EP2488737A1

EP2488737A1 - Cooling device for a hybrid vehicle

Info

Publication number: EP2488737A1
Application number: EP10770595A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Anthony Frainet; Philippe Marcais; Frédéric AUGE
Original assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
Current assignee: PSA Automobiles SA
Priority date: 2009-10-13
Filing date: 2010-09-21
Publication date: 2012-08-22
Anticipated expiration: 2030-09-21
Also published as: US20120199313A1; WO2011045496A1; EP2488737B1; FR2951114A1; BR112012007501A2; FR2951114B1; BR112012007501B1; CN102575567A; US9238994B2; CN102575567B

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for cooling the heat engine (10), electrical components (26, 14, 28), and an electrical power storage means (18) of a hybrid vehicle, said device including a first circuit (60, HT) for cooling the heat engine, a second circuit (BT) for cooling the electrical components, and a third circuit (78, TBT) for cooling the electrical power storage means, a heat transfer fluid being capable of flowing inside said circuits, comprising heat exchange means (46, 48, 52). According to the invention, the heat exchange means consist of a heat exchanger (88) that is separated into three portions, and the device comprises a means for placing the first circuit in communication with the third circuit, the means being actuated on the basis of the temperature of the heat transfer fluid and on the basis of the flow of the heat transfer fluid inside the first circuit. The invention also relates to radiator for a hybrid vehicle.

Description

COOLING DEVICE FOR A HYBRID VEHICLE

[Oooi] The present invention claims the priority of the French application 0957165 filed October 13, 2009 whose content (text, drawings and claims) is here incorporated by reference.

The present invention relates to a hybrid vehicle cooling device, which comprises a heat engine coupled to an electric machine and electrical energy storage means, such as a battery for example. The cooling of the various electrical components, electrical energy storage means and the heat engine is ensured by the circulation of a coolant in heat exchangers. The invention also relates to a radiator for equipping a hybrid vehicle.

Subsequently and for the sake of clarity of the disclosure of the invention, the electrical energy storage means will simply be designated by a battery, although said means may comprise several batteries and / or one or more super -capacity (s) for example. In a hybrid vehicle, an additional battery is normally used, dedicated to the supply of electricity to the electric motor. Its storage capacity is much higher than that of the usual battery and therefore, it tends to heat because it is much more stressed than in a vehicle having only one engine. Since the battery has an optimal operation in a defined temperature range, generally centered around 40 ^q C, it is necessary to cool it in order to maintain its temperature at around 40 ° C. To do this, it is possible to use an air cooling or a heat transfer fluid or a refrigerant. In the case of a coolant or refrigerant, using a cooling circuit provided with a heat exchanger (a radiator) in which circulates a coolant or coolant.

Other electrical elements of the vehicle also need to be cooled (for example the electric traction motor or motors, an inverter, etc.) in order to operate in an optimum temperature range, generally centered at 60.degree. vs. Another cooling circuit equipped with a heat exchanger is then used. Similarly, the heat engine needs to be cooled in order to operate in a conventional manner in a temperature range of 80 ° C. Another cooling circuit, with a heat exchanger, is then used.

Three cooling circuits are generally used, so three heat exchangers, operating in different temperature ranges from one another. This solution optimizes cooling but requires the addition of heat exchangers and the creation of independent cooling circuits. It would therefore be very advantageous to reduce the number of heat exchangers and, more generally, to modify said cooling circuits in order to reduce the costs and the space under the bonnet.

It is also possible to use the cooling fluid of the air conditioning circuit for vehicles equipped with an air conditioner. However, it requires as previously a dedicated cooling circuit. In addition this solution generates an additional energy consumption caused by the operation of the air conditioning compressor.

Figure 1 described below illustrates the most common solution of the prior art (by the use of independent cooling circuits in which circulates a coolant) and allows to easily understand the disadvantages of the art prior. According to the invention, when the battery is cooled by a heat transfer fluid, the use of a heat exchanger is shared between the engine and the battery according to the operating conditions of the vehicle. The invention takes advantage of the fact that the elements to be cooled do not generally work, and therefore do not need to be cooled, at the same time (for example, when the heat engine is running, the electric traction motor is at stop, and vice versa). One of the aims of the invention is therefore to use only one radiator and to share as much as possible the elements already present in the undercap of a hybrid engine (for example, the motor-fan unit and the degassing box for filling). To do this, the cooling device according to the present invention uses a single separate heat exchanger in three parts. In addition, the device according to the invention comprises means for allowing the heat transfer fluid to flow from a cooling circuit to another circuit. More specifically, the invention relates to a cooling device for the heat engine, electrical components and electrical energy storage means of a hybrid vehicle, said device comprising a first circuit for cooling said heat engine. a second circuit for cooling said electrical components and a third circuit for cooling said electrical energy storage means, a heat transfer fluid circulating in said circuits which comprise heat exchange means. According to the invention, said heat exchange means consist of a heat exchanger separated into three parts: a high temperature part HT connected to said first circuit, a low temperature part BT connected to said second circuit and a very low temperature part TBT connected to said third circuit. circuit.

[001 1] In addition, the device comprises means for placing said first circuit in communication with said third circuit located upstream and downstream of said portion HT of the heat exchanger, said downstream communication means being actuated as a function of the temperature of said heat transfer fluid at said communication means and said upstream communication means being actuated as a function of the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid in said first circuit. According to one embodiment, said means for setting said first circuit to said third circuit upstream of said heat exchanger comprises a double-acting valve closing said first circuit and allowing the passage of the coolant from said third circuit to said part. HT of the heat exchanger, when the heat transfer fluid flow in said first circuit is less than a predetermined flow. Said means of putting said first circuit to said third circuit downstream of said heat exchanger comprises a double-acting thermostatic valve closing said first circuit and allowing the heat-transfer fluid to pass from said first circuit into said third circuit when the temperature of the heat transfer fluid at said thermostatic valve is below the optimum operating temperature of said electrical energy storage means.

Said first circuit may comprise a water pump, a water outlet housing, said housing communicating on the one hand with a pump and a heater for heating the passenger compartment of the vehicle and secondly with the input of the HT portion of the heat exchanger via a pipe connected between the outlet of said water outlet housing and the inlet of said HT part. Said conduit comprises said double-acting valve located substantially at the inlet of said HT part and the output of said HT part is connected to said pump by a pipe which comprises said thermostatic valve located substantially at the outlet of said HT part of the heat exchanger.

Said third circuit may include said electrical energy storage means, a pump and said TBT portion of the heat exchanger, the inlet of said pump being connected to the heat transfer fluid outlet of said energy storage means. electrical and the output of the pump being connected to the input of said portion TBT. The output of said portion TBT can be connected firstly to said first circuit via said thermostatic valve and secondly to said electrical energy storage means. The inlet of said portion TBT being connectable to said first circuit via said valve located substantially at the inlet of said portion HT.

Said second circuit may comprise said portion BT of said heat exchange means, a pump, an inverter, an electric machine and a device for stopping and restarting the heat engine automatically. Advantageously, said first and third circuits comprise in common a degassing box.

Said electrical energy storage means may comprise at least one battery.

According to another embodiment, each of said portions TBT, HT and BT comprises a coolant inlet housing, a radiator and a heat transfer fluid outlet housing

The input boxes of the parts TBT and HT may comprise a common passage that can be closed by a valve and allowing a portion of the heat transfer fluid to flow from the TBT input box to the HT box, and the output boxes TBT and HT parts may have a common passage that can be closed by a thermostatic valve and allowing a portion of the heat transfer fluid to flow from the output box HT to the output box TBT.

When the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid in said first circuit for cooling the heat engine is less than a predetermined value, said valve opens said common passage of the input boxes allowing a portion of the heat transfer fluid of said input box TBT to pass in said input box HT. Said valve closes said first circuit when the flow of coolant in said cooling circuit of the engine is substantially zero.

Said thermostatic valve opens the common passage between the HT and TBT parts of said output boxes and closes the output of the output box HT when the temperature of the coolant at the output of said HT part is less than a predetermined temperature and, conversely, said thermostatic valve closes the common passage between said HT and TBT portions of said output boxes and opens the output of the output box HT when the temperature of the coolant at the output of the output box HT is greater than said predetermined temperature, which may be substantially equal to the optimum operating temperature of said electrical energy storage means.

Said first circuit for cooling the heat engine comprises a thermostatic valve located at the outlet of the water outlet housing and makes it possible to stop the circulation of heat transfer fluid in said first circuit when the temperature of the heat transfer fluid in said housing water outlet is less than the optimum operating temperature of the engine.

The invention also relates to a radiator in which can circulate a coolant and intended to equip a hybrid vehicle. According to the invention, the radiator comprises three parts separated from each other by a partition, each of said parts comprising an inlet housing provided with a heat transfer fluid inlet, a heat exchanger and an outlet housing provided with a heat transfer fluid outlet, one of the partitions separating the inlet boxes between two adjacent parts comprises a first passage and said partition separating the outlet boxes between said two adjacent parts comprises a second passage, first sealing means can take two positions, a position for which the input of an input box is open and said first ό passage is closed and another position for which the input of an input box is closed and said first passage is open, second shutter means can take two positions, a position for which the output of a housing output is open and said second passage is closed and another position for which the output of said output housing is closed and said second passage is open.

Said first closure means may comprise a double-acting valve which can change position when the pressure exerted on the valve is substantially zero and said second sealing means may comprise a thermostatic valve which can change position to substantially 40 °.

Other advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of several embodiments of the invention, given by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings and in which:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a conventional device of the prior art, FIGS. 2 and 3 diagrammatically illustrate two embodiments of a device according to the present invention, and

• Figures 4 and 5 schematically illustrate an embodiment of a radiator according to the invention.

The device shown in Figure 1 represents the most successful embodiment of the cooling of the various bodies of a hybrid vehicle. The latter comprises a heat engine 10, provided with a water outlet housing 12, an electric machine 14 (usually the electric traction motor or motors of the vehicle), a gearbox 16 and storage means electrical energy 18 (which may consist for example of one or more batteries or one or more super-capacitors). For the sake of clarity, the electrical energy storage means will be designated hereafter by the term "battery", it being understood that this term covers all kinds of electrical energy storage means.

The hybrid vehicle comprises three different cooling circuits: a first circuit 20 dedicated to cooling the heat engine 10 (this circuit is also called HT circuit for High Temperature) and shown in Figure 1 and the following figures in solid lines; a second circuit 22, shown in solid double lines (also referred to as BT circuit for Low Temperature), for cooling the electrical components and a third circuit 24 (also called TBT circuit for Very Low Temperature), shown with dashes, for the Battery cooling 18. Said electrical components generally comprise said electric machine 14, an inverter 26, and often an automatic stop and restart system 28 (usually referred to as "Stop &Start"). A coolant (usually a mixture of water and glycol, for example 50% water and 50% glycol) can flow in these three circuits in the directions indicated by the arrows.

Regarding the first circuit 20 (HT circuit), the heat transfer fluid circulates in the engine 10 and out of the engine by the water outlet housing 12 (note: this is the usual name of the housing of output, although it concerns the output of the refrigerant which is not usually pure water). The box 12 has two outputs: an outlet 30 which can be closed by means of a thermostatic valve 32 and an outlet 34. Exiting through the outlet 34, the coolant is sucked by a pump 36 (electric pump for example ), then sent to a heater 38 to warm the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Before entering the heater 38, the coolant may optionally pass through a heater 40, which may take the form of an electric boiler or gasoline. Leaving the heater 38, the fluid is directed to a pump 42, generally called "water pump", where it returns to the engine. A degassing box 44, common to the first circuit 20 and the second circuit 22, is used to evacuate the gases possibly present in the coolant and to complete the coolant level in the cooling circuits 20 and 22. outlet 30 of the water outlet housing 12, the heat transfer fluid passes through a heat exchanger 46 (HT for High Temperature), usually a radiator placed on the front of the vehicle, then passes through the water pump 42 before returning to the engine 10. A bypass 43 makes it possible to turn heat transfer fluid into the water outlet housing 12 when the thermostatic valve 32 closes the outlet 30. The second circuit 22 (LV circuit), for cooling the electrical components, comprises a heat exchanger 48, usually a radiator (also referred to as LV exchanger or BT radiator for low temperature). The heat-transfer fluid is circulated in this second circuit 22 by means of an electric pump 50, the fluid then passing successively through the pump 50, the inverter 26, the electric machine 14, the stop and restart system. Automatic 28 of the engine and the radiator BT 48.

The third circuit 24 (TBT circuit) comprises a heat exchanger or radiator 52 or TBT (TBT for very low temperature), the heat transfer fluid being circulated by an electric pump 54 to successively cross the radiator TBT 52 and the battery 18. In fact, the fluid does not pass through the battery 18 itself, but heat exchange means for cooling the battery, for example a copper pipe in the form of a coil surrounding the battery.

The HT temperature of the heat transfer fluid present in the first circuit 20 can vary from 70 to 1 10 ^, the thermostatic valve 32 closing the outlet 30 and thus stopping the circulation of the heat transfer fluid in the first circuit HT, when the temperature of the fluid in the HT circuit is less than the optimum operating temperature of the engine, generally approximately 80 ° C.

The temperature of the heat transfer fluid in the second circuit 22 BT is generally maintained at around 60 ° C, the optimum operating temperature of the electric machine 14.

The temperature of the coolant in the third circuit 24 TBT is generally maintained at around 40 ° C, the optimal operating temperature of the battery18. These differences in optimal operating temperature of the engine, the electric machine and the battery are the cause of the use of three different cooling circuits, so three radiators, which increases the costs of manufacturing the vehicle and increases the space requirement under the hood.

Figure 2 schematically shows a first embodiment of the invention according to which one shares the use of a heat exchanger between the engine and the battery according to the operating conditions of the vehicle. In this figure, the elements common with those of Figure 1 are designated by the same reference numbers. There are three cooling circuits: the second circuit 22 (LV circuit) is identical and comprises, as before, a radiator 48, an electric pump 50, an inverter 26, an electric machine 14 and a Stop & Start system STT or 28.

The first circuit 60 (HT circuit) is identical to the first circuit 20 of Figure 1, except that the first circuit 60 of Figure 2 comprises a double-acting valve 62 placed upstream (in the fluid flow direction). coolant) of the radiator 46 (radiator HT) and a thermostatic valve 64 placed downstream of the radiator HT. More specifically, the valve 62 is located in a pipe 66 connecting the outlet 30 of the water outlet housing 12 to the radiator HT. In addition, a pipe 68 connects the pipe 70 connecting the pump 54 to the radiator 52 (radiator TBT). The pipe 68 opens into the pipe 66 opposite the valve 62 so that when the valve 62 closes the pipe 66, the heat transfer fluid can flow from the pipe 68 to the radiator HT, and vice versa, when the valve 62 is open , the communication between the pipe 66 and the radiator HT is open while the communication between the pipe 68 and the radiator HT is closed.

The thermostatic valve 64 is located downstream of the radiator HT in a pipe 72 connecting the outlet 74 of the radiator HT to the water pump 42. The TBT circuit comprises a pipe 76 connecting the pipe 72 to the battery 18, the pipe 76 opening into the pipe 72 at the thermostatic valve 64 so that, when the valve 64 closes the pipe 72, the heat transfer fluid leaving the radiator HT can pass in the pipe 76 and, conversely, when the valve 64 does not close the pipe 72, the heat transfer fluid leaving the radiator HT can not pass in the pipe 76.

The third circuit 78, dedicated to the cooling of the battery 18, comprises the radiator TBT 52, a pipe 80 (connecting the outlet 82 of the radiator 52 to the pipe 68), the pipe 76, the battery 18 (more generally the means for storing electrical energy) and the pump 54 connected to the battery 18 via the pipe 84 and connected to the inlet 86 of the radiator TBT via the pipe 70. The radiators 52, 46 and 48 may advantageously be formed of a single heat exchanger 88 separated into three distinct parts so as to form the three radiators 52 (TBT), 46 (HT) and 48 (BT).

As before, the HT circuit (or first circuit) is shown in continuous solid lines, the LV circuit (or second circuit) is shown in double lines and the TBT circuit (or third circuit) in dashed lines.

The double-acting valve 62 makes it possible to put the first circuit 60 into communication with the third circuit 78 when the flow rate of the coolant in the pipe 72 is very low, practically nil. This situation occurs when the thermostatic valve 32 closes the outlet 30 of the water outlet housing 12, which occurs when the temperature of the coolant in the water outlet housing 12 is below the optimum operating temperature. of the engine. This optimum operating temperature may for example be between 80 and 110 ° C. In this case, the outlet 30 is open when the temperature of the heat transfer fluid is equal to or greater than, for example, 80 ° C. and the outlet 30 is closed when the temperature of the heat transfer fluid is less than 80 ° C.

When the valve 32 closes the outlet 30 of the water outlet housing, the valve 62 opens the communication of the pipe 68 to the radiator HT, thus putting the third circuit 78 (TBT) in communication with the first circuit 60 (HT). The double-acting thermostatic valve 64 is calibrated to open the pipe 72 at a predetermined temperature, corresponding substantially to the optimum operating temperature of the battery 18. This temperature may be for example about 40 ° C. A device according to the invention operates differently depending on the conditions of use of the vehicle. For exemple :

• First conditions of use:

^* engine not very busy or stopped,

^* heater 40 stopped or little used, ^* electric machine 14 when stopped or running,

^* charge the battery 18 from the electrical mains.

At a coolant temperature below 80 ° C in the HT circuit, the thermostatic valve 32 is closed: the heat transfer fluid from the heat engine 10 is sent directly to the heater 40 and the heater 38 to heat the heater. cabin of the vehicle. The heat transfer fluid does not cross the radiator HT, the flow in the pipe 66 is zero: the valve 62 is in the closed position (no pressure exerted on it). The heat transfer fluid of the third circuit 78 (TBT) then passes through the radiator HT in addition to the radiator TBT. This improves the cooling of the battery 18 by increasing the exchange surface of the coolant in the heat exchanger 88. The temperature in the third TBT circuit not exceeding 40 ^q C, the thermostatic valve 64 is in the closed position : It makes it possible to send the coolant leaving the radiator HT back to the battery 18. The thermostatic valve 64 also makes it possible to prevent any risk of heat transfer fluid being sent to a temperature greater than 40 ° in the battery 18, which would degrade its temperature. performance and / or life. The flow in the third circuit TBT being provided by the electric pump 54, the cooling of the battery is ensured when the engine is stopped.

These operating conditions correspond to the times when the battery needs to be the most cooled, hence the use of a larger heat exchanger surface during this period.

• Second conditions of use:

^* engine 10 running,

^* heater 40 in operation or at a standstill, * electric machine 14 stopped or little solicited,

^* charge of battery 18 with the power of the engine.

When the heat engine needs to be cooled, for coolant temperatures higher than δΟ 'Ό in the first HT circuit, the thermostatic valve 32 opens. Under the pressure of the coolant, the valve 62 also opens and closes the pipe 76. The heat transfer fluid from the engine 10 is cooled in the radiator HT. As the temperature at the outlet 74 of the radiator HT is greater than 40 ° C., the thermostatic valve 64 also opens and makes it possible to send the fluid towards the heat engine via the pipe 72. The battery 18 is then cooled only by the radiator TBT , the valve 62 and the thermostatic valve 64 closing the lines 68 and 76 connecting the third circuit TBT to the radiator HT.

These second operating conditions correspond to the times when the battery 18 is recharged from the power of the engine 10. It is therefore to ensure minimum cooling of the battery. The need for cooling being less important than in the first conditions, the heat exchange surface of the radiator TBT is sufficient.

[0049] Figure 3 schematically illustrates a second embodiment of the invention. This embodiment uses the same elements as those of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, these common elements being designated by the same reference numbers. The differences between the two embodiments relate to the heat exchanger (framed in an oval 88), the valve 62 and the thermostatic valve 64. The heat exchanger 88 is formed of a single split radiator in three parts TBT, HT and BT. In this second embodiment, the valve 62 and the valve 64 are integrated in the radiator HT. This arrangement makes it possible in particular to simplify the HV and TBT circuits, the communication between the HV and TBT circuits being carried out in the heat exchanger 88, and more precisely between the HT and TBT parts of the heat exchanger, thanks to the use of a new type of radiator shown in Figures 4 and 5. Note in Figure 3 that the output 74 of the radiator HT is connected directly to the water pump 42, the communication conduit 68 and a portion of the pipe 76 have been removed.

The heat exchanger 88 is shown schematically in Figure 4 which shows a situation for which the temperature of the coolant in the HT circuit is lower than the optimum operating temperature of the engine (for example less than 80 ° C) . The exchanger 88 constitutes a "complex" radiator with exchanges of refrigerant between the parts TBT and HT. This radiator is composed of three parts: a part TBT (Very Low Temperature) 90, HT (High Temperature) portion 92 and BT (Low Temperature) portion 94. The TBT and HT portions are separated by a partition 96 and the HT and LV portions are separated by a partition 98.

Each of these parts comprises a heat transfer fluid inlet casing (100 for the TBT part, 102 for the HT part and 104 for the BT part), a heat exchange part (106 for the TBT part, 108 for the HT part and 1 10 for the BT part) and an output box (1 12 for the TBT part, 1 14 for the HT part and 1 16 for the BT part). The heat transfer fluid circulates in the directions indicated by the dashed arrows for the TBT part, in full lines for the HT part and in double lines for the BT part.

Each of the input boxes 100, 102 and 104 is provided with a heat transfer fluid inlet respectively 1 18, 120 and 122. Each of the output boxes 1 12, 1 14 and 1 16 comprises a fluid outlet respectively 124, 126 and 128. The partition 96 separating the parts TBT and HT comprises a first passage 130 of communication between the input boxes 100 and 102 and a second passage 132 of communication between the output boxes 1 12 and 1 14. The passage 130 is provided with first closure means 134 which can take two positions, a position for which the inlet 120 of the inlet box 102 is open and the first passage 130 is closed and another position for which the inlet 120 of the input box 102 is closed and the first passage 130 is open. The passage 132 is provided with second closure means 136 which can take two positions, a position for which the outlet 126 of the outlet housing 1 14 is open and the second passage 132 is closed and another position for which the outlet 126 is closed and the second passage 132 is open. The closure means 134 may comprise a double-acting valve equivalent to the valve 62 of the embodiment of Figure 2; this valve closing the inlet 120 and opening the passage 130 when the flow in the pipe 72 is very low, or even zero, and therefore when the temperature of the coolant is less than eO 'for example (temperature for which the thermostatic valve 32 closes the outlet 30 of the water outlet housing).

The shutter means 136 may comprise a thermostatic valve identical to the thermostatic valve 64 of the embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2. This valve closes the outlet 126 and opens the passage 132 when the temperature of the coolant in the outlet box 1 14 is lower than the optimal operating temperature of the battery 18, for example 40 ^.

The conditions for a coolant circulation of the circuit TBT in the radiator HT are as follows: when the thermostatic valve 32 of the water outlet housing closes the outlet 30, the flow rate in the radiator HT108 is zero; the valve 134 closes the inlet 120 of the radiator HT and the passage 130 is open; the input boxes 100 and 102 communicate and heat transfer fluid of the TBT circuit can then pass into the HT circuit. The fluid contained in the HT radiator 108 cools. As soon as the temperature of this fluid is lower than 40 ° C., the thermostatic valve 136 opens the passage 132 and closes the outlet 126 of the radiator HT. The heat transfer fluid of the TBT circuit can then circulate in the HT circuit, more precisely in the radiator 108 of the HT circuit.

Figure 5 shows the radiator of Figure 4, when the thermostatic valve 32 of the water outlet housing is in the open position, that is to say when the outlet 30 is open. This corresponds to a temperature of the coolant greater than or equal to the optimum operating temperature of the heat engine (for example 80 ° C.). There is no circulation of heat transfer fluid from the TBT circuit to the HT circuit. Indeed, the valve 134 closes the passage 130 and opens the inlet 120 of the radiator HT 108. The thermostatic valve 136 (open up to 40 ° C approximately) is open that is to say it opens the exit 126 of the radiator HT and closes the passage 132. There is therefore no communication between the circuits TBT and HT. As a result, the radiator HT is in this case dedicated to the cooling of the engine. The advantages provided by the present invention are, for example and in a non-limiting way:

• intelligent thermal management of the cooling circuit,

• the sharing of the radiator for the cooling of various components operating at very different temperature ranges, · the absence of an additional heat exchanger, whether on the front of the vehicle or elsewhere on the vehicle, • the absence of additional fan motor unit and the use of the main fan motor unit of the facade,

The implementation of the cooling circuit in the vehicle is made easier due to the small size of the radiator of the invention compared to the three radiators of the prior art,

• the electrical consumption of the cooling circuit is low compared to the electrical consumption of an air or refrigerant cooling circuit.

Embodiments other than those described and shown may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. Cooling device for the heat engine (10), electrical components (26, 14, 28) and electrical energy storage means (18) of a hybrid vehicle, said device comprising a first circuit (60, HT ) for cooling said heat engine, a second circuit (BT) for cooling said electrical components and a third circuit (78, TBT) for cooling said electrical energy storage means, a coolant circulating in said circuits which comprise heat exchange means (46, 48, 52), said device being characterized in that:

said heat exchange means consist of a heat exchanger (88) separated into three parts: a high temperature HT part (46) connected to said first circuit, a low temperature part BT (48) connected to said second circuit and a very high part low temperature TBT (52) connected to said third circuit,

and in that the device comprises:

means for putting said first circuit in communication with said third circuit located upstream (62) and downstream (64) of said HT part of the heat exchanger, said downstream communicating means (64) being actuated as a function of the temperature of said heat transfer fluid at said means and said upstream communication means (62) being actuated as a function of the flow rate of the coolant in said first circuit.

2. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that said means for communicating said first circuit to said third circuit located upstream of said heat exchanger comprises a double-acting valve (62) closing said first circuit (HT) and allowing the passage of the heat transfer fluid of said third circuit (TBT) to said HT portion of the heat exchanger, when the heat transfer fluid flow rate in said first circuit is less than a predetermined flow rate.

3. Device according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that said communication means of said first circuit to said third circuit located downstream of said heat exchanger comprises a double-acting thermostatic valve (64) closing said first circuit (HT) and allowing the heat transfer fluid to pass from said first circuit (HT) into said third circuit (TBT) when the temperature of the heat transfer fluid at said thermostatic valve (64) is lower than the optimum operating temperature of said electrical energy storage means (18).

4. Device according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that said second circuit (BT) comprises said BT portion (48), a pump (50), an inverter (26), an electric machine (14) and a device shutdown and automatic restart (28, STT) of the engine.

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that said first (60) and third (78) circuits comprise in common a degassing box (44).

6. Device according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that said electrical energy storage means (18) comprises at least one battery.

7. Device according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that said electrical components comprise a pump (50), an inverter (26), an electric machine (14) and an automatic stop and restart device (28). thermal motor.

8. Device according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that each of said parts TBT (90), HT (92) and BT (94) comprises an inlet housing (100, 102, 104) heat transfer fluid, a radiator (106, 108, 1 10) and an outlet housing (1 12, 1 14, 1 16) of the coolant.

9. Device according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that said first circuit (60) for cooling the heat engine (10) comprises a thermostatic valve (32) at the outlet (30) of the water outlet housing (12) and makes it possible to stop the circulation of heat transfer fluid in said first circuit (60, HT) when the temperature of the coolant in said water outlet housing (12) is lower than the optimum operating temperature of the heat engine .

Radiator (88) in which a heat transfer fluid can circulate and intended to equip a hybrid vehicle, characterized in that it comprises three parts (90, 92, 94) separated from each other by a partition (96). , 98), each of said parts comprising an inlet box (100, 102, 104) provided with a heat transfer fluid inlet (1 18, 120, 122), a heat exchanger (106, 108, 1 10) and a outlet housing (1 12, 1 14, 1 16) having an outlet (124, 126, 128) for coolant, one (96) of partitions separating the inlet housings (100, 102) between two adjacent portions has a first passage (130) and the partition (96) separating the outlet boxes (1 12, 1 14) between said two adjacent portions has a second passage (132), first closure means (134) being take two positions, a position for which the input (120) of an input box (102) is open and said first passage (130) is closed and another position for which the input (120) of a input box (102) is closed and said first passage (130) is open, second stop means (136) can take two positions, a position for which the output (126) of an output box (1) 14) is open and said second passage (132) is closed and another position for which the output (126) of said output housing (1 14) is closed and said second passage (132) is open.