WO2018046824A1

WO2018046824A1 - Thermal storage battery

Info

Publication number: WO2018046824A1
Application number: PCT/FR2017/052324
Authority: WO
Inventors: Julien Tissot; Patrick Boisselle; Véronique MONNET; Kamel Azzouz
Original assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques
Priority date: 2016-09-09
Filing date: 2017-09-01
Publication date: 2018-03-15
Also published as: FR3055952B1; FR3055952A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a thermal storage battery (1) comprising a housing equipped with a plurality of compartments (8) extending in a so-called direction of extension (E), each of the compartments (8) being adapted to receive at least one component (10) for storing and releasing an amount of heat.

Description

THERMAL BATTERY STORAGE

The invention relates to a storage thermal battery box, and a battery comprising such a housing.

A thermal battery operates using a fluid, such as a heat transfer fluid, adapted to flow between an input and a battery output. During its circulation, thermal energy initially stored in the battery is transferred to the fluid. The fluid thus heated can circulate thereafter inside the heating radiator of a vehicle, which transfers the heat of the fluid to the interior of the passenger compartment.

This type of thermal battery can also be used to preheat a liquid, such as engine oil or automatic transmission oil, and before the cold start of the motor vehicle.

Such a battery usually has a substantially cylindrical outer shape, which ensures a good mechanical strength of the battery at the pressure of the fluid that it contains.

However, it is difficult to make a battery having a more complex shape. It is then necessary to significantly increase the thickness of the wall of the battery to strengthen its strength. However, a large wall thickness results in a decrease in the useful space and an increase in the mass of the battery, which results in a decrease in its performance.

The object of the invention is to remedy at least partially these disadvantages and aims to provide a battery that can adapt to many geometric constraints while maintaining a good resistance to pressure.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a thermal storage battery comprising a housing provided with a plurality of compartments extending in a direction called extension direction, each of the compartments being adapted to receive at least one component for storing and releasing a quantity of heat.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the housing comprises an inlet and an outlet configured so that a fluid flows sequentially in the compartments between the inlet and the outlet of the housing.

Thus, the fluid, successively traversing the compartments, is guided through the housing, which improves the performance of the battery.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the fluid flows in the housing substantially transversely to the direction of extension.

Fluid circulation transverse to the extension direction makes it possible to increase the heat exchange time between the fluid and the components in each compartment.

According to another characteristic of the invention, at least one compartment of the housing comprises at least one wall at least partially rounded in a plane perpendicular to the direction of extension.

The rounded shape of the wall ensures good resistance to the pressure of each compartment. The battery can thus have any external shape while ensuring a good resistance to pressure. The battery can then be arranged in a space of the motor vehicle of variable shape.

According to another characteristic of the invention, each compartment comprises a wall of circular section in the plane perpendicular to the direction of extension.

According to this configuration, each compartment has a cylindrical shape which has the advantage of being particularly resistant to internal fluid pressure constraints.

According to another characteristic of the invention, each compartment is adapted to receive a plurality of components extending in the extension direction.

This arrangement makes it possible on the one hand to optimize the filling of the compartments of the casing, and on the other hand to allow a fluid to move within the battery, thereby promoting a heat exchange between the fluid and the components.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the housing comprises openings, each of the openings making it possible to connect two compartments to one another, the openings preferably having a substantially rectangular shape and extending in the direction of extension. .

The openings allow the passage of fluid between the different compartments of the housing. The openings have a passage section allowing a minimum pressure loss of the fluid while ensuring a maximum pressure resistance of the housing.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the housing comprises a partition common to a plurality of compartments, said main partition, said compartments of said plurality of compartments being arranged on each side of the main partition.

The main partition makes it possible in particular to impose a particular path to the fluid passing through all the compartments of the housing.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the housing comprises support elements, each support element connecting the wall of at least one compartment to the main partition.

The support members provide tensile strength to the internal pressure of the fluid contained in the housing while minimizing the mass of the housing.

According to another characteristic of the invention, a plurality of support elements is arranged orthogonal to the extension direction for connecting the wall of at least one compartment to the main partition, defining between them openings for connecting two compartments to one another.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the support elements are arranged so as to be tangent locally to the walls of two compartments.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the battery comprises a cover adapted to close the housing, the cover comprising bosses arranged at each compartment when the lid closes the housing.

The bosses of the housing form the upper wall of each compartment, in order to strengthen the pressure resistance of the compartments.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the description which follows. This is purely illustrative and should be read in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

- Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a thermal battery comprising a housing whose upper face is closed by a cover according to a first embodiment;

- Figure 2 illustrates a top view of the housing of Figure 1 without cover;

- Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of the housing of Figures 1 and 2 without a cover;

- Figure 4 is a sectional view of the housing of Figure 3 along the plane IV-IV, the housing being closed by the cover;

FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of a thermal battery case according to a second embodiment;

- Figure 6 is a top view of the housing of Figure 5; and - Figure 7 illustrates a perspective view of the housing of Figures 5 and 6.

The subject of the invention is a thermal storage battery 1, in particular for a motor vehicle.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the battery 1 comprises a housing 2. The housing 2 is preferably made of plastic.

The housing 2 is made for example by molding.

The housing 2 comprises at least a lower face 3 and a lateral peripheral face 4.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 5, the peripheral face 4 extends transversely to the lower face 3 in a longitudinal direction, said extension direction E.

Of course, the invention is not limited to a housing 2 having a specific geometry as shown in Figure 1, and other configurations are quite conceivable, for example a parallelepipedal or cylindrical housing.

The housing 2 may also include an upper face.

According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the battery 1 comprises a cover 5. The cover 5 acts as an upper face to close the housing 2. The cover 5 is fixed to the housing 2 by welding, screwing, or by any other means .

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, a seal 18 is preferably disposed between the cover 5 and the housing 2 to seal the battery 1 once it closed.

It is understood that the terms "superior", "lower", "peripheral" must be understood in their ordinary sense and as describing the housing 2 arranged in a direction of vertical extension E. Of course, the battery 1 is likely to be disposed according to any other orientation, especially in a motor vehicle.

The battery 1 comprises at least one inlet 6 to allow a fluid to penetrate inside the battery 1 and an outlet 7 to allow the fluid to be removed from the thermal battery 1.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the input 6 and the output 7 of the battery can be arranged on the peripheral face 4, in the lower part of the housing 2.

Alternatively, as illustrated in Figure 5, the input 6 of the battery 1 can be disposed on the peripheral face 4 in the lower part, while the outlet 7 is located on the peripheral face 4 in the upper part of the housing 2 , Or vice versa.

A configuration in which the outlet 7 is situated in the upper part of the casing 2 makes it possible to force the fluid to circulate throughout the casing 2, and in particular at its upper part, this in order to avoid the presence of stagnant air in the casing 2. housing 2.

The housing 2 according to the invention comprises a plurality of compartments 8.

According to the first embodiment illustrated more particularly in FIGS. 2 or 3, the housing 2 comprises twelve compartments 8. According to the second embodiment illustrated more particularly in FIGS. 5, 6 or 7, the housing 2 comprises ten compartments 8.

However, these embodiments are purely illustrative and the housing 2 may comprise a greater or smaller number of compartments 8. The number of compartments 8 is advantageously chosen to maximize the space available in the housing 2 without significantly reducing its mechanical strength. .

Each compartment 8 extends in the direction of extension E. The compartments 8 extend from the lower face 4 to the upper face 5 of the housing 2. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6, each compartment 8 comprises at least one side wall 9 of arcuate section along a plane of section P perpendicular to the direction of extension E. The section of the side wall 9 of each compartment 8 is advantageously constant between the bottom wall 3 and the upper wall 5 of the housing 2.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, each compartment 8 also comprises a bottom wall 16 and an upper wall 17.

The lower and / or upper walls 16, 17 of each compartment 8 advantageously have a rounded or curved shape, so as to better withstand the internal fluid pressure contained in the housing 2.

According to the embodiment in which the upper face of the housing 2 is closed by a cover 5 as illustrated in FIG. 1, the cover 5 comprises bosses arranged at each compartment 5 and forming respectively the top wall 17 of each compartment 8 when the housing 2 is closed by the cover 5.

The compartments 8 of the housing 2 may have shapes that are identical or different from each other. In particular, the compartments 8 may have section shapes in the plane of section P perpendicular to the direction of extension E different from each other.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 which locally has a view through the peripheral face 4 of the housing 2, one or more components 10 are arranged inside the compartments 8 of the housing 2. In particular, FIGS. 1 and 2 show components 10 housed in a single compartment 8 of the housing 2 for the sake of simplicity. Of course, all the compartments 8 of the housing 2 advantageously comprise one or more components 10 according to the invention.

Each component 10 can exchange heat with the fluid flowing from the inlet 6 to the outlet 7 of the battery 1. The components 10 advantageously comprise a phase change material (PCM) for storing and releasing a predetermined amount of heat.

The phase change material is enveloped by a casing 11. The envelope 1 1 can be made of a plastic material.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the components 10 present in the battery 1 according to the invention are advantageously in a rectilinear form. Each component 10 is in the form of a tube of greater length than its diameter.

As also illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the components 10 are positioned in the compartments 8 next to each other in the direction of extension E. The components 10 extend in the direction of extension E in the compartments 8 from the lower face 4 to the upper face 5 of the housing 2.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the incoming fluid flow in the battery 1, illustrated by the arrow 12, and the fluid outflow, illustrated by the arrow 13, are preferably transverse to the extension direction E.

In order to reinforce the pressure resistance of the casing 2, the peripheral face 4 of the casing 2 also comprises reinforcements 14.

A reinforcement 14 consists of an extension of material advantageously connecting two by two the side walls 9 of the compartments 8 of the housing 2. The reinforcements 14 advantageously extend in a plane parallel to the bottom wall 3 of the housing 2.

As illustrated in Figures 1, 4 and 5, the reinforcements 14 are disposed on at least one level parallel to the bottom wall 3 of the housing 2. The reinforcements 14 may preferably be arranged in several parallel levels N1, N2, N3, N4 each other. Of course, the outer peripheral face 4 of the housing 2 may comprise a greater or lesser number of levels and other configurations of reinforcements 14.

First embodiment

In a first embodiment illustrated by FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, each compartment 8 comprises at least one side wall 9 of arcuate section along a plane of section P perpendicular to the direction of extension E.

The side wall 9 of arcuate section of each compartment 8 is preferably disposed towards the outside of the housing 2.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the housing 2 comprises an inlet compartment 8a directly connected to the fluid inlet 6 in the housing 2. In the same way, the housing 2 comprises an outlet compartment 8b directly connected to the outlet 7 fluid of the housing 2.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the outlet compartment 8b of the housing 2 is separated from the other compartments 8 of the housing 2 by means of a single orifice 22 disposed in the upper part of the housing 2. Thus, although the fluid outlet 7 is situated in the lower part of the casing 2, the fluid necessarily circulates in its upper part, this in order to avoid the presence of stagnant air in the casing 2.

The housing 2 further comprises intermediate compartments 8c.

The intermediate compartments 8c are distributed on each side of a main partition 15 of the housing 2. More precisely, the intermediate compartments 8c are advantageously symmetrically distributed with respect to the main partition 15. The main partition 15 makes it possible to impose a path particular to the fluid in the housing 2 passing through all the compartments 8 of the housing 2. An end compartment 8d located at one end of the main partition 15 allows the fluid to circulate in the intermediate compartments 8c located on either side of the main partition 15.

The compartments 8, in particular the intermediate compartments 8c, have a side wall 9 in the form of a vault extending in the direction of extension E. More precisely, the intermediate compartments 8b have a side wall 9 of semicircular section according to a plane perpendicular to the direction of extension E.

The side wall 9 of the compartments 8, in particular intermediate compartments 8c, is connected to the main partition 15 by support elements 19, also called tie rods.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the support elements 19 are arranged at the junction of the side walls 9 of two compartments 8 joined to one another.

The support elements 19 are preferably tangent to the side walls 9 of the two compartments 8 joined to each other.

The support elements 19 are also preferably arranged perpendicularly to the main partition 15.

The support elements 19 make it possible to stiffen the structure of the casing 2, in particular to withstand an internal fluid pressure, without significantly increasing the mass of the casing 2.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, a plurality of support elements 19 are arranged in the extension direction E to enable the side wall 9 of the compartments 8 to be connected to the central partition 15.

The support elements 19 are preferably uniformly distributed in the direction of extension E. The support elements 19 are for example arranged according to the same levels N1, N2, N3, N4 as the reinforcements 14 of the peripheral face 4 of the housing 2 . The space between two consecutive support elements 19 in the extension direction E delimits an opening 20 allowing the fluid to circulate between the compartments 8.

The openings 20 advantageously have a rounded rectangular shape at its corners. The passage section of the openings 20 between two compartments is adapted to minimize the pressure drop during the circulation of the fluid while ensuring a maximum resistance of the housing 2.

Second embodiment

In a second embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7, each compartment 8 comprises at least one side wall 9 of cylindrical section along the plane of section P perpendicular to the direction of extension E. As illustrated more particularly in FIG. 6 each compartment 8 constitutes a cylinder extending between the lower face 3 and the upper face 5 of the housing 2 in the extension direction E.

As illustrated in Figure 7, the housing 2 comprises openings 21 for connecting the different compartments 8 of the battery 1 with each other. The openings 21 have an advantageously rectangular shape and extend in the direction of extension E.

The openings 21 make it possible to impose a specific path to the fluid flowing from the inlet 6 to the outlet 7 of the battery 1. The openings 21 make it possible in particular to ensure a path of the fluid in the battery 1 to maximize the heat exchange between the fluid and the components 10.

A single opening 21 preferably connects two compartments 8 to each other. However, in a variant, more than one opening 21 can make it possible to connect two compartments 8.

The openings 21 have a passage section between two compartments 8 adapted to cause a minimal loss of load when of the circulation of the fluid while allowing a satisfactory mechanical strength of the housing 2.

Claims

Thermal storage battery (1) comprising a housing provided with a plurality of compartments (8) extending in a so-called extension direction (E), each of the compartments (8) being adapted to receive at least one component (10) ) to store and release a quantity of heat.

Battery according to claim 1, wherein the housing (2) comprises an inlet (6) and an outlet (7) configured so that a fluid flows sequentially in the compartments (8) between the inlet (6) and the outlet (7) of the housing (2).

The battery of claim 1 or 2, wherein the fluid flowing in the housing substantially transverse to the extension direction (E).

Battery according to any one of the preceding claims, in which at least one compartment (8) of the housing (2) comprises at least one wall (9) at least partially rounded in a plane (P) perpendicular to the direction of extension ( E).

Battery according to the preceding claim, wherein each compartment (8) comprises a wall (9) of circular section in the plane (P) perpendicular to the extension direction (E).

A battery as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing comprises openings (21), each of the openings (21) for connecting two compartments (8) to each other, the openings (21) having preferably a substantially rectangular shape and extending in the extension direction (E).

A battery according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (2) comprises a partition common to a plurality of compartments (8), said main partition (15), said compartments (8) of said plurality of compartments (8) being disposed on each side of the main partition (15).

8. Battery according to the preceding claim, wherein the housing comprises support elements (19), each support element (19) connecting the wall (9) of at least one compartment (8) to the main partition (15). .

9. Battery according to the preceding claim, wherein a plurality of support elements is arranged orthogonally to the extension direction (E) to connect the wall of at least one compartment (8) to the main partition (15), defining between them openings (21) for connecting two compartments (8) to each other.

10. Battery according to the preceding claim, wherein the support elements (19) are arranged to be locally tangent to the walls (9) of two compartments (8).

1 1. Battery (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a cover (5) adapted to close the housing (2), the cover comprising bosses arranged at each compartment (8) when the cover (5) closes the housing (2).