Thermal management system, vehicle and method for operating two cooling circuits of a thermal management system

1. A thermal management system ( 2 ) for use in a vehicle, comprising:

a first cooling circuit ( 4 ) for cooling a battery ( 10 ); and

a second cooling circuit ( 6 ) for cooling an electric motor ( 12 ) configured to drive the vehicle,

wherein the first and second cooling circuits ( 4 , 6 ) are configured to be connected to each other in three separate configurations comprising:

(a) in series by a multi-way valve ( 14 ) in a first mode of the thermal management system ( 2 ) and in a first valve position of the multi-way valve ( 14 ),

(b) in parallel in a second mode of the thermal management system ( 2 ) and in a second valve position of the multi-way valve ( 14 ), and

(c) in a third mode of the thermal management system ( 2 ) and in a third valve position, the multi-way valve ( 14 ) takes up an intermediate position in which coolant flows of the first and second cooling circuits ( 4 , 6 ) are mixed with each other as needed.

2. The thermal management system ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the multi-way valve ( 14 ) is configured as a 4/2-way valve.

3. The thermal management system ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the thermal management system ( 2 ) further comprises a further multi-way valve ( 18 ) in the second cooling circuit ( 6 ) downstream of the electric motor ( 12 ), the further multi-way valve ( 18 ) being configured to conduct a coolant flow optionally via a path ( 22 ) with a radiator ( 24 ) and/or via a bypass path ( 20 ) parallel to the path ( 22 ) so as to bypass the radiator ( 24 ).

4. The thermal management system ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the further multi-way valve ( 18 ) is configured as a 3/2-way valve.

5. The thermal management system ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the multi-way valve ( 14 ) is configured as a 5/3-way valve which is fluidically connected to a bypass path ( 20 ) of the second cooling circuit ( 6 ) for bypassing a radiator ( 24 ) and a radiator path ( 22 ) with the radiator ( 24 ),

wherein the bypass path ( 20 ) is parallel to the radiator ( 24 ) and the radiator path ( 22 ) with the radiator ( 24 ),

wherein the bypass path ( 20 ) and the radiator path ( 22 ) originate from a junction (KP) downstream of the electric motor ( 12 ).

6. The thermal management system ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the third valve position can be set from a plurality of possible intermediate positions.

7. The thermal management system ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 6 , wherein individual intermediate positions can be set in increments or infinitely variably.

8. The vehicle comprising the thermal management system ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 1 .

9. A method for operating the first and second cooling circuits ( 4 , 6 ) of the thermal management system ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 1 , the method comprising:

cooling the battery ( 10 ) using the first cooling circuit ( 4 );

cooling the electric motor ( 12 ) using the second cooling circuit ( 6 ) to cool the electric motor ( 12 );

connecting the first and second cooling circuits ( 4 , 6 ) to each other:

in series by the multi-way valve ( 14 ) in the first mode of the thermal management system ( 2 ) and in the first valve position of the multi-way valve ( 14 ), or

in parallel in the second mode of the thermal management system ( 2 ) and in the second valve position of the multi-way valve ( 14 ); and

in a third mode of the thermal management system ( 2 ) and in a third valve position of the switching the multi-way valve ( 14 ), into an intermediate position in which the coolant flows of the first and second cooling circuits ( 4 , 6 ) are mixed with each other as needed.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein a 4/2-way valve is used as the multi-way valve ( 14 ).

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a further multi-way valve ( 18 ) is used in the second cooling circuit ( 6 ) downstream of the electric motor ( 12 ), through which a coolant flow is conducted optionally via a path ( 22 ) with a radiator ( 24 ) and/or via a path ( 20 ) parallel thereto (bypass path 20 ) for bypassing the radiator ( 24 ).

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein a 3/2-way valve is used for the further multi-way valve ( 18 ).

13. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein a 5/3-way valve is used as the multi-way valve ( 14 ), which is fluidically connected to a bypass path ( 20 ) of the second cooling circuit ( 6 ) for bypassing a radiator ( 24 ) and a radiator path ( 22 ) with the radiator ( 24 ),

wherein the bypass path ( 20 ) is parallel to the radiator ( 24 ) and the radiator path ( 22 ) with the radiator ( 24 ),

wherein the bypass path ( 20 ) and the radiator path ( 22 ) originate from a junction (KP) downstream of the electric motor ( 12 ).

14. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the third valve position is set from a plurality of possible intermediate positions.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein individual intermediate positions are set in increments or infinitely variably.

16. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein a fourth mode (or bypass mode) and/or a fifth mode of the thermal management system is set, wherein, in the fourth mode, coolant is conducted via the bypass path ( 20 ) for heating the battery ( 10 ), whereas, in the fifth mode, coolant is conducted via the radiator path ( 22 ) for cooling the battery ( 10 ).

17. A non-volatile computer readable medium storing a computer program which, when executed on a computer, controls carrying out the method as claimed in claim 9 .