ELECTRIC TRACTION VEHICLE WITH COOLING BY REFRIGERATION CYCLE

• US 20110000241A1
• Filed: 07/02/2010
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ferrari SPA (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Ferrari SPA (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Favaretto, Fabrizio
• Granted Patent: US 8,973,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/244
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00271 HVAC devices specially adapted for particular vehicle parts or components and being connected to the vehicle HVAC unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00307 Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/02 with liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/003 with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/005 the electric storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/006 the electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2025/005 driven by electric motors forming part of the propulsion unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/425 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0233 the conduits having a particular shape, e.g. non-circular cross-section, annular F28D15/0241, F28D15/0266 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6551 : Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6552 : Closed pipes transferring heat by thermal conductivity or phase transition, e.g. heat pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6562 : with free flow by convection only
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6569 : Fluids undergoing a liquid-gas phase change or transition, e.g. evaporation or condensation heat pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/658 : by thermal insulation or shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/66 : Heat-exchange relationships between the cells and other systems, e.g. central heating systems or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

An electric traction vehicle having: at least one pair of driving wheels; at least one reversible electric machine which can be mechanically connected to the driving wheels; an electronic power converter which pilots the electric machine; a storage system, which is aimed at storing electric energy, is connected to the electronic power converter and comprises at least one storage device; a passenger compartment; an air conditioning system of the passenger compartment which fulfills the function of regulating the temperature inside the passenger compartment; and a cooling system, which is completely independent and separate from the air conditioning system of the passenger compartment and uses a compression refrigeration cycle to cool at least one of the electric components, i.e. the electric machine, the electronic power converter and the storage system.

Claims

1. Electric traction vehicle comprising:

at least one pair of driving wheels;

at least one reversible electric machine which is capable of being mechanically connected to the driving wheels;

an electronic power converter operatively coupled to the electric machine;

a storage system which is capable of storing electric energy, is connected to the electronic power converter and comprises at least one storage device;

a passenger compartment;

an air conditioning system of the passenger compartment which is capable of regulating the temperature inside the passenger compartment; and

a cooling system which is completely independent and separate from the air conditioning system of the passenger compartment and uses a compression refrigeration cycle to cool at least one of the electric machine, the electronic power converter and the storage system;

wherein the cooling system comprises a compressor which is actuated directly by a shaft of the electric machine.

2. Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an electrically activated release device is interposed between the compressor of the cooling system and the shaft of the electric machine.

3. Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the cooling system comprises a refrigeration circuit containing a refrigeration fluid and comprising the compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and at least one evaporation element which is thermally coupled to at least one electric component.

4. Vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the refrigeration circuit comprises:

at least two evaporation elements, each of which is thermally coupled to a corresponding electric component; and

for each evaporation element an on-off solenoid valve which regulates the flow of the refrigeration fluid through the evaporation element.

5. Vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the evaporation element comprises an evaporator which is physically separated from the electric component, is thermally coupled to the electric component and determines a fluid-tight insulation between the refrigeration fluid and the electric component.

6. Vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the electric component is in a thermally insulating case which thermally insulates the electric component from the external environment and houses the evaporator, so that the exchange of heat with the external environment takes place only through the evaporator.

7. Vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the electric component is in a thermally insulating case which thermally insulates the electric component from the external environment, receives the refrigeration fluid from the expansion valve and sends the refrigeration fluid to the compressor, and constitutes the evaporator element.

8. Vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the electric machine and the electronic power converter are inside a same common thermally insulating case.

9. Vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the refrigeration circuit comprises an air radiator which is hit by an air flow when the vehicle is in motion and is thermally coupled to the condenser.

10. Vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the refrigeration circuit comprises a first water-type heat exchanger which is crossed by a cooling liquid of a cooling system of a thermal engine of the vehicle and is thermally coupled to the condenser.

11. Vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the cooling system comprises a cooling circuit containing a cooling fluid and comprising in turn a second heat exchanger, which is thermally coupled to the evaporation element, a circulation pump and at least one third heat exchanger, which is thermally coupled to a corresponding electric component.

12. Vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the cooling circuit comprises:

at least two third heat exchangers, each of which is thermally coupled to a corresponding electric component; and

for each third heat exchanger an on-off solenoid valve to regulate the flow of the cooling fluid through the third heat exchanger itself.

13. Vehicle according to claim 3, wherein:

the storage system comprises a first heat pipe which has a flat shape and includes a hollow body made of heat conducting metal containing a small quantity of refrigerant in liquid state, while the rest of the hollow body is filled with the vapor of the refrigerant; and

an upper wall of the first heat pipe is located in contact with the storage device and is located in contact with an evaporator crossed by the cooling fluid circulating along the refrigeration circuit or with a third heat exchanger crossed by the cooling fluid circulating along the cooling circuit.

14. Vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the electronic power converter comprises a second heat pipe which has a flat shape and includes a hollow body made of heat conducting metal containing a small quantity of refrigerant in liquid state, while the rest of the hollow body is filled with the vapor of the refrigerant;

and

an upper wall of the second heat pipe is located in contact with the electronic power converter and is located in contact with an evaporator crossed by the cooling fluid circulating along the refrigeration circuit or with a third heat exchanger crossed by the cooling fluid circulating along the cooling circuit.

15. Vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the electric component is in a thermally insulating case which thermally insulates the electric component from the external environment and houses the evaporator of the refrigeration circuit or a third heat exchanger of the cooling circuit, so that the exchange of heat with the external environment takes place prevalently through the evaporator or through the third heat exchanger.