WO2023247842A1

WO2023247842A1 - Thermal management device for the cooling circuit of an electric vehicle, method and vehicle based on such a device

Info

Publication number: WO2023247842A1
Application number: PCT/FR2023/000075
Authority: WO
Inventors: Maxime Seigner
Original assignee: Stellantis Auto Sas
Priority date: 2022-06-20
Filing date: 2023-05-04
Publication date: 2023-12-28
Also published as: FR3136712A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a thermal management device (TM) for a cooling circuit system of an electric vehicle. This system comprises a battery circuit (CB) and a radiator circuit (CR) connected to the device (TM). The battery circuit (CB) comprises a traction battery (B), a cooler (R) and at least one heater (WH), and a degassing device (DG). The radiator circuit (CR) comprises a charger (CG), an electric actuator inverter (I) and a radiator (H). According to the invention, the thermal management device (TM) comprises: - a battery pump (PB) and a radiator pump (PR) for the corresponding circuits (CB, CR); and - at least one connection means (C1, C2) for connecting or disconnecting the circuits (CB, CR) to or from each other. The invention also relates to a method and vehicle based on such a device.

Description

DESCRIPTION

TITLE: THERMAL MANAGEMENT DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE COOLING CIRCUIT, METHOD AND VEHICLE BASED ON SUCH A DEVICE

The present invention claims the priority of French application No. 2205991 filed on 06.20.2022, the content of which (text, drawings and claims) is here incorporated by reference.

The invention relates to the field of cooling circuits for vehicles with electric traction motors.

In this area, dedicated methods and control devices have been proposed for thermal management specific to a cooling circuit. Unfortunately, in the case of such management being specific to a cooling circuit, if thermal management variants are present in the cooling circuit, there is a need to develop another solution or another component to adapt to the modified cooling circuit. In other words, there is a lack of transversality of the solutions of the prior art.

Thus, an objective of the invention is to overcome the defects of the prior art, and in particular to propose a thermal management system for a cooling circuit, having better transversality than in the prior art.

To achieve this objective, the invention proposes a thermal management device for a cooling circuit system of a motor vehicle with an electric traction motor, the cooling circuit system comprising:

- a battery circuit connecting the thermal management device to a battery loop configured to be connected to a traction battery, to a cooler and to at least one heating device, as well as to a degassing device,

- a radiator circuit connecting the thermal management device to a radiator loop, configured to be connected to a charger, to a electric actuator inverter and a radiator, the thermal management device comprising:

- a battery pump configured to be connected to the battery circuit,

- a radiator pump configured to be connected to the radiator circuit, and

- at least one connection means for connecting or disconnecting in fluidic communication the battery circuit with respect to the radiator circuit.

Advantageously, the thermal management device makes it possible to circulate and distribute the water flow according to several types of water circuit and thermal management architectures.

Several systems involve diversity linked to the heat pump. Since this is not transverse and is an option, there are versions with heat pump or without heat pump. The thermal management device allowing the distribution of the fluid in the water circuit is therefore specific to both options. Thus, the invention makes it possible to have a thermal management device common to these two options.

According to a variant, the battery loop comprises a first loop configured to be connected to the traction battery, and a second loop configured to be connected to a water heating device connected in series with the cooler. This allows the battery loop to be isolated from the chiller loop and allows for specific bypasses or different configurations of thermal management systems with the same thermal management device.

According to a variant, said connection means connects a first branch point downstream of the traction battery of the battery loop, to the radiator pump upstream of said radiator loop; then a second diversion point downstream of the radiator or inverter, towards the battery pump upstream of the cooler and downstream of the degassing device. This makes it possible to connect the two circuits to each other and provide different configurations of the thermal management device.

According to a variant, the battery loop comprises a third loop configured to be connected to the traction battery connected in series with the cooler, and a fourth loop configured to be connected to a water heating device connected in series with a device heating cabin, and to be further connected to the third loop from a third branch point downstream of the traction battery to a fourth branch point downstream of a heating pump and upstream of the water heating device .

This allows for more different specific configurations of thermal management systems with the same thermal management device. In particular, it is possible to isolate the battery circuit from the heating device.

Alternatively, the radiator circuit includes an actuator loop configured to be connected to an electrical actuator, connected to the radiator loop in parallel with the positions of the charger and the inverter. This allows the inverter or actuator to be short-circuited.

Alternatively, the radiator circuit includes two outputs connected to the thermal management device, one being configured to pass through the radiator, the other being configured to short-circuit the radiator. This allows you to short-circuit or not the radiator.

According to one variant, the thermal management device is configured to take four configurations, in which:

- said circuits are disconnected from each other, the battery pump is activated and the radiator pump is activated;

- said circuits are disconnected from each other, the battery pump is deactivated and the radiator pump is activated, optionally with insulation of the radiator circuit;

- said circuits are connected together, the battery pump is activated and the radiator pump is deactivated; And

- said circuits are connected together, the battery pump is deactivated and the radiator pump is deactivated. This makes it possible to have configurations adapted to cooling circuit systems with or without a heat pump.

Another object of the invention relates to a cooling circuit system comprising:

- a thermal management device according to the invention,

- a battery circuit connecting the thermal management device to a battery loop configured to be connected to a traction battery, to a cooler and at least one heating device, as well as to a degassing device,

- a radiator circuit connecting the thermal management device to a radiator loop, configured to be connected to a charger, an electric actuator inverter and a radiator.

The invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising a thermal management device according to the invention.

The invention further relates to a thermal management method by means of a thermal management device according to the invention, in a cooling circuit system of a motor vehicle with an electric traction motor, the cooling circuit system comprising:

- a radiator circuit connecting the thermal management device to a radiator loop, configured to be connected to a charger, to an electric actuator inverter and to a radiator, the thermal management method comprising the following steps:

- disconnect said circuits from each other, activate the battery pump and activate the radiator pump;

- disconnect said circuits from each other, deactivate the battery pump and activate the radiator pump, optionally with insulation of the radiator circuit;

- connect said circuits together, activate the battery pump and deactivate the radiator pump, optionally with isolation of the second loop; And

- connect said circuits together, deactivate the battery pump and deactivate the radiator pump.

The invention will be further detailed by the description of non-limiting embodiments, and on the basis of the appended figures illustrating variants of the invention, in which:

- [Fig.1] schematically illustrates a cooling circuit architecture integrating a thermal management device according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention;

- [Fig.2] schematically illustrates four different configurations of a thermal management device of the architecture of Figure 1; And

- [Fig.3] schematically illustrates a cooling circuit architecture integrating a thermal management device according to a second embodiment.

The invention relates to a thermal management device TM for the thermal management of a cooling circuit of a motor vehicle with an electric traction motor.

The invention further relates to a corresponding cooling circuit system. This type of system includes a CB battery circuit including a BB battery loop; and a radiator circuit CR comprising a radiator loop BR, these circuits being connected to the thermal management device TM.

The battery loop BB is configured to be connected to a traction battery B, to a cooler R and to at least one heater WH, CH, as well as to a degassing device DG. In particular, the battery loop BB comprises a first loop B1 configured to be connected to the traction battery B, and a second loop B2 configured to be connected to a water heating device WH connected in series with the cooler R. This corresponds to the first embodiment illustrated in Figure 1.

In the second embodiment, illustrated in Figure 3, the battery loop B B comprises:

- on the one hand a first loop B1 configured to be connected to the traction battery B connected in series with the cooler R; And

- on the other hand a second loop B2 configured to be connected to a water heating device WH mounted in series with a cabin heating device CH. It is further configured to be connected to the first loop B1 from a branch point P3 downstream of the traction battery B to a branch point P4 downstream of a heating pump PC and upstream of the heating device d water WH.

The BR radiator loop is configured to be connected to a CG charger, an electric actuator inverter I and a radiator H. In particular, the radiator circuit CR comprises an actuator loop BA configured to be connected to an electric actuator ED, and to be connected to the radiator loop BR in parallel with the positions of the charger CG and the inverter I.

In the variants illustrated, the radiator circuit CR includes two outputs (bypass points P2 and P2a) connected to the thermal management device TM, one being configured to pass through the radiator H, the other being configured to short-circuit the radiator H.

According to the invention, the thermal management device TM comprises:

- a PB battery pump configured to be connected to the CB battery circuit,

- a radiator pump PR configured to be connected to the radiator circuit CR, and

- at least one connection means C1, C2 for connecting or disconnecting in fluidic communication the battery circuit CB with respect to the radiator circuit CR.

The connection means C1, C2 are in particular pipes in the thermal management device TM.

In the two embodiments presented, the desired benefit is to heat the passenger compartment. In the first case, this function is carried out by the heat pump.

In the second case, the heat pump not being present, this function must be provided by the water circuit, and by a dedicated HT high temperature loop.

The architecture of the first embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 represents thermal management and its associated thermal management device TM, for a water circuit compatible with a heat pump function.

The thermal management system in this embodiment consists of a water circuit called “very low temperature TBT” by the battery circuit CB, and a water circuit called “at low temperature BT” by the CR radiator circuit; as well as a thermal management device TM composed of two water pumps PB, PR and preferably a multi-way valve system (not shown). This TM thermal management device allows four control configurations in order to optimize heat recovery and flow distribution between the two water circuits.

The architecture of the second embodiment illustrated in Figure 3 represents thermal management and its thermal management device TM, for a compatible water circuit without heat pump function.

The thermal management system in this embodiment consists of a thermal management device TM strictly identical to the version compatible with a heat pump, thus retaining the same water pumps and preferably the same multi-port valve system.

It nevertheless allows different thermal management, since the water circuit is made up of 3 water loops: at very low temperature TBT, at low temperature LT and at high temperature HT.

The TM thermal management device therefore retains its four control configurations, presented in Figure 2, but the functions associated with the water circuit are different.

In the first configuration CF1, said circuits CB, CR are disconnected from each other, the battery pump PB is activated and the radiator pump PR is activated. In the first embodiment, this makes it possible to carry out passenger compartment heating by recovering calories from battery B, via the heat pump. In the case of the second embodiment, this makes it possible to provide passenger compartment heating via the independent HT loop.

In the second configuration CF2, said circuits CB, CR are disconnected from each other, the battery pump PB is deactivated and the radiator pump PR is activated.

In the first embodiment, this makes it possible to stimulate the cooler, and to have the passenger compartment heated by a heat pump.

For the second embodiment, there is preferably insulation of the low temperature loop BT (CR radiator circuit mentioned above). In this case, this allows heating of the passenger compartment in common with the heating of the battery. In the third configuration CF3, said circuits CB, CR are connected together, the battery pump PB is activated and the radiator pump PR is deactivated.

In the first embodiment, this makes it possible to heat the passenger compartment by recovering calories from the low temperature LV loop and the very low temperature TBT loop.

For the second embodiment, there is preferably insulation of the high temperature HT loop (third loop B2 mentioned above). In this case, this allows heating of the passenger compartment via the independent HT high temperature loop.

In the fourth configuration CF4, said circuits CB, CR are connected together, the battery pump PB is deactivated and the radiator pump PR is deactivated. Even with PB and PR pumps deactivated, a thermosiphon phenomenon takes place, which creates a slight flow of fluid in the circuits and allows a slight heat exchange. In the first embodiment, this makes it possible to heat the passenger compartment by recovering calories from the low temperature LV loop. In the case of the second embodiment, this makes it possible to carry out joint heating of the passenger compartment and battery B as well as cooling by the low temperature circuit BT.

Claims

1. Thermal management device (TM) for a cooling circuit system of a motor vehicle with an electric traction motor, the cooling circuit system comprising:

- a battery circuit (CB) connecting the thermal management device (TM) to a battery loop (BB) configured to be connected to a traction battery (B), to a cooler (R) and to at least one device heating (WH, CH), as well as a degassing device (DG),

- a radiator circuit (CR) connecting the thermal management device (TM) to a radiator loop (BR), configured to be connected to a charger (CG), to an electric actuator inverter (I) and to a radiator (H), the thermal management device (TM) comprising:

- a battery pump (PB) configured to be connected to the battery circuit (CB),

- a radiator pump (PR) configured to be connected to the radiator circuit (CR), and

- at least one connection means (C1, C2) for connecting or disconnecting in fluid communication the battery circuit (CB) with respect to the radiator circuit (CR).

2. Thermal management device (TM) according to claim 1, characterized in that the battery loop (BB) comprises a first loop (B1) configured to be connected to the traction battery (B), and a second loop ( B2) configured to be connected to a water heating device (WH) connected in series with the chiller (R).

3. Thermal management device (TM) according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that said connection means connects a first branch point (P1) downstream of the traction battery (B) of the loop battery (BB), towards the radiator pump (PR) upstream of said radiator loop (BR); then a second diversion point (P2, P2a) downstream of the radiator (H) or the inverter (I), towards the battery pump (PB) upstream of the cooler (R) and downstream of the degassing device ( DG).

4. Thermal management device (TM) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the battery loop (BB) comprises a third loop (B1) configured to be connected to the traction battery (B) connected in series with the cooler (R), and a fourth loop (B2) configured to be connected to a water heating device (WH) connected in series with a cabin heating device (CH), and to be further connected to the third loop (B1) of a third branch point (P3) downstream of the traction battery (B) towards a fourth diversion point (P4) downstream of a heating pump (PC) and upstream of the water heating device (WH).

5. Thermal management device (TM) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the radiator circuit (CR) comprises an actuator loop (BA) configured to be connected to an electric actuator (ED ), connected to the radiator loop (BR) in parallel with the charger (CG) and inverter (I) positions.

6. Thermal management device (TM) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the radiator circuit (CR) comprises two outputs connected to the thermal management device (TM), one being configured to pass through the radiator (H), the other being configured to short-circuit the radiator (H).

7. Thermal management device (TM) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it is configured to take four configurations, in which:

- said circuits (CB, CR) are disconnected from each other, the battery pump (PB) is activated and the radiator pump (PR) is activated;

- said circuits (CB, CR) are disconnected from each other, the battery pump (PB) is deactivated and the radiator pump (PR) is activated, optionally with insulation of the radiator circuit (CR);

- said circuits (CB, CR) are connected together, the battery pump (PB) is activated and the radiator pump (PR) is deactivated; And

- said circuits (CB, CR) are connected together, the battery pump (PB) is deactivated and the radiator pump (PR) is deactivated.

8. Cooling circuit system including:

- a thermal management device (TM) according to any one of claims 1 to 7,

- a battery circuit (CB) connecting the thermal management device (TM) to a battery loop (BB) configured to be connected to a traction battery (B), to a cooler (R) and to at least one heater (WH, CH), as well as to a degassing device ( DG),

- a radiator circuit (CR) connecting the thermal management device (TM) to a radiator loop (BR), configured to be connected to a charger (CG), to an electric actuator inverter (I) and to a radiator (H).

9. Motor vehicle comprising a thermal management device (TM) according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. Thermal management method by means of a thermal management device (TM) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in a cooling circuit system of a motor vehicle with an electric traction motor, the cooling circuit system cooling including:

- a radiator circuit (CR) connecting the thermal management device (TM) to a radiator loop (BR), configured to be connected to a charger (CG), to an electric actuator inverter (I) and to a radiator (H), the thermal management process comprising the following steps:

- disconnect said circuits (CB, CR) from each other, activate the battery pump (PB) and activate the radiator pump (PR);

- disconnect said circuits (CB, CR) from each other, deactivate the battery pump (PB) and activate the radiator pump (PR), optionally with insulation of the radiator circuit (CR);

- connect said circuits (CB, CR) together, activate the battery pump (PB) and deactivate the radiator pump (PR), optionally with isolation of the second loop (B2); And

- connect said circuits (CB, CR) together, deactivate the battery pump (PB) and deactivate the radiator pump (PR).