DE102019133591A1 - Arrangement to avoid swamp formation - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is an arrangement (10), in particular an arrangement on the vehicle side, for receiving an electrical power and a cooling power, comprising an electrical connection (20), a first fluid connection (30) for receiving a coolant and a second fluid connection (31) for delivering the Coolant, the first fluid connection (30) via an inlet line (32) to an inlet (41) of a heat exchanger (40) and the second fluid connection (31) via an outlet line (33) to an outlet (42) of the heat exchanger (40) is connected in a fluid-conducting manner, the heat exchanger (40) being arranged higher than the second fluid connection (31). A vehicle (100) is also disclosed.

Description

The invention relates to an arrangement, in particular an arrangement on the vehicle, for receiving an electrical power and a cooling power, having an electrical connection, a first fluid connection for receiving a coolant and a second fluid connection for dispensing the coolant, as well as a vehicle.

Electrically operated vehicles, such as plug-in hybrid vehicles or electric vehicles, have traction batteries for operating electric motors. The increasingly used traction batteries can be charged within a very short time using a quick charge function. Such rapid charging functions can be implemented by providing charging capacities of over 150 kW from charging columns or charging stations. During the charging process of the traction battery, an amount of heat is generated that can be actively dissipated by external cooling.

Methods are already known for providing a coolant in parallel with providing the required electrical charging power by charging columns. Here, the cooled coolant is led from the charging station to the vehicle via a line and the heated coolant is returned from the vehicle to the charging station via another line. The charging station must accordingly provide high cooling capacities in order to cool down the coolant again before it is circulated back to the vehicle.

The coolant is usually passed through a vehicle-side heat exchanger in order to cool a vehicle-side cooling circuit or certain components. After the end of the charging process, the cooling medium is removed from the lines on the vehicle and the heat exchanger so as not to increase the vehicle mass and to prevent a loss of coolant from the charging station. Compressed air is used to drain the lines on the vehicle and the heat exchanger. However, the problem is emptying the lines on the vehicle side if the charging process is terminated early before a scheduled supply of compressed air. As a result, coolant can remain unused in the vehicle-side lines and escape in an uncontrolled manner from the vehicle-side lines along the vehicle body.

The invention is based on the object of creating an arrangement and a vehicle with such an arrangement which enable a vehicle-side heat exchanger fed by a charging device or charging column to be completely emptied. This object is achieved by the features specified in claim 1. Further advantageous refinements of the invention are described in the subclaims.

According to one aspect of the invention, an arrangement, in particular an arrangement on the vehicle, for receiving an electrical power and a cooling power is provided. The arrangement has an electrical connection, a first fluid connection for receiving a coolant and a second fluid connection for discharging the coolant. The electrical connection can have two or more electrical contacts in order to receive charging power from a charging device. Furthermore, the electrical connection can have further electrical contacts to enable data transfer.

The first fluid connection is connected in a fluid-conducting manner via an inlet line to an inlet of at least one heat exchanger and the second fluid connection via an outlet line to an outlet of the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger being arranged higher than the second fluid connection. The arrangement can preferably be an arrangement on the vehicle side, which is arranged in the area of a charging connection for a traction battery.

The at least one heat exchanger can be used for indirect cooling of a vehicle-side cooling circuit or for direct cooling of one or more components. The components to be cooled can be, for example, the traction battery or at least one area of the traction battery and / or the power electronics or a charge controller.

Due to the arrangement of the heat exchanger above the fluid connections, the coolant remaining on the vehicle side when the charging process is aborted can escape or flow out of the vehicle-side lines by itself due to the action of gravity.

The lines on the vehicle side can be, for example, the outlet line, the inlet line and lines within the at least one heat exchanger. Since the position of the heat exchanger within the vehicle or within the arrangement can be freely selected, a sump formation in the heat exchanger can be prevented by increasing the position of the heat exchanger. This measure also prevents the formation of bacteria or algae in the lines on the vehicle.

Furthermore, after a properly performed charging process, residues of the coolant, which remain despite the entry of compressed air, can be removed from the lines on the vehicle side by the arrangement.

According to one embodiment, the outlet line has a gradient starting from the outlet of the heat exchanger in the direction of the second fluid connection. In this way, a coolant present in the heat exchanger, which is provided by a charging device, can be conducted out of the heat exchanger in a particularly efficient manner. The incline of the outlet line can also prevent the coolant from remaining inside the outlet line.

Depending on the course of the inlet line, the coolant can be prevented from remaining upstream of the heat exchanger in the flow direction if the inlet line has a gradient starting from the inlet of the heat exchanger in the direction of the first fluid connection. In particular, this can prevent uncontrolled “continued flow” of the coolant from the inlet line into the heat exchanger when the outlet line is emptied.

According to a further embodiment, the gradient of the inlet line and / or the outlet line is designed as a constant gradient. A particularly efficient emptying can be implemented by means of an inlet line and / or outlet line configured in this way. The lines can, for example, have a straight shape or a shape of half a parabola. The lines preferably open into the respective fluid connections in the area of a charging connection or on a body surface.

According to a further exemplary embodiment, the electrical connection has at least two electrical contacts for receiving electrical power and / or for exchanging data. The electrical connection, the first fluid connection and the second fluid connection are preferably designed as a combined receiving coupling, the receiving coupling being set up to receive a connector on the charging column side for receiving electrical power and cooling power. This measure enables a particularly convenient and simultaneous connection of the electrical connection and the coolant lines to be implemented. Coupling or uncoupling of different plug connections for providing electrical charging power and cooling power can thus be dispensed with.

Coolant leaking from the arrangement or the vehicle-side lines can be collected and drained off in a targeted manner if a drain pan with a drain is arranged on the outside in the direction of gravity below the first fluid connection and / or the second fluid connection. In particular, the coolant can be prevented from flowing off along the body of the vehicle or uncontrolled splashing of the coolant when a connector is decoupled. The draining coolant can for example be conducted through a drain line under a vehicle or collected in a collecting container.

According to a further embodiment, the first fluid connection and / or the second fluid connection are arranged in such a way that the heat exchanger can be automatically drained when the first fluid connection and / or the second fluid connection is open. This can preferably be achieved in that the first fluid connection and / or the second fluid connection are arranged below the heat exchanger or on a lower edge of the heat exchanger. This measure allows the coolant to leave the heat exchanger independently. The heat exchanger is emptied automatically and without additional auxiliary equipment, such as pumps.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle has at least one component to be cooled via a first cooling circuit and an arrangement according to the invention. A heat exchanger of the arrangement is thermally coupled to the first cooling circuit, the heat exchanger having an inlet and an outlet thermally coupled to the heat exchanger for guiding a coolant of a second cooling circuit. The inlet and the outlet are preferably connected to an internal coolant line of the heat exchanger which can absorb an amount of heat from the coolant of the first coolant circuit and release it to a coolant of a second coolant circuit.

According to an alternative or additional embodiment, several heat exchangers connected in parallel or in series can also be connected to the second coolant circuit and / or the first coolant circuit.

The inlet and the outlet are preferably connected to fluid connections of a receptacle coupling for receiving a connector on the charging column side, which are arranged in the direction of gravity below the heat exchanger, the second cooling circuit being able to be formed by establishing a fluid-carrying connection between a first fluid connection and a second fluid connection with the connector on the charging column side is.

The arrangement can be arranged in any vehicle which has an externally connectable coolant supply. The vehicle can preferably be an electrically operated vehicle, such as, for example, a plug-in hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle. In particular, the vehicle can be configured as a passenger car, a utility vehicle, a vehicle that can be operated automatically and the like and can support a quick charging function.

The arrangement built into the vehicle can implement an automatic emptying of the vehicle-side lines in the event of a malfunction of a charging station or a premature charging interruption, which prevents unnecessary weight in the vehicle due to coolant remaining on the vehicle side.

• 1 eine schematische Darstellung einer Anordnung gemäß einer erfindungsgemäßen Ausführungsform, und
• 2 eine schematische Darstellung eines an einer Ladesäule angeschlossenen Fahrzeugs mit einer Anordnung gemäß einer erfindungsgemäßen Ausführungsform.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. Show it:

• 1 a schematic representation of an arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention, and
• 2 a schematic representation of a vehicle connected to a charging column with an arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention.

In the figures, the same structural elements have the same reference numbers in each case.

The 1 shows a schematic representation of an arrangement 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. The order 10 is designed as a vehicle-side arrangement and is used to receive externally provided electrical power and cooling power.

The order 10 has an electrical connection 20th on. The electrical connection 20th has multiple electrical contacts 21 , 22nd which are set up to transmit electrical charging power and to transmit data.

Furthermore, the arrangement 10 a first fluid connection 30th for receiving a coolant and a second fluid connection 31 to dispense the coolant. The first fluid connection 30th and the second fluid port 31 are designed as connection elements, which are parallel to the electrical connection 20th are arranged and can be connected in a fluid-tight manner.

The first fluid connection 30th is via an inlet line 32 with an inlet 41 a heat exchanger 40 connected. The second fluid connection 31 is via an outlet line 33 with an outlet 42 of the heat exchanger 40 fluidly connected.

The inlet pipe 32 and the outlet pipe 33 can for example be plastic pipes or hoses, which the heat exchanger 40 with the first fluid connection 30th and the second fluid connection 31 connect.

The heat exchanger 40 is against the direction of gravity S. higher than the second fluid connection 31 and the first fluid connection 30th arranged. This allows a coolant from the heat exchanger 40 via the inlet pipe 32 and the outlet pipe 33 expire.

The first fluid connection 30th , the second fluid connection 31 and the electrical connection 20th are available as a combined female coupling 34 designed.

Below the first fluid connection 30th and the second fluid connection 31 is a drain pan 50 with a drain 51 arranged. The drain pan 50 can catch the leaking coolant if necessary. Over the drain 51 the coolant can be collected or drained in a controlled manner.

In the 2 is a schematic representation of one on a charging station 60 connected vehicle 100 with an arrangement 10 shown according to an embodiment of the invention. The charging station 60 is via a charging cable 61 with the arrangement 10 connected.

The charging cable or the charging line 61 has electrical lines in the illustrated embodiment 62 and fluid-carrying lines 63 on. The electrical lines 62 are with the electrical connection 20th the arrangement 10 connectable. The fluid-carrying lines 63 are with the first fluid connection 30th and the second fluid connection 31 connectable. The electrical lines 62 and the fluid-carrying lines 63 are as a combined connector 65 designed.

The arrows 64 illustrate the flow of the external through the charging station 60 provided coolant in the arrangement 10 in and out of the array 10 out.

The vehicle 100 is designed as an electrically drivable motor vehicle and has a component shown as an example 110 on. The component to be cooled 110 is designed, for example, as power electronics. Furthermore, the component to be cooled is 110 via a first cooling circuit 70 with the heat exchanger 40 thermally coupled.

The fluid-carrying lines 63 of the charging cable 61 form with the first fluid connection 30th and the second fluid connection 31 via the inlet pipe 32 , the heat exchanger 40 and the outlet pipe 33 a second cooling circuit 71 out.

List of reference symbols

10

arrangement

100

vehicle

110

component to be cooled

20th

electrical connection

21

electrical contacts for the transmission of data

22nd

electrical contacts for the transmission of charging power

30th

first fluid connection

31

second fluid connection

32

Inlet pipe

33

Outlet pipe

34

Pick-up coupling

40

Heat exchanger

41

Inlet of the heat exchanger

42

Outlet of the heat exchanger

50

Drain pan

51

Drainage from the drain pan

60

Charging station

61

Charging cable

62

electric lines

63

fluid-carrying lines

64

Direction of flow of the coolant

65

Connectors

70

first cooling circuit

71

second cooling circuit

S.

Direction of gravity

Claims (8)

Arrangement (10), in particular an arrangement on the vehicle side, for receiving an electrical power and a cooling power, comprising an electrical connection (20), a first fluid connection (30) for receiving a coolant and a second fluid connection (31) for dispensing the coolant, wherein the first fluid connection (30) is fluidly connected via an inlet line (32) to an inlet (41) of a heat exchanger (40) and the second fluid connection (31) via an outlet line (33) to an outlet (42) of the heat exchanger (40) , characterized in that the heat exchanger (40) is arranged higher than the second fluid connection (31). Arrangement according to Claim 1 , the outlet line (33) having a gradient starting from the outlet (42) of the heat exchanger (40) in the direction of the second fluid connection (31). Arrangement according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the inlet line (32) has a gradient starting from the inlet (41) of the heat exchanger (40) in the direction of the first fluid connection (30). Arrangement according to Claim 2 or 3rd , wherein the gradient of the inlet line (32) and / or the outlet line (33) is designed as a constant gradient. Arrangement according to one of the Claims 1 to 4th , wherein the electrical connection (20) has at least two electrical contacts (21, 22) for receiving electrical power and / or for exchanging data, wherein the electrical connection (20), the first fluid connection (30) and the second fluid connection ( 31) are designed as a combined receptacle coupling (34), the receptacle coupling (34) being configured to receive a connector (65) on the charging station side for receiving electrical power and cooling power. Arrangement according to one of the Claims 1 to 5 wherein a drainage trough (50) with a drain (51) is arranged on the outside in the direction of gravity (S) below the first fluid connection (30) and / or the second fluid connection (31). Arrangement according to one of the Claims 1 to 6th , wherein the first fluid connection (30) and / or the second fluid connection (31) are arranged such that the heat exchanger (40) can be automatically emptied when the first fluid connection (30) and / or the second fluid connection (31) is open. Vehicle (100), having at least one component (110) to be cooled via a first cooling circuit (70) and an arrangement (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a heat exchanger (40) of the arrangement (10) is connected to the first cooling circuit (70 ) is thermally coupled and has an inlet (41) and outlet (42) thermally coupled to the heat exchanger (40) for guiding a coolant of a second cooling circuit (71), characterized in that the inlet (41) and the outlet (42) are connected to fluid connections (30, 31) of a receiving coupling (34) for receiving a charging column-side connector (65), which are arranged in the direction of gravity (S) below the heat exchanger (40), the second cooling circuit (71) being produced by producing a fluid-carrying Connection between a first fluid connection (30) and a second fluid connection (31) can be formed with the connector (65) on the charging column side.

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