 200 and the third coolant line section 300, wherein the coolant flow flowing through the third coolant line section 300 is partially directed past the radiator 10 to the coolant valve 3 by means of the sixth coolant line section 600, which is designed as a bypass to the radiator 10, and wherein a portion of the coolant flow is circulated by means of the coolant valve 3 in a first coolant circuit with the first coolant line section 100, in a second coolant circuit with the second coolant line section 200 and in a third coolant circuit with the third coolant line section 300.
[0069]
[0070] The invention is not limited to the present embodiment. See, for example, the relevant explanations in the introductory section of the description and the alternative or optional features in the described embodiment.
[0071]
[0072] Reference symbol list
[0073] 1 First coolant pump
[0074] 2 Second coolant pump
[0075] 3 Coolant valve
[0076] 4 Chiller
[0077] 5 drive battery
[0078] 6 interior heat exchangers
[0079] 7 Electric auxiliary heater
[0080] 8 Power Electronics
[0081] 9 Electric motor
[0082] 10 Radiator
[0083] 11 Coolant tank
[0084] 12 Check valve
[0085] 100 First coolant line section
[0086] 200 Second coolant line section
[0087] 250 Return section
[0088] 300 Third coolant line section
[0089] 400 Fourth coolant line section
[0090] 500 Fifth coolant line section
[0091] 600 Sixth coolant line section
Claims
Thermal management system for an electric vehicle Patent claims 1. A thermal management system for an electric vehicle comprising: a first (100), a second (200) and a third (300) coolant line section, a first coolant pump (1) in the first coolant line section (100) and a second coolant pump (2) in the second coolant line section (200), a coolant valve (3) which is configured to create flow-conducting connections between the first (100), the second (200) and the third (300) coolant line section as required, a fourth coolant line section (400) which connects the first coolant line section (100) to the third coolant line section (300), and a fifth coolant line section (500) which connects the second coolant line section (200) to the third coolant line section (300), wherein the thermal management system is configured such thatthat the thermal management system can be operated in a first and a second state, characterized by that in the first state of the thermal management system the first coolant pump (1) delivers a coolant flow through the first coolant line section (100) and the second coolant pump (2) delivers a coolant flow through the second (200) and / or the third coolant line section (300), and that in the second state of the thermal management system the first coolant pump (1) delivers a coolant flow through the first coolant line section (100) and through the third coolant line section (300) and the second coolant pump (2) delivers a coolant flow through the second coolant line section (200).
2. Thermal management system according to claim 1 , characterized by that the first coolant line section (100) has at least one coolant-flowing component, preferably that this at least one component is designed as a chiller (4), in particular as a chiller (4) for discharging heat to a refrigerant side of the thermal management system, and / or as a traction battery (5) of the vehicle.
3. Thermal management system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the second coolant line section (200) and / or a return line section (250) directly connected to the second coolant line section (200) to the coolant valve (3) has at least one coolant-flowing component, preferably that this at least one component is designed as an interior heat exchanger (6) for heat exchange with an interior of the vehicle and / or as an electric auxiliary heater (7) for supplying heat to the aforementioned interior of the vehicle and / or as a liquid-cooled condenser of a refrigerant side of the thermal management system.
4. Thermal management system according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, that the third coolant line section (300) has at least one coolant-flowing component, preferably that this at least one component is designed on the one hand as a power electronics (8) of the vehicle and / or an electric motor (9) of the vehicle for driving the vehicle and / or on the other hand as a radiator (10) which allows a heat flow between the coolant and a free environment.
5. Thermal management system according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, that the thermal management system is designed in such a way that the thermal management system can additionally be operated in a third state, wherein in the third state of the thermal management system the first coolant pump (1) and the second coolant pump (2) pump a coolant flow through the first coolant line section (100) and the third coolant line section (300).
6. Thermal management system according to one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that, that the thermal management system is designed such that the thermal management system can additionally be operated in a fourth state, wherein in the fourth state of the thermal management system the first coolant pump (1) delivers a coolant flow through the first coolant line section (100) and the second coolant pump (2) delivers a coolant flow through the second coolant line section (200) and the third coolant line section (300), wherein at least a part of the coolant flow flowing through the third coolant line section (300) is directed past the radiator (10) to the coolant valve (3) by means of a sixth coolant line section (600) designed as a bypass to the radiator (10).
7. Thermal management system according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that, that the thermal management system is designed such that the thermal management system can additionally be operated in a fifth state, wherein in the fifth state of the thermal management system the first coolant pump (1) and the second coolant pump (2) supply a coolant flow through the first coolant line section (100), the second coolant line section (200) and the third convey coolant line section (300), wherein the coolant flow passing through the third coolant line section (300) is directed past the radiator (10) to the coolant valve (3) by means of a sixth coolant line section (600) designed as a bypass to the radiator (10), and wherein a portion of the coolant flow is circulated by means of the coolant valve (3) essentially on the one hand in a first coolant circuit with the first coolant line section (100) and on the other hand in a second coolant circuit with the second coolant line section (200) and the third coolant line section (300), namely such that, on the one hand, the second and the third coolant line sections (200,300) are able to flow through in parallel and, secondly, by means of the coolant valve (3), the coolant flow flowing in the first coolant circuit can be partially introduced into the third coolant line section (300) of the second coolant circuit and subsequently transferred back into the first coolant circuit via the second coolant line section (200).
8. Thermal management system according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that, that the thermal management system is designed such that the thermal management system can additionally be operated in a sixth state, wherein in the sixth state of the thermal management system the first coolant pump (1) and the second coolant pump (2) deliver a coolant flow through the first coolant line section (100), the second coolant line section (200) and the third coolant line section (300), wherein the coolant flow flowing through the third coolant line section (300) is directed past the radiator (10) to the coolant valve (3) by means of a sixth coolant line section (600) designed as a bypass to the radiator (10), and wherein the coolant flow is directed to the first, necessarily first the third and then the second coolant line section (100, 200, 300) flows through.
9. Thermal management system according to one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that, that the thermal management system is designed such that the thermal management system can additionally be operated in a seventh state, wherein in the seventh state of the thermal management system the first coolant pump (1) delivers a coolant flow through the first coolant line section (100) and through the third coolant line section (300), wherein the coolant flow flowing through the third coolant line section (300) is directed past the radiator (10) to the coolant valve (3) by means of a sixth coolant line section (600) designed as a bypass to the radiator (10), preferably that the second coolant pump (2) delivers a coolant flow through the second coolant line section (200).
10. Thermal management system according to one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that, that the thermal management system is designed such that it can additionally be operated in an eighth state, wherein in the eighth state of the thermal management system the first coolant pump (1) and the second coolant pump (2) deliver a coolant flow through the first coolant line section (100), the second coolant line section (200) and the third coolant line section (300), wherein the coolant flow flowing through the third coolant line section (300) is partially directed past the radiator (10) to the coolant valve (3) by means of a sixth coolant line section (600) designed as a bypass to the radiator (10), and wherein a portion of the coolant flow is directed by means of the coolant valve (3) in a first The coolant is circulated in a second coolant circuit with the first coolant pipe section (100), in a second coolant circuit with the second coolant pipe section (200), and in a third coolant circuit with the third coolant pipe section (300).