JP2018177096A - Vehicle air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle air conditioner solving complication in handling pipelines and attaining improvement in layout properties.SOLUTION: A vehicle air conditioner 1 includes: a first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11 exchanging heat between a low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant decompressed through an expansion valve 36 and a heat-transport coolant sent out from an engine cooling part 40 to vaporize the refrigerant; a second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12 exchanging heat between the high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant compressed by a compressor 38 after passing through the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11 and the coolant sent out from the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11 and condensing the refrigerant; and a coolant passage 20 circularly flowing the coolant through the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11, the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12, a heater core 44 and the engine cooling part 40 in this order. In the coolant passage 20, the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11 and the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12 are connected in series.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner.

  Conventionally, as a heating device for vehicles, there is a hot water type heater which heats a vehicle interior using heat of engine coolant which became high temperature. Further, as a conventional cooling device for a vehicle, there is a heat pump type cooling device which cools air sent to a vehicle compartment using a heat pump.

  In Patent Document 1, by adding a configuration for heating the coolant of the hot water heater using a heat pump, the heating performance can be improved more than a hot water heater that only uses the heat of the engine coolant. An air conditioner for a vehicle is disclosed. In the air conditioner for vehicles of patent document 1, a cooling fluid passage is constituted so that cooling fluid may flow in order of an engine cooling unit, a condenser of a heat pump cycle, a heater core, and an evaporator of a heat pump cycle.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-76837

  However, in the coolant passage of Patent Document 1, the condenser and the evaporator are connected via the heater core. Therefore, when the condenser and the evaporator are disposed in front of the vehicle body, the arrangement of piping in the engine room becomes complicated, and a problem occurs in the layout.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle air conditioner that can eliminate the complexity of the arrangement of piping and can improve the layout performance.

  The vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention exchanges heat between the low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant that has been depressurized through the expansion valve and the coolant for heat transport delivered from the cooling unit of the heat-generating component of the vehicle. Between the first water refrigerant heat exchanger to be vaporized, the high temperature / high pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor after passing through the first water refrigerant heat exchanger, and the cooling fluid delivered from the first water refrigerant heat exchanger And a second water-refrigerant heat exchanger that condenses the refrigerant by heat exchange, and a heater that heats the air flowing into the vehicle compartment, the first water-refrigerant heat exchanger, the second water-refrigerant heat exchanger, and the coolant. A core and a cooling fluid passage which circulates in order of the cooling part of the heat generating component of the vehicle are provided.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the complexity of management of piping can be eliminated and the vehicle air conditioner which can implement | achieve the improvement of a layout property can be provided.

The block diagram which shows the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on embodiment of this invention

<Configuration of air conditioner for vehicle>
The configuration of the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIG.

  The vehicle air conditioner 1 is a device mounted on a vehicle having an engine (an example of an internal combustion engine, not shown) as a heat-generating component and performing air adjustment including heating and cooling of a vehicle interior.

  The vehicle air conditioner 1 includes a first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11, a second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12, an on-off valve 13, an on-off valve 14, a check valve 15, an expansion valve 36, an expansion valve 37, a compressor 38, and the like. A condenser 39, an engine cooling unit (an example of a cooling unit for a heat generating component) 40, a heater core 44, an evaporator 48, a coolant passage 20 connecting them, a refrigerant passage 50, and the like are provided.

  The vehicle air conditioner 1 includes the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11, the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12, the on-off valve 13, the on-off valve 14, the expansion valve 36, the compressor 38, the outdoor condenser 39, and the like. It may be configured to include the coolant passage 20 and the coolant passage 50 connecting the two. In other words, the vehicle air conditioner 1 may be configured by omitting the check valve 15, the expansion valve 37, the engine cooling unit 40, and the evaporator 48 among the components shown in FIG.

  The on-off valve 13 and the on-off valve 14 correspond to an example of switching means for switching the refrigerant passage.

  The heater core 44 and the evaporator 48 are disposed in an intake passage of an HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) 70. The HVAC 70 is provided with a fan F1 for flowing intake air.

  The compressor 38 is driven by the power of the engine to compress the sucked low pressure refrigerant to a high temperature and high pressure and discharge it. The low pressure refrigerant is sucked from the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11 or the evaporator 48 into the compressor 38 through the refrigerant passage 50. The compressed refrigerant is sent to the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12 or the outdoor condenser 39.

  The engine cooling unit 40 includes a water jacket (not shown) for flowing the cooling fluid around the engine and a pump (not shown) for flowing the cooling fluid in the water jacket, and heats the engine to the coolant flowing in the water jacket. Let out. The pump is rotated by the power of the engine, for example. The engine cooling unit 40 may be provided with a radiator that releases heat to the outside air when the amount of exhaust heat of the engine increases.

  The coolant is, for example, an antifreeze liquid such as LLC (Long Life Coolant), and is a liquid for transporting heat.

  The configuration for transferring the coolant may be only the pump of the engine cooling unit 40. As a result, the cost of the device can be reduced and the installation space of the device can be reduced. Pumps may be added elsewhere in the coolant passage 20 to increase the coolant transfer capacity.

  The heater core 44 is a device that performs heat exchange between the coolant and the air, and is disposed in the intake passage of the HVAC 70 that supplies the air into the vehicle compartment. The heated coolant is supplied to the heater core 44, and in the heating mode (details will be described later), the heat is released to the intake air (air flow to the vehicle interior) sent to the vehicle interior. The heater core 44 is capable of adjusting the amount of air passing by the opening degree of the door 44a. The door 44a can be opened and closed by electrical control. The door 44a is also called a mix door.

  The evaporator 48 is a device that performs heat exchange between the low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant and the air, and is disposed in the intake passage of the HVAC 70. A low temperature and low pressure refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator 48 in the cooling mode or the dehumidifying mode to cool the intake air supplied into the vehicle compartment.

  The expansion valve 37 expands the high pressure refrigerant to a low temperature and low pressure, and discharges the refrigerant to the evaporator 48. The expansion valve 37 is disposed close to the evaporator 48. The expansion valve 37 may be a thermal expansion valve (TXV: Thermal Expansion Valve) that automatically adjusts the refrigerant flow rate based on the refrigerant temperature of the refrigerant delivery port of the evaporator 48.

  The outdoor condenser 39 has a passage through which the refrigerant flows and a passage through which the air flows, and is disposed, for example, in the vicinity of the head of the vehicle in the engine room to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the outside air. In the outdoor condenser 39, in the cooling mode (details will be described later) and the dehumidifying mode, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows to discharge heat from the refrigerant to the outside air. For example, the outdoor air is blown to the outdoor condenser 39 by a fan. A liquid tank 39 a may be provided on the refrigerant delivery side of the outdoor condenser 39.

  The first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11 has a passage in which a low temperature and low pressure refrigerant flows and a passage in which a cooling fluid flows, and performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and the cooling fluid. In the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11, the low temperature low pressure refrigerant is discharged from the expansion valve 36 in the predetermined operation mode to transfer heat from the coolant to the low temperature low pressure refrigerant. As a result, the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11 vaporizes the low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant.

  The inlet of the coolant of the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11 is in communication with the engine cooling unit 40 via the coolant passage 20. Further, the delivery port of the coolant of the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11 is in communication with the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12 via the coolant passage 20. That is, the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11 and the second water refrigerant heat exchanger are connected in series.

  The inlet of the refrigerant of the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11 is in communication with the expansion valve 36 via the refrigerant passage 50. Further, the refrigerant discharge port of the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11 is in communication with the refrigerant passage 50 joining the suction port of the compressor 38.

  The second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12 has a passage through which the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows and a passage through which the cooling fluid flows, and performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and the cooling fluid. The second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12 is fed with a high temperature / high pressure refrigerant from the compressor 38 in a predetermined operation mode to release heat from the high temperature / high pressure refrigerant to the coolant. When the temperature of the coolant is low, the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12 condenses the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant.

  The inlet of the coolant of the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12 is in communication with the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11 via the coolant passage 20. The delivery port of the coolant of the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12 is in communication with the heater core 44 via the coolant passage 20.

  The inlet of the refrigerant of the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12 is in communication with the on-off valve 14 via the refrigerant passage 50. The refrigerant delivery port of the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12 is in communication with the expansion valve 36 via the refrigerant passage 50.

  The expansion valve 36 expands the high-pressure refrigerant to a low temperature and low pressure, and discharges it to the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11. The expansion valve 36 is disposed close to the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11. The expansion valve 36 may be a thermal expansion valve (TXV: Thermal Expansion Valve) that automatically adjusts the flow rate of the refrigerant based on the refrigerant temperature at the refrigerant delivery port of the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11.

  The check valve 15 is a valve that prevents the refrigerant sent from the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11 from flowing into the evaporator 48 in the operation mode in which the refrigerant is not supplied to the outdoor condenser 39 and the evaporator 48.

  The check valve 15 is provided between the junction point c of the refrigerant passage 50 and the evaporator 48. The merging point c is a position where the refrigerant introduction passage of the compressor 38, the refrigerant lead-out passage of the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11, and the refrigerant lead-out passage of the evaporator 48 intersect.

  The on-off valve 13 is a valve that switches the opening and closing of the refrigerant passage 50 by, for example, electrical control. The on-off valve 13 is, for example, a solenoid valve.

  The on-off valve 14 is a valve that switches the opening and closing of the refrigerant passage 50 by, for example, electrical control. The on-off valve 14 is, for example, a solenoid valve.

  The refrigerant passage 50 includes a first refrigerant passage in which the refrigerant is circulated in order of the compressor 38, the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12, the expansion valve 36, and the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11. The on-off valve 13 is controlled to be closed and the on-off valve 14 is controlled to be open, so that the refrigerant flows in the first refrigerant passage. At this time, the refrigerant does not flow in the later-described second refrigerant passage.

  In addition, the refrigerant passage 50 has a second refrigerant passage in which the refrigerant is circulated in order of the compressor 38, the outdoor condenser 39, the expansion valve 37, and the evaporator 48. The on-off valve 13 is provided in the middle of the second refrigerant passage, and the on-off valve 14 is provided in the middle of the first refrigerant passage. The on-off valve 13 is controlled to be in the open state, and the on-off valve 14 is controlled to be in the closed state, whereby the refrigerant flows in the second refrigerant passage. At this time, the refrigerant does not flow in the above-described first refrigerant passage.

  The on-off valve 13 and the on-off valve 14 can be replaced with one three-way valve. The three-way valve has one inlet for introducing the refrigerant and two outlets for transmitting the refrigerant. The refrigerant delivery port can be switched to any of the two delivery ports by electrical control. When replacing the on-off valve 13 and the on-off valve 14 with a three-way valve, the refrigerant inlet of the three-way valve is on the compressor 38 side, and one of the two delivery ports of the three-way valve is on the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12, The other of the delivery ports may be connected to the outdoor capacitor 39 side.

  The coolant passage 20 is a passage through which the coolant is circulated in the order of the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11, the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12, the heater core 44, and the engine cooling unit 40. In FIG. 1, arrows illustrated in the vicinity of the coolant passage 20 indicate the flow of the coolant.

<Operation of Vehicle Air Conditioner>
The operation of the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIG.

  In the vehicle air conditioner 1, several operation modes, such as a heating mode, a temperature control mode, and a cooling mode, are switched to operate. The heating mode is a mode in which the passenger compartment is heated. The cooling mode is a mode for cooling the passenger compartment. Further, it is also possible to select a temperature control mode in which the temperature and humidity of the air are adjusted by appropriately combining the cooling and dehumidification of the air by the low temperature refrigerant and the heating of the air by the high temperature coolant. The heating mode and the cooling mode will be described below as representative examples.

[Heating mode]
In the heating mode, the on-off valve 13 is switched to the closed state, and the on-off valve 14 is switched to the open state. Also, the door 44a of the heater core 44 is opened (for example, fully open). Furthermore, the compressor 38 operates.

  By operating the compressor 38, the refrigerant cyclically flows in the order of the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12, the expansion valve 36, the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11, and the compressor 38. Specifically, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 38 releases heat to the cooling liquid in the second water-refrigerant heat exchanger 12 and condenses. The condensed refrigerant is expanded by the expansion valve 36 to become a low temperature and low pressure refrigerant, and is sent to the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11. The low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant absorbs heat from the coolant in the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11 and is vaporized. The vaporized low-pressure refrigerant is drawn into the compressor 38 and compressed.

  The coolant is delivered from the engine cooling unit 40 to the coolant passage 20, and circulates in the order of the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11, the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12, the heater core 44, and the engine cooling unit 40. In the heater core 44, heat is exchanged between the cooling fluid heated by the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 11 and the air, and the heat is released to the intake air sent into the vehicle compartment (blowing into the vehicle compartment).

  By such an operation, sufficient heating of the vehicle interior can be performed.

[Cooling mode]
In the cooling mode, the on-off valve 13 is switched to the open state, and the on-off valve 14 is switched to the closed state. Further, the door 44a of the heater core 44 is fully closed. Furthermore, the compressor 38 operates.

  By operating the compressor 38, the refrigerant cyclically flows in the order of the outdoor condenser 39, the expansion valve 37, the evaporator 48, and the compressor 38. Specifically, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 38 condenses by radiating heat to the air by the outdoor condenser 39. The condensed refrigerant is then expanded by the expansion valve 37 to become a low temperature and low pressure refrigerant, and is sent to the evaporator 48. In the evaporator 48, heat exchange is performed between the low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant and the air flow into the vehicle compartment, the air flow into the vehicle interior is cooled, and the low-pressure refrigerant is vaporized. The vaporized low-pressure refrigerant is drawn into the compressor 38 and compressed.

  By such an operation, sufficient cooling of the vehicle interior can be performed.

  In the present embodiment, in the vehicle air conditioner 1, the coolant is sent from the engine cooling unit 40 to the coolant passage 20, and the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11, the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12, the heater core 44 The engine cooling unit 40 is configured to flow in circulation in this order. As a result, when the condenser of the heat pump cycle and the evaporator of the heat pump cycle are disposed in front of the vehicle body, the complexity of the piping arrangement in the engine room can be eliminated, and the layout can be improved.

  The present invention is not limited to the configurations and methods specifically shown in the embodiments.

  For example, in the embodiment, the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11 and the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12 are separately provided as shown in FIG. The exchanger 11 and the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12 may be integrally formed. In that case, the delivery port of the cooling fluid of the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11 and the inlet of the cooling fluid of the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12 may be directly connected. By doing this, it is possible to realize the improvement of the layout property while achieving the downsizing of the vehicle air conditioner.

  For example, the embodiment is configured to include the refrigerant passage 50 in which the refrigerant is circulated cyclically in the order of the compressor 38, the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12, the expansion valve 36, and the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11. In this way, air conditioning including heating and cooling of the passenger compartment can be performed more effectively.

  For example, in the embodiment, the components of the refrigerant circuit through which the refrigerant flows in the cooling mode are not limited to the illustrated example, and various refrigerant circuits may be applied. In addition, the components of the refrigerant circuit through which the refrigerant flows in the heating mode may also be configured to be interposed by other components if the first water refrigerant heat exchanger 11 and the second water refrigerant heat exchanger 12 are included. .

  In the embodiment, the compressor 38 is driven by the power of the engine. However, the compressor 38 may be driven by electricity. The electric compressor 38 converts the externally supplied power into a motion to compress the refrigerant. Therefore, a large amount of power can be applied to the compressor 38.

  The present invention is suitable for a vehicle air conditioner provided in a vehicle.

1 Vehicle air conditioner 11 First water refrigerant heat exchanger 12 Second water refrigerant heat exchanger 13, 14 On-off valve 15 Check valve 20 Coolant passage 36, 37 Expansion valve 38 Compressor 39 Outdoor condenser 39a Liquid tank 40 Engine cooling Part 44 heater core 44a door 48 evaporator 50 refrigerant passage

Claims (3)

A first water-refrigerant heat exchanger that causes heat exchange between a low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant decompressed through an expansion valve and a coolant for heat transport delivered from a cooling unit of a heat-generating component of the vehicle to vaporize the refrigerant; ,
A second high temperature / high pressure refrigerant compressed by a compressor after passing through the first water refrigerant heat exchanger and heat exchange between the coolant discharged from the first water refrigerant heat exchanger to condense the refrigerant; Water refrigerant heat exchanger,
A coolant that circulates the coolant in this order in the order of the first water refrigerant heat exchanger, the second water refrigerant heat exchanger, a heater core that heats air blown into the vehicle compartment, and a cooling unit of a heat generating component of the vehicle The passage,
A vehicle air conditioner equipped with The first water refrigerant heat exchanger and the second water refrigerant heat exchanger are integrally formed.
The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1. The system further comprises a refrigerant passage for circulating the refrigerant cyclically in the order of the compressor, the second water refrigerant heat exchanger, the expansion valve, and the first water refrigerant heat exchanger.
The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2.

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