Supply Rail for a Motor Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017320454-A1
Application number	US-201715661714-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 27, 2017
Priority date	Jan 28, 2015
Publication date	Nov 9, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A supply rail for a vehicle includes a first busbar which is designed to provide electrical energy with a first supply voltage for supplying energy to a large number of electrical modules of the vehicle. In this case, the electrical modules of the large number of electrical modules are arranged at different points of the vehicle. The supply rail includes means for data transmission designed to allow data interchange between at least two of the large number of electrical modules. The supply rail has a large number of slots for the large number of electrical modules, wherein a first slot of the large number of slots is designed to connect a first electrical module of the large number of electrical modules to the first busbar and to the means for data transmission by way of a first plug connection. The supply rail includes a temperature-control duct which is designed to conduct a thermally conductive medium past the large number of electrical modules.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A supply rail for a vehicle, comprising:
a first busbar which is configured to provide electrical energy with a first supply voltage for supplying energy to a multiplicity of electrical modules of the vehicle, wherein the electrical modules of the multiplicity of electrical modules are arranged at different points on the vehicle; means for transmitting data, which transmitting means are configured to permit a data exchange between at least two of the multiplicity of electrical modules; a multiplicity of plug-in locations for the multiplicity of electrical modules, wherein a first plug-in location of the multiplicity of plug-in locations is configured to connect, via a first plug-in connection, a first electrical module of the multiplicity of electrical modules to the first busbar and to the means for transmitting data; and a temperature-control duct which is configured to carry a thermally conductive medium past a multiplicity of the plug-in locations.

2 . The supply rail as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive medium comprises a liquid or a gaseous medium.

3 . The supply rail as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the temperature-control duct is arranged along the multiplicity of plug-in locations.

4 . The supply rail as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the temperature-control duct is formed at least partially by a bodywork of the vehicle.

5 . The supply rail as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the temperature-control duct is formed at least partially by a bodywork of the vehicle.

6 . The supply rail as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the temperature-control duct is formed at least partially by a bodywork of the vehicle.

7 . The supply rail as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the supply rail comprises means for permitting thermal energy to be transmitted with a specific conductivity from the first electrical module to the thermally conductive medium, and vice versa; and the specific conductivity is higher than a conductivity of air.

8 . The supply rail as claimed in claim 3 , wherein
the supply rail comprises means for permitting thermal energy to be transmitted with a specific conductivity from the first electrical module to the thermally conductive medium, and vice versa; and the specific conductivity is higher than a conductivity of air.

9 . The supply rail as claimed in claim 4 , wherein
the supply rail comprises means for permitting thermal energy to be transmitted with a specific conductivity from the first electrical module to the thermally conductive medium, and vice versa; and the specific conductivity is higher than a conductivity of air.

10 . An on-board power system for a vehicle, comprising:
a multiplicity of electrical modules, wherein the electrical modules of the multiplicity of electrical modules are arranged at different points on the vehicle; and a supply rail, the supply rail comprising:
a first busbar which is configured to provide electrical energy with a first supply voltage for supplying energy to the multiplicity of electrical modules of the vehicle;
means for transmitting data, which transmitting means are configured to permit a data exchange between at least two of the multiplicity of electrical modules;
a multiplicity of plug-in locations for the multiplicity of electrical modules, wherein a first plug-in location of the multiplicity of plug-in locations is configured to connect, via a first plug-in connection, a first electrical module of the multiplicity of electrical modules to the first busbar and to the means for transmitting data; and
a temperature-control duct which is configured to carry a thermally conductive medium past a multiplicity of the plug-in locations.

11 . The on-board power system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the thermally conductive medium comprises a liquid or a gaseous medium.

12 . The on-board power system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the temperature-control duct is arranged along the multiplicity of plug-in locations.

13 . The on-board power system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the temperature-control duct is formed at least partially by a bodywork of the vehicle.

14 . The on-board power system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein
the supply rail comprises means for permitting thermal energy to be transmitted with a specific conductivity from the first electrical module to the thermally conductive medium, and vice versa; and the specific conductivity is higher than a conductivity of air.

15 . The on-board power system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the on-board power system further comprises a control unit, the control unit being configured to:
detect a requirement for thermal energy of the multiplicity of electrical modules; and determine a property of the thermally conductive medium as a function of the requirement of thermal energy.

16 . The on-board power system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the property is one or both of a temperature and a pressure of the thermally conductive medium.

17 . The on-board power system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
detect when the vehicle is in a regeneration phase; and cause the thermally conductive medium to be adapted according to the determined property during the regeneration phase.

18 . The on-board power system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein:
the control unit is arranged in a plug-in location of the supply rail; and the control unit is further configured to communicate with the multiplicity of electrical modules via the means for transmitting data, in order to detect the requirement for thermal energy.

19 . The on-board power system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
determine that thermal energy is to be fed to a component of the vehicle which is not arranged on one of the multiplicity of plug-in locations of the supply rail; and cause the thermally conductive medium to be at least partially fed to the component of the vehicle at an outlet of the temperature-control duct in order to feed thermal energy to the component.

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Froeschl Joachim

Classifications

• B60L50/64

  Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title

• H02G3/22

  Installations of cables or lines through walls, floors or ceilings, e.g. into buildings · CPC title

• B60L2240/545

  Temperature · CPC title

• H02G3/03

  Cooling · CPC title

• B60L58/26

  by cooling · CPC title