Method for lowering the air temperature of an engine compartment of a vehicle

Abstract

In a method for lowering the air temperature of an engine compartment of a vehicle accommodating an internal combustion engine, an air-fluid heat exchanger having at least one cooling element for cooling the air-fluid heat exchanger, and an electric drive, the at least one cooling element is activated as a function of the temperature of a fluid side of the air-fluid heat exchanger and as a function of a temperature of the electric drive.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for lowering an air temperature of an engine compartment of a vehicle, the engine compartment accommodating an internal combustion engine, an electric drive, and an air-fluid heat exchanger having at least one cooling element for cooling the air-fluid heat exchanger, the method comprising:
 activating the at least one cooling element as a function of a temperature of a fluid side of the air-fluid heat exchanger and as a function of a temperature of the electric drive.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one cooling element is a fan. 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein a second cooling element in the form of at least one flap is provided, the at least one flap being adjusted by activation from a first position in which an access of ambient air from outside of the engine compartment into the engine compartment is prevented by the flap, into at least one second position in which the access of ambient air from outside of the engine compartment into the engine compartment is enabled through an opening formed by the flap in the second position, the at least one flap being reversibly adjustable between the first position and the second position. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the electric drive is operated at an electrical voltage of at most 60 V in a nominal operating range. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the electric drive includes an inverter which enables motor operation of the electric drive. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the air temperature of the engine compartment is adjusted to a setpoint temperature range by activation of the at least one cooling element in an electronic control circuit. 
     
     
         7 . An electronic control device for lowering an air temperature of an engine compartment of a vehicle, the engine compartment accommodating an internal combustion engine, an electric drive, and an air-fluid heat exchanger having at least one cooling element for cooling the air-fluid heat exchanger, the control device comprising:
 a control unit configured to selectively activate the at least one cooling element as a function of a temperature of a fluid side of the air-fluid heat exchanger and as a function of a temperature of the electric drive.   
     
     
         8 . The electronic control device as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the control unit includes at least one electronic control circuit which is provided for selectively activating and deactivating the at least one cooling element in succession to adjust the air temperature of the engine compartment to a setpoint temperature range. 
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium storing a computer program having program codes which, when executed on a computer, performs a method for lowering an air temperature of an engine compartment of a vehicle, the engine compartment accommodating an internal combustion engine, an electric drive, and an air-fluid heat exchanger having at least one cooling element for cooling the air-fluid heat exchanger, the method comprising:
 activating the at least one cooling element as a function of a temperature of a fluid side of the air-fluid heat exchanger and as a function of a temperature of the electric drive.