Determining the flow velocity in a coolant circuit

A method for monitoring a coolant circuit, the method comprising:

• cooling a conversion device giving rise to a power loss with a coolant flowing in the coolant circuit;
• sending to a monitoring device as a measurement value an inflow temperature at which the coolant is supplied to the conversion device;
• determining with the monitoring device a flow velocity at which the coolant flows in the coolant circuit based on operating data of the conversion device and/or the coolant circuit, a quantity of heat to be removed per unit of time by the coolant known to the monitoring device, a local temperature of the conversion device known to the monitoring device, and the inflow temperature;
• comparing with the monitoring device the determined flow velocity with a limit velocity;
• resorting with the monitoring device to a special reaction when the determined flow velocity reaches or exceeds the limit velocity;
• and
• resorting with the monitoring device to either no reaction at all or to a normal reaction that is not the same as the special reaction as long as the determined flow velocity does not reach the limit velocity.

A computer program product for a monitoring device of a conversion device, the conversion device giving rise to a power loss and cooled with a coolant flowing in a coolant circuit, the computer program product embodied on a tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising a computer program with machine code, wherein when the machine code is executed by the monitoring device, the monitoring device carries out the steps of:

• receiving as a measurement value an inflow temperature at which the coolant is supplied to the conversion device,
• determining a flow velocity at which the coolant flows in the coolant circuit based on operating data of the conversion device and/or the coolant circuit, a quantity of heat to be removed per unit of time by the coolant known to the monitoring device, a local temperature of the conversion device known to the monitoring device, and the inflow temperature,
• comparing the determined flow velocity with a limit velocity,
• resorting to a special reaction when the determined flow velocity reaches or exceeds the limit velocity, and
• resorting to either no reaction at all or to a normal reaction that is not the same as the special reaction as long as the determined flow velocity does not reach the limit velocity.

A conversion device supplied with an input power, the input power converted by the conversion device into an output power causing a power loss, the conversion device comprising:

• a coolant circuit in which a coolant flows, the coolant circuit cooling the conversion device;
• and
• a monitoring device configured to:
• receive as a measurement value an inflow temperature at which the coolant is supplied to the conversion device;
• determine a flow velocity at which the coolant flows in the coolant circuit based on operating data of the conversion device and/or the coolant circuit, a quantity of heat to be removed per unit of time by the coolant known to the monitoring device, a local temperature of the conversion device known to the monitoring device, and the inflow temperature;
• compare the determined flow velocity with a limit velocity;
• resort to a special reaction when the determined flow velocity reaches or exceeds the limit velocity;
• and
• resort to either no reaction at all or to a normal reaction that is not the same as the special reaction as long as the determined flow velocity does not reach the limit velocity.