Thermal system for an electric or hybrid vehicle, electric or hybrid vehicle, method for operating a thermal system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11318813-B2
Application number	US-202016824149-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2020
Priority date	Mar 20, 2019
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

A thermal system for a vehicle having a comprehensive cooling circuit, a refrigeration circuit, a cooling circuit, a heating circuit, and a plurality of switched states is disclosed. The cooling circuit is connected with a heat source of the vehicle. The cooling circuit has a high-voltage accumulator (HVA) circuit to which a high-voltage accumulator for supplying power to an electric drivetrain of the vehicle is connected. An ambient cooler is connected to the cooling circuit downstream of the heat source. A chiller for transferring heat from the HVA circuit into the refrigeration circuit is also connected to the refrigeration circuit. A first switched state, in which the HVA circuit downstream and upstream of the heat source is connected to the cooling circuit, can be set such that an extended HVA circuit, in which the high-voltage accumulator and the heat source are connected in series is configured.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermal system having a plurality of switched states for a vehicle comprising:
a heat source for heating a high-voltage accumulator;
a cooling circuit connected to the heat source;
a refrigeration circuit;
a high-voltage accumulator (HVA) circuit connected to the high-voltage accumulator for supplying power to an electric drivetrain of the vehicle;
an ambient cooler exchanging heat and connected to the cooling circuit downstream of the heat source;
a chiller transferring heat from the HVA circuit into the refrigeration circuit; and
an extended HVA circuit connecting the high-voltage accumulator and the heat source in series, wherein
a first switched state of the thermal system connects the HVA circuit downstream and upstream of the heat source and connects to the extended HVA circuit for heating the high-voltage accumulator using the heat source,
a second switched state configures the thermal system such that:
the HVA circuit cools the heat source using the chiller, the ambient cooler, or both, and is connected upstream and downstream of the chiller; and
the heat source, the chiller, and the ambient cooler are connected in series, such that:
the heat source is disposed upstream of the chiller; and
the ambient cooler is disposed downstream of the chiller.

2. The thermal system according to claim 1 , comprising:
a first actuator disposed downstream of the high-voltage accumulator and setting the first switched state, comprising:
a first switched position in which the HVA circuit is connected to the cooling circuit upstream of the heat source; and
a second switched position in which the HVA circuit is separated from the cooling circuit or is connected downstream of the heat source.

3. The thermal system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the heat source is a component of the electric drivetrain of the vehicle; and
the heat source is configured for generating additional heat by trimming in the first switched state.

4. The thermal system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third switched state configuring the thermal system such that:
the chiller is separated from the cooling circuit; and
the ambient cooler is separated from the HVA circuit.

5. The thermal system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a junction is disposed upstream and downstream of the chiller to configure an HVA branch and a cooler branch, wherein
the high-voltage accumulator is connected to the HVA branch;
the heat source and the ambient cooler are connected to the cooler branch; and
a third switched state of the thermal system connects the HVA branch and the cooler branch in parallel to cool the high-voltage accumulator via the ambient cooler by mixing coolant from the HVA branch and the cooler branch.

6. The thermal system according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a second actuator disposed upstream of the ambient cooler, comprising:
a first switched position in which the heat source is connected in series with the ambient cooler and bypasses the chiller; and
a second switched position in which the heat source, the chiller, and the ambient cooler are connected in series, wherein
a third switched state connects the chiller upstream of the ambient cooler and downstream of the heat source.

7. The thermal system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third switched state configuring the thermal system such that:
the heat source is connected in parallel with the high-voltage accumulator and the chiller; and
the chiller is disposed downstream of the ambient cooler and upstream of the high-voltage accumulator.

8. The thermal system according to claim 7 , further comprising:
an actuator disposed upstream of the chiller, comprising:
a first switched position in which the high-voltage accumulator is not connected in series with the ambient cooler; and
a second switched position in which the ambient cooler, the chiller, and the high-voltage accumulator are connected in series.

9. The thermal system according to claim 1 , wherein the ambient cooler is a first ambient cooler, and the thermal system further comprises:
a cooler junction disposed downstream of the first ambient cooler from which an LT branch and an HT branch extend; and
a second ambient cooler connected to the LT branch upstream of the HVA circuit, wherein:
the HT branch supplies coolant for the heat source; and
the LT branch is connected to the HVA circuit downstream of the chiller.

10. The thermal system according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a heating circuit connected to a heating heat exchanger for heating cabin air for the vehicle; and
a condenser connected with the refrigeration circuit and the chiller forms a heat pump connected to the heating circuit, the heat pump transmitting heat from the chiller to the heating circuit, wherein
the condenser, the heating heat exchanger, and the ambient cooler are connected in series.

11. The thermal system according to claim 10 , wherein the actuator is a first actuator and the thermal system further comprises:
a second actuator, comprising:
a first switched position in which the heating circuit for heating the cabin air is separated from the cooling circuit; and
a second switched position in which the heating circuit for dissipating heat from the heating circuit is connected to the cooling circuit.

12. The thermal system according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a heating circuit booster heater to feed additional heat into the heating circuit, wherein
the heating circuit booster heater is disposed in the heating circuit downstream of the condenser and upstream of the heating heat exchanger.

13. The thermal system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an HVA booster heater to feed additional heat into the HVA circuit, wherein
the HVA booster heater is disposed in the HVA circuit downstream of the high-voltage accumulator and upstream of the chiller.

14. The thermal system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an HVA check valve disposed downstream of the high-voltage accumulator for blocking the high-voltage accumulator on both sides in the event of a defect; and
an HVA shut-off valve disposed upstream of the high-voltage accumulator and which is closed in a non-energized state.

15. An electric or hybrid vehicle having a thermal system according to claim 1 .

16. A thermal system having a plurality of switched states for a vehicle comprising,
a heat source for heating a high-voltage accumulator;
a cooling circuit connected to the heat source,
a refrigeration circuit;
a high-voltage accumulator (HVA) circuit connected to the high-voltage accumulator for supplying power to an electric drivetrain of the vehicle;
an ambient cooler exchanging heat and connected to the cooling circuit downstream of the heat source;
a chiller transferring heat from the HVA circuit into the refrigeration circuit; and
an extended HVA circuit connecting the high-voltage accumulator and the heat source in series, wherein
a switched state of the thermal system connects the HVA circuit downstream and upstream of the heat source and connects to the extended HVA circuit for heating the high-voltage accumulator using the heat source,
during a heating demand for the high-voltage accumulator:
the switched state is set;
a first HVA heating operation for which an HVA pump in the HVA circuit is activated; and
the high-voltage accumulator is heated by exhaust heat from the heat source.

17. The thermal system according to claim 16 , wherein:
the heat source is a component

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Allgaeuer Christian
• Horn Oliver
• Moser Markus

Classifications

• H01M10/625

  Vehicles · CPC title

• B60H1/00385

  for vehicles having an electrical drive, e.g. hybrid or fuel cell · CPC title

• B60H1/143

  the heat being derived from cooling an electric component, e.g. electric motors, electric circuits, fuel cells or batteries · CPC title

• B60H2001/00307

  Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow · CPC title

• B60H1/00278 Primary

  for the battery · CPC title