Patent Application
20250179955
This nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. ยง 119(a) to German Patent Application No. 10 2023 133 927.3, which was filed in Germany on Dec. 5, 2023, and which is herein incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to a coolant routing system for vehicles, such as electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles or internal combustion engine vehicles, for supplying at least two devices to be cooled with a coolant comprising at least one coolant distribution unit comprising at least one channel unit, electrical actuator devices and electrical components, such as electrical conductors, for controlling the flow of the coolant within the channel unit, wherein the channel unit has at least two separate coolant circuits that can be operated separately from each other.
Various coolant routing systems have become known in the state of the art. The housing body of the distribution unit is always adapted to a specific installation situation in a vehicle. Various coolant circuits are available, e.g., for cooling a battery and the passenger compartment of a vehicle. The coolant circuits can be controlled separately and individually.
The coolant in the coolant circuit changes its volume as a function of the temperature. This has a negative impact on the efficiency of actuator equipment, such as pumps. Therefore, reservoirs, such as tanks, must be provided to compensate for volume changes in the coolant circuits, which make up a significant proportion of the installation space of the coolant routing system. In addition, other actuator devices, such as controllable valves, may be necessary to ensure a coolant flow between the coolant circuit and the tank.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a coolant routing system which has a smaller installation space.
In an example, the coolant routing system for vehicles for the supply of at least two devices to be cooled with at least one coolant comprises at least one coolant distribution unit, comprises: at least one housing body with at least one housing wall; at least one channel unit, which is at least partly formed by the housing wall; wherein the channel unit forms at least two separate coolant circuits that can be operated separately from each other; at least a plurality of connections for connection to the devices to be cooled; and at least a plurality of electric actuator devices to control the flow within the separate coolant circuits.
The coolant circuits are connected by at least one connecting channel, so that at least one pressure fraction between the coolant circuits caused by changes in the volume of the coolant can be equalized.
The invention has many advantages. A significant advantage of the invention is that an overpressure resulting from a change in volume can be compensated directly between the coolant circuits. This makes it possible to dispense with several coolant reservoirs to compensate for the coolant in the event of volume changes if the volumes of the channel unit of the coolant circuits are so large that they can compensate for corresponding volume changes without a pressure in the coolant circuits exceeding a corresponding limit value. This can also advantageously significantly reduce the necessary installation space for the coolant routing system. Furthermore, fewer moving components are necessary. This makes the coolant routing system much cheaper and, in particular, more fail-safe.
Advantageously, at least a number of electrical components for the power supply and/or for the control of the electrical actuator devices are available and in particular included on the coolant distribution unit. In addition, electrical components such as cables, sensors and control units can be integrated into the housing body and in particular into the housing wall.
Preferably, especially precisely, one coolant reservoir is available. Preferably, the coolant reservoir can be connected to the one coolant circuit and not the other. The coolant reservoir advantageously allows for the compensation of changes in the volume of the coolant, in particular in the case of temperature-related volume changes.
A flow cross-section within the connecting channel is particularly preferably small in relation to a flow cross-section within the coolant circuits. Advantageously, this results in the flow resistance of the connecting channel being at least significantly greater than the flow resistance of the coolant circuit. This advantageously prevents the flows within the coolant circuits from influencing each other through the connecting channel. The connecting channel therefore advantageously only serves for pressure equalization between the coolant circuits. It is advantageous to have a ratio of the flow cross-section of the connecting channel to the flow cross-section of the coolant circuit of less than 0.5 or 0.25 or 0.1, or even less.
The connecting channel can be flowed through freely. In particular, there are no actuator devices, such as a pump or valve, or a flow component, such as an orifice or a throttle. Since no actuator devices or flow components are required, pressure equalization via the connecting channel is particularly robust and safe. Clogging of the connecting channel can be effectively prevented by a particularly high purity of the coolant or a dirt trap at the mouths of the connecting channel on the coolant circuits.
The connecting channel can have a length that is large in relation to the thermal heat transfer resistance of the coolant. This advantageously prevents a significant transfer of heat through the coolant between the coolant circuits. In particular, the connecting channel has a length of at least several centimeters or one or even more decimeters. In addition, a length of the connecting channel can also be even larger, so that heat transfer, especially through thermal conduction, is effectively prevented.
The connecting channel can be connected at those points of the coolant circuits where there are similar total pressures, i.e., the sum of absolute pressure and dynamic pressure, within the coolant circuits. Such an area can be near the pressure side or the suction side of a pump, for example. In particular, the connection can also be located upstream of the pump in one coolant circuit in the direction of flow and downstream of the pump in the other coolant circuit in the direction of flow. This is an advantageous way to prevent the flows within the coolant circuits from influencing each other.
The connecting channel can be completely filled with coolant. In particular, there are no air pockets or the like in the connecting channel. Advantageously, the connecting channel fills automatically when the coolant circuits are filled with the coolant. In particular, there may be a closable vent opening on the connecting channel for this purpose, which can be opened manually during filling. This vent opening can be provided, for example, by a hole with a thread, which is closed by a screw after filling, especially permanently. This advantageously prevents air from entering the coolant circuits and especially the pumps, so that in particular a risk of damage to the pumps by air in the system is prevented.
Advantageously, the at least one connecting channel can be integrated into the housing body. In particular, the connecting channel can be inserted directly into the housing body as part of the channel unit during manufacturing. This is particularly advantageous in enabling a particularly convenient and simple implementation of the connecting channel in which no additional cables have to be installed during installation to realize the connecting channel.
In particular, the housing body can be at least partly made of plastic, especially by injection molding. The advantage of this is that the housing body with the connecting channel can be manufactured particularly cost-effectively, especially in series or even mass production.
At least one other coolant circuit may be available. Conveniently, the connecting channel connects all coolant circuits with each other or there is at least one additional connecting channel that connects to the further coolant circuit, and in particular to the coolant reservoir. In particular, this also allows for pressure equalization between all coolant circuits to be realized, wherein in particular only one coolant reservoir is required.
In the method according to the invention for the manufacture of a coolant routing system, in particular described above, a connecting channel between the coolant circuits is introduced into the housing body during the manufacture of the housing body. The method also has many advantages. A significant advantage of the method is that the connecting channel is introduced into the housing body, so that it does not have to be manufactured at a later date. Further developments and other advantages of the method can be found in the entire application.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes, combinations, and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:
Here, the connecting channel 8 can be flowed through freely. There is no actuator device 7 or flow component by which the flow within the connecting channel 8 is controlled or influenced. The connecting channel 8 has a length of several centimeters, so that there is a high resistance to heat conduction through the connecting channel 8. The connecting channel 8 is connected to both coolant circuits at points that have essentially similar total pressures within the coolant circuits 2a, 2b, 2c. The connecting channel 8 is completely filled with coolant, so that there are no air pockets that could impair the function of the coolant routing system 100.
The connecting channel 8 is integrated into the housing wall 5 of the housing body 4. Here, the housing body 4 is made of plastic by injection molding.
The coolant routing system 100 with three coolant circuits 2a, 2b, 2c is shown here only as an example. A coolant routing system 100 according to the invention can also comprise only the two coolant circuits 2a, 2b, which are connected by the connecting channel 8.
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2023 133 927.3 | Dec 2023 | DE | national |
