Cooling device for electrical power units of electrically operated vehicles

• US 7,616,443 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RENK AG (RENK GmbH)
• Original Assignee: RENK AG (RENK GmbH)
• Inventors: Walter, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi; Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAPE, ZACHARY
• Application Number:
  US10/581,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20070051490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,167 Days
• Field of Search: 361/696, 361/698, 361/699, 165/41, 165/121, 165 804- 805, 257/714, 174/15.1, 174/252, 180/68.2, 180/68.1, 180/65.1, 180/65.3, 37/101
• US Class Current: 361/699
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/02 the heat being derived from the propulsion plant B60H1/00492 takes precedence
• 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 2001/003 with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

A cooling device for an electrical power unit of electrically operated vehicles, comprising at least one power section and at least one control section. A first cooling circuit containing a heat exchanger with a low coolant temperature is provided mainly for cooling elements of the control sections, and a further cooling circuit with a higher coolant temperature is provided mainly for cooling elements of the power sections.

Claims

1. A cooling system for an electrical power unit of an electrically operated vehicle, said power unit comprising at least one power section and at least one control section, said cooling system comprising:

a first cooling circuit arranged to primarily cool said at least one control section, said first cooling circuit comprising a first heat exchanger configured and arranged to feed coolant to said at least one control section at a first coolant temperature;

a second cooling circuit arranged to primarily cool said at least one power section, said second cooling circuit comprising a second heat exchanger configured and arranged to feed coolant to said at least one power section at a second coolant temperature which is higher than said first coolant temperature; and

at least one partition wall arranged between said at least one power section and said at least one control section;

wherein said at least one power section and said at least one control section are arranged on a common printed circuit board in a common housing.

2. The cooling system of claim 1 wherein said first heat exchanger is configured and arranged to feed coolant to said at least one control section at a coolant temperature of approximately 70°

C., and said second heat exchanger is configured and arranged to feed coolant to said at least one power section at a coolant temperature of approximately 90°

C.

3. The cooling system of claim 1 wherein said second heat exchanger is arranged serially downstream of said first heat exchanger with respect to a direction of air flow toward said first heat exchanger.

4. The cooling system of claim 3 further comprising a fan, said first heat exchanger being arranged serially downstream of said fan.

5. An electrical power system for an electrically operated vehicle, said power system comprising:

a power unit comprising at least one power section and at least one control section;

a first cooling circuit arranged to primarily cool said at least one control section, said first cooling circuit comprising a first heat exchanger configured and arranged to feed coolant to said at least one control section at a first coolant temperature;

a second cooling circuit arranged to primarily cool said at least one power section, said second cooling circuit comprising a second heat exchanger configured and arranged to feed coolant to said at least one power section at a second coolant temperature which is higher than said first coolant temperature; and

at least one partition wall arranged between said at least one power section and said at least one control section;

wherein said at least one power section and said at least one control section are arranged on a common printed circuit board in a common housing.

6. The cooling system of claim 5 wherein said at least one partition wall is made of thermally insulating material.

7. The cooling system of claim 5 wherein said at least one power section and said at least one control section are spatially separate from one another.

8. The power system of claim 5 wherein said control section comprises elements which are arranged in a region of said at least one power section.

9. The power system of claim 5 wherein said at least one power section comprises elements which are arranged in a region of said at least one control section.