Thermal management for an electric or hybrid vehicle and a method for air-conditioning the interior of such a motor vehicle

• US 10,589,596 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2016
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Gentherm GmbH (Gentherm Incorporated), Technische Univeritaet Muenchen, Technische Universitat Munchen
• Original Assignee: Gentherm GmbH (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Inventors: Riederer, Stefan, Hoerth, Leonhard, Birndorfer, Heinrich, Ranalli, Marco, Adldinger, Martin, Lorenz, Manuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Bauer, Cassey D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diaz, Miguel A
• Application Number:
  US15/187,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20160297280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00385 for vehicles having an electrical drive, e.g. hybrid or fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00478 Air-conditioning devices using the Peltier effect for air-conditioning in general F24F5/0042; for refrigeration F25B21/02; electric devices exhibiting the Peltier effect H10N10/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00307 Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/04 reversible
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21153 of electronic components

Abstract

An energy-efficient thermal management system for an electric or hybrid vehicle is provided. The system has a first coolant circuit for controlling the temperature of electric components of an electric powertrain, an air-conditioning unit being provided for air-conditioning an interior. A second coolant circuit air-conditions the interior and is operable independently of the first coolant circuit. Each coolant circuit comprises a pump and a respective ambient heat exchanger. In order to control the temperature of the interior, a temperature control device which can be designed as a Peltier module is integrated into the second coolant circuit, said temperature control device operating in the manner of a heat pump for heating purposes. The two coolant circuits can be coupled to each other in order to exchange heat. An additional temperature control device can be integrated in order to air-condition an interior component in a decentralized manner, in particular a seat.

Claims

1. A thermal management system for an electric or hybrid vehicle, the system comprising:

a first coolant circuit for a liquid first coolant for controlling a temperature of electrical components of an electric powertrain;

an air-conditioning unit for air-conditioning an interior of the vehicle, said air-conditioning unit comprising a first cooling fan, a heater core and a temperature control device, wherein, during operation, an air stream to be air-conditioned is guided through the air-conditioning unit via the first cooling fan and is released into the interior;

a second coolant circuit for a liquid second coolant for air-conditioning the interior, which is designed for a lower operating temperature than the first coolant circuit, wherein the second coolant circuit is operable independently of the first coolant circuit and each of the coolant circuits have a pump whereby, in the second coolant circuit, there are no electrical components of said electric powertrain;

said temperature control device as part of the air-conditioning unit is integrated in the second coolant circuit for controlling the temperature of the interior and for temperature control operates in the manner of a heat pump, the temperature control device comprising a thermomagnetic or a thermoelectric module, whereby the temperature control device is disposed within said air stream which is guided through the air-conditioning unit and is released into the interior, the first and the second coolant circuits being coupled to one another; and

said heater core disposed in the air-conditioning unit, which is selectively connected for a first heating mode by being selectively connected to the first coolant circuit via a first switching valve so that both coolant circuits are coupled to one another such that the first and second coolant intermix with one another and heat is transferred from the first coolant circuit to the second coolant circuit,

wherein, in a cooling mode, both coolant circuits are decoupled and respectively emit heat into the environment, and

wherein, in the cooling mode, heat of the temperature control device is absorbed by the second coolant and released via an ambient temperature heat exchanger to the environment and heat of said electrical components is absorbed by the first coolant and released to the environment.

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein the thermal management system is, for air-conditioning the interior, free of a refrigerant circuit with a compressor unit and active cooling of the interior is carried out exclusively by means of the thermomagnetic or thermoelectric module.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein the first coolant circuit is associated with a first ambient heat exchanger and the second coolant circuit is associated with a second ambient heat exchanger.

4. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein, for controlling the temperature of a battery, the battery is integratable in the second coolant circuit.

5. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein, in a storage mode, at least one of the electrical components of the electric powertrain or a battery is exploited as thermal storage for the second cooling circuit, and the second coolant is not guided through the ambient heat exchanger.

6. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein a preconditioning mode is provided, during which time before starting the vehicle, the interior or a component of the electric powertrain is preheated.

7. The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein, in the second coolant circuit, a further temperature control device is integrated in a seat for controlling the temperature of the seat and has a further thermomagnetic or thermoelectric module and is not a PTC element.

8. The thermal management system of claim 1, further comprising a burner associated with the heater core,

wherein the first cooling fan and the temperature control device are integrated in the air-conditioning unit, and

wherein the heater core is integrated in a bypass line from the second coolant circuit.

9. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein a switchable burner is arranged in the system.

10. The thermal management system according to claim 9, wherein for a second heating mode, the temperature control device is switched on for heating.

11. The thermal management system according to claim 10, wherein for a third heating mode, the switchable burner is switched on and the temperature control device is switched off.

12. The thermal management system according to claim 11, wherein at a high heat demand in a fourth heating mode, both the switchable burner and the temperature control device are switched on.