Store Housing for an Electrical Energy Store Having a Valve Device for Removing Liquid

Abstract

A store housing for an electrical energy store of a motor vehicle includes multiple housing walls which surround a receiving space for receiving at least one storage component of the electrical energy store, wherein at least one of the housing walls has a passage opening for discharge of a liquid which has accumulated in the receiving space into surroundings of the store housing, and at least one valve which is designed to conduct the liquid away from the receiving space into the surroundings via the passage opening and to at least reduce ingress of liquid from the surroundings into the receiving space via the passage opening. The at least one valve has a passive valve arranged in or at the passage opening. The valve has a first flow resistance in a first flow direction from the receiving space into the surroundings and has a second flow resistance in a second flow direction from the surroundings into the receiving space, which second flow resistance is larger in comparison with the first flow resistance.

Claims

1. A store housing for an electrical energy store of a motor vehicle, comprising: multiple housing walls which surround a receiving space for receiving at least one storage component of the electrical energy store, wherein at least one of the multiple housing walls has a passage opening for discharge of a liquid that has accumulated in the receiving space into surroundings of the store housing; and a valve that conducts the liquid away from the receiving space into the surroundings via the passage opening and that reduces ingress of liquid from the surroundings into the receiving space via the passage opening, wherein the valve comprises a passive valve with rigid structures arranged in or at the passage opening, the passive valve has a first flow resistance in a first flow direction from the receiving space into the surroundings and has a second flow resistance in a second flow direction from the surroundings into the receiving space, the second flow resistance being larger in comparison with the first flow resistance.

2. The store housing according to claim 1, wherein the passive valve is a Tesla valve.

3. The store housing according to claim 2, wherein the Tesla valve comprises a rigid channel system with a main flow channel and with loop-shaped, flow-direction-reversing secondary flow channels which depart from the main flow channel, and the Tesla valve, for forming the different flow resistances, is designed to conduct the liquid via the main flow channel in the first flow direction and to conduct the liquid at least partially via the flow-direction-reversing secondary flow channels in the second flow direction.

4. The store housing according to claim 1, wherein the valve additionally comprises a non-return fitting which is arranged between the receiving space and the passive valve.

5. The store housing according to claim 4, wherein the non-return fitting is a flow-pressure-controlled, spring-loaded non-return flap.

6. The store housing according to claim 4, wherein the valve comprises a valve housing in which the non-return fitting and the passive valve are arranged, the valve housing is arranged in the receiving space of the store housing at the passage opening.

7. The store housing according to claim 1, further comprising: a second valve comprising a passive valve, wherein the passage opening and the valve are arranged in a first housing wall and are designed to remove liquid with a first flow direction, due to vehicle acceleration, from the receiving space, and a second passage opening and the second valve are arranged in a second housing wall and are designed to remove liquid with a second flow direction, due to vehicle acceleration, from the receiving space.

8. The store housing according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the housing walls has a liquid reservoir for collecting the liquid in the receiving space, from which liquid reservoir the liquid exits, and flows to either the valve or the second valve, in a vehicle-acceleration-induced manner.

9. The store housing according to claim 8, wherein the liquid reservoir is arranged in a base-side housing wall, and the passage openings and the valves are arranged in a front-side and a rear-side housing wall, respectively.

10. The store housing according to claim 1, further comprising: an air inlet and an air outlet; and a blower for generating an air stream from the air inlet to the air outlet, the blower being configured such that, for reducing the liquid in the receiving space, moisture from the receiving space is taken up and transported into the surroundings via the air outlet.

11. An electrical energy store, comprising: at least one storage cell; and a store housing according to claim 1, wherein the at least one storage cell is arranged in the receiving space of the store housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a store housing;

[0022] FIG. 2 shows the store housing as per FIG. 1 during removal of liquid;

[0023] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a further embodiment of a store housing;

[0024] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a valve device of the store housing;

[0025] FIG. 5 shows the valve device as per FIG. 4 during removal of liquid from the store housing;

[0026] FIG. 6 shows the valve device as per FIG. 4 during blockage of dynamic liquid from surroundings of the store housing; and

[0027] FIG. 7 shows the valve device as per FIG. 4 during blockage of static liquid from surroundings of the store housing.

[0028] In the figures, identical and functionally identical elements are denoted by the same reference signs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a store housing 1 for an electrical energy store of a motor vehicle. In a receiving space 2 of the store housing 1, which is surrounded by housing walls 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, there may be arranged storage components, for example storage cells, electronic devices 4, for example control devices and sensor devices, cooling devices for cooling the storage cells, etc. Here, the housing walls 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d are a housing base 3a, a housing front wall 3b, a housing cover 3c and a housing rear wall 3d. The housing walls 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d may also be in the form of sub-regions of a store housing 1 which consists of two trough-shaped housing parts fitted together. In the event of breakage of a cooler or in the event of condensation water, a situation may arise in which liquid 5 accumulates in the receiving space 2. Here, the housing base 3a has at least one reservoir 6 in the form of a depression 7, in which the liquid 5 is collected at a defined place in the receiving space 2. In the housing base 3a, there may moreover be arranged guide grooves which lead to the at least one reservoir 6 and which conduct liquid 5 into the reservoir 6.

[0030] In order for it to be possible for the liquid 5 to be conducted from the receiving space 2 into surroundings 8 of the store housing 1, the store housing 1 has at least one, here two valve devices 9a, 9b, which are arranged in or at passage openings 10a, 10b of the housing walls 3b, 3d. Here, a first valve device 9a is integrated into the housing rear wall 3d and removes the liquid 5 which, as shown in FIG. 2, sloshes out of the reservoir 6 against the housing rear wall 3d as a result of acceleration of the motor vehicle. A second valve device 9b is integrated into the housing front wall 3b and removes the liquid 5 which sloshes out of the reservoir 6 against the housing front wall 3b as a result of braking of the motor vehicle.

[0031] It is moreover possible for the store housing 1 to have, as shown in FIG. 3, an air inlet 11a, here in the housing rear wall 3d, and an air outlet 11b, here in the housing front wall 3b, via which, for pressure equalization, an exchange of air between the receiving space 2 and the surroundings 8 can take place. At the air inlet 11a, there is arranged here a blower 12 or a fan, which generates a continuous air stream 13 from the air inlet 11a to the air outlet 11b. The air stream 13 can likewise transport liquid 5 from the receiving space 2 into the surroundings 8.

[0032] FIG. 4 shows here the valve device 9a, wherein the valve device 9b may be of identical form. The valve device 9a has a passive valve 14, which is here in the form of a Tesla valve and which is designed to transport the liquid 5 from the receiving space 2 into the surroundings 8 via the passage opening 10a along a first flow direction R1, as shown in FIG. 5; moreover, the Tesla valve 14, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, is designed to at least reduce ingress of dynamic liquid 15, for example of spray water, or of static liquid 15, for example of a water column, from the surroundings 8 into the receiving space 2 via the passage opening 10a along a second flow direction R2. The Tesla valve 14 is arranged here in a valve housing 16 which forms a drainage channel 17. Also arranged in the valve housing 16 is a non-return fitting 18 in the form of a spring-loaded non-return flap 19, which, at sufficient flow pressure of the liquid 5, opens up the drainage channel 17 in the direction of the Tesla valve 14. Moreover, the non-return fitting 18, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, blocks ingress of liquid 15 which has passed into the drainage channel 17 via the Tesla valve 14. Here, the valve housing 16 is arranged in the receiving space 2 at the passage opening 10a.

[0033] The passive valve in the form of a Tesla valve 14 consists in this case of immovable parts and has a rigid channel system 20 with a main flow channel 21 and with loop-shaped secondary flow channels 22. In the first flow direction R1, the liquid 5 flows as a main flow 23 through the main flow channel 21. Only the liquid 15 flowing in the second flow direction R2 flows out of the main flow channel 21 into the secondary flow channels 22, which divert the liquid 15 in such a way that an opposing flow 24 is formed and blocks the main flow 23 flowing in the main flow channel 21.

[0034] The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.