JP2015074393A - Vehicle body front part structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a vehicle body front part structure which inhibits increase of exhaust resistance in an exhaust pipe even when a cooling unit is disposed at the vehicle body rear side of a power unit.SOLUTION: A vehicle body front part structure 10 includes: a radiator 52 disposed at the vehicle body rear side of a power unit 40 having at least an engine 42, the radiator 52 for radiating heat of a cooling medium which is circulated by a pump 46 to cool the engine 42; and an exhaust pipe 70 which is arranged so as to extend from the power unit 40 to the vehicle body rear side passing through the vehicle body lower side of the radiator 52 and is used to exhaust an exhaust gas occurring at the engine 42.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle body front structure in which a cooling unit is disposed on the vehicle body rear side of a power unit.

  A vehicle body front structure in which a cooling unit including a radiator and a fan is disposed on the vehicle body rear side of the engine compartment room, that is, on the vehicle body rear side of at least the power unit including the engine, has been conventionally known (for example, see Patent Document 1). ).

Japanese Patent No. 5278620

  However, if the cooling unit is arranged on the rear side of the vehicle body of the power unit, the exhaust pipe that discharges the exhaust gas generated by the engine is routed so as to bypass the cooling unit, and therefore has many bent portions. Therefore, there is a possibility that the exhaust resistance is increased by the bent portion.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to obtain a vehicle body front part structure that can suppress an increase in exhaust resistance in the exhaust pipe even when the cooling unit is disposed on the vehicle body rear side of the power unit.

  In order to achieve the above object, the vehicle body front structure according to claim 1 according to the present invention is disposed at least on the vehicle body rear side of a power unit having an engine, and is circulated by a pump to cool the engine. A radiator that dissipates heat of the cooling medium, an exhaust pipe that is exhausted from the power unit to the rear side of the vehicle body through the lower body side of the radiator, and that exhausts exhaust gas generated by the engine; It is characterized by having.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the exhaust pipe for discharging the exhaust gas generated in the engine is piped so as to extend from the power unit to the vehicle body rear side through the vehicle body lower side of the radiator. That is, the exhaust pipe is connected straight from the lower side of the vehicle body of the radiator. Therefore, even if the cooling unit is disposed on the vehicle body rear side of the power unit, an increase in exhaust resistance in the exhaust pipe is suppressed.

  The vehicle body front structure according to claim 2 is the vehicle body front structure according to claim 1, wherein the radiator stores the radiated cooling medium and is connected to the power unit by a radiator hose. The lower tank is connected, and the lower tank has an insertion portion for allowing the exhaust pipe to pass therethrough.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the insertion portion for passing the exhaust pipe is formed in the lower tank of the radiator. Therefore, it is difficult to make an installation space below the vehicle body of the lower tank, and the exhaust pipe can be passed straight even in a vehicle having a low vehicle height. That is, even if the cooling unit is disposed on the vehicle body rear side of the power unit and the vehicle height is low, an increase in exhaust resistance in the exhaust pipe is suppressed.

  Further, the vehicle body front part structure according to claim 3 is the vehicle body front part structure according to claim 2, wherein the lower tank is divided by the insertion part, and the radiator hose is provided in each divided lower tank. It is characterized by being branched and connected.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, the radiator hose is branched and connected to each lower tank divided by the insertion portion. Therefore, even if the insertion portion is formed in the lower tank of the radiator, the capacity reduction of the cooling medium sent from the lower tank to the power unit by the radiator hose is suppressed.

  The vehicle body front structure according to claim 4 is the vehicle body front structure according to claim 2 or claim 3, and the radiator hose is an auxiliary device that assists circulation of the cooling medium by the pump. It is characterized by a pump being connected.

  According to invention of Claim 4, the auxiliary pump which assists the circulation of the cooling medium by a pump is connected to the radiator hose. Therefore, the load applied to the pump for circulating the cooling medium is reduced.

  Further, the vehicle body front structure according to claim 5 is the vehicle body front structure according to claim 4, wherein water is connected to the water pipe and circulated independently of the cooling medium by the auxiliary pump. A sub-radiator that dissipates the heat of the gas, a catalyst part that is provided in a part of the exhaust pipe, purifies the exhaust gas, and vaporizes water flowing through the water pipe, on the downstream side of the catalyst part, and A prime mover provided in the water pipe upstream of the sub-radiator and driven by steam vaporized in the catalyst unit; and a generator for generating power by driving the prime mover and driving at least the auxiliary pump; It is characterized by having.

  According to the fifth aspect of the invention, at least the auxiliary pump is driven by electricity generated by the generator. Therefore, compared with the structure which drives an auxiliary pump with a battery, the load concerning a battery is reduced.

  As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, an increase in exhaust resistance in the exhaust pipe can be suppressed even when the cooling unit is disposed on the rear side of the vehicle body of the power unit.

  According to the invention which concerns on Claim 2, even if it is a vehicle with a cooling unit arrange | positioned at the vehicle body back side of a power unit and a low vehicle height, the raise of the exhaust resistance in an exhaust pipe can be suppressed.

  According to the invention which concerns on Claim 3, even if the insertion part is formed in the lower tank of a radiator, it can suppress that the capacity | capacitance of the cooling medium sent to the power unit from the lower tank is reduced.

  According to the invention which concerns on Claim 4, the load concerning the pump which circulates a cooling medium can be reduced.

  According to the invention which concerns on Claim 5, the load concerning a battery can be reduced.

1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle to which a vehicle body front structure according to an embodiment is applied. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 1. It is a front view showing the circumference of a radiator of the body front part structure concerning this embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, an arrow UP appropriately shown in each figure is a vehicle body upward direction, an arrow FR is a vehicle body front direction, and an arrow RI is a vehicle body right direction. Further, in the following description, when using front / rear, up / down, and left / right directions unless otherwise specified, front / rear in the front / rear direction of the vehicle, up / down in the up / down direction of the vehicle, and left / right in the left / right direction of the vehicle (vehicle width direction).

  As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of left and right front side members 14 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body are arranged in the vehicle 12 to which the vehicle body front structure 10 according to the present embodiment is applied. A front bumper reinforcement 16 extending in the vehicle width direction is installed at the front ends of the pair of left and right front side members 14.

  Each of the front side members 14 and the front bumper reinforcement 16 is formed into a long rectangular pipe shape by extrusion molding of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy, for example, so as to form a closed cross-sectional structure of a rectangular frame alone. Yes. A crash box (not shown) as an impact absorber may be provided between each front side member 14 and the front bumper reinforcement 16.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a front bumper 18 is disposed on the front side of the vehicle body of the front bumper reinforcement 16. An engine hood 22 is arranged on the rear upper side of the vehicle body of the front bumper 18, and a front side for introducing cooling air to a radiator 52 and a sub radiator 72 described later on the lower side of the vehicle body of the front bumper 18. A part introduction port 28 is formed.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, an under cover 24 is disposed on the rear lower side of the vehicle body of the front bumper 18 (front introduction port 28), and the under cover 24 includes a radiator 52 and a sub, which will be described later. A lower introduction port 38 for introducing cooling air into the radiator 72 is formed.

  The under cover 24 on the vehicle body rear side of the lower introduction port 38 is provided with a flap 25 protruding downward so that the cooling air can be easily introduced into the lower introduction port 38. A guide portion 23 for guiding the cooling air introduced from the lower introduction port 38 to a radiator 52 and a sub-radiator 72 described later is integrally formed on the vehicle body front side of the lower introduction port 38.

  A space surrounded by the left and right front side members 14, the front bumper reinforcement 16, a dash panel 32, an engine hood 22, and an under cover 24 described later is an engine compartment room 20. The engine compartment room 20 is configured to include at least the engine 42 and the transmission 44, and accommodates at least a power unit 40 that drives the front wheels 26.

  An electric water pump (hereinafter referred to as “pump”) 46 for circulating cooling water, which will be described later, is disposed at the front portion of the power unit 40. The pump 46 is driven by electricity supplied from a battery (not shown). Further, an alternator 48 driven by the engine 42 is disposed at the front of the power unit 40 above the pump 46, and the engine 42 is disposed at the front of the power unit 40 below the pump 46. A compressor 47 is provided for compressing the intake air.

  A substantially flat dash panel 32 that partitions the engine compartment room 20 and the vehicle compartment 30 is provided on the rear side of the vehicle body from the power unit 40. The dash panel 32 is closed at the lower side of the dash panel 32. A dash cross member 34 having a substantially hat-shaped cross section constituting the cross-sectional structure is attached so as to extend in the vehicle width direction. An instrument panel 36 is disposed on the rear side of the dash panel 32 with respect to the vehicle body.

  Further, a cooling unit 50 is disposed on the vehicle body rear side of the power unit 40 and on the vehicle body lower side of the dash cross member 34 in a side view as viewed from the vehicle width direction. The cooling unit 50 includes an air-cooled radiator (heat exchanger that exchanges heat with cooling air) 52 that dissipates heat of cooling water (long life coolant) as a cooling medium for cooling the engine 42, and the vehicle 12. And a fan 60 for introducing cooling air into the radiator 52 and the sub-radiator 72 (described later) when the engine is stopped, or for discharging the heat in the engine compartment room 20.

  Although not shown, a condenser (condenser) constituting a refrigeration cycle of the vehicle air conditioner is integrally provided at the front portion of the radiator 52. The radiator 52 (condenser) and the sub-radiator 72 are inclinedly disposed on the front side of the fan 60 in the vehicle body so as to assume a forward leaning posture in a side view as viewed from the vehicle width direction. The fan 60 is housed in the shroud 62 and is configured to flow cooling air from the front side of the vehicle body to the rear side of the vehicle body by being rotationally driven by electricity supplied from the battery.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the radiator 52 is provided with a core portion 54 having a plurality of tubes through which cooling water passes and heat radiating fins, and an upper side of the core portion 54. The upper tank 56 into which the exchanged and warmed cooling water flows and the lower part of the core part 54 are provided, and heat is dissipated by passing through the core part 54 and is cooled by being exchanged with the cooling air. And a lower tank 58 in which the cooling water is stored.

  One end of a radiator hose 66 is connected to the substantially central portion of the upper tank 56 in the vehicle width direction, and the other end of the radiator hose 66 is connected to the power unit 40 (engine 42). Thereby, the cooling water heated by heat exchange with the heat in the engine 42 is configured to flow into the upper tank 56 from the power unit 40 (engine 42) through the radiator hose 66.

  A concave portion 58A as an insertion portion for disposing (inserting) an exhaust pipe 70 to be described later is formed at a substantially central lower portion of the lower tank 58 in the vehicle width direction. The recess 58A is formed in a substantially semicircular arc shape when viewed from the front so as to follow the outer shape of the exhaust pipe 70, and the lower tank 58 is divided into left and right parts by the recess 58A. The branch pipes 68A and 68B branched from one end of the radiator hose 68 are connected to the lower tanks 58 divided into two, respectively.

  Further, an auxiliary pump 64 is connected to one end portion (merging portion) of the radiator hose 68 where the branch pipes 68A and 68B merge. The other end of the radiator hose 68 is connected to the power unit 40 (engine 42). Thus, the cooling water cooled by the core portion 54 of the radiator 52 and stored in the lower tank 58 is sent (returned) from the lower tank 58 to the power unit 40 (engine 42) through the radiator hose 68. Yes.

  That is, the cooling water is not circulated only by the pump 46 but is assisted and circulated by the auxiliary pump 64. Thereby, the load applied to the pump 46 is reduced, and the cooling water flows more smoothly and efficiently (circulates). The cooling water returned to the engine 42 is heat-exchanged with the heat in the engine 42 to cool the inside of the engine 42 and is sent to the upper tank 56 again.

  The power unit 40 is connected to one end of an exhaust pipe 70 for exhausting exhaust gas generated by the engine 42. The exhaust pipe 70 is piped around the core portion 54 so as not to block the cooling air introduced into the core portion 54 of the radiator 52, and is disposed below the core portion 54, that is, in the recess 58A of the lower tank 58. It is routed straight (through the longitudinal direction of the vehicle).

  That is, a bent portion is not formed in the exhaust pipe 70 as much as possible. The other end of the exhaust pipe 70 is connected to a muffler (silencer) (not shown) so that the exhaust gas is discharged to the outside air through the muffler. Further, a catalyst portion 71 for purifying the exhaust gas by a chemical reaction is provided on the upstream side of the exhaust pipe 70, specifically, a part of the exhaust pipe 70 in the vicinity of the power unit 40.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a sub-radiator 72 independent of the radiator 52 is integrally disposed on the right side (one end in the vehicle width direction) of the radiator 52. The sub-radiator 72 is provided with a core portion 74 having a plurality of tubes through which water passes and heat dissipating fins, and an upper tank 76 that is provided above the core portion 74 and into which water vapor vaporized by waste heat of the catalyst portion 71 flows. And a lower tank 78 that is provided on the lower side of the core portion 74 and stores water cooled and liquefied by passing through the core portion 74.

  The upper tank 76 and the lower tank 78 are connected in communication by a water pipe 80. More specifically, a middle portion of the water pipe 80 whose one end is connected to the lower tank 78 is connected to the auxiliary pump 64, and a part of the water pipe 80 on the downstream side of the auxiliary pump 64 is a catalyst. It arrange | positions so that the part 71 may be contacted, and is being fixed to the catalyst part 71 by the holding member 86. FIG.

  The catalyst part 71 is heated by a chemical reaction, and water flowing through the water pipe 80 is vaporized (heat exchange) by waste heat generated in the catalyst part 71. Note that a part of the water pipe 80 in contact with the catalyst unit 71 is formed in a corrugated shape as an example so that the water flowing through the water pipe 80 is efficiently vaporized by the catalyst unit 71.

  A turbine 82 as a prime mover is disposed in the water pipe 80 downstream of the catalyst unit 71 and upstream of the upper tank 76. The turbine 82 is rotationally driven by water vapor evaporated by the waste heat of the catalyst unit 71, and the generator 84 generates electric power by the rotational driving. The other end of the water pipe 80 downstream of the turbine 82 is connected to the upper tank 76.

  In other words, the water is circulated through the sub radiator 72 and the water pipe 80 so that the power is generated by the generator 84 independent of the alternator 48. The auxiliary pump 64 is driven by electricity generated by the generator 84. The electric power generated by the generator 84 may assist the electric rotation of the fan 60 and the driving of the pump 46.

  The radiator hoses 66 and 68 constituting the cooling water circulation path are made of resin (made of rubber), and the exhaust pipe 70 is made of metal. Moreover, as for the water piping 80 which comprises the circulation path of water, as an example, the area | region where heat exchange with the catalyst part 71 and the area | region where the turbine 82 are arrange | positioned are made into metal, and the area | region other than that is resin (made of rubber) ).

  Next, the operation of the vehicle body front structure 10 configured as described above will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a concave portion 58 </ b> A for allowing the exhaust pipe 70 to pass is formed at a substantially central lower portion in the vehicle width direction of the lower tank 58 provided at the lower portion of the radiator 52. Therefore, the exhaust pipe 70 can be piped so as to extend through the vehicle body lower side of the radiator 52 (core portion 54) to the vehicle body rear side (along the vehicle body longitudinal direction). That is, the exhaust pipe 70 can be plumbed.

  Therefore, even if the cooling unit 50 is disposed on the rear side of the vehicle body of the power unit 40, there is no need to pipe the exhaust pipe 70 so as to bypass the cooling unit 50 (so that the bent portions increase), An increase in exhaust resistance in the pipe 70 can be suppressed. That is, the output of the engine 42 can be improved. Further, even if there is no installation space below the lower tank 58, the exhaust pipe 70 can be straightly connected by the recess 58A, so that it can be applied even to a vehicle having a low vehicle height.

  The cooling water heated by heat exchange with the heat in the engine 42 is sent to the upper tank 56 of the radiator 52 through the radiator hose 66 by driving the pump 46. Here, cooling air is introduced into the core portion 54 of the radiator 52 from the front introduction port 28 and the lower introduction port 38 as the vehicle 12 travels or the fan 60 rotates. Therefore, the cooling water sent to the upper tank 56 is cooled by heat exchange with the cooling air (heat is radiated) while passing through the core portion 54 of the radiator 52.

  The cooling water cooled by the core portion 54 is stored in the lower tank 58 of the radiator 52, and is returned from the lower tank 58 to the engine 42 through the radiator hose 68 by driving the pump 46. By such cooling water circulation, the inside of the engine 42 is cooled (temperature rise in the engine 42 is suppressed).

  Here, the lower tank 58 is divided into left and right parts by forming the recess 58A, and branch pipes 68A and 68B are connected to the respective lower tanks 58 in communication. An auxiliary pump 64 is connected to one end of the radiator hose 68, which is a junction of the branch pipes 68A and 68B. Accordingly, when the cooling water is returned from the lower tank 58 into the engine 42, the auxiliary water can be sucked up and sent out by the auxiliary pump 64.

  That is, the auxiliary pump 64 can assist the circulation of the cooling water by the pump 46, and the flow of the cooling water can be made smoother and more efficient. Therefore, the cooling performance of the radiator 52 can be improved. Further, the load applied to the pump 46 can be reduced, and the pump 46 can be downsized.

  Furthermore, even if the lower tank 58 is divided into two by the recess 58A, the branch pipes 68A and 68B from the radiator hose 68 are connected to the respective lower tanks 58, so the capacity of the cooling water sent from the lower tank 58 into the engine 42 However, it can suppress that the lower tank 58 is reduced compared with the structure which is not divided into two.

  The auxiliary pump 64 is driven by electricity generated by a generator 84 independent of the alternator 48. That is, the water flowing in the water pipe 80 is vaporized by the waste heat of the catalyst unit 71, and the vaporized water vapor generates power from the generator 84 by rotationally driving the turbine 82. It is driven. Therefore, as compared with the configuration in which the auxiliary pump 64 is driven by electricity supplied from the battery in the same manner as the pump 46, the load on the battery can be reduced.

  The water vapor that has driven the turbine 82 is returned to water by being cooled by the sub-radiator 72. More specifically, cooling air is introduced into the core portion 74 of the sub-radiator 72 from the front introduction port 28 and the lower introduction port 38 as the vehicle 12 travels or the fan 60 rotates.

  Therefore, the water vapor sent to the upper tank 76 is cooled and liquefied by passing through the core portion 74 of the sub-radiator 72 and exchanging heat with the cooling air (heat is dissipated) and stored in the lower tank 78. . Then, the water stored in the lower tank 78 is sent by the auxiliary pump 64 to a part that contacts the catalyst unit 71. As described above, the auxiliary pump 64 is driven independently of the pump 46.

  Further, the electric power generated by the generator 84 may be used to assist the electric power of the fan 60 or the electric power of the pump 46. In this case, the load on the battery is further reduced. Can do. In addition, this makes it possible to reduce the load on the engine 42 that drives the alternator 48 that charges the battery, thereby improving fuel efficiency.

  The vehicle body front structure 10 according to the present embodiment has been described with reference to the drawings. However, the vehicle body front structure 10 according to the present embodiment is not limited to the illustrated one, and the gist of the present invention is described. The design can be changed as appropriate without departing from the scope. For example, if there is an installation space for the exhaust pipe 70 to pass below the lower tank 58, the recess 58A (insertion portion) may not be formed. Further, the position where the concave portion 58A is formed is not limited to the substantially central lower portion in the vehicle width direction.

  Further, the insertion portion formed in the lower tank 58 is not limited to the recess 58A, and may be a hole (not shown), for example. Furthermore, the lower tank 58 is not limited to a configuration that is divided into two parts by the recess 58A or the hole, but may be configured such that a part (for example, the upper side of the recess 58A) communicates with each other.

  Further, the prime mover for generating power from the generator 84 is not limited to the turbine 82, and may be a rotor (not shown), for example. Further, the shape of the water pipe 80 brought into contact with the catalyst unit 71 is not limited to the corrugated shape shown in the drawing, and the water flowing through the water pipe 80 can be vaporized by the waste heat of the catalyst unit 71. Good.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Car body front part structure 40 Power unit 42 Engine 46 Pump 52 Radiator 58 Lower tank 58A Recessed part (insertion part)
64 Auxiliary pump 68 Radiator hose 70 Exhaust pipe 71 Catalyst part 72 Sub radiator 80 Water pipe 82 Turbine (prime mover)
84 Generator

Claims (5)

A radiator disposed at least on the vehicle body rear side of a power unit having an engine and dissipating heat of a cooling medium circulated by a pump for cooling the engine;
An exhaust pipe that is exhausted from the power unit through the vehicle body lower side of the radiator to the vehicle body rear side and exhausts exhaust gas generated by the engine;
Body front structure with The radiator has a lower tank connected to the power unit by a radiator hose while storing the radiated cooling medium.
The vehicle body front part structure according to claim 1, wherein the lower tank has an insertion part for allowing the exhaust pipe to pass therethrough.   The vehicle body front structure according to claim 2, wherein the lower tank is divided by the insertion portion, and the radiator hose is branched and connected to each of the divided lower tanks.   The vehicle body front part structure according to claim 2 or 3, wherein an auxiliary pump for assisting circulation of the cooling medium by the pump is connected to the radiator hose. A sub-radiator to which water piping is connected and radiates heat of water circulated by the auxiliary pump independently of the cooling medium;
A catalyst unit that is provided in a part of the exhaust pipe and purifies the exhaust gas and vaporizes water flowing through the water pipe;
A prime mover that is provided downstream of the catalyst unit and upstream of the sub-radiator, and that is driven by water vapor vaporized in the catalyst unit;
Generating electric power by driving the prime mover, and a generator for driving at least the auxiliary pump;
The vehicle body front part structure according to claim 4, wherein

Images