COMPARTMENT FOR AN APPARATUS LIKELY TO EMIT HEAT

Abstract

The invention relates to a compartment for an apparatus likely to emit heat during its operation, in particular for an electrical energy storage device for a motor vehicle, this compartment having at least one cooling plate arranged to have a cooling fluid flowing through it and arranged to cool said apparatus, this compartment also including an upper housing arranged to receive said electrical equipment, and a lower housing in which at least one fluid connection element for supplying fluid to the cooling plate is placed, the lower and upper housings being insulated from one another in a fluid-tight manner.

Claims

1. A compartment for an item of equipment liable to give off heat during its operation, in particular for an electrical energy storage device for a motor vehicle, the compartment having at least one cooling plate which is designed to be passed through by a cooling fluid and which is designed to cool said item of equipment, the compartment furthermore having an upper housing designed to receive said item of equipment, and a lower housing in which at least one cooling fluid connection element for supplying the cooling fluid to the at least one cooling plate is placed, the lower housing and upper housing being insulated from one another in a fluid-tight manner.

2. The compartment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling plate separates the lower housing from the upper housing.

3. The compartment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling plate has a cooling fluid inlet and a cooling fluid outlet which are each connected to one of the cooling fluid connection elements, the cooling fluid inlet and the cooling fluid outlet both being directed toward the lower housing.

4. The compartment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compartment has a bottom cover with a cooling fluid channel, the cooling fluid connection element being connected thereto.

5. The compartment as claimed in claim 1, wherein a seal is disposed on a joining periphery between the lower housing and the upper housing.

6. The compartment as claimed in claim 5, wherein the upper housing has at least one frame, in particular made of aluminum, which defines a periphery of the upper housing, and the seal is in contact with this frame.

7. The compartment as claimed in claim 6, wherein the seal is disposed in a tight manner between a zone of the at least one frame and a zone of a cooling plate, and between a zone of the at least one frame and a zone of the bottom cover.

8. The compartment as claimed in claim 5, wherein the seal is made of an electrically conductive material so as to contribute to an electromagnetic protection function for the upper housing which receives the electrical component.

9. The compartment as claimed in claim 6, wherein an upper cover is designed to bear against the at least one frame in order to close the compartment, in particular with the interposition of the seal, in particular made of electrically conductive material.

10. An electrical energy storage device having a plurality of battery cells that are in particular disposed in a row, and a compartment for an item of equipment liable to give off heat during its operation, in particular for an electrical energy storage device for a motor vehicle, the compartment having at least one cooling plate which is designed to be passed through by a cooling fluid and which is designed to cool said item of equipment, the compartment furthermore having an upper housing designed to receive said item of equipment, and a lower housing in which at least one cooling fluid connection element for supplying the cooling fluid to the at least one cooling plate is placed, the lower housing and upper housing being insulated from one another in a fluid-tight manner, the battery cells being placed in the compartment in thermal interaction with the cooling plate.

11. The compartment as claimed in claim 6, wherein the seal is disposed in a tight manner between a zone of the at least one frame and a zone of a cooling plate, or between a zone of the at least one frame and a zone of the bottom cover.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] Further features, details and advantages of the invention will become more clearly apparent upon reading the detailed description given below, and from several exemplary embodiments that are given by way of nonlimiting indication, with reference to the attached schematic drawings, in which:

[0052] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a compartment according to one example of the invention;

[0053] FIG. 2 shows the compartment of FIG. 1 in cross section;

[0054] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a compartment according to another example of the invention;

[0055] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of FIG. 3; and

[0056] FIG. 5 is another schematic view of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0057] FIGS. 1 and 2 show an electrical energy storage module 1 having a plurality of battery cells 9, which are visible in FIG. 2, and a compartment 2.

[0058] This compartment 2 has two cooling fluid channels 3 for circulation of a cooling fluid, which are visible in FIG. 1 and are parallel. This FIG. 1 shows the lower and outer face of the compartment 2. This compartment 2 defines, together with an upper cover that is not shown, a casing 5 which contains the battery cells 9. The bottom of this casing 5 is on this compartment 2.

[0059] Each cooling fluid channel 3 is obtained by molding a polymer-based material layer 8, with fluid-assisted injection molding, in particular gas- or liquid-assisted injection molding.

[0060] Each cooling fluid channel 3 has an internal wall 10 without a joint, which is the result of the hollowing of the polymer-based material layer 8 by the fluid injected during the molding.

[0061] Each cooling fluid channel 3 has a cylindrical shape, at least along a part of its length, in particular with a rectangular or oval or round cross section.

[0062] The polymer-based material layer 8 in which the cooling fluid channels 3 are formed is connected to a material sheet 11 of polymer-based composite material.

[0063] This connection is the result of overmolding or co-molding between the material layer 8, which has the cooling fluid channels 3 for circulating cooling fluid and this material sheet 11 of composite material.

[0064] The material sheet 11 of composite material has openings 13 and the material layer 8 which forms the cooling fluid channels 3 passes through these openings 13 such that each cooling fluid channel 3 also passes through this opening 13 associated with the material sheet 11.

[0065] The material layer 8 in which the cooling fluid channel 3 is formed is in the form of a layer which extends over a face of the material sheet 11 of composite material.

[0066] The material sheet 11 is planar over at least part of its surface area in a planar region 17.

[0067] The material layer 8 and the material sheet 11 have an edge 15 that is inclined with respect to this planar region 17, and the cooling fluid channel 3 passes into the material layer 8 at this edge 15.

[0068] Each cooling fluid channel 3 in the material layer 8 is connected to a fluidic connection member 27 at this inclined edge 15.

[0069] Each fluidic connection member 27 is overmolded with the material of the material layer 8.

[0070] The compartment 2 has a cooling plate 20 disposed on a side 21 of the material sheet 11 of composite material that is opposite to the side 22 of the material layer 8.

[0071] The cooling plate 20 is designed to be passed through by a cooling fluid also circulating in the cooling fluid channels 3 of the material layer 8. These cooling fluid channels 3 are feeder channels which respectively supply and evacuate the cooling fluid circulating in the cooling plate 20. Provision is for example made of a single supply feeder channel and a single evacuation feeder channel.

[0072] The cooling plate 20 is formed of two sub-plates 24 which, once assembled, form a cooling fluid circulation circuit 39.

[0073] The material layer 8 has connection portions 29 which are formed in one piece with the rest of the material layer 8 and which are designed to be connected to the cooling plate 20. The connection portion 29 protrudes through the material sheet 11 of composite material and is passed through by the associated cooling fluid channel 3 in order to lead this cooling fluid channel 3 up to the cooling plate 20. The cooling plate 20 faces the material sheet 11.

[0074] The material layer 8 has grooves 33 for forming the cooling fluid channels 3 and reinforcing ribs 34, in particular of honeycomb shape, for mechanically reinforcing the compartment 2.

[0075] The fluid for the assisted injection molding can be water.

[0076] The material layer 8 thus occupies only part of the outer face of the composite material sheet 11, and not all of this face. The material layer 8 occupies for example less than 50% of the outer face of the material sheet 11, or even less than 25% thereof.

[0077] The battery cells 9 are placed in this compartment 2 in thermal interaction with the cooling plate 20.

[0078] Each cooling fluid channel 3 has a length of at least 5 cm, in particular of at least 10 cm.

[0079] The composite material of the material sheet 11 comprises glass fibers, and possibly, in a variant, carbon fibers or fibers of another nature, which are pre-impregnated with a thermoplastic resin.

[0080] The compartment 2 has a raised edge 36 on its periphery.

[0081] The honeycomb structure 34 is toward the outside of the casing 5.

[0082] The cooling liquid used in this case can in particular be a liquid refrigerant based on carbon dioxide, such as R744 for example, 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (or HFO-1234yf) or 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (or R-134a). The cooling liquid can also be a nanofluid. The cooling liquid can also be water, possibly including additives.

[0083] The battery cells 9 comprise, for example, a plurality of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries for use in a hybrid vehicle. In another embodiment, the plurality of battery cells 9 are Li-ion batteries for use in a battery-powered electric vehicle.

[0084] The cooling plate 20 forms a heat exchanger included in a cooling circuit, not shown, of the type comprising a compressor and further heat exchangers.

[0085] The cooling plates 20 are, for example, an assembly of two aluminum walls delimiting ducts for the circulation of cooling fluid, taking the form of a meandering path, for example.

[0086] The compartment 2 and the battery cells 9 form, together with other components, an electrical energy storage device 40 for a motor vehicle.

[0087] The material layer 8 and this material sheet 11 form a bottom cover.

[0088] FIGS. 3 to 5 show a compartment 80 for battery cells 9 of a motor vehicle, this compartment 80 having cooling plates 20 which are designed to be passed through by a cooling fluid and designed to cool the battery cells 9.

[0089] This compartment 80 furthermore has an upper housing 81 designed to receive the battery cells 9, and a lower housing 82 in which fluid connection elements 83 for supplying fluid to the cooling plates 20 are placed.

[0090] The lower housing 82 and the upper housing 81 are insulated from one another in a fluid-tight manner.

[0091] The cooling plates 20 separate the lower housing 82 from the upper housing 81, as can be seen more clearly in FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0092] A plurality of cooling plates 20 separate the lower housing 82 from the upper housing 81, and these plates 20 are disposed in parallel rows.

[0093] Each cooling plate 20 has a cooling fluid inlet 84 and a cooling fluid outlet 85 which are each connected to one of the fluid connection elements 83, the cooling fluid inlet 84 and the cooling fluid outlet 85 both being directed toward the lower housing 82.

[0094] Thus, in the event of a leak at the cooling fluid inlet 84 and the cooling fluid outlet 85, the cooling fluid flows into this lower housing 82, and not into the upper housing 81, so as to preserve the battery cells 9.

[0095] Ducts are provided within the cooling plates 20 for the circulation of cooling fluid.

[0096] The compartment 80 has a bottom cover 88 comprising cooling fluid channels 3 like those described in the previous example.

[0097] The fluid connection elements 83 are connected to these cooling fluid channels 3 and are for example formed by a material extension that also forms the cooling fluid channels 3. These cooling fluid channels 3 are produced by fluid-assisted injection molding in this layer of material, as described in the previous example.

[0098] The bottom cover 88 has a substantially planar main face 89.

[0099] This bottom cover 88, together with the cooling plates 20, defines the lower housing 82.

[0100] The lower housing 82 and the upper housing 81 cover substantially the same surface area. These housings 81 and 82 are thus in a vertically stacked arrangement when the assembly is mounted on the vehicle.

[0101] The bottom cover 88 has a sheet of composite material based on plastics material.

[0102] The lower housing 82 has, in free space, a height h less than 25%, in particular less than 15%, of the height H of the upper housing.

[0103] Seals 90 are disposed on a joining periphery 91 between the lower housing 82 and the upper housing 81.

[0104] The upper housing 81 has an aluminum frame 93, which defines a periphery 95 of the upper housing, and the seal 90 is in contact with this frame 93.

[0105] This frame 93 has external bars 94 forming a periphery and partitions 96, which form a grid, for forming receptacles 97 that are each intended to receive one battery cell 9. These partitions 96 form, for example, two identical rows of multiple receptacles 97.

[0106] The bars 94 in particular have a cellular structure. These bars are for example made of steel or aluminum.

[0107] The cooling plates 20 are assembled on the frame 93 by screwing or adhesive bonding, for example.

[0108] The seals 90 are provided between these bars 94 and partitions 96 of this frame for the one part and the lower housing 82 for the other.

[0109] The seals 90, for example based on silicone, are disposed in a tight manner between a zone of the frame 93 and a zone of a cooling plate 20, and/or between a zone of the frame 93 and a zone of the bottom cover 88.

[0110] Each seal 90 is made of electrically conductive material so as to contribute to an electromagnetic protection function for the upper housing 81 which receives the battery cells 9.

[0111] An upper cover 98 is designed to bear against the frame 93 in order to close the compartment, with the interposition of seals 90.

[0112] The invention makes it possible to have a total height of the compartment that is relatively low, this being advantageous given the size constraints. The compartment can also be manufactured in a simplified manner.

[0113] The upper cover 98 comprises a composite material based on plastics material, and in particular has a substantially flat shape.

[0114] The feeder cooling fluid channels 3 are in particular directed toward the lower housing 82.