DE102023004565A1 - Element for the time-delayed dosing of an inhibitor and method for its production - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an element (2) for the time-delayed dosing of an inhibitor to protect metal components in a cooling circuit, wherein the element (2) has at least one carrier film (7) on which one or more active ingredient areas (3) are arranged, which act as Inhibitor contains an active ingredient (16) containing powdered and/or granulated metasilicates or an active ingredient mixture containing metasilicates, the carrier film (7) being designed as a polymer film (7) or metal foil (7) and provided with an adhesive which contains the active ingredient (16 ). are arranged opposite an operating medium (5) of the cooling circuit certain surface (12), the areas (9) also being provided with the active ingredient (16), the carrier film (7) with its side coated with adhesive and active ingredient (16). a base body (8) is applied, which is designed as a further film or a plate made of a polymer or metal. The invention further relates to a method for producing the element (2).

Description

The invention relates to an element for the time-delayed dosing of an inhibitor in a cooling circuit according to the preamble of claim 1, an expansion tank for a cooling circuit according to the preamble of claim 6 and a method for producing the element according to the preamble of claim 7.

Vehicle cooling systems are usually operated with water-glycol mixtures. In principle, these media have a corrosive effect on metallic components, especially components made of aluminum, iron, copper and non-ferrous metal alloys. To provide long-term protection for these components, inhibitors are added to the coolant, which are used up over the service life as a result of the reaction with the surfaces. To avoid damage, the cooling medium must be replaced at specific maintenance intervals and/or replenished by adding fresh inhibitors. However, it must be ensured that the addition of the inhibitor chemistry does not lead to an overconcentration in the operating fluid, which could e.g. B. lead to precipitation or side reactions in the medium. Previous technical solutions therefore used complex cartridges with inhibitors pressed into tablet form, which had to be laboriously integrated into the cooling circuit to ensure slow dosage.

Previous systems use classic dosing systems (storage containers with pumps) or containers (cartridges) introduced in tablet form and connected to the circuit via a connection, which are very expensive to manufacture and were therefore only offered as special equipment for commercial vehicles. Simple systems for refilling in liquid form in the field or in the workshop are offered as an add-on for commercial vehicles in North America, but if used incorrectly, for example if the mixture is not sufficiently mixed after filling, they regularly lead to serious damage to the cooling systems.

• - ein Kühlmittel-undurchlässiges Gehäuse, das einen im Wesentlichen hohlen Innenraum und wenigstens eine Öffnung definiert,
• - eine Kühlmitteladditivzusammensetzung, die im Innenraum des Gehäuses bereitgestellt wird, wobei die Kühlmitteladditivzusammensetzung ein in einem flüssigen Kühlmittel lösliches chemisches Additiv umfasst, und
• - wenigstens ein Kühlmittel-durchlässiges Element, das an oder in der Nähe der Öffnung des Gehäuses bereitgestellt wird und die Freisetzung eines Teils des chemischen Additivs in das flüssige Kühlmittel, das in Kontakt mit dem Gehäuse ist, effektiv ermöglicht.

DE 102 97 141 T5 describes a container for releasing a chemical additive into a liquid coolant, comprising:

• - a coolant-impermeable housing defining a substantially hollow interior and at least one opening,
• - a coolant additive composition provided in the interior of the housing, the coolant additive composition comprising a chemical additive soluble in a liquid coolant, and
• - at least one coolant permeable element provided at or near the opening of the housing and effectively enabling the release of a portion of the chemical additive into the liquid coolant in contact with the housing.

The invention is based on the object of providing a novel element for the time-delayed dosage of an inhibitor to protect metallic components in a cooling circuit, a novel expansion tank for a cooling circuit and a novel method for producing an element for the time-delayed dosage of an inhibitor to protect metal components in a cooling circuit.

The object is achieved according to the invention by an element for the time-delayed dosage of an inhibitor to protect metallic components in a cooling circuit with the features of claim 1, by an expansion tank for a cooling circuit with the features of claim 6 and by a method for producing the element with Features of claim 7.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the subclaims.

An element for the time-delayed dosing of an inhibitor to protect metallic components in a cooling circuit is proposed, the element having at least one carrier film on which one or more active ingredient areas are arranged, which contain an active ingredient or an active ingredient as an inhibitor Active ingredient mixture containing metasilicates. According to the invention, it is provided that the carrier film is designed as a polymer film or metal foil and is provided with an adhesive that binds the active ingredient, with an outer area of the carrier film at least predominantly left out of the active ingredient, with areas with a reduced cross-section compared to the active ingredient areas between several of each other separate active ingredient areas and on a surface intended for exposure to an operating medium of the cooling circuit, the areas also being provided with the active ingredient, the carrier film being applied with its side coated with adhesive and active ingredient to a base body, which acts as a further film or a plate is formed from a polymer or metal.

The present invention describes a method for producing and integrating an active ingredient-releasing component for liquid circuits with reduced complexity.

The solution according to the invention can increase the anti-corrosion effect in the coolant circuit by tracking the information consumed during operation bitors can be ensured. In this way, very costly damage is avoided.

The solution according to the invention is suitable, for example, for use specifically in electrified vehicles in which previous inhibitor tracking concepts do not work or only work with very long simulation times due to the low circuit temperatures.

The solution according to the invention is also suitable for use in electrified vehicles that have an increased flux content due to large-volume battery coolers. Here the fresh coolant is quickly depleted of short-chain silicates due to the large amounts. These can be replenished more quickly by re-dosing for the initial passivation. Preferably, the element can be simply replaced at the dealer before the vehicle is delivered in order to safely compensate for the losses caused by the initial passivation of the circuit.

The solution according to the invention is also suitable for use in particular when a very weakly conductive coolant is required. The inhibitors in a weakly conductive coolant, which only has to be delivered with very small proportions of inhibitors due to the conductivity requirements, can be continuously supplemented with inhibitors without exceeding the conductivity limits.

Furthermore, an extension of the replacement interval for the operating media is made possible, which has a positive impact on the sustainability of the vehicles. Compared to previous systems with separate housings and connection systems for the cooling circuit, the solution according to the invention can be manufactured and installed very cost-effectively. An adaptation to other operating materials, e.g. B. hydraulic fluids, is easily possible by using other active ingredient mixtures.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to drawings.

• 1 eine schematische Ansicht eines Ausgleichsbehälters für einen Kühlkreislauf eines Fahrzeugs,
• 2 eine schematische Ansicht einer beispielhaften Ausführungsform Elementes zur zeitlich verzögerten Dosierung eines Inhibitors,
• 3 eine schematische Ansicht einer beispielhaften Ausführungsform des Elementes, in der mehrere Trägerfolien als Stapel ausgebildet sind,
• 4 schematisch einen Schritt eines Herstellungsvorgangs des Elementes,
• 5 schematisch einen weiteren Schritt des Herstellungsvorgangs des Elementes,
• 6 schematisch einen weiteren Schritt des Herstellungsvorgangs des Elementes,
• 7 schematisch einen weiteren Schritt des Herstellungsvorgangs des Elementes,
• 8 schematisch einen weiteren Schritt des Herstellungsvorgangs des Elementes,
• 9 eine schematische Ansicht des fertigen Elementes mit einer Schichtlage eines Wirkstoffes, und
• 10 eine schematische Ansicht eines Stapels aus vier Lagen von Trägerfolien.

Show:

• 1 a schematic view of an expansion tank for a cooling circuit of a vehicle,
• 2 a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of an element for delayed dosing of an inhibitor,
• 3 a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of the element, in which several carrier films are formed as a stack,
• 4 schematically a step in a manufacturing process of the element,
• 5 schematically a further step in the manufacturing process of the element,
• 6 schematically a further step in the manufacturing process of the element,
• 7 schematically a further step in the manufacturing process of the element,
• 8th schematically a further step in the manufacturing process of the element,
• 9 a schematic view of the finished element with a layer of an active ingredient, and
• 10 a schematic view of a stack of four layers of carrier films.

Corresponding parts are provided with the same reference numbers in all figures.

1 is a schematic view of an expansion tank 1 for a cooling circuit of a vehicle, for example a passenger car, a commercial vehicle or a bus.

At least one element 2 for delayed dosing of an inhibitor is arranged in the expansion tank 1. The element 2 is, for example, designed as a laminar, multi-layered element 2 with several active ingredient areas 3. The element 2 can, for example, be held in a holder 6 attached to a cover 4 or a wall of the expansion tank 1 of the cooling circuit and can thus be easily replaced in the event of service.

The element 2 has at least one carrier film 7, for example at least one polymer film 7 or metal foil 7, in particular aluminum foil, on which one or more active ingredient areas 3 are arranged, which have an in 4 shown active ingredient 16 or a mixture of active ingredients. The active ingredient 16 or the active ingredient mixture can be powdery and/or granulated. The carrier film 7 can be provided with an adhesive, in particular a microencapsulated adhesive, which absorbs the active ingredient 16 or the active ingredient mixture.

The polymer film 7 can be formed, for example, from polyethylene, polypropylene, polyacetate or polyamide. The carrier film 7 can also be designed as a metal foil 7, for example an aluminum foil. The active ingredient 16 or the active ingredient mixture can already have been locally structured in a device. A defined layer thickness of the active ingredient 16 or active ingredient mixture can be produced on the carrier film 7.

An outer area of the carrier film 7 is left out of the active ingredient 16. Thus, a seal of the active ingredient areas 3 with respect to the environment as well as an adhesive effect on the surface of a further carrier film 7, for example polymer film 7, can be ensured. This means that several of these carrier films 7 can be easily stacked and combined to form a manageable multilayer layer.

For use in the cooling circuit, the element 2 is preferably inserted into the holder 6, which only exposes a limited surface of the element 2 to an operating medium 5 of the cooling circuit. Thus, a dissolution rate of the active ingredient 16 contained can be specifically limited in order to avoid an excessive increase in the active ingredient concentration.

Through the targeted use of areas 9 with reduced cross-sections between several separate active ingredient areas 3 within the element 2 and/or on a surface 12 exposed to the operating medium 5, a retention time can be set, for example by using labyrinth-like structures for the areas 9. The areas 9 can themselves also be provided with the active ingredient 16 or mixture of active ingredients.

Easily soluble metasilicates, for example a sodium metasilicate, preferably an already granulated sodium metasilicate, for example with a grain size of 1 μm to 2000 μm, preferably with a grain size of 50 μm to 1000 μm, can be provided as active ingredients 16. The addition of these silicates as a shock dosage is not traditionally possible without risking precipitation in the operating medium 5. The arrangement according to the invention can slow down these processes to such an extent that classic solution equilibria can be maintained and re-dosing can be ensured despite lower operating temperatures, especially in electrified vehicles, by using easily soluble, short-chain silicates.

2 is a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of the element 2. Here, on a carrier film 7, preferably on a polymer film 7, for example made of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyacetate or polyamide, or on a metal foil (e.g. aluminum), which has an in 6 Adhesive layer 10 shown is provided, active ingredient areas 3 are applied with an active ingredient 16 or active ingredient mixture serving as an inhibitor in the medium.

3 is a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of the element 2, in which several of these carrier films 7 are designed as a stack 11, so that an increased amount of active ingredient is concentrated in a comparatively small installation space. The production of these stacks 11 is carried out using the in 3 Adhesive layer 10, not shown, is greatly facilitated.

The applied structure of the active ingredient 16 or inhibitor preferably has a reduced channel width on a surface 12 exposed to the operating medium 5 (in particular a coolant), particularly preferably with a lateral extent of 1 mm to 15 mm, particularly preferably with an extent of 2 mm up to 10 mm, which only allows a slight contact of the operating medium 5 with the active ingredient 16 or active ingredient mixture and thus limits the kinetics of the dissolution. The dissolution at a boundary phase between the operating medium 5 and the active ingredient 16 is additionally kinetically limited by solubility equilibria that arise in the medium - analogous to the silicate cartridge used previously. This means that a temporary overdose in the total volume with possible precipitation can be avoided.

The 4 until 8th show schematically a cost-effective manufacturing process of the element 2 according to the invention.

4 shows schematically how an auxiliary device 13 with introduced depressions 14, which correspond to the structure of the active ingredient areas 3 provided in the element 2, is filled with the active ingredient 16 up to the upper edge of the depressions 14 by means of a doctor blade 15.

5 shows schematically the auxiliary device 13 after completion of the filling process.

6 shows schematically the feeding of the carrier film 7, which is provided on one side with an adhesive layer 10, onto the auxiliary device 13. Upon contact with the surface of the auxiliary device 13, the active ingredient 16 stored in the depressions 14 is transferred to the adhesive layer 10. In a preferred variant, this transmission is supported by a mechanical element, for example a pressure roller 17. In a variant not shown here, the auxiliary device 13 is also designed as a roller or roller, so that when the carrier film 7 is fed via a roller system, the active ingredient 16 is transferred within the contact area of the two rollers. Alternatively, it is also possible to transfer the active ingredient 16 from the auxiliary device 13 to a further auxiliary device and/or roller, not shown, from which the carrier film 7 is then coated (analogous to classic printing processes).

7 shows schematically the detachment of the adhesive-coated carrier film 7 from the auxiliary device direction 13, wherein the active ingredient 16 remains structured on the surface of the adhesive layer 10. Remaining residual amounts of the active ingredient 16 in the depressions 14 are then processed in a further step 4 filled before the next coating process.

8th shows schematically the next process step for completing an element 2 according to the invention. Here, the carrier film 7 coated with adhesive and active ingredient 16 is glued to a base body 8, for example another film or a plate, for example made of a polymer or metal. The outer areas of the adhesive layer 10 which are excluded from the coating with the active ingredient 16 lead to a secure enclosure of the active ingredient 16 and thus to the formation of the desired channel structures.

Alternatively (not shown here), the base body 8 can also be provided separately or additionally with adhesive or, when constructing a multi-layer element 2, the upper layer of the carrier film 7 can be provided with adhesive.

9 shows schematically the finished element 2 according to the invention with a layer of the active ingredient 16.

In a further embodiment, further layers of the coated carrier film 7 can be added in an analogous form in order to create a multi-layer element 2 with a desired expansion and/or a desired active ingredient content.

10 shows schematically, by way of example, a stack 11 made up of four layers of carrier films 7 with an identical structure of the active ingredient coating. Alternatively, stacks 11 with different structures, for example for delayed release of active ingredients from individual areas 9, are also possible.

Element 2 can be used, for example, in cooling circuits of conventional combustion engines, hybridized vehicles, electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles as well as electrical components.

Reference symbol list

1

surge tank

2

element

3

Active ingredient range

4

Lid

5

Operating medium

6

bracket

7

Polymer film, metal film, carrier film

8th

Basic body

9

Area

10

adhesive layer

11

stack

12

Area

13

Auxiliary device

14

deepening

15

Squeegee

16

active ingredient

17

pressure roller

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 10297141 T5 [0004]

Claims (7)

Element (2) for the time-delayed dosage of an inhibitor to protect metallic components in a cooling circuit, the element (2) having at least one carrier film (7) on which one or more active ingredient areas (3) are arranged, which have a powdery and / or granulated metasilicates containing active ingredient (16) or an active ingredient mixture containing metasilicates, characterized in that the carrier film (7) is designed as a polymer film (7) or metal foil (7) and is provided with an adhesive which contains the active ingredient (16). binds, an outer area of the carrier film (7) being at least predominantly left out of the active ingredient (16), with areas (9) having a reduced cross-section compared to the active ingredient areas (3) between several separate active ingredient areas (3) and on one for exposure to an operating medium (5) of the cooling circuit are arranged on a certain surface (12), the areas (9) also being provided with the active ingredient (16), the carrier film (7) with its side coated with adhesive and active ingredient (16) being on one Base body (8) is applied, which is designed as a further film or a plate made of a polymer or metal. Element (2) after Claim 1 , characterized in that several of the carrier films (7) are assembled as a stack (11). Element (2) after Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the polymer film (7) is formed from polyethylene, polypropylene, polyacetate or polyamide or that the metal film (7) is formed as an aluminum foil. Element (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the areas (9) are designed as labyrinth-like structures. Element (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a sodium metasilicate is provided as the metasilicate, in particular with a grain size of 1 µm to 2000 µm, preferably with a grain size of 50 µm to 1000 µm. Expansion tank (1) for a cooling circuit, comprising a lid (4), characterized in that a holder (6) is arranged on the lid (4), in which an element (2) according to one of the preceding claims is held. Method for producing an element (2) according to one of Claims 1 until 5 , characterized in that the active ingredient (16) is filled into recesses (14) of an auxiliary device (13), which correspond to a structure of the active ingredient areas (3), by means of a doctor blade (15) up to the upper edge of the recesses (14), the A carrier film (7) provided on one side with the adhesive layer (10) is applied to the auxiliary device (13), whereby upon contact with the surface of the auxiliary device (13), the active ingredient (16) stored in the recesses (14) is applied to the adhesive layer (10). is transferred, the carrier film (7) then being detached from the auxiliary device (13), the carrier film (7) coated with adhesive and active ingredient (16) being glued to the base body (8), optionally at least one further coated with adhesive Carrier film (7) is provided with the active ingredient (16) in the same way and glued to the carrier film (7).

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