Patent Application
20240360782
This application is based on and claims priority under U.S.C. 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0055730, filed on Apr. 27, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a cooling medium circulation device wherein a reservoir tank, a valve, and a water pump are integrated and modularized, and components, including the valve and the water pump, are controlled by a single integrated controller, resulting in the compactification of the entire module.
With the recent widespread adoption of eco-friendly vehicles such as electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles, many related technologies have been developed. In particular, in the case of eco-friendly vehicles, the vehicles travel using electric energy from batteries or the like, so technological development is needed to improve electric efficiency.
The foregoing described as the background art is intended merely to aid in the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and is not intended to mean that the present disclosure falls within the purview of the related art already known to those skilled in the art.
In the case of electric efficiency, the efficiency of a battery or a driving motor is important, but a vehicle without an engine has no heat source, so heat management of the vehicle may only be performed using electric energy.
In the case of eco-friendly vehicles, areas that require heat management are mainly divided into a battery, electronic equipment, and indoor air conditioning. Therefore, it may be necessary that the areas are managed as one integrated system rather than as independent systems, thereby actively utilizing waste heat and improving the overall energy consumption efficiency of the vehicles.
The development and application of new components required to build such an integrated heat management system may reduce the weight of the system and the space occupied by the system in vehicles, thereby making it possible to manufacture more efficient vehicles.
In particular, as a control substrate for controlling various components such as valves and motors may need to be provided in the housing of each component, the overall size increases, and the structure to secure the watertight and durable performance of the control substrate is required, leading to an increase in manufacturing costs.
In consideration of the foregoing, an aspect of the present disclosure provides a cooling medium circulation device wherein a reservoir tank, a valve, and a water pump are integrated and modularized, and components, including the valve and the water pump, are controlled by a single integrated controller, resulting in the compactification of the entire module.
In view of the foregoing, a cooling medium circulation device according to the present disclosure includes a reservoir tank in which a cooling medium is stored and which has an upper portion provided with a coolant inlet; a water pump coupled to a lower portion of the reservoir tank so as to circulate the cooling medium; and an integrated controller mounted to the reservoir tank so as to control an operation of the water pump.
The integrated controller is mounted on a side surface of the reservoir tank.
A mounting end is disposed on the side surface of the reservoir tank, and the integrated controller is fastened to the reservoir tank via the mounting end and spaced apart from the reservoir tank.
The integrated controller is installed at a position on the reservoir tank in which the integrated controller does not interfere with surrounding components including the water pump.
The integrated controller is configured to wirelessly communicate with the water pump to transmit an operation command to the water pump.
The cooling medium circulation device further includes a connector which is mounted to the reservoir tank, is electrically connected to the integrated controller, and has a wire connected to the water pump.
The integrated controller and the connector are arranged on the side surface of the reservoir tank, and the connector is disposed below the integrated controller.
The cooling medium circulation device further includes a bracket which is fixed to a vehicle body and on which the reservoir tank is mounted, the bracket includes a fastening part to which the side surface of the reservoir tank is fastened and a mounting part which is bent below the reservoir tank and on which the lower portion of the reservoir tank is seated.
The reservoir tank further includes a valve connected to the coolant inlet, and the valve is configured to operate based on a command received via the integrated controller. Multiple water pumps or valves are arranged, and each water pump and each valve are configured to be individually controlled based on commands that are received from the integrated controller.
The integrated controller is configured to collect various types of information by using sensors disposed in the reservoir tank, and control each component, including the water pump and the valve, based on each type of information, including information about a water level and a water temperature of the cooling medium stored in the reservoir tank.
In the cooling medium circulation device structured as described above, the reservoir tank and the water pump are integrated and modularized, and the various components, including the water pump, are controlled by the single integrated controller, thereby eliminating the need for an individual control driver for each component, and thus resulting in the compactification of the entire module.
The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the same or similar elements are given the same and similar reference numerals, so duplicate descriptions thereof will be omitted.
The terms “module” and “unit” used for the elements in the following description are given or interchangeably used in consideration of only the ease of writing the specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles by themselves.
In describing the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, when the detailed description of the relevant known technology is determined to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description may be omitted. Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are provided only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical spirit disclosed herein is not limited to the accompanying drawings, and it should be understood that all changes, equivalents, or substitutes thereof are included in the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
Terms including an ordinal number such as “first”, “second”, or the like may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited to the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one element from another element.
In the case where an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to any other element, it should be understood that another element may be provided therebetween, as well as that the element may be directly connected or coupled to the other element. In contrast, in the case where an element is “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to any other element, it should be understood that no other element is present therebetween.
A singular expression may include a plural expression unless they are definitely different in a context.
As used herein, the expression “include” or “have” is intended to specify the existence of mentioned features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, and should be construed as not precluding the possible existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.
The controller may include a communication device configured to communicate with a sensor or another control unit, a memory configured to store an operation system, a logic command, or input/output information, and at least one processor configured to perform determination, calculation, decision, or the like which are required for responsible function control.
Hereinafter, a cooling medium circulation device according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As illustrated in
In the present disclosure, the cooling medium may be a coolant.
In the present disclosure, the reservoir tank 100, the water pumps 200, and the integrated controller 300 are modularized, the coolant inlet 110 for circulation of the cooling medium may be disposed on the upper portion of the reservoir tank 100, the water pumps 200 for pumping the cooling medium may be coupled to the lower portion of the reservoir tank 100, and the integrated controller 300 may be disposed on the reservoir tank 100 and between the coolant inlet 110 and the water pumps 200.
Accordingly, a pump coupling part or coupler 100a for coupling the water pumps 200 may be formed at the lower portion of the reservoir tank 100, and the water pumps 200 may be coupled to the sides of the pump coupling part 100a so as to circulate the cooling medium stored in the reservoir tank 100. That is, the reservoir tank 100 may include a cover 101 and a body part 102, and the cover 101 and the body part 102 may be separately manufactured and coupled to each other. That is, the cover 101 may be assembled to the upper side of the body part 102, and the pump coupling part 100a to which the water pumps 200 are coupled and in which the coolant is stored may be formed at the lower portion of the body part 102. The coolant inlet 110 may be formed in the upper portion of the cover 101 or the upper portion of the body part 102.
In addition, the reservoir tank 100 may be internally compartmentalized into multiple spaces, and a cooling medium may be managed at a different temperature, stored, and circulated in each space. The reservoir tank 100 may further be provided with a sensor for checking the water level or temperature of the cooling medium stored therein.
Multiple water pumps 200 may be provided and assembled to the reservoir tank 100. That is, the water pumps 200 may be detachably assembled to the reservoir tank 100, so that water pumps 200 optimized based on the required circulation flow rate of a cooling medium can be selected and assembled to the reservoir tank 100, and the water pumps 200 can be easily managed.
When multiple water pumps 200 are provided, each water pump 200 may be individually controlled based on commands received from a single integrated controller 300.
That is, when multiple water pumps 200 are provided, the water pumps may need to each be operated individually, and the water pumps are provided with individual control drivers, thereby increasing the overall weight and cost.
Accordingly, the present disclosure integrates drivers for controlling the water pumps 200 so that a single integrated controller 300 controls the operation of multiple water pumps 200.
The integrated controller 300 may be mounted to the reservoir tank 100 so as to simplify a communication or connection means for transmitting control commands to the water pumps 200.
In addition, the integrated controller 300 may collect various types of information by using sensors provided in the reservoir tank 100, and may control each component including the water pump 200, based on each type of information, including the water level and temperature of the cooling medium stored in the reservoir tank 100.
In this way, only a single integrated controller 300 may control the operation of each component mounted to the reservoir tank 100, including the water pumps 200, and the size of the water pumps 200 may be reduced by removal of driver for controlling the water pumps 200, and the integrated controller 300 is provided at the reservoir tank for easy management.
The foregoing discussions may be applied in various embodiments.
In an embodiment, as illustrated in
The reservoir tank 100 needs to store the cooling medium, and thus needs to have a height and a circumferential length. Accordingly, it is easy to install the integrated controller 300 at the reservoir tank 100, and the top of the reservoir tank 100 may be provided with other components, including a cap. Therefore, the integrated controller 300 is mounted on the side surface of the reservoir tank 100. Furthermore, with the integrated controller 300 arranged on the side of the reservoir tank 100, the distance for electrical connection or communication with the water pumps coupled to the reservoir tank 100 is reduced, thereby facilitating packaging.
The reservoir tank 100 has a mounting end 120 disposed on the side surface thereof, and the integrated controller may be fastened to the reservoir tank 100 via the mounting end 120 and spaced apart from the reservoir tank 100.
As illustrated in
In particular, the integrated controller 300 is disposed to be spaced apart from the reservoir tank 100 when fastened to the mounting end 120, so that air flows into the space between the reservoir tank 100 and the integrated controller 300, thereby ensuring the cooling performance of the integrated controller 300. Also, since the area of the integrated controller 300 in contact with the reservoir tank is reduced by the mounting end 120, heat transfer from the cooling medium stored in the reservoir tank 100 may be minimized.
The integrated controller 300 may be installed in a location on the reservoir tank 100 in which the integrated controller 300 does not interfere with surrounding components, including the water pumps 200.
As illustrated in
The integrated controller 300 may be mounted to the reservoir tank 100 and is disposed so as not to interfere with the water pumps 200, the chiller, and other components, thereby preventing the integrated controller 300 from being damaged due to vibration generated by the water pumps 200 or heat generated by the chiller.
Furthermore, the integrated controller 300 may be disposed adjacent to the water pumps 200 on the reservoir tank 100 to minimize electrical connection lines between the integrated controller 300 and the water pumps 200, and the integrated controller 300 is configured to control the water pumps 200, thereby facilitating modularization.
The integrated controller 300 may wirelessly communicate with the water pumps 200 to transmit operation commands to the water pumps 200.
Thus, the integrated controller 300 and the water pumps may transmit and receive the operation commands through wireless communication, thereby ensuring installation freedom for the integrated controller 300. The wireless communication may be applied in LIN/CAN schemes.
That is, each of the water pumps 200 may be electrically operated and equipped with a wireless communication module, and the integrated controller 300 may transmit operation commands for the water pumps 200 to each wireless communication module, so that the water pumps 200 may be operated based on the operation commands. In this way, by controlling the multiple water pumps 200 with a single integrated controller 300, individual control drivers for the water pumps 200 may be eliminated, and thus the overall package may be reduced in size.
The cooling medium circulation device may further include a connector 400 which is installed on the reservoir tank 100, is electrically connected to the integrated controller 300, and has wires 410 connected to the water pumps 200.
As shown in
The connector 400 has the wires 410, and the wires 410 are electrically connected to the water pumps 200. As a result, in a state in which the integrated controller 300 and the connectors 400 are connected to each other, when operation commands from the integrated controller 300 are transmitted to the water pumps 200 via the wires 410 extending from the connectors 400, respectively, the water pumps 200 may be operated in response to the received commands.
Furthermore, the integrated controller 300 and the connector 400 may be arranged on the side surface of the reservoir tank 100, and the connector 400 may be disposed below the integrated controller 300.
As such, the connector (400) is disposed below the integrated controller 300, so that the introduction of water into the connector 400 is prevented. In other words, connection portions of the integrated controller 300 and the connector 400 are configured to be above each other, and thus, even when water is generated on the outer surfaces, the introduction of the water into the connection portions of the integrated controller 300 and the connector 400 may be prevented, thereby ensuring watertight performance.
The wires 410 may have respective clips 411 that are connected and fixed to the reservoir tank 100. The clips 411 may be provided at any positions on the extension portions of the wires 410, and are fixed in positions with the wires when connected and fixed to the reservoir tank 100. Thereby, damage due to bending or deformation of the wires may be prevented, and interference between the wires 410 and other components may be prevented.
Thus, the water pumps 200 may be controlled by only the integrated controller 300, and since the integrated controller 300 is electrically connected to the water pump via the connector 400, errors in transmitting or receiving commands for the water pumps 200 are reduced.
The cooling medium circulation device may further include a bracket 500 on which the reservoir tank 100 is mounted and which is fixed to a vehicle body. The bracket may include a fastening part (or fastener) 510 to which the side surface of the reservoir tank 100 is fastened, and a mounting part (for example, mounting leg) 520 which is bent below the reservoir tank 100 and on which the lower portion of the reservoir tank 100 is seated.
The bracket 500 is disposed to fix the reservoir tank and the water pumps 200 to the vehicle body, and may be made of a rigid material. The bracket 500 includes the fastening part 510 and the mounting part 520. The side surface of the reservoir tank 100 is fastened to the fastening part 510, and the lower portion of the reservoir tank 100 is seated on the mounting part 520. In particular, the mounting part 520 bends and extends from the bottom of the fastening part 510 so that the lower portion of the reservoir tank 100 is seated on the mounting part 520, thereby preventing the bracket 500 from being deformed due to the weight of the reservoir tank 100. The bracket 500 may be fixed to the vehicle body through a bolting connection, and may be configured to be mounted while the reservoir tank 100 is seated, so that the reservoir tank 100, together with the bracket 500, can be securely fixed to the vehicle body.
The reservoir tank 100 further may include a valve 600 connected to the coolant inlet 110, and the valve 600 may be operated based on commands received via the integrated controller 300.
The valve 600 may be a device such as an expansion valve or a switching valve that is operated based on a received control command. For example, as illustrated in
In this way, components arranged on the reservoir tank are each controlled by the single integrated controller 300, thereby eliminating the need for a control driver for each component, so that each component may be reduced in size and may be easily managed.
In the cooling medium circulation device structured as described above, the reservoir tank and the water pumps are integrated and modularized, and the various components, including the water pumps, are controlled by the single integrated controller, thereby eliminating the need for an individual control driver for each component, and thus resulting in the compactification of the entire module.
In embodiments, a cooling medium circulation device for a vehicle, includes: a reservoir tank in which a cooling medium or coolant is stored and which has an upper portion provided with a coolant inlet; one or more water pumps coupled to a lower portion of the reservoir tank so as to circulate the cooling medium; one or more valves connected to the coolant inlet and an integrated controller mounted to the reservoir tank so as to control an operation of the one or more water pumps and one or more valves. In one example, a single integrated controller controls the one or more water pumps and one or more valves. Each of the one or more water pumps and one or more valves are configured to be individually controlled based on commands that are received from the integrated controller (in one example, a single integrated controller) and do not include an individual control driver each of the one or more water pumps or the one or more valves. The integrated controller is mounted on a side surface of the reservoir tank.
Although the present disclosure has been described and illustrated in conjunction with particular embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various improvements and modifications may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the technical idea of the present disclosure defined by the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2023-0055730 | Apr 2023 | KR | national |
