Patent Application
20200088476
Various embodiments relate to connections for fluid vessel assemblies such as a cooling assembly for vehicle electronics, such as an on-board vehicle battery charger.
On-board vehicle battery chargers conduct high current, which consequently transmits a high heat. In order to manage the heat of such applications, fluid cooling vessels have been provided to cool the chargers. The fluid cooling vessels often include a body with a cavity and a cover that are sealed with a gasket and screws. Silicone and ultraviolet-curing gaskets have been provided. Alternatively, the covers have been friction stir welded to the body.
According to at least one embodiment, a fluid vessel assembly is provided with a first vessel body with a first mating surface and a first adherent surface nonparallel with the first mating surface. The first vessel body forms a first portion of a fluid cavity. A second vessel body with a second mating surface is sized to engage the first mating surface. A second adherent surface is sized to cooperate with the first adherent surface. The second vessel body forms a second portion of the fluid cavity. An adhesive is applied to the first adherent surface and the second adherent surface to bond the first vessel body and the second vessel body together.
According to a further embodiment, the first vessel body further defines a third adherent surface extending from and intersecting the first adherent surface.
According to an even further embodiment, the second vessel body further defines a fourth adherent surface extending from and intersecting the second adherent surface.
According to an even further embodiment, the first vessel body further defines a fifth adherent surface extending from and intersecting the third adherent surface, and generally parallel and offset from the first adherent surface.
According to an even further embodiment, the second vessel body further defines a sixth adherent surface extending from and intersecting the fourth adherent surface, and generally parallel and onset from the second adherent surface to bond with the fifth adherent surface.
According to another further embodiment, the first vessel body includes a channel formed therein about a periphery, defining the first adherent surface.
According to an even further embodiment, the second vessel body includes a peripheral projection extending from a periphery and sized to be received within the channel, defining the second adherent surface.
According to an even further embodiment, the fluid cavity has a depth of five millimeters to thirty-five millimeters. The peripheral projection has a thickness in a range of five millimeters to eight millimeters.
According to another further embodiment, the first vessel body is formed of aluminum. The second vessel body is formed of aluminum.
According to another further embodiment, the adhesive includes a structural adhesive.
According to another further embodiment, the fluid vessel assembly does not include any threaded fasteners attaching the first vessel body to the second vessel body.
According to another further embodiment, the fluid vessel assembly does not include an additional gasket in the first mating surface or in the second mating surface between the first vessel body and the second vessel body.
According to another further embodiment, the assembly withstands an internal pressure of up to five atmospheric bars.
According to another further embodiment, the assembly withstands an internal pressure of up to ten atmospheric bars.
According to another further embodiment, the assembly withstands up to two hundred thermal shocks in a range of negative forty degrees Celsius to one hundred and five degrees Celsius.
According to another further embodiment, the assembly withstands up to one thousand thermal shocks in a range of negative forty degrees Celsius to one hundred and five degrees Celsius.
According to at least another embodiment, an assembly for cooling a vehicle on-board battery charger is provided. The assembly includes a fluid vessel assembly is provided with a first vessel body with a first mating surface and a first adherent surface nonparallel with the first mating surface. The first vessel body forms a first portion of a fluid cavity. A second vessel body with a second mating surface is sized to engage the first mating surface. A second adherent surface is sized to cooperate with the first adherent surface. The second vessel body forms a second portion of the fluid cavity. An adhesive is applied to the first adherent surface and the second adherent surface to bond the first vessel body and the second vessel body together. The first vessel body defines a cooling cavity body and the second vessel body defines a cover plate.
According to at least another embodiment, a method for assembling, a fluid vessel assembly provides a first vessel body with a first mating surface and a first adherent surface nonparallel with the first mating surface. The first vessel body forms a first portion of a fluid cavity. An adhesive is disposed upon the first adherent surface. A second vessel body is with a second mating surface is sized to engage the first mating surface. A second adherent surface is sized to cooperate with the first adherent surface. The second vessel body forms a second portion of the fluid cavity. The second adherent surface is mated to the first adherent surface so that the adhesive bonds the first adherent surface and the second adherent surface together.
According to at least another embodiment, a method for assembling a fluid vessel assembly provides a first vessel body with a peripheral adherent channel. An adhesive is disposed in the channel. A second vessel body is provided with a peripheral adherent projection sized to be received within the peripheral adherent channel. The peripheral adherent projection is inserted into the peripheral adherent channel so that the adhesive bonds the peripheral adherent projection within the peripheral adherent channel.
According to at least another embodiment, a fluid vessel assembly is provided with a first vessel body with a first adherent surface. The first vessel body forms a first portion of a fluid cavity. A second vessel body with a second adherent surface is sized to cooperate with the first adherent surface. The second vessel body forms a second portion of the fluid cavity. The first adherent surface and the second adherent surface extend in a direction toward the first vessel body and the second vessel body. An adhesive is applied to the first adherent surface and the second adherent surface to bond the first vessel body and the second vessel body together.
According to at least another embodiment, a fluid vessel assembly is provided with a first vessel body with a first plurality of adherent surfaces. The first vessel body forms a first portion of a fluid cavity. A second vessel body with a second plurality of adherent surfaces is sized to cooperate with the first plurality of adherent surfaces. The second vessel body forms a second portion of the fluid cavity. An adhesive is applied to the first plurality of adherent surfaces and the second plurality of adherent surfaces to bond the first vessel body and the second vessel body together. The first plurality of adherent surfaces and the second plurality of adherent surfaces are aligned such that upon application of a fluid pressure to the fluid cavity the adhesive is primarily under shear stress.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
On-board battery chargers and other electronic products for vehicles, particularly electric vehicles are liquid cooled. Optionally, liquid cooled electronics might also be applied to sealed electronic components in cavities, such as closed housing main covers, printed circuit boards, internal frames, converters, batteries, telecommunications, or any electrical device that may employ liquid cooling.
The prior art has provided cooling fluid vessels, often referred to as cold-plates. The cold-plates are often formed of aluminum and include a housing with sidewalls defining a cavity with a cover enclosing the cavity. The cover is often sealed to the housing with a gasket, such as a silicone gasket or an ultraviolet-cured gasket. Such gasketed vessel assemblies are often held together with threaded fasteners. Alternatively, the prior art has friction stir welded covers to cavity housings. However, market demands require the seals to pass enhanced specifications to increased fluid pressures, vibrations and chemical agents, while also requesting a reduction in costs.
In order to meet the increasing market demands and withstand various design applications, an application of an adhesive is employed to mount a cover to a housing of a cold-plate vessel.
Referring now to
The housing 34 includes a base 38 with a plurality of sidewalls 40 extending from the base 38 to provide a portion of a fluid cavity 42. A mating surface 44 is provided upon the sidewalk 40 for receipt of the cover 36. A channel 46 is formed into the sidewalls 40 through the mating surface 44 to provide a plurality of adherent surfaces, namely an inner adherent surface 48, a depth adherent surface 50, and an outer adherent surface 52. The inner adherent surface 48 and the outer adherent surface 52 are parallel and offset and are both perpendicular with the mating surface 44. The depth adherent surface 50 extends between the inner adherent surface 48 and the outer adherent surface 52 and intersects the inner adherent surface 48 and the outer adherent surface 52.
The cover 36 includes a flange 54 with a mating surface 56 for contacting the mating surface 44 of the housing 34 and enclosing the cavity 42. A peripheral projection 58 extends generally perpendicular from the flange 54 and is sized to fit in the channel 46 of the housing 34. The peripheral projection 58 defines a plurality of adherent surfaces for alignment with the adherent surfaces 48, 50, 52 in the channel 46. The peripheral projection 58 provides an inner adherent surface 60 extending perpendicular from the flange 54, a distal adherent surface 62 extending outward from the inner adherent surface 60, and an intersecting outer adherent surface 64 parallel and offset from the inner adherent surface 60.
A structural adhesive 66 is disposed in the channel 46 to adhere each of the channel adherent surfaces 48, 50, 52 to the corresponding projection adherent surface 60, 62, 64. An overlapping of the adhesive 66 and the adherent surfaces 48, 50, 52, 60, 62, 64 is regulated by a volume of the adhesive 66 disposed within the channel 46. The adhesive 66 is limited to the adherent surfaces 48, 50, 52, 60, 62, 64 so that shear stress is enhanced along the inner adherent surfaces 48, 60 and the outer adherent surfaces 52, 64, while peeling stress is limited along the shortened channel depth surface 50 and the projection distal surface 62.
Referring now to
The vessel assembly 32 provides various manufacturing advantages over the prior art. The channel 46 permits a clean process that minimizes spills and waste. A designed adhesive thickness can be obtained by controlling a volume of the adhesive 66 dispensed in the channel 46. Referring to
The vessel assembly 32 also provides product advantages. A total number of components is minimized, while simplifying the assembly process. Threaded fasteners, such as screws are eliminated for bonding the cover 36 to the housing 34. Additional gaskets are also eliminated from the vessel assembly 32. Eliminating these components reduces costs of the components, and also reduces manufacturing time and costs.
Although the aluminum housing 34 and the aluminum cover 36 are described, any suitable material, such as a plastic material may be employed. Depending on the design requirements, an electrically conductive adhesive 66 may be utilized. Some suitable structural adhesives include LOCTITE® EA 9483 manufactured by Henkel Ltd., of Wood Lane End, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 4RQ, United Kingdom; Penloc® GTR-VT manufactured by Panacol-Elosol GmbH of Daimlerstr. 8, 61449 Steinbach, Germany; and Betamate™2090 manufactured by Dow Automotive Systems, Dow Europe GmbH, Bachtobelstrasse 3, 8810 Horgen, Switzerland.
The vessel assembly 32 complies with market demands for liquid pressure, thermomechanical stress, and chemical agent endurance. For example, the vessel assembly 32 has withstood internal pressures of up to five atmospheric bars, and up to ten atmospheric bars in various testing applications. Under various testing the adhesive 66 withstood up to two hundred thermal shocks and up to one thousand thermal shocks. The thermal shocks ranged from negative forty degrees Celsius to one hundred and five degrees Celsius.
Various vessel assembly 32 sizes and shapes may be employed for various cooling applications, which depend on shapes of components to be assembled and cooled. For example, the cavity 42 may have a depth of five to thirty-five millimeters. The channel 46 may be sized with a width from the inner adherent surface 48 to the outer adherent surface of approximately five to eight millimeters according to a suitable range of example embodiments. For this range of examples, the peripheral projection 58 may have a corresponding thickness range from the inner adherent surface 60 to the outer adherent surface 64 of three to five millimeters, and a depth from the cover mating surface 56 to the distal adherent surface 62 of eight to fifteen millimeters.
While various embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.
