Battery unit and hybrid vehicle with a battery unit

Abstract

The subject matter of the invention is a battery unit (100) for a hybrid vehicle (200), with a battery housing (10) which has a front side wall (23) directed towards the front side (22) of the hybrid vehicle (200) and a rear side wall (24) directed towards the rear side of the hybrid vehicle (200), and with at least one battery module (11) which is arranged in the battery housing (10), wherein at least one fuel tank (12) is arranged in the battery housing (10).

Claims

1. A battery unit for a hybrid vehicle, comprising a battery housing which has a front side wall directed towards the front side of the hybrid vehicle and a rear side wall directed towards the rear side of the hybrid vehicle, and comprising at least one battery module which is arranged in the battery housing, wherein at least one fuel tank is arranged in the battery housing, wherein the battery housing completely encloses the fuel tank together with the at least one battery module, characterized in that the battery housing has at least one degassing opening for controlled pressure reduction in an interior of the battery housing.

2. The battery unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fuel tank is made from a plastics material.

3. The battery unit according to claim 2, wherein the at least one fuel tank is produced in an injection molding process or in a blow molding process.

4. The battery unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fuel tank is arranged in a row behind the at least one battery module.

5. The battery unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fuel tank has an outer contour which is adapted to an outer contour of the at least one battery module.

6. The battery unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fuel tank is designed as a pressure tank.

7. The battery unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fuel tank has one or more indentations formed in the direction of an interior of the fuel tank and/or one or more ribs formed on an inside of the fuel tank.

8. The battery unit according to claim 1, wherein the battery housing has a first degassing opening and a second degassing opening, wherein the first degassing opening is arranged on the front side wall of the battery housing and the second degassing opening is arranged on the rear side wall of the battery housing.

9. The battery unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one degassing opening has a semipermeable membrane.

10. The battery unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fuel tank is arranged in the battery housing adjacent to the front side wall.

11. The battery unit according to claim 1, wherein an activated carbon filter is arranged in the battery housing.

12. The battery unit according to claim 1, wherein two or more fuel tanks are arranged in the battery housing, which are arranged so as to be stacked one behind the other and/or one on top of the other and/or one next to the other.

13. A hybrid vehicle, comprising a battery unit designed according to claim 1.

14. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 13, characterized in that a tank filler neck is arranged on a fender of a front wheel or a rear wheel of the hybrid vehicle, which tank filler neck is connected via a fuel filler line to the fuel tank in the battery housing of the battery unit.

Description

(1) The invention is explained in greater detail in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings using preferred embodiments.

(2) In the drawings:

(3) FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a battery unit according to the invention,

(4) FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a battery housing according to the invention,

(5) FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a fuel tank according to the invention, and

(6) FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a hybrid vehicle according to the invention.

(7) FIG. 1 schematically shows a battery unit 100 for a hybrid vehicle 200 as shown in FIG. 4.

(8) The battery unit 100 has a battery housing 10 within which a plurality of battery modules 11 are arranged together with a fuel tank 12 in which liquid fuel 13 is stored. The battery housing 10 encloses the fuel tank 12 and the battery modules 11, so that both the battery modules 11 and the fuel tank 12 are arranged so as to be protected by the battery housing 10.

(9) The fuel tank 12 is arranged directly adjoining one of the battery modules 11. The fuel tank 12 is arranged in a row behind the battery modules 11. The fuel tank 12 is arranged in a pack with the battery modules 11.

(10) In contrast to the embodiment shown here, it is also possible for battery modules 11 not only to be arranged one behind the other, but also so as to be stacked one next to the other and/or one on top of the other. Furthermore, it is also possible that not only one fuel tank 12 is arranged in the battery housing 10, but instead two or more fuel tanks 12 can also be arranged in the battery housing 10, which can then be arranged so as to be stacked one behind the other and/or one on top of the other and/or one next to the other.

(11) As can be seen in FIG. 1, the fuel tank 12 has an outer contour which is adapted to the outer contour of the battery modules 11. Both the battery modules 11 and the fuel tank 12 are rectangular or box-shaped. The fuel tank 12 has the same length and the same height as the battery modules 11. The fuel tank 12 and the battery modules 11 differ from one another in their external dimensions only with regard to the width, the fuel tank 12 having a greater width than the individual battery modules 11 in the embodiment shown here.

(12) The battery modules 11 each have a housing in which a plurality of battery cells are preferably arranged, which are not shown here. The battery modules 11 are used to provide the hybrid vehicle 200 with electrical energy for electrically driving the hybrid vehicle 200.

(13) The fuel tank 12 stores liquid fuel, such as gasoline, for driving the hybrid vehicle 200 by means of the internal combustion engine.

(14) The fuel tank 12 is formed from a plastics material, wherein it is possible for the fuel tank 12 to be produced in an injection molding process. Because the fuel tank 12 is protected by the battery housing 10, the fuel tank 12 can be formed from a plastics material which, in particular, has a low impact strength or impact resistance.

(15) The fuel tank 12 is designed as a pressure tank. To stabilize the fuel tank 12, in particular against underpressure, the fuel tank 12, as can be seen in the sectional view in FIG. 3, comprises a plurality of indentations or ribs 15 directed towards the interior 14 of the fuel tank 12, which indentations or ribs are formed or arranged on an inside 16 of the fuel tank 12 directed towards the interior 14.

(16) As shown in FIG. 2, the battery housing (10) has two degassing openings 17, 18, via which pressure equalization between an interior 19 of the battery housing 10 and outside of the battery housing 10 can take place. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the battery housing 10 has two degassing openings 17, 18, wherein the first degassing opening 17 is arranged on the front side wall 23 of the battery housing 10 and the second degassing opening 18 is arranged on the rear side wall 24 of the battery housing 10.

(17) The degassing openings 17, 18 on the battery housing 10 are closed by means of a semipermeable membrane 22 which allows gas such as air to pass through and blocks liquids so that no liquid can enter or exit the battery housing 10 via the degassing openings 17, 18.

(18) In the event of a rise in the temperature in the fuel tank 12 and/or in the battery modules 11 and thereby in the battery housing 10, gas, in particular air, can escape via the degassing openings 17, 18. If the temperature rises very sharply, fuel 13 can flow from the fuel tank 12 into the interior 19 of the battery housing 10, as is indicated schematically in FIG. 2, and can ignite on the battery modules 11. The gases produced in the process can escape in a controlled manner via the degassing openings 17, 18 of the battery housing 10. By arranging a degassing opening 17 on the front side wall 23 and a degassing opening 18 on the rear side wall 24 of the battery housing 10, the gas can escape at a distance away from the vehicle doors of the hybrid vehicle 200. In the event of an accident, this simplifies vehicle occupants getting out and/or being rescued, and the risk of injury to the vehicle occupants from hot, escaping gas can be reduced. Due to the special positioning of the degassing openings 17, 18 on the battery housing 10, the risk of fuel 13 leaking out of the interior 19 of the battery housing 10 in the event of the hybrid vehicle 200 overturning can also be reduced or even prevented.

(19) Inside the battery housing 10, the fuel tank 12 is arranged immediately adjacent to or adjoining the front side wall 23 of the battery housing 10, so that the fuel tank 12 is arranged at the front in the direction of travel of the hybrid vehicle 200 marked with the arrow. Starting from the front side wall 23 of the battery housing 10, the battery modules 11 are arranged behind the fuel tank 12.

(20) A fuel line 25 via which fuel can be fed from the fuel tank 12 to an internal combustion engine (not shown here) is conducted out of the battery housing 10. Furthermore, an electrical line 26 which can electrically connect the battery modules 11 to an electric motor (not shown here) within the hybrid vehicle 200 is conducted out of the battery housing 10.

(21) In addition, a fuel filler line 27 is arranged on the battery housing 10, via which line fuel 13 can be filled into the fuel tank 12. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the fuel filler line 27 shown here by dashed lines is connected to a tank filler neck 30 which is arranged on a fender 28 of a front wheel 29 of the hybrid vehicle 200 and via which the fuel tank 12 can be refueled with fuel 13.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(22) 100 Battery unit 200 Hybrid vehicle 10 Battery housing 11 Battery module 12 Fuel tank 13 Fuel 14 Interior 15 Indentation/rib 16 Inside 17 Degassing opening 18 Degassing opening 19 Interior 22 Semipermeable membrane 23 Front side wall 24 Rear side wall 25 Fuel line 26 Electrical line 27 Fuel filler line 28 Fender 29 Front wheel 30 Tank filler neck