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EP-4613524-B1 - THERMAL MANAGEMENT DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ADAPTING A TEMPERATURE OF AN ENERGY STORAGE UNIT OF A VEHICLE

EP4613524B1EP 4613524 B1EP4613524 B1EP 4613524B1EP-4613524-B1

Inventors

  • Olsen, Hans Erik
  • BERGENBLOCK, Tobias
  • GRAPE, Viktor

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240304

Claims (14)

  1. A device (100) for adapting a temperature of an energy storage unit (90) of a vehicle (300), the device (100) comprising: a first element (1) thermally couplable to the energy storage unit (90), and a second element (11) thermally couplable to a surrounding (350) of the vehicle (300), wherein the first element (1) is coupled to the second element (11) to allow an energy transfer between the surrounding (350) of the vehicle (300) and the energy storage unit (90) via the first element (1) and the second element (11), wherein the first element (1) comprises a first plate-shaped portion (3) arrangeable adjacent to the energy storage unit (90), characterized in that the second element (11) comprises a second plate-shaped portion (13) arrangeable adjacent to the surrounding (350) of the vehicle (300), and wherein the first plate-shaped (3) portion and the second plate-shaped portion (13) are arranged in a stacked manner.
  2. The device (100) according to the preceding claim, wherein the first element (1) and the second element (11) are thermally coupled.
  3. The device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (100) further comprises at least one thermal barrier (50) arranged between the first element (1) and the second element (11), wherein the thermal barrier (50) is adapted to prevent a direct heat exchange between the first element (1) and the second element (11).
  4. The device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first element (1) comprises at least one first fluid flow channel (5) for guiding at least one first thermal energy transporting fluid (6), and wherein the second element (11) comprises at least one second fluid flow channel (15) for guiding at least one second thermal energy transporting fluid (16).
  5. The device (100) of claim 4, wherein the first fluid flow channel (5) and the second fluid flow channel (15) are in fluid connection.
  6. The device (100) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first element (1) and the second element (11) are thermally coupled via a heat pump unit (30).
  7. The device (100) of claim 4 or 5 and claim 6, wherein the first fluid flow channel (5) and the second fluid flow channel (15) are thermally coupled via the heat pump unit (30).
  8. The device (100) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the heat pump unit (30) comprises an evaporator (31) and a condenser (33), wherein the device (100) further comprises a valve unit (60) configured to couple the first element (1) to the evaporator (31) and the second element (11) to the condenser (33) or to couple the second element (11) to the evaporator (31) and the first element (1) to the condenser (33).
  9. The device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first element (1) comprises a condenser (33) and wherein the second element (11) comprises an evaporator (31), or wherein the first element (1) comprises an evaporator (31) and wherein the second element (11) comprises a condenser (33).
  10. An energy storage arrangement (150) for a vehicle (300) comprising the device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 9, and at least one energy storage unit (90) of a vehicle (300) thermally coupled to the first element (1).
  11. A vehicle (300) comprising the device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 9 or the energy storage arrangement (150) according to claim 10.
  12. A method (400) for adapting a temperature of an energy storage unit (90) of a vehicle (300), wherein the energy storage unit (90) is thermally coupled to the device (100) according to one of the claims 1 to 9, the method (400) comprising: determining (S1) an actual temperature of the energy storage unit (90) and a target temperature of the energy storage unit (90), transferring (S4a) thermal energy from the storage unit (90) to the surrounding (350) of the vehicle (300) via the first element (1) and the second element (11) if the actual temperature of the energy storage unit (90) is above the target temperature of the energy storage unit (90), or transferring (S4b) thermal energy from the surrounding (350) of the vehicle (300) to the energy storage unit (90) via the second element (11) and the first element (1) if the actual temperature of the energy storage unit (90) is below the target temperature of the energy storage unit (90).
  13. The method (400) of claim 12, further comprising: determining (S2) a temperature of the surrounding (350) of the vehicle (300), determining (S3) a temperature of the second element (11), and wherein transferring (S4a) thermal energy from the vehicle storage unit (90) to the surrounding (350) of the vehicle (300) comprises maintaining the temperature of the second element (11) higher than the temperature of the surrounding (350).
  14. The method (400) of claim 12, further comprising: determining (S2) a temperature of the surrounding (350) of the vehicle (300), determining (S3) a temperature of the second element (11), and wherein transferring (S4b) thermal energy from the surrounding (350) of the vehicle (300) to the energy storage unit (90) comprises maintaining the temperature of the second element (11) lower than the temperature of the surrounding (350).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a device for adapting a temperature of an energy storage unit of a vehicle. The present disclosure further relates to an energy storage arrangement for a vehicle comprising such a device and to a vehicle comprising such energy storage arrangement. The present disclosure further relates to a method for adapting a temperature of an energy storage unit of a vehicle, wherein the energy storage unit is thermally coupled to such a device. BACKGROUND ART In today's electric vehicles, thermal management of the vehicle battery is crucial as it influences a battery capacity, charging times and a maximum operating range or maximum driving range of the vehicle. Vehicle batteries tend to lose heat in an uncontrolled manner to an environment or surrounding of a vehicle. For instance, vehicle batteries are often arranged in the floor region of a vehicle and a bottom side of the battery and faces the ground beneath the vehicle, and an airstream flowing along the floor, e.g. during operation of the vehicle, may lead to unwanted heat losses. To mitigate such a heat loss of the vehicle battery to the environment, insulation layers are often provided in between the battery surface and the outer environment to thermally insulate the battery. However, the provision of such insulations is often insufficient. Furthermore, such insulating elements may hinder a sophisticated thermal management of the battery. Reference document US 2023/0033307 A1 relates to a heating and cooling system of a vehicle. SUMMARY It is therefore an objective of the present disclosure to provide an improved vehicle battery thermal management system and an associated method. The problem is at least partially solved or alleviated by the subject matter of a device according to claim 1 for adapting a temperature of an energy storage unit of a vehicle, an energy storage arrangement according to claim 10 for a vehicle, a vehicle according to claim 11, and a method according to claim 12 for adapting a temperature of an energy storage unit of a vehicle, wherein further preferred examples are incorporated in the dependent claims. According to a first aspect, there is provided a device for adapting a temperature of an energy storage unit of a vehicle. The device comprises a first element thermally couplable to the energy storage unit. The device further comprises a second element thermally couplable to a surrounding of the vehicle. Further, the first element is coupled to the second element to allow an energy transfer between the surrounding of the vehicle and the energy storage unit via the first element and the second element. Thus, an energy storage unit of a vehicle may be set to a desirable temperature by heating or cooling the energy storage unit based on a distinct energy transfer from the surrounding of the vehicle to the energy storage unit or from the energy storage unit to the surrounding of the vehicle. Thus, the surrounding of the vehicle may be flexibly employed as a heat sink or heat source, as desired. The device of the present disclosure allows to control the associated heat flow. An energy storage unit may include one or more devices that can store electric energy, e.g. to drive or propel a vehicle. For instance, an energy storage unit may include one or more battery cells. An alternative term for an energy storage unit of a vehicle may be a vehicle battery. The device may include one or more first and second elements. An element according to the present disclosure may be generally formed and arranged for allowing for a thermal energy transfer with another corresponding element. The first and second elements may comprise a material that is suitable for a thermal energy exchange, such as for instance metal materials or thermally conducting plastics. In some examples, the first and second elements are made of the same material. In other examples, the first and second elements are made of different materials. In some examples, a thermal coupling between the first element and the energy storage unit may be achieved by an immediate or direct contact of the first element and the energy storage unit. In some examples, the thermal coupling between the first element and the energy storage unit may be achieved via further thermal energy conducting components arranged in between the first element and the energy storage unit. The components may accordingly also comprise materials suitable for allowing a thermal energy or heat exchange or conduction. In some examples, a thermal coupling between the second element and the surrounding of the vehicle may comprise an immediate or direct contact between the second element and the surrounding of the vehicle. In some examples, the thermal coupling between the second element and the surrounding of the vehicle may be achieved via further components arranged in between the second element and the surrounding of the vehicle. The components may accordingly also comprise mate