METHOD AND COOLING ARRANGEMENT FOR COOLING AND DOUSING AN OVERHEATED BATTERY MODULE OF A HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A cooling arrangement for cooling at least one first and/or second battery module of a high-voltage battery for a motor vehicle. The cooling arrangement has a line arrangement which includes a feed connection, a first and second opening respectively associated with the first and second battery module, and which is designed as branched, so that a cooling medium provided at the feed connection can be led via a first line branch to the first outlet opening and via a second line branch to the second outlet opening and can be led selectively out of the first outlet opening or the second outlet opening.

Claims

1. A cooling arrangement for cooling at least one first and/or second battery module of a high-voltage battery for a motor vehicle, wherein the cooling arrangement comprises: a line arrangement which includes: a feed connection for coupling to a reservoir for a cooling medium for cooling the at least one first and/or second battery module; a first outlet opening which is associated with at least the first battery module, and a second outlet opening which is associated with at least the second battery module, wherein the line arrangement is designed as branched and comprises at least a first line branch and a second line branch different from the first line branch, wherein the line arrangement is designed in such a manner that a cooling medium provided at the feed connection can be led via the first line branch to the first outlet opening and via the second line branch to the second outlet opening and selectively led out of the first outlet opening and/or the second outlet opening.

2. The cooling arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the cooling arrangement comprises a battery housing with a first housing chamber for accommodating at least the first battery module or battery cells contained by the first battery module, and with a second housing chamber separated from the first housing chamber, for accommodating at least the second battery module or battery cells contained by the second battery module, wherein the first outlet opening opens into the first housing chamber and wherein the second outlet opening opens into the second housing chamber, in particular wherein the first housing chamber is fluidically sealed with respect to the second housing chamber.

3. The cooling arrangement according to claim 2, wherein, between the first housing chamber and the second housing chamber, a thermal insulation device is arranged for thermal insulation of the first and second housing chambers from one another.

4. The cooling arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the first and second housing chambers each comprise an outflow opening from which cooling medium introduced into the first or second housing chamber can be led out of the first or second housing chamber.

5. The cooling arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the cooling arrangement comprises a battery housing for accommodating the first and second battery module, wherein the line arrangement comprises a main closure device arranged outside of the battery housing, which is designed to interrupt a fluidic connection between the feed connection and the first and second outlet opening in a closed state and to unblock it in an opened state.

6. The cooling arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the cooling arrangement comprises at least one connection device for connecting a motor vehicle-external reservoir, in particular via a fire hose, which can be or is coupled to the feed connection or is provided by the feed connection.

7. The cooling arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the cooling arrangement includes the reservoir for the cooling medium, which is designed as a motor vehicle-internal reservoir and which is or can be fluidically coupled to the feed connection, wherein in particular at least one cooling medium from the following group is accommodated in the reservoir: carbon dioxide; nitrogen; a cooling medium comprising primarily water.

8. The cooling arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the line arrangement comprises at least one expansion device which is designed to expand and thereby cool the cooling medium as it flows through the at least one expansion device, in particular to a temperature of less than at most −20° Celsius, preferably at most −70° Celsius.

9. A motor vehicle with a cooling arrangement according claim 1, in particular wherein the motor vehicle comprises a refrigerant circuit with a refrigerant and a refrigerating compressor, wherein the reservoir is part of the refrigerant circuit, wherein the cooling arrangement is designed to feed the refrigerant as the cooling medium to the feed connection in a first operating mode which represents an emergency operation, and to bring a coolant of the motor vehicle in a coolant circuit of the motor vehicle to the right temperature by the coolant circuit in a second operating mode different from the first operating mode.

10. A method for cooling at least one first and/or second battery module of a high-voltage battery for a motor vehicle by at least one cooling arrangement which comprises: a line arrangement which includes: a feed connection for coupling to a reservoir for a cooling medium for cooling the at least one first and/or second battery module; a first outlet opening which is associated with at least the first battery module, and a second outlet opening which is associated with at least the second battery module, wherein the line arrangement is designed as branched and comprises at least a first line branch and a second line branch different from the first line branch, wherein a cooling medium provided at the feed connection is led via the first line branch to the first outlet opening and via the second line branch to the second outlet opening and selectively led out of the first outlet opening and/or the second outlet opening as a function of at least one parameter.

11. The cooling arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the first and second housing chambers each comprise an outflow opening from which cooling medium introduced into the first or second housing chamber can be led out of the first or second housing chamber.

12. The cooling arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the cooling arrangement comprises a battery housing for accommodating the first and second battery module, wherein the line arrangement comprises a main closure device arranged outside of the battery housing, which is designed to interrupt a fluidic connection between the feed connection and the first and second outlet opening in a closed state and to unblock it in an opened state.

13. The cooling arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the cooling arrangement comprises a battery housing for accommodating the first and second battery module, wherein the line arrangement comprises a main closure device arranged outside of the battery housing, which is designed to interrupt a fluidic connection between the feed connection and the first and second outlet opening in a closed state and to unblock it in an opened state.

14. The cooling arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the cooling arrangement comprises a battery housing for accommodating the first and second battery module, wherein the line arrangement comprises a main closure device arranged outside of the battery housing, which is designed to interrupt a fluidic connection between the feed connection and the first and second outlet opening in a closed state and to unblock it in an opened state.

15. The cooling arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the cooling arrangement comprises at least one connection device for connecting a motor vehicle-external reservoir, in particular via a fire hose, which can be or is coupled to the feed connection or is provided by the feed connection.

16. The cooling arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the cooling arrangement comprises at least one connection device for connecting a motor vehicle-external reservoir, in particular via a fire hose, which can be or is coupled to the feed connection or is provided by the feed connection.

17. The cooling arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the cooling arrangement comprises at least one connection device for connecting a motor vehicle-external reservoir, in particular via a fire hose, which can be or is coupled to the feed connection or is provided by the feed connection.

18. The cooling arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the cooling arrangement comprises at least one connection device for connecting a motor vehicle-external reservoir, in particular via a fire hose, which can be or is coupled to the feed connection or is provided by the feed connection.

19. The cooling arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the cooling arrangement includes the reservoir for the cooling medium, which is designed as a motor vehicle-internal reservoir and which is or can be fluidically coupled to the feed connection (28), wherein in particular at least one cooling medium from the following group is accommodated in the reservoir: carbon dioxide; nitrogen; a cooling medium comprising primarily water.

20. The cooling arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the cooling arrangement includes the reservoir for the cooling medium, which is designed as a motor vehicle-internal reservoir and which is or can be fluidically coupled to the feed connection, wherein in particular at least one cooling medium from the following group is accommodated in the reservoir: carbon dioxide; nitrogen; a cooling medium comprising primarily water.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0040] Below, embodiment examples of the invention are described. For this purpose, the drawings show:

[0041] FIG. 1 a diagrammatic exploded representation of a cooling arrangement according to a first embodiment example of the invention;

[0042] FIG. 2 a diagrammatic exploded representation of a cooling arrangement according to a second embodiment example of the invention;

[0043] FIG. 3 a diagrammatic and perspective representation of a cooling arrangement according to a third embodiment example of the invention; and

[0044] FIG. 4 a diagrammatic representation of a high-voltage battery with multiple battery modules for a cooling arrangement according to an additional embodiment example of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The embodiment examples described below are preferred embodiments of the invention. In the embodiment examples, the described components of the embodiments each represent single features of the invention to be considered independently of one another, which in each case also further develop the invention independently of one another. Therefore, the disclosure is intended to also include combinations other than the represented combinations of the features of the embodiments. Moreover, the described embodiments can also be completed by additional features of the already described features.

[0046] In the figures, identical reference numerals each denote functionally equivalent elements.

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic exploded representation of a cooling arrangement 10a according to a first embodiment example of the invention. The cooling arrangement 10a here is provided for cooling at least one battery module 12 of a high-voltage battery 14. The high-voltage battery 14 and the at least one battery module 12 are represented only diagrammatically in this example. A somewhat more realistic image is shown, for example, in FIG. 4 which shows a diagrammatic and perspective representation of a high-voltage battery 14 with multiple battery modules 12, of which just one is provided with a reference numeral for reasons of clarity. The individual battery modules 12 can here each include multiple battery cells, for example, lithium ion cells, which are arranged in a cell pack. This cell pack in turn can be arranged in a module housing 16 of the battery module 12. Moreover, the battery modules 12 can be arranged in a battery housing 18 (see FIG. 4) which is represented only diagrammatically and with dotted lines in FIG. 4 and which can comprise a housing cover 20.

[0048] In FIG. 1, the high-voltage battery 14 and an individual battery module 12 are each diagrammatically illustrated as a cuboid. The cooling arrangement 10a moreover comprises a line arrangement 22. The line arrangement 22 is designed with extensive branching and accordingly comprises multiple line branches 24 associated with the individual battery modules 12. These line branches 24 can in particular be part of a distribution device 26 of the cooling arrangement 10a. The cooling arrangement 10a moreover comprises a feed connection 28 for coupling to a reservoir 30 for a cooling medium 32. The reservoir 30 can be, for example, a motor vehicle-internal reservoir or it can also be provided externally to the motor vehicle, for example, by a fire department. In other words, the feed connection 28 can be part of the motor vehicle in which the cooling arrangement 10a is to be used as intended. At this feed connection 28, a motor vehicle-internal reservoir 30 can then be connected and/or this feed connection can also be coupled, for example, to a fire hose which then connects the corresponding feed connection to a motor vehicle-external reservoir 30. Finally, via this feed connection 28, a cooling medium 32 can be fed to the line arrangement 22 and led via the distribution device 26 in a distributed manner to the individual battery modules 12. In order to enable a local and selective module cooling, one line branch 24 per battery module 12 is preferably provided, which, in addition, comprises an outlet opening 34 associated with the battery module 12 in question. To illustrate this association, the distribution device 26 in FIG. 1 is diagrammatically subdivided into individual square segments 36, of which only one is provided with reference numerals for reasons of clarity. In other words, these segments 36 do not necessarily have to be provided physically, rather they simply illustrate the subdivision of the distribution device 26 into individual segments 36 associated with the respective battery modules 12. Here, advantageously, a respective outlet opening 34 is arranged directly above the associated battery module 12. In particular, this outlet opening 34 which is associated with a respective battery module 12 opens into the interior of the module housing 16 (compare FIG. 4). In this way, it is possible to feed the cooling medium 32 to the battery module 12 in question in such a manner that it can be brought in direct contact with the battery cells contained by the battery module 12. It is precisely in the case of a thermally propagating battery cell that thereby a slowing or even an interruption of the chemical reaction occurring in the battery cell is most effectively provided. The high-voltage battery 14 thus includes multiple battery modules 12 which are located directly under the distribution device 26 which in turn provides individual dousing device segments, that is to say the segments 36. A respective dousing device segment 36 in turn has at least one outlet opening 34 which, for example, can be designed as a water introduction site. These individual outlet openings 34 thus open into the individual battery modules 12. One outlet opening per battery module 12 is particularly advantageous, since thereby a particularly high resolution of the local dousing possibilities can be provided. However, a clustering of multiple battery modules 12 per dousing device segment 36 would also be possible. In other words, not only a single battery module 12 but also, for example, a group with multiple battery modules can be associated with a dousing device segment 36. Moreover, it is preferable that a high-voltage battery cover, such as, for example, the housing cover 20 (compare FIG. 4), closes from the top, as also illustrated, for example, in FIG. 3. In other words, advantageously the distribution device 26 is located between such a battery cover 20 and the battery modules 12. In order then to enable a targeted cooling of an overheated battery module 12, in that a portion of the cooling medium 32 is fed to this battery module 12 while the rest of the battery modules 12 remain largely untouched thereby, a closure device, for example, in the form of a sequence valve 38, is moreover associated with each line branch 24. In this example, at the beginning of a respective line branch 34, the sequence valves 38 are arranged in the direction of flow of the cooling medium 32 according to the intended use. In principle, these sequence valves can be arranged anywhere at any site in a respective line branch 34, for example, also in the region of the respective outlet openings 34. By means of these sequence valves 38, the inflow of the cooling medium 32 can advantageously be steered into the respective line branches 24 separately and independently of one another. Accordingly, these sequence valves are also preferably designed as controllable valves.

[0049] Moreover, a sensor device, not explicitly represented here, which is designed to acquire the temperature of the respective battery modules 12, can also be provided. For this purpose, the sensor device can include temperature sensors, which, according to the state of the art, can in any case already measure with spatial resolution the temperatures for each battery cell and can be incorporated in the corresponding battery modules. Thus, when the temperature sensors register that a critical temperature increase occurs in one or more battery modules 12, then, immediately after this registration and still before the fire department arrives and also before or at the same time as the triggering of an emergency call, for example, liquid media present in the motor vehicle, for example, cooling water, wiping water, gear oil, motor oil, water in the water container for a water injection in the case of a combustion engine, water in the water collection container of a fuel cell, if present, can be used as cooling medium 32 for local battery module cooling or dousing. The local use of the vehicle-internal media as cooling medium 32 is provided by the selective opening of the outlet openings in question. Here, it can be provided that these outlet openings, in addition to the sequence valves 38 present, can be opened or closed, in order to unblock or to block the introduction of the cooling medium 32 in question into the respective battery modules 12. However, it can also be provided that these outlet openings are provided only as non-closable openings and that the control of the discharge of the cooling medium 32 through these outlet openings 34 occurs only via the sequence valves 38. Accordingly, the cooling medium 32 is then fed to the selected battery modules 12 in question and they are thereby cooled or doused.

[0050] Moreover, an outlet 40, preferably one per battery module 12, can also be provided, in particular a closable outlet 40 which can be opened, for example, in order to increase the water throughput or in general the throughput of the cooling medium, or to achieve a filling up of the battery module 12. The outlet 40 can here also be designed to be passive, for example, it can open automatically at a correspondingly high pressure or a correspondingly high temperature, or it can also be actuated actively. The outlet 40 can be designed so that it can reversibly be opened and closed or so that it can be opened irreversibly, for example, as a bursting element or bursting membrane.

[0051] In order to be able to cool individual battery modules 12 in a targeted manner, in particular without effects on adjacent intact battery modules 12, it is moreover preferable if the respective battery modules 12 are arranged in an associated housing chamber 42 which can be provided diagrammatically in FIG. 1 as the wall of the respective cuboid which illustrates the battery module 12. This housing chamber 42 can also be provided in a particularly simple way by the module housing 16 described with regard to FIG. 4, in which the cell packs are arranged. The aforementioned outlet 40 can then, for example, be arranged in a wall of such a module housing 16.

[0052] The terms “top” and “bottom” in the present case relate to the installation position according to the intended use, of the cooling arrangement 10a and of the battery 14 in a motor vehicle. With regard to this installation position according to intended use it is moreover preferable that the outlet 40 is arranged not as represented in FIG. 1 on a bottom side of the housing chamber 40 or of the module housing 16 but instead preferably on a side wall of the module housing 16 which is different from a top side and a bottom side of the module housing, wherein the top side of the module housing 16 faces the distribution device 26. The provision of the outlet 40 in a side wall of the module housing 16 has the advantage that the outlet 40 is not blocked by the battery cells arranged in the module housing 16. The battery cells are in fact typically arranged on the floor of the module housing 16 in question, that is to say on its bottom side, in order to connect them via this bottom side to a battery cooling for cooling the battery 14 during normal operation.

[0053] Thus if one wishes to allow a certain housing chamber 15 to fill up in order to cool the battery module 12 contained therein, or if not much cooling medium 32 is initially available, for example, before the arrival of the fire department, then the associated outlet 40 can at first remain closed. When the fire department arrives and provides additional cooling medium at the feed connection 28, then accordingly, for increasing the throughflow quantity and for increasing the efficiency of the cooling, the outlet 40 in question can be opened. In order to enable the connection of a motor vehicle-external reservoir 30, it is also advantageous to provide at least one connection on the overall vehicle, which is or can be coupled to the feed connection 28. In the case in which the fire department arrives at the vehicle, the fire department, via this connection on the overall vehicle, can then introduce water or another cooling medium into the distribution device 26 via the feed line 44 which fluidically connects in particular the feed connection 28 to the distribution device 26 and douse the propagating battery modules 12. Such an exterior connection on the motor vehicle is then accordingly accessible from outside the motor vehicle. To prevent misuse, such exterior connections can comprise a safety device which, for example, can be provided by means of a relief valve which unblocks the fluidic connection between the exterior connection and the feed connection only when a certain minimum pressure has been exceeded. This certain minimum pressure is measured so that said minimum pressure is exceeded without problem by an average water pressure normally provided via a fire hose.

[0054] Moreover, it is particularly advantageous if the individual housing chambers 42, that is to say, for example, the respective module housings 16, are designed to be watertight, so that the introduced dousing water cannot negatively affect intact battery modules 12. In addition, it is exceedingly advantageous if the battery modules 12 are additionally thermally insulated with respect to one another, so that a flashover of the fire to intact battery modules is further impeded.

[0055] Moreover, the local actuation can technically be implemented via the already-described sequence valves 38 in the distribution device 26 which in a targeted manner actuates the feed into the respective dousing device segment 36. The water or in general the cooling medium 32 is then led from the outlet opening 34, for example, from the water introduction site, into the battery module 12 in question. The sequence valves 34 can be arranged inside or outside the battery housing 18. Naturally, it is also possible to simultaneously open multiple sequence valves 38, for example, in order to preventatively flood and cool adjacent battery modules 12, so as to delay a jumping over of the fire. In other words, for example, as a function of the acquired module temperature, if it is detected that a battery module 12 is overheated and possibly a thermal event is imminent, then, by corresponding actuation of the associated sequence valve 38, this module 12 can be cooled in a targeted manner with the cooling medium 32 by feeding it into the module housing 16. In addition, in this case, the sequence valves 38 associated with the adjacent battery modules 12 can also be opened in order to preventatively flood these battery modules 12, even if their module temperature has not yet exceeded a predetermined limit value or even if no thermal event has been otherwise predicted for these battery modules 12. Thereby, the safety can be further increased.

[0056] Moreover, the high-voltage battery 14 with the described cooling arrangement 10a can be installed in a motor vehicle in such a manner that the high-voltage battery 14 with the cooling arrangement 10a, at least with the distribution device 26, is located under the vehicle undercarriage. Between the vehicle undercarriage and the high-voltage battery 14 with the distribution device 26, an air gap of predetermined width is here preferably located. It can be provided here that the cooling arrangement 10a is moreover designed so that, for example, this air gap can also be doused. For this purpose, one or more additional line branches can be contained by the line arrangement 22, which are associated, for example, with this air gap and via which quite analogously cooling medium 32 can be introduced in a targeted and selective manner into this air gap.

[0057] As described, water 32 can be used as cooling medium, which, for example, can be provided externally by the fire department or which can also be provided by internal water supplies. Alternatively or additionally, it is also possible that nitrogen and/or carbon dioxide is used as cooling medium 32. It can be stored as liquefied or highly compressed gas in the reservoir 30 which then preferably represents a motor vehicle-internal reservoir 30. In this connection, it is additionally particularly advantageous if the cooling arrangement 10a moreover comprises an expansion valve 46. This can be provided, for example, in the region of the feed connection 28 as illustrated, for example, in FIG. 1, or else at any other site of the line arrangement 22. It is advantageous, for example, if the expansion valve 46 is provided in a region before the branching of the line arrangement 22, since for the expansion of the cooling medium 32 only a single expansion valve 46 is then sufficient, and since the line branches can then be designed for lower pressures and therefore more simply. However, alternatively, expansion valves 46 can also be arranged in a respective line branch 24. For example, the sequence valves 34 could also be designed as such expansion valves, or the expansion valves can be provided in the region of the respective outlet openings 34. This advantageously enables a particularly local and efficient cooling with minimal cooling losses.

[0058] By expansion of this highly compressed cooling medium 32, advantageously, freezing of at least one thermally propagating high-voltage battery module 12 can be provided. For freezing, a so-called expansion cooling device is used, which includes the mentioned at least one expansion valve 46. Moreover, the expansion cooling can be fed via a storage container, the mentioned reservoir 30, with liquefied or highly compressed gas which is preferably not combustible, thus, for example, nitrogen or carbon dioxide, or by the vehicle-internal refrigerant circuit. For this purpose, the refrigerating compressor present in the refrigerant circuit in the vehicle can also be used simultaneously when, for example, CO.sub.2 is used as refrigerant for air conditioning systems. Alternatively, a separate compressor unit could also be integrated for this purpose in the vehicle. Such a compressor unit can then also be part of the described cooling arrangement 10a. The liquefied or highly compressed working gas is then led as cooling medium 32 in turn via valves and feed lines to a local point in the high-voltage battery 14, as already described in detail for a general cooling medium 32. This working gas can then be expanded, for example, in the region of the outlet openings 34 via an expansion valve 46 arranged there into the battery module 12 in question, or it can be provided as expanded gas already expanded earlier for example, by the expansion valve 46 arranged in the region of the feed connection 28, in order to lead said working gas then to the respective desired outlet openings 34. As a result of the expansion of the working gas, a significant temperature drop occurs. By computation, using the ideal gas law, at pressures of already 4 bar, for example, of the working gas initially stored under pressure, one gets approximately −70 degree Celsius, when said working gas is expanded to a normal pressure of 1 bar. At an initial pressure of the working gas of 80 bar, for example, one gets approximately −180 degree Celsius, wherein the exact values are dependent on the gas used and the valves. Accordingly, it is advantageous to provide the highest possible gas or fluid pressure in the reservoir 30, which is preferably approximately 80 bar, or at least greater than 10 bar.

[0059] It is particularly advantageous if there is in each case one expansion valve 46 per battery module 12, which is then arranged in the line associated with the battery module 12 or in the associated line branch 24, for example, directly at the outlet opening 34, since, in the case of a detected thermal runaway with a temperature greater than 80 degree Celsius, a significant temperature lowering, in particular below −100 degree Celsius, can immediately be adjusted in the battery module 12 in question by means of the refrigerant. Thereby, the thermal runaway can be slowed in a very large order of magnitude. Although one expansion valve 46 per battery module 12 is also advantageous, here too a clustering of multiple battery modules 12 per expansion device segment 36 would also be possible.

[0060] Thus, if the temperature sensors, which according to the state of the art today already measure temperatures with spatial resolution for each battery cell, in turn register that a critical temperature increase occurs, the refrigerant could be used for freezing the battery immediately before the arrival of the fire department. In this case as well, optionally an outlet 40 can be provided or opened in the battery module 12, in particular in the module housing 16, as already described, in order to possibly increase the refrigerant throughput or in order to achieve a filling up of the cell or of the module 12. In this case as well, the outlet 40 can again be designed to be passive, for example, as a bursting valve or a bursting membrane, or in general to be controlled by pressure and/or temperature, or instead it can also be designed so that it can be actuated actively.

[0061] Here too, it is conceivable again that the fire department arrives at the vehicle and then feeds additional refrigerant via the external connection on the overall vehicle, so that, via the feed line 44, the freezing of the battery module 12 can occur in a lasting manner.

[0062] In this example too, in a particularly advantageous embodiment, the battery modules in question can be again designed to be fluidtight and gastight, so that the introduced gaseous refrigerant cannot negatively affect intact battery modules 12. Here again, it is also conceivable to open multiple sequence valves 38 simultaneously, for example, in order to preventatively flood and cool adjacent battery modules 12 with the gaseous refrigerant in order to delay a jumping over of the fire.

[0063] In addition, the individual line branches 24 or in general the distribution device 26 can be provided by conduit pipes and/or conduits or the like. Alternatively, these lines of the distribution device 26 can also be integrated in a plate. This is represented diagrammatically in FIG. 2.

[0064] FIG. 2 in turn shows a diagrammatic representation of a cooling arrangement 10b according to an additional embodiment example of the invention. In this example, the distribution device 26 is now provided by a plate 48, in which the lines explicitly represented in FIG. 1, that is to say the line branches 24 as well as the transverse line 50 connecting the individual line branches 24 to one another, can be integrated and are therefore no longer explicitly represented in FIG. 2. Accordingly, on the bottom side, this plate can comprise the outlet openings 34 in question, which open into the respective associated battery modules 12. For the rest, the cooling arrangement 10b can also be designed as described with regard to FIG. 1. The mentioned closure devices and valves can also be integrated, as described with regard to FIG. 1, in the individual lines, even if said lines run in the plate 48.

[0065] It is precisely in connection with the aforementioned expansion cooling that it can additionally be provided that, in this example, the feeding of the refrigerant to the individual battery modules 12 cannot controlled separately and independently of one another. For example, the refrigerant for freezing the entire high-voltage battery 14 in the detected emergency case can also be simply introduced into all the battery modules 12. However, a selective feed line is nevertheless preferable, since it enables a targeted use precisely in the case of a small refrigerant reserve.

[0066] FIG. 3 then shows a diagrammatic representation of a cooling arrangement 10a, 10b with a high-voltage battery 14, wherein the cooling arrangement 10a, 10b can be designed as described with regard to FIG. 1 and/or FIG. 2. In addition, in this representation, the aforementioned housing cover 20 is also represented, which can be considered to be part of a battery housing 18 and which, in the present example, is arranged on the distribution device 26. In other words, the distribution device 26 is integrated in the battery 14. The feeding of the cooling medium 42 occurs via the feed line 44. However, the distribution device 26 does not necessarily have to be integrated in the battery 14. An arrangement of the distribution device 26 outside of the battery 14 would also be conceivable, for example, over the battery 14, i.e., over the housing 20, with corresponding feed lines into the high-voltage battery 14, which can then be led correspondingly through the housing cover 20.

[0067] Overall, the examples show how, by the invention, a cooling arrangement can be provided which enables a local dousing of battery modules of a high-voltage battery in the case of thermal propagation, as well as expansion cooling for a thermally propagating high-voltage battery for freezing the battery fire. The invention and its embodiments then advantageously make it possible to cool or douse a thermal propagation of individual battery cells locally using vehicle-internal media immediately after detection. By local dousing, the water or cooling medium requirement for this purpose is exceedingly low. By means of a thermal insulation and a watertight design of individual battery modules, the spreading of fire can be inhibited, which, overall, leads to exceedingly low damage to the overall vehicle by such a cooling or dousing maneuver. In addition, intact battery cells are not unnecessarily negatively influenced by dousing water or cooling medium, and an effective increase of the rescue time can be provided, even before the fire department arrives. Moreover, increased safety for the fire department and individuals present in the vicinity and for infrastructures can be ensured thereby. In addition, for the implementation, only a small intervention in the existing vehicle structure is necessary, so that only low additional costs are generated here. Moreover, the invention also has a high potential for cross-sector standards and standardization. It is precisely when using expansion cooling that it additionally becomes possible to freeze individual battery cells and modules locally with refrigerant immediately after detection, whereby the reaction rate can be reduced a hundredfold. This leads to an effective increase of the rescue time before the fire department arrives or when the fire department is already working on the rescue operation. Since nitrogen and carbon dioxide are primarily extinguishing gases, their flame-smothering effect can additionally be used.