CN110114564A - Apparatus for cooling a vehicle propulsion device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle comprising a cooling apparatus (1) arranged in a cabin receiving propulsion means (2), the cooling apparatus comprising an air flow generating device and an air guiding device (3) arranged around said propulsion means (2) so as to form therewith at least one air flow channel having a predetermined thickness, the cooling apparatus (1) comprising a diffuser arranged between an air outlet opening of said air flow generating device and an air inlet opening (5) of said air guiding device.

Description

Equipment for cooling vehicle propulsion

The invention belongs to the field of cooling motor vehicle propulsion.

The invention relates more particularly to an optimized cooling arrangement for a propulsion plant, which may be a power train comprising an internal combustion engine or an electric motor whose voltage is controlled by suitable regulating means.

The solutions that make possible the thermal management of the propulsion means usually use an electric motor-fan unit, which in operation is adapted to generate a forced air flow in the cabin of the vehicle, which is dedicated to incorporate said propulsion means and is usually called for the engine compartment. Such a motor-fan unit is usually positioned flush with the air intake opening of the engine compartment, in particular the bumper, so that the movement of the vehicle can create a natural air flow past the motor-fan unit before passing through the engine compartment.

For a certain range of vehicles, one of several types of power unit is usually combined, which means different ratios of occupancy of the engine compartment. In this case, it has been noticed that some of the cooling air can circulate in the engine compartment without contributing to the thermal regulation of the drive train. Furthermore, it has been noted that in order to achieve cooling of certain parts of the power train, the intake openings of the nacelle are calibrated so as to form a predetermined air flow, which may also result in overcooling of other parts of the power unit.

It is in this environment that the object of the present invention arises.

The object of the invention therefore consists of a vehicle comprising a cooling device arranged in a compartment receiving a propulsion device, the essential feature of which is that the cooling device comprises means for generating an air flow and air guiding means, the air The guide means is arranged around the propulsion means so as to form together with it at least one air flow channel of predetermined thickness, the cooling device comprises an air outlet arranged between the air outlet of the air flow generating means and the air inlet of the air guide means diffuser.

Advantageously, such a vehicle makes it possible to achieve a calibrated distribution of air flow according to the type of said propulsion device, the shape of which is specific to said propulsion device. Thus, the air leaving the motor-fan unit is routed as close as possible to each of the different parts of the drive train according to cooling requirements. Thus, the air flow can be predefined according to the cooling requirements, which can be of varying importance depending on the components of the propulsion device to be cooled.

According to a further characteristic of the invention, the vehicle comprises the following features taken alone or in combination:

- the diffuser is made of flexible material, especially plastic material;

- the air guiding device is a housing made of rigid material, especially plastic material, and is connected to the propulsion device by means of a dedicated fixed interface;

- the casing comprises at least one shroud covering all or part of said propulsion means;

- said means for generating air flow is a motor-fan unit fixedly assembled on the main structure of the vehicle via a support frame to which the diffuser is fixed;

- the propulsion means extending transversely onto the structure of the vehicle, the diffuser comprising air outlet openings which may have an approximately elliptical profile delimited by a collar intended to cover the fixing flange ( the fixing flange around the edge of the air intake opening of said air guiding device);

- the propulsion device is an integral assembly comprising an electric motor, a reducer and a control module (the control module notably containing the power electronics), the reducer being arranged between the electric motor and the control module such that the reducer faces the an approximately central portion of the air intake opening of the air guiding device;

- the main shroud comprises a front and a bottom face arranged facing said propulsion means, and a lateral face arranged facing the free end of the electric motor;

- An auxiliary shroud is fixed to the main shroud, the auxiliary shroud comprising a rear face extending facing the electric motor and a lateral face arranged facing the free end of the electric motor, the auxiliary shroud comprising at least one air discharge outlet.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reading the following description of a particular embodiment of the invention given as a non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

- figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a cooling device according to the invention intended to be arranged in the cabin of a vehicle,

- Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of a part of the cooling device covering the propulsion plant according to the invention,

- Figure 3 is a front perspective view of part of the cooling device of Figure 2 according to the invention,

- Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the end portion of said propulsion device in Figure 2 according to the invention, showing an embodiment of the cooling device engaged with the electric motor.

The following description is given with reference to a three-dimensional frame of reference having axes X, Y, and Z conventionally associated with motor vehicles, where X is the rearward-facing longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and Y is the right-to-left lateral direction of the vehicle , the transverse direction is horizontal and perpendicular to X, and Z is the vertical direction facing upwards. Furthermore, the terms "front", "rear", "right", "left", "horizontal", "vertical", "top" and "bottom" are relative to the vehicle or to a part of the vehicle, and are relative to The direction of travel of the vehicle is defined.

Referring to Figure 1, a device 1 for cooling a propulsion device preferably comprises a diffuser 4 and air guiding means 3 surrounding all or part of said propulsion device in order to direct the cooling air as close as possible to the The area of the cooled propulsion unit.

The cooling device 1 comprises means for generating a pulsed air flow consisting of a motor-fan unit (not shown). The motor-fan unit is fixedly mounted on the structure of the vehicle. More specifically, the motor-fan unit comprises a support frame in which the different blades of the fan rotate. The fan is mounted rotatably about the shaft of the electric motor, which shaft extends, for example, parallel to the longitudinal axis X. The electric motor can be controlled by frequency modulation, so that its rotational speed can be variable and defined according to various control parameters.

The motor-fan unit is arranged flush with an air intake opening defining an air passage between the exterior of the vehicle and the interior of the cabin of the vehicle. The compartment is for example an engine compartment, which can be arranged at the front or rear of the vehicle, for example under the floor of the vehicle.

Without controlling the operation of the motor-fan unit, the movement of the vehicle makes it possible to create a natural air flow in the engine compartment. Activation of the motor-fan unit controlled via frequency modulation makes it possible to generate a forced air flow in the engine compartment.

The cooling device 1 comprises air guiding means 3 extending generally around all or part of said propulsion means 2, as will be described in detail below.

Such an air guiding device 3 comprises an air intake opening 5 having substantially the same surface area as the air outlet of the motor-fan unit, so that the air flow at the intake opening 5 is the same as leaving the motor-fan unit. The air flow is about the same. This design is intended to reduce any pressure loss between the outlet of the air guiding device 3 and the inlet.

Assuming that the architecture of said propulsion device 2 extends substantially along the transverse axis Y of the vehicle, the air intake opening 5 of the air guiding device 3 has a substantially elliptical contour which is oriented horizontally in the sense that the opening The height of 5 on the Z axis is smaller than its width on the Y axis.

A diffuser 4 is arranged between the motor-fan unit and the air guiding device 3 rigidly connected to the drive train. The diffuser 4 is a duct for conveying the air circulating between the air outlet opening of the motor-fan unit and the air inlet opening 5 of said means 3 for guiding the air surrounding the drive train.

The diffuser 4 has a complex shape including a main diaphragm 44 with any conical profile in order to create a channel for conveying air between the air outlet of the motor-fan unit and the intake opening 5 of the air guiding device 3 .

The diffuser 4 is shaped such that it comprises at each of its free ends a collar 42, 43 for fixing to the motor-fan unit and to said air guiding device 3, respectively. The shape of the front collar 43 is determined by a securing flange around the edge of the motor-fan unit air outlet opening. The rear collar 42 is shaped according to the fixing flange 33 around the edge of the air intake opening 5 .

The diffuser 4 is preferably made of a flexible material, especially a plastic material. The diffuser 4 can be made of rubber. The front collar 43 and the rear collar 42 of the diffuser 4 can be made by overmoulding rigid plastic.

The flexible diffuser 4 makes it possible to compensate for different changes in the space between the motor-fan unit (fixed on the main structure) and the power train (which is movable relative to the main structure during its operation). Furthermore, the vibration state of the motor-fan unit may differ from that of the power train, and the flexible diffuser 4 may absorb these vibration differences.

The front collar 43 may be fixed directly by screw fastening to the motor-fan unit. The collar 43 may also include fixing tabs for assembly on the motor-fan unit. The rear collar 42 can cover the fixing flange 33 so that assembly can be achieved by snapping the diffuser 4 to the clamping collar 7 on the air guiding device 3 .

The cooling device 1 advantageously enables an optimized thermal management of the different components forming the propulsion device 2 . To this end, the air guiding device 3 is a housing made of rigid material, in particular of plastic material.

The casing comprises at least one shroud arranged on the propulsion device 2 such that the at least one shroud extends around all or part of the propulsion device in order to form a cooling airflow channel.

According to a particular embodiment, said propulsion device 2 is an integral assembly comprising an electric motor 21 , a reducer 22 and a control module 23 (which notably contains the power electronics). The architecture of the propulsion device 2 includes an assembly with a reducer 22 between the electric motor 21 and the control module 23 .

In a variant embodiment (not shown), the propulsion means 2 may be a combustion engine.

With respect to the air intake opening 5 , the reducer 22 extends towards an approximately central portion, and the motor 21 and the control module 23 are also partially arranged directly facing the opening 5 .

Preferably, for reasons of mounting said air guiding device 3 on said propulsion device 2 , the housing forming said air guiding device 3 comprises a main shroud 31 .

The main shroud 31 comprises a front face 310 in which the opening 5 is made.

As can be seen in FIG. 3 , the opening 5 may comprise a shielding panel 8 connecting the two parts of the oblong fixing flange 33 . Here, the panel 8 extends vertically so as to leave only the bottom part of the reducer 22 under the influence of the cooling air flow.

The main shroud 31 comprises a front face 310 which is substantially flat in its part containing the opening 5 and in its lateral part covering the control module 23 . Its lateral portion covering the motor is substantially cylindrical so as to follow the shape of the housing of the motor 21 as closely as possible. The main shield 31 is shaped according to the motor 21 such that it covers at least half of its outer circumference. The main shroud 31 may also comprise a lateral face 312 arranged to partially cover the free end of the electric motor 21 .

The main shroud 31 may include a bottom surface 311 shaped such that it is substantially flat at a portion intended to extend under the speed reducer 22 and the control module 23 . The free edges of the front face 310 and the bottom face 311 may comprise stiffening ribs 313 extending in a plane parallel to the X-axis. Such stiffening ribs are especially intended to prevent any vibration effects of the housing.

The air guiding device 3 may also comprise an auxiliary shroud 32 which, once assembled, covers the parts of the electric motor 21 not covered by the main shroud 31 . The arrangement of the shroud 32 makes it possible to almost completely surround the housing of the motor 21 around its peripheral edge.

Advantageously, the housing of the electric motor 21 comprises radial fins arranged to protrude from the housing so that this increases the cooling air flow between the housing and the cooling air circulating in the channel formed by the components of the housing on the power train. heat exchange surface.

The auxiliary shroud 32 defines a rear panel in which at least one air discharge opening 324 is made. As can be seen in FIG. 4 , the auxiliary shroud 32 includes two adjacent openings 324 with respect to the Y-axis, which correspondingly improves heat dissipation.

The auxiliary shroud 32 may also comprise a lateral face 322 arranged to partially cover the free end of the electric motor 21 . The lateral faces 312 and 322 belonging to the main shroud 31 and the auxiliary shroud 32 , respectively, are assembled side by side by fixing means 34 , 35 . Said air guiding device 3 is preferably fixed to the propulsion device 2 by means of a fixing interface 6 which may be integrally molded with the housing of the electric motor 21 or with attachment lugs provided for this purpose.

The means 34 for securing the shrouds 31 and 32 to each other may comprise tabs protruding from one of the main shroud 31 and the auxiliary shroud 32 which engage in the main shroud 31 and the auxiliary shroud 32 In the corresponding ring made in the other one. These assemblies consisting of tabs and corresponding rings can be arranged on the lateral faces 312 and 322 . These components may also be arranged on the free edges of the primary 31 and secondary 32 shrouds, which are adapted to provide a joint between the shrouds.

The fixing means 35 may be of the quick-release type and thus consist of retaining claws fitted on the two peripheral edges (arranged to press against each other) on the main 31 and auxiliary 32 shrouds. In a variant, the retaining jaws comprise openings that make it possible to clamp the above-mentioned edges with special screws.

Such fastening means 34 and 35 enable the reversible mounting of said air guiding device 3 on the propulsion device 2 . Due to its two-part construction, the air guiding device 3 surrounds the electric motor 21, which tends to increase the cooling air flow. Thus, the housing formed by said air guiding means 3 significantly improves the cooling of the propulsion means, while at the same time forming a thermal barrier which reduces the influence of heat radiation on surrounding elements.

The use of such a cooling device advantageously and cost-effectively enables a more precise adjustment of the heat exchange between the operating components of the propulsion device 2 which must be cooled to ensure their operational reliability. This also results in a corresponding reduction in heat transfer effects due to the operation of the propulsion means on the structure of the vehicle.

Claims (9)

1. a kind of vehicle, including it is cooling equipment (1), which is arranged in the cabin for receiving propulsion device (2), feature Be, the cooling equipment include device for generating air stream and be arranged in around the propulsion device (2) so as to its The air guiding device (3) of at least one airflow channel of predetermined thickness is formed, which includes diffuser (4), should Diffuser be arranged in the air flow generating unit air outlet slit opening and the air guiding device air inlet openings (5) it Between.

2. vehicle according to claim 1, which is characterized in that the diffuser (4) is fabricated from a flexible material, especially by moulding Material material is made.

3. vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, which is characterized in that the air guiding device (3) is by rigid material, especially It is the shell made of plastic material, and is connected to the propulsion device (2) by dedicated fixed interface (6).

4. according to vehicle described in previous item claim, which is characterized in that the shell includes covering the propulsion device (2) At least one all or part of shield (31).

5. vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, which is characterized in that the described device for generating air stream is electricity Machine-fan unit, the motor-fan unit are immovably assembled in the main structure of the vehicle via braced frame, The diffuser (4) is fixed in the braced frame.

6. vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, which is characterized in that the propulsion device (2) extends transverse to this The structure of vehicle, the diffuser (4) include air outlet slit opening (41), and air outlet slit opening can have approximate ellipsoidal Profile, the profile are defined by lantern ring (42), which is intended for covering the air inlet opening of the air guiding device (3) (5) fixed flange (33) of perimeter.

7. vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, which is characterized in that the propulsion device (2) is integrated group Part, the integral component include motor (21), retarder (22) and the control module for particularly comprising drive electronic device (23), which is arranged between the motor (21) and the control module (23), so that retarder (22) face Extend to the approximate center portion of the air inlet of the air guiding device (3) opening (5).

8. according to vehicle described in the previous item claim in conjunction with claim 4, which is characterized in that main shield (31) includes face Before being arranged to the propulsion device (2) and bottom surface (310,311) and free end arrangement towards the motor (21) Lateral face (312).

9. vehicle according to claim 8, which is characterized in that auxiliary shield (32) passes through fixed device (34,35) and consolidated Surely it arrives on the main shield (31), which includes towards (323) behind the motor (21) extension and towards this The lateral face (322) of the free end arrangement of motor (21), which includes at least one air discharge outlet (324)。