Cooling device for an electric drive train component, electric drive train assembly, method for operating a cooling device, method for cooling an electric drive train component, and vehicle
A cooling device for an electric drive train component can comprise a coolant inlet port configured to receive gaseous coolant from the electric drive train component, a coolant outlet port configured to deliver liquid coolant to the electric drive train component, a heat exchanger configured to extract heat from the gaseous coolant such that the gaseous coolant is at least partially transformed into liquid coolant, wherein the heat exchanger is fluidically connected to the coolant inlet port and the coolant outlet port such that the heat exchanger is arranged between the coolant inlet port and the coolant outlet port along a coolant flow direction, and a coolant collection channel fluidically connected to the heat exchanger and the coolant outlet port such that the coolant collection channel is arranged between the heat exchanger and the coolant outlet port along the coolant flow direction.
1 . A cooling device for an electric drive train component, comprising:
a coolant inlet port configured to receive a gaseous form of a coolant from the electric drive train component;
a coolant outlet port configured to deliver a liquid form of the coolant to the electric drive train component;
a heat exchanger configured to extract heat from the gaseous form of the coolant such that the gaseous form of the coolant is at least partially transformed into the liquid form of the coolant, wherein the heat exchanger is fluidically connected to the coolant inlet port and the coolant outlet port such that the heat exchanger is arranged between the coolant inlet port and the coolant outlet port along a coolant flow direction; and
a coolant collection channel fluidically connected to the heat exchanger and the coolant outlet port such that the coolant collection channel is arranged between the heat exchanger and the coolant outlet port along the coolant flow direction,
wherein a bottom end of the coolant collection channel arranged adjacent to the coolant outlet port is located on a lower vertical level than the heat exchanger in an operational position of the cooling device,
wherein a top end of the coolant collection channel is arranged below the heat exchanger in the operational position of the cooling device, and
wherein a cross section of the coolant collection channel decreases continuously along the coolant flow direction from the top end of the coolant collection channel to the bottom end of the coolant collection channel.
2 . The cooling device of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is a gas-to-gas heat exchanger configured to deliver the heat to ambient air.
3 . The cooling device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a reservoir comprising a heat absorption liquid, wherein the heat exchanger is a gas-to-liquid heat exchanger being thermally coupled to the reservoir.
4 . The cooling device of claim 1 , wherein the coolant comprises a water-based coolant.
5 . An electric drive train assembly comprising:
a cooling device for an electric drive train component, wherein the cooling device comprises:
a coolant inlet port configured to receive a gaseous form of a coolant from the electric drive train component,
a coolant outlet port configured to deliver a liquid form of the coolant to the electric drive train component,
a heat exchanger configured to extract heat from the gaseous form of the coolant such that the gaseous form of the coolant is at least partially transformed into the liquid form of the coolant, wherein the heat exchanger is fluidically connected to the coolant inlet port and the coolant outlet port such that the heat exchanger is arranged between the coolant inlet port and the coolant outlet port along a coolant flow direction, and
a coolant collection channel fluidically connected to the heat exchanger and the coolant outlet port such that the coolant collection channel is arranged between the heat exchanger and the coolant outlet port along the coolant flow direction,
wherein a bottom end of the coolant collection channel arranged adjacent to the coolant outlet port is located on a lower vertical level than the heat exchanger in an operational position of the cooling device,
wherein a top end of the coolant collection channel is arranged below the heat exchanger in the operational position of the cooling device, and
wherein a cross section of the coolant collection channel decreases continuously along the coolant flow direction from the top end of the coolant collection channel to the bottom end of the coolant collection channel; and
an electric machine, wherein the electric machine comprises:
a coolant circulation channel system fluidically connected to the coolant inlet port and to the coolant outlet port of the cooling device.
6 . The electric drive train assembly of claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of at least one of the coolant collection channel or the heat exchanger is at least partially integrated into the electric machine.
7 . The electric drive train assembly of claim 5 , further comprising:
a transmission drivingly connected to the electric machine, wherein the transmission comprises the coolant circulation channel system fluidically connected to the coolant inlet port and to the coolant outlet port of the cooling device.
8 . The electric drive train assembly of claim 7 , further comprising:
a further heat exchanger fluidically interposed between the transmission and the electric machine.
9 . The electric drive train assembly of claim 5 , wherein the electric drive train assembly is comprised in a vehicle.
10 . The electric drive train assembly of claim 5 , wherein the heat exchanger is a gas-to-gas heat exchanger configured to deliver the heat to ambient air.
11 . A method for operating a cooling device for an electric drive train component, comprising:
receiving a gaseous form of a coolant from the electric drive train component;
transforming at least a portion of the gaseous form of the coolant into a liquid form of the coolant; and
collecting the liquid form of the coolant in a coolant collection channel having a bottom end being arranged adjacent to a coolant outlet port which is located on a lower vertical level than a heat exchanger and providing the liquid form of the coolant to the electric drive train component,
wherein a top end of the coolant collection channel is arranged below the heat exchanger in an operational position of the cooling device, and
wherein a cross section of the coolant collection channel decreases continuously along a coolant flow direction from the top end of the coolant collection channel to the bottom end of the coolant collection channel.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the coolant is a water-based coolant.
13 . A method for cooling an electric drive train component, comprising:
transforming at least a portion of a liquid form of a coolant into a gaseous form of the coolant by absorbing heat from the electric drive train component;
providing the gaseous form of the coolant to a cooling device;
receiving the gaseous form of the coolant from the electric drive train component;
transforming at least a portion of the gaseous form of the coolant into the liquid form of the coolant;
collecting the liquid form of the coolant in a coolant collection channel having a bottom end being arranged adjacent to a coolant outlet port which is located on a lower vertical level than a heat exchanger and providing the liquid form of the coolant to the electric drive train component,
wherein a top end of the coolant collection channel is arranged below the heat exchanger in an operational position of the cooling device, and
wherein a cross section of the coolant collection channel decreases continuously along a coolant flow direction from the top end of the coolant collection channel to the bottom end of the coolant collection channel; and
receiving the liquid form of the coolant from the cooling device.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the coolant is a water-based coolant.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the heat exchanger is one of:
a gas-to-gas heat exchanger configured to deliver heat to ambient air, or
a gas-to-liquid heat exchanger being thermally coupled to a reservoir comprising a heat absorption liquid.
16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the heat exchanger is one of:
a gas-to-gas heat exchanger configured to deliver the heat to ambient air, or
a gas-to-liquid heat exchanger being thermally coupled to a reservoir comprising a heat absorption liquid.
17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the electric drive train component comprise a transmission, and wherein the transmission comprises a coolant circulation channel system fluidically connected to a coolant inlet port of the cooling device and to the coolant outlet port of the cooling device.
18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the electric drive train component comprise a transmission, and wherein the transmission comprises a coolant circulation channel system fluidically connected to a coolant inlet port of the cooling device and to the coolant outlet port of the cooling device.
19 . The electric drive train assembly of claim 5 , further comprising:
a reservoir comprising a heat absorption liquid, wherein the heat exchanger is a gas-to-liquid heat exchanger being thermally coupled to the reservoir.
20 . The cooling device of claim 1 , wherein the electric drive train component comprise a transmission, and wherein the transmission comprises a coolant circulation channel system fluidically connected to the coolant inlet port and to the coolant outlet port of the cooling device.