DE102020131112A1 - Cooling arrangement for battery flooding, motor vehicle and method for cooling at least one battery cell - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a cooling arrangement (12) for a motor vehicle (10), the cooling arrangement (12) having a high-voltage battery (14) with at least one battery cell and at least one supply connection (24, 62) with an associated outlet opening (22, 63), wherein the cooling arrangement (12) is designed as a flooding device which, in a first operating mode, is designed to flood at least part of the high-voltage battery (14) with a cooling medium (20) provided via the at least one supply connection (24, 62), so that the cooling medium (20) emerging through the outlet opening (22, 63) can be brought into direct contact with the at least one battery cell. Furthermore, the cooling arrangement (12) has a reservoir (26, 28, 32, 34, 56, 58) which contains the cooling medium (20) and a delivery device (P) which is designed to pump the cooling medium (20) in supply the first operating mode from the reservoir (26, 28, 32, 34, 56, 58) via the at least one supply connection (24, 62) to the at least part of the high-voltage battery (14).

Description

The invention relates to a cooling arrangement for a motor vehicle, the cooling arrangement having a high-voltage battery with at least one battery cell and at least one supply connection with an outlet opening assigned to the supply connection, the cooling arrangement being designed as a flooding device which is designed to, in a first operating mode, at least a part to flood the high-voltage battery with a cooling medium provided via the at least one feed connection, so that the cooling medium emerging through the outlet opening can be brought into direct contact with the at least one battery cell. Furthermore, the invention relates to a motor vehicle with such a cooling arrangement and a method for cooling at least one battery cell of a high-voltage battery for a motor vehicle.

The present invention is in the field of high-voltage batteries, in particular for operating motor vehicles, for example electric and/or hybrid vehicles. In such high-voltage batteries, so-called thermal propagation, i.e. thermal runaway, can occur under certain circumstances, for example in the event of an accident. Such a thermal runaway, for example of a battery cell of such a high-voltage battery, initially manifests itself in an increasing temperature of this battery cell, which then usually bursts into flames or explodes if no countermeasures are taken. According to the current state of the art, in the event of such thermal propagation of a high-voltage battery, the vehicle is extinguished or cooled with a large amount of water. For example, after a vehicle accident involving a battery-powered electric vehicle, in particular if the high-voltage battery is damaged and/or on fire, the entire vehicle can be placed in a container for safety reasons and the vehicle in the container can be flooded with water. However, this requires a container, a fire truck to fill the container with water and a crane to lift the vehicle into the container filled with water.

Furthermore, according to the current state of the art, the battery housing can also be flooded directly. However, this can often only be achieved with a so-called extinguishing lance by the fire brigade. Here, an extinguishing lance is shot through the vehicle floor into the battery and the same is flooded. The disadvantage here is, for example, that this flooding process is not optimized in terms of flow technology, as a result of which the cooling capacity is also not optimal. Another disadvantage is that the fire brigade has to be specially trained, and mistakes still often occur today, which in turn entail the risk of HV voltage being applied to the body. Furthermore, such an extinguishing lance cannot be shot into the battery if the doors cannot be opened after a crash, since the extinguishing lance is shot from the passenger compartment from above through the vehicle floor into the battery, which is usually arranged below the vehicle floor. In addition, every fire brigade must then be equipped with such an extinguishing lance, which also represents expensive special equipment.

Furthermore describes the EP 3 204 978 B1 a battery system for a vehicle with gradients for distributing cooling water. The battery system is designed in such a way that water can penetrate from an external supply point through a point in the battery housing, in particular on the top side. An inclined plane is arranged below this inlet opening, in which there are distributed openings. The water can thus be distributed over the inclined plane and enter the battery through the openings. This is to provide an even distribution of water across all cells of the battery. The disadvantage here is that when the entire high-voltage battery is flooded, intact battery modules are also flooded. This results in further danger and destruction of the modules. The high water throughput presumably causes extensive damage to the entire vehicle. This also results in a very high water consumption in order to be able to sufficiently cool the entire high-voltage battery. Such large amounts of water can then only be provided externally, for example by the fire brigade. As a result, it is not possible, for example, to rescue occupants before the fire brigade arrives at the vehicle, since there is a propagating battery in the vehicle. This can be life-threatening for occupants.

Furthermore describes the DE 20 2007 011 578 U1 an arrangement with an air conditioner and an energy store, wherein the circulating medium of the air conditioner can be fed to the energy store. To put it more precisely, the energy store can be surrounded by a cover, such as an inflatable balloon, for this purpose, and the energy store, the circuit medium and the cover constitute a heat exchanger. The circuit medium can have carbon dioxide and in particular in a pressurized container be kept. When it escapes, the circulating medium can relax and cool down as a result. In this way, cooling can be provided in order to prevent a fire.

Furthermore describes the DE 10 2016 200 368 A1 a battery system and a system for extinguishing or preventing a bran of a battery module in a battery system, a coolant circuit system having at least one coolant tank and a coolant line being provided, which is partially routed through the battery module, the coolant line being designed in such a way that it has at least one emergency opening in the battery module, which is closed by an actuating element , which is designed as a pressure-sensitive actuator that opens at a pressure greater than a predetermined threshold and releases the emergency opening. The coolant container also has a connection for an extinguishing agent hose or an interface for attaching a connection for an extinguishing agent hose. The disadvantage here is that extinguishing requires a cooling medium supply via an external connection for connecting an external extinguishing agent hose, which in turn can usually only be done by the fire brigade. Furthermore, a single coolant line with corresponding openings is routed through the battery modules, which means that a certain pressure drop occurs along the line in the event of extinguishing, so that, for example, if both emergency openings are to be open for extinguishing, the pressure at the last opening may no longer be sufficiently high to delete the sub-module in question or even to be able to open the emergency opening at all due to the pressure. In addition, the coolant line is routed through the battery module. A leak in the line, which can occur in the event of an accident, can easily allow cooling medium to penetrate into sub-modules that are not intended to be extinguished and are still intact, which causes short circuits and, in turn, a thermal runaway of cells in the first place could become.

Basically, the problem with cooling or extinguishing a high-voltage battery is that due to the large amount of extinguishing agent required, which is also referred to as cooling medium in the context of the invention, this must be provided via an external source, usually by the fire brigade, however, this takes a long time and entails the numerous other problems described above. A vehicle-internal extinguishing agent reservoir could start cooling or extinguishing as soon as such an emergency situation occurs, but due to the space available, a vehicle-internal extinguishing agent reservoir cannot accommodate a large quantity of extinguishing agent, so that extinguishing or cooling a large high-voltage battery with such a small quantity of extinguishing agent like a drop in the bucket would be, i.e. has no noticeable effect. The internal storage of large amounts of extinguishing agent in the vehicle is not possible due to space limitations and would lead to an extremely high additional weight of the vehicle. This means that previous measures for extinguishing or cooling battery modules of a high-voltage battery in the event of overheating or a fire are relatively inefficient both in terms of time and their effect.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a cooling arrangement, a motor vehicle and a method that enable at least one battery cell of a high-voltage battery to be cooled as efficiently as possible, particularly in the event of a thermal runaway or an impending thermal runaway of the battery cell.

This object is achieved by a cooling arrangement, a motor vehicle and a method having the features according to the respective independent patent claims. Advantageous configurations of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent patent claims, the description and the figures.

A cooling arrangement according to the invention for a motor vehicle has a high-voltage battery with at least one battery cell and at least one supply connection with an outlet opening assigned to the supply connection, the cooling arrangement being designed as a flooding device which is designed in a first operating mode to supply at least part of the high-voltage battery with a to flood the at least one supply connection provided cooling medium, so that the cooling medium exiting through the outlet opening can be brought into direct contact with the at least one battery cell. The cooling arrangement has a reservoir that contains the cooling medium and a delivery device that is designed to supply the cooling medium from the reservoir via the at least one supply connection to the at least one part of the high-voltage battery in the first operating mode.

In other words, the cooling arrangement can have an internal reservoir in the motor vehicle, from which the supply connection is supplied with the cooling medium contained in the reservoir in a first operating mode, which in particular represents emergency operation, for example by means of a delivery device designed as a pump. The vehicle-internal reservoir is therefore fluidically coupled to the supply connection or at least can be coupled in the first operating mode. The invention is based on the finding that it is not necessary to provide a reservoir with a cooling medium that is provided specifically for extinguishing purposes in the motor vehicle, but rather that a reservoir that is already present in the motor vehicle and, above all, a cooling medium that is already present in the emergency situation, ie in the first Operation mode, can be used. By using a vehicle-internal reservoir and an internal cooling medium, at least part of the high-voltage battery can then advantageously be flooded without additional installation space being required in the vehicle and, above all, before the fire department arrives at the scene of the accident, for example. Valuable rescue minutes can be gained as a result. A further finding of the invention is that there are numerous motor vehicle devices whose media are assigned, in particular mainly water, and which are suitable as a cooling medium, so that a large amount of cooling medium can be provided overall, which is used for cooling in the first operating mode - and/or can be used for deletion purposes. In addition, the invention is also based on the further finding that the cooling and extinguishing efficiency can still be designed very efficiently even with little cooling medium if the cooling medium can be brought into direct contact with at least one battery cell. The supply connection with the outlet opening can therefore be designed in such a way that the cooling medium can be guided via the outlet openings into an interior of a battery housing of the high-voltage battery, so that the cooling medium can be brought into direct contact with at least the at least one battery cell. The high-voltage battery preferably includes multiple battery modules. Each of these battery modules can in turn have a number of battery cells, for example lithium-ion cells. These generally include a cell winding, which is arranged in a cell housing, on which two battery poles are also arranged, via which a cell voltage can be tapped to the outside. The individual battery cells are typically combined into a cell pack and can be accommodated, for example, in a module housing to form a battery module. The individual battery modules are in turn arranged in a battery housing. Originally it was assumed that cooling or extinguishing of a high-voltage battery in the event of a thermal event should be carried out in such a way that the extinguishing agent, for example water, should not come into direct contact with the battery cells due to the high voltage. Accordingly, module housings or battery housings have so far been designed to be sufficiently tight, so that if the battery is flooded, the coolant or cooling medium at most comes into contact with a module housing, but not in direct contact with the battery cells, in particular their cell poles and interconnections, in order to avoid a short circuit. However, it has been found that in the event of a thermal runaway of a battery cell, the most effective way to stop this thermal propagation and prevent a fire or an explosion is to put an extinguishing agent such as the cooling medium in direct contact with the present invention to bring such a battery cell, that is also in contact with the poles. It is therefore preferred that the cooling medium is fed through the at least one outlet opening to the battery modules or to the at least one battery cell in such a way that the cooling medium ultimately comes into direct contact with this at least one battery cell or, in the case of a battery module, with the battery module in question included battery cells is brought. If a battery module has a module housing, for example, which encloses the battery cells, it is therefore preferred that the at least one outlet opening also opens into the module housing in question, so that the cooling medium not only flows into the interior of the battery housing, but also into the interior of a Module housing can be inserted. In this way, thermal propagation of a battery module or at least one battery cell can advantageously be suppressed most efficiently, even if only a small amount of cooling medium is available.

The use of a cooling medium inside the motor vehicle can also be advantageously combined, in particular with the embodiment described later, according to which at least one connection device is provided for connecting a reservoir outside the motor vehicle. Because a motor vehicle-internal reservoir, which is filled in particular with a cooling medium, can already provide cooling for at least one battery module when the fire brigade is not even on site, which means that important additional rescue minutes can be provided for rescuing occupants. If the fire brigade finally arrives, they can provide an additional cooling medium or an additional amount of cooling medium, for example water, at the connection device in order to continue the cooling.

The cooling medium is preferably a liquid cooling medium, such as water, optionally with additives such as antifreeze and/or cleaning agents. However, not only water is suitable as a cooling medium, but also other cooling media in general. For example, a cooling medium from the following group is accommodated in the reservoir: carbon dioxide and/or nitrogen and/or a cooling medium comprising mostly water. The carbon dioxide and/or the nitrogen can be contained in the reservoir in liquid and/or gaseous form, preferably under high pressure. In particular, the motor vehicle that includes the cooling arrangement can also have a number of different reservoirs inside the motor vehicle that are fluidically coupled or can be coupled to the supply connection, and in wel chen different cooling media can be provided. In particular, in-vehicle cooling media can be used that otherwise serve a completely different purpose in normal operation of the motor vehicle. Such other cooling media can be cooling water, for example, which flows through a cooling device for cooling the high-voltage battery during normal operation. Alternatively or additionally, it can also be wiper water, which is usually used for the windshield wiper system in the front and rear area. If the motor vehicle is, for example, a hybrid vehicle with an internal combustion engine, it can also be water from a water tank for water injection in accordance with the EU7 exhaust emission standard. If the motor vehicle has a fuel cell, for example, then the motor vehicle typically also includes a water collecting tank for the fuel cell. Water that has been separated into such a water collecting tank can also be used as a cooling medium. Theoretically, gear oil or engine oil are also available as additional cooling media. Overall, such cooling media that are normally used elsewhere can provide a relatively large volume of cooling medium, which can advantageously also be used to cool at least one battery module in an emergency situation.

It therefore represents a further advantageous embodiment of the invention if the reservoir is assigned to a motor vehicle device, in particular a device different from the battery, which can be supplied with the cooling medium from the reservoir in a second operating mode that is different from the first and/or through which the Cooling medium can be provided in the reservoir. The device can represent one of the devices already mentioned above. It can therefore be provided that the device represents a windscreen wiper system of the motor vehicle and the reservoir represents a wiper water container and the cooling medium represents wiper water and/or represents a cooling circuit for cooling an engine and/or the high-voltage battery and/or a vehicle interior of the motor vehicle, with the reservoir is, for example, a cooling water expansion tank and the cooling medium is coolant, and/or a water injection device for water injection for an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle, the reservoir being a water tank of the water injection device and the cooling medium water for the water injection, and/or a fuel cell and that Reservoir is a water tank for collecting the excreted water from the fuel cell during operation as a reaction product and the cooling medium is the excreted water.

Of all the possibilities mentioned above, the use of the coolant of the cooling circuit, which can also be referred to as the coolant circuit, has proven to be particularly advantageous. Therefore, according to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the cooling arrangement has a cooling circuit for cooling the high-voltage battery in a second operating mode compared to the first, with the reservoir representing a component of the cooling circuit. The cooling medium accordingly represents the coolant of the cooling circuit. The reservoir can, for example, as mentioned above, represent an expansion tank for the coolant. In general, however, any space in the cooling circuit that can be filled with the coolant can be regarded as such a reservoir. For example, at least one pipe and/or hose and/or line and/or channel and/or a coolant tank that is different from the expansion tank can also provide the reservoir or be understood as such. The major advantage of using the coolant of the cooling circuit to extinguish and/or cool the at least one battery cell in emergency operation, i.e. the first operating mode, consists primarily in the fact that a high-voltage battery in a motor vehicle is usually connected to a cooling system that is part of such a cooling circuit is. This existing spatial proximity can be used to advantage to allow the battery to be flooded by internal cooling media without major structural outlay. In addition, the amount of coolant used to cool the battery or other vehicle components is very large, especially in vehicles with a high-voltage battery due to the high cooling requirement, so that efficient cooling of the at least one battery cell in emergency operation is made possible. In particular, the coolant volume under normal conditions or standard conditions can be between 15 liters and 30 liters, preferably between 20 liters and 25 liters.

It represents a further advantageous development of the invention when the cooling circuit has a cooling base with at least one integrated cooling channel, the at least one battery cell being arranged on a first side of the cooling base, the at least one cooling channel for cooling the at least one battery cell being located on the second Operating mode is flowed through by the cooling medium, and wherein the at least one supply connection leads from at least one cooling channel at least to the first side of the cooling base. In order to provide the flooding device, which floods the at least part of the high-voltage battery in emergency operation, an existing cooling architecture can advantageously be used, which only needs to be structurally modified or supplemented slightly, in particular by the at least one Feed connection that fluidly connects the at least one cooling channel to the first side of the cooling base and thus to the interior of the battery housing in emergency operation. In the second mode of operation, the feed port is closed, blocked or locked, for example. The cooling base can form at least part of the base of a battery housing of the high-voltage battery. The battery cells, in particular of the individual battery modules, are also preferably connected to the cooling base via a thermally conductive means, in particular a hardened thermally conductive paste, also known as a gap filler. The at least one cooling channel running in the cooling base can also be formed as a recess in a plate providing the base or be manufactured as a separate structural unit, for example as a type of pipe or hose or line or line system, which is then also connected to a heat conducting means as described above the wall of the cooling floor providing the first side can be connected. The feed connection then leads from the at least one cooling channel through the wall providing the first side and, if necessary, through the optional gap filler or the heat-conducting agent between the at least its cooling channel and the wall, and also, if necessary, through a gap-filler layer or heat-conducting agent layer located on the first side of the wall. The outlet opening provided by the at least one supply connection can, for example, end flush with the heat-conducting layer arranged on the first side or with the first side itself, or the supply connection itself, which can generally be provided as a pipe or hose or line or socket or the like can also protrude into the interior of the battery case and thus protrude beyond the first page. A flush finish is particularly space-efficient.

The coolant ducts, through which the coolant can flow in the second operating mode, are therefore located outside the housing interior of the battery housing. Even more so are the cooling channels, i.e. the at least one cooling channel, not routed through a battery module or a module housing of such a battery module. This advantageously allows the cooling medium, such as water, to be kept away from the battery during normal operation of the motor vehicle and also to be stored outside the battery housing in the motor vehicle's internal reservoir Cooling channel coolant unintentionally comes into contact with at least one battery cell is significantly reduced. This avoids the risk of a short circuit due to a leak in the line arrangement or in the at least one cooling channel. Only in an emergency situation, in which a battery module or a battery cell has to be cooled, can the supply connection open the way into the interior of the battery housing and thus allow the cooling medium to flow into the battery, in particular into the battery modules.

Furthermore, it can also be provided that such flooding can also be carried out in a module-specific manner. This means that with such a flooding, not all battery modules of the high-voltage battery necessarily have to be flooded, but that, for example, individual battery modules can be flooded independently of the others, for example those that are showing severe overheating and are in danger of thermal runaway.

It is therefore a further very advantageous embodiment of the invention if the high-voltage battery has at least one first battery module and at least one second battery module, each with at least one battery cell, and a battery housing with a first housing chamber for accommodating at least the at least one battery cell of the at least one first battery module and with a second housing chamber, separated from the first housing chamber, for accommodating at least the at least one battery cell of the at least one second battery module, the cooling arrangement having a plurality of feed connections comprising the at least one feed connection and each having associated outlet openings, a first of the feed connections being associated with the at least one first Battery module is assigned and opens with the associated outlet opening in the first housing chamber and a second of the plurality of feed connections zugeor the at least one second battery module is dnet and opens into the second housing chamber with the associated outlet opening. Furthermore, the cooling arrangement is preferably designed in such a way that the cooling medium can be supplied in the first operating mode via the first supply connection to the first housing chamber independently of a supply of the cooling medium to the second housing chamber. In other words, the coolant can thereby be selectively supplied to the first housing chamber or the second housing chamber in the first operating mode.

This advantageously allows targeted, selective cooling of individual battery modules. For example, if only the first battery module is to be cooled, the coolant can be supplied to the first battery module in a targeted manner via the first outlet opening, without part of the coolant also being supplied to the second battery module via the second outlet opening and vice versa. If both battery modules are to be cooled, this can be done by supplying coolant via the first and second supply connections and their Also create outlet openings. The advantage of this is that targeted cooling of individual battery modules is significantly more effective than, for example, flooding the entire battery. As a result, much less cooling medium is required, which, for example, also enables the efficient use of cooling media inside the motor vehicle, which are usually only available in a very limited volume. Cooling of a specific battery module, which is overheated, for example, and for which a thermal runaway is imminent, for example, can thus take place particularly early and even before the fire department arrives, which gives occupants of a motor vehicle valuable rescue minutes. Especially in combination with the local selective cooling option provided by this embodiment of the invention, the use of internal cooling media such as the coolant of the cooling circuit is particularly advantageous, since only very little cooling medium is required for targeted cooling of individual or just a single battery module. so that this small amount can easily be covered by the liquids that are usually present in the motor vehicle anyway. In this way, a particularly efficient cooling arrangement can be provided overall, which allows targeted cooling and extinguishing of individual battery modules of a high-voltage battery.

Nevertheless, when the fire brigade has arrived, for example, it is also possible to at least indirectly couple a vehicle-external reservoir to the supply connection, for example via a fire hose, so that significantly larger quantities of cooling medium can then be supplied in order to cool even more efficiently and effectively .

Furthermore, an outlet opening in question or the associated feed connection can be assigned to exactly one battery module of the high-voltage battery. This is particularly advantageous since this allows each individual battery module to be cooled and/or extinguished in a targeted manner and separately, independently of the others. However, it would also be conceivable that a single feed connection with the assigned outlet opening is assigned to a module group with a plurality of battery modules. For example, the first outlet opening can be assigned to a first module group with a plurality of first battery modules. The design effort can be reduced as a result. In such a case, it is nevertheless preferred that a module group with a plurality of battery modules comprises as few battery modules as possible, for example two or three, or at least a number of modules in the single-digit range.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if the first housing chamber is fluidically sealed with respect to the second housing chamber. Again, it can be provided that the battery housing for the high-voltage battery, depending on the number of battery modules present, also has a corresponding number of housing chambers, which are assigned to the respective preferably individual battery modules or else module groups. In this case, such a housing chamber can be provided by an overall battery housing, into which the individual battery modules can be inserted. However, the housing chambers can also represent the module housings of the individual battery modules themselves, in which the battery cells of the battery modules are accommodated.

Such housing chambers can advantageously ensure that only an overheated module is cooled in a targeted manner, but the cooling medium then does not come into contact with other battery modules and their battery cells. This is particularly advantageous if, for example, a liquid cooling medium such as water is used for cooling, because this can prevent short circuits in intact modules. This is because such short circuits can in turn increase the probability of thermal propagation of the other initially intact modules. However, the provision of such housing chambers has another great advantage, because the required volume of cooling medium, which is required for cooling an individual battery module, can be kept to a minimum due to the accommodation of a battery module in such a chamber, because this battery module has to be cooled for cooling only the chamber containing the battery module is flooded with cooling medium and not the entire battery. This effect can be further intensified by additional fluidic sealing of the individual housing chambers. For example, the individual housing chambers can be designed to be airtight and/or watertight. As a result, for example, the discharged extinguishing water cannot have a negative effect on intact battery modules.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the at least one supply connection has a closure device, in particular a controllable valve, by means of which the at least one supply connection is closed in the second operating mode.

Such a closure device can be arranged, for example, directly in the area of the outlet opening or in the area of an inlet opening of the feed connection adjoining the cooling channel or in any area in between and close or open this as required. In other words, the closure device can have at least one open and one closed have a state, wherein the closure device interrupts a fluidic connection when it is in the closed state and releases it when it is in the open state. The opening and closing of the closure device in question can be temperature-controlled, for example, so that advantageously those battery modules or battery cells that are overheated and for which a thermal runaway is imminent or perhaps has already occurred can be cooled in a targeted manner.

In general, the closure devices of the respective feed connections can be embodied as passive closure devices or actively controllable closure devices, with the latter being preferred. A controllable way of releasing the outlet openings in question has the great advantage that, on the one hand, selective activation of the individual outlet openings can be implemented in a particularly simple manner, and release can also be implemented when an arbitrarily definable temperature limit value is exceeded, which is in particular lower than 100 degrees Celsius. Nevertheless, such a closure device can be designed to open passively, for example as a membrane that melts above a certain limit temperature and/or ruptures above a certain minimum pressure, or as a pressure relief valve that opens above the certain minimum pressure. In order to provide a passive, pressure-dependent and at the same time selective opening of the respective closure devices, it is advantageous if a plurality of independent cooling channels are provided, in each of which a specific coolant pressure can be set independently of one another. Correspondingly, a further device of the cooling arrangement can also be provided, by means of which a specific pressure can be set in the respective cooling channels. If a specific closure device is to open, the pressure in the associated cooling channel can be increased in a targeted manner above the specific minimum pressure by means of the device, so that the closure device opens.

In order to open the closure device when the at least one battery cell is in a critical state, it is also advantageous to provide a device that is designed to detect such a state. It is therefore a further advantageous embodiment of the invention if the cooling arrangement has a detection device which is designed to detect a critical state of the at least one battery cell according to a predetermined criterion, the cooling arrangement being designed for the event that the detection device detects the critical condition of only the at least one battery cell that is comprised by the at least one first battery module, to open the closure device of only the first feed connection, and in the event that the detection device detects the critical condition of only the at least one battery cell that is covered by the comprises at least one second battery module, to open only the closure device of the second feed connection. Consequently, only that closure device should be opened whose feed connection is assigned to a battery module that has a battery cell that has been detected as being in a critical state. If, for example, it is determined that several different battery modules include critical battery cells, the several closure devices whose feed connections open into the respective battery modules are consequently also opened, so that all modules with critical battery cells are flooded and no modules are flooded that have no critical battery cells .

The predetermined criterion according to which a critical state of the at least one battery cell is detected can, for example, represent the cell temperature exceeding a predetermined temperature threshold, which can be between 70° Celsius and 80° Celsius, for example, and/or a threshold value for a temperature gradient or similar. A cell temperature of over 70 degrees Celsius to 80 degrees Celsius indicates an imminent thermal event, so that cooling of the battery module in question can be initiated particularly early. A sensor device can be used as the detection device, which is designed to detect a first temperature assigned to the first battery module and/or its battery cells and to detect a second temperature assigned to the second battery module and/or its battery cells. As a result, an overheated module can advantageously be cooled in a targeted manner, it being possible by means of the sensor device to detect whether a relevant battery module is overheated or not. Furthermore, temperature sensors already installed in the battery and assigned to the individual battery modules can be used as temperature sensors. With such temperature sensors, for example, the temperatures of the individual battery cells of the battery modules in question can also be recorded separately, so that such temperature sensors can also be used to determine exactly when a battery cell is thermally propagating, and which battery cell is thermally propagating and which module this battery cell is assigned to.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the cooling arrangement has at least one connection device for connecting a motor vehicle-external reservoir, in particular a fire hose, which can be coupled to the feed connection or can be coupled or is coupled to a further feed connection or is provided by the further feed port. As a result, a fire hose, for example, can advantageously be coupled to the feed connection or another feed connection, which means that particularly efficient cooling can be provided precisely when several battery modules have to be cooled, since an external reservoir, such as that provided by the fire brigade, can be used can, a significantly larger amount of cooling medium can be used to cool the battery modules. In this case, it is also particularly advantageous if several such connection devices are provided for connecting a motor vehicle-external reservoir, for example at different positions of the motor vehicle which includes the cooling arrangement. In other words, such connection devices can be provided around the vehicle, for example on the driver's side and on the passenger side, in the trunk area, in the front area or the like. As a result, especially in the event of an accident in which some sides of a motor vehicle can be difficult to access, the probability can be increased that at least one of the connection devices can be easily reached by the fire brigade to connect a hose. These connection devices can then be connected to the cooling circuit at any point, for example, and coolant supplied via the connection device, such as water for example, can also be introduced into the battery via the at least one supply connection. However, such an external connection can also be fed to the battery via another fluid path, ie via a line that is different from the cooling circuit, in order to flood at least part of the latter with coolant supplied externally.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the first and second housing chambers each have a drain opening, from which cooling medium introduced into the first or second housing chamber can be discharged from the first or second housing chamber. By providing such an outflow opening, defined flow conditions can be provided within the housing chamber and the throughput of cooling medium can also be increased. As a result, the cooling capacity can be increased enormously. This is particularly advantageous, for example, when an external cooling medium source is connected to the feed connection, for example by the fire brigade. The fire brigade can supply a corresponding amount of cooling medium to the cooling arrangement, so that the cooling medium throughput in the housing chamber with the battery module to be cooled can be increased enormously precisely by providing a drain opening in a respective housing chamber. Such a drain opening can, for example, be permanently open, for example in the form of a hole in the module housing and/or battery housing, preferably in an upper third of the module housing, or can also be designed as an opening that is closed during normal operation, for example only above a certain minimum pressure opens. The drain opening can also be provided in that the module housing is open at the top, i.e. in the direction of the vertical axis of the vehicle. The drain opening can also be routed from the inside of a battery module upwards out of the overall housing cover, so that the coolant can drain through the gap between the top side of the battery housing and the underbody of the vehicle.

If the outflow opening is closed during normal operation, the outflow opening can be configured in a controllable manner in order to open it from a specific pressure. However, it is preferred if this is designed with a passive closure element, for example with a pressure relief valve. This simplifies the design of the cooling arrangement enormously. In addition, it can also be achieved that such a drain opening is only released when the cooling medium is introduced into the housing chamber in question at the appropriate pressure, for example when an external cooling medium source is connected to the supply connection, which involves providing the cooling medium at the supply connection correspondingly high pressure allowed, as is the case, for example, in the case of connecting a fire hose. Furthermore, it can also be provided that, for example if the fire brigade is not yet on site, a housing chamber with an overheated battery module is first filled with a vehicle-internal cooling medium in order to cool the overheated battery module in question, in which case the drain opening is still closed remains. Only when the fire brigade arrives and can provide a significantly larger volume of cooling medium to the supply connection does the discharge opening open accordingly, so that the cooling capacity for cooling the overheated battery module in question can be increased.

Furthermore, the invention also relates to a motor vehicle with a cooling arrangement according to the invention or one of its configurations. The advantages mentioned for the cooling arrangement according to the invention and its configurations therefore apply in the same way to the motor vehicle according to the invention.

In addition, it is advantageous, as has already been described above, if the motor vehicle has the motor vehicle device to which the reservoir is assigned.

Such a device can be, for example, a windscreen wiper system of the motor vehicle, the reservoir then being a wiper water container and the cooling medium being wiper water. The device can also represent a water injection device for water injection for an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle, for example if the motor vehicle is designed as a hybrid vehicle with such an internal combustion engine. Then the reservoir is a water tank of the water injection device and the cooling medium is water for the water injection. Furthermore, the device can also be a fuel cell and the reservoir can accordingly be a water collecting container for collecting the water separated out by the fuel cell during operation as a reaction product, and the cooling medium accordingly represents that excreted water. It is particularly advantageous if the motor vehicle device is a cooling circuit for cooling the high-voltage battery and/or an engine of the motor vehicle and/or a vehicle interior, the reservoir being a cooling water expansion tank, for example, and the cooling medium being a coolant, for example water .

This has the great advantage that a large amount of cooling medium can be provided overall. In addition, there is no need to provide a separate reservoir for storing such a cooling medium in the motor vehicle, which means that both installation space and weight can be saved. As a result, the liquids already present in the motor vehicle can be used as cooling and extinguishing agents in the event of a vehicle fire.

Such internal vehicle cooling media, which perform a completely different task in normal operation in particular or are assigned to other vehicle devices, can not only be used to cool the battery, but also, for example, directly to extinguish a battery fire or for preventive cooling of individual overheated battery modules to prevent such a battery fire not to let it arise in the first place. For this purpose, such cooling media can also be fed directly to the battery or individual battery modules in order to prevent or at least slow down any thermal propagation that occurs.

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 or motorcycle.

Furthermore, the invention also relates to a method for cooling at least one battery cell of a high-voltage battery, wherein in a first operating mode at least part of the high-voltage battery is flooded with a cooling medium provided via at least one feed connection, so that the cooling medium is brought into direct contact with the at least one battery cell becomes. In the first operating mode, the cooling medium is supplied to the at least one part of the high-voltage battery from a vehicle-internal reservoir by means of a conveying device via the at least one supply connection.

The invention also includes developments of the method according to the invention, which have features as have already been described in connection with the developments of the cooling arrangement according to the invention. For this reason, the corresponding developments of the method according to the invention are not described again here.

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

• 1 eine schematische Querschnittsdarstellung in Längsrichtung durch ein Kraftfahrzeug, welche eine als Flutungseinrichtung ausgebildete Kühlanordnung aufweist, die fahrzeuginterne Kühlmedien verwendet, gemäß einem Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung.;
• 2 eine schematische Explosionsdarstellung einer Kühlanordnung mit einer Hochvoltbatterie und einem Kühlboden gemäß einem Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung;
• 3 eine schematische Querschnittsdarstellung einer Kühlanordnung mit einer Hochvoltbatterie und einem Kühlboden gemäß einem Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung; und
• 4 eine schematische Explosionsdarstellung einer Kühlanordnung mit einer Hochvoltbatterie und einem Kühlboden gemäß einem weiteren Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below. For this shows:

• 1 a schematic cross-sectional illustration in the longitudinal direction through a motor vehicle, which has a cooling arrangement designed as a flooding device that uses cooling media inside the vehicle, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.;
• 2 a schematic exploded view of a cooling arrangement with a high-voltage battery and a cooling base according to an embodiment of the invention;
• 3 a schematic cross-sectional view of a cooling arrangement with a high-voltage battery and a cooling floor according to an embodiment of the invention; and
• 4 a schematic exploded view of a cooling arrangement with a high-voltage battery and a cooling base according to a further embodiment of the invention.

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 are to be considered independently of one another and that each also develop the invention independently of one another. Therefore should the disclosure also encompass combinations of the features of the embodiments other than those illustrated. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by further features of the invention that have already been described.

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

1 shows a schematic representation of a motor vehicle 10 with a cooling arrangement 12 according to an embodiment of the invention. The motor vehicle 10 has a high-voltage battery 14 with a battery housing 16 which is arranged below the vehicle floor 18 . Furthermore, the cooling arrangement 12 is designed as a flooding device which is designed to flood at least part of the high-voltage battery 14 with a liquid cooling medium 20 in emergency operation. For this purpose, the cooling arrangement 12 can have, for example, an introduction device 22 by means of which the cooling medium 20 can be introduced into the high-voltage battery 14 . In particular, the cooling medium 20 should be fed to the high-voltage battery 14 in such a way that it can be introduced into the interior of the respective battery module and can therefore be brought into direct contact with the battery cells, including their poles. This enables particularly efficient cooling, in particular fire extinguishing. This introduction device 22 now has a feed connection 24 via which the cooling medium 20 can be fed to the introduction device 22 . A particular advantage of this embodiment is that a vehicle-internal cooling medium can be used as cooling medium 20, in particular one that is located in a reservoir 26, 28 or is stored in such a medium, which is in a device of motor vehicle 10 that is different from high-voltage battery 14 assigned. In this example, such a reservoir 26 represents on the one hand a cooling water expansion tank 26. This cooling water expansion tank 26 is assigned to the normal cooling circuit of the motor vehicle 10 as an example of such a device. Various components of the motor vehicle 10, such as the engine, the vehicle interior 30 or the battery 14, are cooled with the cooling circuit. The cooler or heat exchanger 32 is fluidically connected to the cooling water expansion tank 26 via a line 34 . In normal operation, ie not in an emergency situation, this cooling circuit is provided for the conventional function and operation of the high-voltage battery 14, among other things. Another reservoir 28 is provided by the wiper water tank 28 . This is provided for cleaning the windscreen, rear window, headlights and so on, for example, and is therefore assigned, for example, to a windscreen wiper system of motor vehicle 10 as such a device.

These reservoirs 26 , 28 are now each coupled to the feed connection 24 via a bypass 36 . During emergency operation, the cooling medium 20, which is stored in the relevant reservoirs 26, 28, can be fed to the introduction device 22 via these bypasses 36, which can be designed, for example, as lines, pipes, hoses or the like, via which it is fed into the High-voltage battery 14 is initiated for cooling and fire extinguishing. In order to supply the cooling medium 20 to the introduction device 22 via these bypasses 36, respective pumps P can also be provided as an example of a conveying device, which can be located in the relevant bypasses 36, for example. However, existing pumps P, for example in the cooling water circuit or in the wiper water circuit, can also be used as a delivery device.

Overall, this advantageously means that liquid media 20 that are in vehicle 10 for cooling purposes or wiper water and so on can be actively introduced into high-voltage battery 14 of vehicle 10 in the event of thermal propagation. This can also save time before the fire brigade arrives in order to rescue people who may have been trapped in the vehicle. In addition to the liquid media 20 shown here, such as the cooling water for the engine cooling circuit and the wiper water, alternatively or additionally, the water from the water tank can also be used for water injection in accordance with the EU7 emissions standard, a water collection tank in a fuel cell vehicle and so on.

In the event of thermal propagation of the high-voltage battery 14, water can flow from the cooling circuit, i.e. the components 26, 32, 34 or from the washer fluid tank 28 via the supply lines provided as bypasses 36 using existing or newly introduced water pumps P into the high-voltage battery 14 the feed port 24, which provides appropriate access, can be routed directly.

In a further specific embodiment, the air gap 38 between the vehicle floor 18 and the battery 14 can also be cooled in addition to the high-voltage battery 14 .

According to a further embodiment, an external connection 40 can also be provided, for example on the expansion tank 26, so that a fire brigade can use the existing pipe Structures within motor vehicle 10 can cool battery 14 or air gap 38 or vehicle floor 18 by externally supplying a cooling medium 20 such as water. A targeted water outlet 42 for the cooling medium 20 can also be provided, via which the cooling medium can in turn be discharged from the high-voltage battery 14 . This outlet 42 is routed accordingly from the interior of the high-voltage battery 14 out of the battery 14 and preferably also out of its optional additional casing 44 and opens out outside of the motor vehicle 10. This can, for example, also be designed to be pressure-sensitive or designed to be controllable, so that this only then opens when, for example, water is supplied by the fire brigade at high pressure via an external connection 40 .

At this point it should be pointed out once again that in conventional vehicle concepts the extinguishing systems are designed in such a way that cooling water is kept away from the cell modules of the high-voltage battery. In the present case, however, provision is made for conventional cooling circuits or other circuits, such as that for the wiper water, to be specifically connected to the interior of high-voltage battery housing 16, namely via feed connection 24 or induction device 22 For example, an emergency shut-off valve may be provided, which is only opened in an emergency situation, for example when overheating of the battery 14 or another critical battery anomaly is detected, in order to thereby release the flooding of the battery housing 18 .

In addition, it is also possible for the cooling water 20, which is in the battery cooling system, to be introduced from the conventional cooling circuit directly into the high-voltage battery 14 via existing water pumps P, also via the access 24 or an alternatively positioned access connection, as will be described in more detail below. In other words, this cooling water 20 does not first have to run through the water expansion tank 26, but can instead run through another in 1 Bypass, not shown, is also coupled directly to the feed connection and can thus be introduced directly into the battery 14 via further pumps. This should now be based on 2 , 3 and 4 be described in more detail.

2 shows a schematic exploded view of a cooling arrangement 12 with a high-voltage battery 14. The high-voltage battery 14 has several battery modules 46, in particular 27 pieces in this example, of which only one is provided with a reference number for reasons of clarity. The battery modules 46 are arranged in the battery housing 16, which is divided into several components 16a, 16b, 16c. One of these components is a housing cover 16a, another is a housing frame 16b and another is a cooling base 16c. The battery modules 46 are arranged on the cooling base 16c and, in particular, are thermally attached to it by means of a hardened thermally conductive paste 48 (cf. 3 ) connected. The housing frame 16b surrounds the overall arrangement of the battery modules 46 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, which corresponds to the x-direction shown, and in the transverse direction of the vehicle, which corresponds to the y-direction shown. The housing cover 16a closes off the battery housing 16 at the top, ie in the z-direction. In this example, the cooling base 16c is in turn designed in multiple parts and comprises part of a trough 50, namely a trough base 51 of the trough 50, which also comprises a peripheral side wall 52, a lower housing part 54 and a cooling duct arrangement 56 with a plurality of cooling ducts 58, from which in turn For reasons of clarity, only 2 are provided with a reference number. The cooling channel arrangement 56 is arranged between the lower housing part 54 and the trough floor 51 . To improve the cooling effect, the cooling channel arrangement 56 is preferably also connected to the trough bottom 51 via a thermally conductive paste 48 . Furthermore, a compartment 59 with a plurality of transverse and longitudinal webs arranged in the form of a grid is inserted into the trough 50 and forms the respective receiving area 60 for the battery modules 46 . A crash reinforcement is provided by this compartment 59 .

The cooling floor 16c and the cooling channel arrangement 56 is part of a cooling circuit of the motor vehicle 10, the other components, such as 1 described, may have, for example, the water expansion tank 26, a pump P, a heat exchanger 32, lines 34, etc.. The coolant 20, which is preferably water, of the cooling circuit can now advantageously be used to flood at least part of the battery 14, by this being introduced directly into the interior of the battery 14 via the cooling channel arrangement 56 in emergency operation. For this purpose, the cooling arrangement 12 has at least one feed connection 62, which leads from at least one cooling duct 58 into the interior of the battery 14, in particular into the interior of a battery module 46, so that in emergency operation, the feed connection 62 and through its outlet opening 63 exiting coolant 20 can be brought into direct contact with the battery cells of the battery modules 46 . This feed connection 62 can accordingly be passed through a corresponding opening 64 in the trough floor 51 .

3 shows part of the to 2 described cooling arrangement 12 in cross section. Furthermore, it is preferred if such an associated supply connection 62 with a corresponding outlet opening 63 is provided for each battery module 46 . An opening 64 arranged in the corresponding receiving area 60 is then also provided in the trough floor 51 for each module. This advantageously makes it possible to flood each module 46 individually and independently of the other modules 46 . In this way, that module 46 for which a critical state was detected can be flooded with coolant 20 in a targeted manner. It is therefore also advantageous if a respective supply connection 62 is assigned a closure device 66, for example a valve 66, which only opens when the relevant module 46 is to be flooded. Only when this closure device 66 opens is the fluidic connection between the cooling channel 58 and the interior 46a of the battery module 46 released. In order to convey the coolant 20 in emergency operation through the feed connection 62 into the interior 46a of the battery 14 or a relevant module 46, a pump P, such as this one, can be used as the conveying device 1 were described, and how these are usually present in a cooling circuit anyway, are used. This pump P is then preferably not in the in 1 shown bypass 36 arranged in the to 2 and 3 described configuration is no longer required, but at any other point in the cooling circuit.

This advantageously provides the possibility of flooding the battery through the existing battery cooling circuit by creating a bypass, namely the at least one supply connection 62 between the cooling element, ie cooling channel 58 , and the battery cell or battery module 46 . In the first instance—shortly after detection of a propagation of a battery cell—the cooling water 20 inside the vehicle is used for cooling/extinguishing. The cooling effect is provided on the one hand by the high thermal capacity of the penetrating water 20 and on the other by targeted water evaporation (=evaporative cooling). Optionally, after arriving at the vehicle 10, a fire brigade can also use an external connection 40 (cf. 1 ) use the existing cooling structure for extinguishing.

The cooling system, i.e. the cooling channel arrangement 56, is located outside the interior of the battery, i.e. outside the lower battery shell, referred to here as pan 50, and is thermally conductively connected to the cell modules 46 via the thermally conductive paste 48 described. Cooling water 20 can be routed from the cooling circuit of the vehicle 10 into the battery cells or modules 46 via the access, i.e. the supply connection 62 . In normal operation, no water 20 is introduced into the battery cells—this happens in the case of a registered thermal propagation through the valve 66, which creates a bypass between the cooling circuit and the battery cells. The valve 66 can be actively controlled or also passively via, for example, fusible seals, in particular made of plastic, or mechanically or pressure-controlled, for example in the form of a pressure relief valve, a bimetal, a spring, etc..

The flooding process preferably takes place locally and instantaneously. This means that the corresponding local bypass, in particular the associated valve 66, is opened immediately after detection of a critical local temperature. The reason for this is that the volume of cooling water is limited and can therefore be used in a targeted manner. In addition, introducing water onto intact battery cells is not conducive to rescuing occupants.

4 shows a schematic exploded view of another example of a cooling arrangement 12. This can as 2 and 3 describe be formed except for the difference that there is no trough 50 and thus no trough floor 51 between the cooling channel arrangement 56 and the battery modules 46. The cooling base 16c then comprises only the cooling duct arrangement 56 and the lower housing part 54, not shown here. Furthermore, the modules 46 are in turn preferably connected to the cooling duct arrangement 56 via a thermally conductive paste 48, not shown here; a second layer of thermally conductive paste 48 is omitted due to the absence of the trough base 51. Therefore, the respective supply connections 62, of which only six are shown as an example, are not routed through the trough floor 51 but lead directly into the battery modules 46.

Overall, the examples show how the invention provides a high-voltage safety concept that gives the occupants additional time before they can be rescued in the event of an accident or battery fire. In particular, this can be provided by temporary battery cooling with in-vehicle media in the event of thermal propagation of the battery. In this way, valuable time can be gained until the fire brigade arrives at the battery fire, until passengers who are potentially trapped can be cut free by the fire brigade. This also leads to increased safety for the fire brigade and bystanders as well as the surrounding infrastructure.

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• EP 3204978 B1 [0004]
• DE 202007011578 U1 [0005]
• DE 102016200368 A1 [0006]

Claims (10)

Cooling arrangement (12) for a motor vehicle (10), the cooling arrangement (12) having a high-voltage battery (14) with at least one battery cell and at least one feed connection (24, 62) with an outlet opening (22, 63) assigned to the feed connection (24, 62). ), wherein the cooling arrangement (12) is designed as a flooding device which is designed to flood at least part of the high-voltage battery (14) with a cooling medium (20) provided via the at least one supply connection (24, 62) in a first operating mode , so that the cooling medium (20) exiting through the outlet opening (22, 63) can be brought into direct contact with the at least one battery cell, characterized in that the cooling arrangement (12) has a reservoir (26, 28, 32, 34, 56, 58), which comprises the cooling medium (20), and a conveying device (P) which is designed to convey the cooling medium (20) in the first operating mode from the reservoir (26, 28, 32, 34, 56, 58) via the at least e a feed connection (24, 62) to feed the at least part of the high-voltage battery (14). Cooling arrangement (12) after claim 1 , characterized in that the reservoir (26, 28, 32, 34, 56, 58) is assigned to a motor vehicle device which, in a second operating mode different from the first, is supplied with the cooling medium (20) from the reservoir (26, 28, 32, 34 , 56, 58) can be supplied and/or through which the cooling medium (20) can be made available in the reservoir (26, 28, 32, 34, 56, 58). Cooling arrangement (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cooling arrangement (12) has a cooling circuit (32, 34, 26, 56) for cooling the high-voltage battery (14) in a second operating mode which is different from the first, the reservoir (26 , 28, 32, 34, 56, 58) represents a component (32, 34, 26, 56) of the cooling circuit (32, 34, 26, 56). Cooling arrangement (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cooling circuit (32, 34, 26, 56) has a cooling floor (16c) with at least one integrated cooling channel (58), the at least one battery cell on a first side of the cooling floor (16c), wherein the cooling medium (20) flows through the at least one cooling duct (58) for cooling the at least one battery cell in the second operating mode, and wherein the at least one supply connection (24, 62) has at least one cooling duct (58). leads to the first side of the cooling floor (16c). Cooling arrangement (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the high-voltage battery (14) has at least one first battery module (46) and at least one second battery module (46) each with at least one battery cell, and a battery housing (16) with a first Housing chamber (60) for accommodating at least the at least one battery cell of the at least one first battery module (46) and having a second housing chamber (60) separated from the first housing chamber (60) for accommodating at least the at least one battery cell of the at least one second battery module (46 ), wherein the cooling arrangement (12) has a plurality of feed connections (24, 62) including the at least one feed connection (24, 62), a first of the feed connections (62) being assigned to the at least one first battery module (46) and into the first housing chamber (60) opens and a second of the plurality of feed connections (62) to the at least one second battery module (46) and opens into the second housing chamber (60), and wherein the cooling arrangement (12) is designed such that the cooling medium (20) in the first operating mode via the first supply connection (24, 62) of the first housing chamber (60) can be supplied independently of a supply of the cooling medium (20) to the second housing chamber (60). Cooling arrangement (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one supply connection (24, 62) has a closure device (66), in particular a controllable valve (66), by means of which the at least one supply connection (24, 62) is closed in the second operating mode. Cooling arrangement (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cooling arrangement (12) has a detection device which is designed to detect a critical state of the at least one battery cell according to a predetermined criterion, the cooling arrangement (12) being designed for this purpose in the event that the detection device detects the critical state of only the at least one battery cell comprised by the at least one first battery module (46), the closing device (66) of only the first feed connection (24, 62) is to be opened, and to open only the closure device (66) of the second feed connection (24, 62) in the event that the detection device detects the critical state of only the at least one battery cell that is comprised by the at least one second battery module (46). Motor vehicle (10) with a cooling arrangement (12) according to one of the preceding claims. Motor vehicle (10) after claim 8 , characterized in that the motor vehicle (10) has the motor vehicle device to which the reservoir (26, 28, 32, 34, 56, 58) is assigned, the device: - representing a windscreen wiper system of the motor vehicle (10) and the reservoir ( 26, 28, 32, 34, 56, 58) represents a cleaning water tank (28) and the cooling medium (20) represents cleaning water; and/or - a cooling circuit (32, 34, 26, 56) for cooling the high-voltage battery (14) and/or an engine of the motor vehicle (10) and/or a vehicle interior, the reservoir (26, 28, 32, 34 , 56, 58) represents a cooling water expansion tank (26) and the cooling medium (20) represents coolant; and/or - a water injection device for water injection for an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle (10), the reservoir (26, 28, 32, 34, 56, 58) representing a water tank of the water injection device and the cooling medium (20) representing water for the water injection ; and/or - represents a fuel cell and the reservoir (26, 28, 32, 34, 56, 58) represents a water collection container for collecting the water separated out by the fuel cell during operation as a reaction product and the cooling medium (20) represents the separated water. Method for cooling at least one battery cell of a high-voltage battery (14), wherein in a first operating mode at least part of the high-voltage battery (14) is flooded with a cooling medium (20) provided via at least one supply connection (24, 62), so that the cooling medium (20 ) is brought into direct contact with the at least one battery cell, characterized in that the cooling medium (20) in the first operating mode from a motor vehicle (10) integrated reservoir (26, 28, 32, 34, 56, 58) by means of a conveyor ( P) is supplied to the at least part of the high-voltage battery (14) via the at least one supply connection (24, 62).

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