Method and Apparatus for Cooling a Temperature-Sensitive Assembly of a Motor Vehicle

Abstract

A cooling arrangement for cooling a temperature-sensitive assembly, (such as an electrical assembly) of a motor vehicle includes a condenser for liquefying at least a partial volume of a cooling medium in a cooling circuit, and an evaporator disposed downstream of the condenser on which the cooling medium can impinge and to which heat from the electrical assembly (12) can be applied. The cooling arrangement comprises a pump device by which the evaporator can be charged by at least the liquefied partial volume of the cooling medium. A method for cooling a temperature-sensitive assembly, such an electrical assembly, of a motor vehicle is also provided.

1 .- 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A cooling arrangement for cooling a temperature-sensitive assembly of a motor vehicle, said cooling arrangement comprising:
 a condenser for liquefying at least a partial volume of a cooling medium in a cooling circuit;   an evaporator disposed downstream of the condenser into which the cooling medium can flow, and to which heat of the temperature-sensitive assembly can be applied; and   a pump device which causes at least the liquefied partial volume of the cooling medium to flow into the evaporator.   
     
     
         18 . The cooling arrangement according to  claim 17 , wherein the pump device is an immersion pump, arranged at a collection device which is downstream of the condenser, for collecting the liquefied partial volume of the cooling medium. 
     
     
         19 . The cooling arrangement according to  claim 18 , wherein:
 the cooling circuit has a compressor for compressing the cooling medium downstream of the evaporator and upstream of the condenser;   an expansion element is connected upstream of the evaporator, for relaxing the compressed cooling medium; and   a bridging device for bridging the compressor is provided during charging of the evaporator by the pump device.   
     
     
         20 . The cooling arrangement according to  claim 19 , wherein the bridging device has a non-return valve which can be flown through by the cooling medium when it flows into the evaporator via the pump device. 
     
     
         21 . The cooling arrangement according to  claim 19 , wherein the compressor applies pressure to the cooling medium, which pressure is larger than a maximum back pressure applied by the pump device during flow of the cooling medium through the pump device. 
     
     
         22 . The cooling arrangement according to  claim 19 , further comprising a bridging device having a non-return valve, for bridging the pump device when the evaporator is impinged on by the compressor. 
     
     
         23 . The cooling arrangement according to  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a bypass device for bypassing said expansion element, which bypass device can be flown through by the cooling medium; and   a first blocking device for blocking said expansion element.   
     
     
         24 . The cooling arrangement according to  claim 23 , further comprising a second blocking device assigned to the expansion element, which blocking device is operable to inhibit a flow-through of the expansion element. 
     
     
         25 . The cooling arrangement according to  claim 24 , wherein the cooling circuit has a further evaporator for cooling a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle, and a further expansion element that is connected to the further evaporator upstream, for relaxing the cooling medium compressed by the compressor. 
     
     
         26 . The cooling arrangement according to  claim 26 , wherein:
 a maximum difference between a pressure present upstream and downstream of the pump device can be adjusted in the cooling circuit by the pump device; and   the further expansion element can be moved to a closed position by this maximum difference.   
     
     
         27 . The cooling arrangement according to  claim 25 , wherein a further blocking device is assigned to the further expansion element, by which blocking device a flow-through of the further expansion element can be inhibited. 
     
     
         28 . The cooling arrangement according to  claim 25 , wherein the further expansion element can be moved to an open position, in which it can be flown through by the cooling medium in an essentially uninhibited manner. 
     
     
         29 . The cooling arrangement according to  claim 24 , wherein the expansion element and the blocking devices are integrated into a charging module. 
     
     
         30 . The cooling arrangement according to  claim 19 , wherein an inner heat exchanger is connected upstream of the compressor by which heat exchanger heat can be exchanged between the compressed cooling medium and the cooling medium exiting from the evaporator. 
     
     
         31 . The cooling arrangement according to  claim 30 , wherein the cooling circuit has a bridging device for bridging the inner heat exchanger that can be flown through by the pump device, when charging the evaporator. 
     
     
         32 . A method for cooling a temperature-sensitive assembly of a motor vehicle, wherein:
 at least a partial volume of a cooling medium in a cooling circuit can be liquefied by a condenser;   an evaporator arranged downstream of the condenser is charged by the cooling medium;   heat of the temperature-sensitive assembly is supplied to the evaporator; and   the evaporator is charged by at least the liquefied partial volume of the cooling medium by a pump device.