JP2011049139A - Battery device - Google Patents

Abstract

A battery device capable of preventing the generation of condensed water and directly cooling a battery using a refrigeration cycle.
In a battery device (100) in which a plurality of batteries (21) are accommodated in a battery case (10), a refrigerating cycle (50) is brought into contact with the plurality of batteries (21) in the battery case (10) together with a compressor (53), a condenser (54) and a decompressor (55). And the dehumidifying means 40 for circulating and dehumidifying the air in the battery case 10 are accommodated.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery device suitable for being mounted on a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) or an electric vehicle (EV).

  A hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle using an electric motor as a drive source is equipped with a high-voltage battery device for driving the electric motor. This type of battery device includes an assembled battery in which a plurality of unit cells (battery modules) are assembled and electrically connected to each other.

  If the temperature of the assembled battery rises due to heat generated by charging / discharging, the battery output, charging / discharging efficiency, battery life, etc. may be reduced. For this reason, in this type of battery device, the assembled battery is generally air-cooled by a blower fan.

Further, when the assembled battery is simply air-cooled by the blower fan, it is difficult to sufficiently cool the battery device when the outside air temperature is high. Therefore, a heat medium passage is provided between the cells constituting the assembled battery, and the heat medium (air) cooled by using the cooling water of the vehicle is blown between the cells via the duct to cool each cell. (For example, refer to “Patent Document 1”).

JP 2004-288527 A

  However, as the number of unit cells constituting the assembled battery increases and the output of each unit cell increases, the heat generation density associated with charging / discharging also increases. As in the battery device described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to increase the size of the duct according to an increase in the amount of heat generated. There is a problem that noise is generated by driving.

  Therefore, when each unit cell is brought into contact with the evaporator constituting the refrigeration cycle and the assembled battery is directly cooled by the evaporating action of the refrigerant, the assembled battery can be efficiently cooled. Can be solved. However, since the periphery of the evaporator is cooled below the outside air temperature, there is a high possibility that condensed water in which moisture in the surrounding air is condensed is generated. If this condensed water enters between the unit cells, an electrical short circuit may occur, which may cause problems in the battery system.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a battery device that can prevent the generation of condensed water and can directly cool a battery using a refrigeration cycle.

  In order to solve the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention is a battery device in which a plurality of batteries are accommodated in a battery case, the battery case being in contact with the plurality of batteries, a compressor, a condenser There is provided a battery device characterized by containing an evaporator constituting a refrigeration cycle together with a vacuum vessel and a decompressor, and circulating dehumidifying means for circulating and dehumidifying air in the battery case.

  According to the above configuration, for example, when a plurality of unit cells constituting an assembled battery are accommodated in a battery case as a plurality of cells, these unit cells configure a refrigeration cycle together with a compressor, a condenser, and a decompressor. Since the evaporator which contacts is contact | abutted, each unit cell can be directly cooled by the evaporation effect | action of a refrigerating cycle. At this time, since the air in the battery case is circulated and dehumidified by the circulation dehumidifying means, the dew point temperature inside the battery case can be kept low. By making this dew point temperature lower than the evaporator temperature, generation of condensed water can be prevented.

  Here, the plurality of batteries are preferably formed in substantially the same shape, and the contact area between each battery and the evaporator is preferably equal. This is for cooling each battery uniformly. Further, the circulating dehumidifying means may be configured to cool the inside of the battery case locally below the dew point temperature by using a Peltier element or the like described below, to condense moisture, and to dehumidify, such as silica gel or zeolite. It is good also as a structure dehumidified by the adsorption | suction means which adsorb | sucks water, and it is good also as a structure dehumidified using moisture absorption means, such as a polymeric absorber which absorbs a water | moisture content.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the circulation dehumidifying means includes a Peltier element having a heat radiation side disposed in a refrigerant pipe connected to the refrigerant outlet side of the evaporator, and performs dehumidification on the heat absorption side of the Peltier element. The refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator is heated on the heat dissipation side of the Peltier element.

According to the above configuration, when the dehumidifying means performs dehumidification on the heat absorption side of the Peltier element, the refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator is heated on the heat dissipation side of the Peltier element, and the superheat degree control of the refrigerant can be performed. . In general, from the viewpoint of protecting the refrigerator, it is necessary to obtain superheated steam by taking the degree of superheat of the refrigerant before leaving the evaporator and returning to the compressor. However, if a temperature distribution is generated inside the evaporator to take the degree of superheat, a plurality of batteries in contact with the evaporator cannot be cooled uniformly, which causes a problem for uniform battery temperature. Therefore, the refrigerant flowing out from the evaporator is heated by the heat dissipation side of the Peltier element, and the superheat degree control is performed outside the evaporator, so that the refrigerant is not completely evaporated in the evaporator, and the refrigerant is used as wet steam. Can be drained from.
Thereby, it is possible to prevent the temperature distribution from occurring inside the evaporator and to make the battery temperature uniform when the battery is cooled.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the circulation dehumidifying means includes a blower fan that blows air to the heat absorption side of the Peltier element, a condensed water storage unit that stores condensed water condensed on the heat absorption side of the Peltier element, and the Peltier element. A dehumidifying box that houses the blower fan and the condensate storage unit, and has a dehumidification box having an air suction port and a blower port, and condensate water that discharges the condensate stored in the condensate storage unit to the outside of the battery case And a discharging means.

  According to the above configuration, the dehumidification box accommodates the blower fan and has an air suction port and a blower port, so that the air in the battery case is sucked into the dehumidification box through the suction port by driving the blower fan. It is. The air blown by the blower fan is locally cooled on the heat absorption side of the Peltier element, and moisture contained in the air is condensed. Since this condensed water is stored in the condensed water storage part, it is possible to prevent scattering of water outside the dehumidifying box. The dehumidified dry air dehumidified on the heat absorption side of the Peltier element is blown into the battery case through the blower opening by driving the blower fan. The condensed water accumulated in the condensed water storage unit by the condensed water discharging means can be discharged to the outside of the battery case. Thereby, dehumidification in a battery case can be performed semipermanently compared with the case where it dehumidifies using moisture absorbing materials, such as a silica gel and a zeolite, and moisture absorbing materials, such as a highly water-absorbing sheet.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is a space in which air flows between the battery module and the battery case, and the air in the space is circulated by the blower fan.

  According to the said structure, air can be circulated by a ventilation fan and dehumidification can be performed rapidly.

  A fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the plurality of batteries store electric power to be supplied and supplied to a vehicle driving motor and are mounted on a vehicle using the motor as a driving source.

  According to the above configuration, the electric power to be supplied / supplied to the vehicle drive motor is stored, and the high-voltage battery device mounted on the vehicle using the motor as a drive source is used for a plurality of elements constituting the battery device using the refrigeration cycle. The battery can be cooled directly by the evaporator.

  In a sixth aspect of the present invention, the evaporator is supplied with a refrigerant compressed by a compressor mounted on the vehicle, and the refrigerant is supplied to an in-vehicle evaporator that cools the inside of the vehicle by the evaporating action of the refrigerant. It is obtained by branching from

  According to the above configuration, the compressor, the condenser, and the decompressor can be shared in the refrigeration cycle of the vehicle air conditioner and the refrigeration cycle used to cool a plurality of batteries provided in the battery device. The number of parts required for cooling the battery device can be reduced.

  In the seventh aspect of the present invention, the battery module can be used by charging electric power generated by a solar power generation device, a fuel cell, etc., and discharging the charged electric charge to convert it into DC power or AC power. And a controller that supplies the compressed refrigerant to the evaporator when the battery module is charged or discharged.

  According to the said structure, it can use for cooling of the battery apparatus which charges the electric power generated with the solar power generation device, the fuel cell, etc., and stabilization of an assembled battery can be aimed at.

  The eighth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the supply amount of the refrigerant is corrected based on at least one of a charge amount per unit time and a discharge amount per unit time.

  According to the above configuration, focusing on the fact that the temperature of the assembled battery increases with an increase in the amount of charge / discharge current, a cooling operation with an increased capacity can be performed before the battery temperature rises.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the production | generation of condensed water can be prevented and the several battery with which the battery apparatus was equipped can be directly cooled using a refrigerating cycle.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the battery apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the assembled battery of embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure in the battery case of embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the cooling plate (evaporator) of embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the cooling plate of embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure inside the heat-transfer block for superheating of embodiment of this invention. It is a partial perspective view which shows the structure inside the overheating dehumidification box of embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure inside the heat-transfer block for superheating of embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic at the time of using the refrigerant | coolant branched from the vehicle-mounted refrigerant circuit. It is a flowchart which shows the Example of operation | movement at the time of controlling the valve opening degree of a decompression device. It is the schematic at the time of accumulating the electric power generated from the electric power generating apparatus to a battery apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the Example of the flowchart at the time of controlling the aperture amount of a decompression device.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a battery device 100 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of the battery device 100 of the present embodiment.

  A battery device 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an in-vehicle battery device 100 mounted on a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle using an electric motor as a drive source, and a plurality of elements housed in a battery case 10 having a substantially sealed structure. An assembled battery 20 including a battery 21 (battery module); a cooling plate 30 (evaporator) that is placed on the assembled battery 20 and is in contact with each unit cell 21 constituting the assembled battery 20; An overheating dehumidifying box 40 (circulating dehumidifying means, dehumidifying box) that dehumidifies by circulating internal air is provided.

  Each unit cell 21 is configured by housing a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a power generation element in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are wound through a separator in a rectangular flat plate case made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. ing. For example, a lithium ion secondary battery is preferably used as the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the assembled battery 20 is configured in a substantially rectangular shape by stacking a plurality of rectangular unit cells 21 as described above in the width direction and binding them with a fixed frame 23. Yes. In the assembled battery 20, an insulating sheet 22 is interposed between the unit cells 21 arranged adjacent to each other. The insulation sheets 22 insulate the unit cells 21 from each other, and the unit cells 21 are in close contact with each other without a gap.

  Refrigerant pipes 51 and 52 are connected to the refrigerant inlet side and the refrigerant outlet side of the cooling plate 30, respectively. The cooling plate 30 is connected to the compressor 53 and the decompressor 55 shown in FIG. 1 via the refrigerant pipes 51 and 52, and constitutes the refrigeration cycle 50 together with the condenser 54. As shown in FIG. 3, the battery case 10 is formed with a refrigerant pipe insertion hole 11 and a refrigerant pipe insertion hole 12. The refrigerant pipe 52 (refrigerant return pipe) is inserted into the refrigerant pipe insertion hole 11, and the periphery of the refrigerant pipe 52 inserted through the refrigerant pipe insertion hole 11 is closed by a sealing material or the like (not shown). Similarly, the refrigerant pipe 51 is inserted through the refrigerant pipe insertion hole 12, and the periphery of the refrigerant pipe 51 inserted through the refrigerant pipe insertion hole 12 is closed by a sealing material or the like (not shown). Thereby, the sealed structure of the battery case 10 is maintained.

  The cooling plate 30 of the present embodiment is formed in a thin plate shape, and the plate surface 31 of the cooling plate 30 is a heat exchange surface. The plate surface 31 is formed larger than the bottom surface 24 (see FIG. 2) of the assembled battery 20, and the bottom surface 24 of the assembled battery 20 is in contact with this heat exchange surface. The bottom surface 21a of each unit cell 21 constituting the assembled battery 20 is in contact with the plate surface 31 of the cooling plate 30 through an insulating sheet having good thermal conductivity (not shown). In addition, a space is secured between the other five surfaces other than the bottom surface 21 of the assembled battery 20 formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and the inner surface of the battery case 10, so that the assembled battery is included in the battery case 10. 20 are accommodated. The air circulates in the space as will be described later.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the cooling plate 30 of the present embodiment. The cooling plate 30 has two plate portions 33 (33A, 33B) provided with a plurality of small-diameter channels 32 (32A, 33B) through which the refrigerant flows. Each small-diameter channel 32 is arranged in parallel along the longitudinal direction of each plate portion 33. As such a cooling plate 30, for example, a flat porous tube (microchannel type) heat exchanger as shown in FIG. 5 can be suitably used. If such a flat porous tube heat exchanger is used, the heat exchange area inside the tube can be increased, so that the thickness of the cooling plate 30 can be reduced and the battery device 100 can be made compact. As shown in FIG. 5, the heat exchanger of the flat porous tube is a multi-pass in which a plurality of small-diameter channels 32 with a very small diameter (for example, a tube diameter of 2 mm) into which refrigerant is introduced are provided inside the metal plate 30 a. It is of the method.

  A first header portion 35 is provided on one end 34 </ b> A side of one plate portion 33 </ b> A constituting the cooling plate 30. The first header part 35 has a hollow structure, and is provided with a refrigerant pipe connection part 35A to which the refrigerant pipe 51 is connected. The first header portion 35 communicates with each small diameter channel 32A provided in one plate portion 33A. The refrigerant that has flowed into the first header portion 35 via the refrigerant pipe 51 is divided into the small-diameter flow paths 32A and flows toward the other end 36A of the one plate portion 33A.

  On the other end 36A side of the one plate portion 33A, a second header portion 37 communicating with each of the small-diameter channels 32A is provided. The second header portion 37 has a hollow structure like the first header portion 35 and communicates with each small-diameter channel 32B provided in the other plate portion 33B. The refrigerant that has flowed out from the one plate portion 33A flows into the other plate portion 33B through the second header portion 37. A third header portion 38 is provided on the one end 34B side of the other plate portion 33B. The third header portion 38 has a hollow structure like the first header portion 35 and the second header portion 37, and is provided with a refrigerant pipe connection portion 37B to which the refrigerant pipe 52 is connected. In the other plate portion 33B, the refrigerant that has flowed into the small diameter flow paths 32B from the second header portion 37 provided on the other end 36B side flows toward the third header portion 38 provided on the one end 34B side, The refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 53 through the refrigerant pipe 52.

  Next, the flow of the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle 50 will be described.

  The refrigerant compressed by the compressor 53 is condensed in the condenser 54 to become a liquid refrigerant and flows into the decompressor 55. The gas-liquid refrigerant whose pressure has been reduced in the decompressor 55 flows through the cooling plate 30 and exchanges heat with the bottom surface of the assembled battery 20 placed on the cooling plate 30. Thereby, each unit cell 21 constituting the assembled battery 20 is directly cooled by the refrigeration action of the refrigeration cycle 50. On the other hand, by performing heat exchange with each unit cell 21, the refrigerant that has been heated and turned into a gaseous state is sucked into the compressor 53.

  Here, when the surface temperature of the cooling plate 30 falls below the dew point temperature of the ambient air, condensed water is generated in the battery case 10. If this condensed water enters between the unit cells 21, an electrical short circuit may occur, which may cause problems in the battery system.

  In general, from the viewpoint of protecting the refrigerator, it is necessary to take the degree of superheat of the refrigerant at the outlet of the cooling plate 30 as an evaporator. However, if the refrigerant is overheated inside the cooling plate 30, the temperature distribution inside the cooling plate 30 may become a problem. If the temperature distribution is large inside the cooling plate 30, the unit cells 21 in contact with the cooling plate 30 cannot be cooled uniformly, which causes a problem for uniform battery temperature.

  Therefore, in the battery device 100 of the present embodiment, in the battery case 10, the inside of the overheating dehumidification box 40 is locally cooled below the dew point temperature to remove moisture from the air introduced into the overheating dehumidification box 40. The dehumidified dry air is blown into the battery case 10 and the superheat dehumidification box 40 controls the degree of superheat of the refrigerant. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, using the Peltier element 60, the air introduced into the overheating dehumidification box 40 on the heat absorption side of the Peltier element 60 is cooled below the dew point temperature, and The configuration is such that the superheat degree is controlled by heating the refrigerant on the heat radiation side. For this reason, in the battery device 100 of the present embodiment, the refrigerant can flow out from the refrigerant pipe 52 without completely evaporating the refrigerant in the cooling plate 30, and the battery temperature is uniform when the assembled battery 20 is cooled. Can be achieved.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the overheating dehumidification box 40 includes an overheating heat transfer block 41 provided in the refrigerant pipe 52, a Peltier element 60 in which the heat radiation side abuts on the overheating heat transfer block 41, and a Peltier element 60. A heat sink 42 for dehumidification that is in contact with the heat absorption side, an air circulation fan 43 (air blowing means) that blows air in the battery case 10 to the heat sink 42 for dehumidification, and a drain drainage device 70 (condensate drain means). And. The overheating dehumidification box 40 is provided with an air suction port 44 and a blower port 45. Operating power is supplied to the Peltier element 60 and the air circulation fan 43 from the assembled battery 20 or a separately prepared battery via a power supply line (not shown).

  Here, the internal structure of the overheating dehumidification box 40 is shown in FIGS. However, FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view showing the inside of the heat transfer block 41 for overheating. FIG. 8 shows the first heat transfer block 41A in the refrigerant pipe 52 in the heat transfer block 41 to be described later. It is a figure which shows the state in which only was attached.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the overheating heat transfer block 41 includes a first heat transfer block 41 </ b> A and a second heat transfer block 41 </ b> B that cover the periphery of the refrigerant pipe 52 by half a circle. The first heat transfer block 41 </ b> A and the second heat transfer block 41 </ b> B are made of a material having good heat conductivity, and are made of the same material as the refrigerant pipe 52. Specifically, it is configured using a metal material such as copper, aluminum, or brass.

  As shown in FIG.7 and FIG.8, in the refrigerant | coolant piping 52, 52 A of site | parts to which the heat transfer block 41 for overheating is attached are expanded. By increasing the diameter of the refrigerant pipe 52 and increasing the heat transfer area for the refrigerant in the heat transfer block 41 for overheating, the refrigerant can be sufficiently heated using the heat radiation of the Peltier element 60. It also has the effect of an accumulator that separates gas and liquid.

  The first heat transfer block 41A and the second heat transfer block 41B are in contact with the periphery of the refrigerant pipe 52, and the refrigerant pipe 52, the first heat transfer block 41A, and the second heat transfer block 41B. A heat transfer grease (not shown) is applied to the interface with the heat transfer sheet, or a heat transfer sheet (not shown) is interposed and fixed to the refrigerant pipe 52. Also, heat transfer grease is applied to the interface between the first heat transfer block 41A and the second heat transfer block 41B, or a heat transfer sheet is interposed.

  The dehumidifying heat sink 42 is made of, for example, a material having good heat dissipation such as aluminum. The dehumidifying heat sink 42 includes a plurality of fins 42A. Each fin 42 </ b> A is arranged along the pipe length direction of the refrigerant pipe 52. When the pipe length direction of the refrigerant pipe 52 indicated by the arrow A in the drawing is the vertical direction, the air circulation fan 43 is installed above the dehumidifying heat sink 42 or on the side of the fins 42A. When the air circulation fan 43 is installed above the dehumidifying heat sink 42, the air flows in the direction indicated by the arrow B in FIG. On the other hand, when the air circulation fan 43 is installed on the side of the heat sink 42 for dehumidification, the air flows in the direction indicated by the arrow C in the figure by driving the air circulation fan 43.

  The Peltier device 60 includes a heat-dissipating-side first substrate 61 and a heat-absorbing-side second substrate 62 arranged so as to face each other, and a plurality of P-types are provided between the first substrate 61 and the second substrate 62. A thermoelectric material and a plurality of N-type thermoelectric materials are arranged. When the Peltier element 60 is energized, heat is transferred to the P-type thermoelectric material and the N-type thermoelectric material, and a temperature difference is generated between the first substrate 61 and the second substrate 62. In the present embodiment, the first substrate 61 that is on the heat dissipation side is brought into contact with the heat transfer block 41 that is in contact with the refrigerant pipe 52 via heat transfer grease or a heat transfer sheet, and the second substrate that is on the heat absorption side. 62 is brought into contact with the heat sink 42 for dehumidification through heat transfer grease or a heat transfer sheet. Therefore, the first substrate 61 side becomes high temperature due to heat radiation, and the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 52 can be heated via the heat transfer block 41 for overheating. Further, the temperature of the second substrate 62 becomes low due to heat absorption, and the air introduced into the overheating dehumidification box 40 can be cooled via the dehumidifying heat sink 42.

  The Peltier element 60 is sandwiched and fixed between a heat transfer block 41 for overheating and a heat sink 42 for dehumidification. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, bolt insertion holes 41 </ b> C and 42 </ b> C are formed on the outer surfaces of the heat transfer block 41 for overheating and the heat sink 42 for dehumidification, respectively. With the Peltier element 60 sandwiched between the overheating heat transfer block 41 and the dehumidifying heat sink 42, the bolts 46 are passed through the bolt insertion holes 41C and 42C to the overheating heat transfer block 41 fixed to the refrigerant pipe 52. By fixing the heat sink 42 for dehumidification, the Peltier element 60 is also fixed. However, the bolt 46 is made of resin. This is because part of the bolt 46 is exposed between the heat transfer block t41 for overheating and the heat sink 42 for dehumidification, but heat is prevented from being transmitted to the Peltier element 60 via the bolt 46.

  In the present embodiment, specifically, the first substrate 61 side of the Peltier device 60 has a maximum temperature of, for example, about 30 ° C. due to heat dissipation, and the second substrate 62 side of the Peltier device 60 has a minimum temperature of, for example, It becomes about 3 ° C. Thereby, the heat transfer block 41 for overheating becomes about 28 ° C., and the overheat pipe portion 52A of the refrigerant pipe 52 is heated to about 25 ° C. The refrigerant having an evaporating temperature of, for example, 10 ° C. that has flowed out of the cooling plate 30 can be heated to a maximum of about 25 ° C. in the superheated pipe portion 52A. When heated to 25 ° C., the degree of superheat is 15 deg.

  On the other hand, the dehumidifying heat sink 42 side is cooled to about 5 ° C., for example. At this time, when air of about 20 ° C. passes through the fins 42A, the air that has passed through the fins 42A is locally cooled to about 5 ° C. At this time, the moisture contained in the air is condensed to produce condensed water.

  The drain drainage device 70 stores a drain water storage unit 71 that stores drain water (condensed water) condensed in the dehumidifying heat sink 42, and a drain for discharging the drain water stored in the drain water storage unit 71 to the outside of the battery device 100. And a pipe 72. The drain pipe 72 extends to the outside of the battery case 10 through the drain pipe insertion hole 13 formed in the battery case 10. However, a gap between the drain pipe insertion hole 13 formed in the battery case 10 and the drain pipe 72 is closed by a sealing material (not shown).

  Further, the battery device 100 is provided with a temperature detection sensor 25 for detecting the temperature of the assembled battery 20. Moreover, the control apparatus 80 for controlling charging / discharging of the assembled battery 20 is provided. A temperature detection signal of the assembled battery 20 detected by the temperature detection sensor 25 is input to the control device 80. The control device 80 includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. (not shown), and performs various controls by computer control. Specifically, based on the temperature detection signal input from the temperature detection sensor 25, when the temperature of the assembled battery 20 rises above a preset temperature, the refrigerant is circulated in the refrigeration cycle 50 to cool it. The assembled battery 20 is cooled by the plate 30. With the cooling operation of the assembled battery 20, the air circulation fan 43 is driven and the Peltier element 60 is energized. Therefore, when the refrigerant is evaporated in the cooling plate 30 in order to cool the assembled battery 20, the air in the battery case 10 is circulated by the air circulation fan 43, and dehumidification and overheating control of the refrigerant are performed in the overheating dehumidification box 40. Is done. However, the power supply to the Peltier device 60 is controlled by the control device 80 so that the dew point temperature of the dry air after dehumidification by the overheating dehumidification box 40 is equal to or lower than the evaporation temperature or the cooling plate temperature (for example, 3 to 10 ° C.). The

  According to the battery device 100 of the present embodiment described above, the plurality of unit cells 21 constituting the assembled battery 20 are placed on the cooling plate 30, and each unit cell 21 is directly connected by the refrigeration action of the refrigeration cycle 50. Can be cooled. At this time, the air in the battery case 10 is circulated in the overheating dehumidification box 40, the air in the battery case 10 is dehumidified in the overheating dehumidification box 40, and the dry air can be blown. The humidity can be kept low. Thereby, even when air touches the cooling plate 30, generation of condensed water can be prevented.

  In the above embodiment, each unit cell 21 is formed in substantially the same shape, and the entire bottom surface of each unit cell 21 is in contact with the cooling plate 30. Thereby, the contact area of each unit cell 21 and the cooling plate 30 can be made equal, and each unit cell 21 can be cooled uniformly.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the superheat degree control of the refrigerant is performed in the superheat dehumidification box 40, that is, outside the cooling plate 30. For this reason, as described above, the refrigerant can be allowed to flow out without completely evaporating the refrigerant in the cooling plate 30, preventing temperature distribution from occurring inside the cooling plate 30, and cooling each unit cell 21. The battery temperature can be made uniform.

  However, the above embodiment is one aspect of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the configuration in which the overheating dehumidification box 40 including the Peltier element 60 and the like is applied as the circulation dehumidification means. However, the circulation dehumidification means according to the present invention circulates the air in the battery case 10. And if it is the structure which dehumidifies, it will not specifically limit. Not only the Peltier element 60 but also a configuration in which the inside of the battery case 10 is locally cooled to a dew point temperature or less to condense moisture and dehumidify, or using moisture adsorbing means that adsorbs moisture such as silica gel or zeolite. It is good also as a structure which dehumidifies, and it is good also as a structure which dehumidifies using moisture absorption means, such as a polymer absorber which absorbs a water | moisture content. However, as compared with the configuration using the moisture adsorbing means and the moisture absorbing means, the air in the battery case 10 is locally cooled to condense the moisture, and the condensed water is discharged to the outside. In addition, the dehumidification in the battery case 10 can be performed.

  In the above embodiment, the drain water condensed in the dehumidifying heat sink 42 is drained to the outside of the battery case 10 by the drain water discharge device. For example, a drain water storage tank is provided to store the drain water. It is good also as a structure stored in a tank. You may make it drain the drain water stored in the drain water storage tank at the time of a maintenance.

Although not particularly described in the above embodiment, the compressor 53, the condenser 54, and the decompressor 55 are replaced by the compressor 53, the condenser 54, and the decompression that constitute the refrigeration cycle 50 of the vehicle air conditioner. The container 55 may be provided or provided separately.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing an embodiment when the assembled battery 20 of the battery device 100 is cooled by the refrigerant branched from the in-vehicle refrigerant circuit.

  In this figure, the refrigerant circuit 201 has a refrigerant compressor 201 whose capacity can be changed by changing the rotation speed, a refrigerant flow direction is changed (cooling operation in a solid line state / heating operation in a dotted line state), a four-way switching valve 202, a propeller fan The heat source side heat exchanger 203 that cools (heats) and heats (cools) the refrigerant that is blown in the direction of the arrow by a blower such as a decompressor 204 that adjusts the flow rate of the refrigerant based on a control signal, and a sirocco fan Use side heat exchanger 205 that heats the refrigerant (during cooling operation) / cools (during heating operation) blown in the direction of the arrow by a blower, etc., and supplies gas to the suction side of the refrigerant compressor after gas-liquid separation The accumulator 206 is configured. During the cooling operation, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the refrigerant compressor 201 (for example, the refrigerant is described as R134a but is not limited to this refrigerant) flows through the four-way switching valve 202 in the direction of the solid line, and the heat source side heat exchanger (Acts as a condenser) 203. High-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant This heat exchanger 203 is cooled by the blower of the blower and becomes a low-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant. After the flow rate is adjusted by the decompression device 204, it reaches the use side heat exchanger (acts as an evaporator) 205. The low-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant is depressurized and evaporated (vaporized) by the use-side heat exchanger 205, and the air passing through the heat exchanger 206 is cooled by the blower with the heat of vaporization. That is, the cooling operation is performed by the use side heat exchanger 205. The low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant after being heated and vaporized by the heat exchanger 205 flows in the direction of the solid line of the four-way switching valve 202 and then reaches the accumulator 206. The accumulator 206 separates the liquid refrigerant that has not been vaporized by the use-side heat heat exchanger 205 and the gaseous refrigerant and supplies the gaseous refrigerant to the refrigerant compressor 201. During the heating operation, the refrigerant flow at the four-way switching valve 202 becomes a dotted flow, and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant radiates heat at the use side heat exchanger (acts as a condenser) 205, and the heat source side heat exchanger (acts as an evaporator). ) When the refrigerant is vaporized in 203, the use side heat exchanger 205 is heated.

  Since the battery device 100 can be the same as that used in the previous embodiment, the reference numerals used in Embodiment 1 are used and detailed description thereof is omitted. The dehumidifying box 40 is omitted because it can be the same as the previous embodiment.

  210 and 211 are electromagnetic open / close valves, respectively. The solenoid valve 210 is connected so that the refrigerant can be branched from the refrigerant pipe between the decompression device 204 and the use side heat exchanger 205, and the solenoid valve 211 is connected to the decompression device 204 and the heat source. It connects so that a refrigerant | coolant can be branched from the refrigerant | coolant piping between the side heat exchangers 203, and when the refrigerant circuit is in cooling operation, the electromagnetic valve 211 is opened and the electromagnetic valve 210 is closed. When the refrigerant circuit is in the heating operation, the electromagnetic valve 211 is closed and the electromagnetic valve 210 is opened. That is, the low-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit is branched. Note that these solenoid valves can be replaced with one-way valves as long as the high pressure of the refrigerant can be secured.

  212 is a pressure reducing device that adjusts the flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the cooling plate 30. The decompression device 212 can change the flow path to a 512-step opening from fully open to fully closed, and the basic control will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  Reference numeral 213 denotes a one-way valve that guides the refrigerant absorbed and vaporized by the cooling plate 30 to the accumulator 206. By providing this branch circuit, the assembled battery 20 can be cooled with the refrigerant branched from the refrigerant circuit.

  Reference numeral 214 denotes a temperature sensor which detects the temperature of the refrigerant returning from the cooling plate 30 and can change the appropriate attachment position.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of the operation when the valve opening degree of the pressure reducing device 212 is controlled in units of steps. In this flowchart, starting from R, ON / OFF of operation (operation of an automobile equipped with the battery device) is determined in step S1, and if it is OFF, the valve opening is fully closed in step S2 and the process returns to R.

  When the operation (not OFF) is determined in step S1, the operation signal of the refrigerant compressor 201 is output, and then the process proceeds to step S3. The operation starts in this step S3 (whether the operation state has changed from OFF to ON). Determine whether or not. When the operation is started (when the operation state is changed from OFF to ON), the valve opening is set to the initial (minimum opening) 50step in step S4, the process returns to R, and the condition of step S3 is not satisfied (during operation) ) Proceeds to step S5 and inputs the temperature (Tin) of the refrigerant returning from the cooling plate 30 from the temperature sensor 214.

  The valve opening is controlled so that the temperature of the refrigerant returning from the cooling plate 30 falls within a predetermined temperature range. If the temperature Tin is high, the valve opening is controlled to open and the amount of refrigerant flowing to the cooling plate 30 is controlled. When the temperature Tin is decreased, the valve opening degree is controlled in the closing direction to reduce the amount of refrigerant flowing to the cooling plate 30. A signal for increasing / decreasing the operating capacity of the refrigerant compressor 201 is output simultaneously with the increase / decrease of the valve opening, thereby suppressing the air conditioning (cooling / heating) in the vehicle from becoming insufficient or excessive.

  In this temperature control, the temperature is controlled so that the refrigerant coming out of the cooling plate 30 is vaporized and is in a superheated state. That is, the control is performed with the goal that the refrigerant has finished absorbing heat due to vaporization heat (latent heat). In the third embodiment, the target temperature is set to 30 to 35 degrees. However, the target temperature is not limited to this temperature range, and is appropriately selected depending on the refrigerant to be used, the capacity of the refrigerant compressor, and the cooling capacity of the cooling plate. .

  In step S6 and step S7, it is determined whether the temperature Tin is 35 ° C. or higher and the temperature Tin is 30 ° C. or lower. If the temperature Tin is 35 ° C. or higher, the valve opening is further increased by 10 steps in step S8. In step S9 and step S10, when the valve opening exceeds the maximum value of 512 step, correction is made so as to maintain 512 step. If the temperature Tin is 30 degrees or less, similarly, a new valve opening that closes the valve opening by 10 steps is set in step S11, but if the valve opening falls below the minimum value of 50 steps in steps S12 and S13, The correction is made so as to maintain 50 steps.

  The opening degree of the decompression device 212 is changed to the valve opening degree set in step S13. Accordingly, the valve opening degree of the pressure reducing device 212 is changed every time this flowchart is executed. The valve opening change period is set to about once every few seconds, for example. The flowchart may be executed in this cycle, and the execution of step S13 may be performed every cycle. Further, this cycle may be changed according to the total capacity of the assembled battery, and is appropriately selected based on the actual assembled battery.

  In addition to such control, the valve opening degree may be further corrected when the change in the temperature Tin is large, or when the current output from the assembled battery increases rapidly.

FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing another embodiment when the electric power generated from a power generation device such as a solar power generation device is stored in the battery device 100. Since the battery device 100 can be the same as that used in the previous embodiment, the same reference numerals are used and detailed description thereof is omitted. The dehumidifying box 40 is also omitted because it can be the same as the previous embodiment.
In this figure, the refrigerant circuit uses, for example, a refrigerant R134a, and a refrigerant compressor 301 capable of changing its operating capacity, a condenser 302, a pressure reducing device 303, a cooling plate 30 acting as an evaporator, and an accumulator 304 are connected in an annular shape. Is configured. The functions of each component are the same as the functions and operations used in the description of FIG. That is, the refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant compressor 301 condenses in the condenser 302, the refrigerant flow rate is reduced by the decompression device 303 and evaporated in the cooling plate 30, and then gas-liquid separation is performed in the accumulator 304. The refrigeration cycle is circulated to the refrigerant compressor 301 again.

  Reference numeral 305 denotes a solar cell panel, and its DC output is boosted to a predetermined DC voltage by a booster (DC / DC converter) 306 and then charged to the assembled battery 20 via the charger 307. The charger 307 controls charging with an appropriate amount of current while monitoring the charging state of the assembled battery 20.

  A booster (DC / DC converter) 308 boosts the voltage to a predetermined voltage when the stored charge of the assembled battery 20 is used. The boosted DC power is combined with the DC power boosted by the booster 306 at the merge unit 309 and then supplied to the inverter circuit 310. Therefore, when the DC power supply to the inverter circuit 310 is supplied from the solar cell panel 305, the pattern is supplied from both the solar cell panel 305 and the assembled battery 20, and the three patterns are supplied from the assembled battery 20. Is possible.

  The inverter circuit 310 converts DC power into single-phase or three-phase AC power and supplies it to a load or system. A plurality of switching elements are connected in a bridge shape, and each switching element is turned ON / OFF to produce a pseudo sine wave. Is made into a sine wave through a filter.

  Reference numeral 311 denotes a current sensor which detects a current value charged to the assembled battery 20 and a current value supplied from the assembled battery 20 to the booster 308, and uses a shunt resistor or a Hall element. It is not limited.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of control of the throttle amount (cooling capacity of the cooling plate) of the decompression device 303. The valve opening degree of the decompression device 303 can be controlled using the temperature of the refrigerant returning from the cooling plate 30 using the flowchart of FIG. 10, but the change in the temperature Tin is caused by the charging current or discharging current to the assembled battery 20. Therefore, the temperature Tin changes behind the change of the current. In order to eliminate the time delay, the valve opening is obtained based on the current value Iin detected by the current sensor 311 and corrected based on the temperature Tin. Opening degree) is controlled.

  In FIG. 10, starting from R, the valve opening is calculated based on the linear function based on the absolute value of the current Iin in step S51. In step S51, a is a constant and is arbitrarily set based on the capacity of the battery pack 20 and heat dissipation / heat generation characteristics. b is the minimum value of the valve opening, and is 50 steps in the decompression device 303, for example. In steps S52 and S53, an upper limit value is set so that the valve opening does not exceed the maximum value 512step. When the absolute value of the current Iin exceeds C in step S52, the valve opening is corrected to 512step in step S53.

  Next, the same operation as step S5 to step S14 of FIG. 10 is performed, and when this temperature Tin exceeds the range of 70 degrees to 80 degrees based on the temperature Tin of the refrigerant returning from the cooling plate 20, in steps S51 to S53. The obtained valve opening is corrected to increase / decrease, and the opening (throttle amount) of the decompression device 303 is controlled based on the corrected valve opening.

  The above-described embodiment is merely an aspect of the present invention, and can be arbitrarily modified and applied within the scope of the present invention.

10 battery case 20 assembled battery 21 unit cell (battery)
30 Cooling plate (evaporator)
40 Overheating dehumidification box (circulation dehumidification means)
43 Air circulation fan (air blowing means)
50 Refrigeration cycle 53 Compressor 54 Condenser 55 Depressurizer 60 Peltier element 61 First substrate (heat dissipation side)
62 Second board (heat absorption side)
70 Drain drainage device (condensate drainage means)
80 Control device 100 Battery device

Claims (8)

A battery device that houses the evaporator of the refrigeration cycle including a compressor, a condenser, a decompressor, and an evaporator and a plurality of battery modules provided to conduct heat with the evaporator in a single battery case. There,
A battery device comprising dehumidifying means for dehumidifying the battery case.   The dehumidifying means has a Peltier element having a heat radiating side and a heat absorbing side, and heats the refrigerant from the evaporator and the heat radiating side of the Peltier element, and air in the battery case of the Peltier element. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein the battery device is cooled by being circulated to a cooling side. The dehumidifying means includes
A blower fan that circulates air in the battery case to the heat absorption side of the Peltier element, a condensed water storage part that stores condensed water condensed on the heat absorption side of the Peltier element, the Peltier element, the blower fan, and the condensed water A dehumidification box having an air suction port and an air blowing port, and a condensed water discharge means for discharging condensed water stored in the condensed water storage unit to the outside of the battery case, while storing the storage unit. The battery device according to claim 2.   4. The battery device according to claim 3, wherein there is a space through which air flows between the battery module and the battery case, and the air in the space is circulated by the blower fan. 5.   5. The plurality of batteries according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of batteries store electric power to be supplied and supplied to an electric motor for driving the vehicle, and are mounted on a vehicle using the electric motor as a driving source. Battery device. The evaporator is supplied with refrigerant compressed by a compressor mounted on the vehicle, and this refrigerant is obtained by branching from the refrigerant supplied to the in-vehicle evaporator that cools the inside of the vehicle by the evaporation action of the refrigerant. The battery device according to claim 3.   The battery module is charged with electric power generated by a solar power generation device, a fuel cell, etc., and the charged electric charge is discharged and converted into DC power or AC power to be usable. The battery device according to claim 3, further comprising a control unit that supplies the compressed refrigerant to the evaporator during discharging.   8. The battery device according to claim 7, wherein the supply amount of the refrigerant is corrected based on at least one of a charge amount per unit time and a discharge amount per unit time.