DE102018211559B4 - Vehicle with an air conditioning device for heating and cooling an electrical energy store - Google Patents

Abstract

Vehicle (10) with an air conditioning device (1), comprising - an air conditioning unit (2), which is connected to a vehicle interior (11) via at least one interior air duct (12) for supplying a conditioned supply air flow (L2), - a in the Electrical heating element (2.1) arranged in the interior air duct (12), - a cooling module (3) arranged in a cooling module air duct (13) for exposure to an ambient air flow (L4) of the vehicle (10), the cooling module air duct (13) has an air inlet opening (13.1) for the ambient air flow (L4) to enter and an air outlet opening (13.2) for the ambient air flow (L4) and the exhaust air flow (L3) to exit, and the ambient air flow (L4) entering the cooling module air duct (13) can be controlled by means of a control device (13.3), - an exhaust air duct (14) which the interior air duct (12) downstream of the electric heating element (2.1) mi t connects the cooling module air duct (13) of the cooling module (3),- a control device (4) for controlling an exhaust air flow (L3) flowing through the exhaust air duct (14) into the cooling module air duct (13), and- an electrical energy store ( 5), which is thermally coupled to the cooling module (3) for heating and cooling by means of a coolant circuit (6).

Description

The invention relates to a vehicle with an air conditioning device

Electric vehicles are equipped with electric refrigerant compressors or electric heat pump systems and electric heating elements (e.g. high-voltage PTCs or so-called high-voltage heaters) for air conditioning the interior of electric vehicles. Depending on the outside temperature, the vehicle interior is supplied with cooling or heating capacity, with the efficiency of the interior air conditioning directly influencing the vehicle's energy consumption and thus the range of electric vehicles.

Efficiency-optimized interior air conditioning for electric vehicles currently consists of heat pump systems combined with electrical heating elements.

When heating, the outside air is routed and heated via a heating heat exchanger. The heat in the heating circuit is provided electrically, i.e. by means of a high-voltage heater and/or by means of a heat pump function. Alternatively, there are also high-voltage heaters that are integrated directly into the air path and heat the air directly.

Furthermore, in purely electric vehicles, the electric range is determined by the battery temperature of the traction battery, particularly in winter. This can mean that it is no longer possible to start the vehicle at particularly low temperatures, for example below 50 °C. In order to rule out such an event, it is known to additionally provide an electrical heating element (e.g. high-voltage PTCs or so-called high-voltage heaters) in a coolant circuit of the traction batteries, e.g. designed as a water circuit, with which the traction battery can be heated. The disadvantage of using an additional electrical heating element in this way is the short useful life over the life of the vehicle and therefore represents an inefficient use of materials.

From the DE 11 2016 006 597 T5 an air conditioning device for battery-operated electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles is known, which has an air conditioning device with a filter, a blower, an evaporator and a heating element, these components being arranged in an interior air duct. Furthermore, this air conditioning device includes an air duct, in which a battery, a DC voltage converter and a fan are arranged. This air duct is downstream of the evaporator and before. Heating element connected to the interior air duct via a control device designed as a pivoting flap. This control device is used to adjust the volume of the supply air flow, which is cooled by the evaporator and is supplied to the air duct, for cooling the battery and the DC/DC converter. With this known air conditioning device, it is provided that both the battery and the DC-DC converter are sufficiently cooled.

the DE 10 2016 121 362 A1 describes an air conditioning device for heat distribution in a motor vehicle with at least one coolant circuit and one refrigerant circuit. The coolant circuit is designed with at least one heat exchanger for controlling the temperature of an electrical component and a coolant-air heat exchanger that can be charged with ambient air as a heat source or heat sink for the coolant. The refrigerant circuit designed for combined operation in the refrigeration system mode, in the heat pump mode and in the post-heating mode for cooling, heating and post-heating of the supply air of a passenger compartment and for cooling and heating the electrical components has a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, a first one as an evaporator or as a condenser/gas cooler operable refrigerant-air heat exchanger and a second refrigerant-air heat exchanger operable as a condenser/gas cooler for conditioning the supply air, a valve arrangement for switching between the operating modes, at least one element for changing the flow cross section and at least one refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger for heat transfer between the refrigerant of the refrigerant circuit and the coolant of the at least one coolant circuit.

From the DE 10 2011 008 551 A1 a device for ventilating an electrical energy store of a vehicle is known. This device includes an air conditioning module, by means of which a passenger compartment can be air-conditioned, as well as a cold air duct and a warm air duct for supplying an air scoop of the energy store with temperature-controlled air. A temperature-controlled air flow is supplied to the energy store by means of an air mixing device, which is connected to the cold air duct on the air inlet side and to the air scoop on the air outlet side.

Furthermore, the DE 195 34 427 A1 a device for air conditioning a battery of an electric vehicle, in which the battery consisting of individual modules is arranged in a housing system and the individual modules are acted upon by an air flow generated by a fan. Under half a first temperature threshold value, the air located in the housing system is used to air-condition the battery, while above the temperature threshold value cooling air is supplied to the housing system from the outside.

In an air conditioning unit for conditioning a run into the passenger compartment supply air flow is according to DE 10 2008 045 407 A1 an air duct is provided, with which part of the supply air flow is supplied to a battery. A portion of the supply air flow is thus used to heat or cool the passenger cell, while the remaining portion of the supply air flow is applied to the battery.

It is the object of the present invention to create a vehicle with an improved air conditioning device with which not only efficient air conditioning of the passenger compartment is achieved, but also the energy store can be heated efficiently, particularly at low ambient temperatures of the vehicle.

This object is achieved by a vehicle with an air conditioning device with the features of patent claim 1

• - ein Klimagerät, welches mit einem Fahrzeuginnenraum über wenigstens einen Innenraum-Luftführungskanal zum Zuführen eines konditionierten Zuluftstromes verbunden ist,
• - ein in dem Innenraum-Luftführungskanal angeordnetes elektrisches Heizelement,
• - ein in einem Kühlmodul-Luftführungskanal angeordnetes Kühlmodul zum Beaufschlagen mit einem Umgebungsluftstrom des Fahrzeugs, wobei der Kühlmodul-Luftführungskanal eine Lufteintrittsöffnung , für den Eintritt des Umgebungsluftstroms und eine Luftaustrittsöffnung für den Austritt des Umgebungsluftstromes und des Abluftstromes aufweist, und der in den Kühlmodul-Luftführungskanalseintretende Umgebungsluftstrom mittels einer Steuervorrichtung steuerbar ist
• - einen Abluftführungskanal, welcher den Innenraum-Luftführungskanal stromabwärts des elektrischen Heizelementes mit dem Kühlmodul-Luftführungskanal des Kühlmoduls verbindet,
• - eine Steuervorrichtung zum Steuern eines durch den Abluftführungskanal in den Kühlmodul-Luftführungskanal strömenden Abluftstroms, und
• - einen elektrischen Energiespeicher, welcher zum Erwärmen oder Kühlen mittels eines Kühlmittelkreislaufs mit dem Kühlmodul thermisch gekoppelt ist.

Such a vehicle with an air conditioning device comprises:

• - an air conditioner, which is connected to a vehicle interior via at least one interior air duct for supplying a conditioned supply air flow,
• - an electric heating element arranged in the interior air duct,
• - A cooling module arranged in a cooling module air duct for applying an ambient air flow of the vehicle, wherein the cooling module air duct has an air inlet opening for the entry of the ambient air flow and an air outlet opening for the exit of the ambient air flow and the exhaust air flow, and the cooling module air duct entering end Ambient air flow can be controlled by a control device
• - an exhaust air duct, which connects the interior air duct downstream of the electric heating element with the cooling module air duct of the cooling module,
• - a control device for controlling an exhaust air flow flowing through the exhaust air duct into the cooling module air duct, and
• - An electrical energy storage device, which is thermally coupled to the cooling module for heating or cooling by means of a coolant circuit.

In this air conditioning device, downstream of an electric heating element installed on the air side of the air conditioning unit, which is present as standard in electric vehicles for heating the vehicle interior, an exhaust air duct is branched off as an "air side connection" from the air conditioning unit to an inflow area of a cooling module arranged in a cooling module air duct. The temperature on the cooling module can thus be adjusted by means of the control device by mixing the ambient air flow guided into the cooling module air duct with the air heated by the electric heating element and guided via the exhaust air duct. Since the cooling module is thermally coupled to a coolant circuit of the electrical energy store, i.e. the traction battery of the vehicle, the heat from the air heated by the electrical heating element can be released to the liquid-cooled electrical energy store using a heat pump function, for example. The use of a coolant circuit represents the most efficient method for conditioning the electrical energy store, in particular compared to cooling or heating by means of an air flow.

The most important advantage is that a component already present in electric vehicles, namely the electric heating element used as an electric auxiliary heater, is not only used to heat the vehicle interior, but also to heat the electric energy store as required, especially before the vehicle starts. This leads to a clear cost and efficiency advantage, since no additional heating element is required for the coolant circuit of the electrical energy store.

The exhaust air duct creates a direct air connection between the air conditioning unit and the cooling module. At the same time, the cooling module can be flexibly accommodated in fully electrified vehicles, e.g. advantageously in the front end, so that only a small distance has to be bridged for this air-conducting connection. In addition to the air-conducting connection to the cooling module, only the control device, designed for example as a controllable flap, is required.

Since the ambient air flow entering the cooling module air duct can be controlled by means of a control device, the degree of mixing of the air from the air conditioning unit for cooling module-guided heated air flow can be adjusted with the ambient air flow.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the cooling module has an air/coolant heat exchanger which is thermally coupled to the coolant circuit of the electrical energy store. This leads to a structurally simple construction of the cooling module together with the coolant circuit of the electrical energy store.

It is particularly advantageous if, according to the development, the cooling module has an air-conditioning heat exchanger for carrying out cooling operation or for carrying out heating operation by means of a heat pump function using the ambient air flow and/or the exhaust air flow as a heat source. In this way, the conditioning of the electrical energy store can be implemented even more efficiently than when only an air-cooling heat exchanger is used. The coolant circuit preferably has a chiller, which is thermally coupled to the air-conditioning heat exchanger for carrying out a heating operation for heating the electrical energy store.

• 1 eine schematische Darstellung eines Ausführungsbeispiels eines Fahrzeugs mit einer Klimatisierungsvorrichtung,
• 2 ein schematisches Teilschaltbild einer Ausführungsform der Klimatisierungsvorrichtung des Fahrzeugs nach 1, und
• 3 ein schematisches Teilschaltbild einer weiteren Ausführungsform der Klimatisierungsvorrichtung des Fahrzeugs nach 1.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention result from the following description of preferred embodiments and from the drawings. show:

• 1 a schematic representation of an embodiment of a vehicle with an air conditioning device,
• 2 a schematic partial circuit diagram of an embodiment of the air conditioning device of the vehicle 1 , and
• 3 a schematic partial circuit diagram of a further embodiment of the air conditioning device of the vehicle 1 .

the 1 shows a purely electric vehicle as vehicle 10 with a cooling module 3 of an air conditioning device 1 arranged in a cooling module air duct 13 in the area of its front end 10.1 is used for an electric drive of the electric vehicle, show the 2 and 3 . The electrical energy store 5 is coupled to the cooling module 3 for temperature conditioning via a thermal coupling 5.1.

The air-conditioning device 1 comprises an air-conditioning device 2 that is known from the prior art and is arranged in the vehicle 10 for conditioning an air flow L1 supplied to the air-conditioning device 2 . This air flow L1 is composed either of a fresh air flow L0 supplied via a fresh air duct 15, a circulating air flow L20 supplied via a circulating air duct 16 from the vehicle interior 11 or of a mixture of fresh and circulating air.

This air conditioner 2 includes an evaporator 2.2 for cooling and dehumidifying the supplied air flow L1 and an electric heating element 2.1 designed as a high-voltage heater for direct heating of the supply air flow L1, which leaves the air conditioner 2 as a conditioned air flow L6 into an interior air duct 12.

Starting from the air conditioner 2, this interior air duct 12 ends in the vehicle interior 11. Furthermore, an exhaust air duct 14 branches off downstream of the electric heating element 2.1, which ends in a cooling module air duct 13 having a cooling module 3, which is located in the front end 10.1 of the vehicle 10 in the area of whose underbody is arranged 10.2.

By means of a control device 4 arranged in the area of the junction to the exhaust air duct 14, which is designed as a pivotable flap 4.1, the conditioned air flow L6 leaving the air conditioning unit 2 can be fed into the supply air flow L2 for the vehicle interior 11 and into an exhaust air flow L3 for the cooling module air duct 1, 3 to be shared. In an end position I of the flap 4.1, the interior air duct 12 is completely closed, as a result of which the conditioned air flow L6 is routed completely into the exhaust air duct 14 as the exhaust air flow L3. In an end position II of the flap 4.1, the exhaust air duct 14 is completely closed, as a result of which the conditioned air flow L6 flows completely into the vehicle interior 11 as the supply air flow L2. With a corresponding intermediate position of the flap 4.1, any division of the conditioned air flow L6 into the supply air flow L2 and the exhaust air flow L3 can be set. The air conditioning control unit of the air conditioning device 1, for example, is used to control the control device 4 for setting the pivotable flap 4.1.

The cooling module 3 comprises an air/coolant heat exchanger 3.1 designed as a low-temperature cooler, an air conditioning heat exchanger 3.2 and a cooling fan 3.3, with which the air fed to the cooling module air duct 13 is drawn in.

The exhaust air duct 14 ends upstream of the cooling module 3 in the cooling module air duct 13, so that the cooling module 3 not only an ambient air flow, L4 but also Exhaust air flow L3 from the air conditioner 2 or the interior air duct 12 is supplied. The ambient air flow L4 is fed to the cooling module air duct 13 via an air inlet opening 13.1 arranged in the underbody 10.2 of the vehicle 10, the air inlet being controllable by means of a control device 13.3 designed, for example, as a blind.

The air flow supplied to the cooling module 3, which is made up of different proportions of the exhaust air flow L3 and the ambient air flow L4 (whereby the exhaust air duct 14 or the cooling air inlet can also be completely closed by means of the control device 4 or 13.3), is discharged as an outlet air flow L5 via an underbody 10.2 arranged cooling air outlet 13.2 of the cooling module air duct 13 delivered to the vehicle environment.

The climate heat exchanger 3.2 of the cooling module 3 is in a refrigerant circuit 1.1 (cf. 2 and 3 ) The air conditioning device 1 is arranged, which is also fluidly connected to the evaporator 2.2 of the air conditioner 2. This air conditioning heat exchanger 3.2 is used either as a condenser for AC operation of the air conditioning device 1 both for cooling and dehumidifying the air flow L1 and for cooling the electrical energy store 5, or as a heat pump evaporator for heating operation of the air conditioning device 1 both for heating the air flow L1 as well as for heating the electrical energy store 5 operable.

If there are no heat sources for the heating operation of the air conditioning device 1 carried out by means of the heat pump function, the electric heating element 2.1 arranged in the interior air duct 12 is used to heat the vehicle interior 11 by means of the heated supply air flow L2 and also the electrical energy store 5 indirectly via the heated exhaust air flow L3 heat. For this purpose, depending on the position of the flap 4.1 as a heat source, an exhaust air flow L3 branched off from the conditioned air flow L6, to which an ambient air flow L4 is mixed depending on the position of the control device 13.3, either for a heat pump function to be carried out by means of the air conditioning heat exchanger 3.2 or for direct heating of the coolant circuit 6 of the electrical energy store 5 is used by means of the air heat exchanger 3.1.

The use of the heat pump function for the temperature conditioning of the electrical energy storage device 5 is based on 2 explained. The temperature conditioning of the electrical energy store 5 can also be carried out directly by means of the air/coolant heat exchanger 3.1, as can be seen from FIG 3 is described.

the 2 shows part of the air conditioning device 1 with a highly abstract refrigerant circuit 1.1, which is constructed with the air conditioning heat exchanger 3.2 of the cooling module 3, a refrigerant compressor 1.2, an expansion element 1.3 designed as an expansion valve and a chiller 7. The chiller 7 thermally couples the refrigerant circuit 1.1 to the coolant circuit 6, which in turn is thermally coupled to the electrical energy store 5. Water, for example, is used as a coolant.

In the heat pump mode for heating the energy store 5, an air flow mixed from the exhaust air flow L3 and the ambient air flow L4 is fed to the cooling module 3 and thus to the climate heat exchanger 3.2, which operates as a heat pump evaporator. For this purpose, the refrigerant compressed by means of the refrigerant compressor 1.2 flows through the chiller 7 on the refrigerant side, as a result of which the heat absorbed via the air-conditioning heat exchanger 3.2 is transferred to the coolant of the coolant circuit 6 and the electrical energy store 5 is thereby heated. The compressed refrigerant is then expanded into the air conditioning heat exchanger 3.2 by means of the expansion element 1.3, as a result of which the air flow supplied to the cooling module as a heat source is cooled and the refrigerant is evaporated. The evaporated refrigerant is then fed back to the refrigerant compressor 1.2.

When the outside temperature of the vehicle 10 is very low, e.g. lower than 10° Celsius, when the electric vehicle is started cold, the electric energy storage device 5 can be used as a traction battery and this can adversely affect it, namely by reducing the service life and/or the performance.

• - Zunächst wird die Lufteintrittsöffnung 13.1 des Kühlmodul-Luftführungskanals 13 mittels der Steuervorrichtung 13.3 gegenüber der Fahrzeugumgebung verschlossen.
• - Anschließend wird die verschwenkbare Klappe 4.1 in die Endposition I verschwenkt, wodurch der konditionierte Luftstrom L6 vollständig in den Abluftführungskanal 14 strömen kann.
• - Nun erfolgt eine Aktivierung des Kühlerlüfters 3.3.
• - Des Weiteren wird das elektrische Heizelement 2.1 aktiviert, wodurch der Luftstrom L1 erwärmt und dadurch der erwärmte Abluftstrom L3 vollständig in den Kühlmodul-Luftführungskanal 13 strömt.
• - Weiterhin erfolgt durch die Beaufschlagung des Klima-Wärmeübertragers 3.2 mit dem erwärmten Abluftstrom L3 entweder eine Wärmeübertragung mittels der oben beschriebenen Wärmepumpenfunktion über den Chiller 7 in den Kühlmittelkreislauf 6 des elektrischen Energiespeichers 5 oder, falls keine Wärmepumpenfunktion zur Verfügung steht, eine direkte Übertragung der Wärme aus dem Abluftstrom L3 über den Luft-Kühlmittelwärmetauscher 3.1 auf den Batteriekreis, also auf den Kühlmittelkreislauf 6.
• - Schließlich wird der elektrische Energiespeicher aufgeheizt.

For this reason, electrical energy store 5 is preheated before vehicle 10 is started, using the following method steps:

• - First, the air inlet opening 13.1 of the cooling module air duct 13 is closed by means of the control device 13.3 from the vehicle environment.
• - The pivotable flap 4.1 is then pivoted into the end position I, as a result of which the conditioned air flow L6 can flow completely into the exhaust air duct 14.
• - The cooling fan 3.3 is now activated.
• - Furthermore, the electrical heating element 2.1 is activated, as a result of which the air flow L1 is heated and the heated exhaust air flow L3 as a result flows completely into the cooling module air duct 13.
• - Furthermore, when the air-conditioning heat exchanger 3.2 is subjected to the heated exhaust air flow L3, either heat is transferred by means of the heat pump function described above via the chiller 7 into the coolant circuit 6 of the electrical energy store 5 or, if no heat pump function is available, the heat is transferred directly from the exhaust air flow L3 via the air/coolant heat exchanger 3.1 to the battery circuit, i.e. to the coolant circuit 6.
• - Finally, the electrical energy storage is heated.

Also the 3 shows accordingly from 2 only part of the air conditioning device 1 with a highly abstract refrigerant circuit 1.1, in which the air conditioning heat exchanger 3.2 of the cooling module 3 is arranged. Electrical energy store 5 designed as a traction battery is thermally coupled via coolant circuit 6 to air/coolant heat exchanger 3.1. Water, for example, is used as a coolant. The heat from the exhaust air flow L3 is transferred directly to the coolant of the coolant circuit 6 by means of the air/coolant heat exchanger 3.1, as a result of which the electrical energy store 5 is heated.

Conversely, with the air conditioning device 1 according to FIG 2 or 3 cooling of the electrical energy store 5 can also be carried out.

In a refrigerant circuit according to 1.1 2 the air conditioning heat exchanger 3.2 works as a condenser, with which the heat generated by the electrical energy store 5 is transferred via the chiller 7 to the refrigerant circuit 1.1 and finally to the ambient air flow L4, with the exhaust air duct 14 being closed by means of the flap 4.1 pivoted into the end position II is.

In a refrigerant circuit according to 1.1 3 the heat generated by the electrical energy store 5 is transferred directly via the coolant of the coolant circuit 6 and the air/coolant heat exchanger 3.1 to the ambient air flow L4, with the exhaust air duct 14 also being in this case by means of the flap 4.1 pivoted into the end position II ^. is closed according to the end position II.

For the sake of simplicity, the components of the refrigerant circuit 1.1 required for AC operation, reheat operation or heating operation and the components required for this purpose for setting these different operating modes are in FIGS 2 and 3 not shown.

Reference List

1

Vehicle air conditioning device 10

1.1

Refrigerant circulation

1.2

Refrigerant compressor of the refrigerant circuit 1.1

1.3

Expansion device of the refrigerant circuit 1.1

2

Air conditioning device air conditioner 1

2.1

electric heating element of the air conditioner 2

2.2

Air conditioner evaporator 2

3

Cooling module of the air conditioning device 1

3.1

Cooling module air-to-coolant heat exchanger 3

3.2

Air conditioning heat exchanger of the cooling module 3

3.3

radiator fan

4

control device

4.1

pivoting flap

5

energy storage

5.1

thermal coupling

6

Energy storage coolant circuit 5

7

chillers

10

vehicle

10.1

Front end of the vehicle 10

10.2

Vehicle underbody 10

11

vehicle interior 10

12

Interior air duct

13

Cooling module air duct

13.1

air inlet opening

13.2

air outlet opening

13.3

control device

14

exhaust duct

15

fresh air duct

16

recirculation duct

I

End position of the flap 4.1

II

End position of the flap 4.1

L0

fresh airflow

L1

airflow

L2

supply airflow

L20

circulating airflow

L3

exhaust flow

L4

ambient airflow

L5

exit airflow

L6

conditioned airflow 1

Claims (4)

Vehicle (10) with an air conditioning device (1), comprising - an air conditioning unit (2), which is connected to a vehicle interior (11) via at least one interior air duct (12) for supplying a conditioned supply air flow (L2), - an electric heating element (2.1) arranged in the interior air duct (12), - A cooling module (3) arranged in a cooling module air duct (13) for applying an ambient air flow (L4) of the vehicle (10), the cooling module air duct (13) having an air inlet opening (13.1) for the entry of the ambient air flow (L4) and has an air outlet opening (13.2) for the exit of the ambient air flow (L4) and the exhaust air flow (L3), and the ambient air flow (L4) entering the cooling module air duct (13) can be controlled by means of a control device (13.3), - an exhaust air duct (14) which connects the interior air duct (12) downstream of the electric heating element (2.1) to the cooling module air duct (13) of the cooling module (3), - a control device (4) for controlling an exhaust air flow (L3) flowing through the exhaust air duct (14) into the cooling module air duct (13), and - An electrical energy store (5) which is thermally coupled to the cooling module (3) for heating and cooling by means of a coolant circuit (6). Vehicle (10) after claim 1 In which the cooling module (3) has an air/coolant heat exchanger (3.1) which is thermally coupled to the coolant circuit (6) of the electrical energy store (5). Vehicle (10) after claim 1 or 2 , in which the cooling module (3) has an air conditioning heat exchanger (3.2) for carrying out a cooling operation or for carrying out a heating operation by means of a heat pump function using the ambient air flow (L4) and/or the exhaust air flow (L3) as a heat source. Vehicle (10) after claim 3 In which the coolant circuit (6) has a chiller (7) which is thermally coupled to the air-conditioning heat exchanger (3.2) for carrying out a heating operation for heating the electrical energy store (5).

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