U.S. patent application number 12/679813 was filed with the patent office on 2010-08-19 for device for cooling an energy accumulator.
Invention is credited to Peter Eckert, Michael Meinert, Karsten Rechenberg.
Application Number | 20100205982 12/679813 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40384332 |
Filed Date | 2010-08-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100205982 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Eckert; Peter ; et
al. |
August 19, 2010 |
DEVICE FOR COOLING AN ENERGY ACCUMULATOR
Abstract
A device is disclosed for cooling an energy accumulator in a
rail vehicle. According to at least one embodiment of the
invention, the energy accumulator has a direct thermal connection
to an evaporator and the evaporator and a condenser form part of a
circuit of a refrigerator.
Inventors: |
Eckert; Peter; (Erlangen,
DE) ; Meinert; Michael; (Erlangen, DE) ;
Rechenberg; Karsten; (Dormitz, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HARNESS, DICKEY & PIERCE, P.L.C.
P.O.BOX 8910
RESTON
VA
20195
US
|
Family ID: |
40384332 |
Appl. No.: |
12/679813 |
Filed: |
September 2, 2008 |
PCT Filed: |
September 2, 2008 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2008/061557 |
371 Date: |
April 9, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/62 ; 165/63;
62/115; 62/498 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60H 2001/00307
20130101; H01M 10/625 20150401; H01M 10/66 20150401; B60H 1/00278
20130101; B61D 27/0072 20130101; Y02T 10/70 20130101; B60L 58/26
20190201; B60H 1/3201 20130101; Y02E 60/10 20130101; B60L 2200/26
20130101; F22B 1/28 20130101; B60H 1/32011 20190501; Y02T 30/00
20130101; B61C 3/02 20130101; H01M 10/613 20150401 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/62 ; 62/498;
165/63; 62/115 |
International
Class: |
F25D 31/00 20060101
F25D031/00; F25B 1/00 20060101 F25B001/00; F25B 29/00 20060101
F25B029/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 27, 2007 |
DE |
10 2007 046 369.5 |
Claims
1. A device for cooling an energy accumulator in a rail vehicle,
wherein the energy accumulator has a direct thermal connection to
an evaporator, and wherein the evaporator and a condenser are
components of a circuit of a refrigerator.
2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the evaporator is
connected as a component of a compression refrigerator to the
condenser via a compressor, and wherein the condenser is connected
to the evaporator via a throttle.
3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the evaporator is
connected as a component of an absorption refrigerator to the
condenser via a compressor, and wherein the condenser is connected
to the evaporator via a thermal compressor.
4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein, in order to conduct
thermal energy out of the thermal compressor, the thermal
compressor has a thermal connection to a heating circuit for
heating the passenger compartment of the rail vehicle.
5. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein, in order to feed
thermal energy to the thermal compressor, the thermal compressor
has a thermal connection to a waste heat line of the rail
vehicle.
6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the energy accumulator
is an electric energy accumulator.
7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the energy accumulator
is an electrochemical energy accumulator.
8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of energy
accumulators are connected to just one evaporator.
9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the condenser has a
thermal connection to a heating circuit for heating the passenger
compartment of the rail vehicle.
10. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in order to perform
open-loop/closed-loop control of the cooling process, a control
unit is provided in the rail vehicle.
11. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the control unit is
composed of a plurality of units.
12. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein, in order to feed
thermal energy to the thermal compressor, the thermal compressor
has a thermal connection to a waste heat line of the rail
vehicle.
13. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the energy
accumulator is an electric energy accumulator.
14. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the energy
accumulator is an electrochemical energy accumulator.
15. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein a plurality of energy
accumulators are connected to just one evaporator.
16. A method for cooling an energy accumulator in a rail vehicle,
the method comprising: directly thermally connecting the energy
accumulator to an evaporator, wherein the evaporator and a
condenser are components of a circuit of a refrigerator; and using
the direct thermal connection to cool the energy accumulator in the
rail vehicle.
17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the evaporator is
connected as a component of a compression refrigerator to the
condenser via a compressor, and wherein the condenser is connected
to the evaporator via a throttle.
18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the evaporator is
connected as a component of an absorption refrigerator to the
condenser via a compressor, and wherein the condenser is connected
to the evaporator via a thermal compressor.
19. The device as claimed in claim 18, wherein, in order to conduct
thermal energy out of the thermal compressor, the thermal
compressor has a thermal connection to a heating circuit for
heating the passenger compartment of the rail vehicle.
20. The device as claimed in claim 18, wherein, in order to feed
thermal energy to the thermal compressor, the thermal compressor
has a thermal connection to a waste heat line of the rail vehicle.
Description
PRIORITY STATEMENT
[0001] This application is the national phase under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.371 of PCT International Application No. PCT/EP2008/061557
which has an International filing date of Sep. 2, 2008, which
designates the United States of America, and which claims priority
on German patent application number DE 10 2007 046 369.5 filed Sep.
27, 2007, the entire contents of each of which are hereby
incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD
[0002] At least one embodiment of the invention generally relates
to a device for cooling an energy accumulator in a rail
vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Energy accumulators may be provided in rail vehicles for
different purposes. In particular, powerful energy accumulators are
necessary in order to be able to operate a rail vehicle, for
example a streetcar without an external supply of energy, at least
in certain sections of a route. Sections of a route without an
overhead line or power rail are desired if a streetcar is to be
routed through a narrow street or through a pedestrian zone.
[0004] In an energy accumulator, particularly in a powerful energy
accumulator such as is necessary for operating a streetcar, heating
of the energy accumulator occurs due to internal power losses. This
inputting of heat leads to a shortening of the service life of the
energy accumulator.
[0005] It has already been proposed to provide air cooling or water
cooling in order to cool an energy accumulator. Such cooling is not
effective enough for energy accumulators which are subject to heavy
electrical and thermal loading.
SUMMARY
[0006] At least one embodiment of the invention specifies a device
for cooling an energy accumulator in a rail vehicle which permits
more effective cooling than hitherto.
[0007] In least one embodiment of the invention, the energy
accumulator has a direct thermal connection to an evaporator,
and/or the evaporator and a condenser are components of a circuit
of a refrigerator.
[0008] The refrigerator provides the advantage that the heat
produced in the energy accumulator is quickly and reliably
conducted away. The circulating process of the refrigerator means
that sufficient coolant is always available. It is therefore
possible to reliably cool even energy accumulators which are
subject to heavy electrical and thermal loading. The advantage is
also obtained that a plurality of energy accumulators can be
installed with a significantly smaller distance between them than
was possible hitherto and that nevertheless there is a good cooling
facility. An additional advantage is that such a refrigerator
operates with little noise so that fewer disruptive noises occur
than is the case, for example, when there is a coolant blower.
[0009] For example, the evaporator is connected as a component of a
compression refrigerator to the condenser via a compressor, and the
condenser is connected to the evaporator via a throttle.
[0010] According to another example, the evaporator is connected as
a component of an absorption refrigerator to the condenser via a
compressor, and the condenser is connected to the evaporator via a
thermal compressor.
[0011] Both a compression refrigerator and an absorption
refrigerator provide the advantage that even energy accumulators
which are subject to heavy electrical and thermal loading can be
cooled reliably.
[0012] The compression refrigerator and the absorption refrigerator
are known as such. While in the case of the compression
refrigerator the condensed coolant is compressed only by a throttle
and is then fed to the evaporator, the absorption refrigerator is
provided with a thermal compressor which is a solution circuit. The
coolant is firstly dissolved in a fluid there, with heat being
emitted. The dissolved coolant is then expelled from the solution
by supplying external heat. After this process, the coolant has a
higher density than before.
[0013] In order to conduct thermal energy out of the thermal
compressor, the latter has a thermal connection, for example, to a
heating circuit for heating the passenger compartment of the rail
vehicle. The heat which is generated is therefore advantageously
utilized.
[0014] In order to feed thermal energy to the thermal compressor,
the latter has a thermal connection, for example, to a waste heat
line of the rail vehicle. In order to expel the coolant from the
solution, it is in fact necessary to feed in thermal energy from
the outside. Utilizing the waste heat line of the rail vehicle
provides the advantage that this thermal energy does not have to be
generated separately.
[0015] The energy accumulator is, for example, an electric energy
accumulator such as, for example, an UltraCap or a double-layer
condenser.
[0016] According to another example, the energy accumulator is an
electrochemical energy accumulator such as, for example, a battery.
Such a battery may be, for example, a nickel-cadmium battery.
[0017] For example, a plurality of energy accumulators are
connected to just one evaporator. Since the power of just one
refrigerator is sufficient to conduct the heat generated away from
a plurality of energy accumulators, the cooling of a plurality of
energy accumulators in a small space is advantageously made
possible.
[0018] For example, the condenser has a thermal connection to a
heating circuit for heating the passenger compartment of the rail
vehicle. Heat which is generated in the condenser of the
refrigerator is therefore advantageously utilized.
[0019] In order to perform open-loop/closed-loop control of the
cooling process, a control unit, for example, is provided in the
rail vehicle. This provides the advantage that the cooling process
can be adapted to the requirements.
[0020] For example, the control unit is composed of a plurality of
units which can, if appropriate, be arranged distributed in the
rail vehicle.
[0021] The energy accumulators which are to be cooled may be
located in the vehicle head in the rail vehicle or at some other
location within the vehicle, on the roof or under the floor. The
rail vehicle can be a streetcar, an urban railway or a long
distance train. The device for cooling the energy accumulator can,
however, also be used in a locomotive, for example a shunting
locomotive, or in a track-guided vehicle with rubber tires.
[0022] The device according to at least one embodiment of the
invention provides in particular the advantage that even energy
accumulators which are subject to heavy electrical and thermal
loading, and correspondingly a series of energy accumulators
arranged closely one next to the other, can be reliably cooled with
little noise. As a result, the service life of the energy
accumulators is significantly increased. The device is particularly
suitable for arrangement in a streetcar which is intended to travel
without an external energy supply at least in certain parts of its
route.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] Example embodiments of a device for cooling an energy
accumulator in a rail vehicle will be explained in more detail with
reference to the drawing:
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a device with a compression refrigerator,
and
[0025] FIG. 2 shows a device with an absorption refrigerator.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
[0026] According to FIG. 1, an energy accumulator 1 which is
located in a rail vehicle and can be a battery or an electric
condenser has a direct thermal connection to an evaporator 2 of a
compression refrigerator 3. In the compression refrigerator 3, the
evaporator 2 is connected via a compressor 4 to a condenser 5 which
is connected again to the evaporator 2 via a throttle 6 so as to
form a circuit. While the evaporator 2 absorbs heat from the energy
accumulator 1, the condenser 5 outputs the heat to the
surroundings. The coolant flows in the form of gas from the
evaporator 2 to the condenser 5 and in the form of liquid from the
condenser 5 to the evaporator 2.
[0027] According to FIG. 2, the energy accumulator 1 also has a
direct thermal connection to the evaporator 2. The evaporator 2 is
a component of an absorption refrigerator 7 in which, as in the
case of the compression refrigerator 3 (FIG. 1) the evaporator 2 is
connected to a condenser 5 via a compressor 4. However, in the
absorption refrigerator 7 the condenser 5 is connected again to the
evaporator 2 via a thermal compressor 8 so as to form a circuit.
This thermal compressor 8 is a solution circuit. The coolant is
dissolved there in a liquid within an absorber 9 and is then
expelled again from the liquid within an expulsion device 10. As a
result, the coolant is compressed. The expulsion device 10 has to
have thermal energy fed to it, while the absorber 9 outputs thermal
energy. In order to feed in heat, the expulsion device 10 has a
thermal connection to a waste heat line 11 of the rail vehicle. In
order to utilize the heat output by the absorber 9, the latter has
a thermal connection to a heating circuit 12 which supplies, for
example, the passenger compartment heating system of the rail
vehicle. The solution passes through a first line 13, into which a
solution pump 14 and the secondary side (cold side) of a heat
exchanger 15 is connected, from the absorber 9 to the expulsion
device 10. The liquid from which coolant has been removed passes
from the expulsion device 10 back to the absorber 9 through a
second line 16 into which the primary side (warm side) of the heat
exchanger 15 has been connected.
[0028] Both in the embodiment according to FIG. 1 and in the
embodiment according to FIG. 2, in order to utilize the heat output
by the condenser 5 the latter has a thermal connection to the
heating circuit 12 which supplies, for example, the passenger
compartment heating system of the rail vehicle.
[0029] With the device for cooling the energy accumulator 1 it is
possible to cool a large energy accumulator 1 or a plurality of
energy accumulators simultaneously, with the result that a large
storage capacity for electrical energy is possible in one rail
vehicle. It is possible to operate high-power rail vehicles with
such energy accumulators 1 over relatively large distances without
an external energy supply.
[0030] Example embodiments being thus described, it will be obvious
that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not
to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the
present invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious
to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the
scope of the following claims.
* * * * *