Patent ID: 7383903

Claim:
An electrical power train for a vehicle, the power train comprising: an electrical line; an installation for providing electrical energy for the vehicle, the installation being connected to the electrical line; a first cooling circuit for cooling the installation using a first heat-transfer liquid charge, wherein the first cooling circuit includes a first radiator for dissipating heat to an ambient atmosphere; an electrical energy management unit connected to the electrical line; a second cooling circuit for cooling an electrical machine, wherein the second cooling circuit includes a second radiator for dissipating heat to the ambient atmosphere, wherein the second cooling circuit uses a second heat-transfer liquid charge independent of the first heat-transfer liquid charge used in the first cooling circuit, and wherein the second cooling circuit may be selectively thermally decoupled from the first cooling circuit; an electrical dissipation element electrically connectable to and disconnectable from the electrical line under control of the electrical energy management unit, wherein the electrical dissipation element is immersed in the first heat-transfer liquid charge of the first cooling circuit; and a switch, controlled by the electrical energy management unit, for connecting the electrical dissipation element to and disconnecting the electrical dissipation element from the electrical line, wherein, when the electrical energy management unit detects an inability of the electrical line to carry away excess electrical energy, the electrical energy management unit causes the switch to connect the electrical dissipation element to the electrical line so that the electrical dissipation element may absorb at least some of the excess electrical energy and dissipate the absorbed excess electrical energy via the first heat-transfer liquid charge of the first cooling circuit.