Electrical power train for a vehicle, comprising an electrical dissipation element cooled by cooling liquid

• US 7,383,903 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2005
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Conception ET Developpement Michelin S.A., Paul Scherrer-Institut (Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft)
• Original Assignee: Conception ET Developpement Michelin S.A., Paul Scherrer-Institut (Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft)
• Inventors: Varenne, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis; Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COOLMAN, VAUGHN
• Application Number:
  US11/111,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20050244691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 180 651- 654
• US Class Current: 180/65.31
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/30 for monitoring or controlling fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/33 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/34 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

An electric power train for a vehicle, the power train comprising an electrical line (61), an installation for producing electrical energy, the installation being connected to the electrical line (61), the installation having a first cooling circuit (1) using a cooling liquid, an electrical energy management unit (6), at least one electrical machine (4) connected to at least one driving wheel (40), connected to the electrical line (61) by means of an electronic control module for the electrical machine, the electrical machine (4) being connected to a second cooling circuit (2) in which a cooling liquid circulates, independent of the first cooling circuit (1), and an electrical dissipation element (8) being able to be electrically connected to the electrical line, wherein the electrical dissipation element (8) being immersed in the first cooling circuit (1).

Claims

1. An electrical power train for a vehicle, the power train comprising:

an electrical line;

an installation for providing electrical energy for the vehicle, the installation being connected to the electrical line;

a first cooling circuit for cooling the installation using a first heat-transfer liquid charge, wherein the first cooling circuit includes a first radiator for dissipating heat to an ambient atmosphere;

an electrical energy management unit connected to the electrical line;

a second cooling circuit for cooling an electrical machine, wherein the second cooling circuit includes a second radiator for dissipating heat to the ambient atmosphere, wherein the second cooling circuit uses a second heat-transfer liquid charge independent of the first heat-transfer liquid charge used in the first cooling circuit, and wherein the second cooling circuit may be selectively thermally decoupled from the first cooling circuit;

an electrical dissipation element electrically connectable to and disconnectable from the electrical line under control of the electrical energy management unit, wherein the electrical dissipation element is immersed in the first heat-transfer liquid charge of the first cooling circuit; and

a switch, controlled by the electrical energy management unit, for connecting the electrical dissipation element to and disconnecting the electrical dissipation element from the electrical line, wherein, when the electrical energy management unit detects an inability of the electrical line to carry away excess electrical energy, the electrical energy management unit causes the switch to connect the electrical dissipation element to the electrical line so that the electrical dissipation element may absorb at least some of the excess electrical energy and dissipate the absorbed excess electrical energy via the first heat-transfer liquid charge of the first cooling circuit.

2. The power train according to claim 1, wherein the installation includes a fuel cell supplied with pure oxygen.

3. The power train according to claim 1, wherein the installation includes a fuel cell supplied with oxygen by compression of ambient air.

4. The power train according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of electronic management modules, wherein the second cooling circuit establishes a circulation of the second heat-transfer liquid charge in the plurality of electronic management modules.

5. The power train according to claim 1, wherein an electrical energy storage device is connected to the electrical line via the electrical energy management unit.

6. The power train according to claim 1, wherein the electrical energy management unit detects the inability of the electrical line to carry away excess electrical energy by detecting a rise in voltage on the electrical line.

7. The power train according to claim 1,

wherein the electrical machine is connected to at least one driving wheel, and

wherein the at least one electrical machine is connected to the electrical line via an electronic module controlling the electrical machine.

8. The power train according to claim 2, wherein the fuel cell is a polymer membrane cell or an alkaline cell.

9. The power train according to claim 3, wherein the fuel cell is a polymer membrane cell or an alkaline cell.

10. The power train according to claim 4, wherein all of the plurality of electronic management modules cooled by the second heat-transfer liquid charge are connected to the second cooling circuit.

11. The power train according to claim 7, wherein the electronic control module is an inverter.