FR3056828A1 - THERMAL CONTROL DEVICE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a thermal regulation device (1) comprising: - a duct provided with a plurality of channels, called microchannels, at least one microchannel containing a phase change material, and - a collector in which opens at least a part of the duct.

Description

© Publication number: 3,056,828 (to be used only for reproduction orders) © National registration number: 16 59101 ® FRENCH REPUBLIC

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

COURBEVOIE © Int Cl ⁸ : H 01 M 10/625 (2017.01), B 60 H 1/00

A1 PATENT APPLICATION

©) Date of filing: 27.09.16. © Applicant (s): VALEO THERMAL SYSTEMS (© Priority: Simplified joint stock company - FR. @ Inventor (s): TISSOT JULIEN, AZZOUZ KAMEL, TRAORE ISSIAKA, BLANDIN JEREMY, BOISSELLE (43) Date of public availability of the PATRICK, BRY SAMUEL and SERVANTIE AMBROISE. request: 30.03.18 Bulletin 18/13. ©) List of documents cited in the report preliminary research: Refer to end of present booklet (© References to other national documents ® Holder (s): VALEO THERMAL SYSTEMS related: Joint stock company. ©) Extension request (s): © Agent (s): VALEO THERMAL SYSTEMS.

THERMAL REGULATION DEVICE.

The invention relates to a thermal regulation device (1) comprising:

a duct provided with a plurality of channels, called microchannels, at least one of the microchannels containing a phase change material, and

- a manifold into which opens at least part of the duct.

FR 3 056 828 - A1

THERMAL REGULATION DEVICE

The invention relates to thermal regulation, in particular in the automotive field.

In a motor vehicle, in particular an electric and / or hybrid vehicle, an electric battery makes it possible to store and supply sufficient energy to operate the motor vehicle.

The temperature of the battery influences both its storage performance and its lifespan. If the battery temperature is too low, its storage capacity will decline. Too high a temperature, for example due to overheating of the battery, shortens its lifespan, or even may cause irreversible destruction of the battery.

It is therefore necessary to maintain the battery at an adequate temperature, for example around 20 degrees, in order to maintain a storage capacity and a maximum service life.

For this purpose, it is known to use a device in order to regulate the temperature of the battery. Such a device generally uses a heat transfer fluid circulating in a circuit, the circuit passing near or in contact with the battery. The heat transfer fluid generally used is ambient air or a liquid, such as for example water or a coolant.

The heat transfer fluid can thus absorb the heat emitted by the battery in order to cool it and subsequently evacuate this heat at one or more heat exchangers, such as a radiator or a refrigerant circuit. The heat transfer fluid can also, if necessary, provide heat to heat the battery, for example by being connected to a heating system.

In order to avoid in particular a sudden increase in temperature during battery charge peaks, it is also known to add a phase change material to the thermal regulation device, this in order to cool the battery more quickly.

The phase change material increases the inertia and improves the thermal uniformity of the device.

However, it is often difficult to satisfactorily produce such a device comprising the phase change material and the heat transfer fluid.

The object of the invention is to at least partially remedy these drawbacks.

The invention relates more specifically to a thermal regulation device io which is easy to implement and which makes it possible to effectively regulate the temperature of a battery.

To this end, the subject of the present invention is a thermal regulation device comprising:

a conduit provided with a plurality of channels, called microchannels, at least one of the microchannels containing a phase change material, and a collector into which opens at least part of the conduit.

Thus, the thermal regulation device can be easily filled, in particular with phase change material.

Since the phase change material is then located in the microchannels, these participate in regulating the temperature of the battery.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the device comprises a channel for filling with phase change material fluidly connected to the conduit and sealed from the collector.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the filling channel extends substantially perpendicular to the conduit.

According to another characteristic of the invention, a cooling fluid is able to circulate in a first part of the plurality of microchannels and a second part of the plurality of microchannels comprises the phase change material.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the first part of microchannels opens into the collector and the second part of microchannels opens into the filling channel.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the manifold and the filling channel are constituted by two separate tubes from one another.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the filling channel is adjacent to the manifold.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the device comprises a wall separating the collector and the filling channel.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the first part of microchannels crosses the filling channel to lead into the collector.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the first part of microchannels has a length greater than the second part of microchannels to open into the collector.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the first part of microchannels and the second part of microchannels have an identical length.

According to another characteristic of the invention, each microchannel of the second part of channels has at least one opening opening into the filling channel, each microchannel of the second part of channels being closed at the collector.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the collector is closed by a closure wall.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the filling channel comprises two closed openings, at least one of which by a rivet.

The subject of the invention is also a method for filling a thermal regulation device as described above, in which:

- the filling channel is filled with the phase change material so as to simultaneously fill the entire second part of microchannels, and the filling channel is closed.

The invention also relates to an assembly comprising a thermal regulation device as described above and an electric battery, the device being configured to regulate the temperature of the electric battery.

The invention will be better understood, and other objects, details, characteristics and advantages thereof will appear more clearly during the detailed explanatory description which follows, of several embodiments of the invention given by way of purely illustrative and nonlimiting examples, with reference to the appended schematic drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a battery and a thermal regulation device according to the invention;

- Figure 2 shows a sectional view of a tube of the thermal regulation device of Figure 1 along the section plane ll-ll;

- Figures 3A and 3B show an enlarged schematic view of the intermediate manifold of the thermal regulation device of Figure 1 according to two different embodiments;

- Figures 4A-4D schematically show a sectional view of a tube according to several different geometries;

- Figures 5A-5E schematically show a sectional view of a tube whose channels are filled according to several different embodiments;

- Figures 6A and 6B show sectional views of the manifold respectively of Figures 3A and 3B along the section plane VI-VI;

- Figure 7 shows a sectional view of the intermediate manifold of Figure 3B along the section plane VII-VII;

- Figures 8A and 8B schematically show the closure of the collector of Figures 3A and 3B respectively;

- Figures 9A and 9B show sectional views of the closed collector respectively of Figures 8A and 8B along a section plane

IX-IX; and

- Figure 10 shows a sectional view of a collector according to another embodiment.

Thermal regulation device

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the invention relates to a thermal regulation device 1.

The thermal regulation device 1 can advantageously be a heat exchanger.

The thermal regulation device 1 is made of metal, for example aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

The thermal regulation device 1 is placed near or in contact with an electric battery 2.

The battery 2 can consist of a plurality of cells 4. The cells 4 are connected together so as to supply an electric current to the motor vehicle.

According to the embodiment of Figure 1, the battery 2 more particularly comprises eleven cells 4 adjacent to each other.

Alternatively, the battery 2 can be a simple large battery.

The thermal regulation device 1 allows a circulation of a fluid, in particular a cooling fluid, near or in contact with the battery 2.

To this end, the thermal regulation device 1 comprises a first collector 3a and a second collector 3b. The collectors 3a, 3b are of substantially rectangular, cylindrical or even any other cross-section.

As shown in Figure 1, the first manifold 3a and the second manifold 3b are parallel and extend in a direction of flow E.

The thermal regulation device 1 comprises an inlet 5 and an outlet for the fluid 6, shown according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 respectively on the first manifold 3a and the second manifold 3b.

The thermal regulation device 1 further comprises at least one conduit 7. The thermal regulation device 1 allows a heat exchange between the fluid circulating in the tube 7 and the battery 2.

According to the embodiment of FIG. 1, the thermal regulation device 1 comprises a plurality of conduits 7.

More particularly, bundles of tubes 8 each comprising one or more conduits 7 are disposed respectively around one or more cells 4 of the battery 2.

According to the representation of FIG. 1, each bundle of tubes 8 comprises five conduits 7.

The bundles of tubes 8 are more particularly arranged between two cells 4 of the battery 2. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a bundle of tubes 8 is arranged around a cell 4 on two of the battery 2.

The conduits 7 extend in an elongation direction D perpendicular to the direction of circulation E. The conduits 7 have a substantially U-shaped, so as to surround at least one cell 4 of the battery

2.

Of course, the invention is not limited to this form of conduit 7. For example, the conduits 7 may have an I shape, in which case, advantageously, the tubes 7 are arranged on either side of each electrical cell .

The conduits 7 of each bundle of tubes 8 are arranged one after the other in an arrangement direction C perpendicular to the direction of circulation E and to the direction of elongation D.

The conduits 7 of a bundle of tubes 8 are advantageously identical.

However, the invention is not limited to such a configuration and a bundle of tubes 8 can comprise a different number of conduits 7 and / or conduits 7 of variable shapes.

The conduits 7 may for example be of the flat type, with a circular section or any other shape, allowing the circulation of the fluid.

The conduits 7 are fluidly connected to the first collector 3a and to the second collector 3b.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, to ensure the circulation of the fluid in several conduits 7 of a bundle of tubes 8, the thermal regulation device 1 can comprise one or more intermediate inlet collectors 9.

A bundle of tubes 8 opens into each intermediate inlet manifold 9.

However, this configuration is not limiting and it could be envisaged to open the conduits 7 directly in the first manifold 3a.

The intermediate inlet manifolds 9 extend in the direction of arrangement C between the first manifold 3a and the second manifold 3b.

io The intermediate inlet manifolds 9 open into the first manifold 3a.

Each intermediate inlet manifold 9 also includes an interior partition (not shown) located at the second manifold 3b. The partition locally closes off the intermediate inlet manifold 9 so as to force the circulation of all of the fluid coming from the intermediate inlet manifold 9 towards the bundle of tubes 8.

Likewise, the second manifold 3b also comprises one or more intermediate outlet manifolds 10 into which the tube bundles 8 respectively open.

The intermediate outlet collectors 10 open into the second manifold 3b.

However, this configuration is not limiting, and it could be envisaged to open the conduits 7 directly in the second collector 3b.

The thermal regulation device 1 is thus configured to establish a series circulation of the fluid by first passing through the first manifold 3a, opening into the intermediate inlet manifolds 9, then passing through the bundles of tubes 8, passing through the intermediate outlet manifolds 10, then finally into the second collector

3b.

The fluid thus makes it possible to regulate the temperature of the battery 2.

The thermal regulation device 1 comprises at least one collector

11.

The thermal regulation device 1 also comprises at least one filling channel 12.

The manifold 11 and the filling channel 12 are sealed from one another.

The filling channel makes it possible to introduce a phase change material into the device 1, as will be detailed later.

According to a first embodiment more particularly shown in FIGS. 3A, 6A, 8A and 9A, the manifold 11 and the filling channel 12 are constituted by a single tube. According to this first embodiment, a separation wall 13, visible in FIG. 6A, separates the collector from the filling channel 12 in leaktight manner.

According to a second embodiment more particularly shown in Figures 3B, 6B, 7, 8B, 9B, the manifold 11 and the filling channel 12 are respectively constituted by two tubes 14, 15 distinct from each other.

According to yet a third embodiment more particularly shown in FIG. 10, the manifold 11 is constituted by a tube 24, while the filling channel 12 is formed by a deformed wall 25 fixed to the tube 24 of the manifold 11.

The deformed wall 25 is advantageously fixed to the tube 24 by brazing.

The deformed wall 25 has a general U-shape.

The manifold 11 is adapted to allow the circulation of the fluid in the thermal regulation device 1, in particular between the first manifold 3a and a bundle of tubes 8.

The filling channel 12 comprises a phase change material 16 (in dotted lines in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5).

The phase change material 16 is advantageously in a liquid or viscous form, in at least one of its states of material, and preferably at least for filling the device 1 with phase change material, as will be detailed later.

The phase change material 16 can be chosen from organic, inorganic or even vegetable phase change materials. The phase change material 16 has a phase change temperature advantageously between 20 and 40 degrees.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, each conduit 7 is advantageously a multi-channel tube.

More specifically, each conduit 7 comprises at least one channel 17, called microchannel 17, adapted to allow circulation of the fluid in the thermal regulation device 1, and at least one channel 18, said microchannel 18, comprising the phase change material 16.

Note that the filling channel 12 and the microchannels 18 serve to encapsulate the phase change material.

Each microchannel 17, 18 may have a parallelepipedal section, in particular rectangular.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4A to 4D, each microchannel 17, 18 can also have any other section geometry, for example flattened, triangle, star, or other.

The microchannels 17, 18 of the same conduit 7 advantageously have an identical shape.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 or 5 which are sectional views of a tube bundle conduit 7, a conduit 7 may comprise a first part of channels 17 and / or a second part of channels 18.

Each conduit 7 may comprise a greater or lesser number of microchannels 17 comprising the fluid or of channels 18 comprising the phase change material 16.

In FIGS. 5A-5E, there is shown a conduit 7 comprising twenty microchannels 17, 18.

. Figures 5A-5D illustrate other configurations in which the conduit 7 comprises a variable number of microchannels 17, 18 comprising a phase change material 16 or the fluid. In FIG. 5E, the conduit 7 does not comprise any microchannel 17 comprising the fluid but exclusively comprises microchannels 18 comprising the phase change material 16.

The ratio between the number of microchannels 17 comprising the fluid and the number of microchannels 18 comprising the phase change material 16 is more particularly adapted as a function of the requirements in terms of heat to be transported with the fluid or to be absorbed by the change material phase 16.

The first part of microchannels 17 opens into the collector 11, while the second part of microchannels 18 opens into the filling channel 12.

According to an embodiment illustrated for example in FIG. 10, the first part of microchannels 17 is longer than the second part of channels 18.

In particular, the first part of microchannels 17 crosses the filling channel 12, while the second part of channels 18 ends in the filling channel 12.

According to another embodiment illustrated for example in FIG. 7, the first and second parts of microchannels 17, 18 have an identical length, so that all of the microchannels 17, 18 pass through the filling channel 12.

According to this embodiment, each microchannel of the second part of microchannels 18 then comprises an opening 19, in particular lateral, opening into the filling channel 12. Each microchannel of the second part of channels 18 is also closed, for example by means of a plug 20, at the collector 11.

Filling process of microchannels

The invention also relates to a method for filling the thermal regulation device 1 according to the invention.

In a first filling step, the filling channel 12 is filled with the phase change material 16.

The filling can be carried out by an end opening 21 illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B.

The filling of the filling channel 12 makes it possible to fill the second part of microchannels 18 which is fluidly connected with the filling channel 12.

The filling step thus allows the entire second part of microchannels 18 to be filled at once, without it being necessary to fill the phase change material 16 in each of the microchannels 18 separately.

In order to ensure that the second part of microchannels 18 is correctly filled, the filling channel 12 can be completely filled with the phase change material 16.

In a second closing step, the filling channel 12 is closed, in particular irreversibly.

The filling channel 12 can be closed by means of a rivet 22, as shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B, 9A, 9B. The filling channel 12 can also be closed by soldering or crimping.

The closure can be achieved by a screw cap, and is not reversible then.

The manifold 11 can then be filled with the fluid and then closed, if necessary, by a closing wall 23, by crimping for example.

According to the second embodiment in which the manifold 11 and the filling channel 12 are produced by the same manifold tube, the manifold can be closed at one end by a closing wall 23. The closing wall 23 comprises a through orifice in the filling channel 12. The orifice thus makes it possible to fill the filling channel 12 before closing it with a rivet 22 for example, or by any other means.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and provided only by way of example. It includes various modifications, alternative forms and other variants that a person skilled in the art may envisage within the framework of the present invention and in particular any combination of the different operating modes described above, which can be taken separately or in combination.

It is also noted that each duct 7 can constitute a plate or a tube of a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger comprising a bundle of plates or tubes for a first fluid and a circulation of a second fluid between the plates or tubes.

In this case, the collector of the first fluid is then the collector 11.

Claims (3)

1. Thermal regulation device (1) comprising: 5 - a conduit (7) provided with a plurality of channels, called microchannels, at least one of the microchannels containing a phase change material, and a collector (11) into which opens at least part of the conduit (7 ). 2. Device (1) according to claim 1, comprising a filling channel (12) of phase change material fluidly connected to the conduit (7) and sealed from the collector (11). 15 3. Device (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the filling channel (12) extends substantially perpendicular to the conduit (7). 4. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in Which coolant is able to circulate in a first part of the plurality of microchannels (17) and a second part of the plurality of microchannels (18) comprises the phase change material. 5. Device (1) according to the preceding claim when it depends on claim 2 or claim 3 in its dependence on claim 2, wherein the first part of microchannels (17) opens into the collector (11) and the second part of microchannels (18) opens into the filling channel (12). 6. Device (1) according to claim 2 or according to one of claims 3 to 5 when dependent on claim 2, wherein the manifold (11) and the filling channel (12) are constituted by two tubes ( 14, 15) distinct from each other. 7. Device (1) according to the preceding claim, in which the filling channel (12) is adjacent to the manifold (11). 8. Device (1) according to claim 2 or any one of claims 3 to 5 when dependent on claim 2, comprising a partition wall (13) of the manifold (11) and the filling channel 10 (12). 9. Device (1) according to any one of claims 4 to 8 when it depends on claim 2, wherein the first part of microchannels (17) passes through the filling channel (12) to open 15 in the collector (11). 10. Device (1) according to any one of claims 4 to 9 when dependent on claim 2, wherein the first part of microchannels (17) has a length greater than the second part of 20 microchannels (18) to lead into the collector (11). 11. Device (1) according to any one of claims 4 to 9 when dependent on claim 2, wherein the first part of microchannels (17) and the second part of microchannels (18) have a 25 identical length. 12. Device (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein each microchannel of the second part of channels (18) has at least one opening (19) opening into the filling channel (12), each 30 microchannel of the second part of channels (18) being closed at the collector (11). 13. Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the collector (11) is closed by a closure wall (23). 5 14. Device according to claim 2 or one of claims 3 to 13 when dependent on claim 2, wherein the filling channel (12) is closed in two openings, at least one of which by a rivet (22). 15. Method of filling a thermal regulation device (1) according to any one of claims 4 to 14 when it depends on claim 2 or claim 3 in its dependence on claim 2, in which: the filling channel (12) is filled with the material to be 15 phase change so as to simultaneously fill the entire second part of microchannels (18), and the filling channel (12) is closed. 16. Assembly comprising a thermal regulation device (1) 20 according to any one of claims 1 to 14 and an electric battery (2), the device (1) being configured to regulate the temperature of the electric battery (2). Ç> S ⁶ \ β 2/7