The invention relates to a cooling arrangement for a vehicle, which arrangement comprises a bottle having a first expansion tank for a coolant and a second expansion tank for a coolant, and a cap which is connectable to and disconnectable from the bottle for covering a mouth of the bottle.
For electric vehicles and plug in hybrid vehicles, cooling of different components such as an electric motor, a battery, etc., is required. Due to different requirements, for example caused by different operating temperatures and pressures, separate cooling circuits are required for different components.
This means that two or more so called degas bottles are used for filling coolant to the different cooling circuits of the vehicle. These bottles also allow the coolant to expand during high temperature conditions, and to release air and/or coolant to the atmosphere through a pressure relief valve in case the pressure in the current circuit exceeds a predetermined value.
In addition to the number of components to be produced, the use of several degas bottles will also increase the complexity and cost of the vehicle by increasing the assembly process time and the packing space required for the components.
An objective of the invention is to provide a cooling arrangement for a vehicle, which arrangement can reduce the complexity of a cooling system, simplify the assembly process of a cooling system and/or the process of filling coolant to a cooling system.
The objective is achieved by a cooling arrangement for a vehicle, where the arrangement comprises a bottle having a first expansion tank for a coolant and a second expansion tank for a coolant, and a cap which is connectable to and disconnectable from the bottle for covering a mouth of the bottle, and the mouth has a filling port of the first expansion tank and a filling port of the second expansion tank which both are covered by the cap when the cap is connected to the bottle, and where the cap is provided with a first pressure relief valve allowing fluid to be discharged from the first expansion tank through the first expansion tank filling port to the atmosphere, and a second pressure relief valve allowing fluid to be discharged from the second expansion tank through the second expansion tank filling port to the atmosphere.
The invention is based on the insight that by such an arrangement, one bottle and only one cap is needed for two cooling circuits. The filling ports of the expansion tanks arranged in the bottle mouth can be positioned adjacent to each other facilitating filling of coolant to the cooling system. Further, the arrangement enables different coolants and/or operating conditions to be used for different cooling circuits at the same time as only one degas bottle is used. The placement of both pressure relief valves in the cap makes manufacturing, and replacement of spare parts, less complicated as compared to other solutions where any pressure relief valve would be arranged in the bottle.
The first expansion tank and the second expansion tank are preferably fluidly separated from each other such that fluid communication therebetween is prevented during operation, where the first expansion tank is fluidly connectable to a first cooling circuit and the second expansion tank is fluidly connectable to a second cooling circuit. For example, the first cooling circuit can be used for cooling an electric motor of a vehicle, and the second cooling circuit can be used for cooling a battery of the vehicle.
According to one embodiment of the arrangement, the first pressure relief valve is configured to open at a pressure P1 in the first expansion tank, provided that this pressure P1 is higher than a first predetermined pressure threshold value PT1, and the second pressure relief valve is configured to open at a pressure P2 in the second expansion tank, provided that this pressure P2 is higher than a second predetermined pressure threshold value PT2, and preferably the first predetermined pressure threshold value PT1 is higher than the second predetermined pressure threshold value PT2, i.e. PT1>PT2. Hereby, the bottle can be used for two cooling circuits having different operating pressures at the same time as the requisite releasement of air and/or coolant to the atmosphere can be provided individually for the circuits at the relevant pressure in case the pressure in any of the circuits would exceed a predetermined allowed pressure.
According to a further embodiment, the bottle comprises a wall forming the mouth, and a wall dividing the mouth into the first expansion tank filling port and the second expansion tank filling port. The mouth can suitably be circular and the mouth wall can form a neck of the bottle to which the cap can be connected. The size of the mouth can be adapted to the filling requirements and/or the size of the cap required for accommodating the pressure relief valves. By means of the mouth dividing wall, preferably extending straight across the mouth, the first expansion tank filling port and the second expansion tank filling port can be formed as separate ports within the mouth.
According to a further embodiment, the size of the first expansion tank filling port is greater than the second expansion tank filling port, and preferably the mouth dividing wall is arranged non-centred relative to the mouth making the first expansion tank filling port extending between the mouth wall and a first side of the mouth dividing wall greater than the second expansion tank filling port extending between the mouth wall and a second opposite side of the mouth dividing wall. Hereby, each filling port can be adapted to the size of the current expansion tank and/or a cooling circuit connected to the expansion tank. Further, this difference between the first expansion tank filling port and the second expansion tank filling port enables the cap to be connectable in one way only, securing that the right one of the pressure relief valves is positioned in the intended corresponding filling port.
According to a further embodiment, the size and/or the shape of the first pressure relief valve and/or the position of the first pressure relief valve in the cap, is selected such that the cap is connectable to the bottle only when the first pressure relief valve is received by the first expansion tank filling port. By such a “poka-yoke”-solution it can be secured that the first pressure relief valve is arranged in the first expansion tank filling port (and thereby the second pressure relief valve in the second expansion tank filling port) in a correct position.
Of course it would be possible to instead make the second expansion tank filling port greater than the first expansion tank filling port, and/or to select the size and/or shape of the second pressure relief valve and/or the position of the second pressure relief valve in the cap, such that the cap is connectable to the bottle only when the second pressure relief valve is received by the second expansion tank filling port, in combination with or as an alternative to the embodiments described hereinabove.
According to a further embodiment, the arrangement comprises a seal for sealing between the cap and the bottle, and preferably the seal comprises an O-ring part arranged to seal between the cap and the mouth wall, and an additional seal part arranged to seal between the cap and the mouth dividing wall. Hereby, it is possible to seal the first expansion tank and the second expansion tank relative to the atmosphere and also to seal the first expansion tank and the second expansion tank relative to each other. The seal is suitably made in one piece comprising the circular O-ring and the straight additional seal part.
According to a further embodiment, the bottle is provided with a screw thread and the cap is provided with a corresponding screw thread such that the cap is connectable and disconnectable to/from the bottle by means of the screw threads. A threaded joint or screw fitting is suitable for connecting the cap to the bottle. The cap can easily be connected to and disconnected from the bottle by rotating the cap relative to the bottle.
According to a further embodiment, the cap has a lid portion provided with the screw thread and an inner portion connected to the lid portion, which inner portion is rotationally journaled relative to the lid portion, where the first pressure relief valve and the second pressure relief valve are arranged in the inner portion allowing the first pressure relief valve and the second pressure relief valve to not rotate when the cap being connected to or disconnected from the bottle by rotation of the lid portion. Hereby, the first and second pressure relief valves can be moved downwards and upwards together with the cap, while not rotating and maintaining in the respective correct position relative to the respective filling port, when the cap is rotated for connecting and disconnecting, respectively, the cap and the bottle.
According to a further embodiment, the O-ring part is arranged to seal between the inner portion and the mouth wall, and the additional seal part is arranged to seal between the inner portion and the mouth dividing wall, and preferably the seal is arranged in the inner portion of the cap. Hereby, the seal can be arranged in the cap in a way allowing the seal to not rotate when the cap is being connected or disconnected to/from the bottle by rotation of the cap.
According to a further embodiment, the cap comprises an outer cover connected and rotationally locked to the lid portion which outer cover is arranged outside the lid portion, and the outer cover and the lid portion are arranged relative to each other such that a channel is formed therebetween, which channel is connected to the atmosphere, where the first pressure relief valve is arranged to allow fluid to be discharged from the first expansion tank through the first expansion tank filling port to the channel, and the second pressure relief valve is arranged to allow fluid to be discharged from the second expansion tank through the second expansion tank filling port to the channel. Hereby, the outer cover can be used for providing a grip for rotation of the cap, and covering and protecting the components inside the cap, such as the first and second pressure relief valves and any seal arranged in the cap.
Further advantages and advantageous features of the invention are disclosed in the following description and in the claims.
With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a more detailed description of embodiments of the invention cited as examples.
In the drawings:
The cap 5 is provided with a first pressure relief valve 9 allowing fluid to be discharged from the first expansion tank 3 through the first expansion tank filling port 7 to the atmosphere outside the bottle, and a second pressure relief valve 10 allowing fluid to be discharged from the second expansion tank 4 through the second expansion tank filling port 8 to the atmosphere outside of the bottle. By fluid is here meant gas and liquid, such as air and/or coolant.
In the example embodiment illustrated in
The first pressure relief valve 9 can be configured to open at a pressure P1 in the first expansion tank 3, provided that this pressure P1 is higher than a first predetermined pressure threshold value PT1. The first predetermined pressure threshold value PT1 is suitably selected based on the operating pressure and the maximum allowed pressure in the first expansion tank 3 or in any other component fluidly connected to the first expansion tank 3. In the same way, the second pressure relief valve 10 can be configured to open at a pressure P2 in the second expansion tank 4, provided that this pressure P2 is higher than a second predetermined pressure threshold value PT2. The second predetermined pressure threshold value PT2 is suitably selected based on the operating pressure and the maximum allowed pressure in the second expansion tank 4 or in any other component fluidly connected to the second expansion tank 4.
In this example embodiment illustrated in
In addition to enable fluid to be discharged from the bottle to the surrounding atmosphere at a predetermined pressure, the first and second relief valves are suitably designed such that air can flow in the opposite direction, i.e. from the atmosphere outside the bottle into the bottle, if the pressure in the current expansion tank is lower than the pressure outside the bottle.
As it regards the remaining parts of the first expansion tank 3′ and the second expansion tank 4′, the first expansion tank 3′ can be arranged inside of the second expansion tank 4′, or the first expansion tank 3′ and the second expansion tank 4′ can be arranged side by side in the lower part of the bottle 2′, in the same way as illustrated in
Further, the first expansion tank 3′ is fluidly connected to a first cooling circuit 11′ and the second expansion tank 4′ is fluidly connected to a second cooling circuit 12′.
In this variant of the cooling arrangement 1′, the first pressure relief valve 9′ allowing fluid to be discharged from the first expansion tank 3′ through the first expansion tank filling port 7′ to the atmosphere, and the second pressure relief valve 10′ allowing fluid to be discharged from the second expansion tank 4′ through the second expansion tank filling port 8′ to the atmosphere, which valves 9′, 10′ are arranged in the cap 5′, could be arranged in a way allowing them to rotate together with the cap 5′ when connecting and disconnecting the cap 5′ to/from the bottle 2′ by means of a thread joint, for instance.
As it regards the pressures P1, P2 in the first expansion tank 3′ and the second expansion tank 4′, and the predetermined pressure threshold values PT1, PT2, the first pressure relief valve 9′ and the second pressure relief valve 10′ can be configured as previously described with reference to
The bottle 2 comprises a wall 13 forming the mouth 6. The mouth 6 is suitably a circular opening and the mouth wall 13 forms a neck 14 of the bottle 2 to which the cap 5 can be connected. The cap 5 has an inner surface corresponding to an outer surface of the bottle neck 14. The bottle 2 can be provided with a screw thread 15 and the cap 5 provided with a corresponding screw thread 16 such that the cap 5 is connectable and disconnectable to/from the bottle 2 by means of the screw threads 15, 16. In such a case, the bottle neck and the cap are circular. The screw thread 15 of the bottle 2 is arranged on the outside of the bottle neck 14, and the corresponding screw thread 16 of the cap 5 is arranged on the inside of the cap 5, though it would be possible to provide the cap with an outer screw thread and the bottle neck with an inner screw thread as an alternative.
The bottle 2 further comprises a wall 17 dividing the mouth 6 into the first expansion tank filling port 7 and the second expansion tank filling port 8. This mouth dividing wall 17 is suitably an extension of a wall 18 dividing the bottle 5 into the first expansion tank 3 and the second expansion tank 4. The mouth dividing wall 17 can extend straight across the mouth 6, such that the first expansion tank filling port 7 and the second expansion tank filling port 8 can be formed as separate ports within the mouth 6.
The size of the first expansion tank filling port 7 can be greater than the size of the second expansion tank filling port 8. This is indicated by “a” and “b”, where a>b, in
In the example embodiment illustrated in
In combination with different sizes and/or shapes of the first expansion tank filling port 7 and the second expansion tank filling port 8, the size and/or the shape of the first pressure relief valve 9, and/or the position of the first pressure relief valve 9 in the cap 5, is selected such that the cap 5 can be connected to the bottle 2 only when the first pressure relief valve 9 is received by the first expansion tank filling port 7. For example, the first pressure relief valve 9 can be greater than the second pressure relief valve 10 and/or the first pressure relief valve 9 can be arranged at a greater distance from the centre of the cap 5 than the second pressure relief valve 10. In the example embodiment illustrated in
The cap 5 can have a lid portion 22 provided with the screw thread 16 and an inner portion 23 connected to the lid portion 22, which inner portion 23 is rotationally journaled relative to the lid portion 22. By arranging the first pressure relief valve 9 and the second pressure relief valve 10 in the inner portion 23, the first pressure relief valve 9 and the second pressure relief valve 10 are allowed to not rotate when the cap 5 being connected to or disconnected from the bottle 2 by rotation of the lid portion 22. The pressure relief valves 9, 10 can be attached to the inner portion 23 or be an integral part of thereof. The inner portion 23 is suitably fixed relative to the lid portion 22 with respect to an axial direction 24 corresponding to the connection/disconnection direction for the cap 5.
The arrangement 1 further comprises a seal 25 for sealing between the cap 5 and the bottle 2. Such a seal 25 has suitably an O-ring part 26 arranged to seal between the cap 5 and the mouth wall 13, and an additional seal part 27 arranged to seal between the cap 5 and the mouth dividing wall 17. The seal can be made in one piece. See also
In the example embodiment illustrated in
Thus, the first and second pressure relief valves 9, 10 and the seal 25 will not rotate while moving downwards when the cap 5 is being connected to the bottle 2 or while moving upwards when the cap 5 is being disconnected from the bottle 2.
In addition, the cap 5 may comprise an outer cover 29 connected and rotationally locked to the lid portion 22 which outer cover 29 is arranged outside the lid portion 22. Such an outer cover 29 is suitably used for protecting the first and second pressure relief valves 9, 10 and/or any seal 25 arranged in the cap 5, and for providing a grip for rotation of the cap 5.
The outer cover 29 and the lid portion 22 are arranged relative to each other such that a channel 30 is formed therebetween, which channel 30 is connected to the atmosphere. The first pressure relief valve 9 is arranged to allow fluid to be discharged from the first expansion tank 3 through the first expansion tank filling port 7 to the channel 30, and the second pressure relief valve 10 is arranged to allow fluid to be discharged from the second expansion tank 4 through the second expansion tank filling port 8 to the channel 30. The outer cover 29 has openings 31 for connection of the channel 30 to the atmosphere.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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20209152.6 | Nov 2020 | EP | regional |
This application is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/CN2021/128870, filed Nov. 5, 2021, which claims the benefit of European Patent Application No. 20209152.6, filed Nov. 23, 2020, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/CN2021/128870 | Nov 2021 | US |
Child | 18143771 | US |