EP4188729A1

EP4188729A1 - Cooling module for an electric or hybrid motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: EP4188729A1
Application number: EP21740556.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gael Durbecq; Amrid MAMMERI; Erwan ETIENNE; Kamel Azzouz
Original assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques SAS
Current assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques SAS
Priority date: 2020-07-27
Filing date: 2021-07-12
Publication date: 2023-06-07
Also published as: FR3112720B1; WO2022023012A1; CN115956031A; FR3112720A1; US20230264541A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a cooling module for an electric or hybrid vehicle, said cooling module (22) having a housing (24) comprising an air inlet (24a) and an air outlet (24b) and within which there are arranged an assembly (23) of heat exchangers (25a, 25b, 25c) and a tangential turbomachine (28) configured so as to generate an air flow (F) passing through said housing (24) from its air inlet (24a) to its air outlet (24b) and passing through the assembly (23) of heat exchangers (25a, 25b, 25c), characterized in that the housing (24) has, on one of its outer lateral faces, a two-fluid heat exchanger (27) in order to allow the exchanges of heat energy between a first heat-transfer fluid circulating in a first circulation loop (C1) and a second heat-transfer fluid circulating in a second circulation loop (C2).

Description

Cooling module for an electric or hybrid motor vehicle

The invention relates to a cooling module for an electric or hybrid motor vehicle. The invention also relates to an electric motor vehicle provided with such a cooling module.

A cooling module (or heat exchange module) of a motor vehicle conventionally comprises a set of heat exchangers and a ventilation device adapted to generate a flow of air passing through the set of heat exchangers. The ventilation device thus makes it possible, for example, to generate a flow of air passing through the heat exchangers of the set of heat exchangers, when the vehicle is stationary.

The heat exchangers within the cooling module are generally stacked so that the same air flow passes successively through all the heat exchangers. However, in such a stack of heat exchangers, each heat exchanger placed upstream of another in the direction of circulation of the air flow impacts the performance of the latter, for example by increasing the temperature of the air flow. air passing through it or by increasing the pressure drops of the air flow.

The heat exchangers of the set of heat exchangers are each connected to a refrigerant fluid circulation loop which is configured to allow the thermal management of various elements of the electric or hybrid vehicle. Thus, one or more heat exchangers of the cooling module can be connected to a loop allowing the thermal management of various components such as the motor and/or the power electronics and/or the on-board charger, called "on board charger". in English. One or more other heat exchangers of the cooling module can be connected to another loop allowing the thermal management of other elements such as the batteries. However, these loops may also include various other heat exchangers and components which may take up considerable space within the cooling module.

A large number of heat exchangers can also prove to be quite substantial in terms of weight. Thus, the architecture of these heat transfer fluid circulation loops is important in order to allow good thermal management of the various elements while limiting the weight and the volume occupied by their components. One of the aims of the invention is to remedy at least partially the drawbacks of the prior art and to propose an improved cooling module for an electric motor vehicle.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a cooling module for an electric or hybrid motor vehicle, said cooling module comprising a housing comprising an air inlet and an air outlet and inside which are arranged a set of heat exchangers heat exchanger and a tangential turbomachine configured so as to generate an air flow passing through said casing from its air inlet to its air outlet and passing through the set of heat exchangers, the casing comprising, on one of its external lateral faces , a two-fluid heat exchanger configured to allow heat energy exchanges between a first heat transfer fluid circulating in a first circulation loop and a second heat transfer fluid circulating in a second circulation loop.

Thanks to the location of the bifluid heat exchanger on the side face of the cooling module, the fluidic connections between this bifluid heat exchanger, the heat exchangers within the housing and the first and second circulation loops are simplified. This arrangement makes it possible to reduce the size of the heat exchange module while lightening it.

The invention may further comprise one or more of the following aspects taken alone or in combination:

- the first circulation loop comprises a main loop comprising a first pump, a first heat exchanger of the set of heat exchangers and a thermal management interface arranged at the level of elements to be cooled such as an electric motor and /or power electronics and/or an on-board charger;

- the first circulation loop comprises a branch line bypassing the thermal management interface, said branch line includes the two-fluid heat exchanger arranged downstream of a second heat exchanger of the set of heat exchangers;

- the first heat exchanger is arranged within the housing downstream of the second heat exchanger in the direction of circulation of the air flow;

- the first and the second heat exchanger are arranged within the housing so that the inlet of the first heat transfer fluid of the first heat exchanger and the outlet of the first heat transfer fluid of the second heat exchanger are arranged on the same side face of the housing as the two-fluid heat exchanger;

- the bypass line of the first circulation loop has a third heat exchanger of the set of heat exchangers

- the third heat exchanger is arranged downstream of the second heat exchanger in the direction of circulation of the first heat transfer fluid;

- the third heat exchanger is arranged upstream of the second heat exchanger within the casing in the direction of circulation of the air flow;

- the first and the third heat exchangers are arranged within the casing so that the inlet of the first heat transfer fluid of the first heat exchanger and the outlet of the first heat transfer fluid of the third heat exchanger are arranged on the same side face of the casing as the two-fluid heat exchanger;

- The second circulation loop is a cooling loop in which the second heat transfer fluid is a refrigerant fluid;

- the second circulation loop comprising, in the direction of circulation of the refrigerant fluid, a compressor, the two-fluid heat exchanger, a first expansion device and a fourth heat exchanger intended to exchange calorific energy with the batteries of the vehicle electric or hybrid;

- the fourth heat exchanger is in direct contact with the batteries;

- the fourth heat exchanger is a two-fluid heat exchanger arranged jointly on the second circulation loop and on an additional circulation loop within which a third heat transfer fluid circulates;

- the additional circulation loop includes a second pump and a second exchange interface with the batteries;

- The additional circulation loop includes a bypass branch of the fourth heat exchanger;

- The second circulation loop comprises a bypass branch connected in parallel with the first expansion device and the fourth heat exchanger; - Said bypass branch comprising a second expansion device arranged upstream of an evaporator;

- the dimensions of the two-fluid heat exchanger arranged on the outer side face of the cooling module are smaller than that of a heat exchanger of the set of heat exchangers;

- the dual-fluid heat exchanger arranged on the outer side face of the cooling module is arranged directly above a motor intended to drive the tangential turbomachine in motion;

- the casing comprises a casing inside which the two-fluid heat exchanger is arranged; and

- the casing comprises fixing means such as fixing lugs intended to secure the two-fluid heat exchanger to one of its external side faces.

Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description given by way of illustrative and non-limiting example, and the appended drawings, among which:

[Fig.l] Figure 1 schematically shows the front part of a motor vehicle with an electric motor, seen from the side;

[Fig.2] Figure 2 shows a schematic perspective view of a cooling module that can be implemented in the motor vehicle of Figure 1, part of the fairing of the cooling module having been removed;

[Fig. 3] Figure 3 shows a schematic view of a first embodiment of a thermal management circuit;

[Fig. 4] Figure 4 shows a schematic view of a second embodiment of a thermal management circuit; and [Fig. 5] Figure 5 shows a schematic view of a third embodiment of a thermal management circuit.

In these figures, identical elements bear the same reference numbers. The following achievements are examples. Although the description refers to one or more embodiments, this does not necessarily mean that each reference is to the same embodiment, or that the features apply only to a single embodiment. Simple features of different embodiments can also be combined or interchanged to provide other embodiments.

In the description, certain elements can be indexed, as first element or second element. In this case, it is a simple indexing to differentiate and name elements that are close but not identical. This indexing does not imply a priority of one element over another and it is easy to interchange such denominations without departing from the scope of the present description. Nor does this indexing imply an order in time.

In the present description, the term “placed upstream” means that one element is placed before another with respect to the direction of circulation of an air flow. Conversely, “placed downstream” means that one element is placed after another in relation to the direction of circulation of the air flow.

In figures 1 and 2 is represented an XYZ trihedron in order to define the orientation of the various elements from each other. A first direction, denoted X, corresponds to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. It also corresponds to the direction of travel of the vehicle. A second direction, denoted Y, is a lateral or transverse direction. Finally, a third direction, denoted Z, is vertical. The directions, X, Y, Z are orthogonal two by two.

In the present description, “low” or “low” means the position of one element relative to another in the direction Z determined above.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the front part of a motor vehicle 10 with an electric motor 12. The vehicle 10 notably comprises a body 14 and a bumper 16 carried by a frame (not shown) of the motor vehicle 10. The body 14 defines a cooling bay 18, that is to say an opening through the bodywork 14. The cooling bay 18 is unique here. This cooling bay 18 is located in the lower part of the front face 14a of the bodywork 14. In the example illustrated, the cooling bay 18 is located under the bumper 16. A grid 20 can be placed in the cooling bay. cooling 18 to prevent projectiles from passing through the cooling bay 18. A module cooling module 22 is arranged opposite the cooling bay 18. The grid 20 makes it possible in particular to protect this cooling module 22.

The cooling module 22 is more clearly visible in Figure 2. As illustrated in this Figure 2, the cooling module 22 essentially comprises a shroud 24 forming an internal channel between an air inlet 24a and an air outlet 24b. The air inlet 24a is intended to be arranged facing the cooling bay 18 while the air outlet 24b is located on the opposite side of the cooling module 22. In addition, the section of the duct formed in the housing 24 is significantly higher at the level of the air inlet 24a than at its opposite air outlet 24b.

The housing 24 makes it possible to house a set 23 of heat exchangers 25a, 25b, 25c and the at least one tangential turbomachine 28 which is able to create a first flow of air F passing through the set 23 of heat exchangers 25a, 25b, 25c. The cooling module 22 is intended to be crossed by an air flow F parallel to the direction X and going from the front to the rear of the vehicle 10.

Fe air flow F can undergo an increase in its temperature each time it passes through a heat exchanger 25a, 25b, 25c. Thus the temperature of the air sucked in at a grille 20 at the front of the vehicle is in particular lower than that expelled at an outlet 45 of the air flow F disposed downstream of the assembly 23 of the exchangers heat 25a, 25b, 25c in the direction of circulation of the air flow.

Fes heat exchangers 25a, 25b, 25c of this assembly 23 are for example aligned along a stacking axis A25 which is in particular perpendicular to axis A30 of turbine 30 of tangential turbomachine 28. Fes heat exchangers 25a, 25b, 25c are arranged one behind the other in the internal channel formed by the housing 24.

In the example of the cooling module 22 shown in Figure 2, the set 23 of heat exchangers 25a, 25b, 25c comprises a first 25a, a second 25b and a third 25c heat exchangers. It is of course entirely possible to imagine a cooling module 22 comprising only two heat exchangers 25a, 25b or even more than three heat exchangers 25a, 25b, 25c.

The dimensions of the heat exchangers 25a, 25b, 25c can be such that their total height according to Tax Z and their extent according to Tax Y and their thickness according to Tax X are identical or at least similar from one heat exchanger to another, as shown on the Figure 2. In other words, the heat exchangers 25a, 25b, 25c of the assembly 23 for example all have the same size, which facilitates their stacking within the cooling module 22.

The heat exchanger furthest downstream in the direction of circulation of the first air flow F, here the heat exchanger 25a, is crossed by a hotter fluid and is arranged farther from the end 24a of the housing 24 than the most upstream heat exchanger, here the heat exchanger 25c, which is crossed by a colder fluid. The arrangement of the heat exchangers 25a, 25b, 25c one behind the other in the axial direction X of the cooling module 22 also makes it possible to limit the size of the cooling module 22 according to its two other lateral and vertical dimensions.

The tangential turbomachine 28 comprises a turbine 30 which can also be described as a tangential propeller and which is driven in rotation by a motor 36. The turbine 30 has a substantially cylindrical shape and has an axis of rotation A30. Advantageously, this axis of rotation A30 is oriented substantially parallel to the lateral direction Y of the radiators 25a, 25b, 25c, as illustrated more particularly in Figure 2.

The motor 36 has for example a substantially cylindrical shape. The engine 36 is located for example on a side face of the cooling module 22, the side face extending perpendicularly to the axis A30 of the tangential turbomachine 28. The cooling module 22 more particularly comprises two side faces arranged on either side other side of the housing 24, these side faces are parallel to the plane generated by the X and Z axes.

The housing 24 also comprises on one of its outer side faces, a two-fluid heat exchanger 27 configured to allow the exchange of heat energy between a first heat transfer fluid circulating in a first circulation loop C 1 and a second heat transfer fluid circulating in a second circulation loop C2.

The two-fluid heat exchanger 27 arranged on the outer side face of the cooling module 22 is for example arranged directly above the engine 36 intended to drive the tangential turbomachine 28 in motion, as illustrated in FIG. 2. This location of the bifluid heat exchanger 27 is particularly advantageous, because the bifluid heat exchanger 27 occupies in this case a dead volume located on the same plane as the engine 36. In other words, the location of the bifluid heat exchanger 27 n don't bring additional constraint as regards the compactness of the cooling module 22, nor of the various circulation loops C1 and C2.

Furthermore, due to its particular function, the dimensions of the bifluid heat exchanger 27 may be smaller than that of a heat exchanger 25a, 25b, 25c of the assembly 23. Thus, the bifluid heat exchanger 27 can easily be integrated on the outer side face of the cooling module 22, in particular directly above the motor 36.

The housing 24 may also include a casing (not shown) inside which the two-fluid heat exchanger 27 is arranged. bifluid 27 on one of its outer side faces of the housing 24 of the cooling module 22.

The two-fluid heat exchanger 27 is configured to allow heat energy exchanges between a first heat transfer fluid circulating in a first circulation loop C1 and a second heat transfer fluid circulating in a second circulation loop C2. The second circulation loop C2 can more particularly be a cooling loop within which the second heat transfer fluid is a coolant.

As shown in Figure 3, the first circulation loop C1 may in particular comprise a main loop C1' (illustrated in bold) comprising a first pump 31, a first heat exchanger 25a of the assembly 23 and a thermal management interface 33 arranged at the level of elements to be cooled such as the power electronics and/or an on-board charger and/or an electric motor. By "thermal management interface" is meant more specifically a heat exchanger 33 juxtaposed to the element that is to be cooled. The operating temperature at the level of the electric motor is for example between 55° C. and 70° C.

The first circulation loop Cl also includes a branch line DI bypassing the thermal management interface 33. For this, the branch line DI connects more precisely a first connection point 41 arranged on the main loop Cl′ upstream of the thermal management interface 33 in the direction of circulation of the first heat transfer fluid, to a second connection point 42 arranged on the main loop C1′ downstream of the thermal management interface 33. The first connection point 41 is in particular here arranged between the first pump 31 and the thermal management interface 33. The second connection point 42 is in turn arranged between the thermal management interface 33 and the first heat exchanger 25a . The first connection point 41 is a point of divergence between the first circulation loop Cl and the branch line DI while the second connection point 42 is a point of convergence.

The branch line DI also includes the dual-fluid heat exchanger 27 disposed downstream of a second heat exchanger 25b. This second heat exchanger 25b is also a heat exchanger of the set 23 of heat exchangers 25a, 25b, 25c.

The first heat exchanger 25a as well as the second heat exchanger 25b are both radiators and participate in the evacuation of the heat generated at the level of the on-board charger and/or the electronics and/or the electric motor as well as that provided by the two-fluid heat exchanger 27. The second heat exchanger 25b is in particular dedicated to cooling the first heat transfer fluid upstream of the two-fluid heat exchanger 27 in order to allow the first heat transfer fluid to absorb as much heat as possible calorific energy of the second circulation loop C2.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the first heat exchanger 25a is preferably arranged within the housing 24 downstream of the second heat exchanger 25b in the direction of circulation of the air flow F.

According to a particular embodiment of the heat exchangers 25a and 25b, these comprise several first fluid passes. One can very particularly imagine that the first 25a and the second 25b heat exchangers are arranged within the housing 24 so that the inlet of the first heat transfer fluid of the first heat exchanger 25a and the outlet of the first heat transfer fluid of the second heat exchanger 25b are arranged on the same side face of the housing 24 as the two-fluid heat exchanger 27. This arrangement makes it possible in particular to facilitate fluid connections between the two-fluid heat exchanger 27 and the heat exchangers 25a and 25b.

As said above and as illustrated in al Figure 3, the second circulation loop C2 can be is a cooling loop in which the second heat transfer fluid is a coolant. The second circulation loop C2 thus comprises, in the direction of circulation of the refrigerant fluid, a compressor 34, the two-fluid heat exchanger 27, a first expansion device 53 and a fourth heat exchanger 51 intended to exchange heat energy with the batteries of the electric or hybrid vehicle. The operating temperature at the bifluid heat exchanger 27 is for example between 40°C and 55°C.

According to a first embodiment of the fourth heat exchanger 51, illustrated in FIG. 3, the latter is in direct contact with the batteries.

According to a second embodiment of the fourth heat exchanger 51, illustrated in FIG. 4, the fourth heat exchanger 51 can be a two-fluid heat exchanger arranged jointly on the second circulation loop C2 and on an auxiliary circulation loop C3 at the within which circulates a third heat transfer fluid. In this case, the annex circulation loop C3 more particularly comprises a second pump 32 and a second exchange interface 55 with the batteries.

The additional circulation loop C3 may also include a bypass branch B of the fourth heat exchanger 51. This bypass branch B makes it possible more particularly to ensure homogenization of the temperature at the level of the batteries of the electric or hybrid vehicle.

According to a particular embodiment of the second circulation loop C2 illustrated in FIG. 5, the latter may comprise a bypass branch D2 connected in parallel with the first expansion device 53 and the fourth heat exchanger 51. The bypass branch D2 comprises a second expansion device 54 disposed upstream of an evaporator 52. The bypass branch D2 is connected to the second circulation loop C2 via a third connection point 43 disposed downstream of the exchanger bifluid heat 27 and a fourth connection point 44 arranged upstream of the compressor 33.

This evaporator 52 makes it possible in particular to cool the air in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle, the evaporator 52 is thus an element of an air conditioning circuit arranged within the motor vehicle. This particular embodiment requires greater cooling power than the first embodiment of the second circulation loop C2 described previously.

For this purpose, the branch line DI may comprise, in addition to the second heat exchanger 25b, a third heat exchanger 25c of the assembly 23 of heat exchangers 25a, 25b, 25c. This third heat exchanger 25c is in particular arranged downstream of the second heat exchanger 25b in the direction of circulation of the first heat transfer fluid. More specifically, the third heat exchanger 25c is arranged within the branch pipe DI between the second heat exchanger 25b and the two-fluid heat exchanger 27.

This third heat exchanger 25c is preferably arranged upstream of the second heat exchanger 25b within the housing 24 in the direction of circulation of the air flow F, as illustrated in Figure 2. The presence of a third heat exchanger heat 25c makes it possible in particular to enlarge the heat exchange surface making it possible to dissipate the calorific energy of the first heat transfer fluid circulating in the branch line D1. In other words, the third heat exchanger 25c makes it possible to increase the cooling power. The second and third heat exchangers 25b and 25c are more particularly intended to cool the first heat transfer fluid upstream of the two-fluid heat exchanger 27. It is nevertheless entirely possible to imagine an embodiment, not shown, in which the branch line D1 includes a third heat exchanger 25c without this being linked to the presence of a branch branch D2 on the second circulation loop D2.

In the case where the assembly 23 comprises three heat exchangers 25a, 25b and 25c, the first 25a and the third 25c heat exchangers are for example arranged within the housing 24 so that the first heat transfer fluid inlet of the first heat exchanger 25a and the first heat transfer fluid outlet of the third heat exchanger 25c are arranged on the same side face of the housing 24 as the two-fluid heat exchanger 27, as illustrated in particular in FIG. 2 The invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the figures and other embodiments will appear clearly to those skilled in the art. In particular, the different examples can be combined, as long as they are not contradictory.

Claims

[Claim 1] Cooling module (22) for an electric or hybrid motor vehicle, said cooling module (22) comprising a housing (24) comprising an air inlet (24a) and an air outlet (24b) and inside of which are arranged a set (23) of heat exchangers (25a, 25b, 25c) and a tangential turbomachine (28) configured so as to generate an air flow (F) passing through said casing (24) from its inlet ( 24a) towards its air outlet (24b) and passing through the assembly (23) of heat exchangers (25a, 25b, 25c), characterized in that the housing (24) comprises, on one of its external lateral faces , a two-fluid heat exchanger (27) configured to allow heat energy exchanges between a first heat transfer fluid circulating in a first circulation loop (C1) and a second heat transfer fluid circulating in a second circulation loop (C2).

[Claim 2] Cooling module according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the first circulation loop (Cl) comprises:

• a main loop (Cl ') comprising a first pump (31), a first heat exchanger (25a) of the set (23) of heat exchangers (25a, 25b, 25c) and a thermal management interface ( 33) arranged at the level of elements to be cooled such as an electric motor and/or power electronics and/or an on-board charger,

• a bypass pipe (Dl) bypassing the thermal management interface (33), said bypass pipe (Dl) comprising the two-fluid heat exchanger (27) disposed downstream of a second heat exchanger (25b) of the set (23) of heat exchangers (25a, 25b, 25c).

[Claim 3] Cooling module according to Claim 2, characterized in that the first heat exchanger (25a) is arranged within the housing (24) downstream of the second heat exchanger (25b) in the direction of circulation of the flow of air (F).

[Claim 4] Cooling module according to any one of Claims 2 to 3, characterized in that the first (25a) and the second (25b) heat exchanger are arranged within the housing (24) so that the inlet of the first heat transfer fluid of the first heat exchanger (25a) and the outlet of the first heat transfer fluid from the second heat exchanger (25b) are arranged on the same side face of the housing (24) as the two-fluid heat exchanger (27).

[Claim 5] Cooling module according to any one of Claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the branch pipe (Dl) of the first circulation loop (Cl) comprises a third heat exchanger (25c) of the set (23) of heat exchangers (25a, 25b, 25c), this third heat exchanger (25c) being arranged downstream of the second heat exchanger (25b) in the direction of circulation of the first heat transfer fluid.

[Claim 6] Cooling module according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the third heat exchanger (25c) is arranged upstream of the second heat exchanger (25b) within the housing (24) in the direction of flow of air (F).

[Claim 7] Cooling module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second circulation loop (C2) is a cooling loop in which the second heat transfer fluid is a refrigerant, said second circulation loop circulation (C2) comprising, in the direction of circulation of the refrigerant fluid, a compressor (33), the two-fluid heat exchanger (27), a first expansion device (53) and a fourth heat exchanger (51) intended to exchange heat energy with the batteries of the electric or hybrid vehicle.

[Claim 8] Cooling module according to Claim 7, characterized in that the fourth heat exchanger (51) is in direct contact with the batteries.

[Claim 9] Cooling module according to any one of Claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the second circulation loop (C2) comprises a bypass branch (D2) connected in parallel with the first expansion device (53) and of the fourth heat exchanger (51), said bypass branch (D2) comprising a second expansion device (54) arranged upstream of an evaporator (52).

[Claim 10] Cooling module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the casing (24) comprises a casing inside which the two-fluid heat exchanger (27) is arranged and in that the casing comprises fixing means such as fixing lugs intended to secure the two-fluid heat exchanger (27) on one of its outer side faces.