DE102021132037B4 - Cooling arrangement for cooling a battery of a motor vehicle, motor vehicle and method for operating a cooling arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

Cooling arrangement (10) for cooling a battery (12) of a motor vehicle (14), having an internal coolant circuit (24) within the vehicle, which comprises a cooling device (20) through which a coolant can flow, wherein the cooling device (20) is designed to absorb heat released by the battery (12) during operation of the battery (12), wherein the cooling device (20) has a first sub-chamber (22) through which the coolant can flow and a second sub-chamber (28) through which a second coolant can flow, wherein the second sub-chamber (28) of the cooling device (20) is integrated into an internal section (30) of a second coolant circuit (32), wherein the internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32) within the vehicle comprises an outlet (36) via which the second coolant can be supplied to a cooling module (16) external to the vehicle, and wherein the internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32) has an inlet (38) comprises, via which the second coolant coming from the vehicle-external cooling module (16) can be introduced into the vehicle-internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32), characterized in that a first fluid chamber (80) of a refrigerant cooler (82) of the cooling arrangement (10), through which the second coolant can flow, is integrated into the vehicle-internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32), wherein the refrigerant cooler (82) comprises a second fluid chamber (84) through which a refrigerant can flow, and wherein the second fluid chamber (84) is integrated into a vehicle-internal refrigerant circuit (48) of the cooling arrangement (10) and can be operated as an indirect condenser or indirect gas cooler of the refrigerant circuit (48).

Description

The invention relates to a cooling arrangement for cooling a battery of a motor vehicle, comprising an internal coolant circuit that includes a cooling device through which a coolant flows. The cooling device is designed to absorb heat released by the battery during operation.

The JP 2019 75248 A describes a battery cooling system. While a battery of a vehicle having an air conditioning circuit is being charged by a charger provided outside the vehicle, the battery cooling system cools the battery using an internal circuit and an external circuit.

The CN 113 263 959 A describes a liquid-cooled thermal management system for electric vehicles, including a vehicle-mounted charging device. The thermal management system includes a vehicle-mounted air conditioning assembly and a battery assembly. A battery pack is cooled using a combined battery heat exchanger.

The DE 10 2005 048 241 A1 describes a dual-circuit battery cooling system with a refrigerant circuit and a coolant circuit. A vehicle battery is arranged in the coolant circuit. The refrigerant circuit has a first evaporator and a second evaporator, wherein the second evaporator is arranged in the refrigerant circuit parallel to the first evaporator. The second evaporator can be used to cool a coolant, which is pumped through the coolant circuit and supplied to the battery.

Further cooling systems for cooling a battery of a motor vehicle, in which a heat exchanger through which a coolant flows can be cooled by means of an evaporator which is integrated into a refrigerant circuit, are described in the EP 2 504 880 B1 or in the DE 10 2004 035 879 A1 described.

When charging a motor vehicle battery, especially during rapid charging, a relatively large amount of heat is released. If an in-vehicle cooling system is designed to dissipate the waste heat generated during charging, especially during rapid charging, such a cooling system must be significantly larger than is necessary for the cooling requirements of the battery during driving. However, such a cooling system, oversized for driving, is disadvantageous in terms of the associated complexity, space requirements, costs, and weight.

The object of the present invention is to provide a cooling arrangement of the type mentioned at the outset, which enables improved temperature control of the battery, as well as to provide a motor vehicle with such a cooling arrangement and a corresponding method for operating a cooling arrangement.

This object is achieved by a cooling arrangement having the features of patent claim 1, by a motor vehicle having the features of patent claim 7, and by a method having the features of patent claim 9. Advantageous embodiments with expedient further developments of the invention are specified in the dependent patent claims and in the following description.

The cooling arrangement according to the invention for cooling a battery of a motor vehicle comprises an internal coolant circuit, which comprises a cooling device through which a coolant can flow. The cooling device is designed to absorb heat released by the battery during operation. The cooling device has a first sub-chamber through which the coolant can flow, and a second sub-chamber through which a second coolant can flow. The second sub-chamber of the cooling device is integrated into an internal-vehicle section of a second coolant circuit. The internal-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit comprises an outlet, via which the second coolant can be supplied to a cooling module external to the vehicle. The internal-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit also comprises an inlet, via which the second coolant coming from the external-vehicle cooling module can be introduced into the internal-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit.

In the cooling arrangement according to the invention, a first fluid chamber of a refrigerant cooler of the cooling arrangement, through which the second coolant can flow, is integrated into the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit. The refrigerant cooler comprises a second fluid chamber through which a refrigerant can flow, wherein the second fluid chamber is integrated into a vehicle-internal refrigerant circuit of the cooling arrangement and can be operated as an indirect condenser or indirect gas cooler of the refrigerant circuit. Such a refrigerant cooler makes it possible to cool and/or condense the refrigerant while the motor vehicle is at the charging station or charging column. This allows air conditioning of, for example, a passenger compartment even when the motor vehicle is stationary. of the motor vehicle without the need to supply a condenser or gas cooler with ambient air. Optionally, an existing condenser or gas cooler supplied with ambient air can be supplied with a reduced amount of air if the refrigerant cooler is provided. The cooling capacity of the vehicle-external cooling module can therefore be used predominantly or exclusively to cool and/or condense the refrigerant flowing through the second fluid chamber of the refrigerant cooler. This is particularly effective and requires little effort. Furthermore, if the fan operation for cooling the refrigerant is reduced or non-existent, the vehicle or motor vehicle to be charged is acoustically less noticeable.

If, during operation of the cooling arrangement, the coolant flows through the first sub-chamber of the cooling device and the second coolant flows through the second sub-chamber of the cooling device, heat can be dissipated from the battery via both coolants. If, in addition, the second coolant is supplied to the vehicle-external cooling module, the cooling capacity of the vehicle-external cooling module can be used to cool the battery. Therefore, the vehicle-internal coolant circuit does not need to be designed solely for a cooling capacity by means of which the waste heat generated during charging, and in particular during rapid charging of the battery, can be dissipated. Instead, by coupling the vehicle-external cooling module to the outlet and the inlet of the cooling arrangement, the cooling capacity of the vehicle-external cooling module can be used. This enables improved and more efficient temperature control of the battery.

Furthermore, it is advantageous that even when the vehicle-external cooling module is used to cool the battery, the vehicle-internal coolant circuit or first coolant circuit remains closed. This prevents the ingress of contaminants and/or air bubbles or the like into the vehicle-internal coolant circuit, even if the vehicle-external cooling module is coupled via the inlet and outlet to the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit associated with the cooling arrangement.

Connections in the form of the inlet and outlet for the coolant in the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit can be provided at a location in or on the motor vehicle that is the highest point relative to all other components of the vehicle-internal section. This design can at least reduce or even prevent the formation of air bubbles in the coolant that subsequently circulates internally or independently within the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit. Siphon solutions in the area of the inlet and/or outlet can also be provided in the vehicle-internal section to reduce the formation of bubbles.

Charging, in particular rapid charging, of the battery is preferably carried out when the motor vehicle is parked at a charging station or charging column, wherein the charging station or charging column has the vehicle-external cooling module, which can ensure appropriate, vehicle-external cooling of the battery.

Advantageously, the internal vehicle coolant circuit or first coolant circuit can be used both during charging, in particular rapid charging, of the battery and during driving of the motor vehicle containing the battery, i.e., when the motor vehicle is not at the charging station or charging column having the external cooling module. The internal vehicle coolant circuit can thus be used to support the charging of the battery and, in addition, to dissipate heat from the battery while the motor vehicle is in driving operation.

However, it is also advantageously possible to heat the battery using the cooling arrangement. This can be useful, for example, if the battery's charging capacity cannot be fully utilized due to low temperature. In such a case, the battery's usable charging capacity can be increased by preheating or warming it up. In particular, a point in time at which the battery's full charging capacity or charging power is available can be brought forward. This can, in particular, result in the charging process, in which the battery's full charging capacity is to be reached or utilized, being able to be carried out particularly quickly.

Heat can therefore also be introduced into the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit via the second coolant, which flows through the second coolant circuit when the cooling arrangement is in operation, when the cooling module is connected to the outlet and inlet. This can also be useful in an application in which the second coolant circuit is to be used to heat or preheat a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle.

By coupling the vehicle-external cooling module with the outlet and the inlet, i.e. with components of the second coolant circuit, which belong to the vehicle-internal section of the coolant circuit, an external cold source or heat source can be used, which provided by the vehicle-external cooling module. The vehicle-external cooling module can therefore also be referred to as the vehicle-external temperature control module.

Preferably, a chiller is arranged in the vehicle's internal coolant circuit, comprising a first sub-area through which the coolant can flow and a second sub-area through which a refrigerant can flow. The second sub-area is integrated into a vehicle-internal refrigerant circuit of the cooling arrangement and can be operated as an evaporator of the refrigerant circuit.

By providing such a chiller, particularly strong or intensive cooling of the battery can be achieved if the two fluidically separated coolant circuits, and thus also the two fluidically separated coolants, are used to cool the battery. In particular, the chiller can be switched on when this is desirable for cooling the battery, for example, during charging. Furthermore, the chiller can also be used while the motor vehicle containing the battery is in operation to dissipate heat from the battery. The chiller thus enables very flexible cooling of the battery, adapted to the respective situation.

Preferably, at least one cooler through which the coolant can flow is integrated into the vehicle's internal coolant circuit. This cooler can be exposed to an air flow by means of a fan of the cooling arrangement. Such a cooler, which is exposed to air during operation, can be used advantageously and easily to dissipate heat from the coolant both during battery charging at the stationary charging station, particularly when the ambient temperature is favorable for heat transfer to the environment, and during operation of the motor vehicle.

Additionally or alternatively, at least one cooler through which the second coolant can flow can be integrated into the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit, which cooler can be subjected to an air flow by means of a fan of the cooling arrangement. Such a cooler can, in support of the vehicle-external cooling module, ensure the dissipation of heat from the second coolant when the motor vehicle's battery is being charged at the charging station having the vehicle-external cooling module, particularly when the ambient temperature is advantageous or favorable for heat transfer to the environment.

Furthermore, it is possible to use the cooler to dissipate heat from the second coolant even when the stationary, external cooling module is not coupled to the inlet and outlet of the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit, but particularly when the ambient temperature is favorable for heat transfer to the environment. Accordingly, the at least one cooler, preferably integrated into the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit, can also be advantageously used while the motor vehicle is in operation.

The cooling arrangement can have at least one bypass line for bypassing the at least one cooler. This makes it possible to bypass the cooler. This is useful, for example, when the ambient air or the air flow with which the fan associated with the cooler can act on the cooler has a comparatively high temperature. In such a case, the use of the at least one bypass line can prevent an undesirable introduction of heat into the coolant or the second coolant flowing through the cooler.

As an alternative to the bypass line, potential heat input into the coolant flowing through the at least one cooler can be prevented by preventing the air-side flow through the cooler, for example, by deactivating the associated fan and/or using a cooler shutter. Furthermore, the provision of the at least one bypass line can prevent a pressure loss that occurs when the coolant flows through the cooler in the vehicle's internal coolant circuit or the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit. This is also advantageous.

Preferably, a pumping device is arranged in the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit, by means of which the second coolant can be conveyed through the radiator. By providing such a pump, forced flow through the radiator arranged in the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit can be achieved. This allows for particularly high flexibility in the use of this radiator.

Even in a case in which a vehicle-external pumping device is present, by means of which the coolant can be supplied to the vehicle-external cooling module and/or introduced via the inlet into the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit, the provision of the vehicle-internal pumping device is advantageous. On the one hand, the vehicle's internal pumping device can support such an external pumping device. On the other hand, the vehicle's internal pumping device enables the coolant to be pumped internally for cooling purposes, i.e., when the vehicle's internal section of the second coolant circuit is not fluidly coupled to the external cooling module.

Preferably, a pumping device is arranged in the vehicle's internal or first coolant circuit, by means of which the coolant can be pumped through the first subchamber of the cooling device. This pumping device can be used both when both coolant circuits are to be used to dissipate heat from the battery when the motor vehicle is parked at the charging station or charging column, and when only the vehicle's internal coolant circuit is used to dissipate heat from the battery when the motor vehicle is in operation.

Preferably, a chiller is integrated into the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit, comprising a first sub-area through which the second coolant can flow, and a second sub-area through which a refrigerant can flow. The second sub-area is integrated into a vehicle-internal refrigerant circuit of the cooling arrangement and can be operated as an evaporator of the refrigerant circuit. Such a chiller can be used very advantageously to dissipate additional heat from the second coolant while the vehicle-external cooling module is in use. Furthermore, the chiller can also be used advantageously while the motor vehicle having the battery is in operation, i.e. when the motor vehicle is not at the charging station or charging column to charge the battery. This is also advantageous.

The refrigerant cooler preferably has a third fluid chamber through which a third coolant can flow. In this case, the third fluid chamber is integrated into a third coolant circuit, which is designed as an additional internal vehicle coolant circuit of the cooling arrangement. In this case, it is advantageous that the third coolant circuit, like the completely internal vehicle coolant circuit comprising the first subchamber of the cooling device, is self-contained, even when the cooling capacity or temperature control capacity of the vehicle-external cooling module is used. This is advantageous in view of the fact that no impurities and/or air bubbles or the like are introduced into the third coolant circuit either, and the coolant quality and its composition remain unaffected or unaffected from the outside.

In addition, other components arranged in the third coolant circuit from which heat is to be dissipated can also access the cooling capacity provided by the vehicle-external cooling module. This is advantageous, for example, when components to be cooled, such as an electric drive system of the motor vehicle and/or power electronics and/or an internal combustion engine and/or a fuel cell stack, are arranged in the third coolant circuit.

The motor vehicle according to the invention comprises a cooling arrangement according to the invention and a battery. The battery is designed to supply a drive device of the motor vehicle with electrical energy. In the motor vehicle, the cooling arrangement can advantageously be used to cool the battery.

The battery can be designed, in particular, as a high-voltage battery or high-voltage storage device, which has a nominal voltage of more than 60 volts and preferably of up to several hundred volts. Alternatively, the battery can be designed as a low-voltage battery, which has a lower nominal voltage, such as a nominal voltage of 48 volts or even less. Particularly with a battery designed as a high-voltage storage device, a comparatively high level of waste heat is generated during charging, particularly during rapid charging, at the charging station or charging column or the like. This waste heat can be dissipated in a particularly efficient manner by means of the cooling arrangement.

Preferably, the electric drive device of the motor vehicle is designed to effect or at least assist the motor vehicle's movement. Accordingly, the motor vehicle can be designed, in particular, as an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle.

Preferably, the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit is coupled to a vehicle-external section of the second coolant circuit, with the vehicle-external cooling module being integrated into the vehicle-external section of the second coolant circuit. The additional coolant can then be conveyed through the second coolant circuit, thus utilizing the cooling or tempering capacity of the vehicle-external cooling module for tempering, i.e., cooling or heating, the battery.

In the method according to the invention for operating a cooling arrangement, a battery of a motor vehicle is tempered by a cooling device of an internal vehicle coolant circuit of the cooling arrangement being supplied with a coolant by flows. The cooling device is designed to absorb heat released by the battery during operation of the battery. The cooling device has a first sub-chamber through which the coolant can flow and a second sub-chamber through which a second coolant flows. The second sub-chamber of the cooling device is integrated into a vehicle-internal section of a second coolant circuit, wherein the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit comprises an outlet via which the second coolant is supplied to a vehicle-external cooling module. The vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit further comprises an inlet via which the second coolant coming from the vehicle-external cooling module is introduced into the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit. A first fluid chamber of a refrigerant cooler of the cooling arrangement, through which the second coolant flows, is integrated into the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit. The refrigerant cooler comprises a second fluid space through which a refrigerant flows, wherein the second fluid space is integrated into a vehicle-internal refrigerant circuit of the cooling arrangement and is operated as an indirect condenser or indirect gas cooler of the refrigerant circuit.

For the purpose of temperature control of the battery, the second coolant flows through at least the second subchamber of the cooling device. If heat is dissipated at the vehicle-external cooling module, the battery is cooled. Conversely, if heat is introduced into the coolant by means of the vehicle-external cooling module, the battery is heated or preheated. These two options for temperature control of the battery can be advantageous if the motor vehicle is parked at a charging station or charging column that has the vehicle-external cooling module, whereby the cooling module can also be referred to as a vehicle-external temperature control module. Consequently, the method enables improved temperature control of the battery.

Furthermore, the first subchamber of the cooling device can also be flowed through by the coolant, which can be pumped within the vehicle's internal coolant circuit, for example, by means of a pumping device. This allows for particularly intensive cooling of the battery, which is advantageous during charging, especially rapid charging.

The advantages and preferred embodiments described for the cooling arrangement according to the invention apply analogously to the motor vehicle according to the invention and to the method according to the invention and vice versa.

The invention therefore also includes further developments of the method according to the invention that have features already described in connection with the further developments of the cooling arrangement according to the invention or the motor vehicle according to the invention. For this reason, the corresponding further developments of the method according to the invention are not described again here.

The motor vehicle according to the invention is preferably designed as a motor vehicle, in particular as a passenger car or truck, or as a passenger bus.

The invention also encompasses combinations of the features of the described embodiments. The invention therefore also encompasses implementations that each have a combination of the features of several of the described embodiments, unless the embodiments are described as mutually exclusive.

• 1 eine Kühlanordnung zum Kühlen einer Batterie eines Kraftfahrzeugs, wobei die Kühlanordnung einen fahrzeuginternen Kühlmittelkreis und einen fahrzeuginternen Abschnitt eines weiteren Kühlmittelkreises umfasst, wobei der weitere Kühlmittelkreis zusätzlich einen fahrzeugexternen (und somit nicht der Kühlanordnung zugehörigen) Abschnitt aufweist, in welchen ein fahrzeugexternes Kühlmodul eingebunden ist;
• 2 eine Variante der Kühlanordnung gemäß 1, bei welcher ein mit einem Luftstrom beaufschlagbarer Kühler parallel zu einem Chiller des fahrzeuginternen Kühlmittelkreises von einem Kühlmittel durchströmbar ist;
• 3 eine weitere Variante der Kühlanordnung, bei welcher in dem fahrzeuginternen Abschnitt des zweiten Kühlmittelkreises eine eigene Pumpeinrichtung und ein Kühler angeordnet sind;
• 4 eine weitere Variante der Kühlanordnung, bei welcher der fahrzeuginterne Abschnitt des zweiten Kühlmittelkreises und der vollständig fahrzeuginterne oder erste Kühlmittelkreis einen jeweiligen Chiller umfassen;
• 5 eine weitere Variante der Kühlanordnung, bei welcher in den fahrzeuginternen Abschnitt des zweiten Kühlmittelkreises ein indirekter Kondensator mit zwei Fluidräumen eingebunden ist;
• 6 eine Variante der Kühlanordnung gemäß 5, wobei der indirekte Kondensator einen weiteren Fluidraum aufweist, welcher in einen dritten, fahrzeuginternen Kühlmittelkreis des Kraftfahrzeugs eingebunden ist; und
• 7 das die Batterie aufweisende Kraftfahrzeug, welches an einer das fahrzeugexterne Kühlmodul aufweisenden Ladestation steht.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described schematically below. Shown are:

• 1 a cooling arrangement for cooling a battery of a motor vehicle, wherein the cooling arrangement comprises a vehicle-internal coolant circuit and a vehicle-internal section of a further coolant circuit, wherein the further coolant circuit additionally has a vehicle-external section (and thus not belonging to the cooling arrangement) into which a vehicle-external cooling module is integrated;
• 2 a variant of the cooling arrangement according to 1 , in which a cooler to which an air flow is applied can be flowed through by a coolant parallel to a chiller of the vehicle's internal coolant circuit;
• 3 a further variant of the cooling arrangement, in which a separate pumping device and a cooler are arranged in the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit;
• 4 a further variant of the cooling arrangement, in which the in-vehicle section of the second coolant circuit and the fully in-vehicle or first coolant circuit comprise a respective chiller;
• 5 a further variant of the cooling arrangement in which an indirect condenser with two fluid chambers is integrated into the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit;
• 6 a variant of the cooling arrangement according to 5 , wherein the indirect condenser has a further fluid chamber which is integrated into a third, internal coolant circuit of the motor vehicle; and
• 7 the motor vehicle having the battery, which is located at a charging station having the vehicle-external cooling module.

The exemplary embodiments explained below are preferred embodiments of the invention. In the exemplary embodiments, the described components of the embodiments each represent individual features of the invention that can be considered independently of one another, each of which also develops the invention independently of one another. Therefore, the disclosure is intended to encompass combinations of the features of the embodiments other than those shown. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by further features of the invention already described.

In the figures, the same reference symbols denote elements with the same function.

In 1 is a highly schematic cooling arrangement 10 for cooling a battery 12 of a 7 schematically shown motor vehicle 14. The cooling arrangement 10 enables the use of a vehicle-external cooling module 16 for cooling the battery 12. As can be seen from 7 As can be seen, the vehicle-external cooling module 16 can be integrated into a stationary charging station 18 or charging column, which is used to charge the battery 12 of the motor vehicle 14. Particularly when the motor vehicle 14 is at the charging station 18 and the battery 12 is being charged in a rapid charging process, a comparatively large amount of waste heat is released from the battery 12. This waste heat can be dissipated using the cooling arrangement 10.

In 1 For reasons of clarity, the battery 12 is not shown. However, in 1 a cooling device 20 of the cooling arrangement 10 is shown, which is designed to absorb heat which is released by the battery 12 during operation of the battery 12, for example when charging the battery 12 and/or discharging the battery 12. The cooling device 20, which is preferably in heat-conducting contact with the battery 12, comprises a first sub-chamber 22 through which a coolant can flow. This first sub-chamber 22, which can be designed as a cooling plate, for example, is integrated into a coolant circuit 24 which is internal to the vehicle, i.e. arranged within the motor vehicle 14, wherein the coolant circuit 24 is 1 is shown highly schematically. A pumping device or pump 26 is arranged in the vehicle's internal coolant circuit 24, which pumps the coolant through the first subchamber 22 of the cooling device 20 during operation of the coolant circuit 24.

Furthermore, the cooling device 20 comprises a second subchamber 28, which can be designed as a second cooling plate of the cooling device 20, wherein the second cooling plate is also preferably in heat-conducting contact with the battery 12. In particular, the battery 12 and the cooling device 20, which in this case comprises the two subchambers 22, 28 (preferably designed as respective cooling plates), form an assembly in the form of an energy storage device, in particular in the form of a high-voltage energy storage device. The subchambers 22, 28 of the cooling device 20 that serve to dissipate heat from the battery 12 are therefore preferably integrated into this energy storage device.

The second subspace 28 of the cooling device 20 is integrated into a vehicle-internal section 30 of a second coolant circuit 32, which 1 is shown schematically. The second coolant circuit 32 also comprises a vehicle-external section 34, wherein the vehicle-external cooling module 16 is arranged in the vehicle-external section 34 of the second coolant circuit 32 (cf. 7 ).

The vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 is associated with an outlet 36 and an inlet 38, which can be arranged in particular in the region of an outer skin 40 of the motor vehicle 14 (cf. 7 ). The outer skin 40 of the motor vehicle 14 is in 1 shown only in sections and in a highly schematic manner. In one variant of the cooling arrangement 10, the inlet 38 and the outlet 36 can be designed as a common connector with fluidically separated interfaces.

For example, respective lines, which in turn can be designed separately from one another or coupled to one another, can be connected to the outlet 36 and the inlet 38 in order to fluidically couple the vehicle-external cooling module 16 to the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32. Then, the second subchamber 28 of the cooling device 20 can be flowed through by a second coolant, which is cooled by means of the vehicle-external cooling module 16 and for this purpose also flows through the vehicle-external section 34 of the second coolant circuit 32. This situation is highly schematic in 7 illustrated.

The vehicle-external cooling module 16 thus provides an external heat sink for cooling during Charging the battery 12, in particular during rapid charging of the battery 12. The second coolant circuit 32, which is open to the environment of the motor vehicle 14, can be used in combination with the coolant circuit 24 internal to the vehicle, i.e., arranged entirely within the motor vehicle 14, to dissipate a particularly large amount of heat from the battery 12 during charging of the battery 12.

For this purpose, both the completely internal vehicle coolant circuit 24 and the internal vehicle section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 are routed through the battery 12, namely in the region of the two subchambers 22, 28, which can be provided in particular by the respective cooling plates through which the respective coolant can flow and which are preferably in heat-conducting contact with the battery 12. The first coolant circuit 24 and the second coolant circuit 32 can actively extract heat from the battery 12 individually or jointly.

Both the first, vehicle-internal coolant circuit 24 and the second coolant circuit 32 can be used, for example, when the battery 12 of the motor vehicle 14 is being charged at the charging station 18 and the motor vehicle 14 is parked at the charging station 18 for this purpose. In particular, the vehicle-internal coolant circuit 24 can be switched on to provide an additional heat sink in addition to the vehicle-external cooling module 16.

However, the vehicle-internal coolant circuit 24 can also be used when the motor vehicle 14 having the battery 12 is in operation, that is to say in particular when the vehicle-external section 34 of the second coolant circuit 32 is decoupled from the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32.

According to 1 A chiller 42 can be integrated into the vehicle-internal coolant circuit 24. The chiller 42 comprises a first sub-area 44 through which the coolant can flow, which the pump 26 conveys through the vehicle-internal coolant circuit 24. Furthermore, the chiller 42 comprises a second sub-area 46, which is integrated into a vehicle-internal refrigerant circuit 48 of the cooling arrangement 10. The second sub-area 46 of the chiller 42 can be operated as an evaporator of the refrigerant circuit 48. Conventional components 50 of the refrigerant circuit 48, such as a compressor, a condenser or gas cooler connected downstream of the compressor, and an expansion element connected upstream of the evaporator in the form of the second sub-area 46, are shown in 1 not shown in detail for reasons of clarity.

Furthermore, at least one cooler 52 can be integrated into the vehicle-internal coolant circuit 24, which cooler can be supplied with an air flow by means of a fan 54 of the cooling arrangement 10. In the 1 In the variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown, the cooler 52 is arranged in series with the first partial region 44 of the chiller 42 in the vehicle-internal coolant circuit 24.

The cooler 52 can be used to dissipate heat from the battery 12 both when the motor vehicle 14 is stationary at the charging station 18 and when the motor vehicle 14 is in operation. If the ambient air, which the fan 54 applies to the cooler 52, has a comparatively high temperature, the operation of the fan 54 on the cooler 52 can lead to an undesirable heat input into the coolant flowing through the first subchamber 22 of the cooling device 20. 1 a bypass line 56 or bypass line is indicated, by means of which the cooler 52 can be bypassed.

Such bypassing of the cooler 52 is particularly useful when cooling loss at the cooler 52 is to be avoided. Additionally or alternatively, in such a situation, the fan 54 can be deactivated and/or a cooler shutter (not shown) can be closed so that the cooler 52 is not exposed to air, even if the fan 54 is operating.

The interfaces of the vehicle-internal section 30 and thus also of the cooling arrangement 10 to the outside, i.e. the outlet 36 and the inlet 38, are preferably designed to be closable, so that no contaminants can penetrate into the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 and thus into the cooling arrangement 10 when the vehicle-external section 34 of the second coolant circuit 32 is decoupled from these interfaces.

By closing or covering the inlet 38 and the outlet 36, it is possible, in particular, to prevent contaminants or the like from outside the motor vehicle 14 from entering the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32. For example, the inlet 38 and/or the outlet 36 can be protected from contamination by protective caps or similar closure devices and/or filter devices (not shown), which can be replaceable and/or permanently installed. Furthermore, such closure devices prevent the escape of cooling fluid or coolant and thus coolant losses to the environment during vehicle operation. and thus coolant circuit operation away from charging station 18.

Due to the fluidic separation of the vehicle-internal coolant circuit 24 from the second coolant circuit 32, the entry of contaminants and/or air bubbles into the vehicle-internal coolant circuit 24 is also avoided, even if the vehicle-external cooling module 16 is used to cool the battery 12.

The retention of air bubbles in the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 can also be prevented by the structural measure of placing the connections in the form of the inlet 38 and the outlet 36 for the conditioning fluid flow or coolant flow from the charging station 18 comprising the cooling module 16 into the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 in an exposed position on the motor vehicle 14 or its outer skin 40. In particular, it can be ensured that these connections are located higher than all other components and line sections through which the coolant flows in the coolant system or coolant circuit 32.

The 2 The variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown corresponds very largely to that shown in 1 Therefore, only differences to the version shown in 1 shown variant will be discussed. Thus, here the at least one cooler 52, which can be supplied with an air flow by means of the fan 54, is arranged parallel to the first partial area 44 of the chiller 42 in the vehicle-internal coolant circuit 24 so that the coolant can flow through it. In this way, both the chiller 42 and the cooler 52 can be used simultaneously to dissipate heat from the coolant flowing through the first partial area 22 of the cooling device 20. Also in the 2 In the variant shown, a bypass line (not shown) may be provided to bypass the cooler 52 in the vehicle's internal coolant circuit 24.

Since the cooler 52 in 2 Since the cooling system 42 is already arranged parallel to one chiller 42, the cooler 52 can be easily bypassed due to the given topology. Valves not shown for clarity can control the coolant flow accordingly. To ensure a uniform coolant flow distribution in parallel operation across both the chiller 42 and the cooler 52, orifices can be provided as throttling devices in the respective paths.

In 3 A further variant of the cooling arrangement 10 is shown, whereby here too only differences to the one in 1 shown variant of the cooling arrangement 10 will be discussed. In this variant, no cooler is provided in addition to the chiller 42 in the vehicle-internal coolant circuit 24. In contrast, a cooler 58 is arranged in the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32, which cooler can be supplied with an air flow by means of a fan 60. In this case, the cooler 58 can be integrated into the second coolant circuit 32 in series with the vehicle-external cooling module 16, through which the second coolant can flow, if the vehicle-external cooling module 16 is fluidically coupled to the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32.

At the 3 In the variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown, a first valve 62 is arranged in the region of the outlet 36, which, in a closed position, prevents the second coolant from being supplied to the vehicle-external cooling module 16. Analogously, a second valve 64 is provided in the region of the inlet 38, which prevents the second coolant coming from the vehicle-external cooling module 16 from being introduced or returned via the inlet 38 when the second valve 64 is closed. When the valves 62, 64 are closed, the cooler 58 can also be used when the motor vehicle 14 is in operation, i.e., when the motor vehicle 14 is not at the charging station 18 to charge the battery 12.

In particular, in this variant, a further pumping device or further pump 66 can be arranged in the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32, by means of which the second coolant can be conveyed through the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32. The second pump 66 can be arranged in a parallel branch 68 of the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32, i.e., in a branch of the second coolant circuit 32 through which flow can occur parallel to the vehicle-external cooling module 16 when the vehicle-external cooling module 16 is fluidically coupled to the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32. According to 3 The cooler 58 can be arranged in the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32, in particular downstream of the second sub-chamber 28 and upstream of a branch point at which the parallel line 68 branches off from this branch point. Furthermore, it is possible to arrange the cooler 58 in the parallel line 68.

A valve 70, for example a check valve, can be arranged in the parallel line 68, which is pressed open by the second coolant when the second pump 66 conveys the second coolant through the parallel line 68. By means of However, such a check valve can be used to easily and reliably prevent the second coolant from flowing through the parallel line 68 when the second coolant is introduced into the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 via the inlet 38 by means of a pumping device (not shown) of the charging station 18 with the valve 64 open. In this case, the check valve ensures that the second coolant introduced into the vehicle-internal section 30 by the pumping device or pump of the charging station 18 flows through the second subchamber 28 of the cooling device 20. The valve 70 can also be designed as a shut-off valve. The external conveying device or pump (not shown) can, for example, be integrated into the vehicle-external cooling module 16.

The parallel line 68 represents, in particular, a circuit closure within the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 for a cooling circuit operation of the motor vehicle 14 that is decoupled or uncoupled from the charging station 18.

Furthermore, 3 a bypass line 72 is shown, by means of which the cooler 58 arranged in the vehicle-internal section 30 can be bypassed, if such a cooler 58 is present. In addition or alternatively to the bypass line 72, a cooler shutter (not shown) can be assigned to the cooler 58, which, in a closed position, prevents air conveyed by the fan 60 from impinging on the cooler 58.

Alternatively to the 3 In the arrangement shown in the bypass line or parallel line 68, the pump 66 can be installed in the vehicle-internal section 30 upstream of a branch point at which the parallel line 68 branches off from a line of the vehicle-internal section 30, or downstream of a junction point at which the parallel line 68 joins a line of the vehicle-internal section 30. The pump 66 can thus also implement or at least support circulation of the coolant flow connected externally and conditioned via the temperature control device in the form of the cooling module 16.

The inclusion of a cooler 58 and a pump 66 in the vehicle-internal section 30 and the possibility of representing this as a quasi-closed circuit enables, under certain thermal ambient conditions - the ambient temperature level is below a coolant temperature level - the section 30 to be used as an additional cooling device for the cooling device 20 even away from a charging station, i.e. when the vehicle 14 is in operation.

In 4 A further variant of the cooling arrangement 10 is shown, whereby here too only differences to the one in 3 shown variant of the cooling arrangement 10 will be discussed. Thus, a corresponding representation of the cooler 58 illustrates that the cooler 58 integrated into the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32, as an alternative to the coolers shown with reference to 3 described positioning, can also be omitted. In contrast, in the case of the 4 In the variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown, a further or second chiller 74 is integrated into the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32.

The second chiller 74, like the first chiller 42 assigned to the first coolant circuit 24, has a first sub-region 76 through which the second coolant can flow, which the second pump 66 and/or the pump (not shown) of the charging station 18 can pump through the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32. Furthermore, the second chiller 74 has a second sub-region 78 through which the refrigerant pumped in the vehicle-internal refrigerant circuit 48 of the cooling arrangement 10 can flow. Accordingly, in this variant of the cooling arrangement 10, the second sub-region 78 of the second chiller 74 can be operated as an additional evaporator of the refrigerant circuit 48. The two sub-regions 46, 78 that can be operated as evaporators can be connected in parallel in the refrigerant circuit 48 or arranged in series so that the refrigerant can flow through it.

At the 4 In the variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown, the two chillers 42, 74 can be used both when the motor vehicle 14 is at the charging station 18 and the battery 12 is being charged, and when the motor vehicle 14 having the battery 12 is in driving operation.

Also in the variant of the cooling arrangement 10 according to 4 It may prove advantageous to provide the bypass line 72 (optionally shown) on the cooler 58 in order to easily disconnect this cooler 58 from an active chain or cold chain present in cooling operation if necessary.

In 5 A further variant of the cooling arrangement 10 is shown, whereby in the following only the differences to the one in 1 shown variant of the cooling arrangement 10 will be discussed. Thus, according to 5 in the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32, a first fluid chamber 80 of a refrigerant cooler 82 of the cooling arrangement nition 10. The first fluid chamber 80 can be flowed through by the second coolant, which flows through the second coolant circuit 32 when the vehicle-external cooling module 16 is coupled via the outlet 36 and the inlet 38 to the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 and, for example, the vehicle-external pump (not shown) is in operation.

The refrigerant cooler 82 comprises a second fluid chamber 84 through which a refrigerant flows. The second fluid chamber 84 is integrated into the vehicle-internal refrigerant circuit 48 and can be operated as an indirect condenser or indirect gas cooler of the refrigerant circuit 48. Accordingly, the cooling capacity of the vehicle-external cooling module 16 can also be used to cool the refrigerant flowing through the second fluid chamber 84.

At the 5 In the variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown, the refrigerant cooler 82 is designed as a bifluid heat exchanger. This is because the first fluid space 80 of the refrigerant cooler 82 can be flowed through by a fluid in the form of the second coolant, and the second fluid space 84 of the refrigerant cooler 82 can be flowed through by a fluid in the form of the refrigerant.

By utilizing the cooling power provided by the vehicle-external cooling module 16 to cool the refrigerant, in particular to below a condensation temperature of the refrigerant, active cooling of the battery 12 can be achieved by means of the chiller 42. Furthermore, air conditioning of a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle 14 can be supported or improved by cooling and/or condensing the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 48 by means of the vehicle-external cooling module 16.

With appropriate design and construction of the vehicle-internal section 30—in particular, taking into account at least one additional cooler connected to the ambient air and designing the vehicle-internal section 30 as a switchable, closed fluid circuit or coolant circuit—the refrigerant cooler 82 can be provided as the sole heat exchanger in the refrigerant circuit 48 to cool the refrigerant. However, at least one additional heat exchanger (not shown) can also be integrated into the refrigerant circuit 48, which can be cooled by air and/or a cooling fluid.

At the 5 In the variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown, the battery 12 and the indirect condenser are coupled on the fluid side and can be connected to one another for the joint use of the cold provided by the external cooling module 16.

In a further embodiment variant not shown, the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 can be designed in a similar manner to the variants described above with at least one bypass line and/or a connecting line running parallel to the inlet 38 and outlet 36 and/or with at least one cooler 58 and/or with at least one pump 66 in order to enable, in addition to a cooling operation at the charging station 18, also such a cooling operation during a state disconnected from the charging station 18.

Especially in the 5 In the variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown, further components 86 of the motor vehicle 14, from which heat is to be dissipated, can be integrated into the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32. As such a component 86, 7 For example, an electric drive device in the form of at least one electric motor 88 is shown.

The 6 The variant of the cooling arrangement 10 shown corresponds largely to that shown in 5 shown variant of the cooling arrangement 10. However, here the refrigerant cooler 82 is not designed as a bifluid heat exchanger, but as a trifluid heat exchanger. Accordingly, the refrigerant cooler 82 has the first fluid chamber 80, through which the second coolant can flow, and the second fluid chamber 84, through which the refrigerant can flow. Furthermore, the refrigerant cooler 82 has a third fluid chamber 90, through which a third coolant can flow.

The third fluid chamber 90 is integrated into a third coolant circuit 92 of the cooling arrangement 10. The third coolant circuit 92 is designed as an additional, vehicle-internal coolant circuit of the cooling arrangement 10. Accordingly, the third coolant can flow through the refrigerant cooler 82 as the third fluid.

At the 6 In the variant shown, the additional components 86 of the motor vehicle 14 to be cooled are arranged in the third coolant circuit 92, which is designed as the additional internal vehicle coolant circuit of the cooling arrangement 10. Accordingly, the additional external vehicle coolant circuit 92 also remains self-contained, even if the external vehicle cooling module 16 is used to cool the components 86.

A sequence of flow through the second sub-chamber 28 of the cooling device 20 and the first fluid chamber 80 of the refrigerant cooler 82 is preferably such that advantageous or thermodynamically favorable configurations are achieved for a plurality of operating points of the cooling arrangement 10.

In the described variants of the cooling arrangement 10, the charging station 18 preferably ensures that at the end of the charging process and before the vehicle-external section 34 of the second coolant circuit 32 is uncoupled from the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32, the vehicle-internal section 30 is correctly filled with the second coolant and is free of air bubbles.

For reasons of clarity, further valves that can be used in the variants of the cooling arrangement 10 explained above, for example in the form of shut-off valves, switching valves, mixing valves or the like, to ensure a desired flow direction of the coolant through the vehicle-internal coolant circuit 24 and/or of the second coolant through the second coolant circuit 32 and/or of the third coolant through the third, vehicle-internal coolant circuit 92, as well as orifices or alternative throttle elements for adjusting a targeted volume flow distribution, are not shown in detail in the figures.

For reasons of clarity, the illustration of sensors and/or sensor elements, control units and/or communication interfaces and the like for the exchange of information between the motor vehicle 14 and the charging station 18 having the cooling module 16, as well as other components preferably provided for the proper operation of such a device, has been omitted. These components are not absolutely necessary for the description of the basic functionality of the cooling arrangement 10 as such and the interaction of the cooling arrangement 10 with the charging station 18.

In 7 a situation is shown schematically in which the motor vehicle 14 is at the charging station 18, wherein corresponding connecting lines belonging to the vehicle-external section 34 of the second coolant circuit 32 (cf. 1 ), which are coupled to the outlet 36 on the one hand and to the inlet 38 on the other hand.

The vehicle-external pump (not shown) can be arranged in the vehicle-external section 34 of the second coolant circuit 32, by means of which the cooling medium can be conveyed through the second coolant circuit 32.

Additionally or alternatively, a pump (not shown) can be arranged in the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 in order to supply the second coolant to the vehicle-external cooling module 16 via the outlet 36 or to introduce or return the second coolant to the vehicle-internal section 30 of the second coolant circuit 32 via the inlet 38.

In 7 It is further schematically shown that the motor vehicle 14 can have the electric drive device, for example in the form of at least one electric motor 88, which is supplied with electrical energy from the battery 12. The at least one electric motor 88 can cause the motor vehicle 14 to move or at least assist such movement. Means for electrically connecting the battery 12 to the charging station 18 for the purpose of charging the battery 12 are shown in 7 not shown in detail for reasons of clarity.

Overall, the examples show how external battery cooling can be provided by the cooling arrangement 10 using an internally closed and externally partially open system and with the cooling device 20 having the two sub-chambers 22, 28, wherein the two sub-chambers 22, 28 can be designed in particular as respective cooling plates in thermal contact with the battery 12.

Claims (9)

Cooling arrangement (10) for cooling a battery (12) of a motor vehicle (14), having an internal coolant circuit (24) within the vehicle, which comprises a cooling device (20) through which a coolant can flow, wherein the cooling device (20) is designed to absorb heat released by the battery (12) during operation of the battery (12), wherein the cooling device (20) has a first sub-chamber (22) through which the coolant can flow and a second sub-chamber (28) through which a second coolant can flow, wherein the second sub-chamber (28) of the cooling device (20) is integrated into an internal section (30) of a second coolant circuit (32), wherein the internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32) within the vehicle comprises an outlet (36) via which the second coolant can be supplied to a cooling module (16) external to the vehicle, and wherein the internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32) has an inlet (38) comprises, via which the second coolant coming from the vehicle-external cooling module (16) is fed into the vehicle vehicle-internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32), characterized in that a first fluid space (80) of a refrigerant cooler (82) of the cooling arrangement (10), through which the second coolant can flow, is integrated into the vehicle-internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32), wherein the refrigerant cooler (82) comprises a second fluid space (84) through which a refrigerant can flow, and wherein the second fluid space (84) is integrated into a vehicle-internal refrigerant circuit (48) of the cooling arrangement (10) and can be operated as an indirect condenser or indirect gas cooler of the refrigerant circuit (48). Cooling arrangement (10) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that a chiller (42) is arranged in the vehicle-internal coolant circuit (24), which chiller comprises a first partial area (44) through which the coolant can flow and a second partial area (46) through which a refrigerant can flow, wherein the second partial area (46) is integrated into a vehicle-internal refrigerant circuit (48) of the cooling arrangement (10) and can be operated as an evaporator of the refrigerant circuit (48). Cooling arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one cooler (52) through which the coolant can flow is integrated into the vehicle-internal coolant circuit (24), which cooler can be supplied with an air flow by means of a fan (54) of the cooling arrangement (10), and/or at least one cooler (58) through which the second coolant can flow is integrated into the vehicle-internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32), which cooler can be supplied with an air flow by means of a fan (60) of the cooling arrangement (10). Cooling arrangement (10) according to Claim 3 , characterized in that the cooling arrangement (10) has at least one bypass line (56, 72) for bypassing the at least one cooler (52, 58) and/or a pumping device (66) is arranged in the vehicle-internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32), by means of which pumping device the second coolant can be conveyed through the cooler (58). Cooling arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a chiller (74) is integrated into the vehicle-internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32), which chiller comprises a first partial area (76) through which the second coolant can flow and a second partial area (78) through which a refrigerant can flow, wherein the second partial area (78) is integrated into a vehicle-internal refrigerant circuit (48) of the cooling arrangement (10) and can be operated as an evaporator of the refrigerant circuit (48). Cooling arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the refrigerant cooler (82) has a third fluid space (90) through which a third coolant can flow, wherein the third fluid space (90) is integrated into a third coolant circuit (92) which is designed as a further vehicle-internal coolant circuit of the cooling arrangement (10). Motor vehicle (14) with a cooling arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims and with a battery (12), wherein the battery (12) is designed to supply a drive device (88) of the motor vehicle (14) with electrical energy, and wherein the drive device (88) is designed to cause or at least assist movement of the motor vehicle (14). Motor vehicle (14) according to Claim 7 , characterized in that the vehicle-internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32) is coupled to a vehicle-external section (34) of the second coolant circuit (32), wherein the vehicle-external cooling module (16) is integrated into the vehicle-external section (34) of the second coolant circuit (32). Method for operating a cooling arrangement (10), in which a battery (12) of a motor vehicle (14) is temperature-controlled by a coolant flowing through a cooling device (20) of a vehicle-internal coolant circuit (24) of the cooling arrangement (10), wherein the cooling device (20) is designed to absorb heat released by the battery (12) during operation of the battery (12), wherein the cooling device (20) has a first sub-chamber (22) through which the coolant can flow and a second sub-chamber (28) through which a second coolant flows, wherein the second sub-chamber (28) of the cooling device (20) is integrated into a vehicle-internal section (30) of a second coolant circuit (32), wherein the vehicle-internal section of the second coolant circuit (32) comprises an outlet (36) via which the second coolant is supplied to a vehicle-external cooling module (16), and wherein the vehicle-internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32) comprises an inlet (38) via which the second coolant coming from the vehicle-external cooling module (16) is introduced into the vehicle-internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32), characterized in that a first fluid chamber (80) of a refrigerant cooler (82) of the cooling arrangement (10), through which the second coolant flows, is integrated into the vehicle-internal section (30) of the second coolant circuit (32), wherein the refrigerant cooler (82) comprises a second fluid chamber (84) through which a refrigerant flows, and wherein the second fluid space (84) is integrated into a vehicle-internal refrigerant circuit (48) of the cooling arrangement (10) and is operated as an indirect condenser or indirect gas cooler of the refrigerant circuit (48).

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